2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines.

The guidelines are an update and extension of the AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines published in 2012. A noteworthy change from the earlier guidelines is the division of the dog's lifespan into five stages (puppy, young adult, mature adult, senior, and end of life) instead of the previous six. This simplified grouping is consistent with how pet owners generally perceive their dog's maturation and aging process and provides a readily understood basis for an evolving, lifelong healthcare strategy. The guidelines provide the following recommendations for managing 10 health-related factors at each of the first four canine life stages: lifestyle effect on the patient's safety, zoonotic and human safety risk, behavior, nutrition, parasite control, vaccination, dental health, reproduction, breed-specific conditions, and a baseline diagnostic profile.

Management of dogs and cats with endotracheal tube tracheal foreign bodies.

Two cats and 3 dogs were treated for an endotracheal tube tracheal foreign body (ETFB) during recovery from general anesthesia. Bronchoscopy was used to remove the ETFB. Animals were clinically normal at discharge. While rare, ETFB can occur upon recovery from anesthesia. Bronchoscopy is an effective way to remove ETFB.

Gestion des chiens et des chats avec un corps étranger trachéal à cause du tube endotrachéal. Deux chats et 3 chiens ont été traités pour un corps étranger trachéal à cause du tube endotrachéal (CETTT) durant le réveil de l'anesthésie générale. Une bronchoscopie a été utilisée pour enlever le CETTT. Les animaux étaient cliniquement normaux au congé. Quoique rare, le CETTT, peut se produire au réveil de l'anesthésie. La bronchoscopie est une manière efficace d'enlever le CETTT.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

The use of medetomidine-based sedation protocols to perform urohydropropulsion and cystoscopy in the dog.

Voiding urohydropropulsion and cystoscopy are routine procedures performed in the dog for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. These procedures are typically performed under general anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to describe the use of medetomidine-based sedation protocols to perform voiding urohydropropulsion and cystoscopy in cardiovascularly healthy, non-diabetic dogs without evidence of urinary obstruction, renal disease, or hepatic disease. Results of this study revealed significantly shorter procedure times and decreased cost in sedated dogs, with diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes equivalent to those of patients that underwent general anesthesia. Based on the results of this retrospective study, the authors recommend medetomidine-based sedation protocols for voiding urohydropropulsion and cystoscopy in appropriately selected patients.

Usage des protocoles de sédation à la médétomidine pour réaliser l'urohydropropulsion et la cystoscopie chez un chien. L'urohydropropulsion permictionnelle et la cystoscopie sont des interventions de routine réalisées chez le chien à des fins diagnostiques et thérapeutiques. Ces interventions sont habituellement réalisées sous anesthésie générale. Le but de cette étude était de décrire l'usage des protocoles de sédation à la médétomidine afin d'effectuer l'urohydropropulsion permictionnelle et la cystoscopie chez des chiens en bonne santé cardiovasculaire et non diabétiques sans signe d'obstruction urinaire, de maladie rénale ni de maladie hépatique. Les résultats de cette étude ont révélé des temps d'intervention significativement réduits et une baisse du coût chez les chiens sous sédation, avec des résultats diagnostiques et thérapeutiques équivalant à ceux de patients qui avaient subi une anesthésie générale. Selon les résultats de cette étude rétrospective, les auteurs recommandent des protocoles de sédation à la médétomidine pour l'urohydropropulsion permictionnelle et la cystoscopie chez les patients choisis selon des critères appropriés.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Ectopic spleen presenting with anemia and an abdominal mass in a dog.

An 11.5-year-old, neutered male, golden retriever dog that had previously had a splenectomy for benign disease 2 years prior to presentation was diagnosed with anemia and a large abdominal mass. Necropsy and histopathology identified the abdominal mass as ectopic splenic tissue.

Présentation d'un cas de rate ectopique avec de l'anémie et une masse abdominale chez un chien. Un chien Golden retriever castré âgé de 11,5 ans ayant subi une splénectomie pour une maladie bénigne 2 ans avant la présentation a été diagnostiqué avec l'anémie et une grande masse abdominale. La nécropsie et l'histopathologie ont identifié la masse abdominale comme des tissus spléniques ectopiques.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Ultrasonographic and laboratory screening in clinically normal mature golden retriever dogs.

Wellness and pre-anesthetic screening of blood and urine of geriatric companion animals are routinely recommended. In addition, there are occasional references to the use of imaging in clinically normal geriatric patients. However, the utility of wellness testing is not known, and there is limited information regarding the value of pre-anesthetic testing. Wellness testing, including complete blood cell count, biochemical profile, urinalysis, and abdominal ultrasound, was performed on 53 clinically normal, mature golden retriever dogs. Laboratory analysis revealed abnormalities in 54.7% (29/53) of the dogs. Abdominal ultrasound screening demonstrated abnormalities in 64.2% (34/53) of the dogs. As only a small number of dogs had follow-up diagnostic testing available, the significance of these abnormalities is unknown. Further study involving a larger cohort of animals and analysis of follow-up data is necessary to determine the utility of laboratory and imaging studies in clinically normal geriatric patients.

Iron deficiency anemia.

Iron is essential to virtually all living organisms and is integral to multiple metabolic functions. The most important function is oxygen transport in hemoglobin. Iron deficiency anemia in dogs and cats is usually caused by chronic blood loss and can be discovered incidentally as animals may have adapted to the anemia. Severe iron deficiency is characterized by a microcytic, hypochromic, potentially severe anemia with a variable regenerative response. Iron metabolism and homeostasis will be reviewed, followed by a discussion of diagnostic testing and therapeutic recommendations for dogs and cats with iron deficiency anemia.

Polycythemia and inappropriate erythropoietin concentrations in two dogs with renal T-cell lymphoma.

Two dogs presented with suspected renal disease and polycythemia. Abdominal ultrasound examinations performed on both dogs revealed coalescing masses causing bilateral renomegaly. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentrations were physiologically inappropriate. Postmortem examinations revealed renal T-cell lymphoma in both dogs. One of the two dogs also had involvement of the liver and mesentery. EPO-immunohistochemistry on tissue samples demonstrated positive staining in tumor cells and occasional normal renal cells. This report illustrates that paraneoplastic EPO production may induce polycythemia. The pattern of EPO-immunohistochemistry staining suggested that the mechanism of production was due to tumor production of EPO and local hypoxia-induced EPO production from compression of normal renal cells and vasculature.

Multilobular osteochondrosarcoma of the os penis in a dog.

Multilobular osteochondrosarcoma (MLO) of the os penis was diagnosed in a dysuric dog. Recurrence was confirmed or suspected twice over a 22-month period. This is the first reported case of MLO occurring in the os penis, and the 5th reported case of neoplasia of the os penis in the dog.

Effects of doxycycline, amoxicillin, cephalexin, and enrofloxacin on hemostasis in healthy dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of enteral administration of doxycycline, amoxicillin, cephalexin, and enrofloxacin at therapeutic dosages for a typical duration on hemostatic variables in healthy dogs. ANIMALS: 14 Beagles. PROCEDURE: Doxycycline (10 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h), amoxicillin (30 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h), cephalexin (30 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h), and enrofloxacin (20 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h) were administered in random order to 10 healthy dogs at standard therapeutic dosages for 7 days, with a 7-day washout period between subsequent antimicrobials. In addition, 4 Beagles served as control dogs. Variables were evaluated before and after antimicrobial administration; they included platelet count, Hct, 1-stage prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), fibrinogen concentration, and platelet function. Platelet function was assessed via buccal mucosal bleeding time, aggregation, and a platelet-function analyzer. RESULTS: Administration of all antimicrobials caused a slight prolongation of 1-stage PT and activated PTT and slight decrease in fibrinogen concentration. Cephalexin caused a significant increase in 1-stage PT and activated PTT, amoxicillin caused a significant increase in activated PTT, and enrofloxacin caused a significant decrease in fibrinogen concentration. Platelet count or function did not differ significantly after administration of any antimicrobial. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Oral administration of commonly used antimicrobials in healthy dogs resulted in minor secondary hemostatic abnormalities, with no change in platelet count or function. Although these changes were clinically irrelevant in healthy dogs, additional studies of the effects of antimicrobial administration on hemostasis in animals with underlying disease processes are warranted.

The low seroprevalence of tick-transmitted agents of disease in dogs from southern Ontario and Quebec.

Infectious diseases caused by pathogens transmitted by ticks and other insect vectors are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in both dogs and humans throughout North America. The purpose of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of selected vector-transmitted pathogens in southern Ontario and Quebec. Samples submitted to the Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (VBDDL) at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine were evaluated for antibodies to Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia canis, Bartonella henselae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bartonella vinsonii subspecies berkhoffii, and Rickettsia rickettsii. Information regarding breed and the city or province from which the sample originated was recorded; however, travel history was unknown for the majority of dogs. Overall seroprevalence to these tick-borne pathogens in southern Ontario and Quebec is low compared with most regions of the United States, suggesting that veterinarians in this region of Canada should pursue diagnostic evidence of infection in dogs with a travel history or prior residence in areas endemic for exposure to tick-borne infections.

Cutaneous manifestations of disseminated toxoplasmosis in an immunosuppressed dog.

A 3.5-year-old, castrated male, giant schnauzer was presented with alopecic pustular dermatitis. Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia had been diagnosed 45 days previously. At the time of presentation, the dog was receiving prednisone, azathioprine, and cyclosporine. Cutaneous protozoosis was diagnosed, and postmortem examination revealed protozoa within cutaneous, cardiac, pancreatic, and pulmonary tissues. The protozoa divided by endodyogeny, had the morphology of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) tachyzoites, and stained positively with T. gondii polyclonal antibodies but not with antibodies to Neospora caninum or Sarcocystis neurona. Immunosuppression may have predisposed this dog to disseminated toxoplasmosis.

Chronic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a West Highland white terrier.

A 9-year-old, spayed, female West Highland white terrier was presented with a chronic cough, lethargy, and exercise intolerance. Thoracic radiographic findings were consistent with a marked interstitial lung pattern. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease anecdotally linked to this breed, was diagnosed on postmortem examination.