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Objectives Increased whole blood manganese concentrations have been reported in humans with primary liver disease. Due to the neurotoxic effects of manganese, altered manganese homeostasis has been linked to the development of hepatic encephalopathy. Whole blood manganese concentrations are increased in cases of canine congenital portosystemic shunts, but it remains unclear whether dogs with primary hepatopathies also have altered manganese homeostasis. Methods Whole blood manganese concentrations were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry in 21 dogs with primary hepatitis, 65 dogs with a congenital portosystemic shunt, 31 dogs with non-hepatic illnesses and 18 healthy dogs. Results The whole blood manganese concentrations were significantly different between dogs with primary hepatitis, dogs with non-hepatic illnesses and healthy dogs (P=0·002). Dogs with primary hepatitis had significantly increased whole blood manganese concentrations compared with healthy dogs (P

Tracheal collapse occurs most commonly in middle-aged, small breed dogs. Clinical signs are usually proportional to the degree of collapse, ranging from mild airway irritation and paroxysmal coughing to respiratory distress and dyspnoea. Diagnosis is made by documenting dynamic airway collapse with radiographs, bronchoscopy or fluoroscopy. Most dogs respond well to medical management and treatment of any concurrent comorbidities. Surgical intervention may need to be considered in dogs that do not respond or have respiratory compromise. A variety of surgical techniques have been reported although extraluminal ring prostheses or intraluminal stenting are the most commonly used. Both techniques have numerous potential complications and require specialised training and experience but are associated with good short- and long-term outcomes.

Bone marrow biopsies form an important part of investigations into a large number of conditions in veterinary patients. In the human field, powered drivers specifically designed for the collection of bone marrow have become available. These systems have been shown to obtain better quality bone marrow, more quickly and with less pain. This study showed that a powered rotary bone marrow collection system could be used in dogs and cats to collect bone marrow, easily and without complications. Good quality bone marrow aspirates were obtained in the majority of patients; where aspirates could not be collected it was not possible to obtain aspirates from alternative sites using a standard manual technique. Bone marrow core samples were of increased size (mean useable area 16.5 mm(2)), compared to samples obtained using a standard manual technique (mean useable area 4.1 mm(2), P0.001). Samples obtained using the powered system were also judged to be of significantly better diagnostic quality. The use of a powered system for bone marrow collection may aid the collection of better quality bone marrow samples in small animal patients.

A blinded retrospective study was conducted to investigate remission and recurrence of lymphoma in dogs receiving chemotherapy. The objective was to compare clinicians' assessment using palpation and cytology to the results of serum biochemical tests for haptoglobin (Hapt) and C-reactive protein (C-RP). These biochemical test results were combined using a diagnostic algorithm developed using data from 344 individual dogs. This multivariate approach, termed the canine lymphoma blood test (cLBT), was used to follow 57 dogs during and after treatment. cLBT of remission and recurrence compared well with clinicians' assessment and differentiated dogs in remission and those with recurring disease before appearance of lymphadenopathy (P 0.001). The cLBT demonstrated prognostic potential based on pre-treatment values on dogs with shorter survival times and on those achieving the lowest cLBT score during treatment that showed longer survival times. The test, therefore, demonstrates potential to assist in monitoring treatment of canine lymphoma.

A six-year-old female entire German shepherd dog was investigated for polyuria, polydipsia and lethargy. Investigations revealed a mild azotaemia and abdominal ultrasound revealed marked bilateral dilation of the renal pelves with echogenic material and proximal left hydroureter. Urine cytological examination and aspirates from the right renal pelvis revealed mats of fungal hyphae consistent with fungal bezoar formation. Fungal cultures revealed a profuse growth of Paecilomyces variotii. Initial treatment with oral itraconazole was unsuccessful, leading to bilateral nephrotomies to remove the fungal material. Postoperatively the Paecilomyces infection persisted despite continued itraconazole therapy. Treatment was commenced with amphotericin B, leading to resolution of the dog's clinical signs. To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of canine Paecilomyces pyelonephritis, without disseminated systemic disease, which documents its successful treatment.

PULMONARY haemorrhage has been reported in association with various types of glomerular disease ([Masson and others 1992][1]). The pathogenesis of the glomerular lesion varies, but examples of immune-mediated lesions include immune complexes formed by antibody to alveolar and glomerular basement