Factors associated with job satisfaction and engagement among credentialed small animal veterinary technicians in the United States.

Objective: To investigate job satisfaction and engagement among credentialed veterinary technicians (CVTs) employed in the United States.

Sample: 873 CVTs who responded to an internet-based survey in 2017.

Procedures: A survey was conducted to collect information on demographics, individual engagement, and job satisfaction among a convenience sample of CVTs in the United States.

Comparison of right lateral versus left lateral versus sternal recumbence intra-abdominal pressure measurements in normal dogs.

Objective: To determine if there is a difference in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) among 3 anatomic body positions (right lateral, left lateral, and sternal recumbence) in apparently healthy dogs.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Organophosphate intoxication in 2 dogs from ingestion of cattle ear tags.

Objective: To describe 2 cases of organophosphate intoxication through a previously unreported method of exposure.

Case Series: A 2-year-old intact male Australian Cattle Dog (case 1) presented with progressive muscarinic and nicotinic clinical signs, and a 3-year-old neutered male mixed breed dog (case 2) presented after known ingestion of cattle ear tags. The dog in case 1 was discovered to have ingested cattle ear tags after abdominal radiographs.

Plasma lactate concentrations and comparison of two point-of-care lactate analyzers to a laboratory analyzer in a population of healthy cats.

Objective: To establish a reference interval for plasma lactate in a population of healthy adult cats on a laboratory analyzer (Nova Biomedical Critical Care Xpress [CCX]) and 2 commercially available point-of-care (POC) analyzers (Abbott i-STAT [i-STAT] and Nova Biomedical Lactate Plus [LP]), and to compare the level of agreement of lactate measurement between the laboratory analyzer and POC analyzers.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: University veterinary teaching hospital.

Pharmacokinetics of minocycline in domestic cats.

Objectives: Recently, the increased cost and decreased availability of doxycycline has sparked an interest in using minocycline as an alternative. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of minocycline in domestic cats in order to facilitate dosage decisions.

Methods: Purpose-bred, young adult cats were administered a single dose of either intravenous (IV; n = 4; 5 mg/kg) or oral (n = 6; 50 mg/cat) minocycline.

Comparison of whole blood and plasma colloid osmotic pressure in healthy cats.

Objective: To establish reference intervals for whole blood and plasma colloid osmotic pressure (COP) in healthy cats between the ages of 1 and 10 years using a cage-side colloid osmometer.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Settings: University veterinary teaching hospital.

Characterization of acute kidney injury in hospitalized dogs and evaluation of a veterinary acute kidney injury staging system.

Objective: To retrospectively apply standards characterizing acute kidney injury (AKI) used in human medicine to a population of critically ill hospitalized dogs in order to identify dogs with potential AKI based on subtle increases in plasma creatinine concentration.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Comparison of whole blood and plasma colloid osmotic pressure in healthy dogs.

Objective: To determine the difference between colloid osmotic pressure (COP) values determined from plasma versus those determined from whole blood.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Settings: University veterinary teaching hospital.

Age-associated changes to pathogen-associated molecular pattern-induced inflammatory mediator production in dogs.

Objective: To determine whether older dogs will have a more pronounced pro-inflammatory response and blunted anti-inflammatory response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) compared with younger dogs.

Design: Prospective.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Immunomodulatory effects of opioids.

Objective: To review the immunomodulatory effects of opioids.

Data Sources: Original research publications and review articles using the PubMed search engine with the following keywords--opioids, morphine, immuomodulation, and immunosuppression. VETERINARY AND HUMAN DATA SYNTHESIS: Opioids have been shown to modulate the immune system in animal models by affecting both the acquired and innate arms of the immune system.

A comparison of total calcium, corrected calcium, and ionized calcium concentrations as indicators of calcium homeostasis among hypoalbuminemic dogs requiring intensive care.

Objective: (1) To evaluate whether total calcium (tCa) correlates with ionized calcium (iCa) in hypoalbuminemic dogs; (2) to evaluate whether calcium adjusted for albumin (Alb), or total protein (TP), or both accurately predict iCa concentrations and hence can be used to monitor calcium homeostasis in critically ill hypoalbuminemic dogs; and (3) to evaluate factors associated with any potential discrepancy in calcium classification between corrected total and ionized values.

Design: Prospective observational clinical study.

Setting: Small animal intensive care unit in a veterinary medical teaching hospital.

Diagnosis and successful treatment of a caudal lingual abscess in a geriatric dog.

A 13-year-old, intact male, golden retriever was presented for glossomegaly. A diagnosis of a caudal lingual abscess was made by fine needle aspiration under general anesthesia. The dog showed marked clinical improvement following abscess drainage.

Response of healthy dogs to infusions of human serum albumin.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and immunologic response in healthy dogs to infusions of human serum albumin (HSA).

Animals: 9 healthy purpose-bred mixed-breed dogs.

Procedures: Each dog was administered a 25% HSA solution once or twice.

Evaluation of a continuous glucose monitoring system for use in veterinary medicine.

Background: With the emergence of continuous glucose monitoring systems being used to provide a detailed glucose picture in humans, a commercially available system (CGMS(R), Medtronic Minimed, Northridge, CA) was examined for use in veterinary species.

Methods: Adult, clinically normal horses (n = 7), cats (n = 3), dogs (n = 4), and cows (n = 5) were studied. Cats (n = 4), dogs (n = 5), and one horse with diabetes were included in the study.

Glomerular filtration rate and renal scintigraphy.

Clinical evaluation of early renal dysfunction is problematic in the nonazotemic animal. Measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) provides the most accurate assessment of renal function. However, many methods of determining GFR are not practical for use in routine veterinary practice.

Bone marrow hypoplasia associated with fenbendazole administration in a dog.

A 1.5-year-old Doberman pinscher was presented with sudden-onset of fever and malaise. Twelve days prior to presentation, fenbendazole therapy was initiated for a suspected lungworm infection.

Nutritional plan: matching diet to disease.

Institution of appropriate, timely nutritional support in the anorexic or critically ill patient has become accepted medical practice in people and animals. This article focuses on the benefits of appropriate nutrient intake in critically ill animals, recommended nutrient requirements for dogs and cats receiving enteral feeding, and mechanics of food preparation and delivery for a variety of feeding tubes. General nutrient requirements for all patients, specific recommendations for certain illnesses such as renal failure, pancreatitis, and hepatic disease, and nutritional alterations for critical illness are reviewed.

The effects of exercise on urinary albumin excretion in dogs.

Persistent microalbuminuria has been shown to be an indicator of glomerular damage associated with early progressive renal disease in people and dogs. In people, transient or reversible microalbuminuria has been shown to occur with exercise. A semi-quantitative test to measure microalbuminuria in the dog recently has become available.

Update on canine and feline fungal diseases.

Systemic fungal diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality in dogs and cats. Blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidiomycosis, and cryptococcosis represent the four most common systemic fungal diseases. Young adult, large breed dogs generally are predisposed; cats usually do not have predictable predispositions.

Fatal hemothorax following management of an esophageal foreign body.

A 10.8-year-old, spayed female toy poodle presented with an esophageal foreign body. The foreign body was removed endoscopically, and a gastrostomy tube was placed to provide nutritional support during esophageal healing.