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Xanthinuria is a very rare disease in cats. Its etiology may have a genetic origin or may be due to an iatrogenic xanthine-dehydrogenase inhibition that finally results in urolithiasis. The present work reports two cases of xanthine urolithiasis in European Shorthair unrelated male and female cats. Both uroliths were analyzed by stereoscopic microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Besides the report of these two clinical cases, a detailed pathophysiologic review and some updated recommendations for diagnosis and treatment for this condition were done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of two male dogs with cystic uroliths composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). It examines the migration induced cystolithiasis because of a mouse barley awn that is located in the bladder lumen of dogs. It also discusses the composition of uroliths and the pathophysiology of grass awn migration to the urinary bladder.

Two male dogs were presented with cystic uroliths composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). Each had an atypical nidus, a mouse barley awn (Hordeum murinum). To our knowledge, this is the first report of grass awns located in the bladder lumen of dogs. The composition of uroliths and the pathophysiology of grass awn migration to the urinary bladder are discussed.

Heart growth in 6 female beagle dogs was measured by using M-mode echocardiography at 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, and 21 mo of age. The same 6 dogs were evaluated throughout the study to establish when cardiac development ends in this breed. The following parameters were measured during systole and diastole: left ventricle posterior wall thickness, interventricular septal thickness, left ventricular internal dimension, left atrial dimension during ventricular systole, aortic root dimension at end diastole, E-point to septal separation, left ventricular preejection period, ejection time of the left ventricular outflow, and time between the cessation and onset of the mitral inflow intervals. The percentage of the left ventricle posterior wall thickening, fractional shortening, ejection fraction, left ventricular end systolic and end-diastolic volumes, ratio of the left atrial dimension to aortic root dimension, and the Tei index of myocardial performance were calculated. The heart rate was measured by cardiac auscultation. The influence of ageing on each echocardiographic parameter and relationships with body weight and surface were studied. Results show that cardiac development in female beagles can be considered finished by the age of 1 y, perhaps as soon as 7 mo. The cardiac indexes studied were unaffected by the age and corporal dimensions, confirming the usefulness of these parameters for evaluating cardiac functionality alterations independent of a dog's age and body weight or surface area.

Zinc and copper are components of many enzymes. Little information exists on the levels of trace elements in the plasma of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). We studied the age- and gender-related differences in the plasma Zn and Cu levels of healthy Mongolian gerbils. The 30 male and 30 female animals were allocated into three age groups (group A, 90 days old; group B, 180 days old; and group C, 360 days old), with 10 animals of each gender per group. They were housed under standard conditions with free access to pelleted rodent-maintenance diet (Zn, 95 mg/kg; Cu, 30 mg/kg) and water (Zn, undetectable; Cu, < 0.45 mg/liter). Overall, plasma Cu levels (mean 1 standard deviation) were significantly higher in female (2.03 0.41 mg/ml) than male (1.30 0.28 mg/ml; P < 0.0001) gerbils. Among the male rodents, those in group B had the lowest Cu levels, whereas among the females, the lowest values were in group A. In contrast, plasma Zn levels did not differ between genders (males, 2.96 0.43 mg/ml; females, 2.96 0.38 mg/ml) or age groups. In general, plasma Cu and Zn levels were higher in gerbils than rats. We conclude that gerbils may be an interesting model for studying the metabolism of these trace elements.