The objective of this study was to verify the applicability of B-mode ultrasonography, ARFI elastography and CEUS in the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and its Stages in dogs. 24 healthy dogs and 28 with CKD were included. In B-mode, the echogenicity, echotexture and cortico-medullary ratio of the kidneys were verified. By elastography, the shear-wave velocity of the cortical (SWVcort) and medullary (SWVmed) regions were determined and tissue deformity was evaluated. Wash-in, wash-out and peak enhancement (TPic) of the contrast in the renal parenchyma were calculated and homogeneity, presence of filling gaps and distinction of filling phases were evaluated by CEUS. Changes in echogenicity, echotexture and cortico-medullary ratio were observed only in sick patients. There was an increase in SWVcort in CKD, with a cutoff point >2.91m/s. Healthy kidneys were non-deformable and 25% had changes in gray scales. There was an increase in wash-in and TPic, changes in filling characteristics, filling failures and difficulty in distinguishing between the Stages in CEUS in CKD. It was found that dogs with CKD 2, 3 and 4 had greater SWVcort and wash-in values than CKD 1. Elastographic and CEUS changes were observed in dogs with CKD, demonstrating the applicability of ultrasonographic techniques in their diagnosis.

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RESUMO O presente trabalho utilizou oito pulmões de tamanduá-bandeira (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), jovens e adultos, de ambos os sexos, provenientes do Setor de Atendimento Clínico Cirúrgico de Animais Selvagens (SACCAS), do Hospital Veterinário "Dr. Halim Atique"( Unirp, localizado na cidade de São José do Rio Preto, estado de São Paulo. Os animais foram encaminhados ao Laboratório de Anatomia Veterinária, onde se procedeu à separação dos órgãos, à lavagem em água corrente e à retirada do excesso de sangue, para serem fixados em formol a 10%. Após a fixação dos pulmões, estes foram dissecados para identificar os segmentos. Os animais apresentaram lobação pulmonar à direita em cranial, médio, caudal e acessório, sendo o lobo cranial dividido em partes cranial e caudal. A lobação pulmonar à esquerda apresentou cranial e caudal em 100% dos animais. Por sua vez, o lobo cranial, em 87,5%, dividiu-se em partes cranial e caudal, e em 12,5% não houve divisão. O pulmão direito apresentou maior tamanho do que o pulmão esquerdo. A árvore brônquica apresentou os brônquios principais direito e esquerdo, os quais se ramificam em brônquios lobares, que dão origem aos segmentos bronquiopulmonares. Em relação à segmentação bronquiopulmonar, foram observadas, à direita, de 14 (12,5%) a 18 segmentos (25%) e, à esquerda, de 10 (25%) a 30 segmentos (12,5%).

The goal of this study was to describe and compare B mode and elastographic characteristics of the pectineus muscle of healthy dogs with dysplastic dogs. Thirty-one dogs (62 limbs) with hip dysplasia and 17 nondysplastic dogs (34 limbs) were evaluated. The hip dysplasia score was defined according to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Using B mode, echotexture and echogenicity of different regions of the pectineus muscle were evaluated. By means of ARFI elastography, qualitative (elastogram) and quantitative (shear wave velocity) tissue stiffness was assessed. B mode findings demonstrated a hyperechoic and heterogeneous pattern of the pectineus tissue in dogs with hip dysplasia, with compromised muscular delimitation and loss of its normal sonographic appearance, indicating the disease (P < 0.001). In the elastogram, it was observed that dogs with hip dysplasia showed less deformable pectineus muscle, with red colors (rigid). In quantitative evaluation, the different regions evaluated presented similar shear wave velocities; in dysplastic patients, shear wave velocities were higher compared to nondysplastic animals, with values higher than 2.85 m/s being strong indicators of the disease. Values of shear wave velocity were also influenced by the grade of dysplasia and age of the patients; however, there was no correlation with the depth of the evaluated area or body weight. It was concluded that pectineus muscle in dogs with hip dysplasia presents B mode and elastographic changes when compared to normal animals, demonstrating that these techniques might aid the evaluation of diseased dogs.

Habitat loss is the main threat to biodiversity conservation worldwide. Some species may be particularly susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and the isolation of populations. The impacts of human activity on wild animal populations may be understood through relationships between individual genetic data and spatial landscape variables, particularly when considering local population dynamics influenced by fragmented habitats. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the population structure and genetic diversity of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) using an individual sampling scheme (ISS) on a regional geographic scale. Data were collected from 41 specimens from twenty different locations in São Paulo State, Brazil, and six polymorphic microsatellite loci were genotyped. Our results indicate that barriers to gene flow exist and have segregated individuals of the farther away areas into two spatially structured clusters. The populations were also found to have high genetic diversity. The experimental sampling approach used herein enabled an analysis of the population dynamics of the giant anteater on a regional scale, as well as the identification of priority populations for genetic resource conservation for this species. The results reflect the need for adequate management plans. The efficacy of the sampling scheme may vary based on the study model used, but we argue that the use of an ISS combined with suitable molecular markers and statistical methods may serve as an important tool for initial analyses of threatened or vulnerable species, particularly in anthropized regions where populations are small or hard to characterize.