Retrospective evaluation of the use of small-bore wire-guided catheters for the management of peritoneal effusion in cats and dogs

Objective

To describe the use of small-bore wire-guided catheters in the management of peritoneal effusion in cats and dogs and to detail any associated adverse events.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

University teaching hospital

Animals

Forty-five client-owned animals that had peritoneal catheters placed for management of peritoneal effusion between July 2010 and June 2021.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and Main Results

Forty-five cases were included (25 dogs and 20 cats). Twenty-eight animals had the catheter placed to aid management of a uroabdomen, 8 of which recovered without surgical management, 11 had the catheter placed to allow autotransfusion of hemoabdomen, 3 had peritonitis, and 3 had ascites secondary to cardiac disease. Twenty-seven cases (15 dogs and 12 cats) received sedation (n = 24) or local anesthesia alone (n = 3) to facilitate catheter placement, and 6 cases had the catheter placed while under general anesthesia. Median length of catheter persistence was 24 hours (range: 2–144 h). The most common adverse events reported were impaired drainage (n = 7) and leakage at the insertion site (n = 4).

Conclusions

Peritoneal catheters can be inserted percutaneously for management of peritoneal effusion. Indications include stabilization and conservative management of uroabdomen, and autotransfusion. They can often be placed with minimal or no sedation and adverse events appear infrequent in occurrence.     

Variation in crushing strength and some related properties of a red pine

Summary Below-crown radial and height variations in maximum crushing strength parallel to grain, relative density and tracheid length of an immature, 55 year old, red pine were studied. All properties showed pronounced trends with radial age and increased from pith to bark. A radial age of 16 years was estimated as the age from which mature stem wood is formed. All properties studied varied with height above ground. Strong correlations were observed among properties. The study tree exhibited noticeably lower average crushing strength than is reported in the literature for wood from mature red pines.This work was undertaken with financial support from Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Operating Grant 0GP0004417     

Short-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics in soil,litterfall and canopy of a suburban native forest subjected to prescribed burning in subtropical Australia

Purpose

This study aimed to understand the mechanisms of the variations in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and examine the possibility of differentiating the burning effects from seasonal and pre-existed N limitations in a native suburban forest ecosystem influenced by prescribed burning in subtropical Australia.

Materials and methods

Soil and litterfall samples were collected from two study sites from 1 to 23 months since last burnt. Soil labile C and N pools, soil C and N isotopic compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N), litterfall mass production (LM), and litterfall total C, total N, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N were analysed. In-situ gas exchange measurements were also conducted during dry and wet seasons for Eucalyptus baileyana and E. planchoniana.

Results and discussion

The results indicated that labile C and N pools increased within the first few months after burning, with no correlations with climatic factors. Therefore, it was possible that the increase was due to the burning-induced factors such as the incorporation of ashes into the soil. The highest values of soil and litterfall δ¹⁵N, observed when the study was commenced at the experimental sites, and their high correlations with climatic factors were indicative of long-term N and water limitation. The ¹³C signals showed that soil N concentrations and climatic factors were also two of the main factors controlling litterfall and foliage properties mainly through the changes in photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance.

Conclusions

Long-term soil N availabilities and climatic factors were the two of the main driving factors of C and N cycling in the studied forest sites. Further studies are needed to compare soil and litterfall properties before and after burning to profoundly understand the effects of prescribed burning on soil labile C and N variations.

     

Successful management of severe hypoventilation and hypercapnia in an alpaca (Vicugna pacos) with short‐term mechanical ventilation

Objective – To describe the successful management of an alpaca with severe hypoventilation and hypercapnia, suspected to be secondary to an anesthesia‐related event. Case Summary – A 3‐year‐old, female alpaca underwent a routine eye enucleation under general anesthesia after traumatic globe perforation. Severe hypoventilation and associated hypercapnia developed postoperatively resulting in a severe primary respiratory acidosis. The awake alpaca was supported with positive‐pressure ventilation for approximately 20 hours before successful weaning. Recovery to hospital discharge occurred over the subsequent 5 days with the alpaca regaining apparently normal respiratory function. New or Unique Information Provided – To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first report describing positive‐pressure ventilation of an alpaca in the veterinary literature. In this case of severe hypoventilation, ventilatory support was essential to the positive outcome. As South American camelids continue to increase in popularity there may be an increased demand for high‐quality and sophisticated veterinary care for these animals. Mechanical ventilation can be used to help restore and maintain normal PO₂, PCO₂, and respiratory acid‐base status in alpacas with ventilatory dysfunction.