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Objective: To describe the technique and outcomes of laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) in cats with adrenocortical neoplasia.Study design: Retrospective case series.Animals: Eleven client-owned cats with unilateral adrenal tumors.Methods: Medical records of cats that underwent LA for unilateral functional adrenal tumors at 3 veterinary teaching hospitals were reviewed. Data collected included signalment, clinical signs, physical examination findings, diagnostic imaging results, preoperative laboratory tests, laparoscopic port placement and techniques, duration of anesthesia and surgery, complications, concomitant procedures, need for conversion to an open celiotomy, histopathological diagnosis, and postoperative survival.Results: Eleven cats were included, 5 with right-sided and 6 with left-sided tumors. Tumors were aldosterone-secreting (n 5 8), progesterone-secreting (n 5 2), or testosterone-secreting (n 5 1). Adrenalectomy was successfully performed in all 11 cats although 4 cases required conversion to an open celiotomy, due to poor visualization (n 5 2), close adherence of the tumor to the caudal vena cava (n 5 1), and inability to maintain adequate pneumoperitoneum (n 5 1). Ten of the 11 cats were discharged from the hospital, with a median survival time of 803 days (range 467-1123 days). One cat died from severe pancreatitis and cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Conclusion:Adrenalectomy can be performed in cats via laparoscopy but is technically challenging, and associated with a relatively high conversion rate (36%).

Background: Alternative insulin preparations are needed when NPH insulin is ineffective in diabetic dogs. This study evaluated the efficacy of recombinant human protamine zinc insulin (rhPZI) for treating diabetic dogs.Hypothesis: rhPZI is effective for treating diabetic dogs. Animals: Six newly diagnosed and 11 insulin-treated diabetic dogs. Methods: Prospective clinical trial. Dogs were treated with rhPZI for 60 days. Control of glycemia was assessed on days 7, 14, 30, and 60 by evaluation of history, physical examination, body weight, serum fructosamine concentration, and blood glucose concentrations measured before and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours after rhPZI administration. Adjustments in dosage of rhPZI were made as needed to control glycemia.Results: rhPZI administration resulted in a significant decrease in 10-hour mean blood glucose (MBG 10h ; 299 ± 115 versus 457 ± 38 mg/dL, X ± SD, P = .0003) and serum fructosamine (478 ± 83 versus 557 ± 104 lmol/L, P = .006) concentration at day 60, compared with day 1, respectively. By day 60, polyuria and polydipsia had improved in 14, body weight was stable or increased in 16, MBG 10h had decreased in 16, and serum fructosamine concentration had decreased in 11 of 17 dogs, compared with day 1. Hypoglycemia (<80 mg/dL) was the only consistent adverse event.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: rhPZI is effective in diabetic dogs and can be considered as an alternative treatment in diabetic dogs that are poorly controlled using other insulin preparations.

BackgroundGastroesophageal reflux (GER) is poorly characterized in anesthetized cats, but can cause aspiration pneumonia, esophagitis, and esophageal stricture formation.ObjectiveTo determine whether pre‐anesthetic orally administered omeprazole increases gastric and esophageal pH and increases serum gastrin concentrations in anesthetized cats, and to determine the prevalence of GER using combined multichannel impedance and pH monitoring.AnimalsTwenty‐seven healthy cats undergoing elective dental procedures.MethodsProspective, double‐masked, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical trial. Cats were randomized to receive 2 PO doses of omeprazole (1.45–2.20 mg/kg) or an empty gelatin capsule placebo 18–24 hours and 4 hours before anesthetic induction. Blood for measurement of serum gastrin concentration was collected during anesthetic induction. An esophageal pH/impedance catheter was utilized to continuously measure esophageal pH and detect GER throughout anesthesia.ResultsMean gastric pH in the cats that received omeprazole was 7.2 ± 0.4 (range, 6.6–7.8) and was significantly higher than the pH in cats that received the placebo 2.8 ± 1.0 (range, 1.3–4.1; P < .001). Omeprazole administration was not associated with a significant increase in serum gastrin concentration (P = .616). Nine of 27 cats (33.3%) had ≥1 episode of GER during anesthesia.Conclusions and Clinical RelevancePre‐anesthetic administration of 2 PO doses of omeprazole at a dosage of 1.45–2.20 mg/kg in cats was associated with a significant increase in gastric and esophageal pH within 24 hours, but was not associated with a significant increase in serum gastrin concentration. Prevalence of reflux events in cats during anesthesia was similar to that of dogs during anesthesia.

Gastrointestinal (GI) pythiosis is a severe and often fatal disease in dogs that traditionally has been poorly responsive to medical treatment. Although aggressive surgical resection with wide margins is the most consistently effective treatment, lesion location and extent often preclude complete resection. Recently, it has been suggested that the addition of anti‐inflammatory doses of corticosteroids may improve outcome in dogs with nonresectable GI pythiosis. This report describes 3 dogs with colonic pythiosis in which complete resolution of clinical signs, regression of colonic masses, and progressive decreases in serological titers were observed after treatment with itraconazole, terbinafine, and corticosteroids. This treatment protocol represents a promising treatment for dogs with GI pythiosis in which surgical intervention is not feasible.