Apostolos D. Galatos

A cross-sectional study of Leishmania spp. infection in clinically healthy dogs with polymerase chain reaction and serology in Greece.

A total of 73 clinically healthy hunting dogs, experiencing an outdoor lifestyle and originating from an area where canine leishmaniasis is endemic, were included in the study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for Leishmania spp. were done on bone marrow and serum samples, respectively, obtained from all 73 dogs, just before the beginning of the sandfly season. PCR was found positive in 46/73 (63%) whereas, IFAT only in 9/73 (12.3%) of the dogs. The prevalence and the incidence of Leishmania infection by PCR were 61.9 and 47.1%, respectively. No association was found between the breed, age, sex, length of hair coat of the dog, urban or rural life and the presence of ample vegetation and water collections in the proximity of their living quarters, and the result of PCR. These findings clearly demonstrate that most of the dogs residing areas where leishmaniasis is endemic become infected but usually remain seronegative. Serological screening of the general canine population in these areas may result in an underestimation of the true prevalence of the infection rate.

Anesthesia and analgesia in sheep and goats.

Physical or chemical restraint, with or without local anesthesia, has been extensively used to perform diagnostic or minor surgical procedures in small ruminants. However, anesthetic and analgesic techniques are required when specific diagnostic procedures and painful surgery are to be performed. Apart from improving animal welfare standards, anesthesia and analgesia are essential to make the procedures easier and improve both animal and personnel safety. This article provides an overview of the anesthetic and analgesic agents and techniques commonly used in sheep and goats.

Congenital anorectal abnormalities in six dogs

Congenital anorectal abnormalities were diagnosed in three male and three female dogs. One dog had anal stenosis, three had a persistent anal membrane, and the other two had an imperforate anus associated with a rectovaginal fistula. Five of the dogs were treated surgically, and four of them which were followed up for periods ranging from one to five years continued to pass faeces normally.

Gastro‐oesophageal reflux during anaesthesia in the kitten: comparison between use of a laryngeal mask airway or an endotracheal tube

OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) during anaesthesia in the kitten when using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) or an endotracheal tube (ET). STUDY DESIGN Prospective randomized cross-over experimental study. ANIMALS Forty Domestic Short Hair laboratory cats, 19 females and 21 males, aged 12-15 weeks and weighing 0.57-1.73 kg (mean 1.13 +/- SD 0.26). METHODS Kittens were anaesthetized twice, once using the LMA and once the ET. Following induction of anaesthesia with isoflurane in an anaesthetic chamber and intubation of the trachea with the ET or placement of the LMA, a pH-electrode was introduced into the lower oesophagus. Monitoring of the oesophageal pH was performed for 45 minutes while anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. At the end of the experiment, gastric pH was measured. Kittens that had GOR during the experiment were treated with sucralfate, cisapride and ranitidine for 15 days. Results Oesophageal pH was 6.51 +/- 0.76 and gastric pH was 1.54 +/- 0.59. GOR was observed in nine kittens when the ET was used, and in 20 kittens when the LMA was used, the difference being significant (p = 0.013). The refluxate nearly always was acidic, being alkaline in only one kitten. Most of the GOR episodes occurred shortly after induction of anaesthesia and the oesophageal pH remained below 4.0 until the end of the experiment. No regurgitation was observed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The use of the LMA is associated with an increased incidence of GOR during anaesthesia in the kitten, which is not detected by observation. That this may have occurred should be considered if the kitten demonstrates signs of oesophagitis in the postoperative period.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma and pyometra in a dog

A seven-year-old entire female, mixed-breed dog, weighing 19 kg, was presented with a 2-day history of abdominal distension, reduced appetite and general dullness. Abdominal palpation revealed a large mass. Radiography showed a large mass occupying the left mid-abdominal area and convoluted loops of tubular fluid opacity occupying the right mid-abdominal area. Ultrasonography revealed a large heterogeneous mass with an anechoic area and some hyperechoic foci, indicative of calcification, in the mid-abdominal area. Furthermore, hypoechoic areas were found in the middle and caudal abdominal area and were presumed to be the fluid-filled uterine horns. At laparotomy, a 10·5×14·5-cm firm mass was found in the uterine body, while the uterine horns were filled with a thick red-brownish exudate; ovariohysterectomy was subsequently performed. A diagnosis of uterine leiomyosarcoma associated with pyometra was established by histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

Impact of Fine- or Large-Needle Aspiration on Canine Testes: Clinical, In Vivo Ultrasonographic and Seminological Assessment

The safety and consequences of fine- (FNA) and large-needle aspiration (LNA) to the testicular parenchyma and its normal function have not been thoroughly established. This study was performed to accurately assess, by serial clinical, in vivo ultrasonographic and seminological examinations, the type and extent of the effect of FNA or LNA on canine testes. Eighteen sexually mature, 1-2 years old, healthy laboratory Beagles were used. One of their testes was aspirated using a 23-G butterfly needle (FN) and the other using a 19-G butterfly needle (LN). Two dogs at a time were orchiectomized 10, 60 min, 2, 14, 29, 63, 76, 90 or 180 days post-aspiration. Five and 2 days and 1 h before aspiration (in all dogs), immediately post-aspiration, and 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 14, 19, 29, 35, 43, 49, 56, 63, 70, 76, 90, 111, 132 and 180 days post-aspiration (in the remaining intact dogs), evaluation of scrotal surface temperature over each testis, evaluation of scrotum-testis volume by electronic sliding callipers, ultrasonographic evaluation of testicular volume and texture and clinical and semen examination were performed. Following FNA and LNA, the clinical and ultrasonographic appearance of the testis were normal. Sperm production nearly always remained unchanged, with the exception of a slight decrease in spermatozoal motility 2-14 days post-aspiration. However, even then, with the exception of six samples, spermatozoal motility was above normal values. Within the parameters of this experiment, testicular FNA and LNA have no ill effect on sperm production or clinical and ultrasonographic appearance of the canine testis, and therefore, both FNA and LNA should be considered safe.

Impact of fine or large needle aspiration on the dog's testis: in vitro ultrasonographic, bacteriological, gross anatomy and histological assessment

Despite its extensive use for evaluation of spermatogenesis and assisted reproduction, the safety and consequences of fine (FNA) and large needle aspiration (LNA) to the testicular parenchyma and its normal function have not been established. This study was performed in order to accurately assess, by serial in vitro ultrasonographic, bacteriologic, gross anatomic and histological examinations, the type and extent of the effect of FNA or LNA on the dogs testis. Twenty three sexually mature, 1 to 2 years old, healthy laboratory Beagles were randomly assigned to 2 groups: (1) 5 dogs without testicular aspiration (control group) and (2) 18 dogs in which one of their testes was aspirated using a 23 G butterfly needle and the other using a 19 G butterfly needle (experimental group). Two dogs at a time were castrated 10 minutes, 60 minutes, 2, 14, 29, 63, 76, 90 or 180 days post-aspiration. The control group was also castrated 2, 29, 63, 90 or 180 days after the beginning of the experiment. Following castration, in vitro ultrasonographic, gross anatomic, cytological examinations of epididymal sperm, bacteriologic and histological examinations of the testes were performed. Following testicular FNA and LNA bacteriologic, gross anatomic, histologic, epididymal sperm findings and the in vitro ultrasonographic appearance of the testis were normal, except of intratesticular haemorrhage, detected the first days post-aspiration, and degeneration of less than 1.5% of the seminiferous tubules. Within the parameters of this experiment, testicular FNA and LNA have no ill effect on the canine testis and therefore, both FNA and LNA should be considered safe.

The effect of butorphanol on the incidence of dexmedetomidine-induced emesis in cats

OBJECTIVE Τo evaluate the antiemetic effect of butorphanol (BUT) when co-administered with dexmedetomidine (DEX) in cats. STUDY DESIGN Double-blind, randomized controlled cross-over experimental study. ANIMALS Fourteen purpose-bred healthy Domestic Short Hair cats, seven females and seven males, aged median (range) 14-84 (78) months and weighing 1.7-5.5 (4.0) kg. METHODS Each cat received five different treatment protocols intramuscularly (IM): (A) 25 μg kg(-1) DEX; (B) 20 μg kg(-1) DEX and 0.2 mg kg(-1) BUT; (C) 20 μg kg(-1) DEX and 0.1 mg kg(-1) BUT; (D) 25 μg kg(-1) DEX and 0.2 mg kg(-1) BUT; and (E) 20 μg kg(-1) DEX. Episodes of emesis, incidence and severity of nausea, and time to lateral recumbency were recorded for a period of 8 minutes after treatment administration, and the sedation was scored at the end of this period. The Friedman test and the Cochrans Q-test were used to analyse the data. Significance was evaluated at the 5% level. RESULTS The proportion of cats that vomited was significantly lower with the treatment protocols that included BUT (B, C and D) compared with the protocols that included only DEX (A and E). The proportion of cats that had nausea was significantly higher with the protocols that included only DEX (A and E) compared with protocols B and D. Time to lateral recumbency (p=0.09) and sedation score (p=0.07) was not statistically different between the treatment protocols. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Butorphanol can be used to prevent emesis and reduce the incidence and the severity of nausea caused by DEX in cats. It seems that the combination of BUT and DEX is very useful not only when emesis could result in serious complications, but also to provide comfort and well-being in cats sedated for minor procedures.

Bleeding time in healthy dogs sedated with morphine and medetomidine

BLEEDING time (BT) is a cage-side screening test for the in vivo evaluation of primary haemostasis in dogs (Brooks and Catalfamo 1993). In the context of adequate platelet concentration (>70,000/μl), BT will be prolonged in moderate-to-severe platelet (von Willebrand disease, inherited or acquired platelet defects) or vascular dysfunction (Sakai and others 2003, Bromel 2010). The buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) is the more widely accepted BT technique in the dog, due to its cost-effectiveness, limited invasiveness and higher specificity in evaluating primary haemostasis (Jergens and others 1987, Brassard and Meyers 1991, McConnell 2000). The test appears to be well tolerated by the majority of alert dogs; however, uncooperative dogs may preclude its performance necessitating chemical restraint. The combination of medetomidine and an opioid may be useful for the immobilisation of fractious dogs not amenable to safe handling (Bednarski 2007). On the other hand, limited information is available on the potential interference of the sedative or anaesthetic agents with the result of BMBT, and the potential antiplatelet effect demonstrated by some anaesthetics (eg, opioids) makes such an investigation worthwhile (Brooks and Catalfamo 2000). In a previous study, no significant difference in the mean BMBT values was found among different groups comprising healthy dogs with no chemical restraint (n=13), sedated with xylazine (n=27) or …

Vaginal fold prolapse during the last third of pregnancy, followed by normal parturition, in a bitch.

This article describes a 1.5-year-old female, Greek Hound dog, weighing 16 kg, presented with a type III vaginal prolapse which occurred during the last third of pregnancy. Trans-abdominal ultrasonography revealed four live foetuses in the uterine horns. The animal was hospitalized and 4 days later gave birth without any interference. Three days later, resection of the prolapsed tissue was performed and the bitch recovered completely. Recurrence of a type I vaginal prolapse was observed 4 months later, during subsequent oestrus. This case is unusual because, although vaginal fold prolapse is mainly seen during proestrus/oestrus or during parturition, it was first noticed 47 days after mating and 13 days before parturition. Furthermore, even though the prolapse of vaginal fold was of type III and of considerable size, parturition proceeded normally. Finally, even though resection of the prolapsed tissue was performed 3 days after parturition, recurrence of vaginal fold oedema (type I) was observed in the subsequent oestrus.