The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
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This is an introductory article on abdominal vascular ultrasound in dogs. An overview of the hemodynamics of venous and arterial blood flow and Doppler principles, spectral analysis, and velocity waveforms is given. The anatomic and Doppler features of major abdominal vessels that can be examined routinely with ultrasonography are discussed. Select cases of vascular pathology affecting various abdominal vessels in the dog and cat are described.
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Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim. Pract. · Jul 1998
ReviewUltrasonography of the thorax (excluding the heart).
Until recently, ultrasonography has had a subordinate role in the evaluation of the thorax in both small animals and humans, most likely due to the inability of sound to penetrate air-filled lung. When pathologic processes such as pleural effusion and lung consolidation provide an acoustic window to the thorax, however, thoracic ultrasonography becomes feasible. As this article illustrates, ultrasonography may be effectively employed in the diagnosis and management of various thoracic wall, pleural, mediastinal, pulmonary, and diaphragmatic diseases by providing valuable information not obtainable with routine radiography and enabling percutaneous aspiration or tissue core biopsy of lesions.
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The occurrence of hypocalcemia is well documented in clinical veterinary medicine. In this article, we have attempted to provide an overview of the established causes as well as information on more recently recognized etiologies such as the ionized hypocalcemia seen in cats with urethral obstruction and the presence of the disorder in critically ill patient populations. Hypomagnesemia has been identified as the most common electrolyte abnormality in canine and feline critically ill patients. ⋯ Dhupa, BVM, MRCVS, unpublished observations, 1997). Although cardiac arrythmias are associated with hypomagnesemia in human patients, documentation of this association in veterinary patients is lacking. Because hypomagnesemia has been associated with other electrolyte abnormalities in human and veterinary populations, the detection of hypokalemia (particularly if refractory to therapy), hyponatremia, hypophosphatemia, or hypocalcemia should indicate the possibility of coexisting hypomagnesemia.
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The goal of treatment for all types of shock is the improvement of tissue perfusion and oxygenation. The mainstay of therapy for hypovolemic and septic shock is the expansion of the intravascular volume by fluid administration, including crystalloids, colloids, and blood products. Frequent physical examinations and monitoring enable the clinician to determine the adequacy of tissue oxygenation and thus the success of the fluid therapy.
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Correcting fluid deficits and preventing fluid overload in patients with cardiac disease can be challenging. The purpose of the fluid therapy, the projected duration of the therapy, and the type of heart disease affecting the patient play important roles in the decision-making process. In addition, the distinction between patients who are not symptomatic (NYHA Class I) and those who are symptomatic (NYHA Classes II to IV) for their cardiac disease should be made early in fluid therapy planning.