Early spay-neuter: clinical considerations

Early spay-neuter is ovariohysterectomy or castration of puppies or kittens 6 to 14 weeks of age. Pediatric animals may have an enhanced response to relatively low doses of anesthetic agents. Animals should be fasted no more than 3 to 4 hours before surgery to prevent hypoglycemia, and hypothermia should be avoided. Heart and respiratory rates must be monitored carefully throughout anesthesia. Pediatric gonadectomy surgeries are quick with minimal bleeding. Anesthetic recovery is rapid. No significant short-term or long-term effects have been reported. Prepuberal gonadectomy is most useful for humane organizations and conscientious breeders wishing to preclude reproduction of pet dogs and cats while placing animals at a young enough age to optimize socialization and training.     

Tenoscopy in 33 horses with septic and nonseptic digital tenosynovitis (1997–2001)

Tenoscopy is the use of an arthroscope to access tendon sheaths. This article reports clinical findings, treatments, and outcomes of 33 horses with either septic or nonseptic digital tenosynovitis submitted to 36 tenoscopies during 34 occasions at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (1997–2001). Two of the 16 horses with septic tenosynovitis were euthanized at the hospital. From the 32 horses discharged from the hospital, outcome was obtained in 31 cases: 12 horses (6 septic) could work at the same level. No difference was detected between the outcome groups regarding clinical and laboratory variables. In nonseptic cases, lameness grade, circulating white blood cells, and plasma fibrinogen before surgery were lower, while the period between the onset of clinical signs and surgery was longer and duration of phenylbutazone treatment and hospitalization was shorter. No difference in the outcome was detected when septic and nonseptic cases were compared. Tenoscopy was useful for diagnosis and treatment of nonseptic and septic digital tenosynovitis. The small number of cases and the lack of accurate information due to the retrospective nature of the study may have prevented detection of a difference between the outcomes of horses with septic versus nonseptic tenosynovitis.     

Effects of freshwater crayfish on influenza A virus persistence in water

Several investigations have recently assessed the ability of some aquatic invertebrates to act as tools for avian influenza A virus (IAV) surveillance as well as their potential role(s) in IAV ecology. Because of this, as well as the high IAV seroprevalence rates noted in select mesocarnivores that commonly inhabit aquatic and semi‐aquatic habitats, we evaluated the effects that freshwater crayfish have on IAV in water at three dose levels and monitored for the presence of IAV in crayfish tissues (gill and green gland) and haemolymph at multiple time points. At relatively high, medium and low (approximately 10⁴, 10³ and 10² EID₅₀/ml, respectively) doses, mesocosms containing crayfish (Orconectes sp.) had less detectable IAV RNA present when final water samples were assayed (9 days post‐contact [DPC]). In general, containers without crayfish present had nearly three‐fold greater quantities of viral RNA at 9 DPC. A varying number of RNA positive samples were detected for the three crayfish sample types collected. Gill tissue produced the largest number of positive non‐water samples (n = 26), with the highest quantities detected from crayfish sampled on 1 and 4 DPC (10^3.5 EID₅₀ equivalent/ml). On a few occasions, gill (n = 8) and haemolymph samples (n = 1) produced higher quantities of viral RNA than their respective water samples or water samples collected 1–2 DPC earlier, but these differences were typically minor. Based upon water samples, statistical models indicated that the interaction of dose and crayfish exposure days explained most of the variation in these data. Future efforts should address if crayfish exposed to IAV‐laden water have the capacity to successfully transmit IAVs to mammals and birds which frequently prey upon them.     

Diabetes mellitus associated with pancreatic endocrine insufficiency in a kitten

Diabetes mellitus, characterised by persistent hyperglycaemia and glucosuria, was diagnosed in a six-week-old kitten. Pancreatic sections contained low numbers of atypically small islets and immunohistochemistry demonstrated pancreatic endocrine insufficiency with virtually no production of any islet hormones. There was no inflammatory infiltration of the islets, as seen in the form of diabetes mellitus characteristic of juvenile humans.     

Disorders of the canine penis.

Function and anatomy of the canine penis are reviewed. Functional abnormalities of the penis described include lack of erection and lack of ejaculation. Physical abnormalities of the penis also are described, including paraphimosis. Diagnosis and treatment options are described.     

Ultrasonographic findings in abdominal mast cell disease: a retrospective study of 19 patients

A retrospective survey from January 1989 to January 1999 of Tufts University Foster Hospital for Small Animals radiology records of 12 dogs and seven cats with cytologically or histopathologically confirmed abdominal mast cell disease was performed. Ultrasound changes in hepatic mast cell infiltration in dogs included a subjective increase in size, a diffuse increase in echogenicity, and one or more hypoechoic nodules. Ultrasound findings in the affected canine spleen included one or more hypoechoic nodules and a subjective increase in size. Two ultrasonographically unremarkable canine livers and one unremarkable spleen were found to be infiltrated by mast cells. The mast cell-infiltrated feline spleen was subjectively increased in size, mottled, irregular, or contained nodules. The affected lymph nodes in both dogs and cats were hypoechoic or inhomogeneous, subjectively increased in size, and rounded. Gastrointestinal involvement in cats was characterized by a thickened ileocecocolic junction or colon with loss of wall layering. Mast cells were not found in the gastrointestinal tract in any dog. One dog with mast cell infiltrate of the kidneys had multiple hypoechoic nodules in the cortex that distorted the outer contour of the kidney. Although these findings are not specific to the disease in either species, abdominal ultrasound is considered a useful tool for determining the extent of disease in small-animal patients with mast cell tumor if used in conjunction with histopathology or cytology.