DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility predict age in the domestic dog.

Across mammals, the epigenome is highly predictive of chronological age. These "epigenetic clocks," most of which have been built using DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles, have gained traction as biomarkers of aging and organismal health. While the ability of DNAm to predict chronological age has been repeatedly demonstrated, the ability of other epigenetic features to predict age remains unclear.

Comparison of preoperative to postoperative blood glucose in puppies undergoing elective surgical neutering.

The objective of this study was to determine if overnight fasting is associated with hypoglycemia in puppies undergoing elective surgical neutering. One hundred seventy-one apparently healthy puppies between the age of 2 and 6 months presented for elective surgical neutering. Owners were instructed to withhold food from puppies after midnight the night before surgery; water was to be freely available.

Response of the VCMVet viscoelastic coagulation monitor to veterinary environmental simulation challenges.

Background: Traditional viscoelastic clotting tests are significantly impacted by the operator and environmental variation. The VCMVet coagulation monitor could provide a more user-friendly alternative for veterinary practices.

Objectives: We aimed to determine if environmental vibration commonly encountered in veterinary practice alters the results of a point-of-care viscoelastic device, the VCMVet.

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Direct Panfungal Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay Performed on Stained Cytology Slides.

Molecular techniques are increasingly being applied to stained cytology slides for the diagnosis of neoplastic and infectious diseases. Such techniques for the identification of fungi from stained cytology slides have not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of direct (without nucleic acid isolation) panfungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequencing for identification of fungi and oomycetes on stained cytology slides from dogs, cats, horses, and other species.

Variation in biochemistry test results between annual wellness visits in apparently healthy Golden Retrievers.

Background: Annual wellness testing is widely recommended for apparently healthy dogs, but there is little data to assist with distinguishing normal variation from clinically important changes.

Objectives: To define variability in biochemistry analytes between annual wellness tests in healthy Golden Retrievers.

Animals: Four hundred thirty-four Golden Retrievers undergoing annual health assessments by their primary care veterinarians as part of a prospective cohort study.

SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF 106 LABORATORY REFERENCE DATA ARTICLES FROM NONDOMESTIC SPECIES PUBLISHED FROM 2014 TO 2016: ASSESSING COMPLIANCE WITH REFERENCE INTERVAL GUIDELINES.

Population-based reference intervals (RIs) are vital tools used to characterize health and disease based on laboratory values. The science and statistical basis for RI generation have evolved over the past 50 yr. Current veterinary-specific guidelines by the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology exist for establishing RIs from nondomestic and wild animals.

Evaluation of two benchtop blood gas analyzers for measurement of electrolyte concentrations in venous blood samples from dogs.

Objective: To assess agreement between 2 benchtop blood gas analyzers developed by 1 manufacturer (BGA 1 and BGA 2 [a newer model with reduced maintenance requirements]) and a reference chemistry analyzer for measurement of electrolyte (sodium, chloride, and potassium) in blood samples from dogs.

Animals: 17 healthy staff- and student-owned dogs and 23 client-owned dogs admitted to an emergency and intensive care service.

Procedures: Blood collected by venipuncture was placed in lithium heparin-containing tubes.

Effect of peri-operative crystalloid fluid rate on circulating hyaluronan in healthy dogs: A pilot study.

Hypervolemia can damage the endothelial glycocalyx, a key regulator of vascular permeability, coagulation and inflammation. A starting peri-operative crystalloid fluid rate of 5mL/kg/h is recommended for healthy dogs undergoing elective procedures but higher rates continue to be commonly used. This study aimed to determine if a higher starting perioperative fluid rate was associated with a greater increase in plasma concentrations of hyaluronan, a marker correlated with glycocalyx damage, in systemically healthy dogs undergoing elective surgical procedures.

Effect of dilution of canine blood samples on the specificity of saline agglutination tests for immune-mediated hemolysis.

Background: Saline agglutination tests (SATs) are widely recommended for diagnosis of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs, but there are frequent false-positive results.

Objectives: Specificity of SATs will improve at higher saline-to-blood ratios.

Animals: One hundred fifty dogs treated at a veterinary referral hospital with hematocrits ≤30%.

Systemic mastocytosis with subcutaneous hemorrhage and edema in a Greyhound dog: case report and review of diagnostic criteria.

Systemic mastocytosis, characterized by infiltration of multiple organs by neoplastic mast cells, is a well-described entity in human medicine with specific criteria for diagnosis, but is ill defined in veterinary literature. Hemostatic disorders are reported in humans affected by systemic mastocytosis but have not been well described in veterinary literature. A 5-y-old, spayed female Greyhound dog had a 1-mo history of progressive ventral cutaneous edema, hemorrhage, and pain.

Decreased antithrombin activity and inflammation in cats.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine if inflammatory markers are associated with antithrombin activity in cats.

Methods: For a retrospective population of 231 cats admitted to a referral hospital, antithrombin activity was classified as decreased (n = 77), intermediate (n = 97) or in the upper quartile (n = 57). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for an association between decreased or upper quartile activity and hypoalbuminemia, hyperfibrinogenemia, band neutrophilia and toxic change.

Comparison of viscoelastic test results from blood collected near simultaneously from the jugular and saphenous veins in cats.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare viscoelastic test results from samples collected from a jugular vein using a 20 G needle and a medial saphenous vein using a 22 G needle in cats presenting for elective ovariohysterectomy (OHE) or castration.

Methods: Forty apparently healthy cats (20 males and 20 females) presenting for elective OHE or castration were included in a prospective study observing viscoelastic test results from central and peripherally collected whole blood. Cats were anesthetized during blood collection with a standardized protocol including buprenorphine, ketamine, dexmedetomidine and isoflurane.

Variability in Open-Field Locomotor Scoring Following Force-Defined Spinal Cord Injury in Rats: Quantification and Implications.

Spinal cord injury research in experimental animals aims to define mechanisms of tissue damage and identify interventions that can be translated into effective clinical therapies. Highly reliable models of injury and outcome measurement are essential to achieve these aims and avoid problems with reproducibility. Functional scoring is a critical component of outcome assessment and is currently commonly focused on open field locomotion (the "BBB score").

Comparison of the prothrombin time-derived and Clauss assays for the measurement of plasma fibrinogen in hospitalized dogs.

Background: Accurate measurement of fibrinogen is necessary for detecting bleeding tendencies and inflammation. The Clauss assay determines fibrinogen concentration from its inverse relationship with thrombin-induced clot times. PT-derived assays determine fibrinogen concentrations from changes in the optical density during a routine prothrombin assay and allow determination of fibrinogen without additional reagents.

An Analysis of Variability in "CatWalk" Locomotor Measurements to Aid Experimental Design and Interpretation.

Preclinical studies in models of neurologic injury and disease rely on behavioral outcomes to measure intervention efficacy. For spinal cord injury, the CatWalk system provides unbiased quantitative assessment of subtle aspects of locomotor function in rodents and so can powerfully detect significant differences between experimental and control groups. Although clearly of key importance, summary group-level data can obscure the variability within and between individual subjects and therefore make it difficult to understand the magnitude of effect in individual animals and the proportion of a group that may show benefit.

Inaccurate point-of-care blood glucose measurement in a dog with secondary erythrocytosis.

Background: Point-of-care (POC) portable blood glucose meters (PBGMs) are convenient and inexpensive tools for assessing patient blood glucose concentrations. They are often used to quickly diagnose hypoglycemia or collect serial glucose readings in diabetic patients. However, POC meters have been previously identified in human and veterinary literature to be inaccurate when utilized in patients with abnormal HCT.

Subconjunctival haemorrhage in 147 dogs.

Objectives: To identify differential diagnoses for subconjunctival haemorrhage in dogs.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective case series.

Results: Of 147 dogs with subconjunctival haemorrhage, 119 had a history of trauma.

Neutrophil-Extracellular Traps, Cell-Free DNA, and Immunothrombosis in Companion Animals: A Review.

Immunothrombosis is a potentially beneficial physiological process that aids innate immunity and host defense against pathogen invasion. However, this process can also be damaging when it occurs to excess or in critical blood vessels. Formation of extracellular traps by leukocytes, particularly neutrophils, is central to our understanding of immunothrombosis.

Effects of marked hypertriglyceridemia and lipid clearance techniques on canine biochemistry testing.

Triglyceride concentrations in dogs with hyperlipidemic disorders can exceed concentrations used by assay manufacturers for interference testing. High-speed centrifugation or the polar solvent LipoClear reduce triglyceride concentrations, but efficacy requires evaluation in veterinary species. We determined the effect of marked hypertriglyceridemia on canine biochemistry testing; assessed the ability of high-speed centrifugation or LipoClear to correct lipemic interferences; and determined if LipoClear introduces inaccuracy into biochemistry assays.

Extracellular vesicle concentration and procoagulant activity of canine haemoperitoneum fluid and packed red blood cells.

Objectives: To compare the concentration of phosphatidylserine-positive extracellular vesicles and phosphatidylserine-derived procoagulant activity of canine haemoperitoneum fluids and packed red blood cell units.

Materials And Methods: Ten dogs with haemoperitoneum (neoplasia = 7; trauma = 1; other = 2) were recruited, and five non-leukoreduced packed red blood cell units purchased. Supernatants were collected from haemoperitoneum samples and packed red blood cell units using a consistent centrifugation protocol.

ACVIM consensus statement on the diagnosis of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs and cats.

Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. IMHA also occurs in cats, although less commonly. IMHA is considered secondary when it can be attributed to an underlying disease, and as primary (idiopathic) if no cause is found.