Doxorubicin was used to treat 30 dogs presenting with acute onset of hemorrhage suspected to be caused by neoplastic disease, presumed hemangiosarcoma (HSAa), where surgical intervention was not possible. This study evaluated the effect of doxorubicin on duration of effusion, time to re-effusion, and whether systemic chemotherapy might provide a medical option for patients that do not undergo surgery. When assuming the last point of contact as a date of passing, overall median survival time (MSTb) without censoring was 82 days. Statistical analysis revealed that weight and additional chemotherapy were associated with improved MST. Dogs >15 kg had a more favorable MST of 126 days, compared to dogs <15 kg who had MST of 54 days. Patients treated with an additional chemotherapeutic agent showed a positive association with MST of 156 days as compared to 73 days. Findings revealed that time to re-effusion was extended in patients >15 kg with a median time to re-effusion of 85 days compared to 0.1 days in patients weighing <15 kg. This retrospective study provides a possible alternative to euthanasia or forgoing treatment for patients with acutely hemorrhagic neoplasms where surgery is not pursued.
The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between cytology and histology in the diagnosis of canine tympanokeratoma. Dogs that had a middle ear aspiration cytology via otoendoscope-guided myringotomy and a histology of the tympanic bulla content sampled following total ear canal ablation with lateral bulla osteotomy between 2010 and 2024 in one hospital were retrospectively examined. Cytological diagnosis of tympanokeratoma was considered when the sample contained a majority of corneocytes. Thirty-seven ears with a pathological diagnosis of either tympanokeratoma (31/37) or nontympanokeratoma otitis media (6/37) were chosen. Cytology had an accuracy of 78%, a sensitivity of 74%, and a specificity of 100% for diagnosing tympanokeratoma, with negative and positive predictive values of 43 and 100%, respectively. Among ears with histologically confirmed tympanokeratoma, imaging showed lysis and expansion of the tympanic bulla in 45.2 and 12.9%, respectively. Otoendoscopy showed a mass in the horizontal ear canal in 22.6%. Dense opaque pearly yellowish material was sampled from the tympanic cavity in 45.2%. Middle ear aspiration cytology via otoendoscope-guided myringotomy is a useful tool for diagnosing tympanokeratoma and is highly reliable in cases of positive outcomes. However, its capacity to rule out the condition is limited, particularly in infected ears.
Limited data are available regarding partial foot amputation (amputation of two adjacent digits, excluding the first digit) in cats. Three domestic shorthair cats with a median age of 4.2 yr were presented for partial foot amputation between 2010 and 2022. Neoplasia was the indication for partial foot amputation in two cats; one cat underwent partial foot amputation for treatment of a chronic wound. All cats underwent lateral partial foot amputation (excision of digits 4-5) of a thoracic limb. One cat had excisions at the level of the metacarpal-phalangeal joint, and two cats had excision at the level of the distal metacarpal bone. No cats experienced surgical complications intraoperatively. All cats achieved resolution of lameness postoperatively at a median duration of 28 days, although one cat experienced a long-term grade 1 complication associated with a wound that developed where weight bearing occurred. Lateral partial foot amputation of a thoracic limb was overall well tolerated in these three cats, with favorable long-term functional outcomes and manageable complications. Results support the role of partial foot amputation as a viable limb-sparing option in cats, although additional data are needed to assess outcomes for other partial foot amputation locations (medial, central, and pelvic limb) in cats.
Identifying multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in veterinary hospitals is crucial for treatment and public health risk mitigation. This study assessed the hospital prevalence of MDR isolates from canine bacterial skin infections, compared prevalence across services and infection types, and identified the most common MDR organisms. Data from hospital records and aerobic skin cultures from August 2021 to November 2024 were reviewed and analyzed. The dataset included 438 cultures from 416 patients and 647 bacterial isolates, and 196 MDR bacteria yielded from 182 samples. The hospital multidrug resistance prevalence was 42% among cultures and 30% among bacterial isolates. The highest multidrug resistance prevalence by service included Primary Care with 68%, Neurology with 62%, Dermatology with 49%, and Surgery with 44%. The MDR bacteria prevalence for superficial surgical site infections was 34%, pyodermas 33%, wounds 30%, masses 28%, and abscesses 13%. Dermatology cultured 72 of 196 (37%) MDR bacteria, Surgery 48 (24%), Emergency and Critical Care 27 (14%), Urgent Care 18 (9%), Primary Care 14 (7%), Neurology eight (4%), Internal Medicine six (3%), and Oncology three (2%). Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was the most common MDR bacteria. These results underscore the need for ongoing surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and targeted infection control strategies specific to each veterinary setting.
This multicenter study evaluates the efficacy of a regenerative bone adhesive (RBA), a novel mineral-organic biomaterial, in maintaining alveolar ridge dimensions after extraction of large mandibular teeth in dogs. In a controlled, randomized clinical study, 47 patients with 59 tooth extraction sites across 10 practices were treated by veterinary dental specialists. Study extraction sites had the socket filled with RBA to the rim of the alveolar bone, whereas control sites healed with blood clot only. Computed tomography scans were performed at short-term (6-12 wk) and long-term (6-12 mo) follow-up time points. Analysis revealed statistically significant (P < .001) advantages in RBA-treated sites in both short- and long-term restoration and preservation of residual ridge dimensions. In RBA-treated sites, there was a statistically significant preservation of buccal ridge height, with an almost 2 mm advantage at long-term follow-up (to 12 mo). The biomaterial's adhesive properties, mechanical strength, and osteoconductive nature provide crucial support to the postextraction socket, encouraging bony repair instead of ridge height loss, contributing to this favorable outcome. The results demonstrate that RBA can significantly minimize residual ridge resorption compared to standard extraction alone.
A 10 yr old female spayed golden retriever was presented to an emergency service for persistent regurgitation. The patient had a history of an aberrant right subclavian artery and a subsequent esophageal stricture with megaesophagus. A thoracic radiograph confirmed the presence of an esophageal foreign body. Point-of-care lung ultrasound confirmed the presence of pleural effusion which was sampled and consistent with chyle. The foreign body was removed endoscopically and the patient was discharged the next day. The patient developed aspiration pneumonia within 1 wk of discharge and was treated on an outpatient basis. Point-of-care lung ultrasound performed 21 days after initial presentation showed resolution of the chylothorax and pneumonia.
Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor in dogs, and recurrence after treatment presents a significant clinical challenge. This retrospective study evaluated prognostic factors in 21 dogs with intracranial meningioma treated with surgical resection alone or with postoperative radiation therapy (RT). Recurrence rate, progression-free survival (PFS), median survival time (MST), and prognostic indicators were assessed. Of the 21 dogs, 13 received adjuvant RT. Local recurrence was noted in six dogs (28%). Overall MST was 845 days, and PFS was 771 days. By treatment group, MST was 886 days for surgery alone and 845 days with RT; PFS was 886 and 531 days, respectively, with no significant statistical difference. Grade 1 tumors and intact male status were associated with favorable outcomes (P < .05). All grade 1 cases (n = 5), treated with surgery alone, showed no recurrence, whereas all recurrences occurred in grade 2 (n = 3) or unknown-grade tumors (n = 3), most receiving radiation. RT was well tolerated but did not show statistically proven efficacy. However, the benefit of postoperative RT could not be determined due to selection bias.
In dogs with sinonasal cancer, lymph node (LN) metastasis can affect prognosis and treatment. Hence, despite uncertain cost effectiveness, staging often includes regional LN cytology. This retrospective study evaluates how well physical examination and computed tomography (CT) perform as surrogates for regional LN cytology in dogs with sinonasal carcinomas and sarcomas. Dogs were included if their staging included physical examination, CT, and cytology of at least one regional LN. Physical examination parameters and tomographic appearance of the LNs were compared with cytologic descriptions to enable calculation of sensitivity and specificity, plus positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV). A total of 150 dogs were included. Fourteen dogs had cytologically confirmed LN metastasis; all 14 had carcinomas. Metastases were detected ipsilaterally in 12 dogs and bilaterally in two dogs. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of LN palpation alone were 71.4, 64, 17, and 96%, respectively; for CT alone, these were 100, 46.3, 16.1, and 100%; and for the combination of palpation and CT, these were 100, 59.5, 23.8, and 100%. Based on these results, detection of a palpably and tomographically normal LN in a dog with sinonasal carcinoma or sarcoma appears sufficient to confidently rule out cytologically detectable metastasis.
Relationship between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and adrenocortical hormones in 10 normotensive (NT) control dogs and 84 ill dogs with clinical features of hypercortisolism but normal post-adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) cortisol was studied. Doppler blood pressure classified dogs as NT (<140 mm Hg), prehypertensive (PHT; 140-159 mm Hg), or hypertensive (HT; ≥160 mm Hg). Serum cortisol, progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, and aldosterone were measured before and 1-hr after intramuscular (IM) ACTH (250 μg/dog). Ill dogs (40 NT, 29 PHT, and 15 HT) were significantly (P ≤ .04) older, smaller, and received higher ACTH dose/kg versus controls. ACTH dose/kg was not significantly associated with post-ACTH hormone concentrations. Compared to controls, baseline hormones were significantly (P ≤ .05) higher in ill dogs, except progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone in HT and aldosterone in PHT dogs; significantly higher post-ACTH 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione (P ≤ .01) in NT and PHT dogs, and aldosterone (P = .03) in HT dogs occurred. No significant differences in baseline or post-ACTH hormones existed between SBP groups. Only 3/10 controls had all hormones within reference limits. Findings suggest risk for PHT and HT in ill dogs with increased noncortisol adrenocortical hormones, and show inexplicably increased adrenocortical sex hormones in NT healthy dogs.
A substantial number of cats develop diabetes mellitus (DM), a serious endocrine disorder that can lead to other physiologic complications. While DM management can be complex, successful control that alleviates the patient's clinical signs and avoids hypoglycemia is achievable in most cats. Diabetic remission is also possible. The 2026 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Cats retain clinically relevant information from the 2018 AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines and present new findings and expert opinions. Subjects such as pathophysiology, diagnosis, how to treat and monitor cats receiving SGLT2 inhibitors, various insulin options for cats, how to monitor cats receiving insulin, diet and physical activity recommendations, advantages and disadvantages of at-home glucose monitoring devices, diagnosing and treating diabetic ketoacidosis, and client education are all discussed. The guidelines also cover how to identify patients who are at risk of developing DM and how to differentiate DM from transient or mild hyperglycemia.
A 9 yr old castrated male French bulldog, weighing 13.9 kg, presented with acute tongue swelling. Physical examination revealed marked macroglossia. Computed tomography (CT) showed a cavitary lesion extending from the lingual root to the body with rim enhancement. These CT findings were highly suggestive of a lingual abscess, and the lesion was aspirated. Cytological examination revealed degenerate neutrophils and intracellular bacteria, confirming a lingual abscess. Following aspiration, fluid therapy, systemic antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory dose of prednisolone were administered. The macroglossia improved rapidly, and the tongue size was normalized on day 4. Neisseria animaloris was isolated from the culture of the aspirated fluid. Treatment was discontinued 22 days after presentation, and no recurrence has been reported to date. This case is the first report describing the CT findings of a lingual abscess in a dog and demonstrates a successful outcome with medical management alone, without surgical intervention.
This report describes the surgical correction of a pes varus deformity in a 13 mo old miniature dachshund using free-form bilateral multiplanar external skeletal fixation (ESF). The dog exhibited lameness in the right pelvic limb, with a varus deformity of the distal tibia and grade 2 lateral patellar luxation. Radiographic and computed tomography imaging confirmed the presence of varus in the distal diaphyseal portion of the right tibia, without procurvatum or internal torsion. Medial opening wedge osteotomy and free-form bilateral multiplanar ESF successfully corrected the deformity. Dynamization was performed by removing the lateral column 3 mo after surgery, followed by the removal of all transfixation pins and the medial column under sedation 4 mo after surgery. The dog remained free of clinical signs at the last follow-up 24 mo after surgery, although residual pin tract holes were evident on radiographs. Free-form bilateral multiplanar ESF is an alternative rigid fixation method for pes varus correction, allowing technically simple relative to plate fixation, three-dimensional precise adjustments, and staged dynamization.
An 8 yr old spayed female domestic shorthair presented with a 1 wk history of anorexia and lethargy. Cytological examination of the liver using fine-needle aspiration revealed numerous adipocytes, confirming hepatic lipidosis. The cat was hospitalized for treatment; subsequently, the clinical signs and blood analysis results improved. On day 17, the nasoesophageal tube was removed because of recovery of appetite and vitality. However, owing to insufficient voluntary food intake, partial parenteral nutrition (PPN) was initiated using an amino acid solution with a low branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)/aromatic amino acid (AAA) ratio and arginine deficiency. Within 24 hr of PPN administration, neurological signs were observed, including vocalization, panting, hyperactivity, and a subsequent comatose state. Although hepatic encephalopathy was considered, there was limited evidence of hepatic failure. The clinical course was most consistent with acute hyperammonemia secondary to arginine deficiency, although a contributing role of the low BCAA/AAA ratio cannot be excluded. This case suggests that amino acid PPN with arginine deficiency and a low BCAA/AAA ratio may contribute to neurological signs in cats, underscoring the importance of careful amino acid selection in nutritional formulations.
Primary care veterinarians may diagnose, stage, and treat many canine and feline cancers while providing comprehensive patient health care in their practices. Collaboration between general practitioners and veterinary oncologists can optimize patient care and enhance client engagement, and referral is often necessary, especially in complex cases. These guidelines cover key fundamentals of, and new developments in, cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment in dogs and cats, including patient supportive care and follow-up assessments. Therapy is based on identifying the tumor type, grade, and stage by using cytologic or histologic evaluation or both, combined with staging diagnostic testing such as imaging and lymph node sampling. Therapy is most often multimodal and may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, along with nutritional support and pain management. Methods to protect patient, team, and client safety as related to handling cytotoxic chemotherapeutics are emphasized. In addition, strengthening the training, education, and responsibilities of veterinary technicians is encouraged to promote team engagement and practice efficiency, which is highly beneficial when managing complex cancer cases. These guidelines also highlight how to achieve successful collaboration between all members of primary care and referral practice teams, cover tools that can aid in referral to or consultation with veterinary oncologists, and describe communication skills that enhance client understanding and compliance.
An 11 yr old, 8.16 kg, spayed female Lhasa apso with unresolved pruritus was presented to the dermatology service. On physical examination, infestation of biting lice (Trichodectes canis) was discovered. The dog was treated with one dose of 100 mg fluralaner and re-evaluated at 2 and 4 wk following administration. After 2 wk, all adult lice were eliminated; however, nits were still present. After 4 wk, all clinical signs and all evidence of lice infestation were resolved. This case indicates that fluralaner is an effective treatment for biting lice, even at the lower dosage used in the 1 mo formulation.
A 1 yr old female spayed dog presented for evaluation of lethargy, hyporexia, and left hind limb lameness. On presentation, she was tachycardic and febrile. Echocardiogram revealed pericardial effusion and evidence of pericarditis and myocarditis, and electrocardiogram showed underlying sinus rhythm with complex arrhythmias. Cardiac troponin-I level was markedly elevated. The dog was hospitalized for 6 days on IV fluid therapy and treated with ampicillin/sulbactam and enrofloxacin. She was discharged on amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and maropitant citrate. Within 24 hr, the dog returned because of progressive clinical signs. It was revealed that two of her littermates had tested positive for Brucella canis, so antimicrobial therapy was switched to enrofloxacin and doxycycline. Six days later, the dog developed worsening clinical signs and was euthanized. Postmortem examination was performed. Blood cultures and brucellosis testing were positive for B canis. Two other dogs and two humans in the household were ultimately diagnosed with brucellosis. To our knowledge, infection with B canis has not been reported in dogs diagnosed with myocarditis. However, myocarditis is a rare clinical manifestation of brucellosis in humans. Depending on patient history, clinical signs, and diagnostic findings, brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that may be a differential diagnosis in dogs with suspected myocarditis.
Hyperechoic retroperitoneal fat was identified in a 3 yr old Sphynx cat with systemic coagulopathy. This ultrasonographic finding preceded the development of hematochezia and anemia, and pleural and peritoneal bleeding did not develop. Fine-needle aspirate cytology of the retroperitoneal space showed a predominance of erythrocytes, and rapid clinical recovery was noted following treatment with plasma, a whole blood transfusion, and vitamin K. Systemic coagulopathy should be considered a differential for hyperechoic retroperitoneal fat in cats, even in the absence of other clinical manifestations of hemorrhage.
An 8 yr old castrated male Cavalier King Charles spaniel dog was presented for an acute onset of an abnormal mentation and ataxia. After vomiting a large volume of material containing paintball shells, the diagnosis of paintball intoxication was made. Despite mild hypernatremia (157 mmol/L) that was unchanged from presentation, the dog developed tonic-clonic seizures 4 hr after admission. Approximately 11 hr after admission, the patient's plasma sodium increased to 170 mmol/L; the dog became comatose and required endotracheal intubation. Gastric lavage was performed to remove a conglomerate of residual paintball material. The dog's free water deficit was corrected to safely reduce plasma sodium to baseline levels over 12 hr. The patient remained comatose for 7 hr following correction of the acute hypernatremia and developed a Cushing reflex that responded to hyperosmolar therapy. With continued intensive care, his neurological status made gradual improvements and he was successfully discharged after 68 hr with a normal neurological examination. Two weeks after discharge, the owners reported that the patient was bright and alert, with no persistent clinical signs and normal blood parameters on recheck blood work. This case report highlights successful treatment of a dog that developed severe neurological signs following "nontoxic" paintball ingestion both before and after the development of acute hypernatremia.
Boar attack-associated trauma (BAAT) in dogs was reviewed by assessing the injury type (blunt, penetrating, or combined), distribution, Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) score, and prognosis. We conducted a university teaching hospital retrospective study of the hospital medical records from December 2013 to January 2024 of all dogs presented for BAAT. Forty-two cases were identified: 36 (85.7%) had blunt trauma, 13 (30.9%) had penetrating trauma, and 7 (16.7%) had combined trauma. The mean ATT score (± standard deviation [SD]) was significantly higher in penetrating (4.3 ± 1.2) and combined trauma (5.0 ± 1.0) than in blunt (2.5 ± 1.3) trauma. Similarly, the mean ATT score was significantly higher in multiple (4.2 ± 1.4) than in single (2.5 ± 1.4) lesions. The mean ATT score was 3.0 (± 1.6) in survivors and 5.5 (± 0.71) in dogs that died naturally. The number of observations was too low to reach statistical significance. The survival rate was 100% (6/6) with only penetrating, 89.7% (26/29) with only blunt, and 85.7% (6/7) with combined lesions. ATT scores were higher in cases that suffered penetrating or combined and multiple injuries. Blunt trauma affecting a single region was more common than penetrating or multiple injuries. The overall survival rate was 90.5%.
The objective of this study was to determine if the time to any antimicrobial administration, as well as time to appropriate antimicrobial administration, impacted hospitalization time of dogs diagnosed with sepsis. Records from 175 dogs diagnosed with sepsis were included in this single-center retrospective study. Results found a significant, positive correlation between hospitalization time and time to appropriate antimicrobial administration (P = .004). A significant relationship was also found between survival rate and acute patient physiological and laboratory evaluation fast (APPLEfast) score (P = .03), survival rate and source control (P = .05), and source control and time to appropriate antimicrobial administration (P < .01). No significant relationship was found between hospitalization time and time to any antimicrobial administration (P = .11), time to any antimicrobial administration and source control (P = .77), time to any (P = .11) or appropriate (P = .37) antimicrobial administration and survival rate, or APPLEfast score (P = .07). These findings suggest the importance of appropriate antimicrobial choice upon recognition of sepsis in veterinary patients to decrease length of hospitalization. Additional research is required to further investigate the effect of time to antimicrobial administration on the survival rates of dogs with sepsis.
