Anna Łojszczyk-Szczepaniak

Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebrae, Canine Hip Dysplasia, and Sacroiliac Joint Degenerative Changes on Ventrodorsal Radiographs of the Pelvis in Police Working German Shepherd Dogs

Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LTV) frequently occur in German shepherd dogs. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and interdependence between LTV and canine hip dysplasia (CHD) as well as sacroiliac joint degenerative changes visualized on ventrodorsal radiographs of the pelvis in both working and companion German shepherd dogs. The presence of LTV was found in 12% of working dogs and in 33% of companion dogs. Similar incidence of hip dysplasia in both the groups was found. It has been shown that dogs with LTV have a higher frequency of severe CHD. A higher percentage of sacroiliac joint degenerative changes was observed in dogs with no signs of LTV and in working dogs.

Causes of consultations and results of radiological and ultrasound methods in lizard diseases (2006-2014)

Reptiles are becoming increasingly popular animals in amateur husbandry. Growing attention is being focused on their health problems, as well as on diagnostic capabilities (3, 19). However, diagnostic imaging of these animals can be problematic, as reptiles are characterized by large anatomic variability (1, 16, 17). The lack of a diaphragm, the peculiar topography of internal organs, and the small amount of intraperitoneal adipose tissue between parenchymal organs negatively affect image clarity in radiological examinations (17). In addition, there are no objective criteria for image evaluation with respect to the normal organ size (1, 13, 16, 17). The world literature, however, does include publications on correct tomographic, radiological and ultrasound images for particular groups of reptiles (1-3). The majority of publications are based on case studies of individual animals, selected groups of animals or suborders of snakes and lizards and orders of turtles. At the same time, the world literature does not provide data on actual causes of radiological and ultrasound consultations in certain groups of animals, based on Causes of consultations and results of radiological and ultrasound methods in lizard diseases (2006-2014)

Effectiveness of capsaicin containing dried habanero pepper extract in the treatment of primary hepatic cancer in geriatric dogs

Primary hepatic tumours constitute 0.6-1.3% of all tumours in dogs and 1.0-2.3% in cats. These neoplasms may originate in hepatic cells or bile ducts. Less frequently, they arise from neuroendocrine and mesenchymal tissue. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed type of hepatic cancer, constituting 50% of primary tumours of this organ. Canine hepatic cancer is most often diagnosed in geriatric patients (mean age of 10-11 years), regardless of pedigree and gender. These tumours may exhibit a varied histopathological picture. They often occur in the form of a single tumour, in most cases confined to one hepatic lobe. They can also take a multinodular form characterised with the presence of multiple nodules spread over several hepatic lobes. The third form are infiltrating tumours involving several hepatic lobes. The clinical symptoms associated with hepatic cancer are usually non-specific. In about 25% of dogs, physical examination does not reveal any irregularities and the only indication for the organ imaging is the detection of increased serum hepatic enzyme activity. If clinical symptoms do appear it means that either the liver parenchyma or bile ducts have been damaged. This is manifested by loss of appetite, vomiting or diarEffectiveness of capsaicin containing dried habanero pepper extract in the treatment of primary hepatic cancer in geriatric dogs

Determination of reference values and frequency of occurrence of patella alta in German shepherd dogs: a retrospective study

BackgroundPatella alta and patella baja are important conditions underlying a predisposition to many joint diseases, including patellar luxation and patellar chondromalacia of the articular cartilage. The frequencies of patella alta and patella baja have not yet been determined. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of patella alta and to determine reference values to the position of the vertical patella according to two modified techniques of the Insall–Salvati method in a group of 65 German shepherd dogs (115 stifle joints).ResultsThe upper limits of reference values for the normal vertical position of the patella were 1.79 and 2.13, depending on the method of measurement. A high prevalence of patella alta was observed in the group of German shepherd dogs. A correlation was demonstrated between the classification of dogs’ joints in the patella alta group and the multiplied risk of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) through the estimation of odds ratios.ConclusionsDogs with patella alta were healthy dogs that did not exhibit orthopaedic problems in the stifle joints. The results revealed that the risk of CHD is twice as high in dogs with higher patellar ligament length to patella length ratio.