Sepsis is a challenging condition in which hematological prognostic and diagnostic markers in cats are limited. The aims of this study were to test if there are any differences in leukocyte ratios (NLR, BLR and BNLR) between healthy, SIRS and septic cats (sick cats), and if, within sick cats, NLR, BLR and BNLR may be prognostic markers. A retrospective medical database study included 76 healthy cats (blood-donors), 54 SIRS and 79 septic cats. SIRS group was defined if cats fulfilled SIRS criteria. Sepsis was confirmed with an infectious focus on cytology or a positive culture for bacterial infection. Leukocyte ratios were compared among the three study groups and between survivors and non-survivors in sick cats. NLR resulted significantly higher in the sick group compared to healthy cats (p < 0.0001), although NLR was not different between SIRS and sepsis. An NLR > 4.53 had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 93.4% to detect SIRS/sepsis (OR 44.8 95%CI 17–107). Only BLR and BNLR were significantly different between SIRS and sepsis. NLR was associated with mortality in the sick group (p = 0.04). Although NLR resulted higher in sick cats than healthy, BLR and BNLR demonstrated as promising tools in differentiating SIRS from sepsis. NLR was associated with mortality in sick cats.

Objective—To investigate serum calcium-phosphorus concentration product (sCaPP) as a predictor of mortality rate in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design—Retrospective case-control study. Animals—31 dogs with definitive CKD and 35 apparently healthy dogs. Procedures—All dogs had been referred for nephrological consultation between December 2008 and December 2010. Dogs with CKD had stable disease for ≥ 3 months. On the basis of glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/m², 13 of the 35 apparently healthy dogs were subsequently classified as having early CKD. Disease stage among dogs was determined on the basis of plasma creatinine concentration as follows: stage 1, < 123.7 μmol/L (n = 13), stage 2, 123.7 to 176.8 μmol/L (7); stage 3, 185.6 to 442 μmol/L (13); or stage 4, > 442 μmol/L (11). For each dog, serum concentrations of ionized and total calcium and phosphorus were evaluated once; the latter 2 variables were used to determine sCaPP. Results—The sCaPP differed significantly between the 22 healthy dogs and dogs with stage 3 or stage 4 CKD. The proportion of dogs with sCaPP > 70 mg²/dL² increased with stage of disease. Mortality rate among the 24 dogs with sCaPP > 70 mg²/dL² was higher than that among the 42 dogs with sCaPP ≤ 70 mg²/dL². Dogs with sCaPP > 70 mg²/dL² had a comparatively lower survival rate, and risk of death was 4.2 times as high as risk for dogs with sCaPP ≤ 70 mg²/dL². Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—For dogs with CKD, sCaPP > 70 mg²/dL² appeared to be a negative prognostic indicator, which was not influenced by the concomitant serum concentrations of phosphorus and total or ionized calcium.

In patients affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), some ultrasonographic (US) abnormalities have been shown to correlate better than others with the progression of the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of the most frequent renal US abnormalities in dogs at different stages of CKD, and to investigate their association with CKD International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stages. Medical records and ultrasonographical report of 855 dogs were retrospectively included. The most frequent renal ultrasonographic abnormalities were: increased cortical echogenicity, abnormal ratio of cortico-medullary junction (C/M) and pyelectasia. A statistically significant difference in the prevalence of irregular contour, abnormal cortico-medullary junction, abnormal C/M, increased cortical echogenicity, and pyelectasia was found for dogs at different IRIS stages. The number of dogs with more than one US abnormality increased significantly with the progression of IRIS stage. In conclusion, increased cortical echogenicity, abnormal C/M junction and pyelectasia were the most prevalent US abnormalities in our CKD population. Although none of the US abnormalities showed a significantly higher prevalence, the number of dogs presenting > 3 US abnormalities increased significantly from IRIS 2 to IRIS 4. Renal US is an excellent ancillary diagnostic test, which should be used together with renal functional parameters, to monitor the progression of CKD.

In veterinary medicine, pseudomembranous cystitis (PC) is a rare condition described only in cats. The purposes of this retrospective study were to describe ultrasound features of PC in cats and dogs, predisposing factors, comorbidities and outcomes. Cats and dogs with an ultrasonographic diagnosis of PC were included in the study. The bladder ultrasound findings that were recorded were: pseudomembranes’ characteristics, abnormalities of the bladder’s wall and content and anomalies of the pericystic peritoneal space. Ten cats and four dogs met the inclusion criteria. Four pseudomembrane adhesion patterns were described. The presence of pseudomembrane acoustic shadowing was observed in the 60% of cats. A total of 80% of the cats included were presented for urethral obstruction (UO) and/or had at least one episode of UO in the previous 2 months. Thirteen patients out of fourteen received only medical therapy, and all of them survived. PC is a rare disorder in cats and dogs and there are some ultrasonographic differences between the two species, suggesting a greater severity of the pathology in cats. Chronic cystitis and UO may have a potential role in the development of feline PC. Finally, the medical approach can be a non-invasive and effective approach for PC.

Four cases of feline permethrin intoxication are described. The cause of intoxication is the application of canine permethrin spot-on product (Advantix®, Bayer) by the owners. Principal clinical guidelines recommends the use of anticonvulsant drugs to treat seizures or neurological symptoms after initial stabilization and dermal decontamination. The use of lipid emulsion had an increasing interest in the last decade for treatment of toxicosis caused by lipophylic drugs as reported in human and in veterinary medical practices. All cats presented in this study, were treated with intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) at variable dosages, and dexmedetomidine was also administered by intravenous way. No adverse reaction such as thrombophlebitis, overload circulation or others was noticed during and after administration of ILE. Dexmedetomidine was proved to be helpful in tranquillizing the cats. All cats were discharged in good condition faster than other cases treated without their use.