Acute paraplegia associated with vasculitis in a dog with leishmaniasis.

A 14-month-old female crossbreed dog with leishmaniasis, receiving allopurinol, was presented with acute paraplegia. A diagnosis of renal failure with pelvic limb lower motor neuron signs was made and the dog was euthanased. Histopathological examination demonstrated leukocytoclastic vasculitis in multiple organs. Malacia and haemorrhage affecting the spinal cord was associated with multiple foci of vasculitis within the nervous tissue. Rupture and thrombosis of inflamed vessels caused haemorrhage in the spinal cord and subsequent paralysis.

Pericardial mesothelioma in a dog: long-term survival after pericardiectomy in combination with chemotherapy.

A six-year-old male crossbred dog was presented with clinical signs of right-sided heart failure. Echocardiography demonstrated a pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade, while pericardiocentesis and cytology did not reveal any evidence of malignancy. Pericardial drainage was performed twice over a period of three months to resolve haemodynamic impairment before a subtotal pericardiectomy was performed. Biopsy of parietal and visceral pericardium confirmed the diagnosis of pericardial mesothelioma. Intrathoracic cisplatin combined with intravenous doxorubicin were administered, although neutropenia, mild azotaemia and alopecia were noted as adverse reactions to these drugs. Intravenous cisplatin was repeated 45 days later after the signs of nephrotoxicity had resolved. The dog was still free of disease after 27 months. Intrathoracic chemotherapy after pericardiectomy and early diagnosis are recommended to improve prognosis, having achieved long-term survival in the present case.

Traumatic tricuspid insufficiency in a kitten.

A four-month-old, male, common European kitten developed pleural effusion and ascites after falling from a fourth-floor flat. Radiographic, bidimensional echocardiography and color-flow Doppler findings were compatible with right-sided atrioventricular valve insufficiency. Necropsy confirmed the diagnosis that tricuspid insufficiency resulted from the rupture of the chordae tendineae of the nonseptal cusp of the valve at the level of the cranial papillary muscle insertion in the right ventricle.

Ultrasonographic localization of a caudal vena cava thrombus in a dog with leishmaniasis.

A dog with visceral leishmaniasis developed rear limb edema, and distension of the caudal epigastric veins. Glomerular disease with nephrotic syndrome and hypercoagulable state was diagnosed. Sonographically there was massive thrombosis of the caudal vena cava.

Canine mucosal leishmaniasis.

Four dogs infected with Leishmania had proliferative lesions on the mucosae of the penis, tongue, oral cavity, prepuce, or nose. These mucosal, nodular lesions produced by parasites of the genus Leishmania have not been described previously in the dog. Leishmaniasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumor-like lesions of mucous membranes.

Monoclonal gammopathy in a dog with visceral leishmaniasis.

One dog with visceral leishmaniasis associated with monoclonal gammopathy is described. Most dogs with visceral leishmaniasis present with hyperproteinemia due to a polyclonal gammopathy, but the possibility of monoclonal gammopathy must be considered. Because dogs accompany their owners when they travel, the diagnosis of leishmaniasis should be considered if an animal with monoclonal gammopathy has visited an area where the disease is endemic. The observation of Leishmania in the macrophages of a bone marrow, lymph node smear, or skin biopsy specimen is diagnostic.

Visceral leishmaniasis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in a dog.

A dog being treated with meglumine antimonate for leishmaniasis was examined because of anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and signs of abdominal discomfort. The history, physical examination findings, clinicopathologic abnormalities, and results of coagulation testing were compatible with a diagnosis of renal failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The signs of abdominal pain were most likely a result of microcirculatory obstruction. The cause of disseminated intravascular coagulation in this dog was not determined; however, visceral leishmaniasis could have been associated.