Canadian Veterinary Journal-revue Veterinaire Canadienne最新文献

An 11-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was incidentally diagnosed with hypercalcemia during routine wellness screening. Subsequent workup revealed elevated ionized calcium, increased parathyroid hormone concentrations, and undetectable parathyroid hormone-related peptide, consistent with a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. Cervical ultrasound revealed a left parathyroid nodule, and the cat underwent a left cranial parathyroidectomy without intraoperative or postoperative complications. Histopathology was consistent with parathyroid hyperplasia. At the time of writing (> 1100 d after diagnosis), the cat was clinically well, with normal total and ionized calcium, and had not required calcium supplementation. Key clinical message: Only a few cases of feline primary hyperparathyroidism are described in the literature. Most previously published case reports described cats evaluated for clinical signs attributable to hypercalcemia. In contrast, this case was identified during a routine wellness examination in an asymptomatic cat. This emphasizes the importance of preventive care and demonstrates that routine wellness screening can facilitate early detection of subclinical disease, enabling timely intervention and contributing to improved long-term outcomes.

Bradycardia-induced cardiomyopathy is a reversible form of myocardial dysfunction caused by prolonged bradyarrhythmia, most commonly due to high-grade atrioventricular block or sinus node dysfunction. Although bradycardia-induced cardiomyopathy is well recognized in human medicine, it remains underreported in veterinary literature. This case series describes 3 dogs diagnosed with 3rd-degree atrioventricular block that presented with clinical signs including exercise intolerance, syncope, and cardiomegaly. Each dog underwent comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, including physical examination, thoracic radiography, echocardiography, and electrocardiography. Bradycardia-induced transient myocardial dysfunction was suspected, based on the presence of bradyarrhythmia in conjunction with cardiac enlargement and preserved systolic function. All dogs were treated with permanent pacemaker implantation. Postoperative follow-ups documented marked clinical improvement, with resolution of exercise intolerance or syncope. Radiographic and echocardiographic reassessments demonstrated reductions in atrial and ventricular internal dimensions, supporting the reversibility of myocardial remodeling once normal heart rate was restored. No major complications were observed during follow-up periods that ranged from several months to > 4 y. Key clinical message: These findings supported the presence of bradycardia-induced transient myocardial dysfunction in dogs and underscored the importance of recognizing bradyarrhythmia as a potentially reversible cause of cardiomyopathy. Early diagnosis and timely pacemaker implantation can result in substantial clinical and structural cardiac recovery.

A 3-year-old intact female American Guinea hog that was presented for an elective ovariohysterectomy appeared systemically healthy, with no overt medical conditions. Premedication with clonazepam, tiletamine-zolazepam, and xylazine; anesthetic induction with propofol and maintenance with isoflurane with oxygen on spontaneous ventilation; a ketamine infusion; and morphine for analgesia were provided. Approximately 95 min after isoflurane was initiated, the pig acutely became hyperthermic and severely hypercapnic, with hyperkalemia, hyperlactatemia, and severe metabolic and respiratory acidosis. With high suspicion of malignant hyperthermia syndrome (MHS), isoflurane was discontinued, and active cooling, ventilatory support, dantrolene, aggressive fluid therapy, lidocaine, insulin, and dextrose were administered. The pig developed ventricular tachycardia with subsequent cardiopulmonary arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was attempted without success. Necropsy findings were suggestive of MHS and genetic testing confirmed a dimutant RYR1 gene. Key clinical message: This is the first report of MHS in a subject from a porcine companion breed and of an atypical, delayed onset. As MHS is life-threatening, preanesthetic genetic testing and/or preemptive treatment with oral dantrolene should be considered for pigs undergoing inhalant-based anesthesia.

Objective animals and procedure: Handheld ultrasound devices (HUDs), a cost-effective alternative to cart-based ultrasound in humans, are not well studied in veterinary medicine. Twelve healthy dogs underwent point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) examinations [abdomen, pleural space and lung (PLUS), cardiovascular] using 3 HUDs. Twelve views were recorded (6 abdominal, 2 PLUS, and 4 cardiovascular) and retrospectively assessed by 2 expert reviewers (1 for thoracic and 1 for abdominal) who were blinded to the HUD used. Reviewers assessed overall image quality (Likert scale) and ability to answer clinically relevant POCUS binary choice questions.

Results: Image quality varied among HUDs for lung sliding (P = 0.001), curtain signs (P = 0.032), cardiac subxiphoid (P = 0.002), stomach (P < 0.001), short- and long-axis kidney views, gallbladder (P = 0.003), and caudal vena cava (P = 0.002). There were no differences among devices in answering key POCUS questions: subxiphoid heart (P = 0.332), stomach (P = 0.294), short-axis kidney (P = 0.308), caudal vena cava (P = 0.037 for group comparison; IQ versus VScan: P = 0.214, IQ versus Clarius: P = 0.03, VScan versus Clarius: P = 0.584), 4-chamber heart (P = 0.092), 5-chamber heart, long-axis kidney, mushroom, gallbladder, PLUS, and left atrium to aortic ratio (P > 0.999).

Conclusion and clinical relevance: Results of the current study suggest that, although image quality varied among HUDs, all 3 HUDs answered key abdominal, PLUS, and cardiac POCUS questions.

A 14-year-old spayed female papillon dog was presented with hematuria and a right renal mass. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a tumor thrombus extending about 1.5 cm cranially from the right renal vein into the caudal vena cava (CVC), consistent with renal cell carcinoma and caval thrombus, with no signs of distant metastasis. The dog underwent open right-sided nephrectomy and CVC thrombectomy, using 2 tourniquets, with a total occlusion time of 12 min 13 s. Transient hypotension during surgery was successfully managed, and there were no major intra- or postoperative complications. Histopathology confirmed a highly malignant renal cell carcinoma with vascular invasion. Adjuvant toceranib therapy was initiated to address potential microscopic residual disease. Pulmonary metastasis was detected on Day 553 after surgery, and the dog remained alive on Day 722. This case demonstrates that renal cell carcinoma with caval thrombus in dogs can be surgically managed without severe complications. Moreover, adjuvant toceranib therapy can be used safely. Together, these findings offer valuable insights into the feasibility and safety of surgical strategies for CVC-invasive renal tumors in dogs. Key clinical message: Renal cell carcinoma with caval thrombus in dogs can be safely managed with surgery, highlighting the feasibility of aggressive surgical intervention for this rare condition.