Slow occlusion of portosystemic shunts using a variety of methods is being evaluated world wide. Cellophane banding is a relatively simple procedure with comparable safety and efficacy to previously reported techniques.

Determination of factors that predict the outcome after surgical treatment of CPS in dogs is important to gain insight in treatment selection or new therapeutic options.

Objective: To report the incidence of postattenuation seizures (PAS) in dogs that underwent single congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (cEHPSS) attenuation and to compare incidence of PAS in dogs that either did or did not receive prophylactic treatment with levetiracetam (LEV). Study design: Multi-institutional retrospective study. Population: Nine hundred forty dogs. Methods: Medical records were reviewed to identify dogs that underwent surgical attenuation of a single cEHPSS from January 2005 through July 2017 and developed PAS within 7 days postoperatively. Dogs were divided into 3 groups: no LEV (LEV−); LEV at ≥15 mg/kg every 8 hours for ≥24 hours preoperatively or a 60 mg/kg intravenous loading dose perioperatively, followed by ≥15 mg/kg every 8 hours postoperatively (LEV1); and LEV at <15 mg/kg every 8 hours, for <24 hours preoperatively, or continued at <15 mg/kg every 8 hours postoperatively (LEV2).Preliminary results of this study were presented at the Association

Objective: To identify prognostic factors for short-term survival of dogs that experienced seizures within seven days following surgical correction of single congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (cEHPSS).Study Design: Multi-institutional retrospective study. Sample Population: Ninety-three client-owned dogs. Methods: Medical records at 14 veterinary institutions were reviewed to identify dogs that underwent surgical attenuation of a single cEHPSS from January 1 st 2005 through February 28 th 2018 and experienced post-attenuation seizures (PAS) within seven days postoperatively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with one month survival. Factors investigated included participating institution, signalment, shunt morphology, concurrent/historical conditions, presence of preoperative neurologic signs, presence of preoperative seizures, aspects of preoperative medical management, surgical details including method and degree of shunt attenuation, type of PAS (focal only or generalized +/-focal), drugs administered as part of the treatment of PAS, and development of complications during treatment of PAS. Results: Thirty (32.3%) dogs survived to 30 days. Seventy-six (81.7%) dogs experienced generalized PAS. Factors positively associated with short-term survival included having a history of preoperative seizures (p=0.004) and development of focal PAS only (p=0.0003).The majority of non-survivors were humanely euthanized due to uncontrolled or recurrent seizures.Conclusions: Dogs that experienced PAS that had a history of preoperative seizures and those that experienced focal PAS only had significantly improved short-term survival. Clinical Significance:The results of this study will help in the counseling of owners who seek treatment for PAS following surgical correction of cEHPSS.

Background: Serious postoperative hemorrhage has been reported in dogs after closure of congenital portosystemic shunts (CPS).Hypothesis: In dogs with portosystemic shunting, low coagulation factor activity is responsible for coagulopathy, which can cause complications after surgery.Animals: Thirty-four dogs with CPS and 39 healthy dogs. Methods: In a prospective study, coagulation times, platelet count, and the activity of 8 coagulation factors were measured in dogs before and after surgical shunt attenuation and in 31 healthy dogs. The effect of abdominal surgery on hemostasis was determined at ovariectomy in 8 healthy dogs.Results: Dogs with CPS had lower platelet counts, lower activity of factors II, V, VII, and X, and increased factor VIII and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) compared to healthy dogs. After surgical attenuation, dogs with CPS had decreased platelet counts and activity of factors I, II, V, VII, IX, X, and XI and a prolonged prothrombin time (PT). Ovariectomy resulted in decreased activity of factors VII and X. Six weeks after surgery, portosystemic shunting persisted in 9 of 30 dogs, with no improvement of hemostatic values. CPS dogs without shunting had improved coagulation times and increased activity of factors II, V, VII, and X.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Dogs with CPS have lower activity of clotting factors compared to healthy dogs, resulting in a prolonged APTT. Surgical attenuation of the shunt results in increased abnormalities in coagulation times and factors immediately after surgery. Hemostasis is normalized after complete recovery of shunting after attenuation, in contrast to dogs with persistent shunting.

Objectives To design a health‐related quality of life questionnaire for dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts, use it in a cohort of dogs treated with suture attenuation and compare results with those obtained from a healthy control cohort. Materials and Methods Data were collected from the hospital records of dogs treated with suture ligation of an intrahepatic or extrahepatic congenital portosystemic shunt at two referral centres. Owners were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their dog's health‐related quality of life preoperatively (retrospectively) and at the time of follow‐up. Owners of control dogs also completed the questionnaire. Results One hundred and twenty‐eight dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts and 131 control dogs were recruited. Median follow‐up time was 64 months (range 19.7 to 157.2). The median long‐term health‐related quality of life score was excellent for both intrahepatic and extrahpatic shunt cases and similar to that of control dogs. The long‐term portosystemic shunt clinical sign scores for both intrahepatic and extrahepatic congenital portosystemic shunt dogs were significantly worse than the those of the control group. Clinical Significance Suture attenuation of congenitial portosystemic shunts is associated with an excellent health‐related quality of life score at long‐term follow‐up.

A case-control study of calves under 3 months of age was carried out by weekly visits to 15 farms in the canton of Tilarán, Costa Rica. Most farms were dedicated to beef or dual-purpose (DP) production. Faecal samples were collected over a 6-month period from a total of 194 calves with clinical signs and from 186 animals without clinical signs of diarrhoea as assessed by a scoring system. The samples were investigated for the presence of viruses, bacteria and parasites. Torovirus was detected for the first time in Costa Rica and was present in 14% of calves with diarrhoea and in 6% of the controls. Coronavirus and Rotavirus were less frequently encountered in either one of the groups (in 9 and 7% of scouring calves and in 1 and 2% of controls, respectively). Escherichia coli was detected in 94% of all the faecal samples, but isolates from only three samples from calves with diarrhoea contained the K99 antigen. Similarly, Salmonella was found only in scouring calves. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in animals with signs of diarrhoea, while other coccidia oocysts, Strongylida and Strongyloides eggs were frequently found in animals both with and without diarrhoea. A conditional logistic regression (CLR) analysis to compare healthy and scouring calves showed a significant difference with regard to the presence of Torovirus, Rotavirus and Coronavirus.

Background: In dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS), the ability of the hypoplastic liver to grow is considered important for recovery after surgical shunt attenuation.Objectives: This study investigated hepatic growth after extrahepatic shunt attenuation in dogs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).Animals: Ten client-owned dogs with single extrahepatic CPSS. Methods: Abdominal MRI, CT, or both were performed before and 8 days, 1, and 2 months after shunt attenuation. Liver volumes were calculated from the areas of the MRI or CT images.Results: Before surgery, median liver volume was 18.2 cm 3 /kg body weight. Liver volume increased significantly after surgery. Growth was highest between days 0 and 8 and decreased afterward. Median liver volume was 28.8 cm 3 /kg at 2 months after attenuation. No significant differences in growth were found between dogs with complete or partial shunt closure or between dogs with complete or incomplete metabolic recovery. Volumes measured from consecutively performed MRI and CT images correlated well (r 5 0.980), but volumes from MRI images were significantly larger than volumes from CT images (6.8%; P 5 .008).Conclusion and Clinical Importance: After shunt attenuation, rapid normalization of liver size was observed. Hepatic growth was not decreased in dogs after partial closure of CPSS or in dogs with subclinical, persistent shunting 2 months after surgery. CT is the preferred imaging method for volumetric estimation because of speed.