Hutchinson Dana, Freeman Lisa M, McCarthy Robert, Anastasio John, Shaw Scott P, Sutherland-Smith James
Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2012 Aug 15;241(4):477-83. doi: 10.2460/javma.241.4.477.
An 8-month-old male Saint Bernard developed tetanic seizures and hyperthermia during evaluation of bilateral osteochondritis dissecans of the shoulder joints. Further investigation revealed that the dog was receiving an unbalanced homemade diet.
Preliminary evaluation of the dog revealed bilateral signs of pain and mild muscle wasting in the shoulder joint areas. Serum biochemical analysis revealed severe hypocalcemia, hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hyperphosphatemia, vitamin D deficiency, and taurine deficiency. Diffuse osteopenia was identified on radiographs of the mandible and long bones, confirming bone demineralization. Analysis of the homemade diet revealed that the dog's diet was severely deficient in a variety of nutrients.
The dog responded positively to treatment for hypocalcemia, hyperthermia, and seizures. The dog's diet was changed to a complete and balanced canine diet formulated for growth. Body weight and body condition were monitored, and dietary intake was adjusted to achieve optimal body condition during growth. After initial evaluation, serial monitoring of serum calcium and taurine concentrations revealed that values were within reference limits and the dog had no further clinical signs associated with dietary deficiency.
Findings in this puppy highlight the risks associated with feeding an unbalanced homemade diet during growth and the importance of obtaining a thorough dietary history from all patients. For owners who elect to feed a homemade diet, it is critical to have the homemade diet carefully formulated by a veterinary nutritionist to avoid severe nutrient imbalances, especially in young, growing dogs.
一只8个月大的雄性圣伯纳犬在评估双侧肩关节剥脱性骨软骨炎时出现手足搐搦性惊厥和体温过高。进一步调查发现这只狗正在食用不均衡的自制食物。
对这只狗的初步评估显示双侧肩关节区域有疼痛迹象和轻度肌肉萎缩。血清生化分析显示严重低钙血症、低钠血症、低氯血症、高磷血症、维生素D缺乏和牛磺酸缺乏。下颌骨和长骨的X线片显示弥漫性骨质减少，证实存在骨质脱矿。对自制食物的分析表明，这只狗的食物严重缺乏多种营养物质。
这只狗对低钙血症、体温过高和惊厥的治疗反应良好。将其饮食改为专门为生长配制的营养全面且均衡的犬粮。监测体重和身体状况，并调整饮食摄入量以在生长过程中达到最佳身体状况。初次评估后，对血清钙和牛磺酸浓度进行系列监测，结果显示数值在参考范围内，且这只狗没有出现与饮食缺乏相关的进一步临床症状。
这只幼犬的情况突出了在生长过程中喂食不均衡自制食物的风险，以及从所有患者那里获取详尽饮食史的重要性。对于选择喂食自制食物的主人来说，至关重要的是让兽医营养师精心配制自制食物，以避免严重的营养失衡，尤其是在幼犬生长阶段。
