Serum antiprotease concentrations in dogs with spontaneous and experimentally induced acute pancreatitis

A significant decline (P = 0.047) in serum antiprotease concentration was detected in dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis. Decreased serum antiprotease concentrations, similar in magnitude to those documented in the experimental dogs, were present in dogs with spontaneous, acute pancreatitis. These findings suggest that significant amounts of proteolytic enzymes escape into the systemic circulation during acute pancreatitis in dogs. These circulating enzymes may be involved in the extrapancreatic complications of acute pancreatitis.     

Clinical and pathologic changes in experimentally induced acute pancreatitis in cats

Acute pancreatitis was induced in 6 cats by infusion of oleic acid into the pancreatic duct. Clinical changes included fever, tachycardia, and variable degrees of abdominal pain; vomiting occurred rarely, and diarrhea was not noted. Serum lipase activities were significantly increased through the 4th day after the surgical operation, although amylase activities were significantly decreased during most of the acute phase. Serum calcium and phosphate concentrations were decreased significantly on the 4th day after surgical operation. Hematologic alterations included normocytic, normochromic, responsive anemias, but changes in WBC values were not statistically significant. Evidence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency after induction of acute pancreatitis was not demonstrated in any cats during the study. The results of this study indicate that increases in serum lipase activity are the most consistent and earliest indicators of acute pancreatitis in cats, but that more sensitive methods of laboratory evaluation should be sought.     

Serum amylase and isoamylases and their origins in healthy dogs and dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis

Agarose-gel electrophoresis was used to study isoamylases in tissues and sera of healthy dogs and the sera of dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis. Three or 4 isoamylases were found in the serum of healthy dogs; they were numbered 1 to 4 with respect to their degree of anodal migration. Peak 4 isoamylase, the slowest migrating (most cathodal), was the major isoamylase fraction in sera and tissues of healthy dogs. Peak 3 was identified as a pancreas-specific isoamylase. Absolute total serum amylase and total isoamylase concentrations increased significantly in dogs with pancreatitis compared with values for control dogs (sham-operated). The relative increase in peak 3 isoamylase was greater than that seen with total amylase or the other isoamylases. The decrease in total serum amylase and isoamylase concentrations paralleled each other; however, peak 3 remained proportionally high longer than did total amylase and the other isoamylase fractions. These findings indicate that measurement of peak 3 isoamylase concentrations may be of diagnostic value in dogs with suspected pancreatitis with normoamylasemia and in dogs with extrapancreatic hyperamylasemia.     

Influence of various concentrate‐to‐roughage ratios on dietary intake and nutrient digestibilities of weanling horses

The objective of this study was to compare the feed intake and the apparent digestibilities of three different diets varying in concentrate‐to‐roughage ratios in weanling horses (n = 24) at 5 and 8 months of age. Horses were stratified by breed, gender, birth date and body weight and assigned to one of three dietary treatments containing the following concentrate‐to‐roughage ratios on an as‐fed basis: 70:30 (High Con), 50:50 (Equal) and 30:70 (Low Con). All horses were fed their respective diets for a 10‐day adaptation period and a 4‐day collection period at 5 and 8 months. There were no differences in BW or daily feed intake among treatments during both trials. The horses consuming Low Con had a greater amount of faecal output than High Con at both 5 and 8 months (p < 0.01). At 5 months, High Con had the highest crude protein (CP) digestibility (p < 0.05). At 8 months, High Con had a higher CP digestibility than Low Con (p < 0.01) and tended to be higher than Equal (p = 0.07). Acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility did not differ among treatments; however, horses fed the Low Con tended to digest a higher percentage of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) than both the Equal and High Con treatments (p = 0.09). Horses in the High Con treatment tended to digest a higher percentage of energy than those in the Low Con treatment (p = 0.06). Weanlings seem to digest protein more thoroughly when fed high‐concentrate diets and may digest fibre more efficiently when fed diets higher in fibre.     

Anesthesia in dogs and cats with althesin

Tests of the effect of the new steroid anaesthetic alfadion in the drug Althesin are described. Experiments were carried out in three experimental groups. Intramuscular administration of Althesin to dogs at doses 5 to 15 mg. kg-1 does not induce required anaesthesia. After intravenous administration of Althesin to dogs at a dose of 2 mg. kg-1 after diazepam pre-medication at a dose of 0.25 mg.kg-1 i. m., anaesthesia started without excitations immediately after completed application. Anaesthesia lasted on the average 10 minutes and at the time of recovery excitations and side effects occurred. After intravenous administration of Althesin at a dose of 6 mg. kg-1 with diazepam pre-medication 0.25 mg. kg-1 i.m., the course of narcosis in cats was similar to that in dogs, only its duration was on the average 29 minutes.     

Serum pancreatic polypeptide and amylase concentrations in dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis

Serum concentrations of immunoreactive pancreatic polypeptide (IPP) were measured serially for 7 days after experimental induction of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis in dogs by infusion of oleic acid into the pancreatic duct. The mean serum IPP concentrations in dogs with pancreatitis were increased significantly (P = 0.013) for 96 hours after induction of pancreatitis. Providing food at 108 hours resulted in significant increases (P = 0.032) in mean serum IPP concentrations in sham-operated control dogs compared with dogs with induced pancreatitis. This was attributed to cephalic-phase release of IPP due to a conditioned response that resulted from feeding immediately after each blood sampling. Mean serum IPP concentrations returned to base line more quickly than did mean serum amylase concentrations in dogs with pancreatitis.     

Fasting Urinary Calcium‐to‐Creatinine and Oxalate‐to‐Creatinine Ratios in Dogs with Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis and Breed‐Matched Controls

Background

Hypercalciuria and hyperoxaluria are risk factors for calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolithiasis, but breed‐specific reports of urinary metabolites and their relationship with stone status are lacking.

Objective

To compare urinary metabolites (calcium and oxalate) and blood ionized calcium (iCa) concentrations between CaOx stone formers and breed‐matched stone‐free controls for the Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, and Shih Tzu breeds.

Animals

Forty‐seven Miniature Schnauzers (23 cases and 24 controls), 27 Bichons Frise (14 cases and 13 controls), and 15 Shih Tzus (7 cases and 8 controls).

Methods

Prospective study. Fasting spot urinary calcium‐to‐creatinine and oxalate‐to‐creatinine ratios (UCa/Cr and UOx/Cr, respectively) and blood iCa concentrations were measured and compared between cases and controls within and across breeds. Regression models were used to test the effect of patient and environmental factors on these variables.

Results

UCa/Cr was higher in cases than controls for each of the 3 breeds. In addition to stone status, being on a therapeutic food designed to prevent CaOx stone recurrence was associated with higher UCa/Cr. UOx/Cr did not differ between cases and controls for any of the breeds. Blood iCa was higher in cases than controls in the Miniature Schnauzer and Bichon Frise breeds and had a moderate correlation with UCa/Cr.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Hypercalciuria is associated with CaOx stone status in the Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, and Shih Tzu breeds. UOx/Cr did not correlate with stone status in these 3 breeds. These findings may influence breed‐specific stone prevention recommendations.     

Effects of acute pancreatitis on circulating lipids in dogs

Effects of acute pancreatitis on circulating lipids in dogs were evaluated by comparing the serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and plasma lipoprotein electrophoretic patterns of 4 dogs with experimentally induced pancreatitis (EIP), 2 (healthy) sham-operated control (SOC) dogs, and 4 dogs with naturally acquired pancreatitis (NAP) with the concentrations and patterns of 23 healthy, nonoperated control (HNC) dogs. Blood samples were collected once from HNC dogs, 1 to 3 times during the course of the disease in dogs with NAP, and prior to and at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after induction of pancreatitis in dogs with EIP or after the sham operation in the SOC dogs. The dogs with EIP did not have turbid serum and did not develop hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia. Three of the dogs with NAP had turbid serum and hypertriglyceridemia, and 3 had hypercholesterolemia. The electrophoretic tracings of HNC dogs had predominant alpha-1 peaks and small beta peaks; 2 of the HNC dogs also had small alpha-2 peaks. The tracings of dogs with EIP were similar to those of HNC dogs until 48 to 72 hours after induction of pancreatitis, when dogs with EIP developed increased beta lipoproteins, decreased alpha-1 lipoproteins, and movement of lipoproteins into the alpha-2 zone. The tracings of SOC dogs were similar to those of HNC dogs at all times. Compared with HNC dogs, dogs with NAP all had increased beta lipoproteins, and 2 had decreased alpha-2 lipoproteins. Two dogs with NAP had additional lipoprotein alterations, unlike any seen in dogs with EIP.