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A 21-month-old entire female labrador retriever was presented for polyuria, pollakiuria, haematuria and intermittent urinary incontinence. Clinical signs were absent during antibiotic treatment but reoccurred shortly after completion of a treatment course. Investigations detected bilaterally dilated ureters, right renal hypoplasia, left extramural ectopic ureter and right intramural ectopic ureter forming an ureterocoele. Blood tests revealed moderate renal azotaemia. 99mTc-DMSA (technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid) scintigraphy was used to quantify individual kidney function to carefully consider nephrectomy. The right kidney contributed to less than 2 per cent of the total kidney function. Individual kidney function assessed by 99mTc-DMSA scintigraphy was compared with CT-based renal parenchyma volume as an equivalent to kidney function. In this case both diagnostic imaging techniques resulted in similar individual kidney function percentages. A right-sided nephroureterectomy and a left-sided neoureterocystostomy were performed. Surgical treatment successfully resolved the clinical signs. After surgery the dog’s chronic kidney disease remained stable at International Renal Interest Society chronic kidney disease stage 3.

Objective To assess the accuracy of obtaining body temperatures in dogs with a noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) on the cornea compared with a rectal digital thermometer (RDT). Design Prospective single center study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals Three hundred dogs presented with low, normal, or high body temperatures. Interventions Three body temperature readings were measured by an RDT and by an NCIT on the cornea of the left eye by 2 investigators (experienced and inexperienced). Results obtained by the 2 methods were compared. Measurements and Main Results Median body temperature measured by the experienced investigator with the RDT and the NCIT were 38.3°C (range 35.5°C–41.1°C; 95% CI: 38.2–38.4°C) and 37.7°C (35.9°C–40.1°C; 95% CI: 37.7°C–37.9°C), respectively. Measurement of RDT as well as of NCIT correlated well between both investigators (rRDT = 0.94; rNCIT = 0.82; respectively, P 39.0°C) showed an area under the curve of 0.76. Mean discomfort score was significantly lower using NCIT compared to RDT measurement (P < 0.001). Conclusions There was poor agreement between body temperatures obtained by RDT and NCIT. The corneal NCIT measurement tends to underrecognize hypothermic and hyperthermic conditions. Although the use of the NCIT yields faster results and is significantly more comfortable for the dog than the RDT measurement, it cannot be recommended in dogs at this time.

The composition of the microbiome plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans and chronic enteropathies (CE) in dogs. The administration of probiotic micro-organisms is one way of modulating the microbiome, but experiments elucidating mechanisms of action of probiotics in the intestine of healthy and CE dogs are lacking. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of different Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands and Enterococcus faecium (EF) on ex vivo cultured duodenal samples and whole blood (WB) from dogs with food-responsive chronic enteropathy (FRE) when compared to healthy dogs. Biopsy stimulation was performed in 17 FRE and 11 healthy dogs; WB stimulation was performed in 16 FRE and 16 healthy dogs. Expression of TLR2, 4, 5 and 9, IL-17A, IL-22, IFNy, TNFα, IL-4, IL-10, TGFβ and PPARy was determined in biopsies by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, production of TNFα, IL-10, IFNy and IL-17A protein in WB and biopsy supernatants was assessed by ELISA. Treatment with individual TLR ligands or EF induced a variety of changes in the expression of different TLRs and cytokines, but not necessarily a consistent change with a single stimulating agent. Even though cytokine protein could not be detected in supernatants from ex vivo stimulated biopsies, we found TNFα protein responses in blood to be opposite of the transcriptional responses seen in the biopsies. Stimulation of canine duodenal biopsies with TLR ligands can potentially induce anti-inflammatory gene expression, especially in healthy tissue, whereas the effects of EF were limited.

BACKGROUND Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein that is used in human medicine as a real-time indicator of acute kidney injury (AKI). HYPOTHESIS Dogs with AKI have significantly higher plasma NGAL concentration and urine NGAL-to-creatinine ratio (UNCR) compared with healthy dogs and dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). ANIMALS 18 healthy control dogs, 17 dogs with CKD, and 48 dogs with AKI. METHODS Over a period of 1 year, all dogs with renal azotemia were prospectively included. Urine and plasma samples were collected during the first 24 hours after presentation or after development of renal azotemia. Plasma and urine NGAL concentrations were measured with a commercially available canine NGAL Elisa Kit (Bioporto® Diagnostic) and UNCR was calculated. A single-injection plasma inulin clearance was performed in the healthy dogs. RESULTS Median (range) NGAL plasma concentration in healthy dogs, dogs with CKD, and AKI were 10.7 ng/mL (2.5-21.2), 22.0 ng/mL (7.7-62.3), and 48.3 ng/mL (5.7-469.0), respectively. UNCR was 2 × 10(-8) (0-46), 1,424 × 10(-8) (385-18,347), and 2,366 × 10(-8) (36-994,669), respectively. Dogs with renal azotemia had significantly higher NGAL concentrations and UNCR than did healthy dogs (P

Pha rmacological management of feline hyperthyroidism offers a practical treatment option for many hyperthyroid cats. Two drugs have been licensed for cats in the last decade: methimazole and its pro-drug carbimazole. On the basis o f current evidence and available tablet sizes, starting doses of 2·5 mg methimazole twice a day and 10 to 1 5 mg once a day for the sustained release formulation of carbimazole are recommended. These doses should then be titrated to effect in order to obtain circulating total thyroxine (TT4) concentrations in the lower half of the reference interval. Treated cases should be monitored for side-effects, especially during the first months of treatment. Some side-effects may require discontinuation of treatment. At eac h monitoring visit, clinical condition and quality of life should also be evaluated, with special attention to possible development of azotaemia, hypertension and iatrogenic hypothyroidism. When euthyroidism has been achieved, monitoring visits are recommended after 1 month, 3 months and biannually thereafter. Cats with pre-existing azotaemia have shorter survi val times. However, development of mild azotaemia during the initial course of treatment, unless associated with hypothyroidism, does not appear to decrease survival time. The long-term effects of chronic medic al management require further study.

Background The effects of trilostane on key hormones and electrolytes over 24 hours in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) are unknown. Objectives To determine the plasma concentration of cortisol, endogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), aldosterone, sodium, potassium, and ionized calcium concentrations, and plasma renin activity over a 24-hour period after administration of trilostane to dogs with well-controlled PDH. Animals Nine dogs (mean age 9.3 ± 0.67 years, mean weight 31.9 ± 6.4 kg) with confirmed PDH. Methods Prospective study. Thirty days after the first administration of trilostane, blood samples were taken at −30, 0 (baseline), 15, 30, 60, and 90 minutes, and 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 hours after administration of trilostane and plasma concentration of cortisol, endogenous ACTH, aldosterone, sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, and renin activity were determined. Results Cortisol concentrations decreased significantly (P

A 15-month-old female intact Australian shepherd dog was presented with a history of acute, frequent vomiting and progressive lethargy. Only a painful abdomen was detected on physical examination. Laboratory results were suggestive of inflammation. Markedly thickened gastric mucosa with loss of gastric wall layering next to enlarged gastric lymph nodes and signs of peritonitis were detected on abdominal ultrasound. Explorative laparotomy revealed severe enlargement of the stomach wall thickness and gastric lymph nodes. High-grade T-cell lymphoma was diagnosed on histopathology and cytology. Despite the poor prognosis, a combination chemotherapy was initiated. During therapy, the dog had a good quality of life, apart from mild side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Neoplastic diseases such as alimentary lymphoma are rare in young dogs. With 252 days of survival, this is the youngest dog with long-term survival of a primarily alimentary T-cell lymphoma of the stomach, showing that appropriate chemotherapy can have a favourable outcome.

A two-year-old female French bulldog was presented for chronic large bowel diarrhoea. The dog had been suspected to have granulomatous colitis, but no improvement was noted with enrofloxacin treatment. Diagnosis was confirmed by histology and fluorescent in situ hybridisation. Isolated Escherichia coli strains showed multiple resistances to antimicrobials, including enrofloxacin. Treatment with potentiated amoxicillin and cefovecin resulted in complete resolution of clinical signs within two weeks and treatment was continued for a total of eight weeks. The dog had no signs of large bowel diarrhoea and gained 2 kg of bodyweight within 10 months. This is the first case report of a French bulldog with granulomatous colitis with a favourable long-term outcome despite colonisation with multiresistant adherent-invasive E coli . This case highlights the importance of antimicrobial sensitivity testing from colonic mucosal biopsy samples in canine granulomatous colitis. It should raise awareness of this disease in continental Europe.

SummaryA 12-year-old, female, spayed, mixed-breed dog with acute lethargy, anorexia and weakness and markedly elevated total and ionised calcium concentration showed an enlarged left cranial parathyroid gland on ultrasonography of the ventral neck. Despite preoperative therapy with furosemide and calcitonin, there was no decline of plasma ionised calcium concentration. The dog deteriorated rapidly and was euthanased two days after initial presentation. Postmortem histopathology revealed parathyroid tissue with characteristics of malignancy as local and vascular invasion. Immunohistochemistry showed parathyroid hormone positive staining of these cells. Unusual clinical presentation and histopathological characteristics are discussed.

Background: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is the cause of paratuberculosis. MAP infections have not been reliably detected in dogs, but a reemerging debate about the link between MAP and Crohn's disease has renewed interest about the occurrence of MAP in pets. Hypothesis: This study was undertaken to examine canine intestinal biopsies for the presence of MAP-specific DNA. Animals: Forty-two dogs with chronic vomiting, diarrhea, or both; and 14 dogs with no gastrointestinal disease. Methods: All dogs with signs of gastrointestinal disease had a standard work-up for chronic gastrointestinal disease. Endoscopically obtained intestinal biopsies were submitted for histopathologic and molecular investigations. Biopsies were screened for MAP-specific DNA by 3 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods (nested, seminested, and triplex real-time PCR). Samples from control dogs were obtained during necropsy. Results: Histopathology of the biopsies was indicative of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in 17 and neoplasia in 6 dogs. Six dogs showing nonspecific changes responded to diet and were classified as having food-responsive enteropathy. In 13 dogs a final diagnosis was not established. MAP-specific DNA was detected and confirmed by sequencing in 8 dogs (19%). These dogs were diagnosed with food-responsive enteropathy (n = 3), IBD (n = 2), and open diagnosis (n = 3). MAP-specific DNA was not detected in dogs with no gastrointestinal disease. Conclusions and clinical importance: MAP-specific DNA was detected in approximately one fifth of dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease and might play a role as a pathogenic agent. Apart from animal welfare, the zoonotic aspect warrants further studies addressing the viability of MAP organism in canine intestinal biopsies by culture.

Background: Postprandial (PP) serum bile acid (SBA) stimulation is an important test for detecting hepatic dysfunction in dogs. However, this test is influenced by numerous variables, and a standardized approach using an injectable cholecystokinin analog (ceruletide) may be advantageous. Hypothesis: Ceruletide SBA stimulation test is more sensitive than PP SBA stimulation in dogs. Animals: Animals with portosystemic shunt (PSS) (n = 11) and dogs with upper respiratory disease (URD) (n = 9) were investigated. Healthy dogs (n = 13) and dogs with other diseases (n = 17) served as controls. Methods: All dogs underwent SBA stimulation with food and ceruletide. Stimulation blood samples were drawn at 60/120 minutes and 20/30/40 minutes, respectively. Results were compared statistically, and the sensitivity and specificity were determined with receiver-operating characteristic curves. Results: Stimulated SBA were significantly higher in both study groups than in controls. For dogs with PSS, the sensitivity and specificity (>35 μmol/L) were 100% postprandially (120 minutes) and 91 and 100%, respectively, postceruletide (30 minutes). The difference between these values was not statistically significant. For dogs with URD, the sensitivity and specificity (>22 μmol/L) were 44 and 88% postprandially (120 minutes) and 100 and 88% postceruletide (30 minutes). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Ceruletide SBA stimulation circumvents exogenous and endogenous influences associated with PP SBA stimulation. The results indicate that ceruletide SBA stimulation performs as well as PP SBA stimulation in dogs with PSS and is more sensitive for the detection of hepatic dysfunction in dogs with URD.

Serum sodium:potassium (Na:K) ratios are often reported in biochemical studies of dogs, although their value has not been assessed. The aims of this study were to identify diseases associated with a low Na:K ratio in dogs and to compare their prevalence with the prevalence in dogs from the same referral hospital with normal Na:K ratios. A total of 238 dogs with a Na:K ratio less than 27 were identified from medical records. Sample contamination with edta was suspected in 74 cases (31 per cent) and these and two cases that had been supplemented with potassium were removed from the analysis. The remaining 162 cases and 147 control dogs were divided into five categories depending on the organ system affected. Among the cases there were significantly more in the endocrine category than among the control dogs. Hypoadrenocorticism was the most single common cause of a low Na:K ratio and affected 27 (16.7 per cent) of the cases. Other clinical problems associated with low Na:K ratios included different urogenital, cardiorespiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess thyroid hormone levels in hyperadrenocorticoid dogs before and after therapy with trilostane, a reversible inhibitor of steroidogenesis. METHODS: Serum total thyroxine, free thyroxine and endogenous canine thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations were measured in 20 dogs with spontaneously occurring hyperadrenocorticism before and six months after successful treatment with trilostane. RESULTS: Fourteen dogs demonstrated an increase in thyroxine following trilostane treatment; however, this was not significant (P=0.108). Fourteen dogs demonstrated an increase in canine thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations with trilostane therapy (P=0.006). Of the 14 dogs that demonstrated an increase in thyroxine concentrations following therapy, 10 also showed an increase in canine thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations. Before treatment, free thyroxine values were within, above and below the reference range in 10, six and two dogs, respectively. Sixteen of 18 dogs had free thyroxine values within the reference range after treatment, with 11 dogs showing a decrease in free thyroxine levels following therapy (P=0.029). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: While treatment with trilostane did not induce a significant change of thyroxine concentrations, there was a significant increase in canine thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations following treatment, a finding that supports thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression as one of the factors that contributes to the effects of glucocorticoids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. The significant elevation in free thyroxine values following treatment with trilostane was unexpected and did not support the findings of previous studies in this area.

Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrinopathy of older cats and is associated with an increased glomerular filtration rate (gfr). Renal dysfunction is also common in older cats and may develop after they have been treated for hyperthyroidism. This paper describes the changes in the gfr of 27 hyperthyroid cats in the six months after their treatment with radioactive iodine ((131)I), and evaluates whether any commonly measured pretreatment parameters (serum biochemistry, systolic blood pressure, urine specific gravity) could predict a clinically significant decline in renal function. The gfr of all the cats had decreased one month after treatment, and the mean gfr was significantly lower. There was no further significant change in gfr between one and six months. The only independent variable associated with the final gfr was the pretreatment plasma glucose concentration (P=0.003).

THE methods used to diagnose hyperadrenocorticism and distinguish the two forms of disease – pituitary-dependent versus adrenal-dependent – were described in the last issue of In Practice (September 2007, volume 29, pp 446-454). This article focuses on the treatment of the condition. Before treating any dog with hyperadrenocorticism, it is worthwhile having a detailed discussion with the owner about the costs, benefits and potential complications of the available therapies.

Objectives: Evaluation of dogs with elevated plasma thyroxine concentration fed raw food before and after changing the diet. Method: Between 2006 and 2011 all dogs presented with an elevated plasma thyroxine concentration and a dietary history of feeding raw food were included. Thyroxine (reference interval: 19·3 to 51·5 nmol/L) and in many cases also thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations (reference interval

A nine-year-old chemically neutered male hovawart was referred due to dysuria, stranguria, haematuria and inappetence. Initial examinations suggested a transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder with pulmonary metastases and ureteral ectopia. To confirm the diagnosis and rule out possible ureteral ectopia, cystoscopy was performed. Transitional cell carcinoma was confirmed, and a urethral foreign body was revealed. After successful removal, the foreign body turned out to be a 17-cm long piece of a urinary catheter. The dog9s clinical signs ceased completely a few days after extraction of the foreign object and palliative therapy with meloxicam. Approximately four weeks later its condition deteriorated and the owner elected euthanasia.

Background. A number of different Helicobacter spp. can colonize the stomach of humans and domestic pets. Difficulties encountered with primary isolation of these spiral microorganisms and their unusual inertia with respect to biochemical reactions still represent considerable obstacles to their characterization with classic tools. In addition, the high degree of similarity in the 16S rRNA sequence hampers differentiation of Helicobacter spp. using routine molecular biological assays. Materials and Methods. Samples from experimentally monoinfected mice, of naturally infected hosts, and of cultured strains were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In parallel, all samples were analyzed by molecular techniques to ascertain the Helicobacter spp. involved. Results. Using the mouse samples as a reference, microorganisms found in naturally infected hosts were identified by SEM as belonging to H. pylori, H. felis, or a group consisting of H. bizzozeronii and H. heilmannii. A further spiral microorganism with unique morphology was found in a dog that was positive for H. salomonis, but the organism could not be recovered from experimentally infected mice. In culture, most Helicobacter strains lost their ultrastructural characteristics. Conclusions. When gastric Helicobacter spp. were collected from their natural habitat and examined by SEM, relevant differences could be detected between H. felis, H. bizzozeronii and H. heilmannii, and H. salomonis, respectively. SEM, therefore, seems to be a useful auxillary tool for the distinction of various gastric Helicobacter spp. as based on their ultrastructure.

Scintigraphy is currently the reference standard for diagnosing feline hyperthyroidism; however, computed tomography (CT) is more widely available in veterinary practice. The purposes of this prospective study were to describe the CT appearance of thyroid glands in cats with hyperthyroidism and compare CT findings with findings from (99m) Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy. Twenty-five adult hyperthyroid cats were included. Plain CT images were acquired for each cat and the following characteristics recorded for each thyroid lobe: visibility, delineation, position, attenuation, shape, and subjective size. Scintigraphic images were also acquired and the following characteristics recorded: radiopharmaceutical uptake, delineation, ectopic foci, shape, and subjective size. In CT images, thyroid lobes were most commonly found between the second and fourth cervical vertebrae, dorsolateral to the trachea. Affected thyroid lobes (based on scintigraphy reference standard) were most commonly oval and moderately enlarged in CT images. A heterogeneous attenuation pattern (isoattenuating to adjacent soft tissues with hypo- and hyperattenuating foci) was most commonly found in affected thyroid lobes. A positive correlation (P < 0.01) was identified between CT and scintigraphy for left-to-right thyroid lobe size relationship and subjective size of the larger thyroid lobe. The CT estimated mass was significantly higher (median = 148.8; range = [0;357.6]) for the more active thyroid lobe compared to the less active thyroid lobe (median = 84.6; range = [0;312.3]); (W = 154; P < 0.01). Findings indicated that CT may not reliably differentiate unilateral vs. bilateral hyperthyroidism in cats; however, CT may be a reliable alternative test for correctly identifying the more active thyroid lobe.

relationship of Helicobacter spp. to gastric inflammation in cats and dogs is unresolved, with inflammation, glandular degeneration, and lymphoid follicle hyperplasia accompanying infection in some but not all subjects. Circulating anti- Helicobacter immunoglobulin G antibodies have been detected in 80% of dogs with naturally acquired infection and most dogs and cats with experimental infection. The gastric secretory axis is similar in infected and uninfected cats and dogs and no relationship of infection to gastrointestinal ulcers has been found. Differences in the pathogenicity of Helicobacter spp. are apparent, because infection with H pylori is associated with a more severe gastritis than infection with other Helicobacter spp. in both cats and dogs. Rapid urease test, histopathology, and touch cytology are all highly accurate invasive diagnostic tests for gastric Helicobacter-like organisms in dogs and cats, whereas culture and polymerase chain reaction are the only means to identify them to the species level. Urea breath and blood tests or serology can be used to diagnose Helicobacter spp. noninvasively in dogs and cats. Most therapeutic studies in pets have not shown long-term eradication of Helicobacter spp. Whether this is due to reinfection or recrudescence has not been established.