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A three-month-old male entire Bouvier des Flandres was presented for acute onset dysuria, haematuria, lethargy and severe pain on palpation of the penis. Further investigation revealed a parcellar fracture of the cranial separate ossification centre of the os penis and associated urinary tract infection with presumed pyelonephritis. Fluoroscopic retrograde urethrography was performed revealing intermittent urethral obstruction caused by displacement of the cranial bone fragment of the separate ossification centre of the os penis. The urethra was catheterised to realign the fragments and to permit urination and antibiotic treatment was started. The urinary catheter was kept in place for five days. After its removal, normal urination was observed with complete resolution of the clinical signs. Follow-up radiographs and ultrasound examination confirmed resolution of mechanical obstruction with fusion of part of the separate ossification centre and realignment of the displaced bony fragment.

An 11-month-old male intact French Bulldog was referred for chronic intermittent diarrhea lasting three months. Ultrasonographic (US) examination revealed severe thickening of the wall of the colon and caecum; contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) and elastography showed increased, heterogeneous vascularization and non-uniform stiffness of the colonic wall. The mucosa was thickened, fragile, and ulcerated as revealed by endoscopy, and histological examination confirmed the suspicion of granulomatous colitis.

Disturbances in calcium and vitamin D homeostasis can cause neurological disturbances. Protein-losing enteropathies (PLEs) are an important cause of hypocalcaemia in dogs and can be associated with epileptic seizures. Hypocalcaemic epileptic seizures secondary to PLE has only been reported in Yorkshire terriers. This case report describes the presentatioon of an eight -year -old Cocker Spaniel that was referred following an epileptic seizure and diarrhoea. Biochemistry analysis revealed ionised hypocalcaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and severe hypovitaminosis D. Following diagnostic imaging, endoscopy and histological evaluation of intestinal biopsies, the dog was diagnosed with a PLE. Therapy included antibiotics, clopidogrel, hypoallergenic diet and immunosuppressive steroids, which resulted in the resolution of the diarrhoea and improved the hypocalcaemic and hypovitaminosis D abnormalities. Throughout the follow up period no more epileptic seizures were reported. The significance of this case is twofold. Firstly, that hypocalcaemia associated with PLE may cause neurological signs and secondly, that hypovitaminosis D associated with PLE can be improved following standard medical therapy alone.

Background Up to 25% of elderly humans have proteinuria, often associated with underlying lesions. Data concerning the presence of proteinuria in elderly dogs is scarce. Objectives To describe the presence and persistence of proteinuria and to compare urinary protein : creatinine ratio (UPC) between free catch and cystocentesis urine samples in apparently healthy elderly dogs. Animals Hundred apparently healthy elderly dogs. Methods Prospective study. Owners of 100 elderly dogs were asked to collect 2 free catch urine samples. Dogs were considered healthy based on owner's perception and an age chart, based on ideal bodyweight, was used to define dogs as senior or geriatric. UPC of urine collected by free catch and cystocentesis were compared. Overt proteinuria and borderline proteinuria were defined as UPC >0.5 and between 0.2 and 0.5, respectively, if examination of sediment did not explain proteinuria. Proteinuria was considered persistent if present at both sampling times. Results At baseline, 71 owners succeeded in collecting urine. Eleven percent of dogs had overt proteinuria, 14% were borderline proteinuric, and 75% nonproteinuric. Thirty-seven repeated urine samples, with a median time interval of 31 days (range 10–90), were available. Nineteen percent of dogs had a persistently increased UPC (>0.2), with persistent overt proteinuria present in 8%. A strong correlation (ρ = 0.88) was found between UPC of urine collected by free catch and cystocentesis. Conclusions and Clinical Importance As 19% of study dogs had persistent proteinuria, our findings emphasize that measurement of proteinuria should be part of geriatric health screening. For UPC in dogs, free catch urine provides a good alternative to cystocentesis.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in health care of elderly dogs; however, scientific information about physical and laboratory examination findings in this age group is limited.OBJECTIVES: To describe systolic blood pressure (SBP), and results of physical examination and laboratory tests in senior and geriatric dogs that were judged by the owner to be healthy.ANIMALS: Hundred client-owned dogs.METHODS: Dogs were prospectively recruited. Owners completed a questionnaire. SBP measurement, physical, orthopedic and neurologic examination, direct fundoscopy and Schirmer tear test were performed. Complete blood count, serum biochemistry, and urinalysis were evaluated.RESULTS: Forty-one senior and 59 geriatric dogs were included. Mean SBP was 170 ± 38 mmHg, and 53 dogs had SBP > 160 mmHg. Thirty-nine animals were overweight. A heart murmur was detected in 22, severe calculus in 21 and 1 or more (sub)cutaneous masses in 56 dogs. Thirty-two dogs had increased serum creatinine, 29 hypophosphatemia, 27 increased ALP, 25 increased ALT, and 23 leukopenia. Crystalluria, mostly amorphous crystals, was commonly detected (62/96). Overt proteinuria and borderline proteinuria were detected in 13 and 18 of 97 dogs, respectively. Four dogs had a positive urine bacterial culture. Frequency of orthopedic problems, frequency of (sub)cutaneous masses, and platelet count were significantly higher in geriatric compared with senior dogs. Body temperature, hematocrit, serum albumin, and serum total thyroxine concentration were significantly lower in geriatric compared with senior dogs.CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Physical and laboratory abnormalities are common in apparently healthy elderly dogs. Veterinarians play a key role in implementing health screening and improving health care for elderly pets.

A 15-month-old great Dane dog, showing clinical signs related to hypertrophic osteopathy, was diagnosed radiographically with a mass in the region of the thoracic oesophagus. Exploratory thoracotomy revealed an extensive, highly vascularized and locally invasive oesophageal mass and the presence of nodules in adjacent lung lobes. The dog was humanely destroyed intra-operatively. Histological examination revealed that the mass was an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. This is the first report of rhabdomyosarcoma of the oesophagus of a dog. Rhabdomyosarcoma should be considered a differential diagnosis when a mass adjacent to the oesophagus is diagnosed.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine disorders in the dog. Although diagnostics are relatively straightforward, treatment and especially adequate long-term monitoring are challenging. To avoid complications, such as hypoglycemia, weight loss, diabetes ketoacidosis and urinary tract infections, adequate monitoring is indispensable. In this review different monitoring tools, such as history and clinical signs, single and serial blood glucose measurements, glycated blood products, continuous glucose measurements and urine glucose will be evaluated. Because each monitoring technique has its limitations, the challenge for the veterinarian is to use an adequate combination of these tools to obtain a good image of the patient’s glycemic status.

Een mannelijke, gecastreerde beagle werd op vierjarige leeftijd aangeboden omwille van ascites, tachypnee, partiële anorexie en lethargie. Via radiografie, echocardiografie en computertomografie werd de hond gediagnosticeerd met pericardiale effusie en een peritoneopericardiale hernia diafragmatica, waarbij vermoedelijk enkel omentum was geherniëerd in het hartzakje. Een abdominocentese en pericardiocentese werden uitgevoerd. De peritoneopericardiale hernia diafragmatica werd niet chirurgisch gecorrigeerd, aangezien er na een eenmalige pericardiocentese geen nieuwe pericardiale effusie ontstond en de patiënt het klinisch goed stelde. Tijdens het controlebezoek, een half jaar na de pericardiocentese, was de patiënt actief en speels en was er nog steeds geen sprake van recidiverende pericardiale effusie.