Medical Management of Recurrent Seizures in Dogs and Cats

The problem of recurrent seizures is a common and challenging one in veterinary medical practice. The pathophysiology and pharmacologic suppression of focal seizure activity have been studied extensively in basic research settings, yet little is known of the genesis, modulation, and termination of generalized seizures, the most common form of seizures noted to occur in companion animals. Knowledge concerning the pharmacokinetic fate of anticonvulsant drugs currently used in veterinary medicine is adequate, though prospective clinical studies of the efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of various types of seizures are lacking. This study will review the available literature regarding the pharmacology, use, and side effects of anticonvulsant drugs currently available for control of recurrent seizures in companion animals. Alternative anticonvulsant drugs will also be described.     

Cardiac Troponins in Dogs and Cats

Cardiac troponins are sensitive and specific markers of myocardial injury. The troponin concentration can be thought of as a quantitative measure of the degree of injury sustained by the heart, however, it provides no information on the cause of injury or the mechanism of troponin release. Conventionally, the cardiac troponins have been used for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in humans and have become the gold standard biomarkers for this indication. They have become increasingly recognized as an objective measure of cardiomyocyte status in both cardiac and noncardiac disease, supplying additional information to that provided by echocardiography and ECG. Injury to cardiomyocytes can occur through a variety of mechanisms with subsequent release of troponins. Independent of the underlying disease or the mechanism of troponin release, the presence of myocardial injury is associated with an increased risk of death. As increasingly sensitive assays are introduced, the frequent occurrence of myocardial injury is becoming apparent, and our understanding of its causes and importance is constantly evolving. Presently troponins are valuable for detecting a subgroup of patients with higher risk of death. Future research is needed to clarify whether troponins can serve as monitoring tools guiding treatment, whether administering more aggressive treatment to patients with evidence of myocardial injury is beneficial, and whether normalizing of troponin concentrations in patients presenting with evidence of myocardial injury is associated with reduced risk of death.     

Renal Ultrasound in Dogs and Cats

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Thrombolytic Therapy in Dogs and Cats

Objective: To review the thrombolytic agents most commonly used in humans, their mechanisms of action, potential uses, adverse effects, and reports of their use in dogs and cats.
Human data synthesis: Thrombolytic agents avaliable in human medicine include streptokinase, urokinase, tissueplasminogen activator (t-PA), single-chain urokinase plasma activator (scu-PA) and anisoylated plasminogen-strep-tokinase activator complex (APSAC). These agents were originally used for the management of proximal deep vein thrombosis and severe pulmonary embolism but more recently, use of these drugs has been extended to include the treatment of acute peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and acute coronary thrombosis. The most predictable side effect associated with the use of thrombolytic therapy is hemorrhage.
Veterinary data synthesis: Clinical experience with thrombolytic agents in small animals is limited to streptokinase and t-PA. It is possible, that as in humans, canine and feline patients with PTE and right ventricular dysfunction may benefit from thrombolytic therapy but there are no veterinary studies to support this theory to date. Successful use of streptokinase has been documented in a small number of canine patients with systemic thromboembolism. ⁶³ Thrombolytic therapy is relatively efficacious in cats with aortic thromboemboli but is associated with a high mortality rate. ^59,60,64 With regard to use of t-PA in veterinary medicine, the small number of animals treated with varying protocols makes it impossible to provide safe and effective dose recommendations at this time.
Conclusions: Future goals for thrombolytic therapy in veterinary medicine include determination of more specific clinical indications, as well as design of effective protocols that minimize mortality and morbidity.     

犬猫的注射麻醉

麻醉作为一种动物保定方法,广泛地应用于小动物疾病的诊断、治疗和外科手术.麻醉分为吸入麻醉、非吸入(注射)麻醉和局部麻醉,目前适用于小动物临床的主要是非吸入麻醉.选择理想的麻醉药物和麻醉方法,是手术成功与否的关键.也是小动物诊疗的重要环节.论文介绍了犬猫注射全身麻醉的方法,麻醉前准备,常用麻醉药物以及如何应用联合用药来取长补短对犬猫实施全身麻醉等.