Leptospira interrogans Serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae Failed to Establish Distinct Infection in Naïve Gilts: Lessons Learned from a Preliminary Experimental Challenge.

Leptospira is a pathogen involved in fertility problems in pigs. Nevertheless, little information is available on pathogenicity, transmission, tissue tropism, and immune response. The objective of this preliminary study was to induce a diagnostically detectable infection in naïve gilts using Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae to gain the knowledge required for designing a large-scale trial. Eight seronegative fertile gilts were divided into three groups: control (n = 2), challenge (n = 3; 10 mL of 108 leptospires/mL intravenously), and contact (n = 3). A daily clinical examination and periodic sampling of blood, urine, and vaginal swabs were performed until four weeks after infection when necropsy was undertaken. Seroconversion of infected animals was detected first by a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) between four and seven days after inoculation. No clinical signs were observed except pyrexia. Laboratory data primarily remained within reference intervals. Leptospira were undetectable in all groups by real-time PCR (sera, urine, vaginal swabs, and tissue samples) and bacterial culture (urine and tissue samples). However, histologic evidence for tubulo-interstitial nephritis could be found. Based on the study results and limitations, questions to be solved and approaches to be reconsidered are raised for the conduction of further experimental studies to understand the pathogenesis and the role of Icterohaemorrhagiae in pig health.

Peripheral blood eosinophilia in dogs: Prevalence and associated diseases.

BACKGROUND: Canine eosinophilia has not been evaluated over the last two decades. As in human local differences, changes in the prevalence and associated diseases over time can be expected. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence and causes of marked blood eosinophilia in dogs. METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 317 clinical histories of dogs with an eosinophil concentration > 1.5 × 109 /L (marked eosinophilia) between 2013 and 2017 were evaluated. Patients were allocated to 10 groups according to their major clinical findings. RESULTS: Eosinophilia was present in 1,592 of 10,829 dogs (14.7%); it was mild (0.8-1.49 × 109 /L) in 78.4%, moderate (1.5 - 4.9 × 109 /L) in 20.5% and severe (> 5 × 109 /L) in 1.1% of cases. Rottweilers were overrepresented (16.1%). Of 317 cases with marked eosinophilia, 19.6% had neoplasia, 19.1% gastrointestinal disorders, 13.6% health check, 10.4% endoparasites, 6% respiratory, 5.4% neurologic, 5.4% dermatologic, 4.8% urogenital, 3.2% endocrine disorders and 12.6% miscellaneous. Lymphomas (29%) and mast cell tumours (12.9%) were the most frequent tumours in the neoplasia group. A total of 72.6% of tumour-bearing dogs were older than 8 years, while 63.6% of dogs had endoparasites, and 86% of apparently healthy dogs were younger than 5 years. Eosinophilia was significantly higher in patients with respiratory disorders (p < 0.0146). Leukocytosis was found in 50.2% of cases. CONCLUSION: Malignancy was the most common cause of marked blood eosinophilia in older dogs and endoparasitism in younger dogs. Eosinophilia was common in apparently healthy young dogs and may be related to undiagnosed parasitic infestations.

Does intravenous contrast medium administration result in altered renal biomarkers? A study in clinically stable cats with and without azotemia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of post-contrast acute kidney injury or comparable side effects on kidney function in cats receiving the non-ionic, iodinated agent ioversol and/or paramagnetic agent gadoteric acid. METHODS: Fifty-two animals were divided into four groups on the basis of contrast medium administration for imaging: ioversol (n = 27), gadoteric acid (n = 12), dual contrast media (n = 4) or control, which received an infusion of isotone intravenous fluids only during anaesthesia (n = 9). Blood and urine samples were obtained three times after contrast administration and compared with values obtained prior to administration of the contrast medium. Creatinine (<1.60 mg/dl), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA; ⩽14 µg/dl), urine protein:creatinine ratio (UPC; <0.2) and critical differences for creatinine (<0.3 mg/dl) and SDMA (<5.98 µg/dl) were measured. RESULTS: No significant short-term effects on mean creatinine, SDMA and UPC measurements were seen. Borderline proteinuria (UPC, 0.2-0.4) was detected in 11.4% of cases after contrast media administration. A UPC of more than 0.2 in five cases indicated that contrast media may affect kidney function, leading to (transient) proteinuria. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study found no side effect on renal function following the administration of ioversol or gadoteric acid, provided patients were adequately hydrated. However, the clinical relevance of proteinuria in some cats needs to be evaluated in future studies.

Composition of lymphocyte subpopulations in normal and mildly reactive peripheral lymph nodes in cats.

OBJECTIVES: Flow cytometric (FCM) immunophenotyping of lymphoid tissue aspirates is an available adjunct for feline lymphoma diagnostics. Reference data have only been established for feline peripheral blood. Studies investigating the composition of normal and mildly reactive feline lymph nodes (LNs) are lacking. The aim of this prospective study was to establish reference data for lymphocyte subpopulations in normal and mildly reactive feline peripheral LNs using a standardised multicolour panel of antibodies. METHODS: Macroscopically inconspicuous mandibular and/or popliteal LNs from 31 adult cats, which were euthanased for reasons other than haematological diseases, were excised and processed within 5 h after death. Multicolour flow cytometry using eight different feline-specific, anti-canine and human cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies used in current diagnostic marker panels was performed after cytological exclusion of pathological states and complemented by lymphocyte clonality testing, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to ensure the absence of lymphoid disease. RESULTS: Of 31 cats, the immunophenotyping data of 24 individuals could be included as histopathology and clonality testing excluded a pathological condition. Lymphocyte populations showed the following positive antibody reactions: CD18+ 86.3% ± 13.86%, CD3+ 54.81% ± 11.10%, CD5+ 57.39% ± 12.66%, CD21+ 40.42% ± 12.40%, CD79alphacy+ (CD79αcy) 30.41% ± 13.49% and CD14+ 0.75% ± 1.35%. There were 30.88% ± 13.48% CD4+ and 12.91% ± 6.68% CD8+ cells. Cytology revealed a mixed population of mostly lymphoid cells in all samples. The absence of a monoclonal/oligoclonal neoplastic population was confirmed by lymphocyte clonality testing. Histopathology and IHC showed a normal or mildly reactive pattern in all cases. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study establishes FCM immunophenotyping data of lymphocyte populations of normal and mildly reactive feline peripheral LNs. For the first time, anti-CD5, CD4, CD8 and CD21 reference data in normal and mildly reactive feline peripheral LNs are presented. CD18, CD3, CD14 and CD79αcy have been used to establish reference data for the first time in any feline material.

Evaluation of fructosamine concentration as an index marker for glycaemic control in diabetic dogs.

BACKGROUND: Although fructosamine is a commonly used surrogate marker to assess glycaemic control in diabetic dogs, its diagnostic accuracy has been questioned. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of fructosamine measurements to diagnose well and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM), using continuous glucose monitoring as a gold standard. METHODS: Twenty-four dogs with treated DM and continuous glucose monitoring for mean (±SD) 13.1 (±1.7) days were retrospectively analysed. Two assessment strategies were applied to categorize glycaemic control, and fructosamine concentrations were determined shortly after sensor cessation using a colorimetric assay. RESULTS: Correlations of individual fructosamine concentrations with mean glucose as well as percentage of measurements > 15 mmol/L were not significant (p = 0.372, p = 0.129). Fructosamine did not differ between dogs with and without hypoglycaemic episodes (p = 0.64). Receiver operating characteristic analysis for fructosamine to diagnose either good or poor glycaemic control revealed AUC values of 0.71 (p = 0.025) indicating moderate accuracy, and 0.7 (p = 0.135) indicating AUC is non-discriminatory, respectively. The respective positive likelihood ratios for the optimal cutoffs to identify good (<396 µmol/L) and poor control (>449 µmol/L) were three. CONCLUSIONS: Fructosamine measurement is an imperfect surrogate marker for classifying glycaemic control in diabetic dogs and can only complement serial glucose measurements.

Comparison of the effects of open-tube and evacuated tube-assisted sampling methods on thromboelastography variables for blood samples from healthy dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of open-tube blood sampling with previously investigated blood sampling methods via evacuated tube on thromboelastography variables for blood samples from dogs. ANIMALS: 10 healthy Beagles from the research colony owned by the Clinic of Small Animal Internal Medicine, University Veterinary of Medicine, Vienna, were used. PROCEDURES: In this prospective study, blood was sampled from each dog serially into citrate solution-containing tubes via 20-gauge needle. One evacuated tube was filled from a jugular vein via the evacuated tube port, and the second tube was opened and filled by catching blood flowing through the needle from a lateral saphenous vein. Venipuncture quality was scored with a previously described method. Thromboelastography was performed for each sample. RESULTS: Inferential statistics used with the Wilcoxon signed rank test showed significant differences in reaction time (R) of 3.43 ± 0.84 minutes versus 4.53 ± 0.62 minutes (mean ± SD) between evacuated tube assisted and open-tube sampling, respectively. No other significant differences were identified. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The sampling methods compared have a small but significant effect on R in thromboelastographic analysis for blood samples from healthy dogs. Shear stress by vacuum sampling seems to accelerate coagulation in jugular blood samples harvested by evacuated tube, resulting in a shortened R. Results suggested that the open-tube method avoids shear stress induced activation of coagulation and is an appropriate sampling method for thromboelastography when used within a standardized protocol.

Flow Cytometric Assessment of Ki-67 Expression in Lymphocytes From Physiologic Lymph Nodes, Lymphoma Cell Populations and Remnant Normal Cell Populations From Lymphomatous Lymph Nodes.

Recent literature suggests conventional flow cytometric (FCM) immunophenotyping complemented by Ki-67 FCM assessment as a reliable tool to classify canine lymphomas. Ki-67 expression assessed by FCM is rarely reported in canine lymphoma cases and reference data for normal canine lymph nodes are missing. Moreover, nothing is known about the Ki-67 expression within the occasionally observed remnant cell population within the gates of normal lymphocytes in lymphoma cases. Aim of this study was to compare flow cytometric Ki-67 expression of lymphocyte populations from normal canine lymph nodes, lymphoma cells from World-Health-Organisation (WHO) classified lymphoma patient samples and their neighboring normal remnant cell population. Cryopreserved lymphocyte cell suspensions from normal lymph nodes from eight dogs free of lymphoma served as reference material. Fourteen cases diagnosed by cytology, FCM, clonality testing, histopathology including immunohistochemistry consisting of 10 DLBCL, 1 MZL, 1 PTCL and 2 TZL showed a residual small lymphocyte population and were investigated. The Ki-67 expression in normal canine lymphoid tissue was 3.19 ± 2.17%. Mean Ki-67 expression in the malignant cell populations was 41 ± 24.36%. Ki-67 positivity was 12.34 ± 10.68% in the residual physiologic lymphocyte population, which otherwise exhibited a physiologic immunophenotype pattern. This ratio was equivalent (n = 3) or lower (n = 11) than the Ki-67 expression of the malignant cell population within the sample. This is the first report of FCM derived Ki-67 expression combined with immunophenotype patterns in normal canine lymph nodes, compared with lymphoma cell populations and residual normal cell populations of lymphoma cases diagnosed by state of the art technology.

Successful Insulin Glargine Treatment in Two Pet Guinea Pigs with Suspected Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Scientific information on spontaneous type I diabetes mellitus (DM) and treatment modalities in guinea pigs is scarce. As most diabetic guinea pigs are overweight and respond to dietary changes, a disorder resembling type II-DM in humans seems to be most prevalent in this species. In the present report, a nine-month-old female intact guinea pig (GP1) was presented because of a cataract and polyphagia. The physical examinations in GP1 and its littermate, GP2, were unremarkable. Laboratory tests revealed hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, elevated fructosamine concentrations, and glucosuria in GP1 and GP2. Not responding to dietary changes, an insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was suspected in both animals. Treatment with 0.5 IU of glargine insulin (Lantus®) per guinea pig subcutaneously (s.c.) once daily was initiated in both animals. Monitoring included repeated clinical evaluations and the measurement of plasma glucose and fructosamine concentrations. Capillary glucose concentration was measured using a glucometer, and glucosuria was monitored by dipstick. Blood glucose concentrations decreased quickly in both GPs, and glucosuria resolved. Including several dose adjustments, DM remained controlled for over 1.5 years. Bilateral cataracts and lens-induced uveitis in GP1 were medically managed with only slight progression. This is the first report of guinea pigs with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus that were successfully treated with long-acting basal insulin glargine.

First Case of Autochthonous Equine Theileriosis in Austria.

A 23-year-old pregnant warmblood mare from Güssing, Eastern Austria, presented with apathy, anemia, fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and a severely elevated serum amyloid A concentration. The horse had a poor body condition and showed thoracic and pericardial effusions, and later dependent edema and icteric mucous membranes. Blood smear and molecular analyses revealed an infection with Theileria equi. Upon treatment with imidocarb diproprionate, the mare improved clinically, parasites were undetectable in blood smears, and 19 days after hospitalization the horse was discharged from hospital. However, 89 days after first hospitalization, the mare again presented to the hospital with an abortion, and the spleen of the aborted fetus was also PCR-positive for T. equi. On the pasture, where the horse had grazed, different developmental stages of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were collected and subjected to PCR, and one engorged specimen was positive for T. equi. All three amplicon sequences were identical (T. equi genotype E). It is suspected that T. equi may repeatedly be transmitted in the area where the infected mare had grazed, and it could be shown that transmission to the fetus had occurred. Due to the chronic nature of equine theileriosis and the possible health implications of infection, it is advised to include this disease in the panel of differential diagnoses in horses with relevant clinical signs, including horses without travel disease, and to be aware of iatrogenic transmission from inapparent carrier animals.

Ki-67 assessment-agreeability between immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry in canine lymphoma.

Recent literature suggests a combination of flow cytometric determination of Ki-67 and immunophenotype as a reliable tool to classify canine lymphomas. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) on histological samples is the gold standard technique assessing Ki-67 index. Agreement between IHC and FCM derived Ki-67 indices has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement between IHC and FCM in the assessment of Ki-67 expression/index, in order to evaluate whether FCM may serve as a non-invasive alternative method for the estimation of proliferative activity in canine lymphoma. Dogs with previously untreated canine lymphoma undergoing diagnostic lymphadenectomy were prospectively enrolled. Ki-67 expression/index was assessed by FCM and IHC and expressed as percentage of positive cells. 39 dogs classified by histopathology matched the inclusion criteria. With both methods, Ki-67 expression/index was higher in intermediate/high-grade lymphomas. Spearman's coefficient of correlation was ρ = 0.57; (95% CI0.33-0.75) suggesting a moderate correlation. A Bland-Altman plot revealed a negative constant bias of -3.55 (95% CI: -10.52 to 3.42) with limits of agreement from -45.71 to 38.61. The study confirmed agreement albeit with wide confidence intervals between the values of Ki-67 expression/index assessed with FCM and IHC. Discrepancies were observed in a subset of cases. Possible explanation could be that Ki-67 index in IHC is determined in the most proliferative areas of the slide, which could introduce kind of sampling bias, whereas FCM evaluates many more cells in cell suspension. Further studies are warranted to investigate this phenomenon.

Patterns of the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test in canine hyperadrenocorticism revisited.

BACKGROUND: The low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDT) is considered an accurate screening and valuable differentiation test in dogs with suspected hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). A recent study showed that the different response patterns not only provide complementary information about etiology, but also the probability of HAC in these patients. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the diagnostic test performance of LDDT response patterns in a population of dogs from an animal hospital. METHODS: The electronic database was retrospectively searched for dogs suspected of HAC that were given an LDDT. Dogs with acute non-adrenal illnesses during the test were excluded. Response patterns were classified as complete suppression, lack of suppression, partial suppression, escape, inverse, and increasing patterns. Cortisol concentrations ≥ 27.59 nmol/L (≥1 µg/dL) 8 hours after dexamethasone administration were considered positive results irrespective of the patterns observed. Calculations included likelihood ratios (LRs) and predictive values (PVs). RESULTS: HAC and non-adrenal illness were diagnosed in 115 (54%) and 62 (46%) dogs, respectively. The positive (+) LRs (95% CI) for the lack of suppression, partial suppression, escape, and an inverse pattern to diagnose HAC were infinite, 8.09 (2-32.72), 3.23 (0.75-14), and 0.2 (0.06-0.73), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms that the "lack of suppression" pattern strongly supports a diagnosis of HAC. It shows that the "partial suppression" pattern moderately increases, and the "inverse" pattern decreases the likelihood of HAC. The fact that the study found no association between the "escape" pattern and a diagnosis of HAC, does not support its integration into decision making.

Exogenous creatinine clearence indexed to body surface area allows estimation of GFR and across species comparison.

The assessment of renal function in birds is difficult because sensitive biomarkers are lacking. Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of measuring the exogenous creatinine clearance in pigeons, indicating the potential use of this technique for the assessment of renal function in birds. The aim of the study was to index the exogenous creatinine elimination rate by body surface area, enabling comparison between different species. Exploratory data on common buzzards (Buteo buteo), Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo), domestic goose (Anser anser domesticus) and racing pigeons (Columba livia) were collected and indexed by body surface area. A sterile creatinine solution was administered at a dose DM = 50 mg kg-1 i.m. into the deep pectoral muscle of 52 clinically healthy birds of the four species with different body masses. The time course of the plasma creatinine concentration was measured and analyzed by a parametric pharmacokinetic Bateman model, followed by indexing the exogenous creatinine clearance (ECC) by body surface area. The exploratory ECC values for birds with a mean body mass ranging from 0.42 kg (pigeon) to 8.2 kg (goose) were between 0.4261 mL min-1 dm-2 (CI 0.3882-0.4672) and 0.8717 mL min-1 dm-2 (CI 0.8091-0.9362). ECC indexed by body surface area turned out to be independent from body mass. Resulting exploratory data covering species with different body masses are comparable with published data from very complex studies of avian renal function.

Are B-symptoms more reliable prognostic indicators than substage in canine nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

In humans B-symptoms refer to systemic symptoms of lymphoma such as fever, weight loss, and night sweats and influence the prognosis of patients. In canine lymphoma, substage B is used to describe any clinical sign observed. Aim of the retrospective study was to compare the prognostic value of substage B with B-symptoms to predict treatment response and survival in canine nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Affected dogs treated with CHOP chemotherapy between 2008 and 2019 were included. B-symptoms were defined by weight loss greater than 10% of normal weight, fever and the occurrence of unexplained resting tachypnoea substituted human night sweats. Substage B was defined as any symptoms but lymphadenopathy. Fifty-five cases were included. B-symptoms were present in 20/55 (36%) and substage B in 40/55 (74%) patients. No significant associations between B-symptoms or substage B and weight, sex, breed, WHO stage and lymphoma grade were found. Treatment response was negatively associated with both substage B (P = .02) and B-symptoms (P = .001). B-symptoms significantly decreased progression free survival (PFS) (95 vs 330 days, P = .001) and lymphoma specific survival (LSS) (160 vs 462 days, P = .001). Data showed that B-symptoms might be a more reliable prognostic indicator than substage B in canine nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Prospective studies assessing B-symptoms in a larger cohort of patients and in other common lymphoma types are warranted. The abstract was presented at the fourth meeting of the European Canine Lymphoma Network Group in Lugano, 22 June 2019 and published in the proceeding of the meeting on the page 26.

Basal glucose excretion in dogs: The impact of feeding, obesity, sex, and age.

BACKGROUND: The urine glucose (UG) measurements are an integral part of urinalyses, especially in dogs with polyuria and polydipsia. A positive dipstick result is considered pathologic for disease. This paradigm has been challenged by new ultrasensitive tests, where the manufacturers recommend tolerating slightly positive results. It implies that, as in other species, basal urine glucose losses can exceed the lower limits of detection using ultrasensitive glucose dipsticks in healthy dogs. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether glucose is routinely detectable using a sensitive quantitative wet chemistry method in the urine of nondiabetic, nonazotemic dogs, and investigate the impact of food intake, obesity, sex, castration status, and age. METHODS: Serial UG measurements were performed in healthy clinic-owned Beagle dogs that were randomly fasted or fed. Glucose was measured in morning urine samples from normal-weight healthy and obese dogs, and the university's electronic database was searched for quantitative UG measurements (Gluco-quant Enzyme Kit/Roche Diagnostics). RESULTS: Small amounts of glucose were detected in 555 (99.1%) of 560 urine samples analyzed. All urine samples from the clinic-owned Beagle dogs, as well as from privately owned obese and normal-weight healthy dogs that tested positive for glucose. The median (range) UG concentration obtained from the university's electronic database was 0.39 (0-1.55) mmol/L, and 2.2% of the samples tested negative. Feeding, obesity, gender, castration status, and age did not affect UG concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Studies, including a larger number of healthy dogs, are warranted to define a cut-off between physiologic and pathologic glucosuria.

Primary Hyperparathyroidism Associated With Atypical Headshaking Behavior in a Warmblood Gelding.

A 14-year-old Zweibrücker Warmblood gelding was presented for evaluation of lethargy and headshaking. The horse had a history of bouts of lameness in different limbs and back problems. It also had many mild colic episodes in the past. Results of repeat laboratory tests had shown persistent hypercalcemia (4.8 mmol/L; reference interval [RI]: 2.0-3.2 mmol/L) for 1.5 years and later on hypophosphatemia (0.4 mmol/L; RI: 0.5-1.3 mmol/L) and mild hypermagnesemia (1.0 mmol/L; RI: 0.5-0.9 mmol/L). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration was within the RI. Other causes of hypercalcemia, such as renal failure, vitamin D toxicosis, and granulomatous disease, and nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism were ruled out. Furthermore, there was no evidence of neoplastic disease. Parathyroid hormone-related protein was measured but inconclusive. A diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was established on the basis of hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, low fractional excretion of calcium, and high fractional excretion of phosphorus in combination with a PTH secretion refractory to high calcium levels. Because of the bad prognosis, the owner decided to euthanize the horse. Results of postmortem examination were unremarkable. Hypercalcemia should always be considered abnormal, and further examinations need to be performed to proof hypercalcemia and subsequently find the cause. The main differential diagnoses are renal insufficiency and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, but also rare diseases, such as hyperparathyroidism, have to be taken into account.

Laboratory Evaluation of Renal Function in Birds.

Renal disease often remains undetected in living patients. Urinalysis might contribute to the diagnosis of some kinds of renal and metabolic diseases. Blood uric acid concentrations reflect the excretory functional capacity of the renal proximal tubules. In contrast, blood urea concentrations are significantly affected by the bird's hydration status and have been proposed as a useful variable to detect prerenal causes for renal impairment in birds. Measurement of exogenous creatinine excretion shows promising preliminary results to become a useful test for the assessment of renal excretion in birds.

Basal glucosuria in cats.

Objective of this study was to demonstrate the ubiquitous presence of glucose in urine of euglycemic cats by a highly sensitive glucose assay. The local electronic database was searched for results of quantitative urine glucose measurements in cats. A total of 325 feline urine glucose measurements were identified, of which 303 (93%) had been submitted by one of the co-authors working in a near-by small animal practice. After the exclusion of patients with kidney disease (n = 60), hyperthyroidism (n = 15), diabetes mellitus (n = 11), multiple diseases (n = 9) or steroid treatment (n = 3), as well as serial measurements (n = 87) and outliers (n = 8), the final study population consisted of 132 cats. Urine creatinine concentration was unavailable in five patients. Whereas all but one cat had glucose concentrations above the detection limit of the assay (0.11 mmol/L, Gluco-quant Enzyme Kit/Roche Diagnostics), no positive glucose dipstick test result (Combur 9-Test, Roche Diagnostics) was observed. The median (range) of urinary glucose concentration and the glucose-to-creatinine ratio (UGCR) was 0.389 (<0.11-1.665) mmol/L and 0.0258 (0.007-0.517) respectively. The UGCR was not affected by age, gender, breed or leukocyturia, whereas cats with hematuria had slightly higher values. Data show that so-called "basal glucosuria" is present in the majority of cats and by no means diagnostic for diabetes mellitus or renal glucosuria. This has to be considered when using bio-analytical methods with a low limit of quantification.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography characteristics of intrathoracic mass lesions in 36 dogs and 24 cats.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is increasingly available for veterinary patients, however limited studies describe the use of this method for characterizing intrathoracic mass lesions. The aim of this prospective, observational study was to describe CEUS enhancement patterns for intrathoracic mass lesions in a sample of cats and dogs. Sixty patients (36 dogs, 24 cats) were included. Standardized CEUS examinations were performed for 41 pulmonary masses (68%) and 19 mediastinal masses (32%). Final diagnosis was based on cytology and/or histopathology. Absolute time to enhancement (TTE) values were recorded for the intrathoracic mass lesions and spleen. The spleen was used as a reference parenchymal organ to calculate relative TTE (rTTE) values. Absolute TTE of the spleen and intrathoracic mass lesions differed for dogs and cats (P = 0.001). The rTTE values significantly differed between lesions of neoplastic versus non-neoplastic origin (P = 0.004). The majority of neoplastic pulmonary masses were supplied by bronchial arteries (63%), while most nonneoplastic pulmonary masses were supplied by pulmonary arteries (78%). The sensitivity and specificity for detecting pulmonary neoplastic masses with rTTE were 63% and 78%, respectively. Enhancement patterns for mediastinal thymomas and lymphomas significantly differed (P = 0.002). Thymomas enhanced heterogeneously in a centripetal pattern (86%), whereas lymphomas typically enhanced uniformly in a centrifugal pattern (75%). Findings indicated that CEUS is a feasible method for characterizing intrathoracic mass lesions in dogs and cats, however, the diagnostic sensitivity for detecting neoplastic pulmonary masses was low.

The effects of two different types of bandage contact lenses on the healthy canine eye.

OBJECTIVE: To compare two types of bandage contact lenses on the healthy canine eye. ANIMALS STUDIED: Six healthy Beagles. PROCEDURES: Two different types of bandage contact lenses (single sized human silicone contact lens 'PureVision 2' (Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Rochester, NY, USA) and specially designed veterinary hydrogel contact lens 'AcriVet Pat D' (Bausch & Lomb Incorporated) were placed in 12 eyes of healthy Beagle dogs. Retention times and the effects of the lenses regarding irritation of the eye, changes in tear production, impact of contact lenses on tonometric readings, and cytologic and microbiological alterations of the canine eye were investigated. RESULTS: Mean retention times for veterinary hydrogel lenses with special dimensions were significantly shorter (2 days) than for one size human silicon lenses (8.8 days). Irritation scores were overall low for both types of lenses apart from one human lens causing severe irritation and keratoconjunctivitis as a sequel to folding and displacement. Tear production remained stable in human contact lenses. Intraocular pressure readings with a contact lens in place were only slightly altered; the most accurate readings were obtained through a human lens with an applanation tonometer. Cytology revealed a slight, nonsignificant increase in neutrophilic granulocytes with both types of lenses; the microflora did not change significantly. DISCUSSION: Human silicone lenses have significantly longer retention times and are less expensive than veterinary hydrogel lenses. In regard to irritation, bacterial growth and inflammation, both types of lenses can be recommended for use in canine eyes.

Course of serum amyloid A (SAA) plasma concentrations in horses undergoing surgery for injuries penetrating synovial structures, an observational clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Injuries penetrating synovial structures are common in equine practice and often result in septic synovitis. Significantly increased plasma levels of serum amyloid A (SAA) have been found in various infectious conditions in horses including wounds and septic arthritis. Plasma SAA levels were found to decrease rapidly once the infectious stimulus was eliminated. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the usefulness of serial measurements of plasma SAA as a monitoring tool for the response to treatment of horses presented with injuries penetrating synovial structures. In the current study plasma SAA concentrations were measured every 48 hours (h) during the course of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 19 horses with a wound penetrating a synovial structure were included in the current study. Horses in Group 1 (n = 12) (injuries older than 24 h) only needed one surgical intervention. Patients in this group had significantly lower median plasma SAA levels (P = 0.001) between 48 h (median 776 mg/L) and 96 h (median 202 mg/L) after surgery. A significant decrease (P = 0.004) in plasma SAA levels was also observed between 96 h after surgery (median 270 mg/L) and 6 days (d) after surgery (median 3 mg/L). Four horses (Group 2) required more than one surgical intervention. In contrast to Group 1 patients in Group 2 had either very high initial plasma concentrations (3378 mg/L), an increase or persistently high concentrations of plasma SAA after the first surgery (median 2525 mg/L). A small group of patients (n = 3) (Group 3) were admitted less than 24 h after sustaining a wound. In this group low SAA values at admission (median 23 mg/L) and peak concentrations at 48 h after surgery (median 1016 mg/L) were observed followed by a decrease in plasma SAA concentration over time. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in plasma SAA concentrations between two consecutive time points could be associated with positive response to treatment in the current study. Therefore, serial measurements of plasma SAA could potentially be used as an additional inexpensive, quick and easy tool for monitoring the treatment response in otherwise healthy horses presented with injuries penetrating synovial structures. However further studies will be necessary to ascertain its clinical utility.