Lorrie Gaschen

Influence of food composition on splanchnic blood flow during digestion in unsedated normal dogs: a Doppler study.

The effect of dietary components in gastrointestinal blood flow was investigated non-invasively in dogs. Doppler ultrasound (US) waveform analysis of the celiac artery (CA) and the cranial mesenteric artery (CMA) of eight healthy dogs was performed both in the fasting state and at 20, 40, 60 and 90 min after feeding maintenance, high protein, high carbohydrate and high fat diets. Resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) and the percentage differences between measurements were calculated. In fasted dogs, the CA showed significantly (p<0.05) lower resistance than the CMA. With all diets, post-prandial RI and PI values decreased significantly in both vessels (CA: RI=-12-13%; PI=-25-29%; CMA: RI=-13-15%; PI=-27-29% [p<0.05]), and in all cases significantly earlier in the CA than in the CMA (p<0.05). With all diets except high fat the maximum decrease in RI and PI was reached in the CA at 40 min and in the CMA at 60 min. High fat diets were unique in that the maximum decrease in RI and PI in the CMA occurred earlier (at 20 min) and values were slower to return to normal (p<0.05). We conclude that Doppler US can be used in dogs to quantify significant differences in the response of splanchnic blood flow to different dietary components.

Doppler sonography of the medial arterial blood supply to the coxofemoral joints of 36 medium to large breed dogs and its relationship with radiographic signs of joint disease

The medial arterial supply to 68 of the 72 coxofemoral joints of 36 medium to large breed dogs was examined ultrasonographically. The medial circumflex femoral artery and three branches were identified; the artery and its transverse branch were identified in all 68 joints, and the deep branch was identified in 61 joints, and the ascending branch was identified in 63. However, the acetabular and obturator branches were not identified. The pulsatility index, the mean velocity and the peak systolic velocity of the medial circumflex femoral artery were determined and associated with a radiographic score of degenerative coxofemoral joint disease and a lath distraction index (LDI). In joints with a LDI greater than 0·35, the pulsatility index was significantly lower (P=0·023) and its mean velocity was higher (P=0·005). However, no significant associations were observed in individual dogs when the measurements in both joints were taken into account.