Abdominal Ultrasound Examination Findings in 534 Hyperthyroid Cats Referred for Radioiodine Treatment Between 2007-2010.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of concurrent disease in hyperthyroid cats is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence of concurrent intra-abdominal disease using abdominal ultrasound examination (AUS) in hyperthyroid cats referred for radioactive iodine treatment (RIT) and to determine whether the requirement for pretreatment AUS is justified. ANIMALS: Five hundred and thirty-four client-owned cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and referred for RIT. METHODS: Retrospective study. Age, breed, sex, body weight, clinical signs, total serum T4 concentration, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration, serum creatinine concentration, urine specific gravity (USG), AUS results, and biopsy or cytology results, or both (if obtained) were collected from the medical records. RESULTS: The prevalence of concurrent disease identified using AUS in hyperthyroid cats referred for RIT was 36.1%; 22.8% of the cats in the study had renal disease and 2.4% had confirmed neoplasia. Significant differences in median USG (P value 0.032) and median BUN (P value 0.028) were found between cats that had abnormal kidneys on AUS compared to those with normal-appearing kidneys. Only 2.2% of the cats were not treated with RIT as a result of changes identified on AUS and subsequently obtained cytology or biopsy results. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The results indicate that pretreatment AUS in hyperthyroid cats referred for RIT is unnecessary in most patients.

Subtotal colectomy for the treatment of obstipation secondary to pelvic fracture malunion in cats.

Eleven cats in which subtotal colectomy with end-to-end jejunocolostomy was performed for the treatment of chronic obstipation secondary to pelvic fracture malunion were followed for at least 18 months. Seven cats had no recurrence of clinical signs and no longterm complications. In two cats, constipation was less severe and occurred less frequently; however, medical treatment was still required. In one cat, watery diarrhea gradually changed to semiformed feces of normal consistency by month 6; the cat was clinically normal at month 18. One cat had recurrence of constipation and was euthanatized after 2 years of medical treatment.

Partial rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament of the stifle in dogs: 25 cases (1982-1988).

Partial rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament was diagnosed in 25 dogs. In all dogs, the primary problem at the time of physical examination was hind limb lameness. The mean time from initial onset of lameness to diagnosis at exploratory surgery was 17 weeks. A cranial drawer sign was detected in 13 of the 25 dogs; in 9, the cranial drawer sign was evident only when the stifle was positioned in flexion. Of the 25 dogs, 12 had no detectable cranial drawer sign in response to manipulation of the involved stifle. In all dogs, lateral stifle arthrotomy was performed in routine manner, and the cranial cruciate ligament was found to be incompletely torn. Lesions identified during arthrotomy were rupture of the craniomedial band (n = 20 dogs), interstitial tear (n = 4 dogs), and rupture of the caudolateral band (n = 1 dog).

Occurrence of problems after three techniques of bilateral thyroidectomy in cats.

Bilateral thyroidectomy was performed in 106 cats with hyperthyroidism by one of three techniques: original intracapsular, modified intracapsular, or modified extracapsular. Hypocalcemia was detected in the first 3 days after surgery in 11 (22%) of 50 cats treated by the intracapsular technique, 10 (33%) of 30 cats treated by the modified intracapsular technique, and 6 (23%) of 26 cats treated by the modified extracapsular technique. Hypocalcemia was classified as mild or severe. No signs of hypoparathyroidism developed in any of the 13 cats with mild hypocalcemia. Of the 14 cats with severe hypocalcemia, 8 had clinical signs of hypoparathyroidism before and during treatment with calcium and vitamin D, 3 were treated and no clinical signs developed, 2 were not treated but no clinical signs developed, and 1 was lost to follow-up. No cat required permanent calcium or vitamin D supplementation after surgery. Severe hypocalcemia and clinical signs of hypoparathyroidism occurred in 3 (6%) of the 50 cats treated by the intracapsular technique, 4 (13.3%) of the 30 cats treated by the modified intracapsular technique, and 1 (3.8%) of the 26 cats treated by the modified extracapsular technique. Twelve cats had recurrence of hyperthyroidism at a median time of 23 months. The intracapsular technique was used in 11 of these cats, and the modified extracapsular technique was used in 1. No clinical signs of hypothyroidism were detected in any of the cats. The modified intracapsular and modified extracapsular techniques of bilateral thyroidectomy are effective procedures for the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism.

Problems and complications associated with the nonsurgical management of intervertebral disc disease.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a common problem encountered in veterinary practice. The primary goal in treating animals with IVDD should be to relieve nerve root and spinal cord compression, thereby retaining or regaining normal neurologic function. Methods of nonsurgical management include corticosteroid medication, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture therapy, and chemonucleolysis. Each one of these modalities have their own inherent advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before instituting therapy.

Complications associated with the diagnostic, medical, and surgical management of portosystemic shunts.

Anomalous vascular connections between the portal and systemic circulations can result in several profound alterations in normal physiology. In most cases the presenting clinical signs are referable to the nervous, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems. Medical management may help control the clinical signs, but only surgical redirection of the shunting blood back to the liver parenchyma can result in reversal of the hepatic atrophy and dysfunction that exists. This article describes the problems associated with the diagnostic, medical, and surgical management of animals with congenital portosystemic shunts.

Complications associated with perineal urethrostomy in the cat.

Urethral obstruction is a common problem in male cats. The most prevalent location for the obstruction is the penile urethra. Most male cats with urethral obstruction can be effectively treated without surgery. However, some cats with this condition require a perineal urethrostomy. This surgical procedure involves removing the penile urethra and creating a permanent stoma between the skin and pelvic urethra. A variety of medical and management problems can develop early in the course of urethral obstruction. In addition, there are several potential intraoperative and postoperative complications related to the technique of perineal urethrostomy. Most medical problems and surgical complications respond to appropriate treatment.

Results of surgical treatment for hyperadrenocorticism caused by adrenocortical neoplasia in the dog: 25 cases (1980-1984).

Results of surgical treatment for neoplasia of the adrenal cortex that caused hyperadrenocorticism were evaluated in 25 dogs. Surgical examination of the adrenal glands was performed by use of a ventral midline approach in 24 dogs and a retroperitoneal approach in 1 dog. All 25 dogs had a unilateral, adrenocortical tumor. Histologic examination identified 14 adrenocortical carcinomas and 11 adenomas. Seven dogs with carcinoma had visible metastasis to the liver, 3 had local invasion into the caudal vena cava, and 1 had extension into the adjacent renal vein. Seven of the 9 dogs with metastasis were euthanatized at time of surgery. Of the remaining 18 dogs that survived surgery, 9 (4 with carcinoma and 5 with adenoma) developed serious postoperative complications including acute renal failure, pneumonia, and pulmonary artery thromboembolism; 8 of these dogs died or were euthanatized. Of the remaining 10 dogs, clinical signs associated with hyperadrenocorticism resolved in the 7 dogs that had adrenocortical adenoma and in 1 of the 3 dogs that had carcinoma. The remaining 2 dogs with carcinoma had persistent hyperadrenocorticism and were treated with high doses of mitotane. Although no response was observed in 1 dog with visible hepatic metastasis, a decrease in serum cortisol concentrations and resolution of clinical signs were detected in the other dog during prolonged daily administration of mitotane.

Portosystemic shunts in cats: seven cases (1976-1984).

Congenital portosystemic venous shunt causing signs of hepatic encephalopathy was diagnosed in 7 cats. The left gastric vein served as the shunt in four of these. Increases in blood ammonia and postprandial serum bile acids were the most consistent serum biochemical abnormalities. Excessive variation in red blood cell shape was a common but nonspecific hematologic finding. The jejunal-mesenteric venous injection of contrast material was the preferred method of portography to diagnose portosystemic shunts. Two cats were treated successfully by partial surgical occlusion of their shunts.

Cutaneous lesion caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a dog.

A 5-month-old female mixed-breed dog was examined because of nonhealing wounds in the right submandibular region. Treatment with antibiotics and surgical excision was ineffective. Specimens of the right mandibular lymph node and surrounding tissues were submitted for bacteriologic culturing, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated. The dog was euthanatized. The risk of infection of human beings who associate with dogs that have cutaneous wounds caused by mycobacteria is unknown.

Hemangiosarcoma in the cat: retrospective evaluation of 31 surgical cases.

Hemangiosarcoma was diagnosed in 31 cats. Diagnosis was confirmed by surgical biopsy. Locations of the primary tumors were the abdominal cavity (15 cats), sc tissue (13 cats), thoracic cavity (2 cats), and nasal cavity (1 cat). Nine (60%) of the 15 cats with abdominal hemangiosarcoma had extrathoracic evidence of metastasis: this was not found in the other cats. Of the cats with tumors located in the sc tissue, 6 of 10 (60%) evaluated on a long-term basis had local recurrence of the tumor. Eleven cats were not available for follow-up evaluation, 3 cats were euthanatized at the time of surgery, and 2 others were euthanatized within the first postoperative week subsequent to histologic diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. Of the remaining 15 cats, 4 with abdominal hemangiosarcoma and 5 with hemangiosarcoma of the sc tissue died at means of 22 and 44 weeks, respectively.