Splenectomy for Treatment of Suppurative Splenitis caused by a Reticular Foreign Body in a Heifer

Objective: To report the clinical findings and treatment of a heifer with suppurative splenitis.
Study design: Clinical report.
Animals: A 30-month-old heifer.
Methods: Splenectomy in the standing calf after local anesthesia and 13th rib resection.
Results: The heifer had an uneventful recovery but was culled because of septic tarsitis 3 months later.
Conclusions: Splenectomy is a useful treatment for cattle with traumatic splenitis if diagnosed early. Partial splenectomy may have prevented the late complication of septic tarsitis.
Clinical Relevance: Suppurative splenitis is usually a complication of hardware disease and has a grave prognosis unless splenectomy is carried out.     

Measurement of the puncture profile and extradural pressure of cattle during extradural anaesthesia

ObjectiveTo measure the pressure profile during caudal extradural puncture and subsequent extradural anaesthesia in cattle and to investigate the presence of extradural pressure waves.Study designProspective experimental study.AnimalsEleven cattle aged 4.1 ± 2.5 years (range 0.8 to 8.8 years), with a body weight of 613 ± 162 kg (range 302–840 kg).MethodsCaudal extradural puncture was performed. To measure the extradural pressure profile, the needle was connected to an electronic pressure transducer placed at the height of the base of the tail. The pressure profile was recorded for 3 minutes following extradural puncture. Lack of resistance to injection of saline was assessed. One minute and 10 minutes after extradural anaesthesia with procaine extradural pressure was recorded. Correct extradural needle placement was assessed by clinical response.ResultsThree minutes after extradural puncture the median pressure was ?16 (range ?25 to 25) mmHg. Pressure in the extradural space 1 minute after the lack of resistance, 3 seconds after injection, and 10 minutes after injection was ?15 (?24 to 33) mmHg, 8 (?17 to 84) mmHg, and ?7 (?25 to 27) mmHg respectively. Pressure waves were visible after puncture, after lack of resistance, 3 seconds and 10 minutes after injection, in 4, 6, 8 and 7 cattle respectively. Pressure after testing lack of resistance, after the injection of local anaesthetic, as well as at the end of the measurement, period was significantly higher than baseline. All cattle showed clinical signs indicative of successful extradural needle placement.Conclusion and clinical relevance Extradural pressure was sub-atmospheric in 82% of the animals. Pressure waves were not consistently present before or after extradural injection, which limits their usefulness to confirm correct extradural needle placement. Extradural pressures increase significantly after injection of local anaesthetic solution. However, the clinical significance of the increase in extradural pressures was not clear.     

Use of C-reactive protein to predict outcome in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis

Background – There is a high mortality rate in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or sepsis. Therefore, an early diagnosis and prognostic assessment is important for optimal therapeutic intervention. The objective of the study was to evaluate if baseline values and changes in serum C-reactive protein (CRP) might predict survival in dogs with SIRS and sepsis.
Design – Prospective study; July 2004 to July 2005.
Setting – Small Animal Clinic, Berlin, Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Munich.
Animals – Sixty-one dogs.
Measurements and Main Results – For the CRP analysis blood was drawn on day 0, 1, and 2; CRP was measured using a commercial ELISA test kit. Thirteen dogs suffered from nonseptic SIRS and 48 dogs from sepsis. The 14-day survival rate was 61% (69% nonseptic SIRS, 58% sepsis). Serum CRP was higher in sick dogs compared with controls ( P <0.001). Over the 3-day period surviving dogs ( n =31) displayed a significantly greater decrease in CRP than nonsurvivors ( n =10) ( P =0.001). No correlation was found between the initial CRP concentrations and the survival rate. The changes in CRP corresponded to the survival rate ( P =0.01).
Conclusion – There was no significant relationship between the survival rate in dogs with nonseptic SIRS or sepsis and the initial serum CRP concentrations. There was a correlation between decreasing CRP concentrations and recovery from disease. However, the changes in CRP concentrations over a 3-day period correctly predicted survival in 94% of dogs and death in 30% of the dogs (false positive rate 22%).     

Small intestinal intussusception in five dogs with acute renal failure and suspected leptospirosis (L. australis)

Objectives – This case series describes 5 dogs with small intestinal intussusception and acute kidney injury due to infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar Australis.
Case Series Summary – Small intestinal intussusception was observed in 4 dogs diagnosed with acute kidney injury due to leptospirosis presented between 1997 and 2005. Intussusception was diagnosed at initial presentation or later during hospitalization. An additional dog fulfilling our inclusion criteria was presented to a small animal specialty clinic nearby and was included. Upon admission, all dogs were severely azotemic and thrombocytopenic. All 5 dogs showed the strongest microscopic agglutination test serology reaction to L. interrogans serovar Australis. Two dogs survived with no apparent residual renal damage, 1 survived with subsequent mild chronic kidney disease, and 2 dogs were euthanized at the owners' request due to a guarded prognosis.
New or Unique Information Provided – Intussusception can occur or may be seen in dogs with leptospirosis due to L. interrogans serovar Australis and patients should be monitored closely for this potential complication. As all 5 dogs described in this case series showed the highest titer for L. interrogans serovar Australis, these precautions may be especially applied in geographic areas where this particular serovar is seen.     

CANINE CHEMONUCLEOLYSIS

Lumbar and cervical chemonucleolysis was evaluated on 16 clinically normal adult Beagle dogs in two age groups, using chymopapain at dose rates of 200 and 500 units (U). Lumbar discs injections in four discs were made transcutaneously under fluoroscopic guidance, and cervical disc injections in four discs were made after surgical exposure. Postinjection radiographs revealed a progressive narrowing of the disc spaces, first noted 24 hours after injection. Gross examination of the discs at 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-day intervals showed a time-dependent change, with no detectable difference between the two doses and age groups. The overall rate of successful chemonucleolysis was 82.4% in the cervical discs and 78% in the lumbar discs. Clinically, the dogs showed minimal evidence of pain and no detectable postural abnormality following chemonucleolysis.     

Ultrasound diagnosis: intra-abdominal torsion of a non-neoplastic testicle in a cryptorchid dog

A 6-month-old male bilaterally cryptorchid Boxer was examined for acute abdominal pain. The results of physical examination, laboratory testing, and ultrasonographic examination are presented. Intra-abdominal testicular torsion was suspected and confirmed at surgery. No evidence of neoplasia was found at histopathologic examination of the twisted testicle. A discussion of testicular torsion is presented.     

PULMONARY VENOUS FLOW CHARACTERISTICS AS ASSESSED BY TRANSTHORACIC PULSED DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN NORMAL DOGS

Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was used to evaluate the technique of measuring and normal patterns of pulmonary venous flow in fourteen normal dogs. Polyphasic pulmonary venous flow profiles were obtained in all dogs, consisting of one (S) or two (S_E and S_L) systolic forward flow waves, one early diastolic forward flow wave (D), one reverse flow wave (R) related to atrial contraction, and one reverse flow wave (R₂) observed after cessation of systolic flow. Pulmonary venous flow was laminar in 9 dogs (65%). Maximal flow velocity during systole (0.39 ± 0.14 m/sec) was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than in early diastole (0.56 ± 0.14 m/sec). During late diastole peak flow velocity was 0.20 ± 0.08 m/sec and maximum R₂ velocity was 0.17 ± 0.05 m/sec. Duration of mitral A-wave was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than R-wave duration in all dogs (0.075 ± 0.10 vs 0.058 ± 0.012 sec). These results can be used for comparison with patterns found in disease states.