Evaluation of Resting Serum Bile Acid Concentrations in Dogs with Sepsis

SIMPLE SUMMARY: There is paucity of information in the veterinary literature regarding bile acid concentrations in septic dogs. Nonetheless, in critically ill human patients, bile acids concentrations are suggested to be an early predictor of short-term survival. This study, therefore, aimed to assess resting bile acid concentrations in a population of septic dogs and ascertain if comparably to human medicine, septic dogs would have higher bile acid concentrations when compared to non-septic dogs. Medical records of dogs presenting to a single referral center over a twelve-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-six client-owned dogs with a diagnosis of sepsis were included. Two control groups of non-septic dogs (ill control and orthopedic control) were also included. Resting serum bile acid concentrations were significantly higher in the septic group compared to the non-septic group combined. However, no difference in resting serum bile acid concentrations was identified between the septic and the orthopedic control group alone. ABSTRACT: Recent studies in the human literature suggest that serum bile acid concentrations could be an early predictor of short-term survival in critically ill patients. However, there is no available information in the veterinary literature regarding serum bile acid concentrations in dogs with sepsis. We aimed to evaluate if resting serum bile acid concentrations differ between septic and non-septic dogs. This was a retrospective observational study, of medical records at a single referral center over a twelve-year period. Twenty-six client-owned dogs diagnosed with sepsis were identified. Twenty-one dogs presenting with a non-hepatobiliary systemic disease and twenty-nine dogs admitted for an elective orthopedic procedure, considered otherwise healthy, were selected as control groups. Resting serum bile acid concentrations were significantly higher in the septic compared to the non-septic groups (ill control and orthopedic control groups). However, when assessing bile acid concentrations between groups individually, no difference was identified between the septic and the orthopedic control group. These results should be interpreted cautiously.