Spinal cord astrocytoma in a cat.

A nine-year-old neutered male domestic shorthaired cat with a history of spinal pain and progressive hindlimb dysfunction was presented to the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. Following neurological and myelographic examination, an intramedullary mass affecting several lumbar spinal cord segments was diagnosed. A neoplastic lesion was suspected and a poor prognosis was given. On postmortem examination, the spinal cord was found to be dorsally flattened from the 12th thoracic vertebra to the fifth lumbar vertebra and severely thickened with a dorsal cleft from the fifth to the seventh lumbar vertebra. Histologically, the tumour was diagnosed as an anaplastic astrocytoma.

Supracondylar femoral fractures in 159 dogs and cats treated using a normograde intramedullary pinning technique.

Three separate studies that collectively represent 107 dogs and 52 cats with supracondylar femoral fractures are presented. The animals were treated using a normograde intramedullary pinning technique at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science during the period 1964 to 1993. The surgical technique involves insertion of one or two intramedullary pins normograde from the stifle joint without passing their proximal end proximal to the level of the femoral neck. The results of treatment were obtained for 73 dogs and 39 cats. Of these cases, 58 dogs (79.5 per cent) and 32 cats (82.1 per cent) were found to be free of lameness after the completion of treatment. Differences in the results of treatment, based on species or size, were not found. Of all cases in which the results of treatment were known (n = 112), complications were recorded in nine animals (8.0 per cent). Infection and instability were the most common complications, affecting four and three cases, respectively.

Calcification of intervertebral discs in the dachshund: a radiographic study of 115 dogs at 1 and 5 years of age.

The vertebral columns of 115 dachshunds were x-rayed at 1 and 5 years of age. This sample represented 5.7% of all dachshunds registered with the Norwegian Kennel Club in the period 1986-1988. All dogs were clinically normal at the commencement of the study. At 1 year of age calcified intervertebral discs were identified in 34 (29.6%) of the dogs and the number of calcified discs in each individual varied from 1 to 7 with a mean of 2.7. At 5 years of age calcified discs were identified in 66 (57.4%) of the dogs and the number of calcified discs in each individual varied from 1 to 11 with a mean of 3.2. Of all dogs in which calcified discs were identified at 1 year of age, 33 (97.1%) were found to have calcified discs also at 5 years of age. Of 92 calcified discs identified in the dogs at 1 year of age, 29 (31.5%) were not calcified 4 years later. Of 211 calcified discs identified in the dogs at 5 years of age, 148 (70.1%) were not calcified 4 years before. From 1 to 5 years of age, signs of spinal disease were registered in 12 (35.3%) of the dogs in which calcified discs were identified at 1 year of age, and in 7 (8.6%) of the dogs in which calcified discs were not identified at 1 year of age. Of all dogs in which one or more calcified discs had disappeared during the study-period, signs of spinal disease were registered in 9 (75.0%).

Comparison of two surgical treatments of gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs.

The purpose of this randomized clinical study was to compare the effect of 2 surgical methods in the treatment of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) in dogs. One group of dogs (group A) was treated with and one group (group B) without fixation of the stomach. Group A consisted of 21 cases (including 2 dropouts) and group B of 10 cases. The dogs in group A received decompression, anatomical repositioning of the stomach and a circumcostal gastropexy and the dogs in group B (the control group) received the same treatment without gastropexy. Supportive treatment was the same for both groups. The randomization of the dogs in groups A and B was successful with only small differences between the 2 groups in the breed, age, sex and initial decompression methods. At the end of the study (censoring time), the median survival times were significantly different between group A and group B, respectively 549 and 107 days. There were no recurrences in group A while in group B 3 dogs (50%) experienced a recurrence within 6 months. The overall death rates within the first year were 32% in group A and 80% in group B. The death rates caused by GDV and GDV related causes only, after one year of follow-up, were 19% and 71% for groups A and B, respectively. This study shows that treatment that included circumcostal gastropexy significantly reduced the recurrence of GDV and prolonged the postoperative survival time compared with treatment that did not include fixation of the stomach.

Calcification of intervertebral discs in the dachshund: a radiographic study of 21 stud-dogs.

The vertebral columns of 21 clinically normal, 4.9 to 13.2 year old dachshunds were x-rayed. This sample represented 55.3% of all male dachshunds with 20 or more offspring registered with the Norwegian Kennel Club in the period 1985-1989. Calcified intervertebral discs were identified in 9 (42.9%) of the stud-dogs, and the number of calcified discs in each individual varied from 2 to 5 with a mean of 3.7. The frequency of stud-dogs with 1 or more calcified discs was compared with the corresponding frequency in a material of 327 one-year-old dachshunds. In this comparison, the relative risk was estimated with 95% confidence bounds. When the different composition of size and coat varieties in the 2 materials was not considered, the relative risk of calcified discs was found to be 1.77 (0.99-3.2) times higher in stud-dogs than in young dogs. When the different composition of varieties in the 2 materials was considered, the relative risk was found to be 1.9 (1.1-3.4) times higher in stud-dogs than in young dogs. The results of the present study strongly suggest that an increase in the frequency of dachshunds with 1 or more calcified intervertebral discs occurs after 1 year of age.

Calcification of intervertebral discs in the dachshund: an estimation of heritability.

The heritability of calcified intervertebral discs in the dachshund was estimated using data gathered from a radiographic study. Radiographs of the vertebral columns of 274 clinically normal, 12 to 18 months old dachshunds, were examined. The dogs were offspring from 75 different sires, representing the same number of half sib groups. There were 2 to 14 offspring in each half-sib group. The number of full sib groups was 81. Calcified intervertebral discs were identified in 20.4% of the dogs. An analysis of variance that used the data as a continuous and as an either/or-variable estimated the heritability of calcified discs to be 0.22 and 0.15 respectively. A genetic factor was found to be essential for the occurrence of calcified discs in a dog while a common environmental factor presumably resulting from non-genetic causes was significant in determining the number of discs to undergo calcification in affected dogs.

Calcification of intervertebral discs in the dachshund. A radiographic study of 327 young dogs.

The vertebral columns of 327 clinically normal, 12 to 18 months old dachshunds, were x-rayed. This sample represented 16.1% of all dachshunds registered with the Norwegian Kennel Club in the period 1986-1988. Calcified intervertebral discs were identified in 79 (24.2%) of the dogs and the number of calcified discs in each individual varied from 1 to 11 with a mean of 2.3. Calcified discs were estimated to occur in 23.5% of Norwegian dachshunds. The occurrence of calcified discs in standard-sized dachshunds was higher in the wirehaired variety (27.1%) than in the smoothcoated (16.4%) or longhaired (9.1%) varieties. However, within the longhaired variety the occurrence was higher in dwarfs and kaninchens (36.0%) than in standard-sized dachshunds (9.1%). Calcification was identified in all cervical, thoracic and lumbar intervertebral discs other than T1-2, and was found to be most frequent in the caudal thoracic vertebral column.