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While various bariatric surgeries are commonplace in obesity medicine for humans, these techniques have not been commonly used in veterinary medicine. A technique used in humans consists in endoscopically placing an intragastric balloon. The intragastric balloon takes volume in the stomach causing a feeling of satiety and reducing food intake. A 57.6 kg, 9‐year‐old neutered female Labrador dog with chronic hypothyroidism was presented for overweight management. Combined levothyroxine treatment and dietary management with specific alimentation for obesity had failed to control overweight. An intragastric balloon was placed endoscopically in the stomach to allow the reduction of the gastric capacity and resulted in effective weight loss. The dog weight decreased to 40.9 kg at the time of intragastric balloon removal 198 days after placement. Further research including a larger sample size and long term follow‐up is required to establish safety and effectiveness of this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case report An atlanto-occipital instability secondary to a dog bite was diagnosed in a 4-year-old Persian cat. Dorsal stabilisation of the instability was made with two OrthoFiber prostheses (Securos), which were used as tension bands between the nuchal crests of the occipital bone and the spinous process of the axis. Total recovery was achieved 4 days after surgery. Normal alignment of the atlanto-occipital joint was observed on survey radiographs taken 6 weeks post-surgery. Although the right loop had failed, the alignment was still normal and no neurological after-effects could be identified. Conclusion Dorsal divergent tension bands between the nuchal crests of the occipital bone and the spinous process of the axis can be used to stabilise traumatic atlanto-occipital instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:  This study evaluated retrospectively the effectiveness of the veterinary cuttable plate (VCP) in a plate-rod construct, for the treatment of diaphyseal femoral fractures in cats., Materials and Methods:  A total of 29 cats with diaphyseal femoral fracture underwent stabilization with a VCP-rod construct., Results:  Fractures were classified as type A (7/29), type B (11/29) and type C (11/29) following the AO classification. Biological osteosynthesis was elected in three type B and 10 type C fractures, and open approach in the other cases. Pin diameter was 2 mm ( n  = 16) or 2.5 mm ( n  = 13); this corresponded to a percentage of pin occupation of 39.9 and 53.0% of the intramedullary cavity respectively. The 2.0/2.7-mm VCP and 2-mm screws were used in all cases. The median length of the VCP was 12 holes, and the median number of screws placed in the plate was 6. The median number of cortices engaged per fragment was 6. Ninety-nine percent of the screws were bicortical. Quadriceps contracture was an unacceptable functional outcome in one cat. Follow-up was available in 20 cases. Complete bone healing was assessed in 16/20 cases with a functional outcome considered as full in 17/20, acceptable in 2/20, and unacceptable in 1/20. Telephonic owner outcome assessment was available for five more cats and was considered as full in all cases., Clinical Significance:  The VCP-rod construct is effective to manage all configurations of diaphyseal femoral fracture in cats. The high amount of screw holes per unit length of a VCP allows bicortical screws placement without interfering with the intramedullary rod., Competing Interests: None., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Rhinoscopy was performed on 10 dogs with sinonasal aspergillosis (SNA). Direct access to the sinus via the nasal ostium was possible with a flexible endoscope to allow sinuscopy. Debridement of fungal plaques in the frontal sinus and the nasal cavity was performed, and a sinus and nasal deposition therapy with clotrimazole (1%) cream was made under rhinoscopic guidance. No oral medication was administered following the procedure. A rhinoscopic follow-up was performed monthly until cure. Six of ten (60%) dogs presented fungal plaques in the nasal cavity and in the frontal sinus and 4/10 (40%) dogs presented fungal plaques only in the frontal sinus. Five of ten (50%) dogs were considered to be cured at the first follow-up rhinoscopy, 4/10 (40%) after the second follow-up, and 1/10 (10%) after the third. Two dogs had delayed recurrence of SNA rhinoscopically assessed 12 and 21 mo, respectively, after the last clotrimazole treatment. Endoscopic debridement of fungal plaques and clotrimazole (1%) cream deposition therapy seems to be a valuable minimally invasive technique for SNA treatment in dogs without the use of complementary oral medication. Delayed recurrence is a potential finding following treatment of SNA.

A 7-week-old, 1.045kg female beagle dog was referred to investigate a supposed vascular ring anomaly. Cone beam computed tomography with contrast enhanced arterial phase accomplished by a rapid manual intravenous injection of iodinated agent during the scanning process revealed a persistent right aortic arch and an aberrant left subclavian artery that compressed dorsally the esophagus in the cranial mediastinum. Third left intercostal thoracotomy was performed to transect the left subclavian artery. This is the first description of a vascular ring anomaly that was diagnosed with a cone beam computed tomography in veterinary medicine., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) was placed in a 10-year-old Birman cat for management of unilateral ureterolithiasis. Perioperative occlusion of the nephrostomy tube of the SUB device happened secondary to a severe pyonephrosis. Flushing of the system throught the subcutaneous shunting port was made with saline solution after clamping the urinary bladder catheter. Repetitive flushing of the device was performed daily for 3 days to be sure of the remanent patency of the catheter. Repetitive flushing of the SUB device is a successful renal-sparing treatment for pyonephrosis in a cat and may be considered as an effective treatment option for this condition., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Transarticular external skeletal fixation usually involves rigid bars that result in a stable but stiff joint. This study describes the technique and the outcome of an elastic transarticular external fixator (ETEF) applied to the elbow joint. Four cases of elbow luxation with collateral ligament injuries were managed with closed reduction and application of an ETEF to maintain the reduction. A triceps tendon avulsion was surgically managed before applying an ETEF. The clinical outcome was considered excellent in 2 cats, good in 2 dogs (1 elbow luxation and the avulsion of the triceps tendon), and poor in 1 dog presented for elbow luxation and a permanent neurological defect. The procedure was rapid, easy to perform, and inexpensive. All animals except the one with a neurological defect had an early return to weight bearing. This method maintains extension of the joint while permitting its motion thereby promoting rehabilitation.

An eight-year-old male English Setter was referred for management of a dislocation of a cemented dual mobility canine total hip prosthesis that occurred four months after the initial surgery. Revision surgery showed that the dislocation was associated with fracture of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene liner. The dislocation was successfully reduced after replacing the liner. A dual mobility acetabular component is composed of a mobile polyethylene liner inside a metallic cemented cup. Chronic wear of the components of a canine dual mobility total hip replacement has not been described previously. The use of this type of implant is fairly recent and limited long term follow-up of the implanted cases may be the explanation. Acute rupture of a polyethylene liner has never been described in humans, the only case of rupture of a polyethylene liner occurred 10 years after implantation. The case presented here of rupture of the polyethylene liner of a dual mobility total hip replacement is a hitherto unreported failure mode in this model of acetabular cup in the dog.

A 4-year-old male Labrador retriever dog was evaluated for acute lameness without weight-bearing in the right forelimb after an 8-meter fall. Radiographs revealed a comminuted fracture of the ulnar carpal bone that required removal of bone fragments. This appears to be the first report of such a condition.

Objectives: 1) To provide specific quantitative data of tibial conformation in Labrador Retrievers and Yorkshire Terriers; 2) To compare the tibial conformation of these two breeds; and 3) To compare these data with previously reported data., Methods: Mediolateral radiographs of the stifle were obtained from 30 consecutive Labrador Retrievers and 30 consecutive Yorkshire Terriers with an angle of extension of 135°. The tibial plateau angle (TPA), the angle between the tibial plateau and the patellar tendon (PTA), the Z angle, the distal tibial axis/proximal tibial axis angle (DPA), and the relative tibial tuberosity width (rTTW) were measured and compared among the two breeds., Results: The breed had a significant effect on all of the measured variables (p <0.01): Labrador Retrievers had a lower TPA (25 ± 3° compared to 30 ± 4°), a lower Z angle (58.8 ± 3.2° compared to 69.2 ± 4.5°), a lower DPA (4.5 ± 2.3° compared to 10.8 ± 4.3°), and a lower rTTW (0.74 ± 0.1 compared to 0.86 ± 0.1) than Yorkshire Terriers. The PTA was greater in Labrador Retrievers compared to Yorkshire Terriers (106.9 ± 3.9° compared to 103.7 ± 6.5°). Four correlations were found to be significant: the DPA angle was correlated with the TPA, the Z angle, and the rTTW. The TPA was also correlated with the Z angle., Clinical Significance: The variation in tibial conformation between breeds should be taken into account when studying the role of each measured parameter in the pathology of cruciate disease. When the relevance of each of the aforementioned measured parameters is better understood, it may help determine the most appropriate surgical treatment.

Viruses can induce progressive neurologic disorders associated with diverse pathological manifestations, and therefore, viral infection of the brain can impair differentiated neural functions, depending on the initial viral tropism. We have previously reported that canine distemper virus (CDV) targets certain mouse brain structures, including the hypothalamus, early and selectively. Infected mice exhibit acute encephalitis, with late disease, characterized by motor impairment or obesity syndrome, appearing in some of the surviving mice several months after the initial viral replication. In the present study, we show viral persistence in the hypothalami of obese mice, as demonstrated by low, but still significant, levels of CDV nucleoprotein transcripts, associated with a dramatic decrease in F gene mRNAs. Given the pivotal role of the hypothalamus in obesity (eating behavior, energy consumption, and neuroendocrine function) and that of leptin, the adipose tissue-derived satiety factor acting through hypothalamic receptors, we analyzed the leptin networks in both obese and nonobese mice. The discrepancy found between the chronic and dramatic increase in blood leptin levels and the occurrence of obesity may be due to leptin resistance in the brain. In fact, expression of the long leptin receptor isoform, representing the functional leptin receptor, was specifically downregulated in the hypothalami of obese mice, explaining their inability to generate an adequate response to leptin in the brain. Intriguingly, during the acute phase of infection, its expression was increased in CDV-targeted structures in all infected mice and remained high in obese mice in all CDV-targeted structures, except for the hypothalamus. The biphasic change in hypothalamic leptin receptor expression seen during the progression of CDV-induced obesity provides a new paradigm for understanding mechanisms of neuroendocrinological, virus-induced abnormalities.