Twenty-two cases of feline histoplasmosis seen at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital between 1986 and 2009 were reviewed. The median age of affected cats was 9 yr (mean, 8.8 yr). Female domestic shorthairs were more commonly affected. The clinical presentation of most cases was nonspecific. The most common presenting complaints included weakness, lymphadenopathy, weight loss, and anorexia. Less frequent clinical signs included vomiting, diarrhea, blindness, and lameness. Less than half of the cats had clinical evidence of pulmonary disease on admission. Anemia and hypoalbuminemia were common laboratory abnormalities. An interstitial pattern was the most common radiographic pattern observed with pulmonary disease. Diagnosis was based on identification of the organism on cytology or histopathology. Fifteen of the 22 cats were treated, and itraconazole was the most common antifungal agent prescribed. Median duration of the antifungal treatment was 5 mo for cats that survived to discharge. Overall survival at time of discharge for cats in this study was 55%.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of sedation or general anesthesia (GA) on elbow goniometry and thoracic limb circumference (TLC) measurements in dogs with elbow osteoarthritis (OA). Study design: Prospective study. Animals: Twenty-four client-owned dogs with radiographically confirmed elbow OA. Methods: Elbow goniometry and TLC measurements were made before and after either sedation or GA by using a hand-held goniometer and spring tension measuring tape, respectively. Observers were not allowed to review their presedation or pre-GA measurements at the time of obtaining measurements on dogs under sedation or GA. Mixed analysis of variance models were used to compare elbow goniometry and TLC measurements before and after sedation or GA. Results: Eleven and thirteen dogs were included in the sedation and GA groups, respectively. Mean elbow flexion decreased by 5 and 3 and mean elbow extension increased by 6 and 2 under sedation and GA, respectively. Total range of motion increased by 11 under sedation and by 5 under GA. Each of these changes was statistically significant (P < .05) except elbow extension under GA (P = .129). Sedation and GA did not influence TLC measurements (P > .05). Conclusion: Sedation or GA led to slight and similar increase in elbow flexion and extension but did not influence TLC measurements in dogs with elbow OA.

OBJECTIVE To compare urinalysis results for canine urine samples stored in preservative-containing tubes at room temperature (20°C to 25°C [68°F to 77°F]) or refrigerated at 4°C (39.2°F) in plain glass tubes with results for the same samples immediately after collection. SAMPLES Urine samples from 20 healthy dogs. PROCEDURES Urine samples (1/dog) were divided into 6 aliquots (3 in preservative-containing tubes and 3 in plain glass tubes). Preservative-containing tubes were stored at room temperature and plain glass tubes were refrigerated. Urinalysis was performed 0, 24, and 72 hours after collection. Results for both storage conditions were compared with results for a reference sample (the 0-hour [immediate post-collection] aliquot in a plain glass tube) by Spearman correlation analysis with pairwise tests for selected variables. RESULTS Physical variables (urine color and turbidity with and without centrifugation) for both storage conditions had high (rs = 0.7 to 0.9) or very high (rs = 0.9 to 1.0) degrees of positive correlation with reference sample results at all time points, except for color at 24 hours. Similar results were found for all biochemical variables with storage up to 72 hours. For microscopic characteristics, correlation with reference sample results ranged from low or nonsignificant to very high under both storage conditions. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that if a delay in urinalysis is expected, use of the preservative-containing tubes evaluated in this study may be a viable option for sample storage. Further research is warranted to assess direct comparability of results to those of freshly collected samples and use of these tubes to store samples from dogs with conditions affecting the urinary tract.

Objective To determine the influence of orthopedic examination on numerical rating score (NRS) and visual analog score (VAS) when scoring lameness in dogs with elbow osteoarthritis (OA) and to evaluate interobserver and intraobserver agreement in NRS and VAS on the basis of video‐graphic gait analysis. Design Prospective blinded study. Animals Eighteen client‐owned dogs with radiographically confirmed elbow OA. Methods Videos were obtained for all dogs at a walk and at a trot both prior to and immediately after orthopedic examination. All videos were randomly sequenced. Six observers, unaware of the timing of the video, independently assigned both NRS and VAS twice, with at least a 2‐week interval. Scores were evaluated with mixed analysis of variance, and the agreement among observers was accessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results No difference was detected between NRS and VAS at walk or at trot before and after orthopedic examination. Numeric rating score and VAS at walk were lower than those at trot before an orthopedic examination by scores of 0.17 (P = .0018) and 3.54 (P = .0019), respectively. The ICC for both scores for all observers was >0.9. Conclusion An orthopedic examination did not exacerbate the NRS and the VAS for dogs with elbow OA. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was high for both lameness scores. Clinical significance Lameness may be scored after gait evaluation in dogs with elbow OA irrespective of the timing of a comprehensive orthopedic examination.