Pesquisa de sangue oculto fecal em caninos diabéticos pelos métodos de Benzidina e Guaiac

Abstract

Veterinary endocrinology is a specialty in evidence due to the increase of patients’ life expectancy and early diagnosis possibility. One of the most frequent canine hormonal disorders is the Diabetes mellitus (DM), which is characterized by metabolic disturbances that generates ophthalmic, neurological and renal complications. Gastrointestinal disorders are described in humans and may cause occult bleeding as a result of microangiopathies in the gastrointestinal tract. In order to identify this type of lesion, fecal occult blood tests are performed (FOBT). In them, indicators, such Guaiac and Benzidine, are oxidized to induce test color changes. Thus, considering that gastroenteric dysfunctions were not yet evident in dogs, the aim was to investigate the presence of fecal occult blood in canines’ type 1 Diabetes mellitus. In the research, 25 canines, branched into control group (11 healthy animals) and diabetic group (14 animals diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes mellitus), underwent to FOBT using Guaiac (gFOBT) method. 81.82% (9/11) were negative in the gFOBT. However, there was no difference between control and diabetic results (p=0.69). Therefore, under the conditions established by this experiment, it was not possible to identify occult gastrointestinal bleeding in diabetic dogs by the gFOBT. The insertion of these tests is a new approach in canines’ type I Diabetes mellitus, although more studies on its efficacy are needed.