Abstract:
This prospective, cross-sectional, interventional study was designed to determine the association between the hormones of the pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-thyroid axes and other clinical parameters with the blood glucose perturbations in dogs with naturally occurring Babesia canis rossi babesiosis. Thirty-six dogs with canine babesiosis were studied. Blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein in each dog prior to treatment at admission to hospital and serum endogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone(ACTH), pre-ACTH cortisol, thyroxine, free thyroxine and TSH concentrations were measured. Basal and post-ACTH serum cortisol concentrations were significantly
higher in hypoglycaemic dogs, whereas body temperature, serum thyroxine and free
thyroxine were significantly lower in hypoglycaemic dogs. Haematocrit was significantly
lower in both hypo-and hyperglycaemic dogs compared with normoglycaemic dogs. Low
blood glucose concentrations were significantly associated with high basal and post-ACTH
cortisol concentrations and with low serum thyroxine and free thyroxine concentrations in dogs suffering from B. canis rossi babesiosis.
