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Objective: To determine the agreement of canine faecal scoring between individuals with different levels of experience using two available faecal scoring systems., Materials and Methods: Naturally-voided, undisturbed bowel movements from 126 dogs were evaluated by veterinarians (n = 3) and members of the lay public (n = 126) within 15 minutes of defecation. Each participant was provided a copy of the Purina and Waltham faecal scoring charts in order to characterise the faeces. Agreement between veterinarians and lay people was assessed with kappa statistics, Bland-Altman analysis and visualised with Bland-Altman plots., Results: Variable levels of consistency were observed in assessing faecal form among individuals with varying degrees of experience. Fair to substantial agreement existed between individual veterinarians scoring the same bowel movement (kappa statistic ranging from 0.40 to 0.77 on the Purina Scale and 0.54 to 0.61 on the Waltham Scale), while the agreement scores between the veterinarian and the lay public was fair (kappa statistic of 0.38 on the Purina Scale and 0.34 on the Waltham Scale). Disagreement in faecal scores occurred more frequently with lay people versus veterinarians., Clinical Significance: The consistency of faecal scoring improved based on the level of experience with the highest agreement consistently noted between veterinarians. In all comparisons, there was inconsistency in faecal scoring which might have implications for veterinarians managing diarrhoeic canine patients. Further studies are needed to better investigate how faecal scoring can be optimised for use in clinical and research settings., (© 2021 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Theophylline is a commonly used bronchodilator drug for treatment of chronic canine bronchitis, but no formulations validated in dogs are currently available. An oral, modified and compounded theophylline product (MCT), which could fulfil this need, is available through a USP-compliant, veterinary compounding pharmacy; however, its pharmacokinetic properties are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of MCT. Plasma drug concentrations were measured in seven healthy, fed dogs after single doses of intravenous aminophylline (8.6 mg/kg theophylline equivalent) and oral MCT (10 mg/kg). Systemic bioavailability of the MCT was 96.2 ± 32.9%. MCT times to maximum concentration, mean absorption time and terminal half-life were 8.85 ± 3.63, 6.95 ± 3.42, and 8.67 ± 1.62 hr, respectively. Based on simulations of 10 mg/kg and 12-hr dosing, steady-state plasma theophylline concentrations are expected to exceed the minimum therapeutic concentration for 71.7 ± 35.6% of the dosing interval. Overall, the MCT product investigated showed similar pharmacokinetic characteristics compared to previously validated extended-release theophylline products. An oral dose of 10 mg/kg q 12 hr is likely an appropriate dosage to begin therapy; however, therapeutic drug monitoring may be warranted because of inter-individual variation., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)