Align-ju SCIENCE SHORTS
A rational approach to handling feline medical emergencies in small animal practice
USER-ALT Nicki Reed, Veterinary Specialists Scotland, Livingston, West Lothian, UK
Emergencies interrupt the normal workflow in busy veterinary practices and cause the diversion of resources away from routine cases. They require staff to make rapid assessments and decisions, which may be challenging if the condition is not encountered frequently. In a two-part series, the author offers guidance on handling particular types of emergency cases, and points out where different strategies are needed in caring for cats, compared with dogs. The first part discusses strategies for triage and the stabilisation of emergency patients before going on to the management of conditions such as shock, dyspnoea, feline aortic thromboembolism and anaemia. The second article focuses on seizures, urethral obstruction, acute kidney injury and diabetic ketoacidosis.
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery https:// doi. org / 10.1177 / 1098612X251411051 https:// doi. org / 10.1177 / 1098612X251411055
Comparison of oesophageal and intranasal temperatures in anaesthetised dogs
USER-ALT Brandi Lauer and others, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Monitoring body temperature is a vital element in the care of surgical patients and is usually done using rectal or oesophageal thermometers. The authors investigated the use of an intranasal thermometer as a less invasive method for measuring core temperature in anaesthetised dogs. They compared the measured values with those obtained using an oesophageal thermometer in 73 dogs undergoing elective surgery. Their results suggest that the intranasal method produced a mean temperature reading 0.2 ° C lower than those obtained using an oesophageal thermometer. However, they consider that these differences are clinically insignificant. Overall, they conclude that intranasal temperature measurement is a reasonable surrogate for monitoring core body temperature in dogs undergoing general anaesthesia.
Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / vec. 70101
Laser therapy as an adjunct treatment in feline dentistry
USER-ALT Ferda Turgut and others, Cukurova University, Adana, Türkiye
Periodontal disease, resulting in progressive loss of toothsupporting structures, is the most common oral disease in cats and a challenging condition to treat. Laser therapy has been shown to help heal the oral mucosa in cases of feline gingivostomatitis but there is little published evidence on its effectiveness in periodontal disease. The authors investigated the use of low-level laser therapy( LLLT), alone or in combination with chlorhexidine, in cats with early-stage disease that had received full-mouth scaling procedures. They report that the adjunctive laser therapy produced improvements in measures of gingival inflammation, plaque accumulation and periodontal pocket depth in these cats. There were also reductions in levels of systemic inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor and interleukin-6. Thus, LLLT appears to be a safe and effective adjunct in the management of gingival inflammation in cats.
American Journal of Veterinary Research https:// doi. org / 10.2460 / ajvr. 25.10.0385
Volume 41( 4) • August 2026
9