Incidence of alimentary and respiratory disease in brachycephalic dogs presenting to primary care veterinary practices participating in the SAVSNET project.

Background: Brachycephalic dogs clinically affected by brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome have been shown to have a high incidence of gastrointestinal disease, with French Bulldogs (FBD) identified as a particularly affected breed.

Methods: Clinical records of 750 brachycephalic dogs attending over 500 practices participating in the small animal veterinary surveillance network (SAVSNET) project were analysed in this cohort study to determine the incidence of alimentary and respiratory disease within FBD, Bulldogs (BD) and Pugs attending primary care veterinary practice. Electronic clinical records were studied for treatment or acknowledgement of specific clinical signs that could be attributed to different anatomical locations.

Ultrasound-guided placement of an anchor wire or injection of methylene blue to aid in the intraoperative localization and excision of peripheral lymph nodes in dogs and cats.

Objective: To evaluate ultrasound-guided placement of an anchor wire (AW) or injection of methylene blue (MB) to aid in the intraoperative localization of peripheral lymph nodes in dogs and cats.

Animals: 125 dogs and 10 cats with a total of 171 lymphadenectomies.

Procedures: Medical records of dogs and cats that underwent peripheral lymphadenectomies with or without (N) the AW or MB localization technique were reviewed.

Canine anal sac gland carcinoma with regional lymph node metastases treated with sacculectomy and lymphadenectomy: Outcome and possible prognostic factors.

The staging system commonly used in canine anal sac gland carcinoma (ASGC) is a revised Tumour-Node-Metastasis (TNM) system published in 2007. This staging system consists in four stages and, for dogs with nodal metastases, the size of the metastatic lymph node (mLN) defines the N stage. However, we hypothesise that (1) the mLN size has no prognostic significance when the mLN can be excised, (2) a high number of mLNs is associated with poorer prognosis and (3) the measurement of the mLN on imaging is not reproducible.

CT-guided drainage of a brainstem abscess in a cat as an emergency treatment procedure.

Case Summary: A 3-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 1-week progressive and rapidly deteriorating history of lethargy and abnormal behaviour. Neurolocalisation indicated multifocal intracranial lesions (right oculomotor nerve, brainstem [obtundation, non-ambulatory tetraparesis, vestibular dysfunction and intermittent decerebrate rigidity] and possibly the thalamus [left-sided pleurothotonus]), or more likely a single brainstem lesion with mass effect. MRI of the brain demonstrated a brainstem abscess causing severe dorsal displacement particularly affecting the pons and the medulla oblongata causing cerebellar vermis herniation through the foramen magnum.

The effect of experience, simulator-training and biometric feedback on manual ventilation technique.

Objective: To determine the frequency of provision and main providers (veterinary surgeons, nurses or trainees) of manual ventilation in UK veterinary practices. Furthermore, to determine the variation in peak inspiratory (inflation) pressure (PIP), applied to a lung model during manual ventilation, by three different groups of operators (inexperienced, experienced and specialist), before and after training.

Study Design: Questionnaire survey, lung model simulator development and prospective testing.

Trephination of the frontal sinuses and instillation of clotrimazole cream: a computed tomographic study in canine cadavers.

Objective: To use computed tomography (CT) to assess the distribution of surgically administered clotrimazole cream and associated filling of the frontal sinuses and caudal aspect of the nasal cavities in canine cadavers.

Study Design: Observational study.

Animals: Small (n = 1) and medium-large (n = 11) breed canine cadavers.

Clinical and clinicopathologic abnormalities in young dogs with acquired and congenital portosystemic shunts: 93 cases (2003-2008).

Objective: To determine whether clinical and clinicopathologic data could assist differentiation of congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSSs) from acquired portosystemic shunts (APSSs) in young dogs.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: Dogs < 30 months of age with CPSSs (n = 62) or APSSs (31).

Underlying diseases in dogs referred to a veterinary teaching hospital because of dyspnea: 229 cases (2003-2007).

Objective: To identify the most frequent underlying diseases in dogs examined because of dyspnea and determine whether signalment, clinical signs, and duration of clinical signs might help guide assessment of the underlying condition and prognosis.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 229 dogs with dyspnea.

Biliothorax in a Siamese cat.

A 2-year-old male neutered cat presented for further investigation of biliothorax. The cat was initially treated for pyothorax, including bilateral chest drains for lavage of the pleural space. Five days later, the pleural effusion turned clear-yellow and had a bilirubin concentration of 427 μmol/l compared to the serum bilirubin concentration of 15 μmol/l.

Evaluation of transdermal fentanyl patch attachment in dogs and analysis of residual fentanyl content following removal.

Objective: To investigate whether the method used to attach matrix-type fentanyl patches influences the degree of skin attachment and the amount of active drug remaining in patches after use.

Study Design: Prospective, randomised clinical study.

Study Population: Fifteen adult dogs of mixed breeds.

Efficacy of en bloc ligation of the thoracic duct: descriptive study in 14 dogs.

Objective: To assess whether en bloc ligation of all caudal mediastinal tissue between the aorta and thoracic vertebrae will occlude all branches of the thoracic duct.

Study Design: Descriptive study.

Animals: Canine cadavers (n=15).

Use of recombinant human interferon alpha-2a in the management of a dog with epitheliotropic lymphoma.

An 8-year-old, mixed-breed dog with preputial epitheliotropic lymphoma was initially treated with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone. A short-term partial response was followed by disease progression after 4 weeks. Recombinant human interferon alpha-2a was administered starting at week 7.

Prevalence of feline chronic gingivo-stomatitis in first opinion veterinary practice.

Feline chronic gingivo-stomatitis (FCGS) is a syndrome characterised by persistent, often severe, inflammation of the oral mucosa. In the absence of similar studies, our objective was to estimate the prevalence of FCGS in a convenience based sample of cats visiting first opinion small animal veterinary practices. Twelve practices took part, providing a sample population of 4858 cats.