A survey of medication and raw food use among canine blood donors.

Background: Blood donors are screened for medication use to determine their health status and to ensure that the collection will be safe and efficacious for transfusion. Although stringent medication deferral guidelines exist for human blood donors, no consensus exists as to which medications should be permitted among canine donors.

Methods: A brief survey regarding canine donor screening methods was distributed to an online hematology and transfusion medicine group and included questions pertaining to commonly prescribed medications and consumption of a raw food diet.

Self-care practices and depression, anxiety, and stress scores in veterinary students during a semester.

Objective: To measure associations between self-care activities and depression, anxiety, and stress of preclinical veterinary students during a semester.

Procedure: Preclinical veterinary students at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine were recruited voluntarily. Depression, anxiety, and stress scores (DASS-21) were measured, and a self-care questionnaire was administered at the beginning and end of the semester.

Burnout symptoms and workplace satisfaction among veterinary emergency care providers.

Objectives: To measure symptoms of burnout among veterinary emergency care providers (VECPs), determine how burnout symptoms among VECPs compare to human emergency care providers, and identify what demographic and workplace variables are associated with these symptoms.

Design: Cross-sectional study using an online survey and convenience sampling.

Subjects: A total of 1204 VECPs including mostly veterinarians and technicians.

Our quest for creating a space that is welcoming to all: A commentary from the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are crucial elements of successful veterinary emergency and critical care practices across the world. Embracing the elements of DEI creates a work environment that is safe and welcoming for all the members of the team. The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care DEI committee was formed to enhance and support efforts to increase racial diversity in veterinary emergency and critical care, as well as provide resources that will generate DEI practices across the country.

Serum procalcitonin concentrations in dogs with induced endotoxemia.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is an important biomarker for sepsis in human medicine, but there is little information regarding PCT as a biomarker for sepsis in dogs. There are no controlled studies evaluating serial concentrations of PCT in dogs.

Hypothesis/objective: That PCT would be rapidly detectable in serum after injection of LPS and would remain increased for at least 24 hours.

Evaluation of peripheral blood and abdominal fluid variables as predictors of intestinal surgical site failure in dogs with septic peritonitis following celiotomy and the placement of closed-suction abdominal drains.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate peripheral blood and abdominal fluid variables as predictors of intestinal surgical site failure in dogs with septic peritonitis following celiotomy and closed-suction abdominal drain (CSAD) placement. DESIGN Prospective study. ANIMALS 26 dogs with septic peritonitis that underwent celiotomy and CSAD placement.

Transfusion practice in dogs and cats: an Internet-based survey.

Objective: To characterize and compare current canine and feline transfusion practices at private referral hospitals (PRH) and veterinary teaching hospitals (VTH), including information regarding blood donor screening; blood product collection, storage, and administration; recipient screening; and monitoring during transfusions.

Design: Internet-based survey.

Subjects: Sixty-five board-certified specialist veterinarians, 3 veterinarians, and 5 veterinary technicians from 53 PRH and 20 VTH.

Retrospective evaluation of prognostic indicators in dogs with head trauma: 72 cases (January-March 2011).

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of clinical and laboratory variables and scoring systems in dogs with head trauma.

Design: Retrospective study (January-March, 2011).

Setting: University teaching hospital.

The effect of blood usage protocol on the age of packed red blood cell transfusions administered at 2 veterinary teaching hospitals.

Background: Controversy exists regarding the optimal duration of storage of units of canine packed red blood cells (PRBC) prior to transfusion, resulting in different blood usage strategies between hospitals. Two hospitals were studied: At North Carolina State University (NCSU), usage protocol dictates that the oldest units of PRBC (stored the longest) are prioritized for transfusion; whereas, at Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), units of PRBC are sorted according to age (days after collection) and PRBC are selected for transfusion according to clinician or technician discretion, such that PRBC could be administered after any storage duration, with no preference given to older units.

Objective: To evaluate differences in the age of PRBC administered to dogs at 2 veterinary hospitals with different age-related PRBC usage protocols during a 1-year period (2010-2011).

Evaluation of thromboelastography in two factor XII-deficient cats.

Case Summary: The current report describes thromboelastography (TEG) findings in two cats with factor XII (FXII) deficiency. The first cat was diagnosed with bilateral perinephric pseudocysts; hemostatic testing was performed prior to performing renal aspirates. The second cat was healthy; hemostatic testing was performed prior to inclusion into a research project.

Evaluation of a transcutaneous blood gas monitoring system in critically ill dogs.

Objectives: To describe the use of a transcutaneous blood gas monitoring system in critically ill dogs, determine if transcutaneous and arterial blood gas values have good agreement, and verify if clinical or laboratory variables are correlated with differences between transcutaneous and arterial blood gas measurements.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: University teaching hospital ICU.

Effect of synthetic colloid administration on hemodynamic and laboratory variables in healthy dogs and dogs with systemic inflammation.

Objective: To compare the effects of administering equal volumes of isotonic crystalloids and synthetic colloids on hemodynamic and laboratory variables in healthy dogs and dogs with systemic inflammation.

Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study.

Setting: Comparative clinical research facility.

Risk factors for transfusion-associated complications and nonsurvival in dogs receiving packed red blood cell transfusions: 211 cases (2008-2011).

Objective: To determine whether the number, volume, or age of transfused packed RBC units; volume of other blood products; or pretransfusion PCV was a risk factor for transfusion-associated complications or nonsurvival in dogs.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 211 client-owned dogs receiving stored packed RBC transfusions.

Systematic evaluation of evidence on veterinary viscoelastic testing part 4: Definitions and data reporting.

Objective: To systematically examine evidence surrounding definitions and reporting of data for viscoelastic testing in veterinary medicine.

Design: Standardized, systematic evaluation of the literature, categorization of relevant articles according to level of evidence and quality, and development of consensus on conclusions for application of the concepts to clinical practice.

Setting: Academic and referral veterinary medical centers.

Multicenter prospective evaluation of dogs with trauma.

Objective: To determine hospital admission variables for dogs with trauma including values determined with scoring systems (animal trauma triage [ATT], modified Glasgow coma scale [MGCS], and acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation [APPLE] scores) and the usefulness of such variables for the prediction of outcome (death vs survival to hospital discharge).

Design: Prospective, multicenter, cohort study.

Animals: 315 client-owned dogs.

Prospective multicenter evaluation of coagulation abnormalities in dogs following severe acute trauma.

Objectives: To describe coagulation abnormalities in dogs following severe acute trauma and to evaluate the relationship between coagulation, clinical, and laboratory variables, and disease and injury severity, as well as the ability of coagulation variables to predict the presence of body cavity hemorrhage (BCH), necessity of blood product administration, and outcome.

Design: Prospective, multicenter, observational study.

Setting: Two university teaching hospitals.

Hypocalcemia of critical illness in dogs and cats.

Hypocalcemia occurs in critically ill dogs and cats and is associated with medications, treatments, and underlying diseases such as acute kidney disease, pancreatitis, parathyroid disease, sepsis, and trauma. Possible underlying mechanisms include hypovitaminosis D, acquired or relative hypoparathyroidism, hypomagnesemia, and alterations in the ionized fraction of calcium caused by changes in chelated or protein-bound calcium. If severe or acute, hypocalcemia can cause obvious clinical signs related to muscle or neurologic hyperexcitability or more subtle signs of cardiovascular dysfunction.

Management of acute respiratory distress syndrome in a French Bulldog using airway pressure release ventilation.

Objective: To describe the successful clinical management of a dog with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) using airway pressure release ventilation (APRV).

Case Summary: An 18-month-old female French Bulldog was presented for routine ovariohysterectomy and correction of brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome. Following the surgical procedures, the dog developed aspiration pneumonia and ARDS.

Intravenous administration of desmopressin acetate to reverse acetylsalicylic acid-induced coagulopathy in three dogs.

Background: Acetylsalicylic acid (ie, aspirin) administration inhibits platelet aggregation in dogs and is associated with increased perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirements in people. Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) is used to control or prevent bleeding in dogs with type 1 von Willebrand disease and is also widely reported in the human literature as an emergency antithrombotic reversal agent.

Key Findings: Three dogs undergoing surgery for intervertebral disc disease had marked prolongations in buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) after aspirin administration.

Detection and characterization of Clostridium perfringens in the feces of healthy and diarrheic dogs.

Clostridium perfringens has been implicated as a cause of diarrhea in dogs. The objectives of this study were to compare 2 culture methods and to evaluate a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect C. perfringens toxin genes alpha (α), beta (β ), beta 2 (β2), epsilon (ɛ), iota (ι), and C.

A comparison of 3 anesthetic protocols for 24 hours of mechanical ventilation in cats.

Objective: To compare the recovery times, recovery quality, and cardiovascular (CV) effects of 3 anesthetic protocols during 24 hours of mechanical ventilation (MV) in healthy cats.

Design: Prospective, randomized, crossover study.

Setting: Research laboratory at a veterinary teaching hospital.