An undernutrition screening score for dogs with protein-losing enteropathy
The impact of undernutrition in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) caused by inflammatory enteritis, intestinal lymphangiectasia, or both and which variables are most predictive of outcome are unknown. The aim of this prospective study was to develop an undernutrition screening score (USS) for use at the time of diagnosis of PLE in dogs, which could be predictive of outcome.
Fifty-seven dogs with PLE from 3 referral hospitals in the United Kingdom were recruited.
An USS scored out of 15, based on the presence and severity of 5 variables: appetite, weight loss, and body, muscle, and coat condition, was calculated at the time of diagnosis; higher scores reflecting worse undernutrition. Follow-up information was obtained for at least 6 months.
Dogs that failed to achieve clinical remission within 6 months had higher USS at diagnosis compared with dogs that achieved remission (median, 7.5; range, 2-14 and median, 5; range, 0-14, respectively). The USS at diagnosis gave an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.656 for predicting nonclinical remission within 6 months, whereas a score consisting of just epaxial muscle loss and coat condition resulted in a larger AUC of 0.728.
Of the 5 variables assessed in the USS, a combination of epaxial muscle loss and coat condition was most predictive of not achieving clinical remission within 6 months in dogs with PLE. Additional studies will help determine the effect of changes in USS and the 5 associated variables after diagnosis on outcome variables in these dogs.
“An undernutrition screening score for dogs with protein-losing enteropathy: A prospective multicenter study”. Florence E Wootton, et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2023 Sep-Oct;37(5):1821-1829. doi: 10.1111/jvim.16794.
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