Retrospective evaluation of the use of small-bore wire-guided catheters for the management of peritoneal effusion in cats and dogs

Objective

To describe the use of small-bore wire-guided catheters in the management of peritoneal effusion in cats and dogs and to detail any associated adverse events.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

University teaching hospital

Animals

Forty-five client-owned animals that had peritoneal catheters placed for management of peritoneal effusion between July 2010 and June 2021.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and Main Results

Forty-five cases were included (25 dogs and 20 cats). Twenty-eight animals had the catheter placed to aid management of a uroabdomen, 8 of which recovered without surgical management, 11 had the catheter placed to allow autotransfusion of hemoabdomen, 3 had peritonitis, and 3 had ascites secondary to cardiac disease. Twenty-seven cases (15 dogs and 12 cats) received sedation (n = 24) or local anesthesia alone (n = 3) to facilitate catheter placement, and 6 cases had the catheter placed while under general anesthesia. Median length of catheter persistence was 24 hours (range: 2–144 h). The most common adverse events reported were impaired drainage (n = 7) and leakage at the insertion site (n = 4).

Conclusions

Peritoneal catheters can be inserted percutaneously for management of peritoneal effusion. Indications include stabilization and conservative management of uroabdomen, and autotransfusion. They can often be placed with minimal or no sedation and adverse events appear infrequent in occurrence.     

An “Orphan” Creative Industry: Exploring the Institutional Factors Constraining the Canadian Fashion Industry

In recent years, tier‐two fashion countries have been making gains in the global fashion industry, with hip young brands, buzz‐worthy fashion weeks and export‐oriented designers. The Canadian fashion industry, on the other hand, continues to fall behind and instead has experienced recent high‐profile closures of leading domestic fashion names. This paper explores why this is the case by considering a wide range of factors from a historical and institutional perspective. We argue that Canadian fashion is facing a number of systemic problems relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses, rather than a lack of talent and know‐how within the entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector. While the fashion industry is indeed global, we argue that it is in fact national and local level factors—political, economic, and cultural—that structure and constrain the Canadian fashion industry for independent designers. Through exploring the experiences of this group of actors—entrepreneurial fashion designers—in this particular context, we not only learn about Canada as an economy but also what is needed in order to develop the fashion industry more broadly. We provide a framework for analysing the range of socio‐economic, historical, and political factors at the national level which affect the performance of the fashion sector and the operation of fashion designers as the entrepreneurial actors at the heart of the industry.     

Fear of predation slows plant-litter decomposition

Aboveground consumers are believed to affect ecosystem functioning by regulating the quantity and quality of plant litter entering the soil. We uncovered a pathway whereby terrestrial predators regulate ecosystem processes via indirect control over soil community function. Grasshopper herbivores stressed by spider predators have a higher body carbon-to-nitrogen ratio than do grasshoppers raised without spiders. This change in elemental content does not slow grasshopper decomposition but perturbs belowground community function, decelerating the subsequent decomposition of plant litter. This legacy effect of predation on soil community function appears to be regulated by the amount of herbivore protein entering the soil.     

Comparison of Plasma Fentanyl Concentrations by Using Three Transdermal Fentanyl Patch Sizes in Dogs

Objective—To compare plasma fentanyl concentrations attained after the application of three transdermal fentanyl patch sizes (50, 75, and 100 μg/hour) in dogs. Design—Repeated Latin square controlled study. Animals—Six intact, mixed-breed adult dogs (2 males, 4 females) weighing 19.9 ± 3.4 kg. Methods—Each dog was randomly assigned to receive each of three treatments: 50 (P50), 75 (P75), or 100 (P100) μg/hour transdermal patches. Patches were left in place for 72 hours. Jugular venous blood was collected at 1,2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours after patch application and for 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours after patch removal. Plasma fentanyl concentrations were measured using a radioimmunoassay technique. After a 96-hour washout period, each dog was moved to another treatment group and received a different patch size. Results—The following results were obtained (mean ± SD): average plasma fentanyl concentration from 24 to 72 hours, 0.7 ± 0.2 ng/mL (P50), 1.4 ± 0.5 ng/mL (P75), 1.2 ± 0.5 ng/mL (P100); the total area under the concentration versus time curve (0 hours to infinity), 46 ± 12.2 ng/h/mL (P50), 101.2 ± 41.4 ng/h/mL (P75), 80.4 ± 38.3 ng/h/mL (P100); and the apparent elimination half-life, 3.6 ± 1.2 hours (P50), 3.4 ± 2.7 hours (P75), and 2.5 ± 2.0 hours (P100). There was a high degree of variability in plasma fentanyl concentrations achieved. Plasma fentanyl concentrations declined rapidly after patch removal. Conclusions—The attainment of steady-state plasma concentrations takes up to 24 hours, and there is a great deal of variability in the final concentrations reached in different individuals. In this study, the 100 μg/hour patches did not provide statistically increased plasma concentrations when compared with the 50 μg/hour patches. Clinical Relevance—Because of the interindividual and intraindividual variation in plasma fentanyl concentrations, patches should be applied 24 hours before the anticipated time that analgesia will be required. Adequacy of analgesia and potentially deleterious side effects, such as sedation and respiratory depression, should be monitored while the patches are in place. Skin reactions may occur, and the patches should be removed if such skin irritation is seen. After the patch is removed, it is expected that analgesia will wane rapidly because of the brief elimination half-life.     

Appearance and disappearance of swainsonine in serum and milk of lactating ruminants with nursing young following a single dose exposure to swainsonine (locoweed; Oxytropis sericea)

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the elimination of swainsonine in the milk of lactating ruminants following a single dose oral exposure to swainsonine (locoweed; Oxytropis sericea) and to assess subsequent subclinical effects on the mothers and their nursing young. In a preliminary experiment, lactating ewes were gavaged with locoweed providing 0.8 mg swainsonine/kg BW (n = 4; BW = 75.8 +/- 3.6 kg; lactation = d 45) and lactating cows were offered up to 2.0 mg swainsonine/kg BW free choice (n = 16; BW = 389.6 +/- 20.9 kg; lactation = d 90). Serum and milk were collected at h 0 (before treatment), 3, 6, 12, and 24 for ewes, and h 0 (before treatment), 6, 12, 18, and 24 for cows. Swainsonine was highest (P < 0.05) by h 6 in the serum and milk of ewes. Consumption of at least 0.61 mg swainsonine/kg BW induced consistent (> 0.025 microg/mL) appearance of swainsonine in cow serum and milk. In response to the results obtained in the preliminary experiment, a subsequent experiment utilizing lactating ewes (n = 13; BW = 74.8 +/- 6.4 kg; lactation = d 30) and cows (n = 13; BW = 460.8 +/- 51.9 kg; lactation = d 90) was conducted. Each lactating ruminant was gavaged with a locoweed extract to provide 0 (control), 0.2, or 0.8 mg swainsonine/kg BW and individually penned with her nursing young. Serum and milk from the mothers and serum from the nursing young were collected at h 0 (before treatment), 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 48 (an additional sample was obtained at h 72 for ewes and lambs). Serum and milk swainsonine was higher (P < 0.05) in the 0.8 mg treated groups and maximal (P < 0.05) concentrations occurred from h 3 to 6 for ewes and h 6 to 12 h for cows (P < 0.05). Rises in alkaline phosphatase activity indicated subclinical toxicity in the treated ewes (P < 0.05). Following a single dose oral exposure to 0.2 and 0.8 mg swainsonine/kg BW provided by a locoweed extract, swainsonine was detected in the serum and milk of lactating ewes and cows, and rises in serum alkaline phosphatase activity were observed in the ewes. Neither swainsonine nor changes in alkaline phosphatase activity was detected in the serum of the lambs and calves nursing the ewes and cows dosed with swainsonine.     

DETECTION OF PORTAL BLOOD FLOW USING PER-RECTAL 99mTc-PERTECHNETATE SCINTIGRAPHY IN NORMAL CATS

This study reports data obtained from per-rectal ^99mTc-pertechnetate portal scintigraphy in normal cats. It examines the effects of chemical restraint and the methods employed in defining regions of interest (ROIs) on the shunt index derived from this data. Six normal cats were used for the study; all six were chemically restrained for imaging using propofol and later four of them were manually restrained for comparison. Portal blood flow was studied and the mean shunt index was found to be 5.9%± 3.9 when ROIs were operator defined and 9.2%± 4.4 when ROIs were defined using an isocontour program. In cats that were restrained using propofol and operator defined ROIs, the mean value for the time between detection of radioactivity in the liver and in the heart was 14 ± 1 seconds.     

Feline Ilial Fractures: A Prospective Study of Dorsal Plating and Comparison with Lateral Plating

Objective— To (1) report a technique for repair of feline ilial fractures using a dorsally applied bone plate and (2) compare outcome with cats treated by a lateral plate.
Study Design— Prospective study.
Animals— Cats (n=10) with iliac fractures.
Methods— Cats with ilial fractures (January 2005–December 2006) were treated by application of a dorsally applied bone plate. Immediate postoperative radiographs were compared with those taken 4–6 weeks later to assess screw loosening, screw purchase, and pelvic canal narrowing. Owners were contacted for medium-term (>3 month) follow-up. Data were compared with a report of outcome after lateral plating (LP) in 21 cats.
Results— Mean (± SD) screw purchase (89 ± 11 mm) was significantly greater ( P <.01) with a dorsal plate compared with a lateral plate (33 ± 8 mm). Significantly more screws ( P <.01) were used with a dorsal plate (median, 7) compared with a lateral plate (median, 6). Significantly less postoperative pelvic canal narrowing developed in the dorsal plating group between postoperative and 4–6-week follow-up radiography compared with the LP group (2% versus 15%, P <.01).
Conclusion— Dorsal plating of feline ilial fractures results in significantly less screw loosening and pelvic canal narrowing at 4–6 weeks after surgery compared with LP.
Clinical Relevance— Dorsal plating of feline iliac fractures may reduce complications associated with pelvic canal narrowing such as constipation and megacolon.