Evaluation of a circumferential femoral head osteophyte as an early indicator of osteoarthritis characteristic of canine hip dysplasia in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between a circumferential femoral head osteophyte (CFHO) and osteoarthritis characteristic of canine hip dysplasia, and to ascertain whether CFHO, like osteoarthritis, varies between diet-restricted and control-fed dogs. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. ANIMALS: 48 Labrador Retrievers. PROCEDURES: Dogs were paired by size, sex, and litter and assigned to 1 of 2 equal groups at 2 months of age. The control-fed group was fed ad libitum, and the diet-restricted group was fed 25% less on a pairwise basis of the same diet for life. The dogs' hip joints were radiographed yearly for life. Each radiograph was evaluated for radiographic signs of osteoarthritis characteristic of hip dysplasia and for the presence and severity of a CFHO. RESULTS: 41 of the 48 (85.4%) dogs had a CFHO, which was detected at a median age of 5.4 years, and 33 of those 41 (80.5%) developed radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis. Nineteen (79.2%) dogs in the diet-restricted group and 22 (91.7%) in the control-fed group had a CFHO at a median age of 9 and 3 years, respectively. Of the dogs with a CFHO, 12 (63.2%) in the diet-restricted group and 20 (90.0%) in the control-fed group developed radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis characteristic of hip dysplasia at a median age of 11 and 6.5 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated a relationship between the CFHO and subsequent development of radiographic signs of osteoarthritis. If a CFHO is present in Labrador Retrievers, it might be considered an early indicator of osteoarthritis.     

Repair of a longitudinal scapular fracture in a horse

Objective— To report repair of a longitudinal scapular fracture in a horse.
Study Design— Case report.
Animals— A 2-year-old Paint Horse colt.
Methods— A longitudinal scapular fracture was surgically repaired using four 4.5 mm dynamic compression plates.
Results— An acute longitudinal scapular fracture repaired surgically returned the horse to soundness within 6 months.
Conclusions— Internal fixation of longitudinal scapular fracture is possible with multiple 3–5 hole dynamic compression plates.
Clinical Relevance— Longitudinal fractures of the scapula should be considered when there is lateral instability of the shoulder after trauma. A displaced fracture can be adequately stabilized by internal fixation with a reasonable prognosis for soundness.     

Pericardial effusion in cats: a retrospective study of clinical findings and outcome in 146 cats

BACKGROUND: Pericardial effusion (PE) in dogs most often is associated with neoplasia or idiopathic pericarditis, and frequently causes cardiac tamponade. Studies of PE in the cat are limited. HYPOTHESIS: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the most common cause of PE in the cat. ANIMALS: All cats diagnosed with PE on echocardiographic examination at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (MJR-VHUP) from 2000 to 2005. METHODS: The clinical and pathologic findings in 146 cats with PE were reviewed. Records were examined retrospectively to identify additional underlying conditions. Follow-up status and cause of death were determined by review of the medical records or phone interviews with the owners. RESULTS: The most common cause of PE in this study was CHF (75%). Biochemical abnormalities were uncommon, but aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity frequently was increased (85%). Follow-up information was available on 108 cats (74%). Median survival time (MST) was 144 days for cats that were not euthanized within 24 hours (n = 85). The MST of cats with heart failure was 41 days, whereas the MST of cats without heart failure was 361 days, when those euthanized within 24 hours were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Survival time of cats with heart failure in this study was significantly shorter than previously reported, and significantly shorter than in cats without heart failure as a cause of PE.     

A prospective investigation of the prevalence and prognostic significance of weight loss and changes in body condition in feline cancer patients

The objectives of this study were to prospectively identify and characterize weight loss and changes in body condition in feline cancer patients and to investigate the prognostic significance of these findings. Fifty-seven cats with neoplasia were evaluated. Body condition was assessed with a nine-point scoring system (BCS) and multiple sites were assessed for muscle and fat mass using four-point scoring systems. Feline cancer patients had a mean BCS of 4.4+/-2.1 kg (1=cachectic, 5=optimal, 9=obese). Fat mass was reduced in both sites assessed in 60% of the patients. Muscle mass was reduced at all three sites assessed in 91% of the patients. Feline cancer patients having a BCS <5 had a median survival time (MST) of 3.3 months compared to that of 16.7 months for cats with a BCS of > or = 5 (P=0.008).     

Assessment of a point-of-care biochemical analyzer and comparison with a commercial laboratory for the measurement of total protein and albumin concentrations in psittacines

OBJECTIVE: To determine agreement for total protein (TP) and albumin concentrations measured by a point-of-care biochemical analyzer in heparinized whole blood and plasma samples obtained from psittacines and compare results with those from a commercial laboratory. SAMPLE POPULATION: Hematologic samples from 92 healthy birds. PROCEDURES: Duplicate samples of heparinized whole blood and plasma were obtained. A point-of-care biochemical analyzer was used to determine TP and albumin concentrations. To assess precision, intraclass correlation coefficient (r(i)) and Bland-Altman measures of agreement were used. These results were compared by use of Bland-Altman plots with those obtained from a commercial laboratory that used a biuret method for TP concentration and electrophoresis for albumin concentration. RESULTS: For the analyzer, there was excellent agreement (r(i) = 0.91) between heparinized whole blood and plasma samples for TP and albumin concentrations. Relative error was 0.9% for TP and 0.7% for albumin. Analyzer results correlated well with commercial laboratory results, with a downward bias of 0.6 for TP and 0.3 for albumin. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The analyzer had excellent precision for analysis of heparinized whole blood or plasma samples for TP or albumin concentrations; analyzer values had good agreement with those from a commercial laboratory. The analyzer could be a valid method to measure plasma TP concentrations and provide point-of-care testing in apparently healthy parrots. Biochemical analyzer results for plasma albumin concentration were not validated by results from a commercial laboratory, so conclusions cannot be drawn regarding use of the analyzer in measurement of albumin concentrations in psittacines.     

The Fusarium graminearum genome reveals a link between localized polymorphism and pathogen specialization

We sequenced and annotated the genome of the filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum, a major pathogen of cultivated cereals. Very few repetitive sequences were detected, and the process of repeat-induced point mutation, in which duplicated sequences are subject to extensive mutation, may partially account for the reduced repeat content and apparent low number of paralogous (ancestrally duplicated) genes. A second strain of F. graminearum contained more than 10,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which were frequently located near telomeres and within other discrete chromosomal segments. Many highly polymorphic regions contained sets of genes implicated in plant-fungus interactions and were unusually divergent, with higher rates of recombination. These regions of genome innovation may result from selection due to interactions of F. graminearum with its plant hosts.