Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an endocrine disorder that occurs in both dogs and cats.  It is caused by the relative or absolute deficiency of the hormone insulin, which is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas.  Insulin stimulates the transport of glucose and other nutrients across cell membranes for cellular use and is involved in a number of anabolic processes within the body.  A lack of insulin activity leads to elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and an inability of tissues to receive the glucose that they need (glucoprivation).  Primary clinical signs include polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and, in some cases, weight loss.  Diagnosis is usually made using the initial signs of the disorder, which include the presence of a persistent hyperglycemia and a persistent or concurrent glucosuria.

Immunosuppressive Drug Therapy

Monitoring Long-Term Therapy

Managing Adverse Drug Reactions

Palliative Medicine:  Pain Assessment and Management

Palliative Medicine:  Quality of Life, and Euthanasia Decisions

Endocrine Pancreatic Disorders

• Overview
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Gastrinoma
• Insulinoma

Thyroid Gland Disorders

• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypothyroidism

Adrenal Gland Disorders

• Hyperadrenocorticism
• Catecholamine-Secreting Adrenal Tumors
• Sex Hormone–Secreting Adrenal Tumors
• Hyperaldosteronism
• Hypoadrenocorticism

Pituitary Disorders

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Diseases of the Pituitary Gland

Disorders of Calcium Metabolism

• Calcium Homeostasis
• Approach to the Cat with Hypercalcemia
• Increased Parathyroid Hormone with Hypercalcemia
• Decreased Parathyroid Hormone with Hypercalcemia
• Normal Parathyroid Hormone with Hypercalcemia
• Other Causes of Hypercalcemia
• Treatment of Hypercalcemia
• Hypocalcemia

Adrenal Gland Disease

History and Physical Examination

Clinical Pathology and Diagnostic Testing

Possible Concurrent Abnormalities

Management

Adrenal Histopathology

Prognosis

Pheochromocytomas

Thyroid Disease

Diabetes Mellitus

History and Physical Examination

Clinical Pathologic and Diagnostic Testing

Treatment

Prognosis

Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumors

Etiology

Pathophysiology

Clinical Features

Clinical Pathologic Abnormalities

Differential Diagnoses for Fasting Hypoglycemia

Diagnostic Approach

Diagnostic Imaging

Management of Islet Cell Tumors

Histopathology

Prognosis

The panel of laboratory tests available for diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in dogs and cats is wide, and, recently, several new tests have been developed.  This article will focus on advances in laboratory tests that are available for the general practitioner for diagnosis of GI diseases.  

Laboratory tests for diagnosis of gastric and intestinal infectious diseases include fecal parasite screening tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for parvoviral enteritis, and some specific bacterial tests like fluorescent in situ hybridization for identification of specific bacteria attached to the intestinal epithelial cells.  

Serum concentrations of folate and cobalamin are markers of intestinal absorption, but are also changed in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and intestinal bacterial overgrowth.  Hypocobalaminemia is common in GI and pancreatic disease.  Decreased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity is a very sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs and cats.  Serum pancreatic lipase is currently the most sensitive and specific test to identify pancreatic cell damage and acute pancreatitis.  However, serum canine pancreas-specific lipase is less sensitive in canine chronic pancreatitis.  Increased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity is also specific for pancreatic damage but is less sensitive.  It is very likely that further studies will help to better specify the role of these new tests in the diagnosis of canine and feline pancreatic diseases.

• • Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody
  • Activated Coagulation Time (ACT)
  • Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT)
  • Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Endogenous
  • Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Stimulation Test
  • Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT, Formerly SGPT)
  • Albumin
  • Alkaline Phosphatase, Serum (SAP or ALP)
  • Ammonia
  • Amylase, Serum
  • Anion Gap
  • Antinuclear Antibody (ANA)
  • Arterial Blood Gases
  • Evaluate PaO₂
  • Potential causes of hypoxemia
  • Evaluate pH
  • Assess acid-base status
  • Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST, Formerly SGOT)
  • Basophil Count
  • Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻)
  • Bile Acids
  • Bilirubin
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
  • Buccal Mucosal Bleeding Time (BMBT)
  • Calcium (Ca)
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
  • Chloride (Cl)
  • Corrected Hyperchloremia (elevation of chloride disproportionate to elevation of sodium):
  • Corrected Hypochloremia (loss of chloride relative to sodium)
  • Cholesterol (CH)
  • Cholinesterase
  • Cobalamin
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  • Coombs Test
  • Cortisol
  • Creatine Kinase (CK, formerly CPK)
  • Creatinine
  • Cytologic Criteria of Malignancy
  • General Criteria
  • Nuclear Criteria
  • Cytologic Features of Discrete Cell (Round Cell) Tumors
  • Discrete Cells (Round Cells)
  • Specific Discrete Cell Tumors
  • Mast Cell Tumor
  • Lymphoma
  • Canine Cutaneous Histiocytoma
  • Malignant Histiocytosis/Histiocytic Sarcoma/Systemic Histiocytosis
  • Plasmacytoma
  • Transmissible Venereal Tumor
  • Melanoma
  • Cytologic Features of Mesenchymal Cells
  • Cytologic Features of Normal Epithelial Cells
  • Cytology of Ear Canal Swabs
  • Bacteria
  • Fungi
  • Mites
  • Neoplasia
  • Miscellaneous
  • Cytology of Nasal Swabs or Flush Specimens
  • Normal Findings
  • Infectious Agents
  • Noninfectious Conditions
  • Dexamethasone Suppression Tests
  • Low-Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test (LDDST)
  • High-Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), Diagnostic Tests
  • Eosinophil Count
  • Erythrocyte Count (Red Blood Cell [RBC] Count)
  • Folate
  • Fructosamine
  • Gamma Glutamyltransferase (GGT)
  • Globulin
  • Glucose
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Glycosylated Hemoglobin
  • Heartworm Antibody, Feline
  • Heartworm Antigen, Canine
  • Heartworm Antigen, Feline
  • Hematocrit (Packed Cell Volume, PCV)
  • Hemoglobin
  • Hemolysis, Prevention in Laboratory Samples
  • Steps to Prevent Hemolysis:
  • Immunoassays
  • Insulin
  • Iron-Binding Capacity (Total, TIBC)/Ferritin
  • Joint Fluid (Arthrocentesis)
  • Lipase
  • Lymphocyte Count
  • Magnesium (Mg)
  • Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
  • Methemoglobinemia
  • Methods of Sample Collection for Cytology
  • Fine-Needle Biopsy (Aspiration or Nonaspiration Method)
  • Impression Smear
  • Scraping
  • Swab
  • Monocyte Count
  • Myoglobinuria
  • Neutrophil Count
  • Osmolality
  • Packed Cell Volume
  • Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)/Ionized Calcium
  • Phosphorus (P)
  • Platelet Count
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Potassium (K)
  • Protein, Total (TP)
  • Prothrombin Time (PT)
  • Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count
  • Reticulocyte Count
  • Sodium (Na)
  • Thoracocentesis Fluid
  • Eosinophilic Effusion
  • Thrombocyte Count
  • Thyroid Function Tests
  • Toxoplasmosis Antibody Titer
  • Triglycerides
  • Trypsinogen-Like Immunoreactivity (TLI)/Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity (PLI)
  • Urinalysis
  • Appearance
  • Specific Gravity
  • Chemical Properties
  • Urinary Sediment Examination
  • Urine Cortisol/Creatinine Ratio
  • Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratio
  • von Willebrand Factor
  • White Blood Cell (WBC) Count