Effect of the α-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose on control of glycemia in dogs with naturally acquired diabetes mellitus

Objective - To evaluate effect of acarbose on control of glycemia in dogs with diabetes mellitus. Design - Prospective randomized crossover controlled trial. Animals - 5 dogs with naturally acquired diabetes mellitus. Procedures - Dogs were treated with acarbose and placebo for 2 months each: in 1 of 2 randomly assigned treatment sequences. Dogs that weighed ≤ 10 kg (22 b; n = 3) or > 10 kg (2) were given 25 or 50 mg of acarbose, respectively, at each meal for 2 weeks, then 50 or 100 mg of acarbose, respectively, at each meal for 6 weeks, with a 1-month interval between treatments. Caloric intake, type of insulin, and frequency of insulin administration were kept constant, and insulin dosage was adjusted as needed to maintain control of glycemia. Serum glucose concentrations, blood glycosylated hemoglobin concentration, and serum fructosamine concentration were determined. Results - Significant differences in mean body weight and daily insulin dosage among dogs treated with acarbose and placebo were not found. Mean preprandial serum glucose concentration, 8-hour mean serum glucose concentration, and blood glycosylated hemoglobin concentration were significantly lower in dogs treated with insulin and acarbose, compared with insulin and placebo. Semisoft to watery feces developed in 3 dogs treated with acarbose. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance - Acarbose may be useful as an adjunctive treatment in diabetic dogs in which cause for poor glycemic control cannot be identified, and insulin treatment alone is ineffective.