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- Author or Editor: Karin M. Beale x
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Abstract
Objectives—To determine the effects of racing and training on serum thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations in Greyhounds.
Animals—9 adult racing Greyhounds.
Procedure—Serum thyroid hormone concentrations were measured before and 5 minutes after a race in dogs trained to race 500m twice weekly for 6 months. Resting concentrations were measured again when these dogs had been neutered and had not raced for 3 months. Postrace concentrations were adjusted relative to albumin concentration to allow for effects of hemoconcentration. Thyroid hormone concentrations were then compared with those of clinically normal dogs of non-Greyhound breeds.
Results—When adjusted for hemoconcentration, total T4 concentrations increased significantly after racing and TSH concentrations decreased; however, there was no evidence of a change in free T4 or total or free T3 concentrations. Resting total T4 concentrations increased significantly when dogs had been neutered and were not in training. There was no evidence that training and neutering affected resting TSH, total or free T3, or free T4 concentrations. Resting concentrations of T3, TSH, and autoantibodies against T4, T3, and thyroglobulin were similar to those found in other breeds; however, resting free and total T4 concentrations were lower than those found in other breeds.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Except for total T4, thyroid hormone concentrations in Greyhounds are affected little by sprint racing and training. Greyhounds with low resting total and free T4 concentrations may not be hypothyroid. (Am J Vet Res 2001;62:1969–1972)
Abstract
Objective—To determine the efficacy of triamcinolone acetonide topical solution (TTS) in dogs for use in reduction of clinical signs of pruritic inflammatory skin diseases of a known or suspected allergic basis and to evaluate adverse effects associated with TTS administration.
Animals—103 pruritic adult dogs with known or suspected allergic skin disease.
Procedure—Dogs were treated for 4 weeks with TTS or with vehicle solution (control dogs) in a multiplecenter study. Clinical signs were scored by owners and by examining veterinarians before and after treatment. Blood samples obtained before and after treatment were subjected to routine hematologic and serum biochemical analyses.
Results—Treatment success, as defined by an improvement of at least 2 of 6 grades in overall clinical score, was evident in 35 of 52 (67%) TTStreated dogs (mean improvement, 1.98) and 12 of 51 (24%) control dogs (mean improvement, 0.29). For several criteria, TTS was significantly more effective than vehicle in reducing clinical signs. Minor alterations in hematologic determinations in TTS-treated dogs were limited to slightly lower total leukocyte, lymphocyte, and eosinophil counts after treatment. Minor adverse effects were reported by owners in 6 of 52 (12%) TTS-treated and 9 of 51 (18%) control dogs.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Triamcinolone used as a spray solution at a concentration approximately one-sixth the concentration of triamcinolone topical preparations currently available for veterinary use is effective for short-term alleviation of allergic pruritus in dogs. Adverse effects are few and mild and, thus, do not preclude prolonged treatment with the solution. (Am J Vet Res 2002;63:408–413)
Summary
Serum cortisol concentration was evaluated in 71 dogs before and after a stressful procedure was performed. Thirty dogs were skin tested with sedation (group S), 21 dogs were skin tested without sedation (group NS), and 20 dogs had other dermatologic procedures performed (group C). Group-S dogs had significant (P < 0.001) decrease in serum cortisol concentration after skin testing, compared with baseline values. In contrast, dogs of groups NS and C had significant (P < 0.001) increase in poststress serum cortisol concentration. Mean cortisol concentration after stress was significantly lower for dogs of group S, compared with that for dogs of the other 2 groups.
The second part of the analysis consisted of determining the number of false-negative skin test results for dogs of groups S and NS and comparing these with serum cortisol concentration. Difference in the number of suspected atopic dogs with negative skin test results (false-negative) was not evident between groups S and NS. Also, difference was not apparent between cortisol concentration in dogs that had positive or false-negative skin test results in either group. This finding indicates that high serum cortisol concentration does not affect results of skin testing in suspected atopic dogs.