Carolina Veterinary Specialists

A one-year-old male entire French Bulldog presented with progressive submandibular and ventral cervical swelling. Initial treatment for a suspected lingual abscess secondary to stick chewing yielded only transient improvement. Despite both conservative therapy and surgical intervention, the dog's condition deteriorated, prompting advanced imaging. Bilateral lingual masses and pulmonary abnormalities were identified. Post-mortem examination confirmed a diagnosis of lingual haemangiosarcoma (LHSA) with multifocal metastasis and severe pulmonary haemorrhage. This is the first reported case of LHSA in a French Bulldog. This case illustrates the potential for atypical presentations of lingual neoplasia, especially in brachycephalic breeds where baseline oropharyngeal compromise may obscure or exacerbate clinical signs. This report emphasises the importance of including neoplasia in the differential diagnosis for persistent or progressive lingual swelling, even in young dogs and breeds predisposed to upper airway obstruction.

Summary An 11‐year‐old, female, spayed chihuahua was diagnosed with septic bile peritonitis secondary to gall bladder rupture. Surgical treatment consisted of cholecystectomy, placement of an abdominal drain and an oesophagostomy tube. The dog developed aspiration pneumonia alongside a recurrent bile peritonitis postoperatively. The recurrent bile peritonitis was managed conservatively and resolved within 4 days. No recurrence was reported by the owner at an 8‐month follow‐up. This is the first case report of a dog with postoperative bile peritonitis being successfully managed conservatively, surviving to discharge with a good medium‐term outcome.

Abstract A 2.5‐year‐old, 45‐kg, intact male Rottweiler (case 1) and a 4‐year‐old, 30‐kg, intact male German Shepherd crossbreed (case 2) were referred for thoracic duct ligation, cisterna chyli ablation and subtotal pericardiectomy for the treatment of idiopathic chylothorax. Intraoperative lymphography was performed using trypan blue (TB). Mesenteric lymphatics were injected with 1.5 mL of non‐diluted 0.055% TB to facilitate visualisation of the thoracic duct (TD). There was no evidence of chylothorax recurrency in cases 1 and 2, 9 and 14 months after the surgery, respectively. The TB‐stained lymphatics were easily identified, and no side effects were detected. This is the first published case report describing the usage of TB for the visualisation of lymphatic vessels in dogs. TB lymphography is safe, readily available, non‐radioactive and effective for direct intraoperative visualisation of the TD without the use of specialised equipment.

Abstract Two cats from separate households presented to a veterinary referral hospital with signs of fever, malaise and respiratory distress. Both cats underwent thoracic radiography, which revealed multilobar pulmonary nodular changes. To further characterise the pulmonary parenchymal disease, computed tomography was performed, and lung samples were obtained via fine needle aspirates in both cats, as well as an endotracheal wash in one cat. Cytology yielded mixed inflammation, while cultures identified the presence of Neisseria animaloris . Following antibiotic therapy, both cats demonstrated complete resolution of clinical signs, consistent with full recovery. Despite the potential for severe clinical illness and widespread pulmonary involvement marked by sepsis and respiratory compromise, pulmonary Neisseria infections in cats can be successfully treated with medical management. Due to their nodular pulmonary pattern, Neisseria infections may be mistaken for pulmonary neoplasia and can result in euthanasia if necessary diagnostics are not undertaken.

This study aimed to describe the clinical features, computed tomography findings and treatment outcomes of anconeal process osteophyte fractures in dogs.This was a retrospective case series. Dogs with osteoarthritis due to pre-existing elbow dysplasia or elbow fracture diagnoses, which were presented for acute/subacute elbow pain due to acute fracture of anconeal osteophytes. Diagnosis was based on computed tomographic findings. Information on the diagnostic imaging findings and treatment outcomes was documented.Nine dogs were diagnosed with anconeal process osteophyte fractures that were managed conservatively. Six of the dogs improved following conservative management and did not require surgical intervention.Anconeal process osteophyte fractures have not been previously described in dogs. Recognition of and suitable diagnostic imaging selection for this condition can lead to prompt diagnosis and appropriate case management for these patients.

To determine the ability of the blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to differentiate between bacterial pneumonia and nonbacterial pneumonia in dogs undergoing airway sampling. Retrospective study. A university teaching hospital and affiliated private practice specialty hospital. Forty-one client-owned dogs undergoing airway sampling with CBCs performed within 48h of collecting airway lavage samples between January 2018 and December 2022. None. Medical records were reviewed and the following parameters were recorded: signalment, length of hospitalization, WBC count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, type of airway sampling, airway cytology and culture results, timing of antimicrobial use, radiographic findings, concurrent diseases, final diagnosis, and outcome. Patients that received corticosteroids or had hematological neoplasia were excluded. Of the 41 dogs included, 51.2% (21/41) were diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. Twenty-three patients (56.1%) received antimicrobials before airway lavage, and 11 (47.8%) of these dogs were diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. Of the 18 patients (43.9%) that did not receive antimicrobials before airway lavage, 10 (55.6%) were diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. One dog (2.4%) underwent a transtracheal wash, 16 (39%) underwent a bronchoalveolar lavage, and 24 (58.5%) underwent an endotracheal wash. NLR was not significantly associated with bacterial pneumonia (p=0.248). In dogs with bacterial pneumonia, NLR was not associated with mortality (p=0.454) or length of hospital stay (LOS) (p=0.282). NLR was positively associated with LOS when all dogs were analyzed together (p=0.042). NLR was not different in dogs with bacterial pneumonia than in dogs without bacterial pneumonia. NLR was positively associated with LOS when all dogs were included in the analysis (p=0.042).

Abstract Two vaccines (JYNNEOS; ACAM2000) were available in the United States to prevent mpox during the 2022 clade II mpox outbreak with the majority of people receiving JYNNEOS. As part of the Biologics Effectiveness and Safety (BEST) Initiative, FDA monitored the safety of JYNNEOS using three commercial health plan claims databases supplemented with local and state Immunization Information System data. We assessed vaccine uptake, described the vaccinated population, monitored rates of 11 potential adverse events (AEs) following vaccination, and compared the observed AE rates to expected background rates. There were 152,001 JYNNEOS doses administered. Of the 92,340 people receiving at least one JYNNEOS dose, most were males (93.1%), aged 25–44 years (63.3%), lived in urban areas (98.7%), and 64.2% received a second dose. AE rates following JYNNEOS doses were similar to expected background rates. Additional safety studies of larger vaccinated populations may be needed to evaluate rare AEs including myocarditis/pericarditis.

To ameliorate anticipated or ongoing neurological deficits, dogs undergoing brain tumor irradiation often are prescribed lengthy courses of prednisone PO during and after radiotherapy (RT). This practice can contribute to unwanted corticosteroid-associated morbidity and may be unnecessary. Determine whether long-term corticosteroid dependency can be minimized by use of succinct prednisone tapering. Fifty-five pet dogs undergoing brain tumor irradiation. Nineteen dogs were treated using a "rapid-taper" protocol wherein corticosteroid dose reduction began 0 to 20 days after completing RT. Outcomes were compared with a retrospectively studied control group ("slow-taper"; N = 36 dogs) in which corticosteroids were tapered more slowly according to individual clinician recommendations. Patient demographics were similar between groups. Mean time to lowest prednisone dose was 41 days postirradiation in the rapid-taper group and 117 days in the slow-taper group (P = .003). In the rapid-taper group, 15 of 19 dogs (84%) were completely tapered off prednisone, vs 18 of 36 (50%) in the slow-taper group (P = .04). Rates at which corticosteroids had to be reinstituted later were similar for the 2 groups (approximately 1 in 3 dogs). Adverse effect rates were similar for the 2 groups. Although no comparable questionnaire-derived data were available for the "slow-taper" group, overall and neurologic quality of life remained stable after RT in the rapid-taper group. For many dogs, lengthy courses of PO prednisone are avoidable after intracranial RT. Future efforts should aim to identify which dogs benefit most from accelerated prednisone tapering.