Search

Background Leukoreduction is a routine procedure in human transfusion medicine but is uncommon in veterinary. Objectives To evaluate the effect of leukoreduction on the quality of canine whole blood (WB) and blood products during storage. Animals Ten canine blood donors. Methods This is a case series study. An amount of 450 mL of blood was collected from each dog. Five WB and 5 packed red blood cells (pRBC) bags were divided into 2 units each: leukoreduced (LR) and non‐leukoreduced (nLR). RBC count, erythrocytes' mean osmotic fragility (MOF), 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate (2,3‐DPG), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), percentage of hemolysis, potassium (K), lactate, glucose, and cytokines were measured weekly from day of donation (T0) to day 35 (T35); pH, coagulation times, and clotting factors were evaluated at T0 and T35 from WB and in fresh frozen plasma after 1 year of storage. Results Leukoreduction showed positive effects on lactate (T35: LR WB 14.42 mmol/L SD 2.71, nLR WB 22.42 mmol/L SD 1.86, LR pRBC 20.88 mmol/L SD 2.65, nLR pRBC 36.81 mmol/L SD 2.34; P

A four-year-old Scottish Shepherd dog was referred for acute onset of disorientation, blindness and chronic diarrhoea. The neurological examination was consistent with a multifocal neurolocalisation involving the prosencephalon and the brainstem. The ophthalmological exam showed bilateral chorioretinitis with retinal detachment. The brain MRI showed periventricular and left caudate nucleus lesions, increased thickness of the left III, IV, VI and opthalmic branch of V cranial nerves and bilateral multifocal lesions in the temporal and masseter muscles. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed mild mixed pleocytosis. Faecal and urine cultures were positive for Prototheca zopfii genotype 2. Despite starting itraconazole therapy, the dog’s conditions deteriorated and the owner elected euthanasia. Protothecosis should be suspected in young dogs with multifocal neurological signs, blindness and chronic diarrhoea. MRI study of the central nervous system (CNS), together with blood exam, cytology and cultures, is a useful tool to evaluate the CNS in disseminated form of Prototheca infection.

Erythema multiforme (EM), an uncommon immune-mediated skin disorder of cats, conceivably could be triggered by feline herpesvirus type-1 (FHV-1) infection, in a manner analogous to human herpesvirus-associated EM (HAEM). This report describes a 10-year-old Persian-mixed cat with a presumptive diagnosis of HAEM.

Background: Growing interest in veterinary oncohematology has facilitated the recent development and advancement of new techniques, such as flow cytometry, for immunophenotyping hematopoietic neoplasia in animals. Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to characterize hematologic abnormalities and flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) results in cases of hematopoietic neoplasia in dogs. Methods: Signalment, CBC data, and FCI results were obtained for 210 dogs with blood samples submitted to our laboratory. Immunophenotyping was carried out using an Epics XL-MCL flow cytometer and a panel of 10 antibodies (CD45, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD79, CD21, CD14, CD34, CD41/61, CD61). The prevalence and severity of hematologic abnormalities was determined for the different types of hematopoietic neoplasms. Results: Based on cell morphology and phenotype, cases were classified as: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n=51), acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n=33), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, n=61), and leukemic high-grade lymphoma (L-HGL, n=65). Most cases of ALL (47/51) and L-HGL (41/65) had a B-cell phenotype, while most cases of CLL (54/61) had a T-cell phenotype, with a high prevalence of the large granular lymphocyte subtype (49/61). Anemia was found in 85% of all cases and was significantly more severe in ALL and AML compared with CLL and L-HGL. Neutropenia was seen in 64–78% of acute leukemias (AML and ALL) in contrast to no cases of CLL and 11% of L-HGL. Thrombocytopenia was seen in 88–90% of acute leukemias in contrast to 15% of CLL and 40% of L-HGL. Thrombocytopenia was more prevalent (71% vs 22%) and significantly more severe in T-cell vs B-cell L-HGL. Conclusion: A standard CBC is useful in suggesting the type of hemoproliferative disorder and may also help to predict the phenotype, especially in cases of L-HGL.

We conducted a retrospective study to determine whether multidetector computed tomography (CT) could be of value for adrenal gland assessment in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Adrenal gland attenuation and volume values of 49 dogs with hyperadrenocorticism were recorded and age, body weight, and gender were examined to determine if a relationship existed between these variables and adrenal gland morphology. There was not a statistically significant difference in mean X-ray attenuation of the left vs. right adrenal gland in normal dogs (35.3 +/- 6.1 HU), or in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism. The mean adrenal X-ray attenuation (+/- standard deviation [SD]) in dogs with microadenoma was 33.1 +/- 6.8 vs. 31.8 +/- 12.7 HU for dogs with macroadenoma, and these values were not statistically different. The mean volume of the left adrenal gland in normal dogs (0.59 +/- 0.17 cm3) was greater than that of the right adrenal gland (0.54 +/- 0.19 cm3) (P < 0.05). The mean CT volume (+/- SD) of the adrenal glands in dogs with microadenoma vs. macroadenoma were 1.60 +/- 1.25 vs. 2.88 +/- 1.60 cm3, respectively. There was no effect of age or gender on adrenal gland morphology or X-ray attenuation. The weight effect was the most important source of variation for the volume measurement in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism.

Background A review of the literature revealed limited information about the stability of samples for coagulation testing in dogs. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of individual coagulation factors, clotting times, and other parameters of hemostasis in stored canine plasma. Methods Citrated plasma samples were obtained from 21 dogs. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen concentration, and factor I, II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII activities were measured on an automated coagulation analyzer with commercially available reagents. Antithrombin (AT) activity and D-dimer concentration were measured on an automated chemistry analyzer using validated kits. Samples were analyzed within 1 hour after collection (initial analysis) and once daily for 2 or 4 consecutive days following storage at room temperature (RT) or 4 degrees C, respectively. Results Storage time at either temperature did not have any effect on PT, factor II, V, VII, X, or XII activities, D-dimer concentration, or AT activity. In contrast, aPTT was significantly prolonged after 72 and 96 hours at 4 degrees C; fibrinogen concentration was decreased after 48 hours at RT; the activities of factors VIII and IX were decreased after 48, 72, and 96 hours at 4 degrees C; and factor XI activity was decreased after 72 hours at 4 degrees C. Conclusions Results suggest that storage of canine plasma for 2 days at RT does not have a significant effect on hemostasis test results with the exception of a slight decrease in fibrinogen concentration. In contrast, aPTT and factors VIII, IX, and XI were unstable in refrigerated plasma after 48 or 72 hours of storage.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and diagnostic value of four different sample collection techniques for cytological identification of nasal aspergillosis-penicilliosis in dogs. Methods: Fifteen dogs with a history of persistent nasal discharge and clinical and radiographic findings suggestive of aspergillosis were evaluated using four different cytological sampling techniques. These were a direct smear from the nasal discharge, blind swab collection under general anaesthesia, brushing from suspect lesions under direct endoscopic visualisation and a squash technique of mucosal biopsies from suspect lesions obtained under direct endoscopic visualisation. Results: Direct smear collection and blind swab collection detected fungal hyphae in 13·3 and 20 per cent of examinaed cases, respectively; brush samples detected fungal hyphae in 93·3 per cent and fungal spores in the 45 per cent of examined cases and squash samples detected fungal hyphae in 100 per cent and fungal spores in 36 per cent of examined cases. Clinical Significance: This study confirmed the high accuracy of cytology samples in the diagnosis of nasal aspergillosis-penicilliosis when collected under direct endoscopic visualisation and showed the poor value of samples that were collected by blind swabs or prepared from samples of nasal discharge.

Pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH) in dogs is frequently associated with high serum phosphate and parathormone concentrations which are in turn associated with prognosis and clinical presentation. The pathogenesis of such abnormalities remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the serum and urinary concentrations and the urinary fractional excretion of phosphate and calcium in dogs with PDH. Medical records of newly diagnosed PDH dogs before treatment from one referral centre were retrospectively evaluated. One clinically normal and one sick dog for each dog with PDH were included as controls. One hundred and sixty-seven dogs with PDH were included. The serum phosphate concentration in PDH dogs was significantly (P

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. DNA in the blood of sick dogs from Italy. Canine blood samples (n=650) submitted for molecular testing of Rickettsia spp. to a diagnostic laboratory from February 2003 to March 2006 were studied. The Rickettsia spp. DNA detection was performed by Light Cycler real-time PCR using hybridization probes separately conducted with specific primers and probes. The total percentage of Rickettsia spp.-positive dog samples was 1.5% (10 out of 650). The percentage of Rickettsia spp.-positive dog samples submitted from north, central and southern Italy were 0.4% (1/248), 1.4% (3/219) and 3.3% (6/183), respectively. Five out of 138 dogs (3.6%) from Sicily were positive on Rickettsia PCR testing. A statistical difference was found between the percentages of positive samples from the Yorkshire terrier group (10.7%) compared with the mixed breed group (0.7%). No statistical differences were found between seasonal period, region and gender. Based on molecular data, there is infrequent rickettsiemia in dogs.