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The objectives of this study were to describe serial point-of-care test results in dogs infected with canine parvovirus (CPV), highlight clinicopathologic abnormalities at various timepoints, and investigate their association with the duration of hospitalization. Two-hundred and four dogs positive for CPV at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine between 2003 and 2015 were included. Data were recorded pertaining to emergency panel and venous blood gas tests at presentation, and every 12 hours thereafter (+/− 4 hours) for the first 72 hours of hospitalization. Common persistent abnormalities included hypoproteinemia, acidosis, hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hyperkalemia, and hyperbicarbonatemia. Ionized hypocalcemia was associated with a longer duration of hospitalization and mild hyperkalemia was associated with a shorter duration of hospitalization (P < 0.05). This study suggests that the use of point-of-care tests for in-hospital monitoring may provide insight into CPV case complexity and predict total hospitalization times.

The objective of this study was to use a questionnaire 1) for characterization of hemorrhagic signs; 2) to assess its value as a predictor of von Willebrand Disease (vWD) status; and 3) for evaluation of the vWD diagnostic profile [platelet function analysis using the PFA-100, Collagen binding assay (vWF:CBA), and vWF antigen ELISA (vWF:Ag)], partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and Factor VIII activity (FVIII) as predictors of hemorrhagic risk. von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentration and function was assessed for each of the 165 canine participants using the vWD diagnostic profile. Hemorrhagic signs for each dog were obtained using a standardized questionnaire. Questionnaires were scored according to a previously prepared scoring key. Of the 165 dogs in the study, 43.6% had a low vWF concentration, with only 48.6% of dogs in this group having reports of hemorrhagic signs. Oral bleeding was the most commonly reported sign. The questionnaire had a sensitivity of 48.6% and a specificity of 78.5% for the prediction of vWD status. Using the Spearman correlation coefficient, a statistical association was found between the questionnaire and the vWD diagnostic profile components. However, this could not be translated into an ability to predict hemorrhage. The questionnaire allowed characterization of hemorrhagic signs in a large population of dogs over a range of vWF:Ag concentrations, and demonstrated that the vWD diagnostic profile was unsuccessful in the prediction of hemorrhagic risk. Although the sensitivity was insufficient for a screening tool, the questionnaire did have some discriminatory power in the prediction of vWD status.

A 4-year-old, standard poodle was presented to the Ontario Veterinary College for a 3-week history of a moist, productive cough that was first noted while boarding at a kennel. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed numerous ova identified as Eucoleus aerophilus, previously known as Capillaria aerophila. Clinical signs resolved following treatment with fenbendazole.

This thesis describes an investigation of the potential for improved characterization of dogs with von Willebrand disease (vWD) using various laboratory methods. Citrated and EDTA blood samples were collected from 183 dogs with varying von Willebrand Factor (vWF) concentrations. vWF concentration was measured using both the Ontario Veterinary College vWF Antigen ELISA (OVC vWF:Ag) assay and an external control (Asserachrom vWF:Ag) ELISA. Collagen binding activity (vWF:CBA), platelet function using a platelet function analyzer (PFA-100), Factor VIII activity, partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and platelet counts were also determined. Agreement between the OVC vWF:Ag assay and the external control was excellent (concordance correlation = 0.89). The intea-assay coefficients of variation (4.4 and 7.9, respectively) and inter-assay coefficients of variation (15 and 5.9, respectively) were acceptable for the vWF:CBA and OVC vWF:Ag assays. Strong associations were found when the vWF:CBA and PFA-100 results were compared to vWF concentration. As such, the vWF:CBA and PFA-100 were considered to be valuable assets, in conjunction with a vWF:Ag assay, for a canine vWD diagnostic profile. Clinically significant associations were not found when Factor VIII activity, PTT, and platelet count were compared to vWF:Ag concentration, and therefore these tests were not included in the vWD diagnostic profile. A standardized questionnaire to assess bleeding history was mailed to the 183 study participants and their referring veterinarians. Of the 165 questionnaire respondents, 43.6% originated from vWD positive dogs, with only 48.6% of dogs in this group having reports of hemorrhagic signs. Hemorrhagic signs were approximately twice as prevalent in the vWD positive population compared to the vWD negative population. Although significant associations were found between the bleeding score and the vWD diagnostic profile components, a corresponding pattern was not evident in the raw data. Therefore, these assays cannot be used to predict risk of hemorrhage. The questionnaire sensitivity of 48.6% for the prediction of vWD status was insufficient for a screening tool, however, there is evidence of some discriminatory power for the identification of vWD status. At this time, the most accurate method to identify and characterize canine vWD patients is through a multi-test approach, which can be achieved with the vWD diagnostic profile.