Discospondylitis is an infection of intervertebral discs, associated end plates, and adjacent vertebral bodies causing destruction and proliferation. A 10-year-old intact female Rhodesian Ridgeback dog was referred to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Seoul National University with paraparesis and severe pain at T13-L1 region for one week duration. The treatment with PDS for one week by referring veterinarian showed no clinical improvement. At time of presentation, clinical signs of the patient included depression, vaginal discharge, and fever.

Caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) is relatively common disease which occurs at craniocervical junction. It has been known that this syndrome was developed mainly in Cavalier King Charles spaniels, but these days there a lot of case reports about COMS in other small breed dogs. In this report, COMS was diagnosed in ten dogs presented to Haemaru Referral Animal Hospital using MRI examination from January 2005 to April 2006. These cases were also investigated about concurrent diseases and syringomyelia was the most common type of complication, but clinical signs were nonspecific.

Pasteurella multocida is a terrible veterinary pathogen that causes widespread infections in husbandry. To induce homologous and/or heterologous immunity against the infections, outer membrane protein Hs (OmpH) in the envelope of different strains of P. multocida are thought to be attractive vaccine candidates. Previously we cloned and characterized a gene for OmpH from pathogenic P. multocida (A:3) (In Press, Korean J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2005, 33, December).

A 6-year-old female Jindo dog weighing 20 kg was presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University for the formation of crust and erosion of the nasal bridge and planum, and for alopecia of ear margin. Erythema, crusts, alopecia and erosions were present in the nasal planum and the bridge of the nose on physical examination. There were no abnormalities on CBC, serum chemistry, and basic dermatologic examination which included skin scraping, bacterial cultures, and fungal cultures.

Three dogs with suspected patent ductus arteriosus were referred to Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University because of cough, shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, and syncope. Continuous murmur and thrill were detected in physical examination. Left ventricular enlargement, cardiomegaly, bulged main pulmonary artery were found in radiography. Tall R wave, wide P wave, artial fibrillation, and turbulent flow were observed in electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.

Objectives-To measure serum polymyxin B concentration after single and repeated IV infusions in horses. Animals-5 healthy horses. Procedures-In study 1, 1 mg (6,000 U) of polymyxin B/kg was given IV and blood samples were collected for 24 hours. In study 2, 1 mg of polymyxin B/kg was given IV every 8 hours for 5 treatments and blood samples were collected until 24 hours after the last dose. Polymyxin B concentration was measured as the ability to suppress nitrite production by murine macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-alpha. Urine was collected prior to the first drug infusion and 24 hours after the fifth drug infusion for determination of urinary gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)-to-creatinine ratios. Results-In study 1, mean +/- SEM maximal serum polymyxin B concentration was 2.93 +/- 0.38 microgram/mL. Polymyxin B was undetectable 18 hours after infusion. In study 2, maximal polymyxin B concentrations after the first and fifth doses were 2.98 +/- 0.81 microgram/mL and 1.91 +/- 0.50 microgram/mL, respectively. Mean trough concentration for all doses was 0.22 +/- 0.01 microgram/mL. A significant effect of repeated administration on peak and trough serum concentration was not detected. Urine GGT-to-creatinine ratios were not affected by polymyxin B administration. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Polymyxin B given as multiple infusions to healthy horses by use of this protocol did not accumulate in the vascular compartment and appeared safe. Results support repeated IV use of 1 mg of polymyxin B/kg at 8-hour intervals as treatment for endotoxemia.

Objective-To evaluate time-dependent alterations in gene expression of chemokines in bronchial epithelium of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-affected horses and whether alterations resulted from increases in gene expression of interleukin (IL)-17 in cells isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Animals-8 RAO-susceptible horses and 9 control horses. Procedure-In 2 experiments, both groups of horses were evaluated after being maintained on pasture and after being stabled and fed dusty hay for 1, 14, 35, and 49 days (experiment 1) or 14 and 28 days (experiment 2). In experiment 1, gene expression of IL-8, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in epithelium and IL-8, IL-17, and TLR4 in BALF cells was measured. In experiment 2, bronchial biopsy specimens were evaluated for IL-8 immunoreactivity. Results-In RAO-susceptible horses after 14 days of challenge exposure, there was a 3- and 10-fold increase in gene expression of IL-8 for epithelial and BALF cells and an increase in IL-8 immunoreactivity in epithelial cells. Challenge exposure failed to alter gene expression of CXCL1, GM-CSF, G-CSF, and TLR4 in epithelial cells of any horses at any time point. During challenge exposure, gene expression of BALF cell IL-17 was downregulated in control horses (day 1) and upregulated in RAO-affected horses (day 35). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Epithelial-derived IL-8 may promote airway neutrophilia, but the inciting stimulus is unlikely to be IL-17 because upregulation of this gene is subsequent to that of IL-8 in epithelial cells.

Objective-To evaluate the effect of medetomidine on minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), respiratory rate, tidal volume, minute volume (V(M)), and maximum inspiratory occlusion pressure (IOCP(max)) in halothane- and isoflurane-anesthetized dogs. Animals-6 healthy adult dogs (3 males and 3 females). Procedure-The MAC of both inhalants was determined before and 5, 30, and 60 minutes after administration of medetomidine (5 microgram/kg, IV). Dogs were subsequently anesthetized by administration of halothane or isoflurane and administered saline (0.9% NaCl) solution IV or medetomidine (5 microgram/kg, IV). Respiratory variables and IOCP(max) were measured at specific MAC values 15 minutes before and 5, 30, and 60 minutes after IV administration of medetomidine while dogs breathed 0% and 10% fractional inspired carbon dioxide (FICO2). Slopes of the lines for V(M)/FICO2 and IOCP(max)/FICO2 were then calculated. Results-Administration of medetomidine decreased MAC of both inhalants. Slope of V(M)/FICO2 increased in dogs anesthetized with halothane after administration of medetomidine, compared with corresponding values in dogs anesthetized with isoflurane. Administration of medetomidine with a simultaneous decrease in inhalant concentration significantly increased the slope for V(M)/FICO2, compared with values after administration of saline solution in dogs anesthetized with halothane but not isoflurane. Values for IOCP(max) did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Equipotent doses of halothane and isoflurane have differing effects on respiration that are most likely attributable to differences in drug effects on central respiratory centers. Relatively low doses of medetomidine decrease the MAC of halothane and isoflurane in dogs.

Objective-To quantitatively assess distraction-induced bone formation in a crural lengthening model in dogs by use of delayed-image bone scintigraphy. Animals-12 mature Labrador Retrievers. Procedure-Dogs were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups. A circular external skeletal fixation system was mounted on the right crus of each dog. Osteotomy of the distal portion of the tibia and fibula was performed in groups 1 and 2 and was followed by a lengthening procedure of 10 mm in the first group only. The third group served as sham-operated controls. Delayed-image bone scintigraphy with technetium-99m hydroxy methylene diphosphonate was performed 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery. Delayed-image-to-region-of-interest, delayed-image-to-crural, and delayed-image-to-femoral scintigraphic activity ratios were calculated. New bone formation was quantified by use of densitometric image analysis, and values for the scintigraphic ratios were compared. Results-In the distraction and osteotomy groups, delayed-image-to-region-of-interest and delayed-image-to-crural ratios increased significantly. Although densitometric image analysis revealed increased bone formation after distraction, the region-of-interest ratios and crural ratios were similar in both groups. All dogs had increased delayed-image-to-femoral ratios. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Delayed-image bone scintigraphy ratios were not effective at differentiating between the amounts of distraction-induced bone and osteotomy-induced bone. Metabolic bone activity in the adjacent femur was increased as a consequence of circular external skeletal fixator placement. Delayed-image bone scintigraphy was not adequately sensitive to quantitatively monitor bone formation but may be useful as an early predictor of bone healing.

Objective-To examine the accuracy and precision of isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthetic vaporizers. Sample Population-5 identcal isoflurane and 5 identical sevoflurane vaporizers. Procedures-Oxygen flow rates from 0.02 to 10 L/min were used with different vaporizer dial settings. Agent concentrations were measured at the common gas outlet by use of a refractometer. Accuracy was defined as the difference between measured agent concentrations, and dial settings were expressed as a percentage of the applied dial settings. Precision was defined as SD of the measured agent concentrations for each combination of dial setting and flow. Results-Isoflurane values were generally greater than the dial settings. Accuracy of the isoflurane vaporizer was > 20% when 0.6% and 1% was dialed. Accuracy of the sevoflurane vaporizer was always within +/- 20% but decreased at 0.02 L/min flow and at combinations of high flow and high dial settings. Overall precision of the isoflurane vaporizer was better than that of the sevoflurane vaporizer. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-A possible explanation for the inaccuracy of the isoflurane vaporizer may be that it was manufactured to be accurate with air but not oxygen, which must be accounted for when using the vaporizer with oxygen, especially with nonrebreathing systems. The sevoflurane vaporizer may not deliver accurate agent concentrations at high flow and high dial settings. Both vaporizers are suitable for clinical use with a wide range of oxygen flow rates if these precautions are properly addressed.