Adjuvant nutritional management of canine insulinoma: A case report

Insulinoma is a functional tumor of pancreatic beta cells characterized by excessive insulin secretion, resulting in persistent hypoglycemia. This report describes the case of a 12-year-old male neutered Lhasa Apso dog admitted to the hospital service with persistent hypoglycemia and neurological signs. Complementary examinations suggested insulinoma, which was confirmed by histopathology. Although the surgical procedure was uneventful, postoperative hypoglycemia persisted, with frequent episodes of tremors and prostration, mean serum glucose concentration was 36 mg/dL. Due to limited access to specific drug therapies, nutritional modification was implemented using a commercial diet formulated for diabetes mellitus, supplemented with lentils, psyllium, and beta-glucans. The dietary intervention led to reduced glycemic variability, resolution of hypoglycemia-related clinical signs, decreased glucocorticoid dosage and an improvement in mean blood glucose concentration was observed, reaching 53 mg/dL. This case report highlights the importance of nutrition as a low-cost and accessible adjuvant therapy for dogs diagnosed with insulinoma.