Improved owner quality of life following surgical repair of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine quality-of-life changes in owners of dogs undergoing mitral valve repair for myxomatous mitral valve disease, up to 12 months postoperatively. SAMPLE: Owners of 26 dogs undergoing mitral valve repair at a single UK veterinary referral hospital. METHODS: Dogs underwent mitral valve repair under cardiopulmonary bypass as previously described. Owner quality of life was assessed by self-completion of a previously validated questionnaire preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in quality-of-life scores from preoperatively up to 3 months postoperatively and a statistically significant improvement in individual question scores up to 6 months postoperatively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that owner quality of life is significantly improved following surgical repair of their pet's myxomatous mitral valve disease, and this improvement continues beyond the immediate postoperative period. These results may be useful when counseling owners of surgical candidates and is another useful outcome measure.

Use of the Functional Evaluation of Cardiac Health questionnaire to assess health-related quality of life before and after mitral valve repair in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine changes in health-related quality of life up to 12 months after surgery in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease that undergo mitral valve repair. ANIMALS: 54 dogs that underwent mitral valve repair at a United Kingdom referral hospital. PROCEDURES: Health-related quality of life was assessed with a previously validated, owner-completed questionnaire before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Results: There was a significant decrease in total score (corresponding to reduced negative impact of cardiac disease on quality of life) between the preoperative timepoint and all postoperative timepoints. A significant decrease in total score was also demonstrated between the 1- and 3-month timepoints, but no additional significant changes in total score between adjacent timepoints were identified beyond 3 months after surgery. Significant improvements in individual question scores were found up to 12 months after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Health-related quality of life was significantly improved following mitral valve repair in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease and this improvement persisted for up to a year after surgery. These results may be useful when counseling owners of dogs considered candidates for this procedure.

Factors associated with positive urine cultures in cats with subcutaneous ureteral bypass system implantation.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to report the postoperative incidence of subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB)-associated bacteriuria and risk factors in a large population of UK cats, to identify the commonly implicated isolates in these cases and to report associations of positive postoperative urine cultures with device occlusion or a need for further surgery. METHODS: Electronic clinical records were reviewed to identify cats with ureteral obstruction that underwent unilateral or bilateral SUB implantation between September 2011 and September 2019. In total, 118 client-owned cats were included in the study population. Information recorded included signalment, history, surgical and biochemical factors, urinalysis and culture results. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify variables associated with a positive postoperative culture. RESULTS: In total, 10 cats (8.5%) had a positive postoperative culture within 1 month postsurgery and 28 cats (23.7%) within 1 year postsurgery. Cats with a positive preoperative culture were significantly more likely to have a positive culture within 6 months postoperatively (odds ratio [OR] 4.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-14.18; P = 0.026). Of the 14 cats with a positive preoperative culture, six (42.9%) returned a positive culture within 1 year postoperatively, and in four cases (66.7%) the same isolate was identified. Cats with a higher end-anaesthetic rectal temperature were significantly less likely to return a positive culture within 3 months (OR 0.398, 95% CI 0.205-0.772; P = 0.006) postsurgery. Cats culturing positive for Escherichia coli at any time point (OR 4.542, 95% CI 1.485-13.89; P = 0.008) were significantly more likely to have their implant removed or replaced. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Perioperative hypothermia and preoperative positive culture were independent predictors of a postoperative positive culture and this should be taken into consideration when managing these cases. Positive postoperative culture rates were higher than have previously been reported.

Effect of Stifle Flexion Angle on the Repeatability of Real-Time Elastosonography of the Patellar Ligament in Medium- to Large-Breed Dogs.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to describe the elastosonographic findings of the patellar ligament in healthy dogs >15 kg in different positions and determine the most appropriate stifle angle to perform elastosonography of the patellar ligament. STUDY DESIGN: Eighteen clinically healthy dogs, weighing >15 kg, were prospectively recruited. B-mode ultrasound and real-time elastosonography of both patellar ligaments were performed on days 0 and 14. Elastosonography examinations were performed with the stifle in four positions: standing position, lateral recumbency with the stifle positioned at 135 degrees extension and in full passive flexion and extension. RESULTS: The percentage hardness of the patellar ligament was significantly lower when the elastosonographic examination was performed with the dog standing, compared with the other positions (p < 0.005). The variability in the elastosonography readings for each stifle position was lowest when the dog was standing (89.32%). CONCLUSION: Elastosonography is a feasible technique for evaluating the elasticity of the normal canine patellar ligament in dogs >15 kg and would be a useful technique for investigating the mechanical changes within the patellar ligament following stifle surgery. Elastosonography of the patellar ligament should be performed with the dog standing to provide the most accurate elastosonograms with lowest variability between readings.