Abdominal trauma in dogs 2. management

Trauma represents a big challenge for emergency doctors both in human and veterinary medicine. There have been great advancements in trauma medicine in people and these often provide an inspiration for veterinary surgeons. However, the vast differences in the facilities and finances available in human and veterinary medicine make the approach to trauma in both fields quite different. This article, the second in a two-part series, describes how to manage canine trauma patients. The first part focused on the initial investigation of canine abdominal trauma. Although this article will mention guidelines in people, these should not be automatically applied to dogs, especially when more relevant evidence for this species exists

Lung lobe torsion in adult and juvenile pugs

This cases series of 13 pugs with lung lobe torsion (LLT) is the largest case series of pugs in the literature and the first to compare dogs presenting before and after 12 months of age. Similar to previous case series, the median age of pugs with LLT was 17 months; however six dogs were under 12 months of age (3 of 13 were 11–13 weeks at presentation). There were no differences between the dogs that presented younger or older than 12 months old with respect to sex, neuter status, lung lobe affected, duration and nature of clinical signs, time alive after discharge, and complications. The juvenile onset may suggest that some dogs are inherently at risk of LLT. This is intriguing and important as LLT may not be an intuitive diagnosis in a juvenile brachycephalic animal, and practitioners should be aware of this unusual presentation

Pet owners' awareness of animal blood banks and their motivations towards animal blood donation

The general public’s awareness of, and attitude to, canine and feline blood donation is poorly understood. Increasing understanding of pet owners’ thoughts about donation may allow more effective blood donor recruitment. The aims of this study were to investigate pet owners’ awareness of small animal blood donation and their attitude and motivations regarding their pet being a blood donor. A mixed methods approach was used, with data collected from 158 pet owners attending a first-opinion veterinary clinic using a written questionnaire of closed and open questions. Most owners were unaware that dogs and cats could donate blood (70 per cent). However, 89 per cent stated they would be willing to let their pet donate blood if they were suitable. This was more likely if the owner did not work full time and less likely if they were aged over 71 years. Thematic analysis of owners’ motivations and deterrents towards pet blood donation resulted in four key themes: ‘Beneficence’, the desire to help others; ‘Necessity of service’, a recognition of the requirement for blood products; ‘Reciprocity’, a hope that if they participated this would result in blood products being available for their pet; and ‘Reservations and concerns’

Hypertension, retinopathy, and acute kidney injury in dogs: A prospective study

Background Systemic hypertension (SH) is a potential complication of acute kidney injury (AKI) in dogs. Objective To describe the prevalence of SH and hypertensive retinopathy in dogs with AKI, to investigate the relationship between SH and severity of AKI and to assess possible factors associated with SH. Animals Fifty‐two dogs with AKI. Methods Prospective observational study of dogs presenting to a tertiary referral center that fulfilled the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) guidelines for the diagnosis of AKI. Systolic blood pressure measurement, urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR), urine output, presence of hypertensive retinopathy and fluid overload (FO), survival to discharge and duration of hospitalization were subsequently assessed. The prevalence of SH was calculated and the relationship between SH and recorded factors was examined by nonparametric statistics. Results The prevalence of SH (≥160 mm Hg) on admission or during hospitalization was 75% (39/52) and in 56% (22/39) of cases this was severe (≥180 mm Hg). Sixteen percent (7/43) of dogs had evidence of hypertensive retinopathy and 77% (24/31) dogs had UPCR >0.5. Forty‐two percent (22/52) dogs had FO on admission or during hospitalization. There was no association between SH and IRIS AKI grade, oligo/anuria, survival to discharge, duration of hospitalization or proteinuria. Dogs with FO on presentation were more likely to be hypertensive at admission compared to dogs without FO (P = .02). Dogs that did not survive to discharge were more likely to have FO (P = .007). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Systemic hypertension is common in dogs with AKI. Systemic hypertension might be associated with FO, which itself is associated with nonsurvival. Monitoring for SH and FO is therefore warranted in dogs with AKI