Relationships between bodyweight and age in domestic cats

Adam Campigotto and others, University of Guelph, Ontario

There is little published information in the veterinary literature on the changes that occur in bodyweight in cats during their lifetimes, or the relationship between body composition and age or breed.

The authors collected data on nearly 20,000 feline patients from the practice management software of veterinary clinics in the United States and Canada. Data on the four most common breeds (Siamese, Persian, Himalayan and Maine coon) showed that mean bodyweight peaked at between six and 10 years of age and then declined. The mean bodyweight of domestic short, medium and long-haired cats peaked at eight years old and was higher for neutered than for sexually intact cats. The large data set created by this study gives useful information on changes in bodyweight during the feline life cycle that could provide a basis for discussions with the owners of obese cats during routine visits.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 255 (2), 205-212

Measuring fluid intake in cats from different water sources

Michael Robbins and others, North Carolina State University

Encouraging cats to consume more water may form part of the management strategy for patients with various conditions, including thyroid or renal disease, diabetes and some forms of lower urinary tract disease. The authors measured the water intake of 16 healthy cats presented with still, circulating or free-falling water sources. They found that the average daily water intake, urine volume, urine specific gravity and urine relative super saturation for struvite and calcium oxalate were not significantly different between the groups using the three types of water bowl.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 21 (8), 683-690

Clinical findings in 58 cases of colonic impaction in dogs

Emmanouil Tzimtzimis and others, University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Obstipation is a prolonged, non-functional form of constipation seen in dogs and other species as a result of many different conditions. These can be broadly divided into two groups, colonic obstruction and disorders of colonic motility. The authors review the findings in 58 canine cases, in which 78% were intact males. Treatment strategies included enemas with or without different types of laxative and manual evacuation of faecal matter under anaesthesia. There was a favourable outcome in 36 of 41 dogs available for long term follow-up.

Journal of Small Animal Practice 60(7), 444-449

Incidence of bacteriuria at presentation and as a result of urinary catheterisation

Edward Cooper and others, Ohio State University Columbus

In cats with signs of lower urinary tract disease and urethral obstruction the incidence of bacteriuria has been reported as anywhere between 0% and 21%. The authors examined 34 male cats with urethral obstruction to identify bacteriuria on initial presentation and after urinary catheterisation. They found that no evidence of urinary infection on admittance and a 13% incidence of acquired bacteriuria following treatment. These findings suggest that empirical administration of antibiotics is not justified in male cats with urethral obstruction.

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care 29(5), 472-477

Effect of clipper blade size on bacterial contamination of canine skin

Yasmine Messiaen and others, Sierra Veterinary Specialists, Reno, Nevada

There is little information on the changes in skin flora that may occur when veterinary patients are prepared for surgery by clipping the fur. The authors carried out a study comparing the effects on the skin flora of clipping with a No. 10 or a No. 40 blade, which leave hair lengths of about 1.5 mm and 0.25 mm, respectively. They demonstrate that clipping hair closer to the skin surface with a No. 40 blade resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of erythema and a higher number of Micrococcaceae bacteria, compared with a No. 10 blade.

American Journal of Veterinary Research 80(9), 862-867

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

M. Q. Dow and others, University of Adelaide

The veterinary profession has been identified as being at a high risk of experiencing occupational stress, compared with the general population. One factor that makes the work experiences of veterinarians very different from the norm is that they regularly have to deal with bereaved animal owners. The authors investigated the impact on the mental health of clinical staff of communicating with grieving clients. An online survey completed by 105 South Australian vets showed that many were experiencing mild to severe psychological distress due to these interactions, and nearly half admitted to experiencing high to very high levels of compassion fatigue.

Australian Veterinary Journal 97(10), 382–389

Influence of feeding method on overall activity in indoor dogs

Dan Su and others, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Efforts to increase physical activity can be an important element in weight management programmes for obese dogs. There is evidence that administering food in food-dispensing toys will increase physical activity The authors investigated the impact on total daily activity walking and running time of these devices in indoor housed dogs, compared with those fed using conventional food bowls. They found that toy feeding increased daily activity time by 12% and walking time by 26%. Therefore, these devices may make a useful contribution to a weight loss programme.

Journal of Small Animal Practice 60(7), 438-443

Incidence of perianaesthetic complications in cats undergoing bronchoscopy

Philippa Tucker and Paul MacFarlane, University of Bristol

Bronchoscopy is an essential tool in the diagnosis of respiratory disease in feline patients but these procedures are associated with a broad range of adverse events. The authors investigated the incidence and severity of complications in 79 cases seen at two university hospitals. The most frequently encountered complication was desaturation, reported in 24 cats (30.3% of the sample). Patients that received terbutaline had a lower incidence of desaturation than those that did not. Rarer but more serious complications occurred in two cats experiencing pneumothorax and one cat that had a fatal cardiac arrest.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 21(10), 959-966

Accuracy of serum and saliva assays in identifying adverse food reactions in dogs

Andrea Lam and others, Tufts University North Grafton, Massachusetts

The diagnosis of adverse food reactions in canine patients can be challenging and will usually rely on the lengthy process of an elimination diet trial with subsequent challenge. The authors investigated the accuracy of two serum-based assays and one saliva-based assay which detect specific immunoglobulin responses to food components. They found that all three assays regularly yielded positive results in apparently healthy dogs and they are not recommended for clinical use. Elimination diets will remain the gold standard approach for diagnos
ing adverse food reactions.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 255 (7), 812-816

Performance of two trauma assessment scales in predicting outcomes in injured cats

Janis Lapsley and others, Cornell University New York State

Using trauma scores can help characterise patient populations for research purposes and clinically they may be useful in patient triage and in monitoring performance. The authors used two different scoring systems – the Animal Trauma Triage score and the modified Glasgow Coma Scale as predictors of mortality in 711 cats entering nine veterinary trauma centres. The Glasgow scale gave fair results but performed better when restricted to use in head trauma patients. The ATT score showed excellent discrimination and calibration for predicting mortality

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care 29(5), 478-483

Comparison of three laboratory techniques for assessing equine nematode infections

Jana Napravnikova and others, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague

The detection of nematode eggs in faecal samples has an invaluable role in the management of gastrointestinal parasites of horses. The authors examined the results achieved with three commonly used methods for measuring faecal egg counts for two important equine parasites, strongylids and ascarids. Their data show that the Mini-FLOTAC technique produced more consistent counts than the Simple or Concentrated McMaster techniques. The Simple McMaster method was the most accurate method for detecting strongylid eggs and the Mini-FLOTAC for detecting ascarid eggs.

Veterinary Parasitology 272 (1), 53-57

Anaphylaxis associated with intravenous administration of alphaxalone in a dog

Mark Haworth, University of Queensland, Gatton

Alphaxalone is an injectable general anaesthetic agent used in human and small animal surgery. Although this agent has been associated with various adverse events, there have been no incidents of anaphylaxis recorded in small animal patients. The authors describe the first reported case resulting from intravenous alphaxalone administration in a female cattle dog. The patient exhibited vomiting, diarrhea and gallbladder wall oedema but responded well to rapid volume expansion, making a full recovery

Australian Veterinary Journal 97(6), 197-201 

Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 34 • December 2019