We investigated the clinical features of seven cases of copper-associated hepatitis in Dalmatians that occurred in Japan. The average age of the onset of all cases was 22 months old, and these cases commonly developed non-specific symptoms of anorexia and weight loss, accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. Polydipsia was observed in four cases, and jaundice was in two most advanced cases. All the cases showed marked increases in blood concentrations of liver enzymes, including alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). Diagnostic imaging of abdominal cavity showed no abnormal findings. Histopathological examinations of the liver in three cases revealed multifocal necrosis of hepatocytes and chronic hepatitis with severe copper accumulation in hepatocytes. Quantitative analysis of the copper level of the liver specimen of these three cases showed severe copper accumulation of more than 10,000 μg/g. Clinical symptoms and blood liver enzyme concentrations were improved after administering oral copper-chelating agents of penicillamine in two cases. Based on these results, this disease should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses for young Dalmatians showing gastrointestinal symptoms and severely increased blood concentrations of liver enzymes, and appropriate diagnostic modalities and treatment methods should be taken.

This case was an 8-year-old female cat (6.6 kg, altered) with renal failure caused by ureteral obstruction of the right kidney with calcium oxalate stones. The cat underwent 50-month evaluation of renal function after placement of a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) system. Pyelectasis and ureteral dilatation of the right kidney were confirmed, but it was difficult to identify the site of obstruction by stones because the kidney and urinary duct were buried in fat due to obesity. Thus, we chose to place a SUB system in the right kidney and the bladder. In addition, since there were stones in the renal pelvis and ureter, and an artifact was buried, there was a need to prevent obstruction of the catheter by stones and urinary tract infection; therefore, the SUB system catheter was cleaned on a regular basis. However, obstruction of the catheter progressed due to urinary calculus caused by long-term placement of the SUB system, and thus, the system was replaced. The subsequent prognosis was favorable, but peritoneal dialysis was performed because blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and plasma creatinine levels elevated again. Since there was a transient decrease of BUN and plasma creatinine levels, peritoneal dialysis for chronic renal failure was a stopgap treatment. BUN and plasma creatinine levels continued to be high, but the symptoms were stable when the plasma inorganic phosphorus level was low. However, plasma inorganic phosphorus gradually increased, despite the absence of large changes in BUN and plasma creatinine levels. The cat subsequently showed changes in physical conditions and died suddenly. This case suggests that inorganic phosphorus in blood plasma might affect prognosis more than the plasma creatinine level in the absence of an influence of muscle mass.

This study investigated the prevalence of hypotension during hepatic mass resection and the clinical efficacy of tetrastarch solution (TS) for intraoperative hypotension in dogs. Patients from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of our university were enrolled. Twenty-five client-owned dogs scheduled for hepatic mass resection were included based on complete anesthetic records. Intraoperative hypotension occurred in all dogs, which were first treated with dopamine. In 16 dogs, hypotension continued even after dopamine administration, and TS was administered. The hypotension improved after TS administration in 11 dogs (69%). However, five (31%) dogs did not recover from the hypotension after TS administration and needed extra vasoconstrictors such as ephedrine or norepinephrine. Our data demonstrate that the infusion of TS may serve as an option to treat persistent intraoperative hypotension after dopamine administration in dogs if the loss of intravascular volume is moderated during hepatic mass resection.