COLOR DOPPLER AND DOPPLER SPECTRAL ANALYSIS IN THE SPINAL CORD OF NORMAL DOGS

Doppler ultrasonography of the spinal cord was performed in 34 normal, anesthetized dogs following hemilaminectomy. This study was part of an investigation to evaluate the efficacy of a 21-aminosteroid compound and high dose methylprednisolone for the treatment of spinal cord trauma. Grey-scale images of the canine spinal cord were similar to those described for the spinal cord of people. Doppler waveforms of intraparenchymal spinal arteries exhibited high end diastolic blood flow velocities, indicating low resistance to flow. Doppler values (mean ± SD) for arteries immediately ventrolateral to the central canal were: Peak Systolic Velocity = 5.78 ± 2.5 cm/sec, Minimum Diastolic Velocity = 3.5 ± 1.62 cm/sec, Mean Velocity = 4.45 ± 1.96 cm/sec, Minimum Diastolic Velocity = 3.5 ± 1.62 cm/sec, Mean Velocity = 4.45 ± 1.96 cm/sec, Systolic/Diastolic ratio = 169 ± 0.19, Pulsatility Index = 0.53 ± 0.09, and Resistance Index = 0.4 ± 0.06.     

Treatment of Perianal Fistulas With ND: YAG Laser—Results in Twenty Cases

Excision of perianal fistulas using a 1.064 micron wavelength neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (ND:YAG) contact tipped laser with primary wound closure was used to treat 20 dogs with perianal fistulas. Overall, 19 of 20 (95%) dogs had resolution of fistulas after one or more ND:YAG treatments. The period of resolution ranged from 10 to 42 months with a mean of 22.9 months. Sixteen of 20 (80%) dogs had resolved fistulas after one laser excision. Three of the four recurrences underwent additional laser treatments with successful results. The total number of laser procedures ranged from one to three with a mean of 1.2 procedures. Postoperatively, anal tone as judged by digital rectal examination was reduced in about 60% of the cases, but clinical evidence of fecal incontinence only occurred in four of 20 cases. This was managed effectively with diet modification. The tendency toward loss of anal tone or fecal incontinence depended on the severity of preexisting anal stenosis. On a client survey, 19 of 20 owners believed that their animals experienced less pain during defecation after surgery and rated the results as excellent or good. The overall success rate using ND:YAG laser excision compared very favorably with previously reported studies of other methods of treatment for perianal fistulas in dogs.     

Comparative Evaluation of Two Surgical Scrub Preparations in Cattle

One hundred seventeen cattle that had undergone surgery were assigned randomly to two preoperative skin preparation protocols. Group 1 (60 animals) skin preparation was with povidone-iodine soap and isopropyl alcohol, whereas group 2 (57 animals) had skin preparation with chlorhexidine gluconate and isopropyl alcohol. Quantitative microbial culture plates were used to estimate the number of colony forming units (CFUs) before skin preparation (prescrub), after skin preparation (postscrub), after surgery (postoperative), and in room air (environment). A significant decrease in CFU occurred postscrub for both skin preparations ( P <.05). Chlorhexidine and alcohol preparation resulted in significantly fewer CFUs (LSMean ± SE = 2.79 CFU ± 1.74) and a greater percentage reduction in CFUs (98.64%± 2.01) postscrub than povidone and alcohol (LSMean ± SE = 10.27 CFUs ± 1.51, 93.29%± 1.85); ( P <.005). Group 2 had a significantly higher frequency of negative cultures postscrub (49.1%) compared with group 1 (18.3%) ( P <.001). The number of postoperative CFUs were not significantly different between the two treatment groups. Wound infection frequency for clean surgical procedures was not significantly different between the two skin preparation protocols (group 1 = 9.8%, group 2 = 10.7%), however, infection frequency was significantly higher for surgical procedures with a ventral abdominal approach (5 of 14, 35.7%), compared with a flank approach (1 of 41, 2.4%) or other approaches (orthopedic procedures) (1 of 16, 6.3%) ( P <.05). Both skin preparation protocols were effective and safe in decreasing the skin microflora population of cattle before surgery and although preparation with chlorhexidine gluconate and alcohol resulted in less CFUs immediafly postscrub, the frequency of surgical wound infection was similar for both protocols.     

ESTIMATION OF PORTAL BLOOD FLOW USING DUPLEX REAL-TIME AND PULSED DOPPLER ULTRASOUND IMAGING IN THE DOG

A duplex ultrasound system incorporating a pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound probe with conventional B-mode real-time imaging was used to evaluate portal vein blood flow in eight normal dogs. Adequate visualization of the cranial abdominal vessels was obtained from the right lateral 11th or 12th intercostal space. Doppler spectral analysis showed non-pulsatile flow with a wide range of linear flow velocities across the vessel lumen typical of laminar blood flow. Results for portal vein blood flows were 49.8 ± 13.5 ml/min/kg body weight (mean ± SD) with a range of 37.8 - 76.8 ml/min/kg body weight. These values overestimate portal blood flow by approximately 2 times when compared with published studies using invasive techniques. This overestimation is primarily due to the use of the maximal flow velocity in the blood flow calculations.     

Evaluation of Two Reagent Strips and Three Reflectance Meters For Rapid Determination of Blood Glucose Concentrations

We evaluated three reflectance meters (Accu-Chek II, Glucometer II, and Glucoscan 2000) and two reagent strips (Chemstrip bG and Glucostix) for accuracy and precision in determining blood glucose concentrations in the dog. To evaluate accuracy, we compared results of blood glucose determinations performed on 95 samples using the various strips and meters vs. the glucose concentrations obtained using the glucose-oxidase method on a Beckman Glucose Analyzer. Accuracy was evaluated statistically using least squares regression analysis. To evaluate precision, samples in various ranges of blood glucose concentration were tested repeatedly (20 times within a 1-hour period) on the same reflectance meter. Coefficient of variation (CV) was determined to evaluate reproducibility of results. Overall, there were significant correlations (P less than 0.001) between the laboratory glucose values and the blood glucose concentrations obtained with Chemstrip bG (r = 0.976), Glucostix (r = 0.904), Accu-Chek II (r = 0.986), Glucometer II (r = 0.911) and Glucoscan 2000 (r = 0.944). In the precision study, all three meters had excellent CVs in the normal range (3.6% to 4.9%). However, Accu-Chek II was found to be more precise in the hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic ranges (3.6% and 2.6%, respectively) than either Glucometer II (8.8% and 5.4%) or Glucoscan 2000 (7.8% and 8.2%). The results of this study indicate that all of the meters and reagent strips tested are highly accurate in determining blood glucose concentrations in the dog. However, both in terms of accuracy and reproducibility of results, Accu-Chek II and Chemstrip bG, gave the highest correlation coefficients and, as such, are probably of the greatest clinical value.     

Cisplatin Therapy in 41 Dogs With Malignant Tumors

Forty-one dogs with a variety of histopathologically diagnosed, measurable tumors were treated with cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, Platinol, Bristol Laboratories, Syracuse, NY 13221-4755) as a single agent at a dosage of 60 mg/m2 given intravenously at 3-week intervals. In an attempt to avoid renal toxicity of cisplatin, saline diuresis was induced and maintained for 4 hours before and 2 hours following cisplatin administration. The dogs received one to ten doses of cisplatin. To determine response to therapy and to monitor toxicity of the drug, the dogs were evaluated with physical examinations including tumor measurements, radiography, complete blood counts, platelet counts, urinalyses, serum urea nitrogen concentrations, and serum creatinine concentrations. An overall response rate of 19% was observed. Complete remission occurred in one of 11 dogs with squamous cell carcinomas and one of one dog with a mediastinal undifferentiated carcinoma. Partial remissions were documented in one of 11 dogs with squamous cell carcinomas, two of three dogs with metastatic osteosarcomas, one of three dogs with nasal adenocarcinomas, and one of one dog with a thyroid adenocarcinoma. Toxic side effects were primarily gastrointestinal in nature, with vomiting occurring 1-6 hours after cisplatin administration in 27 of 41 dogs. Severe anorexia occurred in three dogs, and hemorrhagic diarrhea was observed in one dog. One dog developed grand mal seizures and died 3 hours following therapy. Granulocytopenia was documented in six dogs, and thrombocytopenia was observed in four dogs. One dog showed an increase in serum urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations, but this patient had known pre-existing renal disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

SEPTIC COXOFEMORAL ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOMYELITIS IN A DOG

An 8-year-old male Labrador retriever presented with a rear limb lameness cased by an osteolytic lesion of the left acetabulum and femoral head and neck. Initial bone biopsy study was nondiagnostic. Histopathologic study and culture of the subsequently excised femoral head and neck revealed a Staphyloccocus intermedial arthritis and osteomyelitis. Neoplash was ruled out on the basis of histopathologic analysis.     

A review of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium metabolism in the horse

Mineral metabolism in the equine is a complex process involving absorption sites and interactions between the minerals themselves and other compounds. Factors such as the digestibility of the minerals and the extent of the interactions all play an important role in the mineral amounts required in the diet.Inadequate levels of minerals in the diet can lead to physiological maladies such as HNS and Ricketts. A knowledge and understanding of mineral metabolism is essential to the success of equine management.     

Isolation of Feline Herpesvirus 1 from the Trigeminal Ganglia of Acutely and Chronically Infected Cats

Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) is one of the most common viral infections of domestic cats worldwide, estimated to cause 50% of all respiratory infections in this species. Feline herpesvirus 1 is also an important ocular pathogen of cats, causing conjunctivitis, epithelial and stromal keratitis, symblepharon formation, keratocon-junctivitis sicca, and corneal sequestration. Despite the importance of this viral disease, major questions remain unanswered concerning the pathogenesis of its most important manifestation, the recrudescent infection. Although the taxonomic classification of FHV-1 as an alpha herpesvirus implies the ability of FHV-1 to establish neural latency, attempts at recovering the virus from the trigeminal ganglia of latently infected cats have typically yielded negative results. This failure has stimulated speculation that neural tissue is not an important site for latent FHV-1. However, in the most successful of such studies, FHV-1 was isolated from the trigeminal ganglia of 3 of 17 cats using an explant technique. In the present study, we describe the successful isolation of FHV-1 from the trigeminal ganglia of cats using a similar tissue culture method.