Correlation between the ultrasonographic measurement of intestinal thickening and laboratory parameters in asymptomatic dogs

Abstract

Background: Intestinal ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal diseases in dogs. Despite its usefulness, the clinical significance of intestinal thickening in asymptomatic animals remains unclear. Aim: This study aimed to correlate the thickness of the intestinal layers with hematological and biochemical parameters in asymptomatic dogs. Methods: Thirty healthy dogs were assessed and divided into two groups: G1 (n = 15), with no ultrasound alterations, and G2 (n = 15), with different intestinal thicknesses. Pearson’s correlation test was used to assess possible associations between laboratory data and intestinal thickening. Results: The results showed no statistically significant correlation between intestinal thickness and keratometric parameters, leukometry, proteinogram, and serum biochemistry (r ranging from -0.004 to 0.29 in hematology and from 0.008 to 0.2 in biochemistry, with p > 0.05). Conclusion: Therefore, identifying early markers for the diagnosis of enteropathies in asymptomatic dogs was not possible. The lack of associations limits the clinical usefulness of intestinal ultrasound as a predictor of laboratory alterations or as a tool for diagnosing enteropathies in the early stages. Expanding the sample, using additional biomarkers, conducting prospective studies, and correlating ultrasound findings with intestinal histology are recommended. These steps could help explore new clinical and laboratory markers to better understand the clinical significance of gastrointestinal tract thickening in dogs.