The prevalence of polycystic kidney disease was assessed in 132 Persian cats, 46 of them referred for the investigation and treatment of medical or surgical conditions, and 86 apparently healthy cats referred specifically to be screened for the disease. Cats referred for the investigation of renomegaly or renal failure were excluded, and cats under 10 months old were only included if they had been examined postmortem. One hundred and twenty-six of the cats were examined ultrasonographically with a 7.5 MHz sector scanner, and the other six cats were examined postmortem. Forty-nine of the 86 cats referred specifically for screening (57.0 per cent) and 16 of the 46 cats referred for other clinical reasons (34.8 per cent) were affected by the disease, giving an overall prevalence of 49.2 per cent.

1. The disposition of warfarin enantiomers and metabolites has been studied in 36 patients receiving chronic rac‐warfarin therapy, titrated to approximately the same anticoagulant response. 2. A stereoselective h.p.l.c. assay was employed to determine the concentrations of (R)‐ and (S)‐warfarin, (R,S)‐warfarin alcohol and (S)‐7‐hydroxywarfarin in plasma and 24 h urine samples. The concentrations of (R)‐7‐ hydroxywarfarin, (S,S)‐warfarin alcohol and (R)‐6‐ and (S)‐6‐ hydroxywarfarin were also determined in urine samples. The fractions unbound of warfarin enantiomers were determined using equilibrium dialysis. 3. Wide variability was observed in daily dose requirements (mean 6.1 mg; range: 2.5‐12 mg), in plasma concentrations of (S)‐ warfarin (0.48 mg l(‐1); 0.11‐1.02 mg l(‐1)), (R)‐warfarin (0.87 mg l(‐ 1); 0.29‐1.82 mg l(‐1)), (R,S)‐warfarin alcohol (0.31 mg l(‐1); 0.02‐ 0.72 mg l(‐1)) and (S)‐7‐hydroxywarfarin (0.25 mg l(‐1); 0.07‐0.37 mg l(‐1)) and the percentage unbound of (S)‐warfarin (0.53%; 0.29%‐0.82%) and (R)‐warfarin (0.54%; 0.26%‐0.96%). 4. The mean plasma clearances of warfarin enantiomers were 7.5 1 day‐1 per 70 kg (2.5‐22.1) for (S)‐ warfarin and 3.6 1 day‐1 per 70 kg (1.6‐8.8) for (R)‐warfarin. There was a significant correlation between the estimated formation clearance of (S)‐7‐hydroxywarfarin and the clearance of (S)‐warfarin, which accounted for much of the variability in the latter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

No abstract

Microsporum canis infection was induced in 21 healthy SPF-derived cats. Once infection was established (4 weeks after inoculation) the cats were divided into three equal groups housed in separate rooms and monitored for 16 weeks. During this time, group A cats received oral griseofulvin at approximately 50 mg/kg daily and were shampooed twice weekly with a product containing chlorhexidine and miconazole. Group B cats were treated with griseofulvin alone, and group C cats served as untreated controls. The cats were examined on a weekly basis and the severity of lesions was scored semi-quantitatively. In addition, hair samples were collected from each cat on a weekly basis by the MacKenzie brush technique and by the sticky-tape method. A semi-quantitative scoring system was also used for the assessment of fungal (M canis) growth. Generally, significant differences in clinical scores were not seen between the groups although at weeks 3, 4 and 11 there was a significant difference (P< or =0.015) with cats in group A having significantly lower median scores than those in group C. Median times to clinical resolution (return of clinical scores to zero) in groups A, B and C were at treatment weeks 2, 9 and 12, respectively (P>0.05). Median times for mycological resolution (persistently negative culture results) for groups A, B and C were at treatment weeks 2, 9 and 12, respectively, for the MacKenzie brush technique and at weeks 4, 8 and 12 for the sticky-tape technique. For both these results, the groups differed significantly (P< or =0.001) and in both instances group A had significantly more rapid resolution than groups B or C. Median culture scores were significantly different between the three groups using one or both of the sampling techniques at week 2 through to week 12 of treatment with median scores for either group A alone, or groups A and B being significantly lower than group C (P< or =0.026). These results showed a benefit from the addition of twice-weekly chlorhexidine-miconazole shampooing to systemic griseofulvin therapy alone in the treatment of M canis infected cats.

A 2-year-old entire female British Shorthair cat was referred to the University of Bristol for investigation of lethargy, weakness, constipation and hypothermia. Clinical examination revealed a profoundly weak, hypovolaemic and hypothermic cat. Serum biochemistry revealed hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia and hyperphosphataemia and the urine was isosthenuric. Lack of response to exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone confirmed a diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism. Treatment consisted initially of intravenous fluid therapy and subsequently a combination of fludrocortisone and prednisolone per os. At follow-up, 20 months after the initial diagnosis the cat remained stable and free of clinical signs.