Prospective randomized trial comparing relapse rates in dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis treated with a 6-week or 6-month prednisolone protocol.

Background: Traditionally, 6-month courses of prednisolone are used to treat steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA), but this medication is associated with adverse effects that can lead to poor quality of life.

Hypothesis/objectives: Resolution of clinical signs and rate of relapse of SRMA would not be significantly different between a 6-month prednisolone protocol and a 6-week protocol.

Animals: Forty-four hospital cases from multiple referral centers in the United Kingdom (2015-2019).

Long-term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators.

Background: The long-term effect of implantable vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) on seizures has not been evaluated in epileptic dogs.

Objectives: Report seizure frequency in medication-resistant epileptic dogs before and after VNS implantation.

Animals: Twelve client-owned dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and >1 seizure day per 3 weeks despite 3 months of appropriate use of 2 antiseizure medications and seizure diaries maintained 6 months before and >12 months after VNS implantation.

Agreement and differentiation of intradural spinal cord lesions in dogs using magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging is the method of choice for diagnosing spinal cord neoplasia, but the accuracy of designating the relationship of a neoplasm to the meninges and agreement among observers is unknown.

Objectives: To determine agreement among observers and accuracy of diagnosis compared with histology when diagnosing lesion location based on relationship to the meninges.

Animals: Magnetic resonance images from 53 dogs with intradural extramedullary and intramedullary spinal neoplasms and 17 dogs with degenerative myelopathy.

Implantable vagus nerve stimulator settings and short-term adverse effects in epileptic dogs.

Background: Implantable vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) devices can be used to treat epilepsy in dogs. Adverse effects and short-term complications associated with delivering suggested therapeutic electrical stimulation (>1.5 mA) are not well-described.

Electrodiagnostic findings in dogs with apparently painful lumbosacral foraminal stenosis.

Background: Development of management strategies for lumbosacral stenosis in dogs is hampered by the lack of objective diagnostic criteria and outcome measures.

Objective: To explore the suitability of electrodiagnostic tests as ancillary diagnostic aids, inclusion criteria, or outcome measures.

Sample Population: Sixty-one client-owned dogs with clinical signs of lumbosacral foraminal stenosis.

Effectiveness of manual bladder expression in paraplegic dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of manual bladder expression in paraplegic dogs by comparing urine volumes measured by use of intermittent catheterization and ultrasonography. ANIMALS 36 paraplegic dogs. PROCEDURES 93 measurements of bladder volume were collected for the 36 dogs.

Effects of syringomyelia on electrodiagnostic test results in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Objective: To determine the effects of syringomyelia on electromyography (EMG) findings, somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs), and transcranial magnetic motor-evoked potentials (TMMEPs) in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs).

Animals: 27 client-owned CKCSs that underwent prebreeding magnetic resonance imaging screening or investigation of clinical signs consistent with syringomyelia.

Procedures: In dogs with (n = 11) and without (16) magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed syringomyelia, the median nerve in each thoracic limb was stimulated and SEPs were recorded over the C1 vertebra; onset latency and latency and amplitude of the largest negative (N1) and positive (P1) peaks were measured.

Effect of middle ear effusion on the brain-stem auditory evoked response of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Brain-stem auditory evoked responses (BAER) were assessed in 23 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with and without middle ear effusion at sound intensities ranging from 10 to 100 dB nHL. Significant differences were found between the median BAER threshold for ears where effusions were present (60 dB nHL), compared to those without (30 dB nHL) (P=0.001).

Electrophysiologic evidence of polyneuropathy in a cat with signs of bilateral brachial plexus neuropathy.

Case Description: A 2-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was examined because of bilateral thoracic limb weakness of acute onset.

Clinical Findings: Clinical signs included muscle atrophy, paresis, depressed spinal reflexes, hyperesthesia of the thoracic limbs, and reduced jaw muscle tone. Pelvic limb reflexes were normal.