Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal sac in two cats.

This report describes two cases of feline anal sac squamous cell carcinoma. Cat 1 was managed with a multimodal approach combining surgical resection, radiation therapy and systemic therapy (toceranib phosphate; Palladia™) until local recurrence was identified at 236 days postsurgery. At that time, the cat received carboplatin. With the tumour being progressive, the cat was euthanased 552 days post initial surgery. Cat 2 was managed palliatively with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (meloxicam) and supportive medications. Unfortunately, with further decline in quality of life following initial diagnosis, the cat was euthanased 28 days later. Squamous cell carcinoma should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis when a cat is presented for investigation of an anal sac mass.

Unique presentation of normolipaemic cutaneous xanthoma in a cat.

CASE REPORT: A normolipaemic 7-year-old female spayed Domestic Shorthair was initially presented with a history of pruritus for several years and diagnosed with concurrent atopic dermatitis, flea bite hypersensitivity and adverse food reaction. The hypersensitivities were controlled with cyclosporin, allergen-specific immunotherapy, topical flea control and a restricted diet. Five months after initial presentation, the cat developed a non-healing nodular ulcerated cutaneous lesion in the left axilla and also developed immune-mediated haemolytic anaemic (IMHA). The IMHA was stabilised, but the axillary lesion persisted and progressed to a diffuse, firm, yellowed subcutaneous swelling over the ventral body approximately 20 months later. Histopathology was consistent with cutaneous xanthoma. The cat was normolipaemic and being fed a home-prepared diet of lean kangaroo meat and pumpkin to manage pruritus associated with adverse food reactions. No underlying malignancy was detected on routine screening tests. CONCLUSION: A diffuse, planar form of cutaneous xanthoma occurring without associated lipaemia has not been previously reported in cats.

On the Sulfation Pattern of Polysaccharides in the Extracellular Matrix of Sheep with Chondrodysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: Chondroitin sulfate is the major sulfated polysaccharide attached to the core protein, aggrecan, in the hyaline cartilage matrix. Sulfation of the cartilage matrix polysaccharide is vital for normal matrix integrity and compressive stiffness of the tissue and is therefore crucial to normal cartilage formation and consequently to endochondral ossification. Several forms of chondrodysplasia, a condition resulting in clear macroscopic deficiencies in the mechanical properties of the cartilage and characterized by reduced levels of sulfate, have been identified in both human beings and animals. DESIGN: In this study, the authors used capillary electrophoresis to investigate the sulfation state of extracted chondroitin sulfate polymers. RESULTS: Significantly, cartilage from affected sheep had a lower ratio of the chondroitin-derived enzymatically liberated disaccharides Δdi-mono4S to Δdi-mono6S, demonstrating reduced levels of chondroitin 4-sulfate, but not chondroitin 6-sulfate, in chondrodysplastic sheep compared to age-matched controls at all ages measured. CONCLUSION: This supports the hypothesis that a difference in chondroitin sulfate disaccharides is detectable in affected newborn lambs prior to the development of lesions.

Inherited abnormalities of skeletal development in sheep.

Inherited diseases of the skeleton are reported less often in sheep than in most other domestic animal species but are likely to occur more frequently than the veterinary literature would suggest. Although most are lethal or semi-lethal, the gene frequency for some of these diseases has reached surprisingly high levels in defined populations, presumably due either to the founder effect or the presence of a selective advantage of heterozygous individuals. This article reviews the clinical characteristics, pathology, mode of inheritance and molecular basis of skeletal diseases known to have a genetic aetiology in sheep. Inherited skeletal diseases of sheep are potential models for studying the treatment of similar diseases in humans.