Evaluation of the utility and accuracy of body fluids containing red blood cells to determine canine and feline blood types.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the accuracy of using body fluids macroscopically suspected to contain erythrocytes to determine the blood type in dogs and cats by use of an immunochromatographic cartridge (ICC), compared to systemic blood as the reference standard. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Thirty client-owned dogs and 8 cats. INTERVENTIONS: Dogs and cats with a sanguineous or serosanguineous body fluid (SBF) that also required a blood sample were eligible for inclusion. PCV and blood type were determined in all blood and fluid samples. For body fluids with a low PCV and discordant blood type results compared to systemic blood, sample concentration and repeat blood typing from the fluid was performed when enough sample was available. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Body fluid samples consisted of 16 pleural (11 dogs; 5 cats), 12 peritoneal (10 dogs; 2 cats), and 4 canine pericardial effusions, 3 urine samples, and 1 each of feces and epistaxis from dogs and a seroma sample from a cat. Median (range) manual PCV of blood and fluid samples was 34% (14%-66%) and 6% (0.5%-70%) for dogs and 28% (14%-48%) and 14% (0.5%-19%) for cats, respectively. Dogs were correctly classified as being DEA 1 negative, DEA 1 positive, and DEA 1 weak positive when using body fluid for blood typing 13 of 14, 4 of 9, and 5 of 7, respectively. All reference blood type to fluid blood type (FBT) discordant results had a body fluid PCV equal to or below 2%. Subsequently concentrated body fluid samples had a PCV above 8% and repeat FBT matched reference blood type (RBT). All cats were classified as type A by all RBTs and FBTs. CONCLUSIONS: Body fluids containing erythrocytes may be utilized to blood type dogs if sufficiently concentrated and type A cats.

Successful percutaneous drainage of a refractory caudal mediastinal paraesophageal abscess in a dog.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique for paraesophageal abscess drainage in a dog. CASE SUMMARY: A 6-year-old dog presented for pyrexia of unknown origin, subsequently confirmed to be due to a paraesophageal abscess. This was managed by the ultrasound-guided placement of a thoracostomy tube into the abscess, allowing drainage to be performed. This led to clinical resolution and, at an 8-month follow-up, the dog continued to do well. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Paraesophageal abscessation is typically managed with surgical intervention, which carries inherent risks and complications. This report describes a novel technique that did not require general anesthesia or invasive surgical intervention, achieving clinical remission without any adverse effects. It also summarizes the current literature available on this condition.

The use of smartphone-obtained images to extrapolate canine packed cell volume.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a smartphone-obtained image can be used to extrapolate the PCV of canine blood samples. DESIGN: Prospective study of surplus blood obtained from clinical cases. SETTING: University teaching hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Blood samples were placed on filter paper, and images were obtained with a smartphone in different environments. These results were then compared to the PCV measurements on the same samples following the World Health Organization guidelines. MEASUREMENTS: Sixty-nine samples were assessed and identified that smartphone images, obtained in a controlled environment, were able to predict the PCV of the samples. This prediction was most accurate when assessing samples of a normal erythroid mass or polycythemic samples. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that smartphone-obtained images do have a utility in predicting canine PCV. If this can be incorporated into a smartphone application, there would be scope to use this in low resource settings.

Neutrophilia is associated with a poorer clinical outcome in dogs with chronic hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Liver disease is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. Currently, it is challenging to prognosticate in these cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the haematological variables in dogs with chronic hepatitis. METHODS: Dogs with chronic hepatitis confirmed on histopathology had presenting haematological values retrospectively obtained and evaluated against survival time. Eighty-two dogs met the inclusion criteria and their data analysed. RESULTS: Neutrophilic patients, with a count greater than 12×109/l, controlled for sex and age, had a shorter survival time (P≤0.01). In dogs, neutrophilia at presentation predicted a poor outcome, whereas the other haematological parameters were not prognostically informative. When the dogs were split into even quarters on the basis of their neutrophil count, those within the higher quartiles had poorer survival times. Neutrophilia was associated with a poorer survival time in comparison to those patients with a lower count. CONCLUSION: The relationship between neutrophils, inflammation and clinical outcome is deserving of future study in dogs with chronic hepatitis.

Esophageal feeding tube placement and the associated complications in 248 cats.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal feeding tubes are commonly used to provide enteral nutrition to cats, but their use is associated with adverse effects. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the complications associated with e-tube placement in cats and to identify factors predisposing to these complications. ANIMALS: Cats that had an esophageal feeding tube placed (n = 248). METHODS: This was a retrospective case review in which clinical records were interrogated across 2 referral centers to identify records of cats that had esophageal tubes placed. Clinical data were collected for signalment, clinical indication, method of placement, time of removal, and any complications. Logistic regression was then employed to assess the odds of an increase in complications, including infection and death. RESULTS: For those cats that survived to discharge, tubes were in place for a median of 11 days, ranging from 1 to 93 days. Complications occurred in 35.8% of the cats, with the most common being tube dislodgement (14.5%), followed by stoma site infections (12.1%). Cats receiving glucocorticoids or oncolytic agents (OR = 3.91; 95% CI, 1.14-13.44) and with discharge at the stoma site (OR = 159.8; CI, 18.9-1351) were at an increased odds of developing a stoma site infection, whereas those with a lower weight (OR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.02-1.75) or (pancreatic [OR = 4.33; 95% CI, 1.02-18.47], neoplastic [OR = 15.44; 95% CI, 3.67-65.07], respiratory [OR = 19.66; 95% CI, 2.81-137.48], urogenital [OR = 5.78; 95% CI, 1.15-28.99], and infectious diseases [OR = 11.57; 95% CI, 2.27-58.94]) had an increased odds of death. The duration of time in place and the cat being discharged with the tube in place were not associated with an increased risk of infection or death. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Owners should be made aware of the potential risks involved and their predisposing factors.

Standard operating procedure reduces interoperator variation and improves accuracy when measuring packed cell volume.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a standard operating procedure (SOP) for canine packed cell volume (PCV) measurement reduces operator-dependent variation and improves accuracy within a veterinary teaching hospital environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical staff and final-year undergraduate veterinary students were recruited to perform PCV measurements in blinded duplicate samples. Participants were randomly allocated to perform this with or without an SOP. Participants' results were compared against a reference, generated by the authors following the World Health Organization guidelines. RESULTS: The study population comprised 18 clinical staff and 39 students. Three clinical staff and seven students displayed errors consistent with inaccurate reading, only one of whom had access to the SOP. Five students and two clinical staff had errors attributable to incorrect preparation, with only one having access to the SOP. Interoperator variation was significantly less using the SOP. Using the SOP, 95 per cent of the results were within 0.0125 l/l of the reference value, in comparison with within 0.09 l/l without SOP. Interoperator variation was significantly less in the SOP group (P=0.0025). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Using the SOP resulted in less variation and more accurate results. This confirms that PCV measurement with an SOP can truly be a 'waived' test.

The effect of ammonia on canine polymorphonuclear cells.

Hyperammonaemia is a common complication of liver disease in dogs. High concentrations of ammonia can be detrimental to dogs with liver disease for several reasons, notably by causing hepatic encephalopathy (HE) which describes the wide range of neurological abnormalities ranging from altered behaviour to seizures that are well recognised complications in dogs with hepatic disorders. In human patients with liver disease, hyperammonaemia has also been linked to the development of other systemic complications such as dysregulation of the innate immune system. In contrast, the effects of hyperammonaemia on the canine innate immune system is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ammonia on the oxidative burst activity of canine polymorphonuclear cells in vitro. Blood obtained from healthy dogs (n = 8) was incubated with escalating concentrations of ammonia ranging from 0 to 250 µM, and the percentage of cells experiencing an oxidative burst was evaluated using a commercial kit (Phagoburst™) and flow cytometry. The spontaneous oxidative burst was evaluated without stimulation and also following stimulation with E coli. The pH of the blood was also measured at the differing ammonia concentrations. There was an increase in the percentage of cells experiencing a spontaneous oxidative burst from ammonia concentrations of 125 µM (p = <0.05) and above (p = <0.01), with a 4.9 fold increase at 200 µM (p = < 0.001). In those cells stimulated with E coli, incubation with increasing ammonia concentrations did not result in a significant difference in oxidative burst from baseline (p = 0.953). There was no statistically significant difference between the pH of the blood at the various ammonia concentrations (p = 0.2) suggesting that the difference in spontaneous oxidative burst was due to the ammonia rather than simply a change in pH conditions. In summary, the spontaneous oxidative burst of neutrophils was significantly increased from baseline. This supports a potential role of ammonia in contributing to innate immune system dysfunction in dogs with liver disease, and may present a future therapeutic target.

Novel characteristics identified in two cases of feline cowpox virus infection.

CASE SERIES SUMMARY: This case series discusses novel characteristics identified in two cases of cowpox. One presented with upper airway signs, and was identified to have a focal laryngeal lesion. The other had central neurological signs at the terminal stages, with intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies identified within the cerebral hemispheres on histopathology. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Currently, cowpox would be an unlikely consideration in patients with neurological signs or upper respiratory noise. These cases both document novel presentations of cowpox infection, which clinicians should be aware of and consider as differential diagnoses in patients with these atypical presentations.