Immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. IMHA also occurs in cats, although less commonly. IMHA is considered secondary when it can be attributed to an underlying disease, and as primary (idiopathic) if no cause is found. Eliminating diseases that cause IMHA may attenuate or stop immune‐mediated erythrocyte destruction, and adverse consequences of long‐term immunosuppressive treatment can be avoided. Infections, cancer, drugs, vaccines, and inflammatory processes may be underlying causes of IMHA. Evidence for these comorbidities has not been systematically evaluated, rendering evidence‐based decisions difficult. We identified and extracted data from studies published in the veterinary literature and developed a novel tool for evaluation of evidence quality, using it to assess study design, diagnostic criteria for IMHA, comorbidities, and causality. Succinct evidence summary statements were written, along with screening recommendations. Statements were refined by conducting 3 iterations of Delphi review with panel and task force members. Commentary was solicited from several professional bodies to maximize clinical applicability before the recommendations were submitted. The resulting document is intended to provide clinical guidelines for diagnosis of, and underlying disease screening for, IMHA in dogs and cats. These should be implemented with consideration of animal, owner, and geographical factors.

HistoryA 2-year-old sexually intact male mixed-breed dog was evaluated because of signs of depressed mentation and occasional vomiting and large bowel diarrhea with mucus and frank blood of 1 month' s duration. The dog also had anorexia of 3 days' duration. The dog' s vaccination status was current, and it had no other notable medical history. Clinical, Cytologic, and Gross FindingsOn physical examination, the dog was lethargic; signs of depressed mentation, tachypnea (60 breaths/min), and tachycardia (160 beats/min) were noted. The dog had defecated soft feces admixed with mucus and frank blood in the clinic lobby. During blood sample collection, excessive bleeding occurred at venipuncture sites. A CBC revealed no abnormalities other than mild neutrophilia (11,703 cells/ µL; reference range, 2,060 to 10,600 cells/µL). The automated platelet count was low (50,000 platelets/µL; reference range, 170,000 to 400,000 platelets/µL), but platelet clumps were present; the estimated platelet count was deemed adequate. Serum biochemical abnormalities included azotemia (BUN concentration, 95 mg/dL [reference range, 6 to 25 mg/dL]; creatinine concentration, 5.5 mg/dL [reference range, 0.5 to 1.6 mg/dL]), hypercalcemia (16.7 mg/dL; reference range, 8.9 to 11.4 mg/dL), and hyperphos-

ZusammenfassungDie systemische Hypertension ist eine bei Hunden und Katzen zunehmend diagnostizierte Erkrankung, die häufig im Zusammenhang mit einer chronischen Nierenerkrankung auftritt. Zu den wichtigen Zielen bei der Behandlung solcher Patienten gehört, eine Schädigung von Organen wie Nieren, Gehirn, Herz und Augen zu verhindern. Dieser Artikel fasst die Empfehlungen für eine antihypertensive Therapie bei Hunden und Katzen zusammen, die an einer Nierenerkrankung leiden oder bei denen ein Risiko dafür besteht. Erläutert werden dabei auch die Einleitung der Behandlung sowie die aktuell empfohlene Medikation.

Objective: To describe the successful treatment of lethal dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) toxicosis using hemodialysis.Case Summary: A 4-month-old intact female Golden Retriever was presented to the emergency department after ingesting 20 g of 5% 5-FU cream. The puppy developed refractory seizures and became comatose with uncontrolled tonic-clonic convulsions.Because of the low molecular weight and minimal protein binding of 5-FU, a single hemodialysis treatment was employed for detoxification. The puppy improved clinically posttreatment and was successfully discharged 3 days after admission.Postingestion leukopenia and neutropenia occurred but were responsive to treatment with filgrastim. The puppy is neurologically normal and has no lasting effects 1 year postingestion.