Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
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J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. · Aug 1995
Canine gastric dilatation/volvulus syndrome in a veterinary critical care unit: 295 cases (1986-1992).
Two hundred ninety-five case records were included in an analysis of dogs treated by a standardized protocol for gastric dilatation/volvulus syndrome between 1986 and 1992. A breed predisposition was demonstrated for Great Danes, German Shepherd Dogs, large mixed-breed dogs, and Standard Poodles. One hundred and ninety-three dogs had gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) confirmed at surgery, 66 had simple gastric dilatation (GD), and 36 others had gastric dilatation but volvulus could not be proved or disproved (GD +/- V). ⋯ There also was no statistical correlation between development of a cardiac arrhythmia and outcome in dogs with GDV. The causes of death in dogs with GDV were multiple and varied; presumed gastric necrosis was a common reason for intraoperative euthanasia (11 dogs). Among dogs with GD or GD +/- V, the fatality rate was 0.9% (1/102).
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J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. · Aug 1995
Intravascular and peritoneal coagulation and fibrinolysis in horses with acute gastrointestinal tract diseases.
Components of the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascades, prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, endotoxin activity, and albumin concentration were measured in blood and peritoneal fluid from 20 healthy horses and from 153 horses with acute gastrointestinal tract diseases at admission. Overall, 77% (117/153) of affected horses survived to discharge from the hospital, and 85% (82/97) of horses discharged were reported to be normal 9 to 14 months later. Significant differences in hemostatic factors were more common in peritoneal fluid than in blood. ⋯ Plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 activity, fibrin degradation products concentration, and prothrombin time were significantly (P < 0.05) greater in the blood of horses with colic. Survival was inversely associated with significantly (P < 0.05) greater intravascular concentrations of fibrin degradation products and fibrinogen and prothrombin time. This study revealed marked contrasts between peritoneal and intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis in horses with colic, indicating that inferences regarding the peritoneal environment, particularly with respect to fibrinolytic capacity, should not be made on the basis of factors measured in blood.
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Yersinia pestis infection was diagnosed in 3 dogs. Clinical signs included lethargy (3 dogs), pyrexia (2 dogs), and a purulent skin lesion in the cervical region (2 dogs). ⋯ Dogs frequently are exposed to Y pestis in areas in which there are plague epizootics; however, clinical illness in dogs is rare. In the western United States, where Yersinia pestis is endemic, plague should be considered in the differential diagnosis when examining dogs with nonspecific fever and lethargy.