Articles

A two-year-old neutered male ferret was diagnosed with disc prolapse with imaging tools (myelography followed by computed tomography) and taking into account his three-day history of acute onset paraplegia and lack of urination and defecation control. Neurological examination indicated a lesion in the thoracolumbar spinal cord segments causing an upper motor neuron lesion of the […]

Setaria equina parasites have a wide geographic distribution and are normally found in the peritoneal cavity of ungulates and some other mammals.  Their life cycle is typical of filarial worms so they rely on the seasonal activity of the mosquito vectors.  They rarely cause intraocular infections in horses and donkeys and this is the first […]

Glaucoma, whether primary or secondary, is the main cause of blindness in dogs. The uncontrollable increase intraocular pressure and the extreme pain associated with this condition, generally justifies enucleation. This free-access viewpoint article sums up recommendations from recent ACVO diplomates’ meetings to improve the management of canine glaucoma. Understanding the disease’s mechanism, knowing how early […]

Tear film production is a parameter to evaluate while performing a complete ophthalmic examination -Aa Schirmer tear test (STT) is commonly used in veterinary medicine to determine whether they eye produces enough tears to keep it moist. Studies in humans and dogs correlate STT values with circadian rhythm but, to the author’s knowledge, there hadn’t […]

Ocular blood perfusion can be evaluated by various imaging modalities and is an important parameter when the differential diagnosis list includes neoplasia. In fact, as pathologic angiogenesis is considered a hallmark of ocular tumours, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEU) is also used in human medicine. CEU shows advantages over both Colour and Power Doppler, especially when you […]

In oncology, identifying lymph node malignancy is crucial to tumour-staging and to defining a therapeutic plan and prognosis. FNA cytology and biopsy are commonly used to obtain samples to characterize tumours – but they are invasive and can be expensive. Studies in veterinary medicine to characterize nodal malignancy with B-mode sonography have been controversial so, […]

Despite invoking fear in some people, invertebrates are becoming ever more popular as pets – and this means that veterinarians need to learn more about them. This article discusses the repair of an exoskeleton in cases of physical trauma. It also discusses common disorders across the species and explains the use of fluid therapy, analgesia […]

In cats, psychogenic alopecia is a common diagnosis when medial regions of limbs, caudal abdomen and the inguinal area affected by hair loss – but it’s important to rule out many other conditions before confirming this diagnosis. In this article, the authors stress the importance of obtaining a full clinical history and of performing a […]

Both genetic and environmental factors influence the majority of dermatological problems, including conditions such as atopic dermatitis and related diseases. This review of the scientific literature sets out the available genetic tools to support the diagnosis of skin diseases of dogs, cats and horses – particularly those with non-specific clinical signs. It also suggests that, […]

Rescue and rehoming environments or holiday kennels can be a stressful environment for the dogs staying in them so a study was conducted to explore whether auditory stimulation could be a useful tool in reducing this stress. This study aimed to determine the effects of playing classical music to 50 dogs living in a rehoming […]

Maternal care influences the development of the brain, behaviour, social skills and emotional systems of many mammals. It also plays a decisive role in neonatal survival and is the main source of stimuli during early postnatal environment. To determine the influence of maternal care during the first three weeks in the life of a dog, […]

Owners’ concerns about the stress their cats suffer while being transported to vet appointments and during the appointments themselves mean that some cats don’t receive the veterinary care they need.  Gabapentin is already used to treat chronic pain and epilepsy but may also be an important tool to help reduce stress in cats before and […]

Various diseases in dogs are associated with pulmonary hypertension (PH), which can be diagnosed, as in humans, by transthoracic echocardiography. To determine the relation between the right ventricle size and both the severity of pulmonary hypertension and tricuspid regurgitation (TR), 163 dogs of 22 different breeds were included in this prospective study. All dogs were […]

There are some studies relating sudden death with ventricular arrhythmias in German Shepherd Dogs and English Springer Spaniels but this is the first focusing on Rhodesian Ridgebacks.  The study was triggered following contact from a Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder who was aware of four unexpected deaths of related dogs.  They were all younger than two years […]

The ACVIM has published a consensus opinion about the administration of gastrointestinal protectants to dogs and cats in other to define the clinical use of these drugs routinely. Besides some comparisons between human and veterinary medicine, this document also details the mechanism of action and clinical efficacy of various gastrointestinal protectants, highlighting their clinical use […]

Many veterinary specialists consider urinalysis an extremely important diagnostic procedure. It not only helps to identify urinary disorders but also, for example, diabetes mellitus and intravascular haemolysis. Urinalysis includes: colour and clarity evaluation, urine specific gravity (USG) calculation, chemical analysis and urine sediment microscopic examination. These, always interpreted together with a rigorous clinical history and […]