Control Range (dogs only):    Canine 0 - 7.6 mg/L 

SAMPLE: 0.5 ml fasting (12 hours) serum; DOGS ONLY

C-reactive protein is an integrated marker of systemic inflammation. C-reactive protein is a member of the acute phase reactant family of proteins in the dog. Synthesis of this group of proteins is dramatically increased during inflammatory disease. These proteins are typically involved in regulation of the early response of the patient to the agent causing the inflammation, and in the regulation of immune system activity. During inflammatory disease, hepatic synthesis of C-reactive protein is dramatically up-regulated (up to a 1000-fold increase).

The ability to determine the severity of the disease is helpful in planning the clinical approach to the case and in discussions with owners/clients involving prognosis. In diseases that are predominantly inflammatory in nature, integrated measurement of the severity of inflammation may be superior to measurement of organ specific marker enzymes when trying to answer the second question. Canine C-reactive protein is a marker of systemic inflammation that is receiving increasing attention and has been shown to reflect the severity of canine small intestinal disease.
The greatest clinical utility of this assay is likely to be in the monitoring of response to treatment for inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. It is reasonable to expect that the institution of effective dietary or medical therapy will be associated with a decrease in serum C-reactive protein in the patient.