Ultrasound-guided percutaneous antegrade pyelography for suspected ureteral obstruction in 6 pet guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Objectives: to describe the feasibility and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous antegrade pyelography in pet guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) with suspected ureteral obstruction.Materials and Methods: six adult pet guinea pigs (4 females and 2 males, all intact) were evaluated for suspected ureteral obstruction. The mean weight of the guinea pigs was 0.8 \ub1 0.25 kg (range: 0.4-1.1 kg), and mean age was 4.07 \ub1 1.63 years (range 2-7 years). All animals were free from comorbid diseases, had clinical signs of urologic disease and were referred based on either strong clinical suspicion of, or diagnostic imaging of ureteral obstruction. Data on signalment and clinical examination findings, response to anaesthesia and imaging findings were recorded.Results: partial ureteral obstruction was confirmed in all guinea pigs but one, in which a complete ureteral obstruction occurred. Uroliths were in both ureters of 5 cases and in both the left renal pelvis and ureters in 1 case. All guinea pigs showed a normal appetite and regular defecation within 2 hours following the procedure. No intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications were encountered after the procedure. The only complication was contrast medium leakages in the subcapsular perinephric, retroperitoneal and, in one case, peritoneal space, which caused no overt clinical consequences afterwards. In one male patient, mobilisation of the ureteral calculus occurred and the urolith was found in the urinary bladder on the radiograph taken after contrast medium injection.Clinical Significance: the ultrasound-guided percutaneous antegrade pyelography technique is a useful, safe and easy-to-perform diagnostic tool in guinea pigs with hydronephrosis and hydroureter

Congenital deformity of the distal extremities in three dogs

Congenital limb deformities are very rare conditions and the knowledge about etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment is still poor. Moreover, many defects are still not reported in veterinary literature. This report documents clinical and radiographic findings in three dogs with congenital deformity involving the distal extremities. Case 1 was affected with bilateral aphalangia of the pedes, case 2 presented a combination of brachydactyly and syndactyly, whereas in case 3 a unilateral ectrodactyly was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, brachydactyly, as well as aphalangia, are very uncommon anomalies and have been rarely documented. Moreover, association between syndactyly and brachydactyly has still not been reported

Malignant pilomatricoma with multiple bone metastases in a dog: Histological and immunohistochemical study.

An eleven year-old mongrel dog was referred with a history of left forelimb lameness and an ulcerated mass on the neck. Histologically, the cutaneous neoplasm revealed cystic lobules composed of basaloid cells with abrupt transition to central keratotic material, containing pycnotic and shadow cells. Approximately 3 months after primary diagnosis, a lesion of the cortical bone on the left humerus was observed using X-ray. Samples obtained from the humerus were processed for histopathological examination and the neoplastic tissue was observed to be similar to the type identified in the neck. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as a malignant pilomatricoma (MP) with bone metastasis. MP is a rare skin tumor that originates from hair matrix cells. To date, only nine reports have been presented in dogs. In the present study, we discuss the cytological and histological patterns of MP, confirmed by immunohistochemistry using β catenin antibody

Ultrasonographic assessment of normal jugular veins in Standardbred horses

Ultrasonography (US) is the recommended imaging technique to evaluate jugular veins. This prospective randomized clinical study was designed to collect a series of B-mode US measurements of manually distended jugular veins in healthy Italian Standardbreds and to find possible correlations between ultrasound measurements and animal morphometric characteristics. Forty-two horses, eight males and 34 females (range 3-22\u2009years; bodyweight 494.4\u2009\ub1\u200941.7\u2009kg), were included in the study. The diameters and wall thicknesses of both jugular veins were measured at three different sites of the neck. The differences in ultrasound measurements based on scans, age, gender, side, and site of the neck were evaluated by ANOVA or by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effects of the morphometric measures on each ultrasound parameter were evaluated by MANOVA (P\u2009<\u20090.05)

Ultrasonographic assessment of normal jugular veins in Standardbred horses

Ultrasonography (US) is the recommended imaging technique to evaluate jugular veins. This prospective randomized clinical study was designed to collect a series of B-mode US measurements of manually distended jugular veins in healthy Italian Standardbreds and to find possible correlations between ultrasound measurements and animal morphometric characteristics. Forty-two horses, eight males and 34 females (range 3-22 years; bodyweight 494.4 ± 41.7 kg), were included in the study. The diameters and wall thicknesses of both jugular veins were measured at three different sites of the neck. The differences in ultrasound measurements based on scans, age, gender, side, and site of the neck were evaluated by ANOVA or by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effects of the morphometric measures on each ultrasound parameter were evaluated by MANOVA (P < 0.05)

The use of platelet-rich plasma for treatment of tenodesmic lesions in horses: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical and experimental data

The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to enhance tenodesmic lesion healing has been questioned over the years. The aim of this study was to evaluate current literature to establish the effectiveness of PRP for treating tenodesmic lesions through a systematic review, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and a meta-analysis. Studies comparing PRP with placebo or other treatments for horses with tenodesmic injuries or evaluated PRP effect on tendon and ligament explants were included. Outcomes were clinical, ultrasound, histologic, molecular evaluation, and adverse effects. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed each study’s risk of bias. Treatment effects were evaluated using risk ratios for dichotomous data, together with 95% CI. Data were pooled using the random-effects model. The quality of the evidence for each outcome was assessed using GRADE criteria. Twenty-four trials met inclusion criteria for systematic review, while fifteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed no significant differences in the outcomes between PRP and control groups. Finally, there is no definitive evidence that PRP enhances tendons and ligaments healing. Therefore, there is a need for more controlled trials to draw a firmer conclusion about the efficacy of PRP as a treatment for tenodesmic lesions in the horse

Normal ultrasonographic features of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) eyes

The Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea but, like other sea turtles, it is considered a threatened species. Improving anatomical knowledge on normal aspects of the species is important for correct diagnosis and proper therapy and, therefore, for improving the chances of a complete recovery and a fast reintroduction into the wild for a greater number of sea turtle bycatch and other mishaps. For this reason, 15 Loggerhead turtles, with clinically healthy eyes, were submitted to ocular ultrasonographic (US) examinations. The US exam was quick, non-invasive, and simple to perform and permitted researchers to assess all the ocular features. © 2020, Croatian Natural History Museum. All rights reserved

Lateral patellar luxation in nine small breed dogs

The objective of this paper was to describe the clinical features, the management and the outcome of nine small breed dogs affected with lateral patella luxation referred during the period between January 2010 and December 2014. Patellar luxations were classified according to: breed, age, sex, weight, and grade of patellar luxation, as well as if unilateral or bilateral, and concurrent cranial cruciate ligament lesion. In affected dogs, surgical correction consisted in the combination of tibial tuberosity transposition and soft tissue procedure. Adjunctive condroplasty or trochleoplasty was performed as needing. The outcome was found positive after surgical management with low complication rate and complications have been easily managed with high success rate