Evaluation of the traditional way of euthanasia of farmed foxes from an animal welfare point of view

v2009o

Prevalence of radiographic detectable intervertebral disc calcifications in Dachshunds surgically treated for disc extrusion

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An association between the occurrence of calcified discs, visible on radiographic examination (CDVR), and disc extrusions has been suggested in published literature over the past 10-20 years, mainly from Nordic countries. It has also been postulated that dogs without CDVR would not develop disc extrusions. Furthermore, inheritance of CDVR has been calculated and it has been postulated that, by selecting dogs for breeding with few, or no CDVR, the prevalence of disc extrusions in the Dachshund population may be reduced.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The prevalence of radiographic detectable intervertebral disc calcifications was calculated from one hundred surgeries for disc extrusion, performed in 95 Dachshunds, in order to determine if the disc causing clinically significant IVDD, had radiographic signs of calcification at the time of confirmed disc extrusion. Inclusion criteria, for each dog, included a complete physical, orthopedic and neurologic examination, radiographs of the entire vertebral column, a myelogram or magnetic resonance imaging examination indicating extradural spinal cord compression, and finally a surgical procedure confirming the diagnosis of a disc extrusion. In addition to descriptive statistics, age correlation with number of calcifications visible at radiographic examination and with CDVR at the surgery site was examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that disc extrusions occur as frequently in discs that are found to have radiographic evidence of calcification as those discs that do not have signs of radiographic calcification, and that IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) requiring surgery does occur in the absence of any calcified discs on radiographic examination. We found that calcified discs were more frequent in our Dachshund population compared to previous studies suggesting that disc calcification might be a serious risk factor for developing disc extrusion. Further studies are needed to show, conclusively, if selection of breeding dogs based on CDVR in the Dachshund will reduce the incidence of IVDD. The presence of the calcifications of intervertebral disc should be evaluated with caution, as only part of the calcifications will be detected and the real extent of the disc degeneration may be underestimated.</p

Development of the Finnish neurological function testing battery for dogs and its intra- and inter-rater reliability

Background: The Finnish neurological function testing battery for dogs (FINFUN) was developed to meet the increasing demand for objective outcome measures in veterinary physiotherapy. The testing battery should provide consistent, reproducible results and have established face and content validity. Internal consistency and intra-and inter-rater reliability of the FINFUN were also investigated. Results: The FINFUN comprised 11 tasks: lying, standing up from lying, sitting, standing up from sitting, standing, proprioceptive positioning, starting to walk, walking, trotting, walking turns and walking stairs. A score from 0 to 4, (0: unable to perform task, 4: performing task with normal motor function) was given for each task, the maximum score being 44. Twenty-six dogs were filmed when performing the FINFUN. Seven observers scored the performances from the video recordings. The FINFUN was considered to have appropriate face and content validity based on a pilot study, clinical experience and critical reflection of the development process. Its internal consistency was excellent, with no Cronbach's alpha values below 0.922. The intra-rater reliability for total score of experienced observers was almost perfect: 0.999 (observer 1) and 0.994 (observer 2). The inter-rater reliability for both experienced and novice observers' total scores was also almost perfect (0.919-0.993). Analysis of each individual task showed substantial intra-rater and inter-rater agreement for the tasks "lying" and "sitting". Conclusions: The FINFUN is an objective, valid and reliable tool with standardized scoring criteria for evaluation of motor function in dogs recovering from spinal cord injury.Peer reviewe

Retrospective Study of Salinomycin Toxicosis in 66 Cats

We examined 66 cats with salinomycin intoxication. Salinomycin caused different LMN signs of varying degrees of severity in all cases. Changes in blood work were unspecific, with the most frequent being increased serum creatine kinase activity, leukocytosis, and increased liver enzymes. Pathological electrodiagnostic findings: fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves were detected in 10 cases, motor nerve conductance velocity was mildly decreased in 8/12 cats, and sensory nerve conductance velocity and repetitive nerve stimulation were normal in all examined cases. In five cases the peripheral neuropathy was confirmed by pathohistology. Fluid therapy and supportive care were used as therapy and 52 cats recovered completely. The probability for complete remission was significantly different between mildly and severely affected cases. It seems that the severity of clinical signs and prognosis correlate well with the amount of toxin ingested. We conclude that early recognition and decontamination combined with supportive care results in complete recovery

Electroencephalography Findings in Healthy and Finnish Spitz Dogs with Epilepsy : Visual and Background Quantitative Analysis

Background: Qualitative and quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) parameters of healthy and Finnish Spitz dogs with epilepsy have not been determined. Objective: To determine if EEG can provide specific characteristics to distinguish between healthy dogs and dogs with epilepsy. Animals: Sixteen healthy and 15 Finnish Spitz dogs with epilepsy. Methods: A prospective clinical EEG study performed under medetomidine sedation. Blinded visual and quantitative EEG analyses were performed and results were compared between study groups. Results: Benign epileptiform transients of sleep and sleep spindles were a frequent finding in a majority of animals from both groups. The EEG analysis detected epileptiform activity in 3 Finnish Spitz dogs with epilepsy and in 1 healthy Finnish Spitz dog. Epileptiform activity was characterized by spikes, polyspikes, and spike slow wave complexes in posterior-occipital derivation in dogs with epilepsy and with midline spikes in control dog. The healthy dogs showed significantly less theta and beta activity than did the dogs with epilepsy (P < .01), but the only significant difference between healthy dogs and dogs with untreated epilepsy was in the alpha band (P < .001). Phenobarbital treatment increased alpha, beta (P < .001), and theta (P < .01), and decreased delta (P < .001) frequency bands compared with dogs with untreated epilepsy. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Benign epileptiform transients of sleep could be easily misinterpreted as epileptiform activity. Epileptiform activity in Finnish Spitz dogs with epilepsy seems to originate from a posterior-occipital location. The EEG of dogs with epilepsy exhibited a significant difference in background frequency bands compared with the control dogs. Phenobarbital treatment markedly influenced all background activity bands. Quantitative EEG analysis, in addition to visual analysis, seems to be a useful tool in the examination of patients with epilepsy

Response to letter to editor regarding Seizure-precipitating factors in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy

Non peer reviewe

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Finnish Spitz Dogs with Focal Epilepsy

Eleven Finnish Spitz dogs with focal seizures and 3 healthy controls were evaluated. General clinical and neurological examinations, blood examination, urinalysis, cerebrospinal fluid examination, electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain were performed on all dogs. On EEG examination, focal epileptic activity was found in 7 of 11 dogs (64%), and generalized epileptic activity was observed in 4 of 11 dogs (36%). MRI (performed with 1.5 T equipment) detected changes in 1 epileptic dog. Mild contrast enhancement after gadolinium injection was identified in this dog's right parietal cortex. However, no such changes were observed in repeated magnetic resonance images. Special emphasis was given to seizure history to determine any correlations between seizure intervals and MRI findings. Our results indicate that Finnish Spitz dogs with focal seizures suffer from focal idiopathic epilepsy and have nondetectable findings on MRI or pathology. MRI showed poor sensitivity in detecting epileptogenic areas in our patients with focal seizures. Reversible MRI changes in 1 dog could have been caused by seizures

Seizure-precipitating factors in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy

Background: Stress, sleep deprivation, and infectious diseases are important seizure-precipitating factors in human epilepsy patients. However, these factors have not been thoroughly studied in epileptic dogs. Objective: Seizure-precipitating factors are common in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and the occurrence of these factors associate with the dogs' signalment, personality, and epilepsy-related factors. Animals: Fifty dogs with diagnosed idiopathic epilepsy from the hospital populations of University Veterinary Teaching Hospital of University of Helsinki and Referral Animal Hospital Aisti. Methods: In a retrospective cross-sectional observational study, owners were interviewed about their dogs' possible seizure-precipitating factors according to a predefined questionnaire. The dogs were identified and selected by searching the medical records of the participating animal hospitals. Results: The prevalence of seizure-precipitating factors in the study population was 74% (37/50). The most frequently reported factors included stress-related situations, sleep deprivation, weather, and hormonal factors. In dogs with focal onset seizures, the number of precipitating factors was 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.4) times higher compared to dogs with generalized seizures. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Seizure-precipitating factors are common in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy, and the nature of these factors is consistent with those of human patients. Aside from antiepileptic medication, acknowledging and avoiding seizure-precipitating factors could help veterinarians achieve better treatment outcomes.Peer reviewe

A SEL1L Mutation Links a Canine Progressive Early-Onset Cerebellar Ataxia to the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Protein Degradation (ERAD) Machinery

Peer reviewe

Identification of a Novel Idiopathic Epilepsy Locus in Belgian Shepherd Dogs

Peer reviewe