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This study reports short- and long-term clinical outcomes following excision arthroplasty in 7 small breed dogs with shoulder pathology. Lameness and pain were scored before surgery, and reassessed at short- and long-term follow-ups with measurements of range of motion (ROM), scapulo-humeral angles of extension (EA) and flexion (FA), and muscle girth (MG) of the operated and contralateral limbs. All dogs improved clinically for lameness and pain. Range of motion, EA, and FA of the operated limb were not significantly different compared with the contralateral limb at short-term follow-up, but ROM and EA were significantly decreased at long-term examination. Muscle girth was not significantly different than the contralateral limb. Radiographic re-evaluations showed bony proliferation around osteotomies without interosseous union in most dogs and all owners were satisfied with the surgery outcome. Excision arthroplasty seems to be an effective treatment for chronic shoulder pathologies in small dogs. Range of motion and EA were decreased and a mild lameness remained present at long-term follow-up.

Objective: To compare outcomes and identify prognostic factors in dogs with single congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (CEHPSS) gradually attenuated with an ameroid ring constrictor (ARC) or cellophane banding (CB)., Study Design: Retrospective, multi-institutional study., Animals: Forty-nine dogs with CEHPSS (n = 23 for ARC; n = 26 for CB)., Methods: Medical records of dogs with CEHPSS treated by ARC or CB were reviewed for postoperative (<1 month), midterm (1-6 months), and long-term (> 6 months) outcomes. Data were evaluated to detect factors associated with postoperative complications, residual shunting, and long-term outcome., Results: Postoperative complication rates did not differ between ARC (26.1%) and CB (23.1%, P = .89) and were negatively associated with body weight (P = .03). Overall, postoperative mortality was low (2.0%). Clinical long-term outcome was excellent in 45.0% and 39.1% and good in 55.0% and 60.9% of dogs after ARC and CB, respectively. Suspected residual shunting rate upon abdominal ultrasonography was greater after CB (31.6%) than after ARC (0%)., Conclusion: ARC and CB were both effective for attenuation of CEHPSS, resulting in good to excellent outcomes with low morbidity and mortality. Residual shunting was suspected in a higher proportion of dogs treated with CB on the basis of abdominal ultrasonography results. However, further prospective randomized studies must be conducted with validated evaluation methods to verify this assumption., (© 2017 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.)

Case Description: A 1-year-old female spayed Labrador Retriever was admitted for evaluation of a progressive gait disturbance characterized by tetraparesis and general proprioceptive ataxia in all limbs., Clinical Findings: Neurologic examination suggested a dysfunction of the C6-T2 spinal cord segments, which was slightly worse on the right side. Discomfort was suspected upon lateral flexion of the neck. Two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations at a 3-week interval revealed an intramedullary fluid-filled cavitary lesion adjacent to C7, containing a blood clot., Treatment and Outcome: Following unsuccessful initial conservative management, surgical marsupialization of the lesion was performed through a dorsal laminectomy, durotomy, and myelotomy at C6 and C7. Histologic evaluation including immunohistochemistry was diagnostic for a vascular anomaly. Initially, the dog was nonambulatory with tetraparesis and became tetraplegic after surgery; movement was regained 6 days later. Four weeks after the procedure, the dog was able to walk unassisted. One year after surgery, the dog was actively running and jumping, with mild residual ataxia in the pelvic limbs., Clinical Relevance: The intramedullary vascular anomaly in this dog was successfully treated with a surgical marsupialization technique. The combination of MRI, histologic evaluation, and immunohistochemistry enabled lesion localization, evaluation of cavity content, and final diagnosis.

An unusual form of congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was identified in a 3 1/2-month-old female Labrador Retriever with neurologic signs. Ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography were used to characterize the shunt morphology. An unusual, looping right-divisional shunt connected back to the portal vein that formed an ampula in the right-central portion of the liver. An irregularly shaped window-like opening connected the combined right-divisional loop and aneurysmal portal vein, and the caudal vena cava, while this vascular pool gradually fused more cranially. Imaging features of this complex vascular anomaly, which has not been previously reported, are presented.

The purposes of this study were: 1) to describe and compare the trotting gait of normal and lame dogs secondary to stifle (GONOA) or hip (COXOA) osteoarthritis (OA) using multiple ground reaction forces (GRF) parameters, and 2) to pinpoint any characteristic in gait profile ('signatures') which could help to discriminate a lameness secondary to GONOA or COXOA. Fifty-one large breed dogs with OA (19 GONOA, 32 COXOA) and 22 normal dogs were included in the study. The vertical and cranio-caudal (braking-propelling) GRF were collected. The total stance time, and for each orthogonal vector, the peak force, impulse, time to peak, and the rate of limb loading were recorded. Vertical and craniocaudal forces were found to be significantly decreased in both OA groups compared to normal dogs. Vertical, cranial and caudal limb loading were also most often lower for both OA groups. In addition, the vertical and cranial forces were significantly lower in dogs with GONOA compared to COXOA and normal dogs. This study has demonstrated that, at a trotting gait, OA dogs secondary to GONOA and COXOA load their affected limb, brake and propel earlier during the stance phase, but generally with less magnitude than normal dogs. Dogs affected by GONOA also present more severe gait alterations than dogs with COXOA. The vertical and braking specific GRF alterations described may be kinetic 'signatures' linked more to lame dogs secondary to GONOA versus COXOA. Finally, this study has also provided useful baseline GRF data for further clinical and research investigations.

The clinical aspects of 26 dogs suspected of fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FEM) were documented and compared to results from 2 studies published in the literature. The short-term recovery capacity of 15 of these patients was also evaluated during a 30 day period by giving a neurological score. We have observed, compared to other studies, a larger proportion of cervical localization (15.4%) as well as a larger variety of race sizes for FEM. We have established that, after 30 days, 67% of patients had improved and that 88% of non-ambulatory patients had regained their ambulatory capacity. Also, patients showing signs of grey matter lesions (inferior motor neuron--IMN) as well as those having white matter lesions (superior motor neuron--SMN) had shown signs of neurological progress. Therefore, we have observed that the recovery capacity of an animal suffering from FEM does not seem to be impacted by its initial ambulatory state, nor by its lesions to IMN or SMN, although the low number of cases does not allow us to positively confirm this situation.