Wat na het project Sterycat? - De mening van deelnemende asielmedewerkers en dierenartsen over vroegcastratie bij katten

Het project Sterycat is een door de Federale Overheidsdienst Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu gefinancierd wetenschappelijk onderzoek dat, in een samenwerking tussen de Faculteit Diergeneeskunde en zeventien Vlaamse asielen, het effect van vroegcastratie op de gezondheid en het gedrag van katten heeft onderzocht. Om vroegcastratie van asielkittens efficiënt te kunnen integreren in het overheidsbeleid, is het belangrijk de opinie van het werkveld te kennen. Daarom werd op het einde van het project een enquête (16 vragen, 70 exemplaren in totaal) rondgestuurd naar de asieldierenartsen en -medewerkers van de deelnemende asielen. Vijfendertig personen vulden de enquête in (10 asieldierenartsen en 25 asielmedewerkers). De meerderheid onder hen (85%) was voorstander van de voortzetting van vroegcastratie van asielkatten na het project Sterycat. Niettegenstaande was er bij sommige respondenten toch ongerustheid over mogelijke complicaties door de ingreep (58%) en over uitbraken van virale ziekten (72%). De financiële haalbaarheid en het uitwerken van een regeling om derving van inkomsten bij niet-asieldierenartsen tegen te gaan, werden belangrijk geacht voor het succesvol toepassen van vroegcastratie bij asielkatten. Voor het efficiënt reduceren van de overpopulatie van katten zouden daarnaast ook particuliere katteneigenaars en gemeenten hun verantwoordelijkheid inzake reproductiepreventie bij katten moeten opnemen. De perceptie van de haalbaarheid van vroegcastratie en van het chippen van asielkatten was significant geassocieerd met het enthousiasme van de dierenarts, de toegenomen adoptiekansen van de kittens en met het feit dat bijgedragen werd tot het reduceren van de overpopulatie van katten in asielen. De mate waarin de voortzetting van vroegcastratie van asielkatten belangrijk werd geacht was dan weer geassocieerd met het type asiel en de verwachting van een beter rendement van het asiel. Uit de resultaten van deze enquête kan besloten worden dat de meeste deelnemende asieldierenartsen en -medewerkers het belangrijk vinden dat vroegcastratie van katten verdergezet wordt in hun asiel, mits rekening gehouden wordt met het financiële aspect van de procedure en de verantwoordelijkheid van particuliere katteneigenaars en gemeenten.

Low-field MRI and multislice CT for the detection of cerebellar (foramen magnum) herniation in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Background

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) have a high prevalence of Chiari‐like malformation (CM). Herniation of the cerebellum into the foramen magnum is a key diagnostic feature for CM. Midsagittal MR images are the preferred technique for visualizing cerebellar herniation (CH).

Objective

To investigate whether CT can be used to diagnose CH.

Animals

Fifteen client‐owned CKCS dogs referred for investigation of the brain and cranial cervical spine on MRI and CT.

Methods

Two reviewers retrospectively analyzed midsagittal T1WSE and T2WSE MR images and midsagittal pre‐ and postcontrast 2D multiplanar reformatted CT images from each dog for the presence of CH. And, if present, the length (mm, CHL) of the herniation was measured. The results were analyzed statistically.

Results

There was no significant difference between the different observers and techniques for the detection of CH and measurement of CHL. Overall, the CHL was longer on the CT images.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

Both techniques are useful for detecting CH and measuring CHL. Because CHL does not have a known direct impact on the clinical presentation of CM, CT can be used as a diagnostic tool in a routine clinical practice for CM in CKCS when MRI is not available. We emphasize that MRI is the standard screening technique in CKCS for breeding purposes to detect the presence of CM and SM and, at the current time, CT cannot replace MRI.

Insidious progressive bone destruction in a dog surgically treated for otitis media: follow-up by clinical examination and computed tomography

A 5.5-year-old Beagle was evaluated for abnormal swallowing and a head tilt of a two-weeks duration. Inspection of the throat and external ear canal revealed an intact but abnormally bulging eardrum. Computed tomographic (CT) examination showed a right-sided tympanic bulla filled with soft-tissue density material, a partially lytic ventral wall and lysis of the petrosal part of the temporal bone. Through ventral bulla osteotomy, sterile cholesterol granuloma and cholesteatoma were diagnosed. The dog recovered but the head tilt re-appeared eight months after surgery. A new CT scan showed expanded lysis of the tympanic wall and increased bone lysis within the petrosal portion of the temporal bone. The owner elected for no further treatment. Another two years later, a third CT scan was performed. Prominent intracranial involvement was present. In contrast to the extent and the progression of the changes, the dog was clinically stable.

The effect of anesthesia with propofol and sedation with butorphanol on quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the healthy feline kidney

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the left kidney was performed using a commercial contrast agent in six healthy adult purpose-bred cats. A cross-over design was used to compare three protocols: (1) awake, (2) butorphanol (0.4 mg/kg IM), and (3) propofol (3.5-7.7 mg/kg IV boluses to effect). Time-intensity curves were created from two regions-of-interest drawn in the renal cortex. The curves were analyzed for blood flow parameters representing blood volume (base intensity, peak intensity, area-under-curve) and blood velocity (arrival time, time-to-peak, wash-in/out). There was no difference in the subjective enhancement pattern between the three protocols. No significant effect of butorphanol was observed in any of the perfusion parameters (P > 0.05). Propofol did not influence the most important perfusion parameter, area-under-the-curve, and is adequate for use in contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies.

Bacterial colonization of the ovarian bursa in dogs with clinically suspected pyometra and in controls

Septic peritonitis occurs relatively commonly in dogs. Secondary septic peritonitis is usually associated with perforation of intestines or infected viscera, such as the uterus in pyometra cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacterial flora in the ovarian bursae of intact bitches as a potential source of contamination. One hundred forty dogs, clinically suspected of pyometra, were prospectively enrolled. The control group consisted of 26 dogs that underwent elective ovariohysterectomies and 18 dogs with mammary gland tumors that were neutered at the time of mastectomy. Bacteriology samples were taken aseptically at the time of surgery from the bursae and the uterus in all dogs. Twenty-two dogs that were clinically suspected of pyometra had sterile uterine content ("mucometra" cases); the remaining 118 had positive uterine cultures ("pyometra" cases) and septic peritoneal fluid was present in 10% of these cases. Of the 118 pyometra cases, 9 had unilateral and 15 had bilateral bacterial colonization of their ovarian bursae. However, the bacteria from the ovarian bursa were similar to those recovered from the uterine pus in only half of the cases. Furthermore, positive bursae were also seen in one mucometra dog (unilateral) and in four control dogs (two unilateral and two bilateral). The data illustrate that the canine ovarian bursa can harbor bacteria. The biological importance of these isolations remains unclear.

Blood-brain barrier transport of short proline-rich antimicrobial peptides

Infections by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming a great risk for human health, leading to an urgent need for new efficient antibacterial therapies. The short, proline-rich antimicrobial peptides from insects gained a lot of interest as a potential antibacterial treatment, having a low toxicity profile and being mainly active against Gram-negative bacteria. To know whether these antimicrobial peptides can be used for the treatment of cerebral infections, the blood-brain barrier transport characteristics of these peptides were investigated. This study describes the results of the in vivo blood-brain barrier experiments in mice, as well as the in vitro metabolic stability in mouse plasma and brain of apidaecin Api137, oncocin, drosocin and drosocin Pro5Hyp. The four investigated peptides showed a significant influx into the brain with a K(in) ranging between 0.37 and 0.86 µL/g x min and brain distribution volumes of 19.6 to 25.8 µL/g. Only for drosocin, a significant efflux was determined, with a k(out) of 0.22 min(-1). After entering the brain, oncocin was for approximately 80% trapped in the endothelial cells, while the other peptides reached the brain parenchyma for about 70%. All peptides were stable in plasma and brain during the experiments, with estimated metabolic half-lives ranging between 47 min and 637 min. We conclude that the investigated short, proline-rich antimicrobial peptides show an influx into the brain, which make them a promising antibacterial treatment of cerebral infections.

Pharmacokinetics of oral transmucosal and intramuscular dexmedetomidine combined with buprenorphine in cats

Plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetics of dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine after oral transmucosal (OTM) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration of their combination in healthy adult cats were compared. According to a crossover protocol (1-month washout), a combination of dexmedetomidine (40 μg/kg) and buprenorphine (20 μg/kg) was given OTM (buccal cavity) or i.m. (quadriceps muscle) in six female neutered cats. Plasma samples were collected through a jugular catheter during a 24-h period. Plasma dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma concentration-time data were fitted to compartmental models. For dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and the maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax ) were significantly lower following OTM than following i.m. administration. For buprenorphine, time to reach Cmax was also significantly longer after OTM administration than after i.m. injection. Data suggested that dexmedetomidine (40 μg/kg) combined with buprenorphine (20 μg/kg) is not as well absorbed from the buccal mucosa site as from the intramuscular injection site.

Prepubertal gonadectomy in cats: different injectable anaesthetic combinations and comparison with gonadectomy at traditional age

Anaesthetic and analgesic effects of three different injectable anaesthetic combinations for prepubertal gonadectomy (PPG) in cats were studied. One anaesthetic protocol was compared with a similar one for gonadectomy at traditional age (TAG). Kittens were randomly assigned to PPG or TAG. For PPG, three different protocols were compared: (1) intramuscular (IM) administration of 60 μg/kg dexmedetomidine plus 20 μg/kg buprenorphine followed by an IM injection of the anaesthetic agent (20 mg/kg ketamine) (DB-IM protocol); (2) oral transmucosal (OTM) administration of 80 μg/kg dexmedetomidine plus 20 μg/kg buprenorphine followed by an IM injection of 20 mg/kg ketamine combined with 20 µg/kg dexmedetomidine (DB-OTM protocol); (3) IM injection of a 40 μg/kg medetomidine-20 μg/kg buprenorphine-20 mg/kg ketamine combination (MBK-IM protocol). For TAG, a DB-IM protocol was used, but with different doses for dexmedetomidine (40 μg/kg) and ketamine (5 mg/kg). All cats (PPG and TAG) received a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory before surgery. Anaesthetic and analgesic effects were assessed pre- and postoperatively (until 6 h). Cumulative logit, linear and logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. Compared with the DB-OTM protocol, the DB-IM and MBK-IM protocols provided better anaesthesia with fewer adverse effects in PPG cats. Postoperative pain was not significantly different between anaesthetic protocols. PPG and TAG cats anaesthetised with the two DB-IM protocols differed significantly only for sedation and pain scores, but sedation and pain scores were generally low. Although there were no anaesthesia-related mortalities in the present study and all anaesthetic protocols for PPG in cats provided a surgical plane of anaesthesia and analgesia up to 6 h postoperatively, our findings were in favour of the intramuscular (DB-IM and MBK-IM) protocols.

The effect of prolonged exposure to morphine on canine cerebral 5-HT2A receptors measured with (123)I-R91150 SPECT

Down-stream neuronal alterations, including changes in the 5-HT-2A receptor system, play an important role in the etiology and treatment of depression. The present study examined the effect of prolonged opioid treatment on cerebral 5-HT2A receptors. Cerebral 5-HT2A receptor availability was estimated in seven healthy five-year-old female neutered Beagle dogs pre and post 10-day morphine treatment (oral sustained release morphine 20mg twice daily for 10 days) with (123)I-R-91150, a 5-HT2A selective radioligand, and SPECT. 5-HT2A receptor binding indices (BI) for the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex and the subcortical region were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed-effect model with treatment as fixed effect and dog as random effect. Morphine treatment significantly (P≤0.05) lowered 5-HT2A BIs in the right and left frontal cortex, the right and left temporal cortex, the right and left parietal cortex, and the subcortical region. The decreased cerebral 5-HT2A receptor availability following prolonged morphine exposure provides further evidence for an interaction between the opioid and serotonergic system.

Pulmonary edema as a postoperative complication in two obese patients (a horse and a dog)

In this case series, the development and successful treatment of pulmonary edema are described in two obese animals (a horse and a dog) in the postoperative period. This rare but severe complication is normally fairly easy to diagnose, but the cause is usually multifactorial and difficult to determine. Potentially contributing factors are discussed. Both animals responded successfully to therapy and were discharged without further incidents.

Vraag & Antwoord

Anesthetica voor een keizersnede bij de teef Het gebruik van gabapentine bij paarden Urticaria bij het paard

Agreement between low-field MRI and CT for the detection of suspected intracranial lesions in dogs and cats

OBJECTIVE

To assess the agreement between CT and MRI for enabling detection of intracranial lesions in cats and dogs.

DESIGN

Evaluation study.

ANIMALS

51 dogs and 7 cats with suspected intracranial lesions.

PROCEDURES

During a 2-year-period, dogs and cats with suspected intracranial pathological changes underwent MRI and CT (single slice) of the head. Radiologists evaluated images produced with both techniques without awareness of subject identity. Agreement between methods was assessed for allowing detection of solitary or multiple lesions, selected lesion characteristics (via the Cohen κ statistic), and lesion dimensions (via Bland-Altman plots).

RESULTS

CT and MRI had substantial agreement for allowing detection of lesions and identification of whether the lesions were solitary or multiple. The techniques agreed almost perfectly for allowing identification of a mass effect and contrast medium enhancement, which were considered principal diagnostic imaging signs. A lower degree of agreement was attained for allowing identification of enhancement patterns and aspects of lesion margins. Agreement was substantial to almost perfect for lesion visualization in most anatomic brain regions but poor for identification of lesion dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Degrees of agreement between CT and MRI for allowing the detection and characterization of intracranial lesions ranged from poor to almost perfect, depending on the variable assessed. More investigation is needed into the relative analytic sensitivity and possible complementarities of CT and MRI in the detection of suspected intracranial lesions in dogs and cats.

Anaphylaxis after intravenous administration of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid in two dogs under general anesthesia

In this case series, the occurrence and successful treatment of anaphylaxis after the intravenous administration of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid are described in two dogs under general anesthesia. Within five to ten minutes after the administration of the antibiotic, a severe hypotension occurred in both dogs, accompanied by labial and periorbital swelling and erythema. Therapy consisted of counteracting the cardiovascular effects of anaphylaxis and preventing further release of inflammatory mediators. Both dogs recovered uneventfully from the drugrelated anaphylaxis.

Twee gevallen van persisterende ductus arteriosus bij de hond

Persisterende ductus arteriosus (PDA) is één van de meest vastgestelde congenitale hartaandoeningen bij de hond. Indien de aandoening niet behandeld wordt, sterft meer dan de helft van de honden in hun eerste levensjaar. Het sluiten van de PDA via occlusie of ligatie is dan ook aanbevolen en heeft een goede langetermijnprognose. De belangrijkste complicatie bij de nietinvasieve technieken is het optreden van embolie terwijl bloeding na ruptuur van de ductus of een naburig bloedvat het meest voorkomende probleem is bij ligatietechnieken. Twee gevallen van PDA worden hier besproken. Bij de eerste hond werd de PDA succesvol chirurgisch gecorrigeerd. Bij de tweede hond daarentegen ontstonden er tijdens de chirurgische ingreep meermaals ernstige bloedingen te wijten aan de uitzonderlijke aanwezigheid van een persisterende vijfde aortaboog (PFAA). Er werd intraoperatief besloten om tot euthanasie over te gaan.

Immunohistochemical expression of potential therapeutic targets in canine thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Thyroid carcinoma is a common endocrine tumor in the dog. Local invasive growth frequently precludes surgical excision and, in up to 38% of dogs, the tumor has already metastasized by the time of diagnosis. Therefore, it is important to investigate new treatment modalities that may be useful for the large number of dogs with inoperable tumors or metastatic disease.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES

To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of potential therapeutic targets in canine thyroid tumors.

ANIMALS

74 dogs with thyroid neoplasia.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was performed for thyroglobulin, calcitonin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), p53, cycloxygenase-2 (cox-2), and P-glycoprotein (P-gp).

RESULTS

Fifty-four (73%) tumors were classified as follicular cell thyroid carcinomas (FTCs) and 20 (27%) as medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs). Eighty percent of FTCs and all MTCs had a high percentage (76-100%) of neoplastic cells immunopositive for VEGF. Thirteen percent of FTCs and 50% of MTCs expressed cox-2. Seven percent of FTCs and 70% of MTCs expressed P-gp. No tumor was immunopositive for p53 expression. Expression of VEGF (P = .034), cox-2 (P = .013), and P-gp (P < .001) was significantly higher in MTCs compared to FTCs.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

VEGF is a potential therapeutic target in both FTC and MTC in dogs. Cox-2 and P-gp may be useful molecular targets in canine MTC.

Losse processus coronoïdeus van de elleboog bij een tien jaar oude Tervuerense herder

In deze casus wordt de aanwezigheid van een losse processus coronoïdeus bij een tien jaar oude, mannelijke Tervuerense herder beschreven. Het signalement is atypisch, aangezien deze aandoening voornamelijk jonge honden treft en ze minder frequent bij Tervuerense herders voorkomt. De hond vertoonde unilaterale kreupelheid aan de linkervoorpoot die over een periode van negen maanden geleidelijk was toegenomen. Dankzij verder orthopedisch en radiografi sch onderzoek kon een defi nitieve diagnose van een losse processus coronoïdeus worden gesteld. Naast de afwijkende vorm van de mediale processus coronoïdeus en erge osteosclerose was er slechts milde artrose op te merken, wat men niet zou verwachten bij een oudere hond met een chronisch probleem. Bovendien was het probleem unilateraal aanwezig, terwijl een losse processus coronoïdeus zich vaak bilateraal manifesteert. Met behulp van artroscopie kon men het gewricht inspecteren en werd het aanwezige losse fragment met succes verwijderd. In een groot deel van de gevallen blijven oudere dieren na de ingreep manken, maar in dit geval gaf de ingreep aanleiding tot een duidelijke klinische verbetering en de hond werd opnieuw mankvrij.

Vraag & Antwoord

De ziekte van Lyme bij het paard Wandelen met pups Peroroale sedatie van honden

5-HT2A receptors in the feline brain: 123I-5-I-R91150 kinetics and the influence of ketamine measured with micro-SPECT

Subanesthetic doses of ketamine can be used as a rapid-acting antidepressant in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Therefore, the brain kinetics of (123)I-5-I-R91150 (4-amino-N-[1-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)propyl]-4-methylpiperidin-4-yl]-5-iodo-2-methoxybenzamide) and the influence of ketamine on the postsynaptic serotonin-2A receptor (5-hydroxytryptamine-2A, or 5-HT2A) status were investigated in cats using micro-SPECT.

METHODS

This study was conducted on 6 cats using the radioligand (123)I-5-I-R91150, a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, as the imaging probe. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with a continuous-rate infusion of propofol (8.4 ± 1.2 mg kg(-1) followed by 0.22 mg kg(-1) min(-1)) 75 min after tracer administration, and acquisition of the first image began 15 min after induction of anesthesia. After this first acquisition, propofol (0.22 mg kg(-1) min(-1)) was combined with ketamine (5 mg kg(-1) followed by 0.023 mg kg(-1) min(-1)), and the second acquisition began 15 min later. Semiquantification, with the cerebellum as a reference region, was performed to calculate the 5-HT2A receptor binding indices (parameter for available receptor density) in the frontal and temporal cortices. The binding indices were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed ranks statistics.

RESULTS

The addition of ketamine to the propofol continuous-rate infusion resulted in decreased binding indices in the right frontal cortex (1.25 ± 0.22 vs. 1.45 ± 0.16; P = 0.028), left frontal cortex (1.34 ± 0.15 vs. 1.49 ± 0.10; P = 0.028), right temporal cortex (1.30 ± 0.17 vs. 1.45 ± 0.09; P = 0.046), and left temporal cortex (1.41 ± 0.20 vs. 1.52 ± 0.20; P = 0.046).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that cats can be used as an animal model for studying alterations of the 5-HT2A receptor status with (123)I-5-I-R91150 micro-SPECT. Furthermore, an interaction between ketamine and the 5-HT2A receptors resulting in decreased binding of (123)I-5-I-R91150 in the frontal and temporal cortices was demonstrated. Whether the decreased radioligand binding resulted from a direct competition between ketamine and (123)I-5-I-R91150 or from a decreased affinity of the 5-HT2A receptor caused by ketamine remains to be elucidated.

Transsplenic portal scintigraphy using 99mTc-pertechnetate for the diagnosis of portosystemic shunts in cats: a retrospective review of 12 patients

Portosystemic shunts (PSS), congenital or acquired, occur uncommonly in the feline population. The diagnostic approach is similar to one in dogs suspected of a PSS based on the clinical signs and haematological and biochemical changes. Diagnostic imaging, however, is key for the confirmation of a PSS. Although abdominal ultrasound is the first-choice diagnostic imaging modality, the results are not always unequivocal. Transsplenic portal scintigraphy (TSPS) using 99mTc-pertechnetate is a well-established technique in canine medicine, providing relatively fast and easy confirmation of the presence or absence of a PSS. As the prevalence of PSS is much lower in the feline population, this technique has not been widely used in cats. This retrospective study of 12 cases gives an overview of the potential of TSPS in the diagnostic work-up of PSS in cats (2005–2012).

Chirurgische excisie van een branchiale cyste bij een hond

Een zes jaar oude, vrouwelijke, gecastreerde cavalier king charles werd aangeboden voor verderonderzoek en behandeling van een recidiverende zwelling ter hoogte van de linkerkaakregio. Opbasis van een klinisch en echografi sch onderzoek werd de waarschijnlijkheidsdiagnose van eensialocele van de linkerparotisspeekselklier gesteld. Er werd besloten tot chirurgische excisie van despeekselklier. Tijdens de chirurgie werd een cysteus proces van de parotisspeekselklier, verbondenmet een meer ventraal gelegen cyste, gevisualiseerd. Zowel de parotisspeekselklier als de ventralecyste werd vrijgeprepareerd en verwijderd. Op basis van een histopathologisch onderzoek vanhet verwijderde weefsel werd de diagnose van een branchiale cyste gesteld. Afgezien van eengedeeltelijke facialisparalyse de eerste dag postoperatief, verliep het herstel vlot. Tot op heden,inmiddels meer dan een jaar postoperatief, werd geen recidief vastgesteld.