The new SPI2 objectively stratified clinical patients into groups according to severity of disease. This index could provide an important tool for clinical research.

Objective To report summative data from the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) registry. Design Multi-institutional veterinary trauma registry data report Setting VetCOT identified veterinary trauma centers (VTCs) Animals Dogs and cats with evidence of trauma presented to VTCs with data entered in the VetCOT trauma registry September 1, 2013 – March 31, 2017 Interventions VetCOT created a standardized data collection methodology for dog and cat trauma. Data was input to a web-based data capture system (REDCap) by data entry personnel trained in data software use and operational definitions of data variables. Data on demographics, trauma type (blunt versus penetrating), pre-admission care, hospitalization and intensive care requirement, trauma severity assessment at presentation (e.g., modified Glasgow coma scale [MGCS] and animal trauma triage [ATT] score), key laboratory parameters, necessity for surgical intervention and case outcome were collected. Summary descriptive data for each species are reported. Measurements and main results Twenty-nine VTCs in North America. Europe, and Australia contributed information from17,335 dog and 3,425 cat trauma cases during the 42-months reporting period. A large majority of cases presented directly to the VTC after injury (80.4% dogs, 78.1% cats). Blunt trauma was the most common source for injury in cats (56.7%); penetrating trauma was the most common source for injury in dogs (52.3%). 43.8% of dogs and 36.2% of cats were reported to have surgery performed. The proportion surviving to discharge were 92.0% (dogs) and 82.5% (cats). Conclusions The VetCOT registry proved to be a powerful resource for collection of a large dataset on trauma in dogs and cats seen at VTCs. While overall survival to discharge was quite high, further evaluation of data on subsets of injury types, patient assessment parameters, interventions and associated outcome are warranted.

Magnesium is a divalent cation involved in more than 300 metabolic processes. Magnesium acts as an intracellular regulator of most energy-demanding pathways. Clinical investigation in the human medical field has determined risk factors for hypomagnesemia and its relationship to a number of disease processes. Experimental studies have established the effects of hypomagnesemia in dogs, but little is known of its prevalence, risk factors, or clinical associations in a hospital population of dogs. To study the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical associations of hypomagnesemia in dogs, a retrospective cross-sectional study of dogs admitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital over a 2.5-year period was undertaken. The prevalence of hypomagnesemia in the study population was 6.1% (188 of 3,102 dogs). Using both categorical and continuous variables in a univariate analysis, significant associations with hypomagnesemia were identified and used to construct a multivariate analysis of the relative risk of hypomagnesemia. Results from evaluation of 3,102 dogs indicate that the most significant predictors of hypomagnesemia were albumin (P 5 .0001; odds ratio [OR] = 0.2), potassium ( P 5 ,0001; OR = O S ) , total CO,(P 5 .05; OR = 0.9), and blood urea nitrogen concentrations ( P < .0001; OR = 0.9). a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease ( P < .02; OR = 1.9); and being a Collie (P < .02; OR = 3.9) or German Shepherd Dog (P < ,002; OR = 2.2). These results can be used to better understand and predict hypomagnesemia in dogs.Keywords: Dogs; Electrolyte; Magnesium.econd to potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) is the most S abundant intracellular cati0n.l Mg is involved in more than 300 metabolic processes including oxidative phosphorylation, ion transport, deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acid metabolism, and protein synthesis.l These metabolic associations make Mg essential to basic energy-demanding processes such as neuromuscular excitation, muscular contraction, and cell membrane permeability.2 Mg is primarily an intracellular cation; only 1% exists in the extracellular compartment. Approximately 45% of extracellular Mg is bound to protein or complexed as salts, and the remaining 55% is free (ionized).l Measurement of the free fraction of serum Mg can be accomplished with an ion-selective electrode or indirectly with ultrafiltration; otherwise routine analysis of serum includes both free and bound Mg.3-5 Severe total body Mg depletion may exist in the face of normal serum Mg concentration6; however, low serum Mg concentration implies a moderate to severe total body Mg deficiency.6-8 Given the distribution and role of Mg in the regulation of intracellular processes, measurement of serum Mg may be of questionable ~a l u e .~,~ Measurement of intracellular Mg more accurately estimates total body Mg concentration; however, the methodologies required for intracellular Mg measurement are time-consuming, expensive, and not readily available in most clinical setting~.',~-" Clinical improvement after Mg administration...

This study evaluated the effect of butorphanol tartrate, a synthetic opioid agonist-antagonist, on halothane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) in dogs. Baseline halothane MAC was determined in each of six dogs. Butorphanol was administered and halothane MAC was redetermined. Each dog received butorphanol at 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 mg/kg intravenously at 1 week intervals. Heart rate and arterial blood pressure decreased after butorphanol administration, but returned to baseline by 50 minutes. There was little effect on respiratory parameters. A halothane-sparing effect was not noted with any butorphanol dose.

The use of retrobulbar block in conjunction with general anesthesia was evaluated in the horse. A prospective study of 12 cases fulfilling criteria for application of retrobulbar block was compared to a retrospective survey of 25 cases (control group) in which retrobulbar block was not performed. Retrobulbar block was done using a modified Peterson technique and 2% lidocaine HCI without epinephrine. In the control group, four horses exhibited signs compatible with initiation of the oculocardiac reflex; three horses developed bradyarrhythmias and hypotension during global traction related to enucleation, and cardiac arrest occurred in one horse during cataract extraction. In the retrobulbar block group, one horse developed bradyarrhythmia subsequent to retrobulbar block.PHTHALMIC PROCEDURES have increased in so-0 phistication in the horse. Congenital anomalies,