Table of Contents and Abstracts

Brachycephalic ocular syndrome (BOS) is a complex condition resulting from craniofacial anatomy, predisposing affected animals to various ocular surface diseases. Data describing ocular disorders in both brachycephalic cats and dogs from Türkiye are limited. This case series included 40 brachycephalic animals (30 cats, 10 dogs) presented to the Surgery Clinic of Aksaray University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine between December 2022 and May 2024. All animals underwent ophthalmic examinations, including Schirmer Tear Test-1 (STT-1), tear film break-up time (TFBUT), and fluorescein staining. In dogs, keratoconjunctivitis sicca and corneal ulcer were the most common diagnoses (n = 5 each), whereas bacterial conjunctivitis (n = 19) and corneal ulcer (n = 10) predominated in cats. A moderate negative correlation was identified between age and STT-1 values in dogs (r = -0.636; P = 0.048), and a positive correlation was observed between STT-1 and TFBUT in both species. These findings indicate that BOS-related ocular disorders are prevalent in brachycephalic breeds, and routine ophthalmic screening, including STT-1 and fluorescein testing, may facilitate early diagnosis and timely intervention.

The objective of this study, which is part of a retrospective case series, was to report on single-session, minimally invasive thoracic duct ligation (TDL), cisterna chyli ablation (CCA), and partial pericardiectomy (PPE) for dogs with chylothorax. A total of 9 client-owned dogs with chylothorax participated in the study. A right-sided or bilateral thoracoscopic and left-flank laparoscopic approach was carried out in sternal recumbency for TDL and CCA, respectively. Subsequent partial pericardiectomy was done thoracoscopically via a paraxiphoidal approach. Combined (TDL, CCA, and PPE), minimally invasive treatment was successful in all cases. Intraoperative complications mostly occurred during the PPE phase and all were managed without long-term sequalae. Seven of 9 cases had resolution of chylothorax after the surgical procedures. Two dogs had persistent chylothorax and were euthanized. A dog with concomitant atrial fibrillation was euthanized 140 d post-operatively because of severe abdominal effusion. During short-term follow-up, 2/6 cases received limited additional drainage events for non-chylous effusion. Long-term follow-up revealed late recurrence of chylothorax in 1 dog. Median survival time was 183 d (range: 3 to 2051 d) post-operatively. Minimally invasive treatment using TDL, PPE, and CCA was feasible by a single-session, combined procedure, seemingly without significant treatment-related complications. Several cases had excellent long-term outcomes. Minimally invasive, combined TDL, CCA, and PPE is feasible as treatment of chylothorax, with excellent long-term outcomes possible. However, larger clinical cohorts must be studied to assess additional benefits of the combined treatment and the clinical effect of CCA.

Client-owned dogs (N = 127) were divided into 3 categories: those with postliminary meniscal tears, those with no meniscal tears for a minimum of 2 y post-tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), and those with meniscal tears at the time of TPLO. The latter 2 groups were randomly selected using a random-number generator. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between variables. Post-hoc power was calculated. The objective was to identify risk factors leading to meniscal tears at time of TPLO and postliminary meniscal tears. Forty-four out of the 2158 cases 44 (2%) were identified as having postliminary meniscal tears following TPLO surgery. For each increase in year of age, there was a 23.9% decrease in odds of having an initial meniscal tear. Each additional kilogram of body weight increased the odds of an initial meniscal tear by 2.7%. Preoperative tibial plateau angle (TPA) and postoperative TPA did not reach statistical significance. Postliminary meniscal tear incidence was 2.0%. Weight and age were statistically significant in contributing to meniscal tears at the time of TPLO. Only blade size was a statistically significant factor in contribution to postliminary meniscal tears.

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is an important pathogen in the feces of adult horses and foals. It can be clinically diagnosed using several testing methods, including culture isolation and, more commonly, direct toxin gene detection from feces using molecular methods. The importance of monitoring C. difficile shedding in foals or dams during hospitalization remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of C. difficile fecal shedding in mare-foal pairs and to compare detection using isolation and a commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for toxin A and B genes in feces. Foals and their mares admitted to a veterinary hospital were enrolled in the study and their fecal samples were tested for C. difficile toxin A and B genes using qPCR and by culture using selective media. A total of 66 mare-foal pairs was included. Overall, C. difficile fecal qPCR for toxin A and B genes was positive in 29/132 samples from mares and foals and all positive samples originated from foal fecal samples (29/66). A total of 95 samples were negative on both testing modalities (61 mares and 34 foals) and 24 samples were positive on both tests (24 foals). Eight samples (5 mares and 3 foals) were culture positive and qPCR negative, although all of the culture isolates were positive for A and B genes on subsequent conventional PCR testing. Five samples were positive for toxin genes using qPCR and negative using culture. The most common ribotype detected was 078. Two mare-foal pairs cultured positive, of which one pair shared the same ribotype.