Evaluation of a Human Virtual-Reality Endoscopy Trainer for Teaching Early Endoscopy Skills to Veterinarians.

Competency in flexible endoscopy is a major goal of small animal internal medicine residency training programs. Hands-on laboratories to teach entry-level skills have traditionally used anesthetized laboratory dogs (live dog laboratory [LDL]). Virtual-reality endoscopy trainers (VRET) are used for this purpose in human medicine with the clear benefits of avoiding live animal use, decreasing trainee stress, and allowing repeated, independent training sessions.

Limited yield of diagnoses of intrahepatic infectious causes of canine granulomatous hepatitis from archival liver tissue.

Canine granulomatous hepatitis is an uncommon morphologic diagnosis that has been associated with a variety of diseases, including a number of systemic infectious etiologies. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are typically the only source of liver tissue remaining for additional testing for the presence of infectious disease within granulomas. It is unclear if the more common infectious culprits of granulomatous hepatitis can be identified from such specimens.

Risk factors and outcome of bougienage for treatment of benign esophageal strictures in dogs and cats: 28 cases (1995-2004).

Objective: To determine outcome of bougienage for treatment of benign esophageal stricture (BES) in dogs and cats and identify risk factors for the condition.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 20 dogs and 8 cats with BES.

Eosinophilic esophagitis in a dog.

Case Description: A 4-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog with a history of allergic skin disease was examined because of regurgitation, coughing, and dysphagia that began 15 days after abdominal surgery for correction of gastric dilatation and volvulus.

Clinical Findings: Severe diffuse esophagitis, esophageal dysmotility, and a benign esophageal stricture at the level of the base of the heart were identified via contrast videofluoroscopy and esophagoscopy. Severe diffuse eosinophilic ulcerative esophagitis was confirmed by histologic examination of esophageal biopsy specimens and cytologic evaluation of specimens obtained by use of a cytology brush.

Observed occurrence of Tritrichomonas foetus and other enteric parasites in Australian cattery and shelter cats.

Cattery-housed pedigree cats, located mostly within the USA, have the highest reported prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus (T foetus) to date. This prospective, multi-institutional, cross sectional study examines the occurrence of T foetus and other enteric parasites in cattery-housed and shelter cats within Australia, where T foetus has only recently been identified. Faecal specimens were collected from 134 cats, including 82 cattery-housed pedigree cats and 52 shelter cats.

Prevalence, clinical features, and causes of epistaxis in dogs: 176 cases (1996-2001).

Objective: To determine prevalence, clinical features, and causes of epistaxis in dogs.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 176 dogs with epistaxis.

Mucosal immunity and chronic idiopathic enteropathies in dogs.

Gastrointestinal disorders, including chronic diarrhea, are common in canine general practice. Many of these diseases do not have a clearly defined underlying cause, despite thorough diagnostic investigation. This article reviews several syndromes with poorly understood causes that are associated with chronic diarrhea in dogs.

Use of basal serum or plasma cortisol concentrations to rule out a diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism in dogs: 123 cases (2000-2005).

Objective: To determine whether basal serum or plasma cortisol concentration can be used as a screening test to rule out hypoadrenocorticism in dogs.

Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Animals: 110 dogs with nonadrenal gland illnesses and 13 dogs with hypoadrenocorticism.

Suppurative, nonseptic polyarthropathy in dogs.

The goals of this study were to determine the historical, physical examination, and clinicopathologic findings in dogs with suppurative, nonseptic polyarthropathy and to identify concurrent disorders associated with this syndrome. Medical records of 52 dogs with cytologic evidence of suppurative inflammation in two or more joints were examined retrospectively. Age of dogs was 4.