Main endocrine organs:
Pituitary gland parathyroid gland ovaries adrenal gland thyroid gland pancreas testes.
Which diseases are more common in dogs?
More common: • Hypothyroidism • Diabetes mellitus • Hypercortisolism (Cushing-syndrome) • Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison-disease)
Which diseases are more common in cats?
More common:
• Hyperthyroidism
• Diabetes mellitus
What are important signs?
Appetite PU/PD activity other organ system signs (vomitus, diarrhea, neuro signs , skin abnormalities) Previous medication.
Values of PD:
Dog: > 90-100 ml/kg/day
Cat: > 50 ml/kg/day
values of PU:
> 50 ml/kg/day
When should you consider PU?
- Previously house-trained dog starts to void urine in the house
- More frequent need to change the litter, cat urinates beside the litter
- Distended bladder palpated by a dehydrated animal
What can make PU hard to diagnose?
- Multi-animal households
- Outdoor access
Which glands are possible to check with a physical exam?
Thyroid gland and testicles
Which examinations are done to check the endocrine glands?
Blood examination and urinalysis
Which blood examinations are done to check the endocrine glands?
– Hematology
– Biochemistry (glucose, ALKP, lipids, Na, K, Ca…)
– Hormonal assays
What are checked in the urinalysis?
– USG, glucose, keton, secondary urinary tract infections
– Hormone assays from the urine (UCCR)
what is the goal of the lab examinations?
– Find the consequences of hormonal disease
– Find concurrent diseases
– Exclude/diagnose other diseases causing similar symptoms
which test are done to determined a hypofunction?
a stimulation test
which test are done to determined a hyperfunction?
suppression test
Which endocrine glands can you examine with ultrasound?
- Cervical: thyroid, parathyroid glands
* Abdomen: adrenal glands, pancreas
What can you see on radiographs?
• urolithiasis, hepatomegaly
Which glands can we examine with cross-sectional imaging: CT/MRI?
- Skull: pituitary gland
- Cervical: thyroid gland
- Abdomen: pancreas, adrenals
Which hormones are specific for the pituitary gland and which disease do they indicate?
ADH - decrease=DM
GH - decrease = Hyposomatotropism, increase = Hypersomatotropism / Acromegaly
ACTH - increase = cushing
Charactheristics of hyposomatotropism
- Congenital
- Failure to thrive → proportional dwarfism
- Retrained puppy coat
- Brachygnathia inferior
Charactheristics of hypersomatotropism
- PU/PD, polyphagia, weight gain
- Big broad head, big paws
- Big tongue/ wide interdental spaces
- Prognathia inferior
- Enlargement of abdominal organs
- intact females
- concurrent diabetes
Charactheristics of hypothyrodism:
Breed predisposition • Obesity • Decreased activity • Symmetrical alopecia, hyperpigmentation • Bradycardia • Hypothermia • T4/TSH measurement • TSH-stimulation test
Charactheristics of hyperthyrodism:
- PU/PD, polyphagia, weight loss
- Decreased body and muscle condition
- Unkept haircoat
- Triagle-shaped head
- Tachycardia
- Galopp rhythm
- Cardiac murmur
- Labial (open-mouth) breathing without cyanosis
- Palpable thyroid gland ~ 80% „thyroid slip”
Dg: T4 measurement
Which diseases are specific for the adrenal gland?
Addison, cushing, pheochromocytoma, primary hyperaldosteronism
Which hormonal changes indicate addison?
increase aldestoron, decrease cortisol,
Which hormonal changes indicate cushing?
increase cortisol
Which hormonal changes indicate pheochromocytoma?
increased adrenalin
Which hormonal changes indicate hyperaldosteronism?
increased aldosteron
Characteristics for cushing:
- Hypercortisolism (Hyperadrenocorticism)
- PU/PD, polyphagia
- Abdominal enlargement= pot belly
- Hepatomegaly
- Muscle atrophy
- Alopecia, thin, fragile skin
- Comedons
- Calcinosis cutis
- ↑ SIAP
- LDDST (low dose dexamethason suppresion test)
Characteristics for addisons:
- Inappetence / anorexia
- Vomitus
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- PU/PD
- Addison-crisis– Hypovolaemic shock
- Pale mucosal membranes
- Prolonged CRT (>2 sec)
- Weak pulse
- BUT: Bradycardia / „relative” bradycardia
- ↑ potassium, ↓ sodium, Na/K: < 27
- ACTH-stimulation test
Characteristics for DM
- Diabetes mellitus
- Inzulin deficiency / resistance → ↑ blood glucose
- PU/PD
- Polyphagia
- Weight loss
- Cataract
- Plantigrad posture
- Aceton-like breath
Dg: blood glucose measurement, (cave stress hyperglycaemia ), fructosamine