Dog bite wounds in cats: a retrospective study of 72 cases.

OBJECTIVES: Bite wounds are a common cause of trauma in cats; nevertheless, large-scale studies of this trauma in cats are lacking. The aims of the present study were to characterise the clinical and clinicopathological findings in these cats, to assess the association of these variables and therapeutic measures with survival, and to assess the association between the animal trauma triage (ATT) score and severity of injuries score (SS) at presentation with survival. METHODS: The medical records of cats presented to a veterinary teaching hospital and two large referral clinics were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The study included 72 cats diagnosed with canine bite wounds (with the dog attacks having been witnessed). Seventy-one percent of cats suffered multiple injuries, and there was a significant association between the number of injured body areas and survival, and between severity of injury and survival (P = 0.02 and P = 0.012, respectively). The median ATT scores and SSs for non-survivors were significantly higher compared with survivors (P <0.0001). There was a strong and significant correlation between ATT scores and SSs (r = 0.704, P <0.0001). Total protein and albumin were significantly lower and alanine aminotransferase significantly higher in non-survivors compared with survivors (P ⩽0.032). Fifty percent of cats were treated conservatively, 32% by local surgical debridement and 18% of cats required an exploratory procedure. Cats undergoing more aggressive treatments were significantly less likely to survive (P = 0.029). Fifty-seven cats (79%) survived to discharge. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Cats sustaining canine bite wounds have a good overall prognosis for survival to discharge. High ATT score, high SS, multiple body area injuries, penetrating injuries, radiographic evidence of vertebral body fractures and body wall abnormalities, as well as hypoproteinaemia and elevated alanine aminotransferase, are negative predictors of survival.

Prognostic indicators and outcome in dogs undergoing temporary tarsorrhaphy following traumatic proptosis.

PURPOSE: Retrospectively evaluate prognostic indicators and outcome in dogs undergoing temporary tarsorrhaphy following traumatic proptosis. METHODS: Medical records (2004-2017) were reviewed for signalment, cause and duration of proptosis, and clinical findings on admission. The operating faculty member, post-operative medications, and ophthalmic findings at last recheck were recorded. Owners of dogs with blinded eyes were surveyed regarding final outcome and satisfaction. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact, Likelihood ratio, and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: At last recheck, 17.5 ± 7.3 (mean ± SD) days post-operatively, vision was present in 12/43 eyes (28%). Vision at last recheck was not correlated with breed, cause or duration of proptosis, or post-operative medications (P > .05), but was correlated with presence of direct and indirect pupillary light reflexes (PLRs) on admission (P = .001 and .02, respectively), and with assessment and surgery performed by veterinary ophthalmologists rather than surgery or emergency personnel (P = .015). Mean satisfaction scores (graded 0-10) of 22 owners contacted 59.6 ± 48.2 months after last recheck were 7.8 ± 2.6 (n = 6), 5.7 ± 4.9 (n = 3), and 8.8 ± 1.3 (n = 13) for dogs with phthisical eyes, eyes requiring long-term medications, and blind but otherwise normal eyes, respectively (P = .284). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to previous studies, breed, and cause and duration of proptosis, did not significantly affect outcome. Testing of direct and indirect PLR is a simple and significant prognostic indicator. Patients assessed and operated by a veterinary ophthalmologist have better prognosis.

Comparison of saphenous and cephalic blood lactate concentrations in dogs with gastric dilatation and volvulus: 45 cases.

Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition, suspected to result in differential tissue perfusion in different regions of the body. Lactate is a biomarker of hypoperfusion that correlates with treatment outcomes in dogs with GDV. This prospective observational study aimed to compare lactate between saphenous and cephalic venous samples in 45 client-owned dogs with GDV, to evaluate their association with treatment outcomes (survival, surgical complications, and duration of hospitalization) and to assess the correlation between lactate and other biochemical parameters. Both saphenous and cephalic lactate concentrations were significantly higher in non-survivors (P = 0.01). No statistical difference was found between lactate concentrations in saphenous versus cephalic venous samples (P = 0.480). For each dog, the difference in lactate between saphenous and cephalic veins was calculated (Δlactate = saphenous - cephalic); it was not associated with survival (P = 0.198), surgical complications (P = 0.346), or duration of hospitalization (P = 0.803). Higher lactate and lower glucose (saphenous vein) were associated with lower PCV and higher creatinine, on presentation. The results of this study failed to show an association between Δlactate concentrations and treatment outcomes in dogs with GDV; however, in agreement with previous studies, lower lactate was associated with a decreased mortality rate.

La dilatation gastrique et le volvulus (DGV) est une condition potentiellement mortelle, suspectée de causer une perfusion tissulaire différentielle dans différentes régions du corps. Le lactate est un marqueur d'hypoperfusion qui est corrélé avec l'issu du traitement chez les chiens avec DGV. Cette étude prospective observationnelle visait à comparer les valeurs de lactate obtenues à partir d'échantillons de sang pris dans la veine saphène et la veine céphalique chez 45 chiens avec DGV appartenant à des clients, à évaluer leur association avec les résultats du traitement (survie, complications chirurgicales, et durée de l'hospitalisation) et évaluer la corrélation entre le lactate et d'autres paramètres biochimiques.Les concentrations de lactate des veines saphène et céphalique étaient significativement plus élevées chez les non-survivants (P = 0,01). Aucune différence statistique ne fut trouvée entre les concentrations de lactate des échantillons de la veine saphène versus la veine céphalique (P = 0,480). Pour chaque chien, la différence en lactate entre les veines saphène et céphalique fut calculée (Δlactate = saphène − céphalique); elle n'était pas associée à la survie (P = 0,198); complications chirurgicales (P = 0,346), ou durée de l'hospitalisation (P = 0,803). Une valeur de lactate plus élevée et de glucose plus basse (veine saphène) étaient associées avec un hématocrite plus faible et une valeur de créatinine plus élevée, au moment de la présentation.Les résultats de la présente étude n'ont pas permis de démontrer une association entre les concentrations de Δlactate et l'issues des traitements chez des chiens avec DGV; toutefois, en accord avec les études antérieures, un niveau plus faible de lactate était associé avec une réduction du taux de mortalité.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Ultrasound-guided intracardiac xenotransfusion of canine packed red blood cells and epinephrine to the left ventricle of a severely anemic cat during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of an ultrasound-guided intracardiac xenotransfusion of canine packed red blood cells (pRBC) to the left ventricle of a severely anemic cat during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CASE SUMMARY: An 8-year-old previously healthy neutered female cat was presented with severe weakness after she had disappeared for 1 month. On presentation, the cat was in hypovolemic shock, laterally recumbent, and severely anemic with massive flea infestation. Within minutes of admission, the cat became agonal and suffered cardiopulmonary arrest. CPR was immediately initiated; however, attempts to gain IV access during CPR were unsuccessful. As the cat's blood type was yet unknown, 10 mL of canine pRBC was transfused directly into the left ventricular chamber using ultrasound guidance, as well as 0.02 mg/kg of epinephrine using a similar technique. The cat regained cardiac activity and once the jugular vein was cannulated it received 20 additional mL of canine pRBC intravenously. The packed cell volume and total plasma protein following the intracardiac transfusion were 0.09 L/L [9%] and 30 g/L [3.0 g/dL], respectively. Subsequent blood typing revealed the cat had type B blood. The cat was discharged 3 days post-CPR and was alive and doing well 3 months following discharge. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: This is the first reported case of ultrasound-guided intracardiac canine-to-feline xenotransfusion during CPR.

Finding the hidden faces: schizophrenic patients fare worse than healthy subjects.

Humans have a special ability to recognize human faces that transcends and is separate from the usual discrimination abilities of the visual system. Schizophrenia patients are known to have an impaired ability to recognize facial affect, a deficit that may stem from a more profound problem of face identification and perception. The special skill of detecting human faces relies upon numerous capabilities, including gestalt perception, "filling-in", and proper gaze scanning, facilities that recent research has shown to be deficient in schizophrenia patients. We therefore hypothesized that schizophrenia patients have a deficit in their perception and structural analysis of human faces that will manifest in their difficulty in detecting faces hidden within neutral pictures. We tested the ability of 35 schizophrenia patients and 32 healthy controls at detecting hidden human faces and animals or animal faces hidden within eight pictures. Overall, the patients recognized fewer items compared to controls, however, it was specifically the human faces in which this difference was significant, suggesting that schizophrenic patients have a specific deficit in their human face recognition system.