Diagnosing intestinal diseases in dogs can be challenging due to nonspecific clinical signs like vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Recent research sheds light on biomarkers as valuable tools to improve the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of chronic canine enteropathies. This comprehensive review explores the potential of serum and fecal biomarkers to revolutionize the way veterinarians assess and manage intestinal health in dogs.

The Complexity of Canine Enteropathies

Chronic intestinal diseases in dogs, classified based on response to diet, antibiotics, immunosuppressants, or as nonresponsive, often present diagnostic challenges. Traditional diagnostic methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and inconclusive. By incorporating biomarkers—tools already widely used in human medicine—veterinary professionals can gain a more detailed understanding of intestinal function and disease processes.

Key Biomarkers and Their Applications

1. Functional Biomarkers

   • Alpha 1-Proteinase Inhibitor (α1PI):
     This protein is a marker for intestinal protein loss and can be measured in both serum and feces. Increased fecal levels indicate early protein-losing enteropathies, often before hypoalbuminemia develops.

   • Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) and Folate (Vitamin B9):
     These vitamins are absorbed in specific sections of the small intestine, making them essential indicators of malabsorption. Hypocobalaminemia is commonly associated with dysbiosis or ileal disease, while abnormal folate levels often suggest proximal intestinal issues.

2. Inflammatory Biomarkers

   • C-Reactive Protein (CRP):
     A sensitive marker of systemic inflammation, CRP levels can indicate the severity of intestinal disease and guide treatment decisions, such as the need for immunosuppressive drugs.

   • Fecal Calprotectin and Calgranulin C:
     These proteins, measured non-invasively in feces, are associated with the severity of intestinal inflammation. Their levels correlate with clinical signs and treatment response, making them useful for monitoring disease progression.

3. Microbiological Biomarkers

   • Dysbiosis Index (DI):
     This tool evaluates changes in the intestinal microbiota, measuring specific bacterial populations to identify dysbiosis. It provides insight into conditions like antibiotic-responsive enteropathies and can assess the effects of interventions like fecal microbiota transplantation.

Challenges in Biomarker Use

Despite their potential, several barriers limit the widespread application of biomarkers in veterinary medicine:

• Standardization: Variability in measurement methods and lack of reference values hinder clinical adoption.

• Cost: Advanced biomarkers like methylmalonic acid or genomic studies can be prohibitively expensive for routine use.

• Limited Research: Many biomarkers lack large-scale studies validating their diagnostic accuracy, particularly in diverse canine populations.

Practical Implications for Veterinary Medicine

Biomarkers offer veterinarians a non-invasive, cost-effective way to enhance diagnostic accuracy and monitor treatment responses in dogs with intestinal diseases. By combining functional, inflammatory, and microbiological markers, veterinary professionals can better tailor treatments to individual patients, improving outcomes and quality of life for their canine patients.

The Future of Canine Intestinal Health

As research advances, the development of more standardized, cost-effective biomarker tests will bridge existing gaps in diagnostic capabilities. Large-scale studies, including control groups of healthy dogs, are needed to validate these tools further. Ultimately, biomarkers hold the potential to transform veterinary gastroenterology by offering precise, actionable insights into the complex world of canine intestinal health.

Read full study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/vmi/7409482