Effects of oral cobalamin supplementation on serum cobalamin concentrations in dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: A pilot study

Abstract

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate serum cobalamin concentrations before and after oral cobalamin supplementation in dogs with low serum cobalamin concentrations and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Eighteen dogs with serum trypsin-like immunoreactivities between <1.0−2.7 μg/L (reference interval, 5.2−35 μg/L) and serum cobalamin concentrations ≤350 ng/L (reference interval, 244–959 ng/L) were enrolled. All dogs were treated with oral cyanocobalamin according to a previously described protocol (0.25–1.0 mg daily, depending on bodyweight). Median (range) serum cobalamin concentrations at inclusion was 188 ng/L (<111−350 ng/L), which increased significantly to 1000 ng/L (794−2385 ng/L; P < 0.001) after cobalamin supplementation for 19−199 days (median, 41 days). Oral cobalamin supplementation is a potential alternative to parenteral supplementation in dogs with EPI.