Clinical remission of type II diabetes at a female dog after surgical sterilization

Abstract

In dogs and cats develops more frequently the type II diabetes, non-insulin-dependent, generated by peripheral resistance to insulin and often associated with hypercholesterolemia and obesity. In this study we analyzed the beneficial influence of sterilization on the evolution of canine diabetes. The studied case was a overweight female dog (German Sheperd, 9 years old, 33 Kg), that has presented for 8 months diabetic symptoms, dominated by hyperglycemia (160-186 mg/dL) inconsistently associated with glucosuria and constantly with polydipsia and polyphagia. In time these events have worsened despite the implementation of a rigorous program for the control of diabetes, based on appropriate measures of diet, exercise and socializing. Moreover, the emergence of severe genital complications (pyometra/polycystic ovaries) resulted in a emergency extirpation of the whole genital apparatus. During the post-operative examinations, within 3 weeks a significant amendment of diabetic symptomatology was noticed, following that, within two months the blood glucose decreased to 110 mg/dL and the main blood-biochemical parameters returned to physiological limits. In another few weeks the blood sugar level stabilized around 75 mg/dL and diabetic manifestations resolved completely. In conclusion we believe that the results of this case study are a relevant information for clinicians regarding the use of which require sterilization, or other pathologies related to therapy in clinical remission to normalize glycemia and some forms of canine diabetes.