Bacterial culture results from liver, gallbladder, or bile in 248 dogs and cats evaluated for hepatobiliary disease: 1998-2003.

Background: Information is lacking on the prevalence and susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates in dogs and cats with suspected hepatobiliary disease.

Objectives: To characterize the prevalence, identity, and antimicrobial susceptibility of common hepatobiliary isolates from such patients.

Animals: Dogs and cats presented to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for which samples of bile, gallbladder, or liver were submitted for culture from 1998 to 2003, including 190 dogs (192 culture episodes) and 58 cats (61 culture episodes).

Adverse effects of EMLA (lidocaine/prilocaine) cream and efficacy for the placement of jugular catheters in hospitalized cats.

EMLA is a lidocaine/prilocaine cream used for topical analgesia in human pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to establish the safety of EMLA in clinically ill cats, to measure systemic absorption and to determine whether EMLA reduced the need for sedation for the placement of jugular catheters. Thirty-one cats were randomized to either a placebo or EMLA cream group.