SummaryThe goal of this study was to determine the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in a large canine population. Patient information was obtained from clinical cases contributed to the Veterinary Medical Data Base (VMDB) by 16 veterinary teaching hospitals during the ten year period of 1980 through 1989. The relative contribution of bone diseases, joint diseases, and muscle-tendon-unit diseases was determined, and the incidence of each musculoskeletal disease reported.Nearly 24% of all patients in the source population had been affected by a disorder of the musculoskeletal system, and over 70% of those diagnoses involved appendicular structures. Diseases of joints, ligaments, and related structures contributed more cases (47%) to this study than diseases of bones (39%) or muscle-tendon-units (14%). Fractures made up the largest disease category, with pelvic fractures most common, followed by femoral fractures, and fractures of the radius and/or ulna. Joint instability and degenerative joint dis-ease were also common diagnosis categories, affecting primarily the hip and stifle joints. Common specific dis-ease entities included hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament rupture, traumatic hip luxation and patellar luxation.In this study we provided a comprehensive analysis of the canine musculoskeletal system. The relative importance of joint disorders compared to those of bones and muscle-tendon-units was illustrated. The incidence of most of the disorders described in this report had not been well documented previously.Patient information was obtained from the clinical cases of 16 veterinary teaching hospitals during a 10-year period. The number of dogs with musculoskeletal disorders was determined. The absolute and relative contribution of bone diseases, joint diseases, and muscle-tendon-unit diseases is reported as well as the incidence of the specific disease entities affecting the canine appendicular musculoskeletal system.

Nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance are topics that have been intensely studied in human medicine because of their significant impact on human health. In recent years, concerns have been raised that the use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, and agriculture may be contributing to the development of resistance in common bacterial species affecting human beings. Although there is inadequate proof at this time that the resistance is transmitted from animals to people, if antibiotics continue to be used indiscriminately in veterinary medicine, veterinarians may find themselves facing regulations restricting the use of some antibiotics. Nosocomial infections have been reported in veterinary medicine and are likely to increase in prevalence with the increase in intensive care practices in many hospitals. Prolonged hospitalization and the use of invasive devices and procedures increase the risk of nosocomial disease. As in human medicine, organisms isolated in the nosocomial infections reported in veterinary patients have an increasingly broad spectrum of antimicrobial resistance. Despite these findings, the use of empiric and prophylactic antibiotic therapy is still widespread in veterinary medicine. Nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance may have a serious impact on the future of [table: see text] veterinary medicine, because the cost and ability to treat our patients may be affected by the loss of access to or effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs. Despite the millions of dollars spent on research to reduce the incidence of nosocomial infections in human patients, the strategies that have consistently proven successful are simple and inexpensive to implement. The most important factor in preventing nosocomial infections is improving the hygiene practices of health care providers. Hand-washing or the use of disposable gloves can dramatically reduce the transmission of bacteria between patients. Aseptic technique should be used in the placement and management of all invasive devices. All staff members should be educated on the risks and symptoms associated with nosocomial infections so that cases can be detected early and treated appropriately. We in the veterinary profession have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of the human medical profession and can take steps to prevent the escalation of nosocomial infections and their impact on our profession.

In this population of clinically healthy cats, median (interquartile range) IAP taken over all measurements was 7.00 cm H(2)O (5.23-8.83 cm H(2)O). There was no statistical difference between observers or subject gender. Factors associated with a statistically significant increase in IAP were right lateral compared with sternal recumbency (P=0.002), being awake compared with sedated (P<0.001), having a higher body condition score (P=0.01 and 0.001), instillation of a higher volume of saline into the bladder for measurement (P<0.001), and struggling during awake measurements (P<0.001).

Identity sorting tasks, in which participants sort multiple naturally varying stimuli of usually two identities into perceived identities, have recently gained popularity in voice and face processing research. In both modalities, participants who are unfamiliar with the identities tend to perceive multiple stimuli of the same identity as different people and thus fail to “tell people together.” These similarities across modalities suggest that modality-general mechanisms may underpin sorting behaviour. In this study, participants completed a voice sorting and a face sorting task. Taking an individual differences approach, we asked whether participants’ performance on voice and face sorting of unfamiliar identities is correlated. Participants additionally completed a voice discrimination (Bangor Voice Matching Test) and a face discrimination task (Glasgow Face Matching Test). Using these tasks, we tested whether performance on sorting related to explicit identity discrimination. Performance on voice sorting and face sorting tasks was correlated, suggesting that common modality-general processes underpin these tasks. However, no significant correlations were found between sorting and discrimination performance, with the exception of significant relationships for performance on “same identity” trials with “telling people together” for voices and faces. Overall, any reported relationships were however relatively weak, suggesting the presence of additional modality-specific and task-specific processes.

Objective: To determine the accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS) using the Veterinary Bedside Lung Ultrasound Examination (VetBLUE) protocol and 3-view thoracic radiographs (TXR) compared to thoracic computed tomography (TCT) for diagnosing the presence and quantification of pulmonary contusions (PC).