A. Pomianowski

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AS A USEFUL TOOL FOR THE SELECTION OF PHARMACOLOGICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR CANINE HYDROCEPHALUS

Abstract A group of 12 dogs, eight of small breeds and four of medium-sized breeds, were used in the study. Prior to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, all dogs were subjected to neurological, laboratory, and electroencephalographic examinations, and trans-fontanel ultrasonography was additionally performed in two patients. The acquired obstructive hydrocephalus was diagnosed in two dogs, idiopathic obstructive hydrocephalus - in four patients, obstructive congenital hydrocephalus - in five dogs, and hydrocephalus ex vacuo- in one patient. Ten dogs were put under the pharmacological therapy, and in two patients the condition was treated surgically. MRI proved to be a valuable tool that supports selection of the appropriate pharmacological and surgical treatment. MRI scans also appear to be useful in monitoring an effectiveness of the applied form of treatment.

Influence of invasion of intracellular parasites on platelet response in dogs based on clinical cases

Abstract Blood morphology in dogs infected with intracellular parasites of the genera Babesia and Ehrlichia was examined. The parasites were detected in peripheral blood smears stained by the May-Grünwald-Giemsa method. During the parasitic invasion, a decrease in thrombocyte counts was observed. This was connected with forming platelet aggregates. It was noted that the number of giant platelets simultaneously increased.

Evaluation of clinical signs and causes of lower urinary tract disease in Polish cats

This paper describes the results of a retrospective study performed on 385 cats with feline lower urinary tract disease. The study was conducted to obtain epidemiological data and to evaluate clinical symptoms and the results of laboratory tests in a population of Polish cats with symptoms of lower urinary tract disease. The analysed population comprised feline patients of the veterinary clinic at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn who had not been treated prior to admission. Medical history was obtained for all patients. Urine samples were collected mostly, but not solely, by cystocentesis. Feline idiopathic cystitis was diagnosed in most cats (60.7%), while urinary tract infections were noted in only 7.8% of patients. Urethral obstruction caused by mucus plugs was observed in 17.4% of animals. Urolithiasis was observed in 13% of cats, 5% of whom were also diagnosed with urinary tract infections. Hyperplastic changes were identified in only 1% of the studied population. In 59% of cats, feline lower urinary tract disease was accompanied by urethral obstruction. Cats with feline idiopathic cystitis were the youngest animals in the analysed population, and the risk of urinary tract infections and neoplasia increased with age. Our results, obtained over a period of six years in a Polish feline population, show that sex, neutering, age, living conditions and diet influence the type of urinary tract disease, data which are consistent with those obtained in other countries.

Comparison of the Two Types of Stimulating Electrodes in the Study of Motor Nerve Conduction in Dogs

In this research two kinds of stimulation electrodes were compared in motor nerve conduction study: needle electrodes used in human medicine and electrodes made of injection needles connected to the stimulator via alligator-type electrodes. A study was conducted in 22 mixed-breed dogs. The resulting values of the potential amplitudes of the stimulus, the parameters of the complex muscle potentials, and the motor nerve conduction velocity were statistically compared. There was no statistical difference between the parameters obtained with the two types of stimulation electrodes. The results of our research constitute a basis for improving present-day procedures, improving aseptic procedures, reducing tissue trauma during research and lowering research costs due to the introduction of injection-needle electrodes and their benefits into the study of motor nerve conduction in animals.

Penetrating eye injury in a dog: a case report.

A four-year-old, male German Shepherd dog with severe pain in the left eye following a corneal perforation with a foreign body was examined. An ophthalmic examination revealed conjunctival hyperaemia and pancorneal dense oedema, preventing a diagnosis of deeper structures of the eye and lowered IOP. Vision testing was missing or impossible to detect. Ultrasonography showed a solid hyperechoic line protruding through the iris and lens into the vitreous and minor posterior lens displacement. The dog qualified for immediate surgical treatment. Intraoperative ophthalmic examination revealed a rupture of the anterior hyaloid membrane with vitreous herniation, posterior lens subluxation, lens capsule rupture and a torn iris. Partial iridectomy and intracapsular lens extraction (ICLE) was conducted. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed iridodonesis and a gradual reduction of the corneal oedema, leading to complete transparency in the bottom two-thirds of the area on Day 12 after surgery. Direct and consensual PLR was sluggish and the dazzle reflex was positive. An electroretinographic examination confirmed normal activity of the retina.

The innate immunity of wild Eurasian beaver from Poland - present knowledge and the need for research

For the first time we tried to examine the basic parameters of innate immunity in beavers for developing the new methods of prevention against infectious diseases in different reintroduction and translocation programmes in Poland. The aim of the present study was to determine the selected innate immunity parameters in Eurasian beavers living in natural conditions. The analyses of the results showed that the phagocytic ability (RBA) and potential killing activity (PKA) of blood phagocytes were higher in adult beavers compared to the young animals. The similar pattern was observed in proliferative response of blood lymphocytes stimulated by mitogens Concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The highest proliferative response in adult Eurasian beavers was observed. The ceruloplasmin activity in plasma was on similar levels in adult and young Eurasian beavers. The results of humoral mediated immunity showed that the lysozyme activity, total protein and gamma-globulin levels in serum were higher in adult beavers compared to the young beavers. The results of this preliminary study are important in comparative and clinical immunology.

Syringomyelia and Chiari malformation in cavalier king charles spaniels – magnetic resonance imaging, pharmacological and surgical treatment

Abstract Nine dogs with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, which were subjected to low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, were described. The results of MRI examinations were presented. The outcomes of pharmacological therapy involving two dogs and surgical treatment of one dog were also described. The applied treatments produced positive short-term outcomes, and they eliminated the clinical symptoms of the disease.

Magnetic resonance imaging and brainstem auditory evoked responses in the diagnosis of cerebellar cortical degeneration in american staffordshire terriers

The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) in dogs suspected of having cerebellar cortical degeneration (CCD). In the years 2009-2011, six dogs with suspected CCD were examined. Both MRI and BAER examinations revealed abnormalities in all dogs (100%). By MRI, T2-weighted midsagittal images revealed an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the cerebellum within the sulci of the folia in all dogs (100%). In 4 out of the 6 dogs (66.66%), cerebellar hypoplasia was more visible in the region of the dorsal cerebellar lobules. In 5 out of the 6 dogs (83.33%), the fourth ventricle was enlarged. In our studies, the brain to cerebellum ratio evaluated on the midsagittal image was 11.93%, in comparison to 14.9% in normal dogs. By BAER examination, the amplitude of the first and second waves was diminished and III-V interlatency was prolonged in 5 out of the 6 dogs (83.33%). In one out of the 6 dogs (16.67%), only the III-V interlatency was prolonged. In one dog (16.67%), somato-nervous deafness in the left ear was detected, whereas in the right ear the III-V interlatency was prolonged. MRI of the cerebellum is a reliable method for the antemortem diagnosis of CCD in American Staffordshire terriers, as is BAER examination. BAER is an objective diagnostic tool, which - along with other diagnostic modalities - can be helpful in the assessment, management and follow-up of dogs with cerebellar abiotrophy. It proved to be useful in determining the severity of neurological lesions in comparison to MRI findings, as well as in assessing the prognosis.