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Objective: To evaluate the ability to assess laryngeal function and to diagnose unilateral laryngeal paralysis (uLP) via airway endoscopy and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stimulation., Study Design: Experimental study., Animals: Six healthy, adult beagles., Methods: Dogs were anesthetized with sevoflurane and dexmedetomidine. Laryngeal activity was observed via endoscopy placed through a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). The absolute and normalized glottic gap areas (AGGA and NGGA, respectively) and the glottic length (GL) were measured at inspiration and before and after surgically induced uLP. Measurements were obtained at eupnea and during hypercapnic hyperpnea produced by the administration of CO 2 . Values for each hemilarynx were also measured. Video recordings were observed by 2 surgeons who scored function as normal or uLP., Results: The AGGA and NGGA increased similarly during CO 2 administration in intact dogs and in dogs with uLP; the GL increased in dogs with uLP but not in intact dogs. The AGGA and NGGA of the intact hemilarynx increased more than those of the affected hemilarynx in dogs with uLP. uLP was correctly identified more frequently by observers at hypercapnic hyperpnea than during eupnea., Conclusion: The increase in AGGA and NGGA at peak inspiration during CO 2 administration was not limited by uLP, but asymmetry in hemilarynx AGGA and NGGA was observed in dogs with uLP. CO 2 administration facilitated the identification of uLP., Clinical Significance: Laryngeal endoscopy through an LMA coupled with administration of CO 2 in anesthetized dogs facilitates the observation of arytenoid function and may improve the diagnosis of naturally occurring mild laryngeal paralysis., (© 2018 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.)

Background: Degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that causes white matter spinal cord lesions. These lesions are undetectable on standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), limiting diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. Spinal cord lesions cause disruption to the structural integrity of the axons causing water diffusion to become more random and less anisotropic. These changes are detectable by the technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) which is highly sensitive to diffusion alterations secondary to white matter lesion development. Objective: Perform spinal DTI on cohorts of dogs with and without DM to identify if lesions caused by DM will cause a detectable alteration in spinal cord diffusivity that correlates with neurological status. Animals Thirteen dogs with DM and 13 aged‐matched controls. Methods: All animals underwent MRI with DTI of the entire spine. Diffusivity parameters fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were measured at each vertebral level and statistically compared between groups. Results: Dogs with DM had significant decreases in FA within the regions of the spinal cord that had high expected lesion load. Decreases in FA were most significant in dogs with severe forms of the disease and correlated with neurological grade. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Findings suggest that FA has the potential to be a biomarker for spinal cord lesion development in DM and could play an important role in improving diagnosis and monitoring of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To create a model of transient unilateral laryngeal paralysis (LP) that will allow the study of cricoarytenoideus dorsalis dysfunction and a method for quantification of varying degrees of LP in dogs. ANIMALS 5 castrated male research Beagles. PROCEDURES Between January and February 2018, dogs were anesthetized and instrumented with a laryngeal mask airway and a flexible endoscope to record the rima glottidis. The left or right recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLn) was localized using ultrasonography and electrical stimulation, then conduction blockade was induced with perineural lidocaine. The normalized glottal gap area (NGGA) was measured before and every 15 minutes after the block. Inspired 10% carbon dioxide (CO2) was administered for 1 minute at each sampling time. The inspiratory increase in NGGA (total and each side) was measured at peak inspiration. The change in hemi-NGGA for the control side versus the anesthetized side was evaluated with a mixed-effect model. RESULTS During CO2 stimulation, the increase in inspiratory hemi-NGGA was consistently less (P < .001) for the treated side (–8% to 13%) versus the control side (49% to 82%). A compensatory increase (larger than at baseline) in the control hemi-NGGA was observed. The total NGGA remained unaffected. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Unilateral local anesthesia of the RLn produced transient unilateral LP with a compensatory increase in the hemiNGGA for the contralateral side. This model could facilitate the evaluation of respiratory dynamics, establishment of a grading system, and collection of other important information that is otherwise difficult to obtain in dogs with LP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]