Objective: The present study was done to monitor the progress of abdominal wound healing after experimental laparotomy in ewes using Doppler ultrasonography.Materials and methods: Laparotomy was performed in seven apparently healthy indigenous ewes for collection and transfer of embryos. Wound morphology was studied in terms of width of sutured area of internal wound (ventral raphae) and swelling of suture areas, width and contraction rate of external wound. Internal wound healing process was monitor at two days interval by real time B-mode ultrasonography using transabdominal (13 MHz frequency) transducer. The echoes focus or zone of best resolution was adjusted to the point of interest on the screen.Results: The average widths of raphae wounds declined from 7.7±0.18 mm on day 0 to 0.9±0.34 mm on day 20 and were completely healed on day 22 in all ewes. The average widths of skin wound decreased to 0.36±0.14 mm on day 26 from 8.6±0.33 mm on day 0.Conclusion: It was observed that internal wound healed rapidly than external wound. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(3.000): 261-266]

Study purposes were to evaluate ultrasonographic characteristics of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and quantitate bladder tumor size in dogs. Heterogeneous mass, wall involvement, and broad-based attachment were significantly associated with TCC, but not prominently the trigone region. Mass size evaluation revealed a significant correlation between progressive disease (PD) in TCC patients with piroxicam therapy. Largest diameter of target lesion/ body weight (cm/kg) ratio showed a high mean value in PD. A value greater than 0.3 was associated with PD with 83% sensitivity and 66% specificity. The results suggest that ultrasonography can provide evidence for diagnosing and predicting a prognosis for TCC.

Ultrasonography is not often used in feline dermatology. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness and applicability of ultrasonography for skin evaluation in 21 clinically healthy cats. Ultrasonographic examination was conducted in 4 cutaneous regions (frontal, dorsal neck, sacral, and abdominal) using an 18-MHz linear-sequential-array transducer. Findings were assessed using histomorphometric analysis of skin samples set as reference standards. Morphologic evaluation, thickness measurements, measurement variability, and comparison between regions and genders were carried out. The ultrasonographic pattern of feline skin was characterized by 3 distinct layers of different echogenicity and echostructure. Skin was thickest at the dorsal neck region and thinnest at the abdominal region. Skin at the frontal region and dorsal neck region was thicker in males. Variability was < 10% in all regions. No apparent correspondence was found between ultrasonographic and histometric measurements of skin thickness. Collectively, these findings suggest that ultrasonography is a simple, noninvasive, and reproducible technique that allows cutaneous layers to be identified and accurately measures skin thickness in cats.

OBJECTIVE To investigate systemic changes following low-dosage prednisolone administration in dogs. ANIMALS 4 healthy purpose-bred adult male Beagles. PROCEDURES Dogs were administered prednisolone PO at a dosage of 2 mg/kg/d for 2 weeks, 1 mg/kg/d for 4 weeks, and 0.5 mg/kg/d for 3 weeks. Body weight, blood pressure, hepatic size and echogenicity, percentage of vacuolated hepatocytes, serum hepatic enzyme activities and glucose concentration, adrenal gland size, and pancreatic echogenicity were evaluated weekly for 9 weeks. RESULTS The only significant change identified was an increase in hepatic echogenicity, assessed by measuring liver-kidney contrast on ultrasonographic images. Increases in hepatic size and percentage of vacuolated hepatocytes were identified, but values did not differ from baseline values. Similarly, serum hepatic enzyme activities increased, but changes were mild and not significantly different from baseline values. Body weight, pancreatic echogenicity, and serum glucose concentration did not show noticeable changes. Mild systemic hypertension was seen, but blood pressure was not significantly different from the baseline value. Similarly, adrenal gland size steadily decreased during the first 6 weeks and increased again after the prednisolone dosage was decreased to 0.5 mg/kg/d. However, mean adrenal gland size was not significantly different from the baseline value at any time. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that in dogs, administration of prednisolone at a low dosage was associated with minimal systemic effects.

OBJECTIVE To characterize aminoaciduria and plasma amino acid concentrations in dogs with hepatocutaneous syndrome (HCS). ANIMALS 20 client-owned dogs of various breeds and ages. PROCEDURES HCS was definitively diagnosed on the basis of liver biopsy specimens (n = 12), gross and histologic appearance of skin lesions (4), and examination of skin and liver biopsy specimens (2) and presumptively diagnosed on the basis of cutaneous lesions with compatible clinicopathologic and hepatic ultrasonographic (honeycomb or Swiss cheese pattern) findings (2). Amino acid concentrations in heparinized plasma and urine (samples obtained within 8 hours of each other) were measured by use of ion exchange chromatography. Urine creatinine concentration was used to normalize urine amino acid concentrations. Plasma amino acid values were compared relative to mean reference values; urine-corrected amino acid values were compared relative to maximal reference values. RESULTS All dogs had generalized hypoaminoacidemia, with numerous amino acid concentrations < 50% of mean reference values. The most consistent and severe abnormalities involved glutamine, proline, cysteine, and hydroxyproline, and all dogs had marked lysinuria. Urine amino acids exceeding maximum reference values (value > 1.0) included lysine, 1-methylhistidine, and proline. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Hypoaminoacidemia in dogs with HCS prominently involved amino acids associated with the urea cycle and synthesis of glutathione and collagen. Marked lysinuria and prolinuria implicated dysfunction of specific amino acid transporters and wasting of amino acids essential for collagen synthesis. These findings may provide a means for tailoring nutritional support and for facilitating HCS diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine clinical relevance for quantitative and qualitative features of canine hepatic masses evaluated by use of triphasic CT and B-mode, color flow, power, and pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography and to compare diagnostic accuracy of these modalities for predicting mass type on the basis of histopathologic classification. ANIMALS 44 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES Dogs with histopathologic confirmation (needle core, punch, or excisional biopsy) of a hepatic mass were enrolled. Triphasic CT and B-mode, color flow, power, and pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography of each hepatic mass were performed. Seventy quantitative and qualitative variables of each hepatic mass were recorded by 5 separate observers and statistically evaluated with discriminant and stepwise analyses. Significant variables were entered in equation-based predictions for the histopathologic diagnosis. RESULTS An equation that included the lowest delayed-phase absolute enhancement of the mass and the highest venous-phase mass conspicuity was used to correctly classify 43 of 46 (93.5%) hepatic masses as benign or malignant. An equation that included only the lowest delayed-phase absolute enhancement of the mass could be used to correctly classify 42 of 46 (91.3%) masses (with expectation of malignancy if this value was < 37 Hounsfield units). For ultrasonography, categorization of the masses with cavitations as malignant achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 80.4%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Triphasic CT had a higher accuracy than ultrasonography for use in predicting hepatic lesion classification. The lowest delayed-phase absolute enhancement of the mass was a simple calculation that required 2 measurements and aided in the differentiation of benign versus malignant hepatic masses.

A 11-year-old, female Russian Blue cat was presented with anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea lasting for 3 days. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic, non-circumferential, and eccentrically formed intestinal loop with altered wall layering and thickening of the tunica muscularis. After surgical resection, histopathologic examination confirmed an infiltrative, round-cell neoplasm composed of sheets and cords of neoplastic mast cells within a fibrotic, edematous stroma. The cat was alive and healthy 6 months after surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an intestinal mast cell tumor in a Russian Blue cat in South Korea.

Transabdominal ultrasonography has been popularly used in animal reproduction for the assessment of pregnancy status and foetal viability where as transvaginal method for pregnancy diagnosis is rarely used for pregnancy diagnosis in goats. The study was conducted in 74 Attappady Black goats from Government Goat Farm, Attappady and Livestock Research Station, Thiruvizhamkunnu to evaluate the accuracy of trans-vaginal methods and to identify the fetal characteristics from day 20 to 75. Transvaginal ultrasonographic examination was performed using endocavity transducer with frequency of 6.5 to 8 MHz. Observations were made in all the pregnant does at three different stages of pregnancy i.e., 20-35 days, 35-55 days and 55-75 days. Does were diagnosed as pregnant from the observation of gestational sac, embryo or foetus, embryonic or foetal heartbeat, placentomes or foetal skeleton. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy along gestation period were 98.03, 92.3, 96.15, 96 and 95.62%, respectively. It is concluded from the present study that transvaginal ultrasonography can be used for herd pregnancy diagnosis at early stages from day 20 to 45 of pregnancy diagnosis in goats.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of manual bladder expression in paraplegic dogs by comparing urine volumes measured by use of intermittent catheterization and ultrasonography. ANIMALS 36 paraplegic dogs. PROCEDURES 93 measurements of bladder volume were collected for the 36 dogs. Residual urine volume was determined by use of intermittent urethral catheterization and estimated by use of ultrasonography. RESULTS Manual bladder expression voided a mean of 49% of urine from the bladder in this population of dogs. There was no correlation (R2, 0.06) between the effectiveness of manual bladder expression and body weight. Ultrasonographic estimation of bladder volume had good correlation (R2, 0.62) with bladder volume determined by use of intermittent bladder catheterization, but clinically unacceptable variation for predicting actual bladder volume (mean difference, 22 mL; 95% confidence interval, −96 to 139 mL). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Manual bladder expression was ineffective at completely emptying urine from the bladder of paraplegic dogs, but the effectiveness of the procedure was not affected by body weight. Manual bladder expression would likely be a useful procedure to prevent increases in pressure within the bladder. Ultrasonographic estimation of bladder volume could be a useful predictor of actual bladder volume, but it was susceptible to wide variations among dogs, and results should therefore be interpreted with caution.

OBJECTIVE To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of 1% diclofenac sodium cream applied topically to neonatal foals every 12 hours for 7 days. ANIMALS Twelve 2- to 14-day old healthy Arabian and Arabian-pony cross neonatal foals. PROCEDURES A 1.27-cm strip of cream containing 7.3 mg of diclofenac sodium (n = 6 foals) or an equivalent amount of placebo cream (6 foals) was applied topically to a 5-cm square of shaved skin over the anterolateral aspect of the left tarsometatarsal region every 12 hours for 7 days. Physical examination, CBC, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, gastric endoscopy, and ultrasonographic examination of the kidneys and right dorsal colon were performed before and after cream application. Venous blood samples were collected at predefined intervals following application of the diclofenac cream, and plasma diclofenac concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. RESULTS No foal developed any adverse effects attributed to diclofenac application, and no significant differences in values of evaluated variables were identified between treatment groups. Plasma diclofenac concentrations peaked rapidly following application of the diclofenac cream, reaching a maximum of < 1 ng/mL within 2 hours, and declined rapidly after application ceased. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Topical application of the 1% diclofenac sodium cream to foals as described appeared safe, and low plasma concentrations of diclofenac suggested minimal systemic absorption. Practitioners may consider use of this medication to treat focal areas of pain and inflammation in neonatal foals.