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Objective: To determine the prognostic significance of plasma lactate concentration, plasma lactate clearance, and delta lactate in dogs and cats presented to an emergency room (ER). Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University teaching hospital. Animals: A total of 8,321 animals with a plasma lactate concentration measured with 4,863 presenting to the ER and 1,529 dogs and 444 cats having a measurement within 4 hours of admission. Interventions: None. Measurements and main results: Plasma lactate concentration of dogs and cats presented to a university teaching hospital was retrospectively evaluated. Of dogs and cats with a plasma lactate concentration measured within 4 hours of admission to the ER, hyperlactatemia was common, and the prevalence of hyperlactatemia for dogs 78% (361/462) and cats 67% (78/116) was highest when evaluated within the first 30 minutes following admission. The distribution of patient's plasma lactate concentration was significantly higher in non‐survivors compared to survivors at all time points evaluated (P<$\; < \;$0.001). Both lactate clearance (P= 0.010) and delta lactate (P= 0.013) were significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors. A delta lactate > 4.5 mmol/L was 100% (95% CI: 95 to 100%) specific for nonsurvival in patients with hyperlactatemia measured within 1 hour of admission to the ER. The most common cause of hyperlactatemia was shock in dogs (24%) and urinary tract diseases in cats (22%). Shock was associated with the highest mortality rate in both dogs (61%) and cats (77%). Hyperlactatemia was significantly associated with increased mortality for dogs with shock (P= 0.001), respiratory diseases (P = 0.022), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.018), and liver dysfunction (P = 0.006). Conclusions: Hyperlactatemia was associated with mortality in both dogs and cats when measured at any time point in the 4 hours following admission to the ER. Serial lactate measurement may also be a valuable tool to guide clinical management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the ability of arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation measurement via pulse oximetry (SpO2) to serve as a surrogate for PaO2 in dogs. Design: Two‐part study: prospective observational and retrospective components. Setting: University teaching hospital. Animals: Ninety‐two dogs breathing room air prospectively enrolled on a convenience basis. Retrospective evaluation of 1,033 paired SpO2 and PaO2 measurements from 62 dogs on mechanical ventilation. Interventions: Dogs with concurrent SpO2 and PaO2 measured on room air had a data sheet completed with blood gas analysis. SpO2, PaO2, and FiO2 values were collected from medical records of dogs on mechanical ventilation. Measurements and Main Results: Predicted PaO2 was calculated from SpO2 using the dog oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. The correlation coefficient between measured and predicted PaO2 was 0.49 (P < 0.0001) in room air dogs and 0.74 (P < 0.0001) in ventilated dogs. In room air dogs, Bland–Altman analysis between measured minus predicted PaO2 versus the average showed a mean bias of −6.0 mm Hg (95% limit of agreement, −35 to 23 mm Hg). The correlation coefficient between PaO2/FiO2 and SpO2/FiO2 ratios was 0.76 (P < 0.0001). After combining data sets, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the optimal cutoff value for detecting hypoxemia (PaO2 < 80 mm Hg) was an SpO2 of 95%, with sensitivity and specificity of 77.8% and 89.5%, respectively. Using this cutoff, 6.9% of SpO2 readings failed to detect hypoxemia, whereas 7.2% predicted hypoxemia that was not present. Conclusions: The SpO2 was not clinically suitable as a surrogate for PaO2, though it performed better in mechanically ventilated dogs. As sensitivity for the detection of hypoxemia was poor, pulse oximetry does not appear to be an acceptable screening test. The SpO2/FiO2 ratio may have value for evaluation of anesthetized dogs on supplemental oxygen. Arterial blood gas analysis remains ideal for assessment of oxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different needle sizes used to obtain blood via jugular venipuncture in cats on routine measures of hemostasis. Methods This was a prospective, observational, randomized, clinical study carried out at a university teaching hospital. Twenty healthy, client-owned cats were used. Each cat had blood collected via direct venipuncture from both jugular veins. Sampling of the right and left jugular vein was randomized to be collected with either a 22 G or a 25 G needle, respectively, and routine coagulation variables and platelet count were performed on all samples. Values were analyzed for differences in needle size, and site of sample collection. Results There was no difference between the two needle gauges in activated partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, fibrinogen degradation products, or fibrinogen, or between sampling from the left and right jugular vein. Prothrombin time (PT) was significantly higher when drawn from a 25 G needle (11.7 s) compared with a 22 G needle (11.4 s) (P = 0.01), but not different in left vs right jugular vein samples. Bland–Altman analysis of PT comparing for 25 G minus 22 G needle vs the average, calculated a mean bias (95% limits of agreement) of 0.49 s (–1.4 s to 2.4 s). Conclusions and relevance This study of 20 healthy cats found that the use of either a 25 G or 22 G needle for jugular venipuncture did not introduce any clinically meaningful difference in routine coagulation variables or platelet count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Venous blood gas and acid-base analysis is often performed in cats and requires appropriate reference intervals (RIs) for interpretation. The currently available RIs were created from small numbers of cats, while current guidelines suggest that a minimum number of 40 samples is required for the creation of an accurate/appropriate RI., Key Findings: In 41 healthy awake cats, pH, P v CO 2 , P v O 2 , sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, chloride, glucose, and plasma lactate concentrations were measured, while bicarbonate, standardized base excess, and anion gap were calculated. These data were used to calculate RIs, using a statistical approach that conforms to the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines., Significance: RIs for venous blood gas and traditional acid-base analysis from a relatively large population of healthy cats are now available for clinical use and standardized for future research studies., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2025.)

Objective: To describe the acid-base balance of diabetic animals with ketosis and to identify underlying mechanisms of acid-base changes using semiquantitative analysis., Design: Retrospective study., Setting: University teaching hospital., Animals: Eighty-one client-owned dogs and 15 client-owned cats with diabetes and concurrent ketosis presented to a university teaching hospital., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: The medical records database was searched from January 2017 through December 2021 for dogs and cats with diabetes mellitus and ketones present in urine or blood samples that also had venous blood gas and serum biochemical assays performed within 24 hours of each other. Traditional analysis identified normal acid-base status in 20% of dogs and 7% of cats. A simple metabolic acidosis with an elevated anion gap was observed in 17% of dogs and 20% of cats, and a metabolic alkalosis was present in 4% of dogs and 7% of cats. The semiquantitative approach identified metabolic acid-base disorders in all animals. One or more acidifying processes were evident in 100% of dogs and 100% of cats, 1 or more alkalotic processes in 93% of dogs and 100% of cats, concurrent alkalotic and acidotic processes in 85% of dogs and 100% of cats, and unmeasured anions in all cases., Conclusions: Dogs and cats with diabetic ketosis can have variable and complex acid-base disorders that may be better recognized using semiquantitative analysis. Diagnostic criteria such as low pH or a high anion gap may prevent the clinical recognition of diabetic ketoacidosis., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2025.)

Case Summary: A 9-month-old intact female domestic mediumhair cat presented with a 5-month history of obtundation, lethargy, hypernatremia (181 mmol/l; reference interval [RI] 151-158 mmol/l), hyperchloremia (142 mmol/l; RI 117-126 mmol/l), azotemia (blood urea nitrogen 51 mg/dl; RI 18-33 mg/dl), creatinine 3.0 mg/dl (RI 1.1-2.2 mg/dl), hyperphosphatemia (8.3 mg/dl; RI 3.2-6.3 mg/dl) and total hypercalcemia (11.4 mg/dl; RI 9-10.9 mg/dl), with concurrent polyuria with adipsia. Neurologic evaluation revealed proprioceptive deficits, and this finding paired with a history of focal seizure-like activity despite improving sodium concentrations suggested a cerebrothalamic lesion. For this reason, and historical and biochemical findings consistent with adipsic diabetes insipidus (DI), MRI of the brain was performed, which revealed a lesion of the hypophyseal fossa consistent with a pituitary cyst. Given the patient's age and the timeline of clinical signs, a congenital pituitary cyst was strongly suspected. The patient was managed initially with intravenous fluids to correct the hypernatremia, then managed for more than 4 years with topical ocular desmopressin acetate administration and free water administered through a feeding tube. This cat's clinical diagnosis included a congenital pituitary cyst with subsequent central DI and primary adipsia., Relevance and Novel Information: The clinical presentations of primary adipsia or central DI are both rare in cats. This is the first report to describe these conditions occurring in a cat owing to a congenital pituitary cyst and describes successful long-term management of this condition., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2021.)