Recovery from desflurane anesthesia in horses with and without post-anesthetic xylazine.

The objective of this study was to compare recovery from desflurane anesthesia in horses with or without post-anesthetic xylazine. Six adult horses were anesthetized on 2 occasions, 14 d apart using a prospective, randomized crossover design. Horses were sedated with xylazine, induced to lateral recumbency with ketamine and diazepam, and anesthesia was maintained with desflurane.

Comparison of forelimb and hindlimb systolic blood pressures and proteinuria in healthy Shetland Sheepdogs.

Background: The prevalence of systemic hypertension (SHT) in Shetland Sheepdogs has not been reported.

Hypothesis/objectives: SHT is common in Shetland Sheepdogs and positively correlated with proteinuria. Measurements of forelimb and hindlimb systolic arterial pressure (SAP) are comparable.

Effects of racing on reticulocyte concentrations in Greyhounds.

Background: Greyhounds have several hematologic variables that are outside of the respective reference intervals of other dog breeds. In addition, increases in HCT, total protein and HGB concentration, and RBC and WBC counts occur immediately after exercise; these values return to resting values within a few hour after racing.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of exercise on the concentration of reticulocytes in circulating blood in racing Greyhounds.

Fatal Streptococcus anginosus-associated pneumonia in a captive Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii).

Background: Bacterial infections commonly affect the lungs and air sacs of orangutans; culture and identification is rarely performed and may have clinical relevance.

Methods: Necropsy, histopathology and bacterial culture were performend on a captive adult male Sumatran orangutan with chronic air sacculitis. Bacterial speciation was confirmed by sequencing of the 16s-23s ribosomal DNA spacer region.

Fluoroquinolone levels in healthy dog urine following a 20-mg/kg oral dose of enrofloxacin exceed mutant prevention concentration targets against Escherichia coli isolated from canine urinary tract infections.

A 3-day course of oral enrofloxacin is effective for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs when administered 20 mg/kg Q24H. However, emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants of uropathogens is a concern. Urine concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were measured in six healthy dogs following dose of enrofloxacin 20 mg/kg.

Effects of vagal maneuvers on heart rate and Doppler variables of left ventricular filling in healthy cats.

Background: Evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastole is clinically important in cats with heart disease. Diastolic dysfunction is a main characteristic of feline cardiomyopathy and is associated with clinical signs and poor outcome. Numerous echocardiographic indices characterizing LV diastole exist, of which Doppler variables of transmitral flow and mitral annular motion are used most often.

Effects of stressors on the behavior and physiology of domestic cats.

Feline interstitial cystitis (FIC) is a chronic pain syndrome of domestic cats. Cats with FIC have chronic, recurrent lower urinary tract signs (LUTS) and other comorbid disorders that are exacerbated by stressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate behavioral and physiological responses of healthy cats and cats diagnosed with FIC after exposure to a five day stressor.

Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae producing CTX-M cephalosporinase from swine finishing barns and their association with antimicrobial use.

We report the recovery of Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae containing the extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene bla(CTX-M) from 24 of 1,495 (1.6%) swine fecal samples in 8 of 50 (16%) finishing barns located in 5 U.S.

Detection of Salmonella enterica isolates producing CTX-M Cephalosporinase in U.S. livestock populations.

We report the detection of Salmonella carrying bla(CTX-M) in U.S. livestock populations.

Evaluation of expression and function of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, platelet derived growth factor receptors-alpha and -beta, KIT, and RET in canine apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma and thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Toceranib phosphate (Palladia) has a reported objective response rate of 25% in both canine apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma (AGASACA) and thyroid carcinoma (TC), with stable disease occurring in an additional 50-60% of dogs. The basis for the observed responses to toceranib is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate AGASACA and TC samples for the expression and activation of VEGFR2, PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, KIT and RET to assess whether dysregulation of these receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) may contribute to the biologic activity of toceranib.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (Mkp)-1 protects mice against acetaminophen-induced hepatic injury.

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation promotes hepatocyte death during acetaminophen overdose, a common cause of drug-induced liver failure. While mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatase (Mkp)-1 is a critical negative regulator of JNK MAPK, little is known about the role of Mkp-1 during hepatotoxicity. In this study, we evaluated the role of Mkp-1 during acute acetaminophen toxicity.

Variable within- and between-herd diversity of CTX-M cephalosporinase-bearing Escherichia coli isolates from dairy cattle.

bla(CTX-M) beta-lactamases confer resistance to critically important cephalosporin drugs. Recovered from both hospital- and community-acquired infections, bla(CTX-M) was first reported in U.S.

Left ventricular function quantified by myocardial strain imaging in small-breed dogs with chronic mitral regurgitation.

Background: The presence of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction may influence prognosis or therapy in dogs with chronic mitral regurgitation (MR). Assessment of LV function in MR by conventional echocardiography is confounded by altered ventricular loading. Myocardial deformation (strain) imaging might offer more sensitive estimates of LV function in this disease.

Evaluation of the safety of a novel knee load-bypassing device in a sheep model.

Background: Unloading treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee, such as valgus braces, have been shown to reduce medial joint-loading and pain. The purpose of this preclinical study was to investigate the tissue response to an extracapsular implantable device (KineSpring System; Moximed, Hayward, California) that is designed to reduce loading across the medial compartment of the knee.

Methods: Eleven sheep were implanted with the KineSpring System, consisting of bases secured to the medial femoral and tibial cortices with bone screws and also consisting of a joint-spanning load-absorber composed of a piston and spring assembly inside a polymeric sheath.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP)-1 in immunology, physiology, and disease.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key regulators of cellular physiology and immune responses, and abnormalities in MAPKs are implicated in many diseases. MAPKs are activated by MAPK kinases through phosphorylation of the threonine and tyrosine residues in the conserved Thr-Xaa-Tyr domain, where Xaa represents amino acid residues characteristic of distinct MAPK subfamilies. Since MAPKs play a crucial role in a variety of cellular processes, a delicate regulatory network has evolved to control their activities.

Neorickettsia risticii surface-exposed proteins: proteomics identification, recognition by naturally-infected horses, and strain variations.

Neorickettsia risticii is the Gram-negative, obligate, and intracellular bacterial pathogen responsible for Potomac horse fever (PHF): an important acute systemic disease of horses. N. risticii surface proteins, critical for immune recognition, have not been thoroughly characterized.

White-coat effect on systemic blood pressure in retired racing Greyhounds.

Background: Greyhounds are known to have a higher systemic arterial blood pressure (BP) than non-Greyhound dogs.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the high systemic BP was because of the white-coat effect.

Animals: Twenty-two healthy retired racing Greyhounds (RRG) enrolled in a blood donation program.

Temporal variability of ventricular arrhythmias in Boxer dogs with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is prevalent in the Boxer. There is little information on the temporal variability of ventricular arrhythmias within affected dogs.

Objective: To evaluate ambulatory electrocardiograms (AECG) from Boxers with ARVC for hourly variation in premature ventricular complexes (PVC) and heart rate (HR).

Intervertebral disc extrusion and spinal decompression in a binturong (Arctictis binturong).

A 10-yr-old binturong (Arctictis binturong) developed an acute onset of hind limb paralysis. Neurological examination revealed sensorimotor paraplegia. Myelography and computed tomography demonstrated a ventrolateral extradural compression of the spinal cord centered over the L3-L4 intervertebral disc space.

Effect of phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine on the urethral pressure profile and continence scores of incontinent female dogs.

Background: Traditionally, treatment of urinary incontinence in spayed female dogs has been to increase urethral sphincter tone with estrogen compounds or alpha-agonists. Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is the most frequently used alpha-agonist for this condition, but increased cost and decreased availability of PPA as an over-the-counter medication have prompted interest in alternative therapies that may provide the same degree of efficacy. Pseudoephedrine (PD), an alpha-agonist and stereoisomer of ephedrine, is more cost-effective and available without a prescription.

Communicating with special populations: children and older adults.

Veterinary professionals must meet the growing expectations of a diverse range of clients to sustain success in veterinary medicine. Few veterinarians, however, receive comprehensive skills training for communicating effectively with clients, particularly among special populations, such as children and older adults. An increasing number of veterinary professionals have recognized a need to master requisite skills for effectively interacting with pet-owning families.

Posterior capsular opacification in diabetic and nondiabetic canine patients following cataract surgery.

Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is the most common postoperative complication of contemporary cataract surgery. Limited information is available regarding PCO formation and factors that influence PCO development in the dog. Two hundred sixty-five eyes (144 from diabetic dogs and 121 from dogs with breed-related cataracts) were prospectively evaluated for PCO formation for up to 12 months postoperatively.

Evaluation of advanced glycation end-products in diabetic and inherited canine cataracts.

Background: The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) increases in the human cataract and should correlate with increased DNA damage and proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs). The purpose of this study was to measure and immunolocalize RAGE in normal and cataractous canine LECs, and to determine whether there was a correlation between RAGE and DNA damage (gadd45), cell-cycle regulation (p21), and LEC proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA).

Methods: Thirty-two anterior lens capsules from 22 dogs that underwent cataract surgery and 10 lenses from dogs with normal eyes were evaluated.

Effect of medial meniscal release on tibial translation after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.

Objective: To evaluate the biomechanical effects of medial meniscal release (MMR) and medial, caudal pole hemimeniscectomy (MCH) on joint stability in the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL)-deficient canine stifle before and after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO).

Study Design: Experimental study.

Animals: Thirty-one dogs.