Successful treatment of suspect Babesia-induced ARDS in a dog using lung-protective positive-pressure ventilation and neuromuscular blockade.

A mixed breed dog was treated for severe hemolytic anemia secondary to Babesia canis infection. Within 14 hours of hospitalization, the dog developed respiratory distress and hypoxemia. The patient improved with lung-protective mechanical ventilation and neuromuscular blockade. The dog survived to discharge and was reportedly healthy at three-month follow-up.

Clothes dryer-induced heat stroke in three cats.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical course of 3 cats successfully treated following clothes dryer-induced heat stroke. CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Three cats were treated after accidental clothes dryer-induced heat stroke. All cats fulfilled canine heat stroke criteria and showed evidence of heat injury, including neurological dysfunction, corneal and mucosal ulceration, and evidence of rhabdomyolysis. Coagulopathy, acute liver injury, acute kidney injury, cardiac dysfunction, and gastrointestinal signs were seen in cats with a longer duration of dryer exposure. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Describes the management of cats after inadvertent clothes dryer-induced heat stroke.

Diagnostic utility of abdominal ultrasonography for evaluation of dogs with nontraumatic hemoabdomen: 94 cases (2014-2017).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of abdominal ultrasonography (AUS) to detect grossly evident masses in dogs with nontraumatic hemoabdomen. ANIMALS: 94 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Electronic medical records from 2014 to 2017 were searched to identify dogs with nontraumatic hemoabdomen that had an AUS performed by a radiologist and subsequently underwent gross evaluation by surgery or necropsy. Ultrasonography, surgery, and histology reports were reviewed, and descriptive statistics were performed. Sensitivity of ultrasonography to detect grossly identifiable masses was calculated. RESULTS: Differences were identified between AUS and surgical or necropsy findings for 51 of 94 (54%) dogs. Splenic masses were most commonly identified as the cause of hemoabdomen. Sensitivity of AUS was 87.4%, 37.3%, and 31.3% for masses in the spleen, liver, and mesentery, respectively. Five dogs had more lesions identified with AUS than were found on gross evaluation; 0 of 6 dogs with peritoneal diffuse nodular metastasis had lesions detected by AUS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this sample of dogs, the utility of AUS to detect grossly identifiable lesions in dogs with nontraumatic hemoabdomen was limited, with the highest and lowest sensitivity found for splenic masses and diffuse nodular metastasis, respectively.

Effects of sex and scotorefractory state on obesity induced by photostimulation and serum leptin in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus).

The rising prevalence of obesity is associated with an increasing incidence of heart disease, diabetes and other health risks. In addition, severe cases of obesity are associated with an even greater risk of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, animal models of morbid obesity are required to better elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Our investigations in the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) suggest that pronounced obesity can be reliably induced in this species without relying on genetic manipulation or overly fatty and palatable foods. In a prior study on reproductive aging in female Siberian hamsters, we incidentally observed marked obesity in a group of hamsters that were exposed to a particular photoperiodic regime. In short day (SD) lengths, Siberian hamsters inhibit their reproductive physiology and reduce food intake and body mass. However, hamsters become refractory to SD after 15-20weeks and revert to the long day (LD) phenotype. In the previous study, refractory animals appeared to be particularly sensitive to photostimulation (transfer to LD), in terms of increasing body mass. To test the hypothesis that refractoriness to SD predisposes hamsters to severe obesity, we photostimulated females and males in different states of SD responsiveness (inhibited or refractory). We determined that photostimulation during the SD-refractory state is particularly effective in inducing pronounced obesity and high serum leptin concentration in female hamsters. We propose that this experimental framework is a useful model to investigate the factors and signals that create a predisposition to excessive food intake and body mass, without having to rely on genetic or dietary manipulations.

Measurement of serum anti-Müllerian hormone concentration in female dogs and cats before and after ovariohysterectomy.

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), or Müllerian inhibitory substance, is a hormone that is best known for its production by fetal testes in mammals and as the inhibitor of Müllerian (paramesonephric) duct development in males. However, following the development of the Müllerian ducts into the oviduct, uterus, and upper vagina in female mammals, the ovaries produce AMH, which can be found in measureable amounts within the peripheral circulation, especially in adults. The ovaries appear to be the sole source of AMH in the circulation; therefore, it may be a useful marker in clinically relevant situations when an assessment of the presence or absence of ovaries or ovarian remnants in dogs and cats is important. To that end, a commercially available, human-based assay was evaluated for the measurement of AMH in dogs and cats. A preliminary assessment involved a single test on a set of serum samples from dogs that were submitted to a diagnostic endocrinology laboratory for other tests. Favorable preliminary results led to a more formal assessment of the assay using serum samples from dogs and cats with the presence or absence of the ovaries known by surgical confirmation. Overall, a single measurement of serum AMH concentration was highly effective at distinguishing ovariohysterectomized from intact adult animals. In addition, the assay also accurately identified several cases of ovarian remnant syndrome.