Evaluation of rebound tonometry in red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate feasibility and accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement by rebound tonometry in adult red-eared slider turtles and determine the effects of manual and chemical restraint on IOP. ANIMAL STUDIED: Seventeen adult red-eared slider turtles. PROCEDURES: Intraocular pressure was measured with TonoLab® and TonoVet® tonometers in conscious, unrestrained turtles. To evaluate the effects of manual restraint, turtles were restrained by digital pressure on the rostral head or proximal neck. The effect of two chemical restraint protocols (dexmedetomidine, ketamine, midazolam [DKM] and dexmedetomidine, ketamine [DK] subcutaneously) on IOP was evaluated. Triplicate TonoLab® and TonoVet® readings were compared with direct manometry in three ex vivo turtle eyes. RESULTS: TonoLab® correlated better with manometry at IOPs < 45 mmHg than TonoVet® (linear regression slopes of 0.89 and 0.30, respectively). Mean (±SD) IOP in unrestrained conscious turtles was significantly lower (P < 0.01) with TonoLab® (10.02 ± 0.66 mmHg) than with TonoVet® (11.32 ± 1.57 mmHg). Manual neck restraint caused a significant increase in IOP (+6.31 ± 5.59 mmHg), while manual rostral head restraint did not. Both chemical restraint protocols significantly reduced IOP (DKM: −1.0 ± 0.76 mmHg; DK: −1.79 ± 1.17) compared with measurements in conscious unrestrained turtles. CONCLUSIONS: Chemical and manual neck restraint affected IOP. Rostral head restraint had no significant effect on IOP and is, therefore, recommended as the appropriate restraint technique in red-eared slider turtles. TonoLab® measurements estimated actual IOP more accurately, within physiologic range, than measurements obtained using the TonoVet®.

Local photodynamic therapy delays recurrence of equine periocular squamous cell carcinoma compared to cryotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: (i) To report the successful treatment of 10 cases of equine periocular squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) with surgical excision and photodynamic therapy (PDT) using verteporfin. (ii) To evaluate time to first tumor recurrence between PDT-treated horses and horses treated with surgical excision and cryotherapy. METHODS: A total of 24 equine PSCC cases were included: group 1 (n = 14) had excision and cryotherapy (1993­2003), group 2 (n = 10), excision and local PDT (2006­2010). Evaluated data: signalment, treatment method, tumor location, size, and time to first recurrence. Groups were compared via chi-square test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for numeric variables. Time to tumor recurrence was examined using Kaplan­Meier product-limit survival analysis. RESULTS: Of 24 cases, nine breeds were affected. Mean age at treatment in years: 14 (range 5­24) in group 1; 11 (range 8­18) in group 2. Median tumor size: 163 mm2 (range 20­625 mm2) in group 1; 195 mm2 (range 45­775 mm2) in group 2. Signalment, tumor laterality, and size were not significantly different between groups. Time to recurrence was significantly different between groups (Logrank test, P = 0.0006). In group 1, 11/14 horses had tumor regrowth with median time to recurrence in months: 10 (range 1­44). In group 2 (minimum follow-up of 25 months; range 25­50), no horse demonstrated tumor recurrence after one treatment with excision and PDT. CONCLUSIONS: This represents the first report of local PDT using verteporfin for treatment of equine PSCC. Following surgery, the likelihood of tumor recurrence was significantly reduced with local PDT compared with cryotherapy.

Clinical and immunologic assessment of sepsis and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome in cats.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical findings and inflammatory mediator production among cats with sepsis, cats with noninfectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and healthy cats. DESIGN: Case-control study. ANIMALS: Cats with sepsis (n = 16) or SIRS (19) and 8 healthy control cats. PROCEDURES: Clinical variables were recorded for each cat, and plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-1ß activities and IL-6 and CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)-8 concentrations were determined at initial evaluation. RESULTS: Clinicopathologic abnormalities associated with sepsis in cats included a high band neutrophil percentage, eosinopenia, hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hypoalbuminemia, hypocalcemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. When the sepsis and SIRS groups were compared, the only significant differences in the CBC and plasma biochemical findings were band neutrophil percentage and albumin concentration. Cats with sepsis had significantly greater plasma TNF activity than did healthy cats and were more likely to have detectable concentrations of IL-6 than were cats with SIRS or healthy cats. Plasma IL-1ß activity did not differ among groups, and CXCL-8 was not detectable in most (32/43) cats. Mortality rate was not significantly greater for cats with sepsis (7/16) than for cats with SIRS (5/19). Plasma IL-1ß activity and IL-6 and chloride concentrations were the only variables correlated with nonsurvival in the sepsis group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cats with sepsis may have various clinicopathologic abnormalities but are more likely to have a high band neutrophil percentage and hypoalbuminemia than cats with noninfectious SIRS. Plasma interleukin-1ß activity and plasma IL-6 and chloride concentrations may be useful prognostic biomarkers for septic cats.

Enantiomer-specific effects of albuterol on airway inflammation in healthy and asthmatic cats.

BACKGROUND: Racemic (R,S)-albuterol is a 1:1 mixture of an R-enantiomer which has bronchodilatory and anti-inflammatory effects, and an S-enantiomer which is associated with increased airway hyperreactivity and proinflammatory effects. Proinflammatory effects of regularly inhalated and S-albuterol have not been studied in a whole-animal model. We hypothesized that regular administration of R,S-albuterol or S-albuterol, but not R-albuterol, would induce airway inflammation in healthy and asthmatic cats. METHODS: Six healthy and 5 experimentally asthmatic cats were randomized to receive inhaled R,S-albuterol, S-albuterol, R-albuterol, or placebo (saline) twice daily for 2 weeks, followed by a 6-week washout before crossover to the next treatment. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected for cell counts and cytokine analysis prior to and at the end of each 2-week treatment. RESULTS: Healthy and asthmatic cats receiving R,S- and S-albuterol had higher total lavage cell numbers (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively) than those receiving R-albuterol and placebo. The number of lavage eosinophils and the TNF-alpha bioactivity was higher in asthmatic cats receiving R,S- and S-albuterol compared with those receiving the other treatments (p = 0.03 and p = 0.004, respectively). In healthy cats, the number of lavage neutrophils was higher when they received R,S- and S-albuterol compared with other treatments (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Airway inflammation is induced in both healthy and asthmatic cats with regular inhalation of racemic and S-albuterol, but not with R-albuterol.

Adjuvanted rush immunotherapy using CpG oligodeoxynucleotides in experimental feline allergic asthma.

Allergic asthma is driven by relative overexpression of Th2 cell-derived cytokines in response to aeroallergens. In independent studies, both allergen-specific rush immunotherapy (RIT) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) showed promise in blunting eosinophilic inflammation in a model of feline allergic asthma. We hypothesized that RIT using allergen and CpG ODN would work synergistically to dampen the asthmatic phenotype in experimentally asthmatic cats. Twelve cats with asthma induced using Bermuda grass allergen (BGA) were studied. Of these, six were administered adjuvanted BGA RIT using CpG ODN #2142; six were administered placebo (saline) RIT and later crossed over to adjuvanted RIT. Over 2 days, subcutaneous CpG ODN (0.5ng/kg) with BGA (increasing doses every 2h from 20 to 200microg) was administered. Adverse events were recorded and compared with historical controls. Percentage of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), % peripheral CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (Tregs), lymphocyte proliferation in response to ConA, and cytokine concentrations in BALF were measured over 2 months. Group mean BALF % eosinophils for the adjuvanted RIT cats were significantly lower at week 1 and month 1 (p=0.03 for both), and marginally significantly lower at month 2 (p=0.09) compared with placebo RIT cats. By the end of the study, 8/12 treated cats had BALF % eosinophils within the reference range for healthy cats. Adjuvanted RIT, but not placebo RIT, cats had significant decreases in the ConA stimulation index over time (p=0.05). BALF IL-4 concentrations were significantly higher at week 1 in adjuvanted RIT cats compared with baseline and month 2, and also with placebo RIT cats at week 1. No significant differences were detected between treatments or over time for IL-10 or IFN-gamma concentrations in BALF or for %Tregs cells in peripheral blood. Adjuvanted RIT using CpG ODN in experimental feline asthma dampens eosinophilic airway inflammation. Adverse effects associated with adjuvanted RIT were less severe compared with a historical, non-adjuvanted RIT protocol. The exact mechanism(s) by which adjuvanted RIT alters the aberrant allergic immune response were not elucidated in this study.

Comparison of carprofen and tramadol for postoperative analgesia in dogs undergoing enucleation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare analgesia provided by carprofen and tramadol in dogs after enucleation. DESIGN: Randomized, masked clinical trial. ANIMALS: 43 dogs. PROCEDURES: Client-owned dogs admitted for routine enucleation were randomly assigned to receive either carprofen or tramadol orally 2 hours prior to surgery and 12 hours after the first dose. Dogs were scored for signs of pain at baseline (ie, before carprofen or tramadol administration) and at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 30 hours after extubation. Dogs received identical premedication and inhalation anesthesia regimens, including premedication with hydromorphone. If the total pain score was ≥ 9 (maximum possible score of 20), there was a score ≥ 3 in any of 5 behavioral categories (highest score possible per category was 3 or 4), or the visual analog scale (VAS) score was ≥ 35 (maximum possible score of 100) combined with a palpation score > 0, rescue analgesia (hydromorphone) was administered and treatment failure was recorded. RESULTS: No differences were found in age, sex, or baseline pain scores between groups. Significantly more dogs receiving tramadol required rescue analgesia (6/21), compared with dogs receiving carprofen (1/22). Pain and VAS scores decreased linearly over time. No significant differences were found in pain or VAS scores between groups at any time point (dogs were excluded from analysis after rescue). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results of this study suggested that carprofen, with opioid premedication, may provide more effective postoperative analgesia than tramadol in dogs undergoing enucleation.

Feline-specific serum total IgE quantitation in normal, asthmatic and parasitized cats.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays an important role in defense against parasitic infections as well as allergy. Knowledge of serum total IgE concentrations may have value in diagnosis and prognostication of various disorders; however, to date, no studies have reported feline serum total IgE concentrations. We hypothesize that serum total IgE concentrations will be greater in spontaneously parasitized and asthmatic cats compared to healthy pet cats. Healthy (n=10), parasitized (10) and asthmatic cats (eight) had measurement of serum total IgE by ELISA. Data were analyzed using a t-test with P<0.05 considered significant. Serum total IgE was higher in parasitized (mean±SEM, 328.4±123.8µg/ml; P<0.028) and asthmatic cats (85.5±19.5µg/ml; P<0.047) compared to healthy cats (45.9±19.6µg/ml). However, serum total IgE had poor discriminatory capability between diseased and healthy cats. In conclusion, this assay can detect small quantities of feline serum total IgE, which may be beneficial in future studies of parasitism or allergic disease.