The influence of exercise volume and posture on exercise-induced plasma volume expansion.

Acute high-intensity interval exercise is known to expand plasma volume 24 h after exercise. Upright exercise posture plays a role in expanding plasma volume by influencing lymphatic outflow and redistributing albumin while supine exercise does not. We examined if further upright and weight-bearing exercises could further promote plasma volume expansion.

Splenectomy in the management of primary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in dogs.

Background: Current reports about the use of splenectomy for the management of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) or both in dogs are limited.

Objectives: To retrospectively describe the use of splenectomy as part of the management for IMHA, ITP, and concurrent IMHA and severe thrombocytopenia (CIST) in dogs. It was hypothesized that splenectomy would be beneficial in allowing for reduction of dose of immunosuppressive drugs or discontinuation in 1 or more of these groups.

A multicenter retrospective study assessing progression of biliary sludge in dogs using ultrasonography.

Background: Biliary sludge (BS) frequently is identified on ultrasonographic examination and is described as incidental. It is hypothesized that biliary stasis and hypersecretion play a role in both BS and gallbladder mucocele (GBM) formation. Recent studies have documented similarities in composition of BS and GBM, and there are several examples of progression from BS to GBM in the veterinary literature.

Description of neurological mimics presented to the neurology service of a small animal referral hospital.

Background: Clinicians observe that cats and dogs referred to neurology services often do not have an underlying neurological disorder. There has been no analysis of the frequency or categorisation of these neurological mimics.

Methods: Retrospective study of 520 cases was carried out.

Gall bladder ejection fractions in dogs investigated for chronic altered appetite: 14 cases (2015-2017).

Objectives: To determine if gall bladder dysmotility occurs in dogs investigated for chronic altered appetite and to determine if gall bladder dysmotility warrants further investigation as a contributing factor to altered appetite.

Materials And Methods: Case series of dogs investigated for chronic gastrointestinal disease. Gastrointestinal clinical signs were assessed before and after a 6-week hydrolysed protein diet.

Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom.

Objectives: Canine hepatobiliary disease is common; however, data determining disease frequency and breed predispositions are lacking. The primary objective was to identify the frequency of different hepatobiliary disease in a United Kingdom population of dogs and consequently determine breeds at both an increased and decreased risk of hepatobiliary disease.

Materials And Methods: Anonymised histopathology reports from a commercial veterinary diagnostic laboratory, which were submitted between August 2013 and February 2018, were analysed.

Computerised decision support in veterinary medicine, exemplified in a canine idiopathic epilepsy care pathway.

Computerised decision support is of emerging and increasing importance in human medicine, but as yet has not been thoroughly applied or evaluated in veterinary medicine. In this essay, the authors report on the first example of a veterinary care pathway, a specific form of computerised decision support, which guides clinicians through a clinical workflow and incorporates individual patient data to inform patient-specific decision recommendations. The veterinary care pathway was designed using consensus statements and specialist neurologist opinion to create a decision support tool concerning canine idiopathic epilepsy.

Resting and postprandial serum bile acid concentrations in dogs with liver disease.

Background: Serum bile acids (SBAs) are frequently measured in dogs. However, there is limited data comparing SBAs in different liver diseases diagnosed according to standardized histological criteria.

Objectives: To compare resting and postprandial SBAs, and determine their sensitivity and specificity, for various liver diseases in dogs.

Clinical characteristics and histology of cholecystectomised dogs with nongravity-dependent biliary sludge: 16 cases (2014-2019).

Objectives: To report the available histology, biochemistry and clinical progression of dogs without classic overt biliary tract signs that underwent cholecystectomy for nongravity-dependent biliary sludge.

Materials And Methods: Case series of client-owned dogs for which a cholecystectomy was performed for nongravity-dependent biliary sludge. In six dogs, for which nongravity-dependent biliary sludge filled less than half of gall bladder volume, gall bladder ejection fractions were measured.

Prednisolone therapy for chronic hepatitis in English springer spaniels: a prospective study of 12 cases.

Background: English springer spaniels (ESS) show an increased risk of chronic hepatitis (CH). In a previous study of 68 ESS with CH, in which only one dog received corticosteroids, a median survival time of 189 days was noted. Some ESS with CH appear to improve with prednisolone treatment; therefore, we aimed to investigate the response to prednisolone in this breed.

Characterisation and outcome of idiopathic pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis in 64 English springer spaniel dogs.

Objectives: To describe the history, clinicopathological abnormalities, diagnostic imaging findings, lymph node cytological/histological appearance, treatment and outcome of English springer spaniels diagnosed with idiopathic pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective UK-based multicentre study, 64 dogs were recruited from 10 referral centres, 32 first-opinion practices and three histopathology/cytology laboratories, between 2010 and 2016.

Results: The median age at presentation was 6 years (range: 0.

Histopathological frequency of feline hepatobiliary disease in the UK.

Objectives: To determine the histopathological frequency of feline hepatobiliary diseases in the UK and to identify breed, age and gender predispositions to developing individual diseases.

Methods: Histopathology results from 1452 feline liver biopsies were assessed. A control population of microchipped cats was used for breed comparison.

Retrospective evaluation of thoracic computed tomography findings in dogs naturally infected by Angiostrongylus vasorum.

Angiostrongylus vasorum (A. vasorum) is an important emerging disease of canidae. Cardiorespiratory signs are common in affected dogs, therefore thoracic imaging is critical for diagnosing and monitoring disease.

Canine Idiopathic Chronic Hepatitis.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association's Liver Standardization Group produced standardized criteria for the histologic diagnosis of canine chronic hepatitis (CH). They define CH by the presence of hepatocellular apoptosis or necrosis, a variable mononuclear or mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate, regeneration, and fibrosis. There are variations in histologic appearance between breeds.

Total serum bilirubin as a negative prognostic factor in idiopathic canine chronic hepatitis.

Total serum bilirubin (TBIL) is used as a prognostic factor in chronic hepatitis (CH) in human beings. To date, the authors are unaware of any studies looking at the value of TBIL as a prognostic factor in idiopathic canine CH. The objective of the current study was to assess if TBIL is a negative prognostic factor in idiopathic canine CH, and to identify other prognostic factors.

Canine hepacivirus is not associated with chronic liver disease in dogs.

Canine hepacivirus (CHV) has recently been identified in liver and respiratory tract samples from dogs, and comparative phylogenetic analysis has confirmed it to be the closest genetic relative of hepatitis C virus (HCV) described to date. CHV offers great potential as a model system for HCV, but only if the underlying processes of infection and pathogenesis are similar for both viruses. However, it is not yet clear if CHV is hepatotrophic.

Metagenomic study of the viruses of African straw-coloured fruit bats: detection of a chiropteran poxvirus and isolation of a novel adenovirus.

Viral emergence as a result of zoonotic transmission constitutes a continuous public health threat. Emerging viruses such as SARS coronavirus, hantaviruses and henipaviruses have wildlife reservoirs. Characterising the viruses of candidate reservoir species in geographical hot spots for viral emergence is a sensible approach to develop tools to predict, prevent, or contain emergence events.

DLA class II alleles and haplotypes are associated with risk for and protection from chronic hepatitis in the English Springer spaniel.

Chronic hepatitis (CH) is common in dogs in the United Kingdom. An increased prevalence of the disease is seen in the English Springer spaniel (ESS), and this breed suffer from a severe form with young to middle aged female dogs being predisposed. The disease shares histological features with those of human viral hepatitis, although the specific aetiological agent has not yet been identified.

Breed, age and gender distribution of dogs with chronic hepatitis in the United Kingdom.

Standardised histological criteria are now available for the diagnosis of canine chronic hepatitis (CH). CH is common in dogs, but no studies have reported breed, age and gender distributions in the United Kingdom (UK). The objective of this study was to determine which breeds had an increased risk for developing CH in the UK and to report the age and gender distribution for those breeds.

A viral discovery methodology for clinical biopsy samples utilising massively parallel next generation sequencing.

Here we describe a virus discovery protocol for a range of different virus genera, that can be applied to biopsy-sized tissue samples. Our viral enrichment procedure, validated using canine and human liver samples, significantly improves viral read copy number and increases the length of viral contigs that can be generated by de novo assembly. This in turn enables the Illumina next generation sequencing (NGS) platform to be used as an effective tool for viral discovery from tissue samples.

Chronic hepatitis in the English springer spaniel: clinical presentation, histological description and outcome.

Medical records and liver histology of 68 English springer spaniels (ESS) with a histological diagnosis of CH were reviewed retrospectively. PCR was performed on liver tissue for canine adenovirus-1 (CAV-1), canine parvovirus, canine herpesvirus and pathogenic Leptospira species. Follow-up information was obtained to calculate survival times.

Metagenomics and the molecular identification of novel viruses.

There have been rapid recent developments in establishing methods for identifying and characterising viruses associated with animal and human diseases. These methodologies, commonly based on hybridisation or PCR techniques, are combined with advanced sequencing techniques termed 'next generation sequencing'. Allied advances in data analysis, including the use of computational transcriptome subtraction, have also impacted the field of viral pathogen discovery.