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Urinary and plasma catecholamines and metanephrines in dogs
Pheochromocytomas (PC) are catecholamine-producing tumors arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. Clinical signs result most often from secretion of excessive amounts of catecholamines. Diagnosis of PC in humans is mainly based on biochemical detection of catecholamine-derived secretory products. Commonly used tests are measurement of catecholamines and their O-methoxylated metabolites metanephrines (normetanephrine and metanephrine) in 24-hour urine samples or in plasma. The question of whether urine or plasma is best is still somewhat controversial, but plasma metanephrines are recommended more often as tes...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - May 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Clinical Pathology Source Type: research

Aspergillus Otitis in Small Animals
Otitis externa, an inflammation of the external ear canal and sometimes the pinna, is a common ailment in small animals, occurring in 4.6% of the canine case population in one hospital-based study. Otomycosis, a fungal infection of the ear, was diagnosed in 26.7% of those cases. The most common organism to cause otomycosis in dogs is Malassezia pachydermatis. In humans, otomycosis is diagnosed most commonly in warm, humid climates. Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp. are the most common fungi implicated in otomycosis in people. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - May 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Dermatology Source Type: research

Anicteric gallbladder rupture in dogs
Gallbladder rupture is a surgical emergency. Diagnosis of this disease must be rapid and accurate. Ultrasonography is neither 100% sensitive nor 100% specific for the diagnosis of gallbladder rupture. A need for confirmatory testing is evident. Clinical pathologic abnormalities associated with gallbladder or biliary tract disease include high serum alanine aminotransferase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, and total bilirubin concentration. High serum total bilirubin concentration is traditionally considered the hallmark of biliary tract disease. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - May 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Gastroenterology Source Type: research

Grade and tumor-free margins as predictors of recurrence in canine mast cell tumors
Complete surgical excision is crucial for long-term control and a prerequisite for a cure for most canine mast cell tumors (MCT). The surgical guidelines for MCT are well established in the literature and suggest that these tumors be resected with surgical margins of 2 to 3 cm laterally and one tissue plane in depth in order to achieve complete margins and minimize the risk of local reoccurrence. The association between surgical margins and histopathologic margins has not been well studied in canine MCT, making it difficult to interpret how the histologic tumor-free margin correlates with the risk of local reoccurrence. (S...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - May 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Oncology Source Type: research

Pharyngeal function in dogs with laryngeal paralysis before and after unilateral arytenoid lateralization
Acquired laryngeal paralysis (LP) is a form of upper airway obstruction that typically affects older, medium-to-large breed dogs. The inability to abduct the arytenoid cartilages leads to the primary clinical signs associated with the condition: inspiratory stridor and varying degrees of respiratory difficulty, stress, and exertion. Studies have documented a generalized neuropathy in dogs previously considered to have a localized disorder termed idiopathic laryngeal paralysis (ILP). LP may be caused by degeneration of the recurrent laryngeal nerve that innervates the muscles of the larynx. (Source: Advances in Small Animal...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - May 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Surgery (Soft Tissue) Source Type: research

Why Does Pet Nutrition Give Veterinarians Heartburn?
The relationship between humans and dogs covers a long history, which may predate the last Ice Age, going back at least 35,000 years.1 Prehistoric people probably cared about what dogs ate, but there was little choice and no science to guide them when deciding what to feed our “best friends.” For most of those 35,000 years, dogs ate leftovers. Even then, humans still considered how they were fed. Virgil is quoted giving his own advice to dog owners: “Do not let the care of dogs be last…feed the whey.” Despite his efforts, dog nutrition remained based on foodstuffs humans could not or chose not to consume. (Source...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - April 30, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Douglas G. Aspros Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: research

Effect of Atenolol in Cats with Subclinical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary myocardial disease of cats characterized by concentric left ventricular hypertrophy leading to diastolic dysfunction and eventually left atrial enlargement. HCM can be associated with a long preclinical period, which in some cats lasts the entirety of life or can progress to clinical disease including congestive heart failure, thromboembolic events, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Atenolol is a beta-1 adrenergic blocker studied in normal cats. Effective beta blockade has been verified using an isoproterenol response test. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - April 30, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Cardiology Source Type: research

Total Nucleated Cell and Leukocyte Differential Counts in Canine Pleural and Peritoneal Fluid
A variety of different conditions in dogs may result in pleural and peritoneal cavity fluid accumulation. Assessment of gross appearance, including color and clarity, determination of total nucleated cell count (TNCC), and total protein concentration, differentiation of cell types, biochemical testing as indicated, and microscopic examination allow classification as a transitive, proteinaceous, hemorrhagic, chylous, biliary, exudative, or malignant effusion. This categorization provides important information on the potential pathogenesis and the severity of the underlying condition. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - April 30, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Clinical Pathology Source Type: research

Oral Cobalamin Supplementation in Dogs with Enteropathies
Common causes for cobalamin deficiency in dogs are chronic enteropathies (CE), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and familial cobalamin deficiency (reported in Chinese Shar Peis, Giant Schnauzers, Border Collies, and Beagles). Anecdotal reports of shortbowel syndrome and cobalamin deficiency in dogs also exist, an association that is well documented in humans. Cobalamin deficiency in dogs is commonly associated with canine CE with a reported prevalence of 6 to 73%. Hypocobalaminemia has also been reported to be a negative prognostic factor in dogs with CE or EPI, associated with an increased risk of euthanasia. (...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - April 30, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Gastroenterology Source Type: research

Factors Associated with Recovery of Paraplegic Dogs Following Disk Herniation
Thoracolumbar spinal cord injury in dogs is often caused by intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) and is particularly common in chondrodystrophic dogs because of accelerated intervertebral disk degeneration relative to that in other breeds. The resultant injury to the spinal cord almost always involves both an impact injury, conventionally referred to as contusion, and a persistent deformation, referred to as compression. Contusive injury to the spinal cord has been extensively evaluated in laboratory experiments and leads to a chain of events causing tissue destruction, the extent of which depends on the severity of the p...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - April 30, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Neurology Source Type: research

One Health: Identification and Reporting of Zoonotic Diseases
When thinking about zoonotic diseases, often a few diseases are more well-known than others including rabies, ringworm, cat scratch fever, and plague. In comparison, consideration of reportable animal diseases often focuses on infectious diseases found in large animals and small ruminants; however, it is important to monitor and report important infectious diseases in small animals as well to prevent zoonotic transmission and potential outbreaks. Additionally, identifying connections between human and animal diseases can assist with reducing the severity and likelihood of these diseases occurring and preventing mortality a...
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - March 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Melinda Eaton Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: research

Prediction of systolic blood pressure using peripheral pulse palpation in cats
During triage examination, animals that are presented on an emergency basis are immediately evaluated for the presence of life-threatening conditions such as abnormalities in perfusion leading to shock. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - March 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Cardiology Source Type: research

Mesenchymal stem cells for therapy of severe refractory gingival stomatitis in cats
Immune-mediated, oral mucosal inflammatory diseases are prevalent in human population. The pathogenesis of these diseases is complex and heterogeneous. Naturally occurring disease in client-owned animal species serve as useful animal models of human disease, as they reflect the complex genetic, environmental, and physiologic variation present in outbred populations. Feline chronic gingival stomatitis (FCGS) is a severe idiopathic oral inflammatory disease of cats that is estimated to affect 0.7% to 10% of the general population. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - March 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Dentistry Source Type: research

Association of gallbladder mucocele histologic diagnosis with selected drug use in dogs
Gallbladder mucocele (GBM) formation is a unique and emergent disease syndrome of dogs characterized by an insidious accumulation of thick, immobile, and viscous bile and mucus within the gallbladder. The syndrome was reported as a rare postmortem finding before 10 years ago and has emerged as one of the most commonly recognized causes of gallbladder disease in the dog. The extent to which diagnosis of GBM formation can be attributed to increased use of abdominal ultrasonography in dogs is unknown. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - March 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Gastroenterology Source Type: research

Positive pressure ventilation in congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a clinical syndrome in which systolic or diastolic cardiac dysfunction leads to activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems, producing hypervolemia and vasoconstriction, followed by vascular congestion and edema. The most life threatening consequence of this fluid accumulation occurs in the setting of left-sided CHF, in which increased cardiac filling pressures lead to increased pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure and fluid extravasation into the pulmonary parenchyma, producing pulmonary edema. (Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery)
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - March 31, 2016 Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research