Electrodiagnostic analysis of peripheral neuropathy in dogs with diabetes mellitus.

An elecrodiagnostic analysis was conducted on 5 dogs with spontaneously occurring diabetes mellitus that were maintained for a long-term study on canine diabetes. Abnormal electromyographic findings consisted of fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, and fasciculation potentials in the limb muscles of most dogs, The mean values (+/- SD) for motor nerve conduction velocities (NCV) of the ulnar and sciatic-tibial nerves were 57.6 +/- 11.2 and 52.1 +/- 7.4 m/s, respectively, for the 5 diabetic dogs. Values for motor NCV for clinically normal dogs in this laboratory were 56.0 +/- 7.6 and 66.6 +/- 7.1 m/s, respectively. The mean value (+/- SD) for the sensory NCV of the lateral superficial radial nerve in the diabetic dogs determined 4 months later was 45.2 +/- 7.9 m/s, compared with 53.1 +/- 6.0 m/s for normal dogs. Analysis of the evoked potentials recorded from the interosseous muscle after sciatic-tibial nerve stimulation revealed decreased amplitudes. Potentials evoked by stimulation at the hip, as compared with potentials evoked by stimulation at the hock, had temporal dispersion and diminished amplitude in the majority of the diabetic dogs.