Adjuvant treatment with a L-alanyl-L-glutamine supplementation in dogs with parvoviral enteritis

• Published in: Journal of Biomedical Translational Research Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 11 - 21
• Main Authors: Kim, Sung-Soo, Lee, Dohee, Chae, Yeon, Koo, Yoonhoi, Yun, Taesik, Kang, Byeong-Teck, Kim, Hakhyun, Yang, Mhan-Pyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 충북대학교 동물의학연구소 30.06.2023
• Subjects: nutrition; canine; communicable disease; parvovirus; glutamine
• ISSN: 2508-1357; 2508-139X
• DOI: 10.12729/jbtr.2023.24.2.11

Glutamine has been used to treat canine patients with parvoviral enteritis. However, little is known about the effect of L-alanyl-L-glutamine (Ala-Gln) supplementation in dogs with parvoviral enteritis. The objective of this study was to determine whether Ala-Gln supplementation can improve dog survival and ameliorate clinical signs without adverse effects. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 39 client-owned dogs. The dogs were randomly assigned to two groups and administered either an Ala-Gln solution (Dipeptiven, 0.4 g/kg, n = 20) or an equivalent volume of placebo (n = 19) orally twice daily. Of the 39 dogs, 17 were vaccinated (n = 9 in the Ala-Gln-treated group and n – 9 in the placebo group). All dogs received standard treatment while hospitalized. The dogs were monitored according to a clinical scoring system and evaluated diagnostically daily for 11 days. Survival rates in both groups were quantified using Kaplan‒Meier survival curves and statistically compared using the log-rank test. The total score for clinical signs did not differ between the groups, except on day 2. The survival rates differed significantly (p=0.038). Three Ala-Gln-treated dogs (15.0%) died during the study, whereas eight dogs in the placebo group died (42.1%). No adverse effects were found to be associated with Ala-Gln treatment. Oral administration of Ala-Gln improves survival in dogs with parvoviral enteritis without causing adverse effects.