Cardiac biomarker profiles in dogs with naturally occurring precapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Introduction/objectives: This study evaluated circulating amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), amino-terminal pro-A-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proANP), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in dogs with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (Pre-PH) and control dogs with respiratory clinical signs but no Pre-PH.

Animals: Twenty-six dogs (17 affected, and nine controls) were involved in the study.

Materials And Methods: This was a sub-study of a large prospective single-center observational study.

Simultaneous pheochromocytoma and third-degree atrioventricular block in 2 dogs.

Objective: To describe the occurrence of pheochromocytoma with third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block in 2 dogs.

Case Series Summary: Two dogs were referred for echocardiograms and further diagnostic and therapeutic treatment for third-degree AV block. Abdominal ultrasound of 1 dog revealed an adrenal mass, while that of the other dog revealed bilateral adrenal masses.

Treatment of afibrinogenemia in a chihuahua.

This report discusses the diagnosis and treatment of afibrinogenemia in a Chihuahua. Prolongations of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and thrombin clotting time (TCT) together with fibrinogen assay results of either no or trace amounts of fibrinogen support a diagnosis of afibrinogenemia. Differential diagnoses include common coagulopathies, liver failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

Evaluation of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations in dogs with and without cardiac disease.

Objective: To evaluate plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations in a large, diverse population of dogs with and without cardiac disease and to define the upper reference limit for the biomarker in this species.

Design: Cross-sectional single center study.

Animals: 1,134 dogs.

Soft palate cyst in a cat.

A 17-month-old cat presented for frequent swallowing, occasional cough and stertor. Radiographic evaluation revealed a soft tissue mass at the level of the soft palate. Oral examination revealed a soft tissue mass within the soft palate.

Lung lobe torsion associated with chylothorax in a cat.

A 10.5-year-old domestic shorthair presented with a history of progressive inappetence, lethargy and elevated respiratory rate. Clinical and diagnostic findings confirmed the presence of a chylothorax with evidence of a mass or collapsed lung within the right cranial thorax.

Foxtail-associated endocarditis in a cat.

An adult female neutered domestic shorthair cat developed right heart failure 1 week after having surgical drainage of a neck abscess of unknown etiology established at our hospital. Echocardiography revealed a large vegetative mass adhered to the tricuspid valve. Post-mortem examination revealed fibrinous endocarditis and myocarditis associated with the presence of a grass awn (Hordeum species) foreign body.

Wide-complex tachycardia associated with severe hyperkalemia in three cats.

The well recognized cardiac effects of severe hyperkalemia include progressive rhythm and conduction disturbances such as bradycardia, spiked and narrow T waves, widening QRS complex, widening and flattening P wave, disappearance of the P wave, and cardiac arrest. Paradoxically, a heart rate greater than 200 beats/min may coexist with hyperkalemia in some cats. This report describes three cats with moderate to severe hyperkalemia and concurrent rapid heart rate.

Adrenal toxicity in dogs and cats as a contributing cause of hormonal and immune destabilization.

The adrenal cortex is regarded as the organ most vulnerable to toxicity within the endocrine system. The production of cortisol, among the many steroidal hormones produced by the cortex, may suffer as a result. In a veterinary clinical practice, household dogs and cats with a wide variety of diseases ranging from allergies to cancer commonly have a cortisol deficiency or defect that triggers endocrine imbalances and immune system destabilization.

An effective veterinary model may offer therapeutic promise for human conditions: roles of cortisol and thyroid hormones.

For nearly three decades, the author has treated multiple serious diseases of cats and dogs by correcting an unrecognized endocrine-immune imbalance originating with a deficiency or defect of cortisol. The cortisol abnormality creates a domino effect on feedback loops involving the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this scenario estrogen becomes elevated, thyroid hormone becomes bound, and B and T cells become deregulated.

Accuracy of localization of cervical intervertebral disk extrusion or protrusion using survey radiography in dogs.

Sixty-four dogs with histories and clinical signs consistent with cervical intervertebral disk disease were presented for evaluation. Survey spinal radiographs were obtained, followed by myelography. In 61% of the survey radiographs, evaluators identified sites of disk extrusion or protrusion based on radiographic findings.

Phallopexy for treatment of paraphimosis in the dog.

Three dogs with recurrent paraphimosis were surgically treated by creation of a phallopexy between the dorsal surface of the penis and the corresponding surface of the prepuce. Follow-up evaluation was performed 4 to 31 months postoperatively. Treatment was successful in each case, and no dog had any adverse sequelae.

Long-term clinical management of right-to-left ("reversed") patent ductus arteriosus in 3 dogs.

A small number of dogs with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) have right-to-left flow of blood through the ductus, leading to polycythemia and clinical signs associated with hyperviscosity. Three dogs with right-to-left-shunting PDA are described. Treatment consisted solely of phlebotomy, performed on an outpatient basis when indicated by exacerbation of clinical signs, for a total of 11-68 times on each dog.

Effects of enalapril maleate on survival of dogs with naturally acquired heart failure. The Long-Term Investigation of Veterinary Enalapril (LIVE) Study Group.

Objective: To test the long-term effect of enalapril maleate treatment on progression of clinical signs of heart disease in dogs with moderate or severe naturally acquired heart failure associated with chronic degenerative mitral valvular disease (mitral regurgitation [MR]) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Design: Prospective multicenter study.

Animals: 110 dogs enrolled at 15 locations in the United States.

Longitudinal myotomy of the supraspinatus muscle: a new approach to the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula.

A lateral approach to the shoulder joint via a longitudinal myotomy of the supraspinatus muscle was used in the surgical treatment of four cases involving avulsion fractures of the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula. This approach was developed using cadaver specimens and was compared to previously reported approaches to the supraglenoid tubercle. This approach gave excellent, visualized exposure and permitted accurate reduction and fixation for this type of fracture.

Dorsal laminectomy in the treatment of cervical intervertebral disk disease in small dogs: a retrospective study of 30 cases.

Dorsal laminectomy was used to treat 30 dogs with cervical intervertebral disk disease. A variety of breeds were represented, and all animals weighted 15 kg or less. Myelography was utilized to locate each solitary disk herniation.

Hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency) in a family of German shepherd dogs.

Three male German Shepherd Dog pups were treated for vaccination-induced hematomas. Coagulation tests in 2 of these pups revealed markedly prolonged activated partial thromboplastin times, whereas specific coagulation factor tests revealed severe deficiency of factor IX activity. Investigation of the pedigree supported a sex-linked pattern of inheritance and a distant relationship to a pup found to have hemophilia B 7 years earlier.

Femoral head and neck excision in the management of canine hip dysplasia.

Degenerative joint disease as a sequela to pathology of the coxofemoral joint can cause considerable pain. In dogs weighing less than 20 km, excision of the femoral head and neck is sufficient to control this pain. A pseudoarthrosis functions effectively as a salvage hip joint.

Ordering diagnostic tests in cardiovascular disease.

All heart patients should have an electrocardiogram, radiographs of the chest, and blood work done in addition to a complete history and physical examination. In ordering diagnostic tests, the real point is to understand the rationale for each test ordered, what information may be expected from the test, and if there is a justifiable reason for each test considering the factors involved.