Articles

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that when it is ingested to excess, it is not promptly excreted in urine and is, instead, stored in fat and hepatic tissues. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been analyzing the presence of potentially toxic levels of Vitamin D in various dry pet foods, following […]

As oceans continue to warm, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming more frequent, more toxic and longer lasting. This is affecting the safety of our seafood as domoic acid (a neurotoxin produced by some diatoms) produced by these events accumulates in feeding fish and shellfish. High levels of domoic acid (DA) can lead to gross […]

The neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been extensively studied as an early biomarker of tubular damage and acute kidney disease (AKI) in humans. In dogs, some studies have concluded that the concentration of NGAL could predict azotemic AKI more quickly than serum creatinine concentration. It could also detect non-azotemic AKI and predict the likelihood of […]

The most commonly used routes to administer sedatives and analgesics in veterinary medicine are intramuscularly or subcutaneously but restraining cats humanely for these procedures can be difficult and adverse reactions to injections are also possible. Buccal administration (BA) is a simple and painless procedure in which drugs are administered into the oral cavity and given […]

While it is the treatment of choice for dogs with congenital hydrocephalus, ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement (VSP), can bring complications and the clinical parameters to take into account when deciding between surgery and medical management can be unclear. When dealing with a hydrocephalic patient, the aim should be either to decrease cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or increase […]

In exotic small mammals, vestibular syndrome is generally linked to chronic cases of otitis interna but this case report is possibly the first describing a sequela with subsequent paradoxical signs. The report describes the case of a three-year-old female guinea pig, whose first physical examination revealed uveitis of the right eye, corneal ulceration, facial paresis […]

Although not often considered the primary cause of clinical signs, it has been suggested that intervertebral malformations interfere with spinal biomechanics.  A study aimed to clarify whether there is an association between kyphosis, scoliosis and intervertebral disc extrusion. The retrospective investigation included the clinical cases of 178 French bulldogs, a breed often linked to these […]

Tuberculosis (TB) in cats is generally linked to an outdoor lifestyle and hunting behavior but some cases in UK are showing that there is more to it than this. This article describes the clinical cases of 13 pet cats with evidence of Mycobacterium bovis infection (confirmed by PCR or interferon-gama release assay). They were all […]

A longer life expectancy in cats came together with a higher prevalence of chronic painful conditions, which assessment is a challenge for the majority of veterinarians. Chronic pain has a negative impact in the quality of life of animals and it can exist by itself or be associated with disease/injury. To access chronic pain it […]

Cryotherapy is a rehabilitation technique with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, commonly used postoperatively. When combined with intermittent dynamic pressure, it is called Cold Compression Therapy (CCT). This study included 30 cranial cruciate ligament-deficient stifle joints of dogs, divided in three groups: Group I – CCT once before and after surgery Group II – CCT four […]

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, […]