Veterinary Literature Research Articles

The use of haemodialysis for the treatment of phenobarbitone intoxication 30 hours after ingestion

AbstractAn 18‐month‐old male neutered Cocker Spaniel presented with a comatose mentation to its primary care veterinarian following the presumed ingestion of 216 mg/kg of phenobarbitone 2 hours prior. Following a failure to improve with intravenous fluids, lipid emulsion therapy, and supportive care, the patient was then referred to a tertiary referral centre for further treatment 30 hours following ingestion. Mechanical ventilation was initiated due to severe hypoventilation (PvCO2: 69.9 mmHg) before the patient underwent a 300‐minute prolonged veno‐venous haemodiafiltration cycle performed using a continuous haemodialysis‐based platform and a high‐flux dialyser. The patient demonstrated rapid neurological improvement being extubated after 4 hours, and becoming responsive and ambulatory 5 hours from the initiation of the treatment. The patient was discharged 60 hours following the completion of haemodialysis.This is the first report in the veterinary literature of the effective use of veno‐venous haemodiafiltration to treat phenobarbitone intoxication 30 hours after ingestion using a high‐flux dialyser.

Escherichia coli pathotype contamination in raw canine diets.

To investigate the prevalence of Escherichia coli contamination and E coli virulence gene signatures consistent with known E coli pathotypes in commercially available conventional diets and raw-meat-based diets (RMBDs). 40 diets in total (19 conventionally cooked kibble or canned diets and 21 RMBDs) obtained from retail stores or online distributors. Each diet was cultured for E coli contamination in 3 separate container locations using standard microbiological techniques. Further characterization of E coli isolates was performed by polymerase chain reaction-based pathotype and virulence gene analysis. Conventional diets were negative in all culture based testing. In RMBDs, bacterial contamination was similar to previous reports in the veterinary literature, with 66% (14/21) of the RMBDs having positive cultures for E coli. Among the 191 confirmed E coli isolates from these diets, 31.9% (61/191) were positive for virulence genes. Categorized by pathotype, isolates presumptively belonging to the neonatal meningitis E coli pathotype (15.7% [30/191]) were the most common, followed by enterohemorrhagic E coli (10.5% [20/191]), enteropathogenic E coli (5.8% [11/191]), uropathogenic E coli (2.1% [4/191]), and diffusely adherent E coli (1.6% [3/191]). The results of this study reaffirmed the bacteriologic risks previously associated with RMBDs. Furthermore, potential zoonotic concerns associated with identified pathotypes in these diets may have significant consequences for owners in the animals' home environment. Potential risk associated with bacterial contamination should be addressed in animals fed RMBDs.

2022 Update of the Consensus on the Rational Use of Antithrombotics and Thrombolytics in Veterinary Critical Care (CURATIVE) Domain 1- Defining populations at risk.

ObjectivesTo expand the number of conditions and interventions explored for their associations with thrombosis in the veterinary literature and to provide the basis for prescribing recommendations.DesignA population exposure comparison outcome format was used to represent patient, exposure, comparison, and outcome. Population Exposure Comparison Outcome questions were distributed to worksheet authors who performed comprehensive searches, summarized the evidence, and created guideline recommendations that were reviewed by domain chairs. The revised guidelines then underwent the Delphi survey process to reach consensus on the final guidelines. Diseases evaluated in this iteration included heartworm disease (dogs and cats), immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (cats), protein‐losing nephropathy (cats), protein‐losing enteropathy (dogs and cats), sepsis (cats), hyperadrenocorticism (cats), liver disease (dogs), congenital portosystemic shunts (dogs and cats) and the following interventions: IV catheters (dogs and cats), arterial catheters (dogs and cats), vascular access ports (dogs and cats), extracorporeal circuits (dogs and cats) and transvenous pacemakers (dogs and cats).ResultsOf the diseases evaluated in this iteration, a high risk for thrombosis was defined as heartworm disease or protein‐losing enteropathy. Low risk for thrombosis was defined as dogs with liver disease, cats with immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia, protein‐losing nephropathy, sepsis, or hyperadrenocorticism.ConclusionsAssociations with thrombosis are outlined for various conditions and interventions and provide the basis for management recommendations. Numerous knowledge gaps were identified that represent opportunities for future studies.

Efficacy of laparotomy sponges to reduce bacterial contamination using an in vitro gastrointestinal surgery model.

Use of laparotomy sponges to protect abdominal viscera during gastrointestinal surgery is described in nonspecific terms by various sources, but no definitive guidelines have been established in veterinary literature. The objective of this study was to compare the in vitro efficacy of various layer-densities of laparotomy sponges at reducing bacterial contamination from multiple contaminant volumes during multiple exposure times. A standardized Escherichia coli inoculum water solution was applied over sterile laparotomy sponges overlying blood agar plates. Four laparotomy sponge layer-densities, 4 volumes of E. coli inoculum water solution, and 4 exposure times were evaluated. All blood agar plates were incubated for 48 hours followed by surface area measurements of colonization of each blood agar plate at 24 and 48 hours. The procedure was repeated thrice. Bacterial colonization occurred on 100% (192/192) of inoculated blood agar plates. There was a statistically significant decrease in colonized area with increasing layer-density of laparotomy sponges (P<0.0001). Comparison between the layer-density of sponges were statistically significant in resulting infected area (P<0.01), except comparison between 6- and 8-layers (P = 0.9490). Colonized area was not significantly altered by time of exposure. Results suggested that increasing the layer-density of laparotomy sponges has significant effect on reducing strikethrough bacterial colonization in an in vitro model. The results of this study can be used when performing gastrointestinal surgery to help guide laparotomy sponge use to reduce peritoneal bacterial contamination.

Diagnostic value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and therapeutic value of endoscopic sphincterotomy in dogs with suspected hepatobiliary disorders

BackgroundConventional diagnostic methods have some limitations in diagnosing specific causes of canine hepatobiliary disorders. In the evaluation of the hepatobiliary system in dogs, ultrasonography (US) is the first imaging method of choice. Nonetheless, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has also been proven to be a practicable technique for evaluating canine hepatobiliary (endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, ERC) and pancreatic duct (endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, ERP) disorders, providing additional therapeutic options by sphincterotomy (EST). To date, the efficacy and safety of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP has not been evaluated in veterinary medicine literature. The present study sought to report complications and outcomes of dogs undergoing ERCP and EST, and to assess the usefulness of diagnostic ERCP by comparing the findings of US, ERCP and histopathological findings in liver and pancreas.ResultsThis retrospective case series comprises data collected from 15 dogs that underwent successful ERC/ERCP. Nine dogs underwent EST following ERC. US and ERC were best in agreement when assessing the common bile duct. In case of disagreement between the modalities, the ERC findings of the ductal structures were in line with the available pathology findings more often than the US findings, whereas the opposite was noted for the gallbladder. The technical success rates were 88.2% for ERC, 66.7% for ERP, and 81.8% for EST, with no major complications during or immediately after the procedure. Immediate bile flow after EST was recorded in 7/9 dogs but only four showed coinciding clinical and laboratory improvement and four dogs were euthanized within 1-6 days after EST.ConclusionsUS remains a valuable initial diagnostic imaging method for hepatobiliary disorders and allows good assessment of the gallbladder. ERC can serve as a complementary procedure for diagnostic assessment of the hepatobiliary duct disorders. However, in order to improve the outcomes of EST, careful selection of patients for the procedure would require more advanced diagnostic imaging of the hepatobiliary area.

A Literature Review of Unintentional Intoxications of Nonhuman Primates.

Simple SummaryThis report is an overview of the published veterinary literature on unintentional poisonings in wild and captive nonhuman primates (NHP). Selected intoxications will be described with emphasis on the clinical signs, laboratory, and main postmortem findings as well as the available treatment options. Mostly, NHP died suddenly and unexpectedly without showing any preceding clinical signs. The (presumptive) diagnosis of a poisoning was mostly made postmortem by laboratory testing of post-mortem fluid, tissue samples, and stomach contents. From these reports, we concluded that the toxic threats to wild NHP are different to those of captive NHP because of the environment in which they live. We also concluded that a poisoning or an intoxication should be part of a differential diagnosis when a NHP presents with clinical signs that cannot be linked to a known disorder or dies suddenly with no preceding clinical signs.Reports of unintentional intoxications in nonhuman primates (NHP) are few and an up-to-date review of such intoxications in NHP is lacking. We reviewed the published veterinary literature on unintentional intoxications in wild and captive NHP in order to provide a useful resource on known toxic agents of NHP for veterinarians, caregivers, and researchers who work with NHP. To these ends, we first conducted a literature search for books, book chapters, peer-reviewed publications, conference proceedings, and newsletters in academic literature databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, BioOne Complete, and Web of Science using the words and word combinations such as heavy metals, pesticides, poisonings, and nonhuman primates. We then evaluated the search results for those reports that we considered as clinically relevant and then classified them according to the toxic agent. We identified lead, zinc, phytotoxins, pesticides, botulinum toxin, polychlorinated biphenyls, and snake and spider venoms as the main toxic agents in wild and captive NHP. We concluded that the toxic threats to wild NHP are different to those of captive NHP because of the environment in which they live. We recommend that an intoxication should be part of a differential diagnosis when a NHP presents with clinical signs that cannot be linked to a known disorder or dies suddenly with no preceding clinical signs. In cases of the former, laboratory testing for known toxins and pollutants should be conducted. In cases of the latter, a thorough postmortem examination, together with extensive laboratory testing, for known toxins and environmental pollutants in all tissues and organs should be performed.

Management of Dental Disease in Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) and Potential Use of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography.

Simple SummaryOral disease involving teeth is a common condition of aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) housed in zoos, although research is limited. Medical records of aardvarks housed at a single zoo in the United States between 1995 and 2021 were evaluated for dental abnormalities. Eight out of ten aardvarks had dental abnormalities, with most cases having mild disease (4/8). Three patients required the removal of abnormal teeth for treatment. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a technology used to create a three-dimensional image of the teeth and skull and was used in two aardvarks. This technology was considered helpful in documenting dental abnormalities in patients with severe disease and may be a valuable tool for veterinarians managing oral disease in aardvarks.Oral disease involving teeth is a common cause of morbidity in aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) under managed care. Cases can be challenging due to the species’ unique skull and dental anatomy and limited veterinary literature. A retrospective evaluation was performed on dental examinations in nine aardvarks housed at a single zoological institution in the United States between 1995 and 2021. The prevalence of dental disease in this population was 88%, with most cases categorized as mild (4/8). Clinical signs were only seen in three cases. Facial swelling prior to surgery was the most common clinical sign (3/8). Dental pathology was more common in the mandibular teeth (27/38) compared to the maxillary teeth (11/38). Dental abnormalities found upon intraoral examination included the presence of dental points (7/8), crown elongation (3/8), purulent material within the oral cavity (4/8), loose teeth (2/8), periodontal pockets (2/8), and oronasal fistula (1/8). Three patients required dental extractions with a lateral buccostomy approach. Diagnostic imaging was performed in most cases (7/8), with two cases undergoing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to characterize dental pathology that was difficult to fully evaluate with standard radiography. Tomographic findings are described in both cases. CBCT was found to be a helpful tool for diagnosing and characterizing dental disease in aardvarks.

The use of 'trend' statements in veterinary oncology literature.

Statements such as 'trend towards' and 'tended to' in regards to 'statistical significance' are ambiguous and reflect the continued focus on proximity of p-values to .05. By themselves, p-values do not provide a measure of effect size or other information needed to judge clinical importance. The goal of this study was to examine original research articles in the journal Veterinary and Comparative Oncology over 2 years, and describe the use of 'trend' statements. Articles were reviewed for 'trend' and 'tended to' statements, the number of statements made per paper, whether a p-value and/or 95% confidence interval was provided to accompany these statements, and what the p-value was (if provided). We noted 15.8% of articles included at least one 'trend' or 'tended to' statement to describe differences between groups. Specifically, 10.5% of articles used these statements to describe differences without providing the associated p-value, or where p > .05. Of the total 36 'trend' statements noted, six were not accompanied by p-values and eight were associated with p-values >.10. Similarly, four of the 16 'tended to' statements were not accompanied by p-values, and one was associated with a p-value >.10. These data reveal a similar emphasis on p-value proximity in veterinary oncology literature compared to that of human oncology literature. Furthermore, these findings highlight the ambiguity of 'trend' statements and support the development of additional guidelines (e.g., the de-emphasis of p-value proximity to an arbitrary threshold, and effect size reporting) for interpreting results in veterinary oncology research.

Clinical signs, MRI findings and long-term outcomes of foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations in dogs.

As they have been seldomly described in the veterinary literature, the aims of this retrospective study were to describe the clinical presentation, MRI findings and long-term outcome after medical or surgical treatment of dogs presenting with foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations. Retrospective multicentre study of dogs diagnosed with foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations between 2009 and 2020 in seven referral hospitals. Thirty-seven dogs were included. Dachshunds and mixed breeds were most affected. Median age at presentation and duration of clinical signs were 6 years and 14 days, respectively. Pain was the most frequent clinical finding (92%), particularly on spinal palpation and/or hip manipulation, followed by pelvic limb lameness (71%). Eighty-seven percent of herniations occurred at L5-L6 or L6-L7. A good to excellent outcome was seen in 95% of surgically and 90% of medically treated dogs. Although much less frequently recognised than herniation affecting the vertebral canal, foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations should be considered in the differential diagnosis list of chondrodystrophic dogs presenting with pain and pelvic limb lameness. Most dogs had a good to excellent outcome following medical or surgical treatment.

Pituitary Carcinoma in a Bitch: Clinical, Tomographic, Histopathological and Immunohistochemistry Findings

Background: Primary pituitary carcinoma is rarely reported in dogs and only few reports describe its malignancy. In veterinary literature, primary pituitary carcinomas correspond up to 2.4% to 3.4% of intracranial neoplasms found in dogs and information regarding its biological behavior is quite limited. In humans, primary pituitary carcinomas represent less than 1.0% of all tumors found in the pituitary gland. The proposed classification for pituitary carcinoma in humans and dogs determines that the tumor must have its origin in adenohypophyseal region and disseminated metastasis by cerebrospinal fluid or systemically to other organs must be observed. In dogs, a few reports have described primary pituitary carcinoma. The goal of this report was to describe clinical, tomographic, histopathological and immunohistochemistry features of a dog with primary pituitary carcinoma with adjacent invasion. Case: A 7-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever dog was assessed by general practice due progressive weight loss, muscular atrophy, lethargy, blindness, head pressing, and hyporexia for 21 days. Computed tomography (CT) showed a cerebral parenchyma with expansive extra-axial base formation, originating from sella turcica topography, measuring about 2.0 centimeter dorsally, displacing the third ventricle, suggesting the diagnosis of pituitary neoplasia. The hormones thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and total thyroxine (T4) as well as stimulation ACTH test were unremarkable. After 7 days, neurological clinical signs progressed and unfortunately the patient died ten days later after hospitalization. A necropsy exam revealed pituitary gland with increased dimensions (2.5 x 2.0 cm). Histopathological findings revealed tumor proliferation in pituitary gland. The neoplasm showed invasion to the nervous parenchyma and metastatic foci between the brain lobes. Immunohistochemistry was positive for keratin and neuron-specific enolase and negative for epithelial membrane antigen, S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, estrogen receptor, CD34, chromogranin, somatostatin, and ACTH. The clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemistry findings supported the diagnosis of primary pituitary carcinoma. Discussion: There is lack information regarding pituitary carcinoma prevalence in dogs, and little is known about its pathological and clinical features. The patient showed a shorter survival time (30 days after the onset of clinical signs) for a non-hormonally functional tumor that presented with acute onset of neurological signs due to local effect of an expanding mass, also described in others pituitary carcinoma reports. It was observed a metastatic focus of pituitary neoplasia between cerebral hemispheres, leading us to conclude to be a pituitary carcinoma. Adjacent infiltration was noticed by the presence of neoplasm invasion to the synoptic nervous parenchyma and metastatic foci between the brain lobes as well as the presence of a non-delimited nodular area of neoplastic implantation between the cerebral hemispheres, and optic nerve compromised by neoplasm cells. The data reported here showed that a negative ACTH receptor in neoplasm with 10% Ki-67 proliferation index with no history of clinical signs of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH). Pituitary adenocarcinomas are thought to be more often non-secretors. CT findings reveled a pituitary mass of 2.5 cm in vertical height suggesting a pituitary macrotumor although there is lack of description for pituitary carcinomas in veterinary literature. The animal had a fast deterioration of his clinical condition and quickly came to death, suggesting poor biological behavior of the tumor. Keywords: adrenocorticotropic hormone, case report, dog, pituitary tumors.

Primary mediastinal spindle cell sarcoma in a dog

AbstractSoft tissue sarcomas are frequently reported tumours in dogs and are most often located in the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues. Primary thoracic soft tissue sarcomas are infrequently reported in veterinary literature. This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a primary mediastinal spindle cell sarcoma of a 7‐year‐old, male, neutered Labrador retriever. Staging was performed before surgery. Computed tomography revealed a large intrathoracic mass in the left ventral hemithorax. A left‐sided thoracotomy was performed and a large pedunculated mass originating from the caudal mediastinum was excised. Histopathology revealed a high‐grade, undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma. Immunohistochemistry staining confirmed the mesenchymal origin of the mass. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered. Thoracic radiology was performed 38 days after surgery and revealed pleural effusion and mass effect in the caudal thorax. The patient was euthanased 66 days after surgery due to acute respiratory distress.

Keeping continuous diagnostic data continuous: Application of Bayesian latent class models in veterinary research

Bayesian finite mixture models, frequently referred to as Bayesian latent class models have become increasingly common for diagnostic test data in the absence of a gold standard test. Most Bayesian analyses in the veterinary literature have dealt with a dichotomised diagnostic outcome. The use of Bayesian finite mixture models for continuous test outcomes, such as sample to positive (S/P) ratios produced by an ELISA, is much less common, despite continuous models taking advantage of all of the information captured in the test outcome. This paper revisits the idea of the Bayesian finite mixture model and provides a practical guide for researchers who would like to use this approach for modelling continuous diagnostic outcomes as it preserves all information from the observed data. Synthetic datasets and a dataset from literature were analysed to illustrate that a mixture model with continuous diagnostic outcomes can be used to estimate true prevalence and to evaluate test sensitivity and specificity. In addition, directly modelling the continuous test outcomes rather than dichotomising them, means that optimal cut-offs can be defined based on the test purpose rather than being determined before testing. Moreover, as animals with higher scores are more likely to be infected, using continuous data allows test interpretation to be made at the individual animal level. In contrast, dichotomization treats all animals above a cut-off as having the same infection risk. This study demonstrates that dichotomisation is not a ‘must’ when using Bayesian latent class analysis for diagnostic test data, and suggests that latent class analysis using continuous test outcomes should be favoured when evaluating veterinary diagnostic tests producing continuous outcomes.

Use of a cyclical hypofractionated radiotherapy regime ('QUAD shot') for the treatment of feline sinonasal carcinomas.

Radiation therapy is the treatment of choice for cats with sinonasal carcinomas. Different protocols have been described in the literature, though a clear consensus regarding the optimal protocol is lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the tolerability, efficacy and outcome of cats treated with a cyclical hypofractionated protocol. Cats with histologically diagnosed sinonasal carcinomas in a single institution were retrospectively included. All patients were treated with a cyclical hypofractionated protocol ('QUAD shot' regime). Cats were treated with 4 Gray (Gy) delivered in four fractions within 48 h, with a minimum of 6 h between two treatments, and repeated every 3-4 weeks for a total dose of 48 Gy in three cycles. Seven cats met the inclusion criteria. Nasal discharge and sneezing were the most common presenting complaints. All cats presented with advanced stage of disease with CT examination (three with modified Adams stage 3 and four with stage 4). Clinical improvement was seen in six cats. Five cats had a follow-up CT; one had a complete response, two had partial responses, one had stable disease and one had progressive disease. Two cats were still alive at the time of writing while four were euthanased owing to tumour-related causes. The median overall survival time was 460 days. The 1-year survival time was 80% and the 2-year survival time was 0%. Severe acute or late toxicity was not reported. This is the first report of a cyclical hypofractionated protocol in the veterinary literature that can provide prolonged survival in cats with advanced stage sinonasal carcinoma. Its use should be considered in patients when prolonged hospitalisation can be detrimental to quality of life, while still delivering a therapeutic total dose of radiation therapy.

Skeletal-dental features in 33 bull terrier dogs

BackgroundThe Bull terrier breed has been reported in the veterinary literature to suffer frequent dental and skeletal malocclusions. In this retrospective case series, we report skeletal-dental anomalies in a group of 33 Bull terriers presented for a dental consultation.ResultsOut of 33 dogs examined, 24 cases had full mouth radiography or Cone-beam computed tomography performed. Eruption and development abnormalities observed were as follows: hypodontia in 54.1% (13/24), eruption changes in 29.2% (7/24), and tooth shape abnormalities in 33.3% (8/24). All dogs presented with some type of dental or skeletal malocclusion: neutroclusion was the most common (66.7% of the animals), followed by mandibular mesioclusion (18.8%), maxillo-mandibular asymmetry (9.4%), and mandibular distoclusion (6.3%). Dental abnormalities noted included rotation of mandibular and maxillary premolar teeth, distal displacement of the incisor teeth, lingual displacement of the mandibular canine teeth, and absence of mandibular premolar and molar teeth. Lingual displacement of mandibular canine teeth was associated with malocclusion causing trauma (odds ratio 7.1, 95% confidence interval [1.4 to 36.1], p = 0.024).ConclusionsMalocclusions and tooth shape abnormalities were found to be the most frequent finding in this group of Bull terriers. Although these findings cannot be generalized to the global population further studies are needed to observe the true expression of these anomalies in the general breed population.

Primary Perianal Malignant Melanoma in a Dog - Combination Therapy

Background: Melanocytic neoplasm can arise from melanocytes in any location of the body. Malignant melanoma (MM) has a poor prognosis in dogs and presence of lymphvascular invasion, distant metastasis, or mitotic activity present prognostic value. Primary melanoma affecting the gastrointestinal tract has been rarely reported in veterinary literature, thus the prognosis affecting gastrointestinal tract is unknown. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an effective local treatment which combines chemotherapeutic drugs mainly bleomycin or cisplatin followed by the delivery of permeabilizing electrical pulses However, other hydrophilic drugs seem to present an increase cytotoxic effect such as carboplatin.Case: A 9-year-old mixed-breed neutered dog was referred to a private clinic with a mass in the perianal region diagnosed as perianal melanoma. No metastasis was observed on abdominal ultrasound nor chest x-ray (3 views). Clinical signs noted were tenesmus, hemorrhagic discharge, weight loss and hyporexia. Considering the tumor volume (16.0 x 10.0 cm), a neoadjuvant ECT session was proposed. The authors opted for carboplatin (300 mg/m², intravenously), administered over 20 min and cisplatin intratumorally (1 mg/cm³, equivalent to 1 mL/1cm³; total volume 20 mL) administered in the upper parts of the mass that could be reached while avoiding drug leakage. After administration, sequences of eight biphasic pulses, (100 microseconds), with a voltage ranging from 650-1,000V/cm (pulse generator Onkodisruptor®) using a hexagonal/single pair and plate electrode were delivered. At day 30th, a partial response was observed accordingly to RECIST system, with tumor size of 5.0 x 5.0 cm (65.4 cm³). A second ECT session was performed with the same previous protocol, but with a decreased dosage of carboplatin (240 mg/m² consistent with 20% reduction) due to adverse effects in the first session, resulting in stable disease at day 60th (30 days after second ECT). Then, we proposed a surgical excision of the mass including partial resection of ventral rectum with intraoperative ECT. Afterwards, it was observed fecal incontinence that did not resolved after time but did not significant cause a morbidity in the patient. Patient achieved a disease-free interval (DFI) of 700 days and survival time of 730 days. Unfortunately, patient died due to distant metastasis.Discussion: Surgery is still the cornerstone treatment for MM in dogs, regardless anatomic site. However, in perianal region, wide or radical local surgical excision is a challenge due to anatomic region which precluded most of the time to achieve complete margins. In this report, the origin of the tumors was not defined since no normal tissue was found surrounding tumors cells probably due to tumor invasion and destruction of surrounding tissue. Thus, based on the previous literature, this tumor could have been arisen from rectum wall or anal sac. The longer DFI and survival time from this patient is superior from the most veterinary cases in literature which combined different types of treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, palliative care or ECT. Neoadjuvant ECT leaded to a reliable approach for partial remission in order to perform a better surgical approach in this case report. To conclude, ECT may be an option for partial remission and local control in regions which anatomic limitation is a challenge for wide excision.Keywords: bleomycin, carboplatin, cisplatin, electroporation, melanocytic tumor.

Anatomical features of the canine C2-C3 spinal cord vascular environment

Interarcuate branch (IAB) is a vascular structure, particularly developed in C2-3 intervertebral space, forming a dorsal bridge that connects ventral venous plexi in the vertebral canal. While precisely described in the human, the precise anatomical features of IABs have not been reported in the veterinary literature. The purpose of this study is to describe the features and relations of IABs in the C2-3 vertebral canal. 10 dogs were enrolled; 5 dogs for necropsy and 5 dogs for histology. The ventral venous plexi in the cervical spine of 5 dogs were injected with latex and underwent vertebral canal dissection for visual assessment of the IAB. Two out of 5 dogs were injected with the addition of barium sulfate and underwent a CT scan. The C2-3 regions of 5 small-breed dogs were harvested for histological examinations. IABs arose from the ventral venous plexus at the level of the intervertebral vein; they originated from 2 separate branches located caudally and cranially to the intervertebral foramen, forming a ventrodorsal triangle surrounding the spinal nerve root. No dorsal anastomosis was observed on the CT scan nor at dissection but were observed histologically. A cervical fibrous sheath was observed all around the vertebral canal. IABs are voluminous venous structures at the C2-3 intervertebral space in dogs and found within a split of the cervical fibrous sheath, which is adherent to the interarcuate ligament and the ligamentum flavum. This anatomical description is paramount when planning an approach to the C2-3 intervertebral space.

Hypoattenuating periportal halo on CT in a patient population can occur in presence of a variety of diseases.

Many pathologies can occur in the periportal space and manifest as fluid accumulation, visible in Computed tomography (CT) images as a circumferential region of low attenuation around the intrahepatic portal vessels, called periportal halo (PPH). This finding is associated with different types of hepatic and extra-hepatic disease in humans and remains a non-specific sign of unknown significance in veterinary literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of PPH in a population of patients undergoing CT examination and to assess the presence of lesions related to hepatic and extra-hepatic disease in presence of PPH. CT studies including the cranial abdomen of dogs and cats performed over a 5-year period were retrospectively reviewed. The prevalence of PPH was 15% in dogs and 1% in cats. 143 animals were included and the halo was classified as mild, moderate and severe, respectively in 51%, 34% and 15% of animals. The halo distribution was generalized in 79 cases, localized along the second generation of portal branches in 63, and along the first generation only in one. Hepatic disease was present in 58/143 and extra-hepatic disease in 110/143 of the cases. Main cause of hepatic (36%) and extra-hepatic disease (68%) was neoplasia. Associations between halo grades and neoplasia revealed to be not statistically significant (p = 0.057). In 7% of animals the CT examination was otherwise unremarkable. PPH is a non-specific finding, occurring in presence of a variety of diseases in the examined patient population.

Recognising and treating uveitis in donkeys

There is a paucity of information in the veterinary literature regarding ophthalmic disease in the donkey. Uveitis is a potentially blinding condition, which warrants prompt diagnosis and treatment. Clinical signs associated with uveitis include epiphora, aqueous flare, miosis, corneal oedema, keratic precipitates and vitreal inflammation, posterior synechiae formation, cataract formation, lens luxation or subluxation, peripapillary scarring and retinal detachment. Treatment is aimed at suppressing the uveal tract inflammation, through the use of both topical and systemic medications. Surgical intervention may also be considered, with appropriate patient selection. This article describes the clinical signs, diagnosis and management of uveitis in the donkey.

Predictive value of veterinary student application data for assessing adjustment to year 1 of veterinary school

Background: The veterinary education literature warns of psychological distress among doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) students. Despite its impact on veterinary education, there is little research on predictors of DVM student wellbeing, as most researchers have focused on predictors of academic performance. Methods: We used best subset regression to examine the relationship between application variables and student’s self-reported first year well-being. Objective: To determine whether variables available in students’ applications to veterinary school predicted self-reported well-being in their first year. Results: Age, graduate record exam (GRE) score, pre-DVM grade point average (GPA), hometown population, and paid employment experience were all significant predictors of various facets for self-reported first year well-being and involvement among DVM students. Conclusions: The predictive value of these variables, while significant, was quite low; consequently, veterinary educators should not base policy decisions on this information alone. We hope that our model serves as a useful tool to predict which applicants may need additional wellness resources during their first year.

What Would You Do? Types of Ethical Challenging Situations Depicted in Vignettes Published in the Veterinary Literature from 1990 to 2020.

Veterinary team members encounter a wide range of ethically challenging situations (ECS) in their work. Inability to resolve ECS in accordance with their values may negatively impact the wellbeing of veterinary team members. We sought to determine the types of ECS described in published ethical vignettes in the veterinary literature. We performed a strategic literature search, followed by a thematic analysis of vignettes published in the veterinary literature from 1990–2020. We identified 567 published vignettes in 544 publications. In the majority of vignettes, the protagonist was a veterinarian (61.6%) and the most common categories of animal involved were dogs (28.0%), livestock in general (10.8%), and cattle (10.6%). The primary type of ECS was coded for each scenario, generating 29 themes. These findings extend knowledge about types of ECS that may be encountered by veterinary team members. These themes can help to inform curricula and better prepare veterinary team members to navigate ECS. They may also highlight factors that contribute to ECS that can be addressed on a broad scale, such as through regulation, continuing professional development, or stakeholder education. Knowing that others may experience similar ECS may help veterinary team members feel part of a moral community.