ABSTRACT
A 9-year-old female neutered collie-cross dog was presented with a 2-month history of persistent diarrhoea, weight loss and intermittent vomiting. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed one loop of jejunum with a markedly thickened and multifocally hyperechoic wall, without loss of wall layering. Laparotomies were performed for biopsy and resection of affected intestine. Histopathological examination revealed small intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (GN). The dog recovered well from surgery and the diarrhoea resolved. Eleven months later the dog has gained weight and remains asymptomatic. This is the first report of small intestinal GN affecting a mature dog, in which pathology was localized to the mucosal lamina propria and surgical treatment resulted in a successful outcome.
Subject(s)
Diarrhea/veterinary , Digestive System Neoplasms/veterinary , Dog Diseases/pathology , Ganglioneuroma/veterinary , Jejunum/pathology , Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b/veterinary , Animals , Diarrhea/diagnostic imaging , Diarrhea/pathology , Diarrhea/surgery , Digestive System Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Digestive System Neoplasms/pathology , Digestive System Neoplasms/surgery , Dog Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Dog Diseases/surgery , Dogs , Female , Ganglioneuroma/diagnostic imaging , Ganglioneuroma/pathology , Ganglioneuroma/surgery , Jejunum/diagnostic imaging , Jejunum/surgery , Laparotomy , Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b/diagnostic imaging , Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b/pathology , Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b/surgery , Treatment Outcome , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Urine specific gravity (USG) is used clinically as a measure of urine concentration, and is routinely assessed by refractometry. A comparison between optical analogue and digital refractometers for evaluation of canine urine has not been reported. The aim of this study was to compare a digital and an optical analogue hand-held refractometer for the measurement of canine USG, and to assess correlation with urine osmolality. Prospective study. Free-catch urine samples were collected from 285 hospitalised adult dogs, and paired USG readings were obtained with a digital and an optical analogue refractometer. In 50 dogs, urine osmolality was also measured using a freezing point depression osmometer. There was a small but statistically significant difference between the two refractometers (P<0.001), with the optical analogue refractometer reading higher than the digital refractometer (mean difference 0.0006, sd 0.0012). Paired refractometer measurements varied by <0.002 in 91.5 per cent of cases. The optical analogue and digital refractometer readings showed excellent correlation with osmolality (r=0.980 and r=0.977, respectively, P<0.001 in both cases). Despite statistical significance, the difference between the two refractometers is unlikely to be clinically significant. Both instruments provide an accurate assessment of USG in dogs.
Subject(s)
Dogs/urine , Refractometry/veterinary , Urinalysis/veterinary , Urine/chemistry , Animals , Osmolar Concentration , Refractometry/instrumentation , Refractometry/methods , Reproducibility of Results , Specific Gravity , Urinalysis/instrumentation , Urinalysis/methodsABSTRACT
Chronic gastric volvulus in dogs results in long-standing gastrointestinal signs unlike those of acute gastric dilatation and volvulus. This report describes chronic gastric volvulus in seven dogs. The majority of dogs presented with weight loss, chronic vomiting, lethargy and abdominal pain. A combination of radiographic, ultrasonographic and endoscopic imaging indicated altered positioning of gastric landmarks. Dynamic changes were identified in some cases. Exploratory coeliotomy and surgical gastropexy were performed in all dogs. Clinical signs improved or resolved in six of seven dogs postoperatively. Chronic gastric volvulus is an uncommon condition in dogs, but should be considered as a differential in cases presenting with the above clinical signs.
