A significant correlation was found between the number of medical marijuana licenses and marijuana toxicosis cases seen in 2 veterinary hospitals in Colorado. Ingestion of baked goods made with medical grade tetrahydrocannabinol butter resulted in 2 deaths. UDST may be unreliable for the detection of marijuana toxicosis in dogs.

Ek?vationin biooa'lactate concentration, with or without accompanying rnetaboiicacidosis, is a hallrnark@nding in patients with ci?cularo~compromise, and is ako consistently noted in other conditions afecn"ngm"tical~ili or inJ"ured individual. Little is reported in the veten"naryliterature regarding lactate measurement in the emugenqv and critikai care setting, despite impressive reporzs OJthe clinical use~lness OJlactate measurement in people. i'%epurpose OJthis article is to review lactate kinetics and the clinical utilip of lactate measurement. Limitations to lactate evaluation will also be dkussed.

SummqyVenousMood lactate concentrations were measured on 109 ill dogs and 20 ciinical~normal dogs. 111 dogs were grouped into survivor and nonsurvivor groups, and categorized based on their pn"may problem. Ninep@epercent oJill dogs had iactate concentrations lugher than clinical~normal dogs and published normal values. Seveny-six percent OJill dogs with increased lactate concentrations sum"ved to be discharged. tictate concentrailons were s@@?cant~?ugherin nonsurvivors than in survivors and clinical~normal dogs. Lactate concentrations in dogs with nugor trauma and intoxicaaons, and with cardiopulmonary, gastrointesfihal and neurolo~k problems were s@nficanth gher than in clinica[~normal dogs and dogs with other problems.

SummaSerum magn~ium (Mg) is an injequnel~measured eZectro@tein small animal paoents. Current@,little is known about the prevalence and s&n@ance o~abnonnalities in serwm Mg in anima~. ThereJore,a prospective stub was pefo?med to examine the incidence and c!inica [ implicailons gfabnonnaiia"es in sefum Mg !eveLsin cn'tic'al~if! dogs. Serum Mg and other electrolytes were measured in 93 nonnai dogs housed at the Rwiha Pet Care Centerand in 48 iii dogs admitted to a small animal critical care unit. i'le normal rgt?erence range Jor canine serum Mg was determined to be 1.89-2.51 mg/dl. Based on this raqge, 54% @the critikaf~i!!dogs were hypomagnesemic (< 1.89 mgd~and 13% were hypermagnesemic (> 2,51 mg/df). OJthe e!ectro@es measured in these patients, serum Mg had the lughest prevalence @ abnormal values. Hypomagnesemic patien~had a s@n#?cant&htgher incidence OJconcwrent hypokalemia and hyponatremia (p c 0.05), as we!! as a longer !ength OJhospifaltiation (p < 0.05) than their nonnomagnese?niccounterparts. Hypennagnesemic pahents were 2.6 times more !ike@not to survive their illness when compared to patients with normal serum Mg ieveis.Abnonna[ia"esin serum Mg appear to be common in cnticai~ill dogs. 7i'wsepatients commonh ave other concwrent electro@e abnonnaiio"ex Since serum Mg is not routine~measured the presence gfhypoka!emia or hyponatremia should aiert the clinician to rhe possibilip o~coeristing @poma@esemia. Z%eclinical implications @@pomagnesemia and &pennagnesemia in ill dogs appear to invo!ve prolo~ed hospita!izati"onand increased mortafi@ respective~; howevec the exact etiology remains undetermined.

Eight dogs with naturally occurring severe mitral regurgitation underwent mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve prosthesis during cardiopulmonary bypass. Dogs received warfarin orally after surgery to maintain a prothrombin time-based international normalized ratio from 2.5 to 3.5. Seven dogs survived surgery. Left ventricular diastolic volume index decreased significantly from 206 +/- 91 mL/m2 before surgery to 121 +/- 47 mL/m2 after surgery. Left atrium-to-aorta ratio decreased significantly from 2.66 +/- 0.4 before surgery to 1.73 +/- 0.65 after surgery. Left ventricular systolic volume index was not significantly different after surgery (56 +/- 36 mL/m2), compared with before surgery (40 +/- 32 mL/m2). Median survival after surgery was 4.5 months (range, 0.75 months to 5.25 years). Six dogs died of confirmed or suspected thrombosis of the valve prosthesis. Dogs with severe mitral regurgitation tolerated mitral valve replacement well, but a high incidence of prosthetic valve thrombosis limited long-term outcome.