Development of a health-related quality-of-life assessment tool for equines with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

Background: Clinical signs of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are frequently mistaken for 'normal' ageing and may not be optimally assessed. Objective quality of life (QoL) assessment could improve clinical decision-making.

Objectives: To develop an owner-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) assessment tool for equines with PPID.

'It's only a flesh wound' - Understanding the safety culture in equine, production animal and mixed veterinary practices.

The veterinary industry has some of the highest rates of non-fatal work-related injuries, yet safety culture remains unexplored. Utilising a survey distributed to all UK employees of a consolidated group of veterinary practices, this study aimed to describe the prevalence of work-related injuries in equine, production animal, and mixed veterinary practices, and to understand the behaviours of injured persons. There were 144 respondents.

Influence of Owner Personality and Other Owner-, Cat- and Treatment-Related Factors on the Perception of Quality of Life in Cats With Hyperthyroidism.

Background: Assessment of quality-of-life (QoL) is becoming increasingly important in veterinary medicine. In human medicine, it is known that the assessor's personality might affect QoL.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of owner personality and other owner, cat, and treatment-related factors on the health-related QoL (HRQoL) of hyperthyroid cats.

A Comparison of Two Different Methods for Inducing Apnoea During Thoracic Computed Tomography of Dogs.

Apnoea may be induced by pharmacological or ventilatory measures in animals under general anaesthesia to prevent motion blur on thoracic computed tomography (CT) sequences. The effectiveness of such methods has previously been reported in terms of CT image quality but not in the success of apnoea induction. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two different methods used to induce apnoea.

Post-surgical outcome and recurrence rates in thoracolumbar arachnoid diverticula undergoing durotomy alone or alongside a modified technique of subdural shunt-placement in dogs.

Objective: The aims of this study were two-fold. First, to describe a modified technique of subdural shunt (SDS) placement for canine thoracolumbar arachnoid diverticula (TL-AD). Second, to compare outcome and recurrence of dogs following durotomy and debridement of meningeal attachments alone or in combination with SDS.

The sedative effect of intravenous butorphanol in dogs with intracranial space occupying lesions or indicators of intracranial hypertension.

Objective: To determine whether dogs with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-determined intracranial space occupying lesions (MRI-iSOLs) or intracranial hypertension (MRI-ICH) had greater sedation scores and quicker onset of recumbency following premedication with intravenous (IV) butorphanol in comparison with dogs which had normal MRI findings.

Study Design: Prospective, observational study.

Animals: A total of 53 dogs presenting for brain MRI were included.

Agreement of Doppler Ultrasound and Visual Sphygmomanometer Needle Oscillation with Invasive Blood Pressure in Anaesthetised Dogs.

Visual sphygmomanometer needle oscillation (SNO) can occur before audible return of pulsatile flow (ARPF) when measuring blood pressure by Doppler ultrasound. The aim was to assess the agreement of SNO and ARPF with invasive blood pressure (iABP) in a clinical population of anaesthetised dogs. A total of 35 dogs undergoing surgery in dorsal recumbency necessitating arterial cannulation were included.

Prospective randomized trial comparing relapse rates in dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis treated with a 6-week or 6-month prednisolone protocol.

Background: Traditionally, 6-month courses of prednisolone are used to treat steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA), but this medication is associated with adverse effects that can lead to poor quality of life.

Hypothesis/objectives: Resolution of clinical signs and rate of relapse of SRMA would not be significantly different between a 6-month prednisolone protocol and a 6-week protocol.

Animals: Forty-four hospital cases from multiple referral centers in the United Kingdom (2015-2019).

Client and employee engagement measures predict resignations of veterinary support staff: An analysis of UK companion animal practice data.

Background: This study aimed to identify factors associated with veterinary support staff resigning from UK companion animal veterinary practices.

Methods: Cross-sectional employment data from support staff working across a group of veterinary practices on 31 December 2020 were retrospectively analysed. The support staff were categorised as those who remained at, or resigned from, their practice over the following 12-month period.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess health-related quality-of-life in cats with hyperthyroidism.

Background: Health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) assessment tools are becoming increasingly important for the assessment of diseases in veterinary medicine.

Objectives: To develop a tool to assess the HRQoL of hyperthyroid cats and their owners.

Animals: Cats with hyperthyroidism (n = 229) and without hyperthyroidism (n = 322).

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema and spontaneous pneumomediastinum are more prevalent in sighthounds than other dog breeds undergoing thoracic CT.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon condition described in veterinary medicine with concurrent respiratory disease. It can be caused by the Macklin effect, which is when gas leaks from the alveoli into the surrounding interstitial lung tissue. Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) is the presence of gas within the pulmonary vascular sheaths and indicates the presence of the Macklin effect.

Diagnostic and predictive ability of hyperbilirubinemia severity in cats: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Total serum bilirubin concentration (TBIL) can provide useful information on several pathophysiological conditions in cats. Nevertheless, whether the variable severity classification of hyperbilirubinemia can reliably indicate certain disease processes or predict a biliary obstruction (BO) has not been investigated.

Hypothesis/objective: Determine if hyperbilirubinemia of variable severity can assist clinicians to identify BO, which often is considered a surgical emergency.

TTA-Rapid for treating the canine cruciate deficient stifle: Medium to long-term outcome and analysis of risk factors.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate medium to long-term outcomes following treatment of lameness associated with cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency using the tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA)-Rapid technique and to investigate risk factors associated with outcome, including tibial plateau angle (TPA).

Methods: Patient records for cases treated over an 80-month period were examined retrospectively. An owner postal questionnaire using a clinical metrology instrument (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs) evaluated the outcome at least 6 months after surgery.

External validation of a United Kingdom primary-care Cushing's prediction tool in a population of referred Dutch dogs.

Background: A prediction tool was developed and internally validated to aid the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome in dogs attending UK primary-care practices. External validation is an important part of model validation to assess model performance when used in different populations.

Objectives: To assess the original prediction model's transportability, applicability, and diagnostic performance in a secondary-care practice in the Netherlands.

Incidence and clinical characterisation of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusions in Basset Hounds compared with Dachshunds.

Background: The Basset Hound is the largest chondrodystrophic breed predisposed to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (TL-IVDE). However, literature describing this particular breed in terms of incidence, signalment, anatomical location, clinical severity and short-term outcome of TL-IVDE is lacking.

Methods: The medical histories of Dachshunds and Basset Hounds presenting to three neurology departments were retrospectively assessed.

Medial versus lateral transcondylar screw placement for canine humeral intracondylar fissures: A randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To determine the influence of screw direction on complications following transcondylar screw placement for the treatment of canine humeral intracondylar fissures (HIFs).

Study Design: Equivalence, parallel group, randomized clinical trial.

Sample Population: Fifty-two client owned dogs (73 elbows).

Identifying factors associated with UK veterinary nurse resignations through examination of veterinary practice data.

Background: This study aimed to identify demographic, practice and job-specific factors that are associated with veterinary nurses resigning from UK companion animal veterinary practices.

Methods: Employment data from nurses working across a group of practices at the end of 2020 were included. Nurses were categorised into those who remained at, or resigned from, their practice in 2021.

The value of routine radiographic follow up in the postoperative management of canine medial patellar luxation.

Objective: To determine the influence of radiographic examination on the recommendations made at the time of planned re-evaluation of dogs after medial patellar luxation (MPL) surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective multi-institutional case series.

Animals: Client-owned dogs (N = 825) that underwent MPL surgery.

Clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of canine malignant mesothelioma: A retrospective study of 34 cases.

Canine malignant mesothelioma (CMM) is a rare and aggressive tumour associated with a poor prognosis. Limited information is available regarding effective treatment options and prognostic factors. The purpose of this retrospective case series was to describe the clinical presentation, treatment and survival in a cohort of dogs with this disease and to investigate possible prognostic factors.

Machine-learning based prediction of Cushing's syndrome in dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practice.

Cushing's syndrome is an endocrine disease in dogs that negatively impacts upon the quality-of-life of affected animals. Cushing's syndrome can be a challenging diagnosis to confirm, therefore new methods to aid diagnosis are warranted. Four machine-learning algorithms were applied to predict a future diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, using structured clinical data from the VetCompass programme in the UK.

Development and internal validation of a prediction tool to aid the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome in dogs attending primary-care practice.

Background: Novel methods to aid identification of dogs with spontaneous Cushing's syndrome are warranted to optimize case selection for diagnostics, avoid unnecessary testing, and ultimately aid decision-making for veterinarians.

Hypothesis/objectives: To develop and internally validate a prediction tool for dogs receiving a diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome using primary-care electronic health records.

Animals: Three hundred and ninety-eight dogs diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome and 541 noncase dogs, tested for but not diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome, from a cohort of 905 544 dogs attending VetCompass participating practices.

Development and evaluation of a health-related quality-of-life tool for dogs with Cushing's syndrome.

Background: Clinical signs and consequences of Cushing's syndrome are likely to impact upon a dog's life. Quantification of this impact on a dog's health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) could contribute to optimized disease management.

Hypothesis/objectives: To develop a novel HRQoL tool to aid assessment of dogs with Cushing's syndrome and to evaluate factors that impact upon dogs living with this disease.