We have discussed the clinical use of the measurement of canine C-reactive protein (CRP) with Dr. Anna Hillström, clinical pathologist at the University Animal Hospital (UDS) of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). In this interview, Dr. Hillström discusses CRP as a first-line test in diagnosis and clinical decision levels, as well as practical examples from the clinic.
As a researcher, Dr. Hillström is an expert in the veterinary inflammatory diagnostic field. Her PhD thesis focuses on canine CRP protein assays and their applications, and it also includes a study on the validation of the Gentian Canine CRP Immunoassay [1,2]. Read full interview here.
Dr. Hillström especially values the fact that CRP is easy to measure and is a quantitative marker of inflammation, since CRP levels are rapidly elevated in response to inflammation and also swiftly decrease when the inflammatory stimulus is eliminated.
Dr. Hillström explains that UDS have brought the canine CRP immunoassay in-house because they see CRP as an objective, reliable, and sensitive marker for systemic inflammation in dogs. The test is initially used to confirm or exclude systemic inflammation in symptomatic dogs. Following treatment, the assay is also used to evaluate response to therapy, as well as the course of disease.
At UDS, the canine CRP Immunoassay is used both in a panel and as a stand-alone test. In an acutely ill dog, a broad panel of tests (including CRP) is performed at admission. CRP can be useful during treatment as a stand-alone test to monitor the remission of systemic inflammation by looking at the trends of CRP levels.
For more details on Gentian Canine CRP Immunoassay please send an email to marketing@gentian.com or fill out the form below to get in touch with our Product Manager for Canine CRP.