Canine elliptocytosis due to a mutant beta-spectrin.

A 5-year-old, spayed female, mixed-breed dog with persistent elliptocytosis was evaluated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University. The elliptocytosis was asymptomatic and was detected during the evaluation of lameness. When subjected to shear stress in an ektacytometer, the dog's erythrocytes had reduced cellular deformability and erythrocyte membranes had decreased mechanical stability.

Metastatic balloon cell melanoma in a dog.

Background: Balloon cell melanoma is a rare variant of amelanotic melanoma that is difficult to differentiate from sebaceous cell carcinoma, liposarcoma, and other clear cell neoplasms without immunohistochemistry or ultrastructural evidence of melanin or melanosomes.

Objective: The purpose of this report was to describe the clinical, cytologic, histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings in a dog with metastatic balloon cell melanoma.

Methods: A 6-year-old female Golden Retriever was evaluated for a white, flocculent infiltrate in the anterior chamber of the left eye and an enlarged left prescapular lymph node.