M. N. Patsikas

Hypervitaminosis A in the cat: A case report and review of the literature

A case of hypervitaminosis A with secondary entrapment and compression of the left brachial plexus nerve roots is described. A 9-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair, fed a home-made diet based on raw pork liver, was submitted for examination for a left forelimb lameness that evolved to paralysis over a 2-month period. Clinical examination revealed a flaccid paralysis and atrophy of all left forelimb muscles. An ipsilateral Horners syndrome was also noted. Radiological examination of the cervical and thoracic spine showed massive new bone formation at the ventral aspect of the second cervical to sixth thoracic vertebra. The diagnosis of hypervitaminosis A was made, based on the clinical and radiographic findings, as well as the determination of serum vitamin A concentration, which was 630 μg/dl, three times above the upper normal limit for this species. Despite the unfavourable initial prognosis, the cat progressively regained function of the affected limb approximately 6 months after the diet was changed to a commercial canned food.

Clinical and laboratory observations in 91 dogs infected with Dirofilaria immitis in northern Greece.

The medical records of 91 dogs with heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection were reviewed, and diagnoses were established by using parasitological and immunological methods. Twenty-one animals were asymptomatic (stage 1), 57 had mild to moderate clinical signs (stage 11), and 13 had the severe form of the disease including right congestive heart failure and the caval syndrome (stage 111). Thoracic radiography revealed right ventricular enlargement in 38 of the dogs, pulmonary vascular enlargement in 43, and parenchymal lesions in 27. Only the cardiac and vascular changes were correlated positively with the clinical stages. D immitis microfilaraemia was detected in 75 of 85 dogs. Occult infection occurred only in eight stage 11 and two stage Ill dogs. Thirty-two of the dogs were treated with thiacetarsamide and 39 were treated with melarsomine, and no differences were found in terms of drug efficacy or complication rate; nine stage 11 dogs suffered pulmonary thromboembolism and one suffered acute liver disease and there were six fatalities. The 50 treated dogs in stages 11 and Ill which were followed up for six months all recovered completely. The performance of 38 of 61 working dogs was completely restored, and the performance of another four was partially restored.

Evaluation of a proposed therapeutic protocol in 12 dogs with tentative degenerative myelopathy

The objective of this work was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of a proposed therapeutic protocol in 12 dogs with a tentative diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy, followed-up for a 6-month period. Twelve dogs fulfilling the antemortem inclusion criteria (breed, age, adequate vaccination, history of progressive posterior ataxia and/or paraparesis, no radiographic and myelographic abnormalities in the spinal cord and vertebral column) were allocated. All these dogs presented signs of thoracolumbar syndrome (T3-L3), scored as grade I (mild to moderate ataxia and paraparesis) in 10 and grade II (severe ataxia and ambulatory paraparesis) in 2 cases. Treatment included the use of epsilon-aminocaproic acid and N-acetylcysteine, supplemented with vitamins B, C and E. Prednisolone was given for the first two weeks and upon worsening of neurological signs. Daily exercise, performed as walking or swimming, was strongly recommended. Clinicopathological evaluation was normal in all 12 dogs, and survey radiographs and myelograms did not show spinal cord compression. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed only in 4 dogs, did not disclose compressive disorders or intramedullary lesions. Neurological signs were progressively worsening in all 12 animals, eventually resulting in severe paraparesis (grade III) or paraplegia (grade IV). The applied medications do not appear to be an attractive alternative to conservative management (physiotherapy) or euthanasia in canine degenerative myelopathy, irrespective of its chronicity.

Serial analysis of serum cardiac troponin I changes and correlation with clinical findings in 46 dogs with mitral valve disease

BACKGROUND Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a biomarker correlated with the severity of myocardial injury. It is hypothesized that serial assessment of cTnI could provide information about the disease progression in chronic heart failure. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to correlate serial serum cTnI concentrations with clinical scoring and select diagnostic imaging findings in dogs managed for mitral valve degeneration (MVD) for a period of 6 months. METHODS Client-owned dogs with MVD were prospectively recruited for the study. The dogs were allocated into 3 groups (I, II, III) according to the severity of their clinical signs based on the classification suggested by the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council. During the 6-month study period, serum specimens for biochemical testing were obtained biweekly, clinical progression and response to treatment were also evaluated biweekly, and radiographic reevaluation was performed every 2 months. RESULTS A total of 46 dogs were evaluated. There was a marked decrease in cTnI values during the first 2 weeks after initial diagnosis, more pronounced in group III, and corresponding to the initiation of therapy and clinical stabilization of animals. Serum cTnI was significantly different (P < .05) among the 3 dog groups throughout the study period. The interaction between Group and Period was significant in group III, indicating an upward cTnI trend evident in severely affected animals. A positive correlation was demonstrated in all groups between serum cTnI and clinical scoring. CONCLUSION Long-term management of MVD in dogs could benefit from the serial measurement of cTnI.

Giant Hypertrophic Gastritis (Ménétrier’s-like Disease) in an Old English Sheepdog

An 11-year-old, male Old English sheepdog was admitted for weight loss and intermittent vomiting of 1 months duration. A cranioventral abdominal mass, anemia, hypoproteinemia, and hypoalbuminemia were the prominent abnormal findings. Imaging studies identified a remarkably thickened gastric wall with multilobulated folds protruding into the gastric lumen. Gastrotomy revealed the presence of giant cerebriform rugal folds arising from the fundus and body of the stomach. Pronounced gastric glandular hyperplasia and lack of evidence of cellular atypia were suggestive of giant hypertrophic gastritis. The dog was treated with prednisolone, cimetidine, and hyoscine butylbromide, only to experience a short-term remission.

Prevalence of increased canine pancreas- specific lipase concentrations in young dogs with parvovirus enteritis

BACKGROUND Pancreatic abnormalities during canine parvovirus (CPV) enteritis have not been studied prospectively. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic significance of canine serum pancreas-specific lipase (Spec cPL) concentration in dogs with CPV enteritis for the presence of acute pancreatitis (AP). Puppies with naturally occurring CPV enteritis were recruited and prospectively allocated into 2 groups according to normal or increased serum Spec cPL concentration. Clinical signs, laboratory findings, and pancreas-associated variables were compared between groups, and the impact of possible AP on disease course, duration of hospitalization, and outcome was assessed. RESULTS Serum Spec cPL concentration in 35 puppies was above the upper limit of the RI in 17/35 (48.6%) dogs (Group A) and within the RI in 18 dogs (Group B). An increased serum lipase activity was present in 29/35 (82.9%) dogs, and Group A dogs had a higher serum lipase activity than Group B (P = .006). Serum Spec cPL in Group A dogs was positively correlated with serum lipase activity at the day of presentation (r = .667; P = .003) and day of discharge (r = .628; P = .007). No statistically significant difference was found between groups (P = .233) for the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (6/17 or 35.3% dogs Group A, and 8/18 or 44.4% dogs Group B), the disease course, duration of hospitalization, or outcome between groups. CONCLUSIONS Increased serum Spec cPL is relatively common in dogs with CPV enteritis. However, such increases do not seem to correlate with the outcome of disease.

Cardiac tamponade secondary to hemorrhagic pericardial effiision in five dogs

Στην Κλινική Παθολογίας Ζώων Συντροφιάς προσκομίστηκαν ένας θηλυκός σκύλος φυλής collie, ηλικίας 7 χρόνων (πeριστατικό 1), ένας αρσeνικός μιγάς φυλής Καυκάσου, 3 χρόνων (πeριστατικό 2), και τρeις αρσeνικοί σκύλοι φυλής Γeρμανικός ποιμeνικός, μe ηλικία 11 (πeριστατικό 3), 8,5 (πeριστατικό 4) και 10 (πeριστατικό 5) χρόνια, αντίστοιχα, μe ιστορικό ανορeξίας, κατάπτωσης, eύκολης κόπωσης, δύσπνοιας και προοοδeυτικής διόγκωσης της κοιλιακής κοιλότητας, τις τeλeυταίeς 10-60 ημέρeς. Η κακή θρeπτική κατάσταση (5/5), η βυθιότητα των καρδιακών τόνων (5/5), ο ασθeνής (5/5) και παράδοξος (2/5) σφυγμός, ο ασκίτης (5/5), η eισπνeυοτική ή μικτή δύσπνοια (5/5) και η διάταση της σφαγίτιδας φλέβας (2/5) ήταν τα κυριότeρα συμπτώματα, eνώ στα συχνότeρα eυρήματα από την αιματολογική και τη βιοχημική eξέταση στον ορό του αίματος πeριλαμβάνονταν η ώριμη ουδeτeροφιλική λeυκοκυττάρωση (3/5), η λeμφοπeνία (3/5), η eωσινοπeνία (3/5), η υποπρωτeϊναιμία (5/5) και η αυξημένη συγκέντρωση του αζώτου ουρίας (3/5). Από την ακτινολογική και υπeρηχοτομογραφική διeρeύνηση, διαπιστώθηκαν μeγαλοκαρδία μe σφαιρικό σχήμα της καρδιακής σκιάς και πeρικαρδιακή συλλογή σe όλους τους σκύλους, καθώς eπίσης και ασκίτης, πλeυριτική συλλογή και χωροκατακτητική αλλοίωση στο τοίχωμα του δeξιού κόλπου της καρδιάς σe πέντe, τέσσeρα και ένα πeριστατικά, αντίστοιχα. Κατά την πeρικαρδιοκέντηση αφαιρέθηκe από όλα τα ζώα μeγάλη ποσότητα άπηκτου αιμορραγικού υγρού, μe αποτέλeσμα την άμeση βeλτίωση της κλινικής τους eικόνας. Η φυσική, χημική και κυτταρολογική eξέταση του πeρικαρδιακου υγρού δe βοήθησe στην αιτιολογική διάγνωση. Κατά τη νeκροτομική και ιστοπαθολογική eξέταση σe ένα σκύλο (πeριστατικό 3), που απeβίωσe μeτά από 25 ημέρeς, διαπιστώθηκe αιμαγγeιοσάρκωμα στο δeξιό κόλπο της καρδιάς μe μeταστατικές eστίeς στους πνeύμονeς. Ένας δeύτeρος σκύλος (πeριστατικό 5) πέθανe ένα μήνα μeτά την πeρικαρδιοκέντηση από αδιeυκρίνιστα αίτια. Αντίθeτα, τα υπόλοιπα ζώα (πeριστατικά 1, 2 και 4) παρέμeιναν κλινικά υγιή για διάστημα 16, 2 και 8 μηνών, αντίστοιχα.