Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To describe clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, and survival in 18 cats with anemia of suspected immune-mediated origin (ASIMO) and conflicting results using FeLV diagnosis tests, and to suggest an accurate way to assess their FeLV diagnosis.
ANIMALS
18 cats.
PROCEDURES
Medical records from 5 veterinary institutions were retrospectively reviewed to identify cats with ASIMO, positive results on p27 SNAP ELISA, and negative results on pro-virus PCR testing in peripheral blood, in the absence of other identified triggers. Follow-up was recorded from diagnosis to the time of writing, and survival analysis was performed to assess similarities with previous published data.
RESULTS
18 cats were enrolled from referral centers in Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Both peripheral immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA; 12/18) and precursor targeted immune-mediated anemia (PIMA; 6/18) were described. When the SNAP ELISA test was rechecked in patients with disease control, SNAP ELISA positive results had become negative. Two cats had a relapse of the ASIMO, and the FeLV SNAP ELISA tested positive again. Other signs of FeLV disease did not appear in any of these patients despite immunosuppression. 14 cats (14/18 [78%]) were alive at the time of writing, and the mean estimated survival time was 769 days.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
This study describes incongruent FeLV results in cats with ASIMO. It supports the necessity to confirm FeLV SNAP ELISA positive results using additional tools, such as pro-virus PCR testing, as different p27 point-of-care and external serological tests may be inconsistent.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prognosis of small dogs with cervical intervertebral disc herniation (C-IVDH) when treated with ventral slot decompression (VSD) alone or with concomitant vertebral fixation (VF).
ANIMALS
Small dogs (n = 303) weighing < 15 kg diagnosed with C-IVDH and treated with VSD.
PROCEDURES
We recorded signalment, cervical myelopathy grade, surgical site, use of VF, degree of adjacent disc degeneration, recovery, recurrence, recurrence site, and postoperative course, including the time elapsed from recovery to recurrence. We examined factors associated with recovery and recurrence during the 30-month postoperative period using multivariate logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS
VF did not affect recovery (P = .79). However, nonchondrodystrophic breeds had poorer recovery (OR, 5.89; P = .023) than chondrodystrophic breeds, and a higher preoperative cervical myelopathy grade (grade 3 or 4) was associated with poorer recovery (OR, 7.09 or 3.46, respectively; P = .019 or .042, respectively), compared with grade 1. VF did not affect recurrence (P = .79); however, increasing age was associated with recurrence (OR, 1.79; P = .001).
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
In small dogs weighing < 15 kg, there was no difference in postoperative recovery and recurrence rates after VSD with or without concomitant VF. Therefore, in small dogs with C-IVDH, even if the slot volume is increased to remove sufficient disc material during VSD, a good prognosis can be achieved with or without VF.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate hearing loss in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS), breed-specific brainstem auditory-evoked response (BAER) testing parameters are needed to help assess the Chiari-like malformation (CM) grade. The purpose of this study was to establish breed-specific BAER data and to determine if BAER indexes differed based on the CM grade. We hypothesized that there would be latency differences based on the CM grade.
ANIMALS
20 CKCS without apparent hearing abnormalities as assessed by the owners.
PROCEDURES
Under general anesthesia, CKCS underwent a CT scan (to assess the middle ear), BAER testing, and MRI (to assess the grade of CM).
RESULTS
No CKCS had CM0. Nine (45%) CKCS had CM1; 11 (55%) had CM2. All had at least 1 morphologic abnormality in waveforms. Absolute and interpeak latencies were reported for all CKCS and compared between CM grades. The median threshold for CKCS with CM1 was 39 and for CM2 was 46. Absolute latencies for CKCS with CM2 were consistently longer than those for CKCS with CM1 with the exception of waves II and V at 33 dB. Significant differences were found for wave V at 102 dB ( P = .04) and wave II at 74 dB (P = .008). Interpeak latency comparisons were inconsistent between CM1 and CM2.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Breed-specific BAER data for CKCS with CM1 and CM2 were established. The results suggest that CM impacts BAER latency results, but the influence of the malformation is not always statistically significant or predictable.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To establish an echocardiographic technique and 2-dimensional reference parameters for southern stingrays (Hypanus americanus). A second objective was to compare echocardiographic measurements obtained from animals of different sex, size, environment, handling technique, and position.
ANIMALS
84 presumed healthy, wild, semiwild, and aquarium-housed southern stingrays.
PROCEDURES
Animals, anesthetized and manually restrained, were positioned in dorsal recumbency, and echocardiography was performed. A subset of this population was also imaged in ventral recumbency for comparison.
RESULTS
Echocardiography was feasible, and reference parameters were established for this species. While some standard measurements could not be assessed due to body habitus, all valves, chambers, and the conus were clearly visualized in the majority of animals. Statistical significance was reached for some variables when comparing animals from different environments and handling methods, but these differences were not considered clinically relevant. The data were therefore separated into 2 subsets of echocardiographic reference parameters based on disc width since some of the measurements were dependent on body size. This approach mostly separated the sexes due to strong sexual dimorphism.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Limited information is available regarding cardiac disease in elasmobranchs; most of the available information on cardiac physiology focuses on a few shark species. Two-dimensional echocardiography is a noninvasive tool utilized to evaluate cardiac structure and functionality. Southern stingrays are one of the most commonly displayed elasmobranchs in public aquaria. This article expands on the growing body of information regarding veterinary care in elasmobranchs and provides clinicians and researchers with another diagnostic modality to utilize in screening for health/disease.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate ex vivo angiogenesis of equine arterial rings in response to various growth media.
ANIMALS
Facial arteries were dissected from 11 horses post-euthanasia. Equine platelet lysate (ePL) was harvested from 6 horses.
PROCEDURES
Arteries were exposed to endothelial growth media (EGM) + horse serum (HS) for first sprout (FS), vascular regression (VR), and (basement membrane matrix [Matrigel]) lysis (ML) evaluation. Additional rings supplemented with (1) EGM, (2) EGM + EDTA, (3) endothelial basal media (EBM), (4) EBM + HS, or (5) EBM + human VEGF were compared for vascular network area (VNA) and maximum network growth (MNG). Additional rings exposed to EGM + ePL at 10-(10xePL), 5-(5xePL), or 2-fold (2xePL) increases from baseline platelet concentration, EGM + HS, EGM + platelet-poor plasma (PPP), EBM + PPP and EBM were analyzed for branch number, density, VNA, and VEGF-A concentration from days 0–3.
RESULTS
Arteries demonstrated sprouting in Matrigel supplemented with EBM alone. EGM + HS exposure resulted in no differences in FS (P = .3934), VR (P = .0607), or ML (P = .2364) between horses. VNA in EGM + HS was greater than EBM (P = .0015). MNG was greater in EGM + HS, EBM + HS, and EBM + hVEGF compared with EBM (P = .0001). ePL treatment did not have an overall significant angiogenic effect compared with supplementation with HS, PPP, or EBM alone; however, VEGF-A concentrations were higher for EGM + 10xePL, EGM + 5xePL, and EGM-HS compared with EBM and positively correlated with VNA (P = .0243).
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Equine arterial rings serve as an ex vivo model for angiogenesis but have a high degree of variability. HS, PPP, or ePL support vascular growth, and HS and ePL may stimulate the secretion and be sources of VEGF-A.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine the signalment and musculoskeletal morphology of small-breed dogs affected by medial patellar luxation (MPL) grade IV based on the age of the CT scan.
ANIMALS
40 small-breed dogs (54 limbs) with MPL grade IV.
PROCEDURES
Dogs that had undergone corrective surgery for MPL grade IV and had performed CT of the hind limb before surgery were included. Signalment (age, body weight, sex, laterality, and breed) and concomitant cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCLR) were recorded. Femoral inclination angle, anatomical lateral distal femoral angle (aLDFA), femoral torsion angle, quadriceps muscle length to femoral length ratio (QML/FL), and patellar ligament length to patellar length were obtained by CT images. The dogs were categorized into 2 groups based on their age at the time of the CT scan, the skeletally immature group and the skeletally matured group. Signalment and group were included in the multiple regression analysis to determine the factors associated with each measurement parameter. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the risk of CrCL concomitant with age.
RESULTS
The multiple regression model demonstrated that the group was associated with the value of aLDFA and QML/FL. aLDFA was higher, and QML/FL was lower in group SI than in group SM. CrCLR was present in 5/54 limbs (9.2%), with a mean age of 70.8 months and it was associated with increasing age.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
In Singleton’s classification, dogs classified as grade IV can be categorized into 2 groups based on musculoskeletal morphology and pathophysiology: the skeletally immature and skeletally matured types.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine ideal insufflation pressures during transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) in canine cadavers for rectal submucosal transection and incisional closure.
ANIMALS
16 canine cadavers.
PROCEDURES
Cadavers were placed in lateral recumbency. Urinary catheters were placed to measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). A single access port was placed to establish a pneumorectum. Cadavers were placed in insufflation groups of 6 mmHg to 8 mmHg (group 1), 10 mmHg to 12 mmHg (group 2), or 14 mmHg to 16 mmHg (group 3). Defects in the rectal submucosa were created and closed with a unidirectional barbed suture. Duration for each procedure and subjective ease of identifying the transection plane and performing incisional closure were assessed.
RESULTS
The single access port was successfully placed in dogs weighing 22.7 kg to 48 kg. The ease of each step of the procedure was not influenced by the insufflation pressure. The median surgical duration for group 1 was 740 seconds (range = 564 to 951 seconds), 879 seconds (range = 678 to 991 seconds) for group 2, and 749 seconds (range = 630 to 1,244 seconds) for group 3 (P = .650). The insufflation pressure increased the IAP (P = .007). Perforation of the rectum happened in 2 cadavers in group 3.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The duration of each step of the procedure was not significantly influenced by insufflation pressure. Defining the dissection plane and performing resection was more challenging in the highest-pressure group. Rectal perforation occurred only with the 14 mmHg to 16 mmHg insufflation pressure. Single access port usage with TAMIS may provide a readily available, minimally invasive approach for the resection of rectal tumors in dogs.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To assess the agreement between measurements of total protein (TP) concentrations in canine serum samples between a commercially available veterinary digital refractometer (DR), an analog handheld refractometer (AR), and a laboratory-based chemistry analyzer (LAB). An additional objective was to assess the effects of various potential interferents (ie, hyperbilirubinemia, increased BUN, hyperglycemia, hemolysis, and lipemia) on DR measurements.
SAMPLE
108 canine serum samples.
PROCEDURES
Serum samples were measured in duplicate on the DR, which reported TP concentration, assessed via optical reflectance and critical angle measurement. These serum samples were also assessed on the AR and LAB for comparison. Serum samples with grossly visible lipemia, hemolysis, and icterus were noted. Medical records were retrospectively assessed to determine concentrations of BUN, glucose, and bilirubin.
RESULTS
Method comparisons among the various data generated by the analyzers were completed using linear regression, Bland Altman, and calculation of intraclass coefficients. Mean bias between DRTP and LABTP in samples without potential interferents was 0.54 g/dL with 95% limits of agreement of –0.17 to 1.27 g/dL. One-third of DRTP samples without potential interferents had > 10% difference from their LABTP comparison. Interferents, particularly marked hyperglycemia, can result in inaccurate measurements on the DR.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
There was a statistically significant difference between DRTP and LABTP measurements. TP measurements in samples with any potential interferent, particularly hyperglycemia, should be assessed cautiously on DR and AR.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To describe the novel PCR diagnosis and outcome of intestinal Echinococcus multilocularis in a dog.
ANIMAL
A 13-month-old female intact dog with naturally occurring intestinal E multilocularis.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION, PROGRESSION, AND PROCEDURES
The 13-month-old dog initially presented with a reduced appetite and weight loss and then developed hematochezia. The clinical history included a lack of endoparasite preventive care (fecal testing, deworming), exposure to coyotes, fox, sheep, and rodents and the dog had intermittently been fed a raw food diet. Physical examination revealed a thin dog, with a 2/9 body condition score, that was otherwise clinically unremarkable. A fecal sample was submitted for screening for gastrointestinal parasites as part of an infectious disease assessment. The fecal PCR test reported detection of E multilocularis. This result was sequenced as the European haplotype E3/E4. Centrifugal flotation (same sample) did not detect taeniid eggs.
TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
The dog was treated with metronidazole, maropitant, and milbemycin oxime/praziquantel. Clinical improvement was noted within 48 hours. No DNA of E multilocularis was detected in a fecal sample collected approximately 10 days after treatment. The dog’s owner was advised to provide monthly deworming (praziquantel) for all dogs on the property and to contact their human health-care provider due to potential zoonotic exposure risk.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Increasing detection of E multilocularis is occurring in dogs in Canada and the US. Alveolar echinococcosis can cause severe disease in dogs and humans. Fecal PCR detection and surveillance may alert practitioners to canine intestinal cases and allow dogs to serve as sentinels for human exposure risk.
