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The prognosis appears to be very dependent upon the severity of clinical signs at presentation. A. vasorum can be fatal and death may be sudden. However, if a prompt diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment is administered complete clinical resolution is possible.

This report describes the first recognised case of Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in a native Scottish dog and its diagnostic confirmation using polymerase chain reaction. The use of this technique to definitively diagnose canine angiostrongylosis confirms the presence of this epidemiologically significant case. The implications of the changing distribution of this parasite are discussed.

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The effects of trilostane, a 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitor on basal cortisol concentrations and the results of ACTH stimulation tests in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism were investigated. In eight of nine dogs trilostane suppressed the concentration of cortisol below the lower limit of the reference range (<50 nmol/l) for a mean (sd) of 3.5 (2.3) hours during the day, but for no longer than 13 hours. In another 10 dogs, there was a clear difference between the post ACTH cortisol concentrations observed four and 24 hours after the administration of trilostane. Furthermore, in the six dogs whose clinical signs were poorly controlled the post-ACTH concentrations observed four and 24 hours after the administration of trilostane were always higher than the equivalent cortisol concentrations in the four dogs whose clinical signs were controlled. A short duration of drug action may be responsible for the failure of some dogs to respond adequately to once daily trilostane administration.

This case report describes an unusual presentation of histiocytic sarcoma in a domestic shorthair cat. Initial investigation revealed a haemodynamically insignificant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, bronchitis and a mild irregularity of the cervical trachea. The cat's disease progressed over a two-week period. Repeat radiography and tracheoscopy revealed a marked dynamic tracheal collapse associated with a raised plaque-like lesion within the cervical trachea. Subsequent post-mortem examination and histopathology revealed disseminated histiocytic sarcoma involving the trachea and kidneys. This is the first reported case of a histiocytic sarcoma involving the trachea in either dogs or cats.

The concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A, haptoglobin (Hp) and α(1)-acid glycoprotein were measured in dogs with clinical signs of nasal disease and compared with those of healthy dogs in order to determine the expression of these proteins in cases of canine nasal disease. A significant difference (P<0.001) between the symptomatic group and the control group was found for both CRP and Hp. Among the animals with nasal disease, a significant intergroup difference (P<0.05) was found in the expression of Hp between dogs with aspergillosis and those with chronic rhinitis.

Serum sodium:potassium (Na:K) ratios are often reported in biochemical studies of dogs, although their value has not been assessed. The aims of this study were to identify diseases associated with a low Na:K ratio in dogs and to compare their prevalence with the prevalence in dogs from the same referral hospital with normal Na:K ratios. A total of 238 dogs with a Na:K ratio less than 27 were identified from medical records. Sample contamination with edta was suspected in 74 cases (31 per cent) and these and two cases that had been supplemented with potassium were removed from the analysis. The remaining 162 cases and 147 control dogs were divided into five categories depending on the organ system affected. Among the cases there were significantly more in the endocrine category than among the control dogs. Hypoadrenocorticism was the most single common cause of a low Na:K ratio and affected 27 (16.7 per cent) of the cases. Other clinical problems associated with low Na:K ratios included different urogenital, cardiorespiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.