Colin F. Burrows

A Grading System for Lymphocytic Plasmacytic Colitis in Dogs

Colonic mucosal samples were obtained every 4 weeks for 13 months from 6 clinically normal dogs and from 47 dogs with a clinical diagnosis of chronic inflammatory bowel disease. All samples were graded on a scale of 0–5, based upon the quantity of lymphocytes and plasma cells in the lamina propria, epithelial changes, and the presence of ulcers and erosions. A grade of ≤2.0 was considered normal and was assigned to 77 of 78 samples from clinically normal dogs and 28 of 48 samples from dogs with diarrhea. A transient increase in cellulaiity was noted in 1 sample from 1 control dog. Nineteen dogs with clinical disease had obvious histologic abnormalities. The grading scheme described provides the pathologist with an objective criterion for the microscopic evaluation of colonic mucosal samples obtained by endoscopic techniques and offers clinicians a method of assessing the dogs progress and response to therapy.

Primary Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma in the Pericardium of a Dog

hemogram was normal except for a monocytosis (2,820/ ml), a mild lymphopenia (880/ml), and an increase in fibrinogen (500 mg/dl). The chemistry profile was normal except for an increase in alkaline phosphatase (851 IU/liter). Survey thoracic radiographs revealed a greatly enlarged, globoid cardiac silhouette with a small volume of pleural effusion. Moderate hepatomegaly with smooth margination was noted in the abdominal radiographs. Differential diagnoses at this time included benign pericardial effusion, atrial hemangiosarcoma with pericardial hemorrhage, dilated cardiomyopathy and a thoracic or cardiac tumor. An ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirate of the mass was obtained. Wright‐Giemsa-stained fine needle aspirates of the pericardial mass revealed moderate numbers of neoplastic round to spindle-shaped cells that were arranged individually and in small clumps within a lightly stippled, eosinophilic background. These cells were characterized by round to oval nuclei with a high nuclear to cytoplasm ratio, coarse nuclear chromatin pattern, and prominent often multiple nucleoli. Anisokaryosis and anisocytosis was moderate to marked. The cytoplasm was deeply basophilic and some of the cells contained variably sized purple granules. Multinucleated cells were also noted, containing from 2 to more than 100 nuclei (Fig. 1). Amorphous, pink, extracellular material was noted around a few of the cellular clumps. A cytologic interpretation of malignant mesenchymal neoplasia was made. The owners declined further evaluation and the dog was euthanatized. A complete necropsy was performed. Approximately two-thirds of the thoracic cavity was occupied by a large, firm intrapericardial mass that displaced the lungs dorsad and caudad. Incision of the pericardium revealed posterior displacement of the heart by a 14

Water content of faeces is higher in the afternoon than in the morning in morning-fed dogs fed diets containing texturised vegetable protein from soya.

Faecal moisture content can determine whether faeces appear soft or firm, and faecal character can influence whether owners are satisfied with a dog food. In a previous study, dogs appeared to produce softer faeces after noon. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether time of defecation affected canine faecal water content. A total of eight hound dogs were fed one of four canned diets as a single meal each morning for 1 week per diet in a Latin square design. All four diets contained approximately 77 % moisture and, on a DM basis, 24 MJ/kg gross energy, 23 % crude protein, 32 % crude fat, 31 % N-free extract and 1 % crude fibre. The proportion of dietary protein from soya-derived texturised vegetable protein (TVP):beef was 0:100, 14:86, 29:71 and 57:43, respectively. Soya carbohydrate partially replaced maize starch as TVP increased. Faeces were collected by direct catch during the sixth morning and afternoon of each diet period. Mean faecal moisture content was greater in the afternoon than in the morning (79 v. 71 %; P = 0.01) and increased with dietary TVP (P ≤ 0.0001), and there was an interaction between time of day and percentage TVP (P = 0.003). Faecal moisture content differed from morning to afternoon only with TVP in the diet. Faecal wet weight was similar from morning to afternoon. This suggests that time of day and presence of TVP from soya should be taken into account when evaluating the effect of a diet on faecal form and moisture content in dogs fed once daily.