Treatment of vascular and soft-tissue sarcomas in dogs using an alternating protocol of ifosfamide and doxorubicin.

A retrospective analysis was done to assess the toxicity and efficacy associated with an alternating chemotherapy protocol of ifosfamide (375 mg m(-2)) and doxorubicin (30 mg m(-2)) for adjuvant treatment of 39 dogs with sarcomas. Twelve dogs had various soft-tissue sarcomas and 27 dogs had hemangiosarcoma (HSA). Complete blood counts were evaluated 7 days after the first dose of ifosfamide and doxorubicin.

Streptozocin for treatment of pancreatic islet cell tumors in dogs: 17 cases (1989-1999).

Objective: To determine toxic effects of streptozocin given in combination with a diuresis protocol in dogs and establish whether streptozocin is efficacious in treatment of pancreatic islet cell tumors in dogs.

Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: 17 dogs.

Currently available insulin preparations for use in the dog and cat.

Many insulin preparations are available for use in the diabetic dog or cat. Appropriate selection of an insulin preparation must take into account several factors. These include species of patient, type of diabetes, duration of action of insulin, client preferences, and, sometimes, species of origin of the insulin preparation.

Treatment of canine mast cell tumors with CCNU (lomustine).

The efficacy and toxicity of CCNU (1-[2-chloroethyl]3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea) were evaluated in 23 dogs with measurable mast cell tumors (MCT). Twenty-two dogs had cutaneous MCT and 1 dog had an intranasal MCT Nineteen (83%) dogs had biopsy of their original mass performed and 4 (17%) had aspiration cytology of masses. Of the 19 tumors histologically graded, 1 (5%) neoplasm was classified as grade I, 10 (53%) were grade II, and the remaining 8 (42%) were grade III.

Radiographic findings in dogs with naturally-occurring primary hypoadrenocorticism.

Survey radiographs often are obtained in dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism in adrenal crisis as part of the routine evaluation of a critically ill dog. In this study, standardized methods of cardiac, pulmonary vasculature, and vena cava mensuration were used in 22 dogs with naturally-occurring primary hypoadrenocorticism, and the findings were compared with those in 22 breed-matched, clinically normal dogs. Most (81.

Treatment and long-term follow-up of 205 dogs with hypoadrenocorticism.

Results of long-term treatment were evaluated in 200 dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism and 5 dogs with spontaneous secondary hypoadrenocorticism. Fludrocortisone acetate initially was used for mineralocorticoid replacement in 190 of the dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism. The daily dose of fludrocortisone required in these dogs increased significantly during the treatment period (median, 2.

Primary and secondary canine hypoadrenocorticism.

Hypoadrenocorticism (primary or secondary) is an uncommon endocrine disorder seen most commonly in young-to-middle-aged female dogs. This article reviews the various clinical manifestations of this disorder, recommended testing protocols for definitive diagnosis, and current therapeutic protocols. The long-term prognosis is good-to-excellent for most dogs receiving appropriate replacement therapy.

Diagnosis and management of canine cortisol-secreting adrenal tumors.

Cortisol-secreting adrenal tumors are responsible for 10% to 15% of all cases of naturally occurring canine hyperadrenocorticism. Differentiation of adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism from pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism is very important because the recommended therapeutic approaches for each are different, and the prognosis also may be different. A stepwise approach to diagnosing and staging the disease is needed.

Medical treatment of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Mitotane.

Mitotane (o,p'-DDD; Lysodren) is the drug most commonly used to treat dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Although variations of the original protocol, suggested more than 20 years ago, have been reported, most clinicians still use an initial loading dose of mitotane followed by a weekly maintenance dose. Although a gratifying response to treatment is seen in most dogs, some dogs are neither easy nor straightforward to treat and present the practitioner with one or more therapeutic challenges, including failure to respond adequately, development of adverse effects, or development of relapse during treatment.

Pretreatment clinical and laboratory findings in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism: 225 cases (1979-1993).

Objective: To evaluate clinical and laboratory findings in 225 dogs with naturally occurring hypoadrenocorticism diagnosed over a 14-year period.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 220 dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism and 5 dogs with secondary hypoadrenocorticism (primary ACTH deficiency).

Mitotane treatment of 32 dogs with cortisol-secreting adrenocortical neoplasms.

Thirty-two dogs with hyperadrenocorticism caused by cortisol-secreting adrenocortical neoplasia were treated with mitotane at an initial daily induction dosage of 27.5 to 75.0 mg/kg of body weight (mean, 46.

Nuclear medicine of the thyroid gland. Scintigraphy and radioiodine therapy.

Nuclear medicine may have both diagnostic and therapeutic utility during the evaluation and management of thyroid disease. This article will focus on the use of radionuclide scintigraphy and radioactive iodine therapy in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease in the dog and cat.

Considerations in the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism.

Feline hyperthyroidism can be treated with long-term antithyroid drug administration, surgical thyroidectomy, or radioactive iodine. This article discusses the advantages of each of these treatment options and gives specific recommendations on the use of each therapeutic modality.

Respiratory complications of endocrine disorders.

This article provides an overview of the respiratory manifestations of endocrine disorders. The patient with endocrine disease may present with various clinical signs referable to the respiratory system. Furthermore, such respiratory problems may complicate patient management.

Mitotane (o,p'-DDD) treatment of 200 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism.

Two hundred dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) were treated with mitotane at an initial daily dosage of 21 to 69 mg/kg (mean = 45.2 mg/kg) for 5 to 14 days. During the induction period, 194 of the dogs also were given daily maintenance dosages of a glucocorticoid.

Radioactive iodine treatment of a functional thyroid carcinoma producing hyperthyroidism in a dog.

Radioactive iodine (131I) was used in the treatment of a 12-year-old female dog with hyperthyroidism resulting from a large, unresectable (and metastatic) thyroid carcinoma associated with signs of severe inspiratory stridor and dyspnea. Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs (polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss, nervousness) and high basal serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations, as well as thyroid radioiodine kinetic studies that showed a high radioiodine uptake into the thyroid (% thyroid uptake) and markedly increased serum concentrations of protein-bound iodine-131 (PB131I) after 131I tracer injection. Thyroid imaging revealed diffuse radionuclide accumulation by the tumor, which involved both thyroid lobes.

Methimazole treatment of 262 cats with hyperthyroidism.

The efficacy and safety of the antithyroid drug methimazole were evaluated over a 3-year period in 262 cats with hyperthyroidism. In 181 of the cats, methimazole was administered for 7 to 130 days (mean, 27.7 days) as a preoperative preparation for thyroidectomy.

Adrenal function in the cat: comparison of the effects of cosyntropin (synthetic ACTH) and corticotropin gel stimulation.

The serum cortisol responses of 10 normal cats to natural adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) gel and synthetic ACTH (cosyntropin) were evaluated and compared. Following administration of either ACTH gel or cosyntropin, mean serum cortisol concentrations increased significantly (P less than 0.05) within 30 minutes and reached a maximal response (2.

Effects of spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism on serum thyroid hormone concentrations in the dog.

Serum thyroid hormone concentrations were evaluated in 124 dogs with untreated spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism either by measuring basal thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations (102 dogs) or by assessing the T4 response to exogenous thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) administration (22 dogs). Reduced basal serum concentrations of T4 and of T3 were found in 58 (57%) and 53 (52%), respectively, of the 102 dogs with hyperadrenocorticism; of these, 42 dogs had low values for both T4 and T3, 16 had decreased T4 concentrations alone, and 11 had only decreased T3 concentrations. In 20 dogs that had basal serum thyroid hormone concentrations determined before and after control of hyperadrenocorticism, mean concentrations of both T4 and T3 increased significantly (P less than 0.

Feline hyperthyroidism: pretreatment clinical and laboratory evaluation of 131 cases.

Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed in 131 cats during a 3 1/2-year period. The cats ranged in age from 6 to 20 years; there was no breed or sex predilection. The most frequent clinical signs included weight loss, polyphagia, increased activity, polydipsia, polyuria, and vomiting.