Agreement between lacrimal fluid and serum for detecting urea nitrogen and creatinine in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether urea nitrogen and creatinine levels differ in lacrimal fluid (LF) and serum (SER) in nonazotemic (control) and azotemic dogs and whether there is an agreement between LF and SER. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed at the Auburn University Small Animal Teaching Hospital between May 2023 and March 2024. Forty control and 38 azotemic dogs were enrolled. Twenty microliters of LF per eye was collected with microcapillary tubes, and 3 mL of blood was drawn. Bland-Altman plot and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate the agreement between LF and SER. RESULTS: There was good agreement between LF and SER levels of urea nitrogen in the control group (Bland-Altman plot mean bias of -0.8108 ± 2.407 mg/dL; ICC of 0.874 [95% CI, 0.773 to 0.934]) and the azotemic group (Bland-Altman plot mean bias of -9.681 ± 23.89 mg/dL; ICC of 0.82 [95% CI, 0.658 to 0.906]). There was poor agreement between LF and SER concentrations for creatinine in the control and azotemic groups, with only 26 dogs with creatinine detectable in LF. CONCLUSIONS: Lacrimal fluid and SER concentrations of urea nitrogen showed good agreement in both the control and azotemic groups, whereas poor agreement was found for creatinine in both groups. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Measurement of urea nitrogen in LF may provide an alternative to blood for diagnosing uremia. However, additional research is necessary before substituting LF for SER.

Urinary syndecan-1 in dogs anesthetized with isoflurane or sevoflurane: A randomized, prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Syndecan-1 (SDC1) is an established marker of endothelial glycocalyx shedding. Most research on SDC1 has focused on plasma or serum concentrations, and little is known about urine concentrations. OBJECTIVES: Measure urinary SDC1 concentrations in dogs undergoing anesthesia with either sevoflurane or isoflurane and assess the effects of anesthesia duration and IV crystalloids on urinary SDC1 concentrations. ANIMALS: Thirty-one client-owned dogs undergoing anesthesia for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with or without surgery for suspected intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) were used. METHODS: Dogs with suspected IVDD were randomized to undergo anesthesia with either sevoflurane or isoflurane. Urine was collected before and immediately after anesthesia for the analysis of SDC1. Urinary creatinine concentrations also were measured, and the ratio of urinary SDC1 to urinary creatinine (USCR) was used to account for dilution. RESULTS: Median (range) USCR was significantly higher after anesthesia compared with baseline for all groups combined (P < .05). No significant difference was found between the groups for age, sex, weight, and type of anesthesia. Multiple regression analysis of the effect of the independent variables inhalant type, age, weight, sex, anesthesia time, surgery, and quantity of IV fluids on the dependent variable SDC1 found that only the quantity of IV fluids significantly predicted a change (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The total volume of lactated Ringer's solution administered to anesthetized dogs may affect USCR. Further investigations are warranted to evaluate the relationship between IV fluids and SDC1.

Small animal veterinary clients prefer veterinarians to decide when to terminate resuscitation and to be informed after cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the preferences of small animal veterinary clients for the timing of communication during CPR and whether these clients prefer the veterinarian or pet owner to decide on the termination of resuscitation. SAMPLE: Surveys (n = 1,648) were completed between January 20 and February 3, 2023, by clients of the Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study used an anonymous internet-based survey distributed to 28,000 clients of an academic small animal veterinary hospital. The survey included 16 questions asking for the respondents' demographics, healthcare professional status, questions pertaining to CPR, and preference for timing of communication during CPR, veterinary team members to speak to, and the decision on termination of resuscitation. An optional open comment section was provided. RESULTS: The response rate was 7.5%, including 2,127 responses, with 1,648 complete responses used for further analysis. Of the respondents, 56% and 63% (when asked using a short and long scenario question, respectively) would prefer to be informed about their pet undergoing CPR after CPR has ended. Most clients (84%) wanted the veterinarian to decide when to stop CPR. In the comments section, clients predominantly emphasized that patient care should always be prioritized over client communication. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study contributes to a better understanding of veterinary clients' preferences and may help improve client communication and decision-making during CPR. More studies are warranted to reach a wider population before broad recommendations can be made.