CONTRAST ECHOAORTOGRAPHY AS AN AID IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF RIGHT-TO-LEFT SHUNTING PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS

Contrast echocardiography has traditionally been used in conjunction with conventional echocardiography to document right-to-left intracardiac shunting congenital anomalies. This technique does not clearly demonstrate shunting of blood in patients with right-to-left patent ductus arteriosus, as the shunt is extracardiac. We used a variation of contrast echocardiography, contrast echoaortography, to confirm the presence of a right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus in two dogs.     

Jejunal Intussusception: A Complication of Functional End-to-End Stapled Anastomoses in Two Ponies

Jejunojejunal intussusception occurred after jejunal resection and stapled functional end-to-end anastomosis in two pony mares. In both mares, the lead point of the intussusception was the stapled functional end-to-end (FEE) anastomosis. The stapled free ends of jejunum were oversewn with an inverting suture pattern. A possible explanation for development of the intussusception was the acute angle created in the intestine by the FEE anastomsis. This angulation may have impaired flow of ingesta causing motility changes that predisposed the site to intussusception. Because the oversewn blind intestinal ends acted as the lead point for formation of the intussusception, it may be inadvisable to oversew the stapled anastomotic ends.     

Surgical Correction of Periocular Fat Pad Hypertrophy in Pot-Bellied Pigs

OBJECTIVE: To report surgical correction of hypertrophic periocular fat pads that cause loss of vision and behavioral changes in pot-bellied pigs. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. ANIMALS OR SAMPLE POPULATION: Nine Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs. METHODS: Medical records of nine pot-bellied pigs admitted between 1994 and 1997 for loss of vision associated with hypertrophied periocular fat accumulations were reviewed. Outcome was assessed by contacting owners 4 months to 5 years after surgery. RESULTS: The most common clinical signs were related to impaired vision and included periocular dermatitis, lethargy, and aggressive behavior. Surgical removal of redundant periorbital fat and skin resulted in marked improvement in vision and behavior in all pigs. Overall client satisfaction was excellent.     

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF NORMAL CANINE CARPAL LIGAMENTS

Magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on previously frozen left carpi from six normal dogs using a 1.5 Tesla magnet in combination with a transmit/receive wrist coil. Three-millimeter thick T1-weighted spin-echo images and 1-mm thick T2*-weighted gradient-recalled 3-D images were obtained in dorsal and sagittal planes. Carpi were embedded, sectioned, and stained. Anatomic structures on the histologic sections were correlated with the MR images. All of the carpal ligaments plus the radioulnar articular disc and the palmar fibrocartilage were identified on MR images. The accessorio-quartile ligament, which had not been well described previously in dogs, was also identified. It originated on the accessory carpal bone and inserted on the fourth carpal bone. The T2*-weighted gradient echo imaging technique provided better images than T1-weighted technique, largely because thinner slices were possible (1 mm vs. 3 mm), resulting in less volume averaging of thin ligaments with surrounding structures. Although MRI is currently the imaging modality of choice to identify ligamentous injury in humans, further studies are needed to determine if abnormalities can be detected in canine carpal ligaments using MRI.     

The Importance of Egg Protein in Reduced Protein Diets Designed for Dogs With Renal Failure

The effects of two reduced-protein diets and a canine maintenance diet on renal function, nutrition, serum and urine acid-base and electrolyte values, and divalent ion metabolism were compared in Beagle dogs with induced chronic renal failure. Two reduced-protein (18%) diets differed in their protein sources. One 18% protein diet was formulated using egg protein as the only protein source. The other 18% protein diet was formulated using a mixture of animal and vegetable proteins. The 42% protein diet contained a mixture of animal and vegetable protein sources. Results of this study indicate that the egg-based and mixed protein-based diets had similar effects on most clinical and laboratory evaluations in dogs with chronic renal failure. However, the egg protein diet appeared to promote hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Both reduced-protein diets were beneficial in reducing azotemia, polyuria, hypermagnesemia, and fractional excretion of phosphorus compared with the 42% protein diet.     

Arthroscopic Removal of an Osteochondral Fragment from the Middle Phalanx of a Horse

An intraarticular osteochondral chip fracture of the distal dorsolateral aspect of the right hind middle phalanx in a 4-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding was removed arthroscopically. Accessibility and visibility of the fragment were excellent, and there was minimal soft tissue trauma.