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A 3-year-old, 4.0 kg, intact male domestic shorthair cat presented with postoperative dysuria following urethral resection and anastomosis for urethral rupture. Retrograde urethrography revealed a stricture in the pelvic urethra. Urethroplasty with bladder mucosa was performed following a bilateral pubic-ischial osteotomy. The bladder wall was resected to harvest an appropriately sized bladder mucosa graft. The graft was placed over the urethral defect in patch fashion and stabilized with interrupted sutures. The cat was able to urinate normally with no evidence of lower urinary tract signs 2 year postoperatively. Therefore, urethroplasty with an onlay bladder mucosa graft may be a feasible alternative to prepubic or subpubic urethrostomy for the treatment of pelvic urethral stricture in cats.

An intact, male mixed-breed cat approximately 3 months of age was referred to Iwate University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with dysuria that developed after a traffic accident. At the initial visit, a cystostomy tube was placed as a temporal urinary diversion. Antegrade urethrography revealed severe stenosis of the intrapelvic urethra. A prepubic urethrostomy (PPU) with formation of a convex urethral stoma was performed 22 days after the first visit. Twenty-four months after surgery, the cat could urinate smoothly in a standing position, although a small amount of intermittent leakage was observed immediately after getting up. There was no evidence of peristomal dermatitis. Therefore, the formation of a convex urethral stoma may effectively prevent peristomal dermatitis in cats who undergo PPU.

This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and complications of triple-combination surgery consisting of thoracic duct ligation (TDL), partial pericardiectomy (PPC), and cisterna chyli ablation (CCA) for the treatment of idiopathic chylothorax in dogs. Eleven privately owned dogs with idiopathic chylothorax underwent the triple-combination surgery: TDL and PPC were performed in left recumbency, followed by CCA in dorsal recumbency. Of the 11 dogs, seven were Shiba, two were Afghan hounds, and one each was Borzoi and mixed-breed. TDL and PPC required two intercostal thoracotomies in five dogs, whereas they were performed through a single intercostal incision in the other dogs. None of the dogs showed major intraoperative complications. The median operation time was 190 min (range, 151-234 min). Nine dogs showed no pleural effusion after surgery without medical management. Another dog showed the disappearance of chylous effusion, followed by the pleural accumulation of modified transudate. However, the residual one dog in whom chylothorax did not improve postoperatively died 4 months after the combination surgery. The mortality rate at the conclusion of this study was 9.1%. Although the triple-combination surgery with TDL, PPC, and CCA was complex and required a prolonged operation time, the success rate of resolving chylothorax in our study was comparable to that of open surgery as previously reported. Therefore, this study suggests that such triple-combination surgery can become one of the therapeutic options for the management of canine idiopathic chylothorax.

Neutrophilic leucocytosis as a paraneoplastic syndrome may occur in dogs with lymphoma, renal carcinoma, rectal polyps and metastatic fibrosarcoma. However, the information on canine lung adenocarcinoma with neutrophilic leucocytosis is lacking.This study aimed to describe the clinical features and cytokine profiles of canine patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma and neutrophilic leucocytosis.Two dogs (cases #1 and #2), each with a solitary lung adenocarcinoma, were included. Both cases had leucocytosis and underwent lung lobectomy. The resected tumours were analysed for the expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-6 (IL6) by quantitative real-time PCR compared with normal lung tissues.At the initial examination, neither patient had any clinical signs or fever. White blood cell count (WBC) was 58,300/μl and 32,900/μl in cases #1 and #2, respectively. The gene expression of G-CSF increased 6.7-and 19.7-fold in cases #1 and #2, respectively. The gene expression of IL6 markedly increased (30-fold) in case #1, whereas it increased slightly (1.9-fold) in case #2. On the other hand, that of GM-CSF was slightly changed in both cases. The WBC count postoperatively decreased to within the normal range in both cases. The postoperative survival times were 347 and 118 days in cases #1 and #2, respectively.This study describes G-CSF and IL6 producing lung adenocarcinoma associated with neutrophilic leucocytosis in dogs. Canine patients with pulmonary adenocarcinomas that have elevated G-CSF and IL6 levels may have a guarded prognosis. Further investigations are needed to clarify the prognosis of canine cytokine-producing lung adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical impact on quantitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) on single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (PSS) in dogs. ANIMALS 21 client-owned dogs with single extrahepatic PSS and 5 healthy Beagles. PROCEDURES In all dogs, CEUS was performed to calculate the rising time (RT), rising rate (RR), and portal vein-to-hepatic parenchyma transit time (ΔHP-PV) from the time-intensity curve obtained in the hepatic parenchyma and portal vein. All dogs in the PSS group underwent preoperative CT angiography (CTA) and surgery. The CEUS variables in the PSS group were compared with those in the healthy dogs (control group) and were analyzed for shunt types and grades of intrahepatic portal venous branches based on CTA findings, intraoperative portal pressure, and surgical procedures. RESULTS All 3 CEUS variables showed no significant differences between the PSS and control groups. The RT and ΔHP-PV in the left gastrophrenic shunt group were significantly longer than in the other shunt types. In the intrahepatic portal vascularity, the RT in grade 1 was significantly shorter than in grades 3 and 4, and the RR in grade 1 was significantly higher than in grade 4. The RT and ΔHP-PV were significantly correlated with portal pressure variables. The RT in dogs with partial ligation was significantly shorter than in dogs with complete ligation and percutaneous transvenous coil embolization. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Quantitative assessments of CEUS may be useful for estimating intrahepatic portal vascularity in dogs with single extrahepatic PSS.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the hepatic CT perfusion (CTP) for determining the appropriate protocol for the dual-input maximum-slope model in dogs. ANIMALS 5 healthy dogs. PROCEDURES Each dog underwent CTP with different contrast medium administration protocols. Combinations of three different injected doses of iohexol (450, 600, and 750 mg/kg) and injection durations (5, 10, and 15 seconds) were used. The CT values at the aorta, portal vein, and hepatic parenchyma were measured to create a time–density curve, and CTP parameters were measured simultaneously on each hepatic lobe using a 320-row multidetector CT scanner. RESULTS The maximum peak enhancement at the aorta, portal vein, and hepatic parenchyma was greater with the 750-mg/kg dose than with the 450-mg/kg dose. With an injection duration of 15 seconds, the aortic enhancement peak was less, and the arrival time at the aortic enhancement peak was longer compared to that with a 5-second injection duration. The CTP parameters in the caudate process of the caudate lobe and left lateral lobe differed with different injection durations. The CTP parameters in the caudate process of the caudate lobe, left lateral lobe, and right lateral lobe differed with varying injected doses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Our study demonstrated that rapid administration of the contrast medium was required for quantitative analysis of hepatic CTP in healthy dogs. The CTP parameters differed with respect to the contrast medium administration protocol, and it was necessary to administer the contrast medium within a fixed duration and at a fixed dose to evaluate CTP correctly.

Secretogranin II (SgII) and III (SgIII) function within peptide hormone-producing cells and are involved in secretory granule formation. However, their function in active amine-producing cells is not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the expression profiles of SgII and SgIII in canine adrenal medulla and pheochromocytomas by immunohistochemical staining. In normal adrenal tissues, the intensity of coexpression of these two secretogranins (Sgs) differed from each chromaffin cell, although a complete match was not observed. The coexpression of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) with SgIII was similar to that with chromogranin A, but there was a subpopulation of VMAT2-expressing cells that were negative or hardly detectable for SgII. These results are the first to indicate that there are distinct expression patterns for SgII and SgIII in adrenal chromaffin cells. Furthermore, the expression of these two Sgs varied in intensity among pheochromocytomas and did not necessarily correlate with clinical plasma catecholamine levels in patients. However, compared with SgIII, the expression of SgII was shown to be strong at the single-cell level in some tumor tissues. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of the expression differences between SgII and SgIII in normal adrenal chromaffin cells and pheochromocytomas.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical feasibility and usefulness of measuring shunt fraction (SF) and hepatic perfusion with CT in dogs with a single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EPSS). ANIMALS 36 client-owned dogs with EPSS. PROCEDURES Dogs with EPSS referred for treatment between February 2016 and May 2017 were eligible for the clinical trial. Shunt type, SF, and hepatic perfusion were determined in each dog with a 320-row multidetector CT scanner, and surgical treatment was performed by a single veterinary surgeon. Differences in results between dogs grouped according to age (< 3 years vs ≥ 3 years), shunt type, and subgroups (eg, clinical signs and surgical procedure) were analyzed, and correlations between the SF and hepatic perfusion variables were evaluated. RESULTS The median SF was higher in dogs < 3 years old (74.6%; n = 18) versus dogs ≥ 3 years old (35.1%; 18). Correlations were identified between SF and hepatic perfusion variables, and differences in results for SF and hepatic perfusion variables were detected between dogs grouped according to shunt type. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that CT-derived measurements of SF and hepatic perfusion variables in dogs with EPSS were feasible and could be useful (eg, estimating EPSS condition status and planning treatment) in clinical settings. In addition, our findings suggested that perfusion CT could be useful for distinguishing hemodynamic characteristics among different types of portosystemic shunts in dogs.

Background Prostatic cancer is uncommon in dogs. Dogs with prostatic carcinoma have been reported to have a poor prognosis. Information regarding prognosis with various surgery options as well as prognosis with surgical vs. medical treatment is lacking. This retrospective study compares the outcomes of medical management to surgical treatment in dogs with prostatic adenocarcinoma and assesses the surgical outcomes of patients who underwent total prostatectomy (TP) and prostatocystectomy (TPC). The medical records of 41 dogs with prostatic adenocarcinoma, between February 2008 and June 2019, were reviewed for information on signalment, clinical signs in the initial evaluation, preoperative diagnostic imaging findings, treatment type (non-surgical or surgical), surgery type, postoperative complications, adjunctive medical therapy, and survival time. The dogs were divided into non-surgical (n = 12) or surgical (n = 29) groups. The surgical group was subdivided into the TP (n = 20) and TPC (n = 9) subgroups. Results Age was not significantly different between the surgical (median 13.1 years [8.4–15.4] years) and the non-surgical groups (median 10.8 [7.7–15.3] years). Body weight (BW) was also not significantly different between the surgical (median 6.8 kg [2.4–34.5 kg]) and non-surgical groups (median 6.4 kg [3.7–9.12 kg]). The overall median survival time (MST) from the initial evaluation was significantly longer in the surgical than in the non-surgical group (337 vs. 90.5 days). The postoperative MST was significantly longer in the TP group than in the TPC subgroup (510 vs. 83 days). As TPC was performed in cases of tumor progression, its postoperative complications were severe, resulting in a shorter MST. Ten (50%) and 6 patients (30%) in the TP subgroup postoperatively showed mild and severe urinary incontinence, respectively, whereas all patients in TPC subgroup did show severe incontinence. Conclusion Results of the study suggest that surgical treatment of prostatic carcinoma results in longer survival times over medical management alone. In particular, TP might be recommended for improving survival time and quality of life in canine prostatic adenocarcinoma that does not infiltrate the bladder. Early detection is key for a survival advantage with surgical treatment.

This study investigated the direct effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on canine-derived vascular endothelial cells (VECs). VECs were isolated and cultured from canine arteries and veins. The mRNA expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, cyclooxygenase-2, and natriuretic peptide receptor 1 were detected in the cultured VECs. The viability of the cultured VECs was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by meloxicam, carprofen, and robenacoxib. By contrast, dose escalations of ANP had only marginal influence on the viability of cultured VECs. NSAIDs may potentially serve as not only analgesic agents against cancerous and perioperative pain but also as adjuvant anti-angiogenic drugs in dogs with malignant tumors.