Presumed post-traumatic subdural hygroma in a 2.5-year-old spayed female Chihuahua.

A 2.5-year-old spayed female Chihuahua dog was presented with chronic cervical pain and exhibited a "prayer-like position" following a history of a 4-meter fall. CT and MRI revealed a moderate right-sided enlargement of the subdural space with cerebrospinal fluid, consistent with a subdural hygroma, appearing connected to a quadrigeminal cistern dilation. Percutaneous transfontanellar external drainage of the subdural fluid accumulation did not prevent its re-accumulation, and the dog was managed medically, leading to the complete resolution of clinical signs. The subdural hygroma was suspected to be secondary to the previous trauma.

C-reactive protein concentration has limited value in the diagnosis of meningoencephalitis of unknown origin in dogs.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) in dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO); to evaluate whether blood CRP concentration is associated with epidemiological, clinicopathologic, and MRI findings; and to investigate blood CRP predictive power in survival. ANIMALS: 30 client-owned dogs with MUO, 15 client-owned dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA; positive control group), and 15 healthy dogs (negative control group). METHODS: Blood CRP concentration was measured in each group, while it was performed in CSF only in the MUO and SRMA groups. The analysis of epidemiological data included breed, age, sex, duration of clinical signs, and history of seizures. Blinded analysis of MRI was performed based on a classification grid, and traditional CSF analysis parameters were assessed. The predictive power of blood CRP concentration regarding survival at 6 months was investigated. RESULTS: Of the 30 dogs with MUO, 9 (30%) had an increased CRP concentration in blood, and 3 (10%) showed a measurable CRP in CSF. Median blood CRP concentration in dogs with MUO was 0.1 mg/L (range, 0.1 to 102 mg/L), which was not statistically different from the healthy dog group but significantly lower than the SRMA control group. Only the duration of clinical signs was positively associated with an increased blood CRP level. Blood CRP concentration was not associated with survival at 6 months. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Blood CRP concentration is of limited value for the diagnosis and prognosis of dogs with MUO. Chronicity of the disease may be associated with an increased concentration of blood CRP.

Prevalence of deafness and association with coat variations in client-owned ferrets.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD) and its association with phenotypic markers in client-owned ferrets. DESIGN: Epidemiological study. ANIMALS: 152 healthy European pet ferrets. PROCEDURES: Brainstem auditory evoked response tests were recorded in ferrets during general anesthesia. Phenotypic markers such as sex, coat color and pattern, coat length (Angora or not), and premature graying trait were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 44 of the 152 (29%) ferrets were affected by CSD; 10 (7%) were unilaterally deaf, and 34 (22%) were bilaterally deaf. There was no association between CSD and sex or Angora trait, but a strong association between CSD and white patterned coat or premature graying was identified. All panda, American panda, and blaze ferrets were deaf. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The ferrets in this study had a high prevalence of CSD that was strictly associated with coat color patterns, specifically white markings and premature graying. This seemed to be an emerging congenital defect in pet ferrets because white-marked coats are a popular new coat color. Breeders should have a greater awareness and understanding of this defect to reduce its prevalence for the overall benefit of the species.