OBJECTIVE To evaluate outcomes following endoluminal stent placement for treatment of tracheal collapse (TC) in dogs. DESIGN Retrospective case series with nested observational study. ANIMALS 75 dogs that underwent endoluminal placement of a self-expanding metallic stent to treat TC between September 2009 and August 2015. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed to collect data on dog characteristics, clinical signs, TC type, diagnostic test results, peri- and postoperative complications, and outcomes. Complication rates and survival times and rates were compared between various groups. RESULTS The 75 dogs received 119 stents (56% [42/75] received 1 stent and 44% [33/75] received ≥ 2 stents). Thirty-eight (51%) dogs had a malformation type of TC, and 37 (49%) had the traditional type. Ninety-three percent (70/75) of dogs survived to hospital discharge. Median survival time was 1,005 days. Improvement in goose-honking or raspy breathing (89% [42/47]) and dyspnea (84% [43/51]) was reported at final follow-up examination. Major complications requiring additional stent placement procedures occurred in 47% (33/70) of dogs over the follow-up period; stent fracture and tissue ingrowth were the most common types. Male dogs and younger dogs had a significantly longer survival time than other dogs. Mainstem bronchial collapse at the time of stent placement had no significant association with outcome. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Endoluminal stent placement provided a high survival rate for dogs with TC, even those with severe clinical signs. This information, as well as the information on potential complications, should be useful for advising owners of affected dogs.

Objective: To evaluate changes in superficial temperature of hindlimb muscles before and after a 6-min walk in healthy dogs. Methods: Two infrared thermographic images were captured of the proximal and distal hindlimbs of 11 healthy dogs before and after a 6-min walk. Orthopedic exam and objective gait analysis confirmed the healthy status of study subjects. Superficial temperatures of the gastrocnemius, biceps femoris, and gracilis were assessed. Analysis of images was performed using 2 different methods of region of interest (ROI) selection. ROI were selected first using one point (single pixel) in the muscle and then separately by selecting a line (LN) corresponding to many points of each muscle belly from which an average was taken. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant change in temperature using point ROI before and after 6 min of walking of the gastrocnemius, gracilis, and biceps femoris muscles (p = 0.273, p = 0.349, p = 0.351, respectively). Using linear ROI, both biceps femoris and gracilis muscles exhibited significant increases in temperature (p < 0.0001, p = 0.032, respectively). There was no significant increase in temperature of gastrocnemius muscle for both point and linear ROI selection (p = 0.273, p = 0.448, respectively). The right biceps femoris temperatures were higher compared to left biceps femoris using the linear ROI before and after walks (p < 0.0001). The overall (left and right limbs pooled) standard deviation of point selected values were greater than LN selected values of the biceps femoris (1.35 and 1.11) and gastrocnemius (1.51 and 1.23). In contrast, standard deviation for the gracilis measurements were decreased using point selection vs. LN selection (1.09 and 1.3). Conclusions: The biceps femoris and gracilis muscles demonstrated significant increases in surface temperature after 6 min of walking using the linear method of ROI. Measurement of numerous points along the entire length of the biceps femoris and gastrocnemius muscles may provide a more accurate assessment of the increased vascularity within the tissues resulting from work compared to single point selection. Clinical Significance: Prior activity and ROI selection method should be considered when interpreting thermography results.

Objective: To identify the prevalence of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) concentrations in critically ill dogs and determine whether vitamin D concentration measured at admission correlates with illness severity and patient outcome. Design: Prospective observational studySetting: Private referral teaching hospital ICU. Animals:One hundred eleven critically ill dogs admitted to the ICU, and 28 apparently healthy control dogs. Interventions: Measurement of 25-OH-D concentration and assessment of physiological parameters required to calculate illness severity scores. Measurements and Main Results: Blood was sampled to measure serum 25-OH-D concentration, point-of-care laboratory data (packed cell volume, total plasma protein, venous blood gas, electrolytes, plasma lactate, and blood glucose concentration), platelet count, and serum albumin within 12 hours of admission. Primary disease etiologies were determined. Mentation score, Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE) fast score, length of ICU hospitalization, and survival to discharge were recorded. Low serum 25-OH-D concentrations were detected in 25% (28/111) of the ICU cohort; 25-OH-D concentrations (median; IQR) (89.2; 26.3 ng/mL [222; 140.0 nmol/L]) were significantly lower in hospitalized dogs compared with the healthy cohort (127.5; 44.5 ng/mL [318; 111.0 nmol/L]) (P < 0.0001). Serum 25-OH-D concentrations had a weak positive correlation with albumin (r = 0.34, P = 0.0003), but not with any other blood analyte evaluated. Serum concentration of 25-OH-D was also weakly correlated with APPLE fast score (r = 0.31, P = 0.001). 25-OH-D concentrations (median; IQR) were significantly higher in ICU dogs that survived to discharge (95.5; 55 ng/mL [238; 137 nmol/L]) compared with nonsurvivors (60.0; 54 ng/mL [149; 135 nmol/L]; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Low serum 25-OH-D was recorded in one-quarter of critically ill dogs, and was significantly lower in nonsurvivors in comparison to survivors. There was weak correlation between serum 25-OH-D and illness severity. Further studies are required to clarify relationships between vitamin D status and outcome. K E Y W O R D S canine, clinical epidemiology, illness severity, outcome, vitamin D Abbreviations: 25-OH-D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; APPLE fast , Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation fast score; DBP, vitamin D binding protein; IQR, interquartile range; LOH, length of hospitalization.

Liver lobectomy using thoracoabdominal staplers was effective in removal of hepatic lesions and all cats survived surgery. Outcome was negatively associated with preoperative abdominal fluid (haemorrhagic and non-haemorrhagic), preoperative anaemia or perioperative transfusion. Surgeons should be prepared to employ ancillary methods of haemostasis to augment the staple line, and need for blood transfusion should be anticipated.

BackgroundThe prevalence of uremic hypothermia (UH) and the effects of improving uremia on body temperature have not been determined in veterinary patients.ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of UH and correlations between uremia and body temperature in patients undergoing intermittent hemodialysis (IHD).AnimalsUremic dogs (n = 122) and cats (n = 79) treated by IHD at the Bobst Hospital of the Animal Medical Center from 1997 to 2013.MethodsRetrospective review of medical records.ResultsThe prevalence of hypothermia was 38% in azotemic cats and 20.5% in azotemic dogs. Statistically significant temperature differences were observed between uremic and nonuremic dogs (nonuremic: mean, 100.8°F; range, 91.2–109.5°F; uremic: mean, 99.9°F; range, 95.6–103.8°F; P < .0001) and cats (nonuremic: mean, 100.6°F; range, 94.0–103.8°F; uremic: mean, 99.3°F; range, 92.3–103.4°F; P < .0001). In dog dialysis patients, significant models included (1) timing (pre‐dialysis versus post‐dialysis) with weight class (small [P < .0001], medium [P = .016], and large breed [P = .033] dogs), (2) timing with serum creatinine concentration (P = .021), and (3) timing with BUN concentration (P < .0001). In cat dialysis patients, there was a significant interaction between timing and weight as a categorical variable (<5 kg and ≥5 kg).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceUremic hypothermia appears to be a clinical phenomenon that occurs in cats and dogs. Uremic patients are hypothermic compared to ill nonuremic patients and body temperatures increase when uremia is corrected with IHD in dogs and in cats >5 kg. In cats, UH seems to be a more prevalent phenomenon driven by uremia. Uremic hypothermia does occur in dogs, but body weight is a more important predictor of body temperature.