Prevalence and treatment of pseudopregnancy in bitches

Amanda Root, others, University of Glasgow

Pseudopregnancy occurs when an entire or spayed bitch shows clinical signs typical of pregnancy without having conceived. Those signs may include enlarged mammary glands, lactation, weight gain, vomiting and loss of appetite, along with behavioural changes including aggressively defending resources, reduced activity nesting and gathering objects. These changes will be familiar to veterinary staff and experienced dog owners but there has been little research into their cause and treatment. The authors conducted the largest epidemiological study of pseudopregnancy to date in the UK. A questionnaire was sent to 2000 veterinarians, 19.8% of whom responded with 96% of those reporting having seen a case in the past year Their findings indicate substantial variability in the type and severity of pseudopregnancy changes and suggest that their prevalence may be underestimated. The most commonly used drug treatment is the prolactin inhibitor cabergoline but a range of medical, surgical and behavioural options have also been tried.

BMC Veterinary Research 14:170 (Open Access)

Impact of blood contamination on the results of urine dip-stick tests

Aida Vientos-Plotts, others, Auburn University, Alabama

Dry reagent strips or dipsticks are used in the analysis of urine samples for a range of components and properties. While it has been noted that blood contamination of the urine will affect both the colour and chemical composition (notably protein levels) of the blood, there has been little published research on these effects. The authors tested pooled urine samples from 60 dogs and 30 cats and found that visible blood contamination affected the results of bilirubin, ketones, pH and specific gravity tests. Microscopic blood contamination affected the urine protein-to-urine creatinine ratio and blood traces should be considered a potential factor when assessing the cause of proteinuria in darker coloured urine samples.

American Journal of Veterinary Research 79(5), 525-531

Comparison of methods used for scrubbing the skin of patients before surgery

Alison Mann, RVN, Langford Vets, University of Bristol

Veterinary nurses have traditionally been taught to prepare patients for surgery by applying scrub solutions on a swab in a circular motion. More recently it has been suggested that a short back-and-forth, side-to-side motion may be more effective at reducing numbers of skin bacteria and may limit the risk of transferring bacteria from the periphery to the central area. The author carried out a literature search which found only two relevant studies, one from the human and one from the veterinary literature. Both studies had significant limitations and neither provided conclusive evidence that one technique is superior to the other Without further studies, the decision must remain a matter of personal preference.

Veterinary Evidence 3:2 (Open Access)

Occupational exposure of veterinary staff to ketamine

Rhian Cope, Commonwealth Department of Health, Australia

Ketamine is a widely used sedative in veterinary and human medicine that is also a popular recreational drug. This means that clinical staff that are occupationally exposed to the compound could run the risk of testing positive in drug tests. The author discusses the case of a human anaesthesiologist whose scalp hair samples were found to contain residues of ketamine and its main metabolite norketamine. Although this individual was being monitored following earlier problems with illicit drug use, this ketamine contamination was shown to be a result of accidental occupational exposure rather than drug abuse.

Australian Veterinary Journal 96(3), 59-61

Respiratory rate of clinically healthy cats in veterinary consulting rooms

E. Dijkstra, others, Utrecht University the Netherlands

Respiratory rate is one of the most commonly recorded variables during a clinical examination. But in cats, the only published reference ranges are those for individuals that are resting or sleeping in their home. The authors studied 131 cats at six primary care centres to identify any changes in respiratory rate in animals during a veterinary consultation. They found that for these healthy animals, the respiratory rate in the consulting room ranged from 28 to 176 breaths/minute compared with a resting respiratory rate at home ranging from 16 to 60 breaths/minute. If these cats had been assessed using published reference intervals, many would have been erroneously classed as tachypnoeic.

The Veterinary Journal 234(1), 96-101

Variability of serum aldosterone concentrations in pet ferrets

Nicola Di Girolamo, others, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Ferrets (Mustelaputorius furo) are increasingly popular pets that are commonly affected by endocrine disorders. Although cases of apparent hyperaldosteronism have been described in the veterinary literature, there are no published reference ranges for aldosterone in this species. The authors tested samples from 78 healthy and 22 diseased ferrets and found aldosterone levels were highly variable, ranging from 0.02 to 2823.9 pg/mL. Therefore, high aldosterone levels should not be considered diagnostic for primary hyperaldosteronism in ferrets.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 252(11), 1372-1376

Trial of a new spot-on product for cats in the prevention of flea egg development

Wilfried Lebon, others, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lyon, France

Effective control of flea infestations on cats and dogs will generally require the use of an adulticide for fleas on the feline or canine host, together with treatment for the immature stages in the environment. The authors report the results of a trial in a simulated home environment on a novel formulation of an established product, Frontline Gold. This contains three active compounds, fipronil, (S)-methoprene and pyriproxyfen. The product was given as a single topical treatment to a group of six healthy male cats and was found to reduce flea egg development by an average of 93.6% for 15 weeks.

International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine 16(1), 67-73

Testing an owner-reported quality of life questionnaire for dogs with cancer

Michelle Giuffrida, others, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Treatment success in veterinary oncology cases will usually be measured in terms of tumour size or staging. But the pet's quality of life is a much more important consideration for owners, who may request euthanasia even in cases which appear to be responding to treatment. The authors describe the development and initial psychometric testing of the CORQ (canine owner-reported questionnaire) containing 17 items related to observable behaviours. They conclude that the questionnaire was valid and reliable tool for measuring changes in QoL in response to cancer treatment and progression.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 252(9), 1073-1083

Changes in faecal bile acid profiles of dogs fed a diet with high levels of beef

Kristin Herstad, others, Norwegian University of Life Science, Oslo

In humans, a diet that is high
in fat and low in fibre can influence faecal bile acid levels with potentially detrimental effects on intestinal health. The authors investigated whether similar changes can occur in dogs accustomed to eating commercial dry food, which are then given a diet consisting mainly of boiled minced beef. These dogs produced faeces with high levels of deoxycholic acid on the minced beef diet but more normal faeces when they resumed eating their usual food. In humans, deoxycholic acid appears to have cytotoxic effects on colonic cells although its effects in dogs are not known.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 60:29 (Open Access)

Stability of feline packed red blood cell units during storage

Blasi Brugue, others, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain

Blood donated for transfusion purposes will undergo changes during storage which may affect the function and survival of erythrocytes. There are no published studies on changes in packed cell volume, bacterial contamination and percentage haemolysis in feline red blood cells stored using SAGM, a standard additive solution containing adenine, dextrose, mannitol and sodium chloride. The authors investigated changes in feline blood units stored for up to 28 days. They found that after this period 14% of units had levels of haemolysis above the recommended 1% limit and so these units should be tested before being administered to patients.

BMC Veterinary Research 14:141 (Open Access)

Effects of tidal volume and positive end expiratory pressure on healthy lungs

Valentina De Monte, others, University of Perugia, Italy

Patients under general anaesthesia often require controlled mechanical ventilation to improve lung function and anaesthetic uptake. The authors investigated the effects of different tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEP) on lung performance in healthy dogs. Their results show that a high tidal volume of l5mL/kg and a PEEP of 5 cm H2O can be safely administered to dogs undergoing mechanical ventilation. The use of PEEP may be important in stabilising the lung alveoli and may help to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury caused by atelectatic (partially collapsed) and poorly aerated lung tissue.

American Journal of Veterinary Research 79(5), 496-504

Owners and veterinary surgeons hold differing views on vaccination consults

Zoe Belshaw and others, University of Nottingham

Preventive healthcare consultations account for about one in three appointments in UK veterinary practice, with vaccination consults accounting for a large proportion of these visits. The authors investigated the attitudes of clients and veterinary staff to these consultations. Their findings show that puppy and kitten consults had a relatively standardised structure but visits involving adult pets were more wide-ranging and often focussed on current physical health problems rather than preventive care. They suggest that there is a need for greater agreement between vets and clients on the purpose and content of these routine consultations.

Veterinary Sciences 5:7 (Open Access)

Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 33 • August 2018