Menescalia Centro Veterinario

To assess the effects of a therapeutic dose of oral acetaminophen on Schirmer tear test I (STT-1) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy dogs. Fourteen healthy adult beagle dogs. All animals underwent a physical and ophthalmic examination, hematology, and plasma biochemistry prior to treatment. Oral acetaminophen at 30 mg/kg every 12 h for 5 days was administered. STT-1 and IOP were measured in both eyes before drug administration. Ocular adverse effects were assessed using a semiquantitative preclinical ocular toxicology scoring system. All measurements were performed by the same investigator under controlled environmental conditions. At the end time point, follow-up physical and ophthalmic examinations and blood workup were conducted. STT-1 remained stable throughout the study, with no significant differences between time points (p = 0.665) or overall trend over time (p = 0.356). IOP showed no consistent temporal trend (p = 0.602), although significant differences were observed between specific time points (p = 0.003). IOP at 24 h was higher than at 12 h (p = 0.031) and 60 h (p = 0.009), and at 0 h compared to 60 h (p = 0.043); however, these differences were transient and clinically irrelevant (1-2 mmHg). Mild conjunctival hyperaemia and fluorescein staining uptake were observed in 3/28 eyes, although these were mild and resolved spontaneously without treatment. No systemic adverse effects were detected. Oral therapeutic doses of acetaminophen for 5 days did not affect STT-1 or IOP in healthy dogs. Further studies should evaluate its effects in dogs with systemic diseases, pre-existing ocular conditions, or as long-term or multi-drug regimen treatment.

ObjectiveTo determine if a newly formulated diet with safe and highly digestible ingredients, Bacillus velezensis DSM 15544, fructo-oligosaccharides, animal plasma protein, dried whole yeast and sepiolite contributes toward the management of canine acute diarrhea.HypothesisThe new diet (Diet B) will reduce the time to achieve normal fecal consistency compared to a highly digestible control (Diet A).MethodsMulticenter randomized, double-blinded, parallel-designed study with adult dogs with mild to moderate acute signs (less than 7 days) of uncomplicated diarrhea as inclusion criteria. Exclusion criteria were history of gastrointestinal signs, lack of correct vaccination and deworming, abnormal ultrasound examination, and previous administration of antibiotics, omeprazole or nutritional supplement. Response variables were compared using the appropriate bivariate test, time to recovery was analyzed using survival analysis techniques.ResultsOne hundred eleven dogs finished the study. Dogs fed Diet B (n = 56) had a quicker recovery time of fecal consistency compared to A (3.6 ± 0.9 vs. 5.9 ± 0.9 days). Fecal frequency and odor were also quickly restored compared to diet A. Survival analysis confirmed a 1.6 times greater chance of recovery with Diet B compared to diet A. Feeding Diet B also improved dysbiosis index at recheck compared to diet A (−1 ± 3 vs. 0.65 ± 3).ConclusionDiet B resulted in faster clinical resolution, improved fecal consistency, frequency, odor and reduced incidence of dysbiosis compared to Diet A, making it a superior dietary approach in the management of mild acute diarrhea in dogs.

Anaesthesia in dogs carries measurable risk, and whether this varies by breed is uncertain. We analysed a prospective, multicentre cohort of 55,019 canine anaesthetic procedures from premedication to 48 h post-extubation; after excluding euthanasias and non-anaesthetic deaths, 54,542 anaesthetics remained. Mixed-breed dogs served as the benchmark. Unadjusted mortality by breed, Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) groups and sections used Wilson 95% CIs and χ2/Fisher tests; robust Poisson models adjusted for ASA status. Overall mortality was 0.69% (378/54,542; 95% CI 0.62-0.76), with mixed-breed dogs at 0.68% (109/16,129). Unadjusted rates were higher for German Shepherd Dog (1.46%), Chihuahua (1.35%) and Bulldog (1.26%); no FCI group differed, while the Chihuahueno section was higher. Brachycephalic dogs showed higher crude mortality than non-brachycephalics (0.82% vs. 0.65%), but this attenuated with ASA adjustment (RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.96-1.47). MDR1-associated breeds did not differ in crude or adjusted analyses (adjusted RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.61-2.14). After ASA adjustment, excess risk persisted for Chihuahua (RR 1.80, 95% CI 1.08-2.99) and Spanish Water Dog (RR 2.72, 95% CI 1.23-6.01), but not for German Shepherd Dog or Bulldog. Anaesthetic mortality was low overall; between-breed differences largely reflected case severity, supporting breed-aware, ASA-centred risk communication and further breed-specific research.

Convulsive syncope is an unusual presentation of syncope in which it manifests with convulsive features, with or without epileptic activity on electroencephalography. This phenomenon has scarcely been reported in veterinary medicine. This report describes the clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and treatment of a 9-year-old Cane Corso, who was presented two and a half months after transvenous pacemaker implantation with episodes of collapse, unconsciousness, urination and opisthotonos, that after some seconds, turned into myoclonic jerks before regaining consciousness. Those episodes were highly suggestive of convulsive syncope and were associated with periods of ventricular arrest due to a pacemaker malfunction. This condition should be considered as a differential diagnosis for epileptic seizures in patients with potential cardiovascular disease and as a possible complication after pacemaker implantation in dogs.

This article aims to presente a case report of pseudo-atrial flutter in a 13-year-old-femal breed dog referred for examination after a positive test for dirofilariasis. The clinical examination and echocardiogram identified degenerative mitral valve disease stage ACVIM- B2. Serial ECG of the patient showed on the baseline, instead of true P waves, bursts of repetitive small deflections resembling sawtooth waves, with a frequency of 300/min (5 Hz), identified to as pseudo-atrial flutter. The P-QRS complexes were within normal reference range for the canine species.

The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of hyperthyroidism in Spain, including its geographical distribution and prevalence across different age groups. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Samples submitted to a reference laboratory to evaluate serum total thyroxine concentration (TT4) during a 3-year period were evaluated (n = 27,888). A cat was considered hyperthyroid if the TT4 concentration was greater than 60.4 nmol/l (4.7 μg/dl). Hyperthyroid cats were classified based on their TT4 concentration at diagnosis as mildly (TT4 60.4-124.8 nmol/l [4.7-9.7 μg/dl]), moderately (TT4 124.8-249.68 nmol/l [9.7-19.4 μg/dl]) or severely (TT4 >249.6 nmol/l [>19.4 μg/dl]) hyperthyroid. The samples were also grouped by life stage, into young adults (1-6 years old), mature adults (7-10 years old) and seniors (>10 years old). The study included samples from 17 regions of Spain and geographical mapping was based on seven domains. One thousand seven hundred and twenty-two out of 27,888 cats (6.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.9-6.5) were classified as hyperthyroid. Within the hyperthyroid group, ages ranged from 2 to 25 years old, with a median of 14 years. Within the hyperthyroid population, 14/368 (3.8%), 27/368 (7.3%) and 327/368 (88.8%) were young adults, mature adults and seniors, respectively. The prevalence of hyperthyroidism in this laboratory-based sample in Spain was 2.7 (95% CI = 0.4-5.7) to 6.9% (95% CI = 6.4-7.4), depending on the geographical region. During the study period, 8.2% of cases that were initially non-hyperthyroid were later diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Prevalence of hyperthyroidism in Spain is 6.2% (95% CI = 5.9-6.5) overall and 7.9% (95% CI = 7.2-8.8) in cats older than 10 years. The distribution of the disease is heterogeneous between different geographical regions. Further large-scale prospective studies are required to determine the risk factors in each region and understand the reasons for this variation.

To evaluate the changes in flow velocities of the middle cerebral artery before and after a carotid compression maneuver using transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCD) in healthy anesthetized dogs under mechanical ventilation. Prospective study. University teaching hospital. Eleven healthy adult dogs. A 5-second carotid occlusion maneuver was performed to evaluate cerebral autoregulation (CA). After 10minutes of stable anesthesia, the middle cerebral artery was evaluated by TCCD. Dogs were positioned in sternal recumbency with the head raised to the level of the phlebostatic axis. The systolic peak velocity (Vp) was measured using pulsed Doppler mode. CA was evaluated through the transient hyperemia test (THT), which assesses changes in the Vp after a 5-second transient compression of the ipsilateral common carotid artery and is expressed as the ratio between the Vp flow before and after carotid compression. The Vp before and after carotid occlusion was compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The median Vp of the middle cerebral artery after the carotid compression maneuver was significantly higher than the median Vp before compression (median [interquartile range, IQR]: 47.7cm/s [34.3]vs64.1cm/s [24.4]; P=0.003). The median THT obtained was 1.20 (IQR: 0.37). The current study demonstrated a significant increase in the Vp of the middle cerebral artery after a 5-second temporary occlusion of the ipsilateral carotid artery in healthy anesthetized dogs under mechanical ventilation. These findings suggest that the noninvasive TCCD methodology could be valuable for assessing CA in dogs. Additional studies using this technique in neurocritical animals are required to confirm its usefulness.

The ultrasound-guided cervical plexus plane (US-CPP) block has proven effective in humans; yet its application in dogs remains unexplored. This study aimed to describe a novel US-CPP approach in canines. A local sonoanatomy was mapped, the injection technique was tested, and a gross anatomical dissection (GAD) was performed on one cadaver. The bilateral injectate spread and nerve staining were then evaluated via a CT scan and GAD in the six cadavers. The transducer was aligned parallel to the cervical spine, caudal to the atlas. After identifying the cleidocervical and omotransversarius muscles and the C2-C3 interfascial plane, a spinal needle was inserted in-plane, and 0.15 mL/kg of a dye-contrast solution was injected. CT imaging showed the contrast reaching the C1, C2, and C3 vertebral bodies in 3 out of 12 (3/12), 11/12, and 12/12 injections, respectively, and the C4, C5, and C6 vertebrae in 8/12, 5/12, and 1/12 injections, respectively. No contrast was detected in the epidural space. The C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 nerves were stained in 3/12, 10/12, 8/12, 2/12, and 0/12 injections, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the groups (p > 0.05). A single US-CPP injection successfully stained the C2 and C3 nerves, indicating the potential clinical applicability, although the injected volume rarely reached C4 and C5.

Simple SummaryThe Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni), or Mediterranean tortoise, is one of the two native species of terrestrial tortoises that inhabit the Iberian Peninsula. This is a vulnerable species protected by legislation and subjected to conservation and captive breeding programs. The present study is the first to simultaneously evaluate the four-season variations in corticosterone and total triiodothyronine in semi-captive adults and juvenile individuals of Western Hermann’s tortoises (T. hermanni hermanni). The current investigation revealed that corticosterone concentrations changed seasonally depending on the sex, whereas total triiodothyronine changed seasonally in both sexes. Juvenile individuals did not show seasonal variations in any of the evaluated hormones. Overall, this study adds evidence and provides novel information about the seasonal variations in corticosterone and total triiodothyronine in adult and juvenile individuals of this protected species.The Mediterranean tortoise Testudo hermanni inhabits different regions bordering the northwestern Mediterranean. This species is vulnerable, protected by legislation, and involved in various breeding and reintroduction programs. Wild populations face numerous environmental and anthropogenic stressors that can potentially interfere with their conservation. While seasonal changes in stress-response biomarkers, such as glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones, have been widely studised in mammals and birds, there is a paucity of research in reptile species. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the seasonal fluctuations in corticosterone and total triiodothyronine levels in adult and juvenile Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni) as a measure of the physiological stress response. Blood samples were collected seasonally (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) and posteriorly analyzed by using a specific and validated enzyme immunoassay for both hormones, respectively. The results showed that corticosterone levels varied seasonally and differed between sexes, whereas total triiodothyronine levels changed seasonally but did not differ between sexes. Notably, juveniles exhibited no seasonal changes in either corticosterone or total triiodothyronine levels. Additionally, no correlation between blood extraction duration and hormonal concentrations was observed. This study is pioneering in its comprehensive evaluation of corticosterone and total triiodothyronine changes across all four seasons, including winter, and its focus on juvenile Hermann’s tortoises.