Canine lymphoma: a retrospective study (2009-2010)

This study reviews the medical records of 56 dogs diagnosed with lymphoma based on the cytological and/or histological results between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. Most of the dogs were middle-aged to old, and were diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma (ML) (n=36). The majority of the dogs were presented in stages III to V (n=55) and substage b (n=43). A complete blood count and serum biochemistry, urinalysis, serum protein electrophoresis, thoracic radiographs and/or abdominal ultrasound were performed. The results correlated with previously described results in the literature. Therapy was initiated in 80% of the dogs (n=45). After diagnosis, the median survival time of 62% of these dogs (n=28) treated with only prednisolone was 32 days (range 3 - 224 days). For 24% of the dogs (n=11) treated with chemotherapy, the median survival time was 119 days (range 11 - 273 days). Surgical resection of the macroscopic tumor was performed in the remaining six dogs (13%). Three of these dogs received subsequent prednisolone therapy. The median survival time of these six dogs was 47 days (range 0 - 669 days). The dogs that received chemotherapy had significantly longer survival times than those treated with only prednisolone, although negative prognostic factors were present in all of the cases treated with chemotherapy

The use of desoxycorticosterone pivalate in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism : a retrospective study of eight cases

In this article, the use of desoxycorticosterone pivalate is retrospectively reviewed in eight dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism, presented at the Small Animal Department of Ghent University. The results showed that desox corticosterone pivalate provided adequate mineralocorticoid replacement in all cases, also in the dogs that had previously been treated with fludrocortisone acetate. A starting dosage of 1.5 - 2.2 mg/kg SC was used, with a fixed dosing interval of 28 days in most of the cases. Each time, prednisolone was added to the therapy as glucocorticoid supplementation. No side effects related to desoxycorticosterone pivalate therapy were noted and all owners were satisfied with the treatment consisting of desoxycorticosterone pivalate and prednisolone

Plasma symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine concentrations and glomerular filtration rate in cats with normal and decreased renal function

Background Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the gold standard in assessing renal function but is impractical. Serum creatinine (sCr) has limited sensitivity in identifying early chronic kidney disease (CKD), whereas symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) has been commercialized as more accurate biomarker. Studies comparing SDMA and sCr with GFR in cats are limited. Objectives To further investigate the diagnostic performance of SDMA in nonazotemic and azotemic cats. Animals Forty-nine client-owned cats: 17 cats with CKD, 15 cats with diabetes mellitus (DM), and 17 healthy cats. Methods Retrospective study using spare blood samples from cats with documented sCr and GFR results for SDMA analysis. Diagnostic performances of SDMA and sCr were evaluated using correlation coefficients, sensitivities, specificities, and receiver operator characteristic curves. Results Compared to healthy cats and cats with DM, CKD cats had significantly higher SDMA(plasma) (26.7 +/- 9.9 mu g/dL) and sCr (249.7 +/- 71.6 mu mol/L [2.8 +/- 0.8 mg/dL]; both P < .001) values. SDMA(plasma) (tau(B) = -0.57; P < .001) and sCr (tau(B) = -0.56; P < .001) were significantly correlated with GFR. SDMA(plasma) (tau(B) = 0.52; P < .001) had a significant relationship with sCr. SDMA(plasma) and sCr had similar sensitivity (76%-94% and 71%-88%, respectively) in detecting reduced renal function. Creatinine had higher specificity (94%-96%) than SDMA(plasma) (75%-76%) (P < .05). Conclusion and Clinical Importance In this study of azotemic and nonazotemic cats, SDMA was a reliable marker to identify decreased GFR. However, superiority of SDMA over sCr could not be confirmed

Transfusies van bloedproducten bij de hond : een retrospectieve studie = Transfusion of blood products in dogs : a retrospective study

The objective of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of transfusions that were given to dogs in the year 2018 at the Small Animal Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University. A total of 87 dogs were included in this study, which together accounted for a total of 140 received transfusions. The number of packed red blood cell transfusions (n = 85) was three times higher than that of fresh frozen plasma (n = 28) or fresh whole blood (n = 27) administrations. Primary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia was diagnosed most frequently and, in comparison with previous studies, anticoagulant rodenticide intoxication was seen in a remarkably high number of dogs receiving blood products. Transfusion reactions were noted in 23.2% of transfusions, with fever occurring most frequently

Development of a non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and a duodenal ulceration after cholecystoduodenostomy in a cat

A six-year-old Ragdoll with previous extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction due to cholangio-hepatitis, treated with cholecystoduodenostomy, was presented for acute vomiting, hyporexia, and weight loss. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed randomly distributed hepatic nodules and dilated biliary ducts. Gastroduodenoscopy showed a patent cholecystoduodenostoma but disclosed a perforated duodenal ulceration. Conversion to celiotomy revealed extensive liver pathology, a discrete pancreatic nodule, and a duodenal ulcer opposite to the cholecystoduodenostoma. The cat was euthanized intra-operatively and necropsy was performed. The intrahepatic biliary tract of the right liver lobes was obstructed and severely dilated, whereas bile from the left lobes drained through the cholecystoduodenostoma. Histopathologic diagnoses were a primary pancreatic tumor, positive for glucagon on immunohistochemistry, with liver meta-stases, chronic purulent cholecystitis, and duodenal ulceration. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report in which the development of pancreatic neoplasia is described in a cat with a history of biliary tract disease

Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in cats with chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism

Background Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) are candidate biomarkers for the detection of early chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. Objective To evaluate urinary and serum L-FABP and NGAL concentrations in CKD cats and in hyperthyroid cats before and after radioiodine (I-131) treatment. Animals Nine CKD cats, 45 healthy cats and hyperthyroid cats at 3 time points including before (T0, n = 49), 1 month (T1, n = 49), and 11 to 29 months after (T2, n = 26) I-131 treatment. Methods Cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Serum L-FABP (sL-FABP), serum NGAL (sNGAL), urinary L-FABP (uL-FABP), and urinary NGAL (uNGAL) were compared between the 3 groups and between hyperthyroid cats before and after treatment. Data are reported as median (min-max). Results CKD cats had significantly higher sL-FABP (13.50 [3.40-75.60] ng/ml) and uL-FABP/Cr (4.90 [0.97-2139.44] mu g/g) than healthy cats (4.25 [1.34-23.25] ng/ml; P = .01 and 0.46 [0.18-9.13] mu g/g; P < .001, respectively). Hyperthyroid cats at T0 had significantly higher uL-FABP/Cr (0.94 [0.15-896.00] mu g/g) than healthy cats (P < .001), thereafter uL-FABP/Cr significantly decreased at T2 (0.54 [0.10-76.41] mu g/g, P = .002). For the detection of CKD, uL-FABP/Cr had 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.4-100.0) sensitivity and 93.2% (95% CI, 81.3-98.6) specificity. There were no significant differences in sNGAL and uNGAL/Cr between the 3 groups. Conclusions and Clinical Importance L-FABP, but not NGAL, is a potential biomarker for the detection of early CKD in cats. Utility of uL-FABP to predict azotemia after treatment in hyperthyroid cats remains unknown

Antimicrobial prophylaxis in canine and feline surgery

Antimicrobial prophylaxis aims at decreasing the risk of surgical site infections (SSI) by administration of antimicrobial drugs prior to surgery in animals at risk. Multiple risk factors for the development of SSIs have been determined in companion animals, and based on these risk factors, a flow diagram is proposed to identify dogs and cats that would benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis. Furthermore, the most identified bacteria in healthy companion animals are listed per organ system with their recommended prophylactic antimicrobial drug(s). Besides administration of the optimal drug type, the route of administration, dose, dose interval, and duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis are important to help reduce the emergence of (multidrug-) resistant bacteria.</jats:p

Chronic vertebral Escherichia coli osteomyelitis in a 4-year-old dog

A 4-year-old, female Malinois shepherd dog was presented for chronic repetitive episodes of severe pain for over a year. Medical imaging findings and a positive blood culture were suggestive of a L2 vertebral bacterial osteomyelitis, most likely of haematogenous origin. The dog responded well to treatment with antibiotics and analgesia. A repeated computed tomography scan 6 months after presentation (and 3 months after antibiotic discontinuation) showed a clear improvement of the vertebral lesions. The dog is still clinically normal and pain-free at the time of writing (3 years after diagnosis)