Syndromic surveillance in companion animals utilizing electronic medical records data: development and proof of concept.

In an effort to recognize and address communicable and point-source epidemics in dog and cat populations, this project created a near real-time syndromic surveillance system devoted to companion animal health in the United States. With over 150 million owned pets in the US, the development of such a system is timely in light of previous epidemics due to various causes that were only recognized in retrospect. The goal of this study was to develop epidemiologic and statistical methods for veterinary hospital-based surveillance, and to demonstrate its efficacy by detection of simulated foodborne outbreaks using a database of over 700 hospitals.

Use of a meal challenge test to estimate peak postprandial triglyceride concentrations in dogs.

Objective: To develop a standardized meal challenge test by assessing associations between food-withheld preprandial (ie, fasting) and postprandial triglyceride concentrations, determining the most appropriate sampling time to detect the peak concentration (highest postprandial concentration), and estimating reference intervals for fasting and postprandial concentrations in healthy dogs.

Animals: 12 lean healthy mixed-breed dogs.

Procedures: Dogs were fed a dry commercially available diet (fat, 31% metabolizable energy) for 3 weeks.

Effects of dietary modification in dogs with early chronic valvular disease.

Background: The potential benefits of nutritional modification in early canine cardiac disease are not known.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that echocardiographic, neuroendocrine, and nutritional variables will differ between dogs with asymptomatic chronic valvular disease (CVD) and healthy controls, and that a moderately reduced sodium diet enriched with antioxidants, n-3 fatty acids, taurine, carnitine, and arginine will alter these variables in dogs with CVD.

Methods: Echocardiography was performed and blood was collected.

Survival of cats with naturally occurring chronic renal failure is related to severity of proteinuria.

Background: Tubulointerstitial kidney disease is a common cause of illness and death in pet cats and is typically not associated with overt proteinuria.

Hypothesis: Proteinuria would be independently related to survival in cats with renal failure, with or without hypertension.

Animals: The study included 136 client-owned cats; 28 apparently normal, 14 hypertensive but not azotemic, 66 azotemic but not hypertensive, and 28 both hypertensive and azotemic.

Dietary constituents are able to play a beneficial role in canine epidermal barrier function.

Epidermal barrier function is a critical attribute of mammalian skin. The barrier is responsible for preventing skin-associated pathologies through controlling egress of water and preventing ingress of environmental agents. Maintaining the quality and integrity of the epidermal barrier is therefore of considerable importance.

Nutrient intake and urine composition in calcium oxalate stone-forming dogs: comparison with healthy dogs and impact of dietary modification.

Nutrient intake and urine composition were analyzed in calcium oxalate (CaOx)stone-forming and healthy control dogs to identify factors that contribute to CaOx urolithiasis. Stone-forming dogs had significantly lower intake of sodium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus and significantly higher urinary calcium and oxalate concentrations, calcium excretion, and CaOx relative supersaturation (RSS). Feeding a diet used in the treatment of canine lower urinary tract disease for 1 month was associated with increased intake of moisture, sodium, and fat; reduced intake of potassium and calcium; and decreased urinary calcium and oxalate concentrations, calcium excretion, and CaOx RSS.

Evaluation of dietary patterns in dogs with cardiac disease.

Objective: To determine the dietary patterns and intake of nutrients of concern in dogs with cardiac disease.

Design: Prospective study.

Animals: 82 dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or chronic valvular disease.

Prevalence of systolic hypertension in cats with chronic renal failure at initial evaluation.

Objective: To determine prevalence of systolic hypertension and associated risk factors in cats with chronic renal failure evaluated in first-opinion practice.

Design: Prospective study.

Animals: 103 cats with chronic renal failure.

Predicting the crystallization potential of urine from cats and dogs with respect to calcium oxalate and magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite).

The objective of this study was to validate two programs (SUPERSAT and EQUIL 2) for calculation of calcium oxalate (CaOx) and magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite; MAP) relative supersaturation (RSS) in dog and cat urine. Healthy adult cats (n = 10) and dogs (n = 9) were fed standard diets for a 3-wk period. Urine was collected (24 h, dogs; 48 h, cats) and filtered, and the pH was measured.

An open prospective investigation into aetiology in a group of cats with suspected allergic skin disease.

Abstract  This prospective study evaluated the cause(s) of dermatitis in a series of cats with signs suggestive of allergic skin disease. Twenty cases completed the díagnostic evaluation, which included intradermal skin testing, a rigorous flea-control programme, and a 4-month stabilization period on a restricted protein source commercial diet, followed by rechallenge with the cat's original diet. The most common final díagnoses included flea allergic dermatitis (seven cases), and flea allergic dermatitis together with atopy (seven cases).

The mineral composition of nails in normal dogs and comparison with shed nails in canine idiopathic onychomadesis.

Abstract  The mineral analyses of nails from 32 normal dogs were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry or colorimetrically. Data were compared with the mineral analyses of nails from 21 cases of idiopathic canine onychomadesis. German Shepherd dogs were significantly over represented (P < 0.