Pruritus possibly associated with a portosystemic shunt in a bichon frise puppy.

A bichon frise puppy was presented with generalized pruritus. At 22 weeks, a portosystemic shunt was diagnosed. Correction of the shunt led to resolution of the pruritus.

Management of fracture-associated thoracic trauma.

Animals with thoracic injury that survive long enough to receive veterinary attention are often through the most critical post-traumatic period. A small proportion will require prompt, aggressive treatment of life-threatening injuries. Many have self-limiting thoracic injuries that can endanger the animal if overlooked when general anaesthesia is attempted for surgical repair of more obvious injuries.

Magnetic motor evoked potentials for assessing spinal cord integrity in dogs with intervertebral disc disease.

Magnetically elicited transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were studied in 37 dogs with type 1 intervertebral disc (IVD) disease. The waveforms were recorded from both cranial tibial muscles before and after surgery. The latencies and amplitudes obtained were compared to those of a control population (n = 14).

Diet and exercise as potential risk factors for osteochondritis dissecans in dogs.

A matched case-control study was conducted to evaluate dietary components and exercise patterns as potential risk factors for osteochondritis dissecans in dogs. A telephone interview, with a standard questionnaire and protocol, was used to collect data on dietary intake of calories and nutrients and on the usual amounts and types of exercise of each dog. Thirty-one dogs with osteochondritis dissecans and 60 controls were matched on the basis of breed, sex, and age.