Association of Vitamin D Status and Clinical Outcome in Dogs with a Chronic Enteropathy.

BACKGROUND: Dogs with a chronic enteropathy (CE) have a lower vitamin D status, than do healthy dogs. Vitamin D status has been associated with a negative clinical outcome in humans with inflammatory bowel disease. OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations at diagnosis and clinical outcome in dogs with a CE. ANIMALS: Forty-one dogs diagnosed with CE admitted to the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, Hospital for Small Animals between 2007 and 2013. METHODS: Retrospective review. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were compared between dogs which were alive at follow up or had died because of non-CE-related reasons (survivors) and dogs which died or were euthanized due to their CE (non-survivors). A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine significant predictors of death in dogs with CE. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D at the time a CE was diagnosed were significantly lower in nonsurvivors (n = 15) (median nonsurvivors 4.36 ng/mL, interquartile range 1.6-17.0 ng/mL), median survivors (n = 26) (24.9 ng/mL interquartile range 15.63-39.45 ng/mL, P < .001). Serum 25(OH)D concentration was a significant predictor of death in dogs with CE (odds ratio 1.08 [95% CI 1.02-1.18)]). CONCLUSIONS: Serum 25(OH)D concentrations at diagnosis are predictive of outcome in dogs with CE. The role of vitamin D in the initiation and outcome of chronic enteropathies in dogs is deserving of further study.

Cats with inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal small cell lymphoma have low serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and intestinal small cell lymphoma (ISCL) are common diseases in cats. The prevalence of alterations in the serum concentrations of fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamin D, in cats with IBD and ISCL is unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to measure serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations in cats with IBD or ISCL. Serum 25(OH)D also was measured in healthy cats, and in hospitalized ill cats with nongastrointestinal diseases. ANIMALS: Eighty-four cats were included in the study: 23 in the healthy group, 41 in the hospitalized ill group, and 20 in the IBD/ISCL group. METHODS: Retrospective study. Serum samples for vitamin D analysis were frozen at -20°C until serum 25(OH)D was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Although there was overlap in serum 25(OH)D concentrations among the 3 groups, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly lower in the cats with IBD or ISCL compared to healthy cats (P < .0001) and hospitalized ill cats (P = .014). In the IBD/ISCL group, there was a significant moderate positive correlation between serum albumin and 25(OH)D concentrations (r = 0.58, P = .018). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The median serum concentration of 25(OH)D was significantly lower in cats with IBD/ISCL than in healthy cats and in hospitalized ill cats. Additional studies are required to elucidate the mechanism of hypovitaminosis D in cats with gastrointestinal diseases, to define the best management strategy to treat this complication, and to investigate its potential prognostic implications.