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Medial glenohumeral ligament injury is commonly reported during medial shoulder joint instability in dogs. Arthroscopy is considered the gold standard procedure, but it is invasive and requires distension of the joint. Ultrasonographic examination of the medial glenohumeral ligament has been studied as a possible, less invasive alternative to arthroscopy however it has not been considered a useful method of assessment due to the interference of the probe with the pectoral muscles. The aims of this prospective analytical randomized pilot study were to develop a standardized ultrasound protocol for visualizing the canine medial glenohumeral ligament and to compare goniometry and ultrasound findings in cadaver dogs with versus without transection of the medial glenohumeral ligament. Nine adult Beagle cadavers (18 shoulders) were used. The first six shoulders were used in a preliminary study to describe an ultrasound technique to identify the medial glenohumeral ligament. Arthroscopy was performed on the remaining 12 shoulders, with six randomly selected medial glenohumeral ligaments from these shoulders, transected during the procedure. Ultrasound examination was performed after each arthroscopic procedure by an ultrasonographer blinded to the patient group. Four medial glenohumeral ligaments (67%) were correctly identified during the preliminary study. Ultrasonographic examination failed to diagnose the transection of all six medial glenohumeral ligaments in the second part of the study. No difference was observed in the ligament thickness between the dogs with and without a transected medial glenohumeral ligament. Dogs with a transected medial glenohumeral ligament had a wider articular space compared to dogs without a transected ligament (P < 0.001), and an articular space wider than 8.2 mm was discriminatory of a transected medial glenohumeral ligament in all the shoulders. In conclusion, the medial glenohumeral ligament could be identified with a medial ultrasonographic approach of the shoulder and a wider articular space can be a sign of a medial shoulder joint instability. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings in living dogs, with and without shoulder instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of a honeycomb appearance of the spleen in a population of referral cats presented for ultrasound examination, and to determine the diagnostic value of this finding vs the definitive diagnosis, the splenic cytological and haematological results. Methods: Data were obtained from the medical records (2016–2018) of cats that had an ultrasonographic honeycomb appearance of the spleen, a splenic cytological diagnosis and a complete blood count. Results: Twenty-five cats were included. Prevalence of the honeycomb pattern was 6.8%. None of the spleen was considered normal on cytology and four types of lesions were found: lymphoid hyperplasia (64%), neoplasia (16%), extramedullary haematopoiesis (12%) and splenitis (8%). A honeycomb pattern was successfully identified with a linear high-frequency probe in all cats, but only in 36% of cases with the micro-convex probe. Follow-up information was available for four cats, in which the honeycomb appearance persisted up to 105 days after the first examination; there was persistence of the honeycomb pattern in all cases. Cats with a splenic cytological diagnosis of extramedullary haematopoiesis had the lowest haemoglobin plasma concentration (P = 0.011). Conclusions and relevance: Honeycomb appearance of the spleen is uncommon in cats and, in our study, was systematically associated with cytological alterations; most of the time it was benign (84%). The use of a high-frequency linear probe improves its detection rate. No epidemiological, ultrasonographic or clinical criteria allow differentiation between the different types of infiltration and fine-needle aspiration is therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Summa, Animali da Compagnia is the property of Point Veterinaire Italie s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Blood typing for the A and B antigens is essential and crossmatching testing is generally recommended before transfusing blood to cats. Objective: To evaluate 2 crossmatch (XM) tests. Animals: Forty‐nine healthy domestic shorthair cats that had not received a blood transfusion. Methods: Prospective study. Blood samples were typed for AB using immunochromatographic and flow cytometric techniques. A gel column (GC) and a feline antiglobulin‐enhanced gel column (AGC) XM tests were used for crossmatching. Results: The population included 34 type A, 13 B, and 2 AB cats, with concordant results (r = 1, P < .005) by flow cytometry and immunochromatographic strip kit. The plasma from type A cats had either no or weak anti‐B alloantibodies. The plasma of 12 of 13 type B cats contained strong anti‐A alloantibodies. For crossmatching, plasma to RBC pairings were prepared using the GC (n = 446) and AGC (n = 630) tests. Both methods showed compatibilities in 329 and incompatibilities in 102 pairings including all A‐B mismatches. Additionally 15 pairings showed agglutination by the AGC but not GC method. Fourteen incompatibilities outside the expected A‐B mismatches were only revealed by AGC. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: AB typing using immunochromatographic strip is as accurate as laboratory flow cytometry. The 2 XM methods had good agreement with additional incompatibilities being recognized by the AGC XM beyond A‐B incompatibilities. In clinic, feline AB typing and sensitive XM test kits are available and recommended before each transfusion, although the clinical implications of incompatible XM test results and clinical benefits of such crossmatching have not been documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of infrared thermography in cats with acute pelvic paralysis to differentiate feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE) from non-ischaemic conditions. Methods Thermographic images were prospectively obtained at admission from cats presented for acute bilateral pelvic paralysis. Based on the final diagnosis, cats were divided into a FATE and a control group (ischaemic and non-ischaemic related pelvic paralysis, respectively). The maximum (Tmax), minimum (Tmin) and average (Tav) temperatures were determined for each of the four limbs within a hand-drawn region of interest on the dorsal limb extremity. Temperature differences between the forelimb (non-affected) and hindlimb (affected) with the highest temperature (ΔT), with the lowest temperature (δT) and from the right and left side (RightΔT and LeftΔT, respectively) were calculated. Results The FATE and control groups included 10 and six cats, respectively. In the FATE group, right hindlimb mean Tmax (23.6°C ± 1.9), left hindlimb mean Tmax (23.6°C ± 2.2) and mean Tav (22.7°C ± 2.2) were significantly lower than in the control group (26.6°C ± 3.5 [P = 0.042]; 26.6°C ± 2.4°C [P = 0.024] and 25.7°C ± 2.0 [P = 0.020], respectively). ΔT, δT, RightΔT and LeftΔT were significantly higher in the FATE group than in the control group. A cut-off value of 2.4°C for RightΔTmax and LeftΔTmax allowed discrimination between the FATE and control groups with a sensitivity of 80% and 90%, respectively, a specificity of 100% for both, a positive predictive value of 100% for both, and a negative predictive value of 75% and 86%, respectively. Conclusions and relevance A minimal difference of 2.4°C between ipsilateral affected and non-affected limbs has an excellent specificity and high sensitivity for FATE diagnosis. Infrared thermography seems to be a promising, useful, easy, non-invasive and rapid method for detecting aortic thromboembolism in cats, particularly in emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the clinical manifestations in cats of contact with caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Methods Data were retrospectively obtained from the medical records (2004–2016) of cats that had been in contact with caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Results Eleven cats were included in the study. The prevalence of lepidopterism was 0.13%. Tongue lesions and ptyalism were both present in 10/11 (91%) cats. Systemic signs consisted exclusively of vomiting and were encountered in 4/11 (36%) cats. The survival rate was 100%. Long-term follow-up data were available for 7/11 cats, and none of the cats showed impaired quality of life or definitive sequelae. Conclusions and relevance The clinical presentation of lepidopterism in cats appears to be similar to that in other animals; however, the clinical signs are less severe than those previously reported, mainly owing to the cautious behaviour of this species. Moreover, the prognosis is excellent, the length of hospitalisation is short (maximum 48 h) and our study showed the absence of any long-term disability after hospital discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aims of this study were to update the prevalence of different feline blood types in the Lyon (France) area, as well as to determine the risk of mismatched transfusion (MT) and neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI) in kittens with parents of unknown blood type., Methods: Blood samples were obtained from blood donor cats and cats admitted to an intensive care unit in Lyon. AB blood typing was performed using an immunochromatographic strip. The risk of MT was estimated by adding the risk of a major transfusion reaction and the risk of a minor transfusion reaction. The risk of NI was estimated according the equation (p²)(q²) + 2pq(q²), with q being the b allele frequency and p = 1 - q. The results were analysed by absolute and relative frequency analysis and multivariate analysis., Results: The cohort study population included 320 non-pedigree cats and 37 pedigree cats. The prevalence of blood types A, B and AB was 84.3%, 14.0% and 1.7%, respectively. Considering non-pedigree cats, the prevalence of types A, B and AB was 83.7%, 14.4% and 1.9%, respectively. There were no significant differences of blood type distribution by sex ( P = 0.73) or by breed ( P = 0.90). Based on these percentages, the risks of MT and NI in non-pedigree cats were 24.3% and 12.3%, respectively., Conclusions and Relevance: The prevalence of type B cats is high in the Lyon area and associated with high risks of MT and NI. These results confirm the importance of performing blood typing prior to any blood transfusion or mating., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: M Guidetti was employed by, and I Goy-Thollot has been a scientific advisor to, Dianov. Reagents for this study were donated by Alvedia, which is a commercial supplier of blood typing and cross-match kits. However, the study design and execution, as well as data analysis and manuscript writing, were performed independently.