Risk factors for medial meniscal injury in association with cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Objectives : To determine the significant risk factors for medial meniscal injury in naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament rupture and to quantify the risk using multivariate analysis. Methods : A retrospective case control study was performed of dogs that had undergone surgery for cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Data recorded included patient signalment (age, breed and sex), the duration of the lameness, the extent of the cranial cruciate ligament rupture (complete or partial) and the condition of the medial meniscus. Logistic regression was used to analyse the relationship between these variables and tears in the medial meniscus. Results : One hundred and sixty-one of 443 stifles (36·3%) in 366 dogs had a medial meniscal tear. The risk of a medial meniscal tear was increased by 12·9 times in association with complete cranial cruciate ligament rupture (OR 12·9; 95% CI 6·8 to 24·2), by approximately 2·6% for each additional week of lameness (OR 1·026; 95% CI 1·009 to 1·043) and by approximately 1·4% for each additional kilogram of bodyweight (OR 1·014; 95% CI 1·000 to 1·028). Golden retrievers and Rottweilers were at increased risk and West Highland white terriers were at reduced risk of medial meniscal tears compared with Labrador retrievers. Clinical Significance : To minimise the risk of medial meniscal tears, surgical stabilisation should not be unnecessarily delayed.     

Introduction to computed tomography of the canine brain

Computed tomography (CT) is an important part of the investigation of intracranial disease in man and over the last decade has become more readily available to veterinarians, CT scanning has a central role in the detection and accurate localisation of intracranial masses in the dog and has supplanted conventional contrast radiographic procedures previously used for this purpose. This paper is an introduction to CT scanning of the canine brain, containing illustrations of scans of the brain in health and disease.     

Prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging in dogs with paraplegia caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion: 77 cases (2000-2003)

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether magnetic resonance imaging findings in dogs with paraplegia caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion were predictive of clinical outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 77 dogs. PROCEDURE: Medical records and magnetic resonance images were reviewed; clinical outcome was classified as successful (regained ability to walk with no more than mild neurologic deficits) or unsuccessful (severe neurologic deficits persisted). The prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging was compared with prognostic value of deep pain perception, duration of clinical signs, and rate of onset of clinical signs. RESULT: 33 (43%) dogs had areas of hyperintensity of the spinal cord greater than or equal to the length of the L2 vertebral body on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. All 44 dogs without areas of hyperintensity on T2-weighted images had a successful outcome, but only 18 of the 33 (55%) dogs with an area of hyperintensity did. Only 5 of 16 dogs with an area of hyperintensity that had also lost deep pain perception had a successful outcome. The odds ratio for an unsuccessful outcome for a dog with an area of hyperintensity (29.87) was higher than the odds ratio for a dog that had lost deep pain perception (5.24). Duration and rate of onset of clinical signs were not associated with clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggest that results of magnetic resonance imaging can be used to predict clinical outcome in dogs with paraplegia caused by intervertebral disk extrusion.     

Secondary hypothyroidism following head trauma in a cat

An 18-month-old female neutered domestic short hair cat was examined because of marked polydipsia and stunted growth following head trauma when it was 8 weeks old. Diagnostic evaluation revealed hyposthenuric urine, low concentrations of thyroid hormone and undetectable thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations which did not rise following thyroid releasing hormone administration. Lateral radiographs of the left and right tibiae revealed incomplete mineralisation of the greater tubercle and open physis. An almost empty sella turcica and a greatly reduced pituitary were visible on magnetic resonance images of the brain. A presumptive diagnosis of secondary hypothyroidism and central diabetes insipidus following head trauma was made.     

Variation in wood properties ofPinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon (syn.P. khasya Royle;P. insularis Endlicher); Six trees of Assam provenance grown in Zambia

Summary The variation of six wood properties was studied within and between six trees ofPinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon (syn.P. khasya Royle;P. insularis Endlicher) grown in Zambia from seed of Assam provenance and exhibiting 24 annual rings at 5 ft. above ground. There were no important variations in latewood width (mean 0.8 mm) or grain angle (-1.7°). Total ring width (5.2 mm), latewood percentage (19.5%), tracheid length (4.8 mm) and density (0.50 g/cm³) exhibited systematic patterns of variation within trees that could be related to ring number and height by quadratic polynomials, which explained 70 to 90% of the variation. The most important source of random variation was the difference between individual trees and it is recommended that for plantation surveys many trees should be sampled by 3 to 4 annual rings on two radii at breast height.The wood samples were kindly supplied by the Zambia Forest Research Division. Laboratory work was undertaken at the Tree Improvement Research Centre, Agricultural Research Council of Zambia, P. O. Box 1210, Kitwe, Zambia. The authors wish to acknowledge the laboratory assistance of MissP. Waters, Mrs.G. A. R. Howell and Mr.J. F. Morgan. Data was processed on the IBM 360 computer of the Anglo-American Corporation, Kitwe, and on the KDF 9 computer of the Oxford University Computing Laboratory.     

Uptake and Clearance of Edwardsiella ictaluri in the Peripheral Blood of Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Fingerlings during Immersion Challenge

Uptake and clearance of Edwardsiella ictaluri in the peripheral blood of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings were monitored for 216 h after exposure to E. ictaluri for 4 h and 8 h under static conditions. Most fish exposed to E. ictaluri developed bacteriemia 24 h post-exposure, and by 72 h post-exposure E. ictaluri was recovered from all the blood of all exposed fish. The number of E. ictaluri colony forming units (CFU) in the blood of moribund fish ranged between 1.7 × 10³ to 1.6 × 10⁵ CFU/50 μL whole blood. Clearance of bacteria from the blood was observed by 216 h post-exposure and all fish surviving bacterial exposure developed agglutinating antibody against E. ictaluri . The pathogenesis of the infection was accompanied by the shedding of viable E. ictaluri into the water which may serve as a mechanism by which fish to fish transmission occurs.     

Brain tumours in the dog: Treatment of 10 cases and review of recent literature

This paper records preliminary results achieved in 10 dogs with histologically confirmed intracranial tumours treated by a variety of methods. One case was treated by surgical excision alone, three cases by surgical excision and external beam radiotherapy, one by surgical excision followed by cytotoxic chemotherapy (lomustine), two by radiotherapy alone, two by chemotherapy alone, and a combination of all modalities was used in one case. Palliation of clinical signs was acheived to varying degrees in all but one case and the quality of life was much improved in nine out of 10 animals. Survival times following first treatment varied from 10 days to 16 months. One dog is still alive with no deficits at 12 months following first treatment (surgery). These results and those reported else-where are discussed.