Abdominal ultrasound image quality is comparable among veterinary sonographers with varying levels of expertise for healthy canine and feline patients.

Abdominal ultrasonography is increasingly used as a standard diagnostic test in veterinary practices, however, there is little published information regarding the effects of operator experience on image quality. In this prospective observer agreement study, image quality was assessed for abdominal ultrasound examinations performed by nine sonographers (three general practitioners, three credentialed veterinary technicians, and three board-certified specialists). Each sonographer independently performed abdominal ultrasound examinations on the same group of 4 sedated clinically healthy animals (3 dogs, 1 cat) using the same model machine and standardized presets. Twenty-five organs and anatomical landmarks per exam (26 for male dog) were evaluated. Still images and cine loops were recorded for each one of the organs. The final scoring of image quality for each examination was performed by two board-certified veterinary radiologists in a randomized and blinded fashion. Semiquantitative scoring system was used for each reading: 0 - not seen, 1- seen but poor quality/partial seen, 2 - average/good quality, and 3 - excellent quality. The average score for each animal and sonographer was tallied and sonographer groups and individual sonographers were compared. Scores were assessed for normality and data were ranked transformed prior to statistical analysis. No significant differences were found regarding the completeness and quality scores of sonographers of different experience levels and disciplines when measuring specific standard components of a full abdominal scan. There were no statistical differences between individual sonographers or groups of sonographers. Although not statistically significant, the general practitioner's group showed the greatest variability of their individual scores.

Comparison of clinical findings in 293 dogs with suspect acute pancreatitis: Different clinical presentation with left lobe, right lobe or diffuse involvement of the pancreas.

Pancreatitis is a common clinical condition seen in companion animals. The correlation of the region of the pancreas affected to the presentation of clinical signs has not been previously described. A retrospective study on the clinical findings in 293 client-owned dogs diagnosed with suspect pancreatitis based on history, clinical signs, laboratory testing and abdominal ultrasonography was performed. Based on ultrasonography, dogs were divided into three groups: group 1: 41 dogs with ultrasonographic changes consistent with pancreatitis within the left lobe of the pancreas; group 2: 105 dogs with ultrasonographic changes compatible with pancreatitis within the right lobe of the pancreas; and group 3: 147 dogs with ultrasonographic evidence of diffuse pancreatitis. No significant differences regarding age, breed and sex were evident. Furthermore, statistical significance was demonstrated with the presence of pain in group 3; poor appetite in groups 2 and 3; and vomiting and diarrhoea in group 3. Pain is expected to occur with a higher frequency in diffuse pancreatitis, but it is not a common clinical sign. This may represent a more severe form of the disease when the pancreas is diffusely affected. Vomiting was more common than diarrhoea with both clinical signs more prevalent in dogs with diffuse pancreatitis, and this could be ascribed to gastric and intestinal tract involvement. Poor appetite occurred more frequently in dogs with diffuse and right lobe pancreatitis. A possible explanation can be attributed to the fact that the duodenum has many receptors and is referred to as the 'organ of nausea'.

Tracking a half century of media reporting on gray wolves.

Natural resource and wildlife managers must balance the disparate priorities of a diversity of stakeholders. To manage these priorities, a firm understanding of topics salient to the public is needed. The media often report on issues of importance to the public; therefore, these reports may be a useful measure of public interest. However, efficient methods for distinguishing diverse topics related to a wildlife management issue reported in the media and changes in the salience of those topics have been lacking. We used latent Dirichlet allocation, a Bayesian mixture model, to quantitatively assess the salience of topics surrounding the gray wolf (Canis lupus), which was reintroduced to Idaho (U.S.A.) in 1995. We analyzed articles published from 1960 to 2015 in an Idaho newspaper. We identified 6 distinct topics associated with gray wolves: policy, hunting, biological status, implementation of management, recovery, and human-wolf conflict. The salience of topics pre- and postreintroduction of wolves (1995) and pre- and postdelisting of wolves from the U.S. Endangered Species Act (2009) differed significantly, underscoring that these events were turning points in how issues were being publicly discussed and framed. Articles written by the local reporters were more likely to report on topics regarding conflict between humans and wolves, whereas articles sourced from a national outlet reported more on topics pertaining to wolf policy and biological status. In the context of managing a contentious, far-ranging, and long-lived wildlife species, our methods can help guide the location and timing of a suite of management strategies (e.g., media relation plans and stakeholder engagement) that promote human-wildlife coexistence across different landscapes.

Seguimiento de Medio Siglo de Reportes Mediáticos sobre Lobos Grises Resumen Los administradores de los recursos naturales y de la fauna deben balancear las prioridades discrepantes de una diversidad de accionistas. Para manejar estas prioridades se requiere de un entendimiento firme de los temas destacados para el público. Los medios frecuentemente reportan sobre temas de importancia para el público; por lo tanto, estos reportajes pueden ser una medida útil del interés del público. Sin embargo, hoy en día se carece de métodos eficientes para distinguir diferentes temas relacionados con un tema de manejo de fauna reportado en los medios y para reconocer los cambios en la prominencia de estos temas. Usamos la asignación latente Dirichlet, un modelo de mezcla bayesiana, para evaluar cuantitativamente la prominencia de los temas circundantes al lobo gris (Canis lupus), el cual fue reintroducido a Idaho (E.U.A.) en 1995. Analizamos artículos publicados en un periódico de Idaho desde 1960 y hasta 2015. Identificamos seis temas distintos asociados con el lobo gris: política, caza, estado biológico, implementación del manejo, recuperación, y conflicto humano-lobos. La prominencia de los temas previa y posterior a la introducción de los lobos (1995) y previa y posterior al retiro de los lobos del Acta de Especies Amenazadas de E.U.A (2009) varió significativamente, resaltando que estos eventos fueron puntos críticos para cómo se discutían y enmarcaban estos temas. Los artículos escritos por los reporteros locales tuvieron una mayor probabilidad de tratar temas sobre el conflicto entre humanos y lobos, mientras que los artículos surgidos en alguna fuente nacional reportaron más sobre temas correspondientes a la política y al estado biológico de los lobos. En el contexto de una especie silvestre contenciosa, de una extensión amplia y un ciclo de vida largo, nuestros métodos pueden ayudar a guiar la ubicación y el momento de un conjunto de estrategias de manejo (p. ej.: planes de relación de medios y compromiso de los accionistas) que promueva la coexistencia entre humanos y fauna a lo largo de diferentes paisajes.

Palliative ultrasound-guided endoscopic diode laser ablation of transitional cell carcinomas of the lower urinary tract in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of ultrasound-guided endoscopic diode laser ablation for palliative management of urinary tract obstruction due to transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). DESIGN: Prospective case series. Animals-38 dogs with urinary tract obstruction or potential obstruction caused by TCC. PROCEDURES: Diagnosis of TCC of the urinary bladder and urethra was made by means of transabdominal ultrasonography and transurethral endoscopic biopsy. Transurethral endoscopic near-infrared diode laser ablation was performed to debulk and remove obstructive and potentially obstructive TCC lesions. Transabdominal ultrasonography permitted proper alignment of the endoscope and laser fiber for monitoring laser fiber penetration and subsequent tissue alteration or ablation. The primary outcome measured was median survival time. RESULTS: Median survival time for all dogs was 380 days, with a range of 11 to 1,906 days. There was no significant difference in survival time between dogs that had TCCs with urethral involvement versus dogs that had TCCs without urethral involvement. Complications were stranguria, hematuria, stenosis at the cystourethral junction, spread of TCC within the lower urinary tract, spread to the urethrostomy site, urethral perforation, and bacterial cystitis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that ultrasound-guided endoscopic diode laser ablation holds promise as a palliative treatment for dogs with TCC of the urinary tract. Ultrasonographic guidance and monitoring during laser irradiation was a useful addition to endoscopically applied transurethral diode laser ablation.