Care and use of feeding tubes in dogs and cats

Feeding tubes are an accepted way of providing nutritional support for animals unable or unwilling to consume adequate calories on their own. This article provides information on the indications for the use of feeding tubes in small animals, the types of tubes available, and ways to initiate nutritional support once the tubes are in place. The pros and cons of the various tubes are discussed, as well as potential complications.     

Biosecurity and arable use of manure and biowaste — Treatment alternatives

The potential negative environmental impact of manure and biological waste (BW) can be minimised at a profit by recycling plant nutrients in the food chain. Current large-scale livestock production, epizootic diseases and increasing globalisation increase the need for biosecurity, to minimise the risk of disease transmission to the food chain. Arable use of manure and BW can inadvertently spread infectious diseases; opinion differs concerning the risk levels. To obtain general acceptance for arable use, a hygienically safe end-product is needed. This paper provides a detailed discussion of treatment alternatives for co-treatment, i.e., mixture before treatment of manure and BW. Composting, anaerobic digestion and ammonia treatment are the three options given. A decision support tool is also presented and discussed. Suitable treatment methods must combine biosecurity aspects with environmental, economic and nutrient recycling aspects to create a beneficial whole-farm approach.     

An animal model for interface tissue formation in cemented hip replacements

OBJECTIVE: To create a model in sheep for investigation of early changes related to the formation of an interface membrane in hip prosthesis. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Twenty-four female adult Swiss Alpine sheep. METHODS: Sheep were divided into 2 groups of 12 for unilateral cemented total hip arthroplasty. In Group I, the prosthesis was fixed with retrograde cement gun injection to achieve a complete cement mantle, whereas in Group II a primary cement mantle defect was produced. Groups I and II were further divided into 2 sub-groups with study end points of 2 and 8.5 months after surgery. Radiographs were evaluated postoperatively and at euthanasia for migration of the femoral component and bone resorption. Histologic sections were evaluated semiquantitatively for changes in cell types and numbers, and bone reactions; and quantitatively for size of interface membrane and new bone formation. RESULTS: Radiographically, there tended to be an increase in bone resorption and periosteal bone formation throughout the femoral shaft in Group II compared with Group I, but this was only statistically significant at the region of the femoral neck (R5) at both time periods (P<.05). Semiquantitative histologic evaluation revealed significant increases (P<.05) in cellularity, numbers of fibroblasts, giant cells, macrophages, and mononuclear cells, in Group II primarily at 2 months after surgery. This was also true for interface membrane formation and bone remodeling. Quantitative data showed an increased in the size of the interface membrane and area of bone formation at 8.5 months in Group II. CONCLUSIONS: The cement defect model offered controlled and repeatable production of an interface membrane. The results suggest that a primary cement mantle defect could be a possible trigger for implant instability, eliciting a cascade of biomechanical and molecular events in bone tissue leading to aseptic loosening. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results show the effect of defects in the cement mantle in promoting interface membrane formation. Long-term and biochemical studies are required to evaluate the relevance of this interface membrane formation.     

Effects of constant rate infusions of dexmedetomidine or MK-467 on the minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane in dogs

Objective

To determine the effects of low and high dose infusions of dexmedetomidine and a peripheral α₂-adrenoceptor antagonist, MK-467, on sevoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) in dogs.

Evaluation of biomarkers of kidney injury following 4% succinylated gelatin and 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 administration in a canine hemorrhagic shock model

Objective : To investigate the association between synthetic colloids and biomarkers of acute kidney injury (AKI) in dogs with hemorrhagic shock. Design : Experimental interventional study. Setting : University. Animals : Twenty‐four healthy ex‐racing Greyhounds. Interventions : Anesthetized Greyhounds subjected to hemorrhage for 60 min were resuscitated with 20 mL/kg of fresh whole blood (FWB), 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4, 4% succinylated gelatin (GELO), or 80 mL/kg of isotonic crystalloid (CRYST) over 20 min (n = 6 per treatment). Concentrations of biomarkers of AKI were measured at baseline, end of hemorrhage, and at 40 (T60), 100 (T120), and 160 (T180) min after fluid bolus. Biomarkers included neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin in urine and serum (uNGAL; sNGAL), and urine cystatin C (uCYSC), kidney injury molecule‐1 (uKIM), clusterin (uCLUST), osteopontin, gamma‐glutamyl transferase, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (uMCP), interleukin‐6, interleukin‐8, protein (uPROT), hyaluronan, and F₂‐isoprostanes. Renal histology was scored for tubular injury and microvesiculation. Biomarker fold‐change from baseline was compared between groups using mixed effects models (Bonferroni–Holm corrected P<0.05). Frequencies of histology scores were compared by Fisher's exact test. Measurements and main results : In dogs treated with GELO, uNGAL fold‐change was markedly greater compared with all other groups at T60, T120, and T180 (all P<0.001), and uCYSC was greater at T60 compared with CRYST (P<0.001), and at T120 and T180 compared with all other groups (all P<0.001). Smaller, albeit significant, between‐group differences in uKIM, uCLUST, uMCP, and urine protein concentration were observed across the FWB, GELO, and HES groups, compared with CRYST. The GELO group more frequently had marked tubular microvesiculation than the other groups (P = 0.015) although tubular injury scores were comparable. Conclusion : In dogs with hemorrhagic shock, GELO was associated with greater magnitude increases in urine biomarkers of AKI and more frequent marked tubular microvesiculation, compared with FWB, CRYST, and HES.     

Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky recovered from human clinical cases in Maryland,USA (2011–2015)

Salmonella Kentucky is among the most frequently isolated S. enterica serovars from food animals in the United States. Recent research on isolates recovered from these animals suggests there may be geographic and host specificity signatures associated with S. Kentucky strains. However, the sources and genomic features of human clinical S. Kentucky isolated in the United States remain poorly described. To investigate the characteristics of clinical S. Kentucky and the possible sources of these infections, the genomes of all S. Kentucky isolates recovered from human clinical cases in the State of Maryland between 2011 and 2015 (n = 12) were sequenced and compared to a database of 525 previously sequenced S. Kentucky genomes representing 12 sequence types (ST) collected from multiple sources on several continents. Of the 12 human clinical S. Kentucky isolates from Maryland, nine were ST198, two were ST152, and one was ST314. Forty‐one per cent of isolates were recovered from patients reporting recent international travel and 58% of isolates encoded genomic characteristics similar to those originating outside of the United States. Of the five isolates not associated with international travel, three encoded antibiotic resistance genes conferring resistance to tetracycline or aminoglycosides, while two others only encoded the cryptic aac(6′)‐Iaa gene. Five isolates recovered from individuals with international travel histories (ST198) and two for which travel was not recorded (ST198) encoded genes conferring resistance to between 4 and 7 classes of antibiotics. Seven ST198 genomes encoded the Salmonella Genomic Island 1 and substitutions in the gyrA and parC genes known to confer resistance to ciprofloxacin. Case report data on food consumption and travel were, for the most part, consistent with the inferred S. Kentucky phylogeny. Results of this study indicate that the majority of S. Kentucky infections in Maryland are caused by ST198 which may originate outside of North America.     

Antinuclear antibodies can be detected in dog sera reactive to Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, Ehrlichia canis, or Leishmania infantum antigens

The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) is used to support a clinical diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in dogs. However, clinicians must interpret the detection of ANAs with caution, particularly in light of increasing evidence that dogs with known bacterial and protozoal infections can have high ANA titers. Retrospectively, medical records were reviewed for all dogs that were concurrently tested for antinuclear antigens and Bartonella vinsonii (berkhoffii), Ehrlichia canis, or Rickettsia rickettsii antigens between 1990 and 2000. When analyzed on the basis of reactivity to a specific infectious agent, 75% of the B vinsonii (berkhoffii) seroreactors, 16.7% of the E canis seroreactors, and 0% of the R rickettsii seroreactors had concurrent ANAs. Subsequent prospective testing did not detect ANAs in convalescent sera from dogs experimentally infected with B vinsonii (berkhoffii), E canis, or R rickettsii. However, 10-20% B vinsonii (berkhoffii), E canis, or Leishmania infantum reactive sera from naturally infected dogs contained ANAs. In addition, 45% of sera from dogs that are reactive to multiple vectorborne organisms were more likely to contain ANAs when compared to sera from dogs reactive to only 1 test antigen. When interpreting the relevance of seroreactivity to nuclear antigens, clinicians should recognize that dogs with seroreactivity to B vinsonii (berkhoffii), E canis, or L infantum antigens (especially those with seroreactivity to more than one of these pathogens) may produce ANAs.     

A mechanical comparison of 4.5 mm narrow and 3.5 mm broad plating systems for stabilization of gapped fracture models

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of 4.5 narrow and 3.5 broad plating systems using their respective cortical and cancellous screws in unstable, central, and eccentric gap fracture models. STUDY DESIGN: Mechanical evaluation and comparison of 2 dynamic compression plate (DCP) systems. SAMPLE POPULATION: Eighteen cortical and 30 cancellous gapped fracture models. METHODS: DCP (4.5 mm narrow, 3.5 mm broad) with their respective cortical screws were applied to cortical bone density polyurethane foam blocks to construct center gap cortical fracture models that were tested in gap closing monotonic 4-point bending. DCP (4.5 mm narrow, 3.5 mm broad) with their respective cancellous screws were applied to cancellous bone density polyurethane foam blocks to construct eccentric gap cancellous fracture models. The cancellous constructs were tested in monotonic gap opening and gap closing cantilever bending and in cyclic axial loading. Univariate and multivariate repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare the maximum loads at failure of the 4.5 mm constructs and 3.5 mm constructs. RESULTS: The 4.5 mm narrow plating system withstood significantly higher loads at failure than the 3.5 mm broad plating system in 4-point bending (P<.0001) and gap opening cantilever bending (P<.0001). The 4.5 mm system failed in gap closing cantilever bending by plastic deformation of the plate, whereas the 3.5 mm system failed by screw pullout. There was no difference between the 2 systems in cyclic axial loading. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the 4.5 mm narrow plating system has a mechanical advantage over the 3.5 mm broad plating system for stabilization of gapped fracture models. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The 4.5 mm narrow plating system may be mechanically advantageous compared with the 3.5 mm broad plating system for stabilizing unreconstructed comminuted long bone fractures in large dogs.