Molecular detection of rickettsial agents in Amblyomma maculatum ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) from Ecuador.

Rickettsiales are obligate intracellular bacteria that need vertebrates and arthropods to maintain their life cycles. Some species of the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia are transmitted by ticks to both animals and humans and can cause mild to severe and even fatal cases. In the Americas, there is substantial data on rickettsial agents, encompassing both clinical cases and the detection of these agents in ticks, but in Ecuador, the information about them remains poorly understood.

Echocardiographic indicators of fluid responsiveness in hospitalized dogs with compromised hemodynamics and tissue hypoperfusion.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of selected echocardiographic variables used to predict fluid responsiveness in hospitalized dogs with compromised hemodynamics and tissue hypoperfusion.

Design: Diagnostic test study in a prospective cohort of hospitalized dogs.

Setting: Veterinary referral clinics.

Left-dominant arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in a Fila Brasileiro dog.

Background: In human medicine, arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy was described as a primary disease of the heart characterized by fibroadipose replacement of the myocardium..

Case Description: We report the case of a dog, with history of syncope and irregular cardiac rhythm.

Therapy for feline secondary hypertriglyceridemia with fenofibrate.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the short-term safety and efficacy of fenofibrate in controlling secondary hypertriglyceridemia in cats.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Seventeen adult cats with hypertriglyceridemia (serum triglycerides [TG] >160 mg/dl) were enrolled.

Findings suggestive of coronary microvascular dysfunction in cats with myocardial ischemia.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is an important cause of death and disability among humans worldwide. Few studies have reported the occurrence of MI in small animals as well. Reports in human medicine indicate that up to 30% of patients with clinical signs compatible with myocardial ischemia suggestive of coronary disease exhibit normal epicardial arteries at angiography.

Successful resolution of urothorax secondary to non-traumatic uroabdomen in a cat managed with peritoneal dialysis as a bridge to surgery.

Case Summary: A 9-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented for evaluation of severe hemodynamic collapse and suspected lower urinary tract disease. On admission, severe metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia and azotemia, and electrocardiographic findings consistent with cardiotoxicity were identified. The diagnosis of uroabdomen was made based on abdominal fluid to plasma concentration ratios of creatinine and potassium.

Caudal vena cava collapsibility index as a tool to predict fluid responsiveness in dogs.

Objective: To evaluate the use of the caudal vena cava collapsibility index (CVCCI) as a predictor of fluid responsiveness in hospitalized, critically ill dogs with hemodynamic or tissue perfusion abnormalities.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Setting: Private referral center.