Major crossmatch compatibility of rabbit blood with rabbit, canine, and feline blood.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the major crossmatch compatibility between rabbit recipients, rabbit donors, and the major canine and feline blood types. DESIGN: Prospective in vitro study in December 2021. SETTING: Academic veterinary teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Whole blood samples were collected from 11 healthy New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with no previous transfusion history. Three pigtail segments were acquired from dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA)-1-positive, DEA-1-negative, and feline type A blood units. Whole blood was collected from a healthy type B blood donor cat. INTERVENTIONS: Blood from each rabbit recipient underwent a major crossmatch using standard tube crossmatch methodology with itself and the following donor blood types: rabbit, DEA-1-positive, DEA-1-negative, feline type A, and feline type B. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Self-crossmatches and crossmatches between rabbit recipients and conspecific donors were negative for hemolysis and agglutination. Crossmatches between rabbit recipients and canine and feline donors yielded no hemolysis but produced varying degrees of macroscopic and microscopic agglutination. Rabbit recipients had 1.4 (95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.8) times the risk of macroscopic agglutination when major crossmatched with canine blood compared to feline blood. No significant difference in agglutination was found between DEA-1-positive and DEA-1-negative or feline type A and type B donors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support allogeneic blood transfusions between rabbits being highly compatible and suggest rabbits have naturally occurring alloantibodies against both canine and feline red blood cells. However, feline red blood cells had a lower rate of in vitro incompatibility on major crossmatch, suggesting potentially higher in vivo compatibility if an emergency xenotransfusion is needed. Further prospective research is needed to determine if xenotransfusion is associated with a higher incidence of acute and delayed transfusion reactions in rabbits than allogeneic transfusions.

Case report: Low dose dexmedetomidine infusion for the management of hypoglycemia in a dog with an insulinoma.

Objective: To describe the use of a low dose dexmedetomidine infusion as preoperative treatment for hypoglycemia secondary to a functional pancreatic tumor in a dog. Case summary: An 8.7-year-old castrated male Hungarian Vizsla presented for further evaluation of persistent hypoglycemia after the referring veterinarian established a tentative diagnosis of insulinoma based on paired insulin and glucose measurements. Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography demonstrated evidence of a pancreatic mass with possible hepatic metastases. Attempts to aspirate the lesions under ultrasound guidance were unsuccessful, and the dog was hospitalized overnight for planned surgical resection of the presumed pancreatic tumor and biopsy of the hepatic lesions the following day. In response to a progressive increase in patient anxiety and agitation trazodone was prescribed ~5 mg/kg orally every 8 h and gabapentin at ~7 mg/kg every 8 h. As the dog continued to remain anxious dexmedetomidine at a dose of 1 mcg/kg was administered intravenously immediately followed with an infusion of dexmedetomidine at 1 mcg/kg/h. The anxious behaviors were successfully controlled with minimal cardiovascular side effects. Serial blood glucose measurements obtained during this time demonstrated euglycemia. The dog remained euglycemic while receiving dexmedetomidine for the remainder of the pre-operative period and for duration of hospitalization following surgical resection and biopsy. New or unique information provided: This case report demonstrates a possible role for dexmedetomidine to counteract hypoglycemia in dogs with insulinomas.

Presumed pituitary apoplexy in 26 dogs: Clinical findings, treatments, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary apoplexy refers to hemorrhage or infarction within the pituitary gland resulting in acute neurological abnormalities. This condition is poorly described in dogs. OBJECTIVES: To document presenting complaints, examination findings, endocrinopathies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), treatments, and outcomes of dogs with pituitary apoplexy. ANIMALS: Twenty-six client-owned dogs with acute onset of neurological dysfunction. METHODS: Retrospective case series. Dogs were diagnosed with pituitary apoplexy if MRI or histopathology documented an intrasellar or suprasellar mass with evidence of hemorrhage or infarction in conjunction with acute neurological dysfunction. Clinical information was obtained from medical records and imaging reports. RESULTS: Common presenting complaints included altered mentation (16/26, 62%) and gastrointestinal dysfunction (14/26, 54%). Gait or posture changes (22/26, 85%), mentation changes (18/26, 69%), cranial neuropathies (17/26, 65%), cervical or head hyperpathia (12/26, 46%), and hyperthermia (8/26, 31%) were the most frequent exam findings. Ten dogs (38%) lacked evidence of an endocrinopathy before presentation. Common MRI findings included T1-weighted hypo- to isointensity of the hemorrhagic lesion (21/25, 84%), peripheral enhancement of the pituitary mass lesion (15/25, 60%), brain herniation (14/25, 56%), and obstructive hydrocephalus (13/25, 52%). Fifteen dogs (58%) survived to hospital discharge. Seven of these dogs received medical management alone (median survival 143 days; range, 7-641 days) and 8 received medications and radiation therapy (median survival 973 days; range, 41-1719 days). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with pituitary apoplexy present with a variety of acute signs of neurological disease and inconsistent endocrine dysfunction. Dogs that survive to discharge can have a favorable outcome.

Evaluation of the Lactate Plus monitor for plasma lactate concentration measurement in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the Lactate Plus handheld monitor to a reference blood gas analyzer for determining plasma lactate concentrations in canine whole blood. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Ninety-four dogs hospitalized or admitted through the emergency service provided 125 blood samples. Only dogs that required a venous or arterial blood gas evaluation as a part of their diagnostic assessment or ongoing management were included. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Canine whole blood samples were assayed for plasma lactate concentration with a reference blood gas analyzer and the Lactate Plus monitor. Correlation and Bland-Altman analyses were used to compare results between the 2 methods. A subset of blood samples was repeatedly analyzed with the Lactate Plus to assess monitor precision. Plasma lactate measurements from the Lactate Plus monitor showed excellent correlation with those from the reference analyzer (ρ = 0.98, P < 0.0001). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a small bias (0.1296). Agreement between the 2 methods was less consistent for lactate concentrations >5 mmol/L. The coefficient of variation ranged from 0-26.2% (median, 3.7%) and was <15% for 50/53 samples. CONCLUSIONS: The Lactate Plus provides a fast and affordable method to measure plasma lactate concentration in dogs. Results showed excellent agreement with the reference analyzer and precision of the instrument was acceptable.

The effect of blood usage protocol on the age of packed red blood cell transfusions administered at 2 veterinary teaching hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the optimal duration of storage of units of canine packed red blood cells (PRBC) prior to transfusion, resulting in different blood usage strategies between hospitals. Two hospitals were studied: At North Carolina State University (NCSU), usage protocol dictates that the oldest units of PRBC (stored the longest) are prioritized for transfusion; whereas, at Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), units of PRBC are sorted according to age (days after collection) and PRBC are selected for transfusion according to clinician or technician discretion, such that PRBC could be administered after any storage duration, with no preference given to older units. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate differences in the age of PRBC administered to dogs at 2 veterinary hospitals with different age-related PRBC usage protocols during a 1-year period (2010-2011). KEY FINDINGS: The average age of units of PRBC administered at NCSU was older than that at OVC (P < 0.001). Additionally, a higher number of PRBC units older than 14 days old were transfused at NCSU (P < 0.001), and the age of the oldest administered PRBC unit was also older at NCSU (P < 0.001). NCSU discarded approximately 15 expired PRBC units, whereas OVC discarded 96 expired PRBC units during the study period. SIGNIFICANCE: A standardized protocol for the priority administration of the oldest stored PRBC resulted in the administration of significantly older PRBC, but fewer expired units of PRBC were discarded.