Multilobular osteochondrosarcoma of the hard palate in a dog

A 14-year-old castrated male Rhodesian Ridgeback was presented with a history of sneezing and epistaxis. Diagnostic procedures included physical examination, regional and thoracic radiography, computed tomography and histological examination of an incisional biopsy. A multilobular osteochondrosarcoma of the hard palate with pulmonary metastases was diagnosed. Surgical resection of the primary tumour was achieved with clean margins and the defect was repaired using bilateral mucosal transposition flaps from the lips. Wound dehiscence and oesophageal stricture were postoperative complications, but these resolved with treatment. A long-term survival time of 14 months resulted, with good quality of life and function during this time.

Surgical resection of retrobulbar infiltrative lipomas in two dogs

Two dogs were presented for referral with nonpainful exophthalmia due to a retrobulbar mass. Incisional biopsies confirmed a histological diagnosis of infiltrative lipoma in both cases. Infiltrative lipomas are rare tumours of soft tissues and are invasive to adjacent tissue. Wide surgical resection is required to prevent local recurrence of the disease. Computed tomography of the head was performed in both cases to evaluate the extent of the masses and to plan surgical resection. Both dogs underwent a partial orbitectomy and were disease free 24 and 21 months later. The cosmetic appearance was good and both dogs maintained vision in the affected eyes.

Chondroblastoma in the carpus of a cat

A nine-year-old Siamese cat was presented with moderate lameness and a swelling over the left carpus. Histologic evaluation of a biopsy of the mass was consistent with a diagnosis of chondroblastoma. There was no evidence of metastatic disease or any other bony lesions on radiography. Forelimb amputation was successfully performed and the cat was in complete remission 20 months later.

Treatment of eight dogs with nasal tumours with a alternating doses of doxorubicin and carboplatin in conjunction with oral piroxicam

Objective To determine the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy in the treatment of canine nasal tumours. Design Retrospective clinical study Procedure Eight dogs with histologically confirmed nasal tumours were staged by means of complete blood count, serum biochemical analysis, cytological analysis of fine needle aspirate of the regional lymph nodes, thoracic radiographs and computed tomography scan of the nasal cavity. All dogs were treated with alternating doses of doxorubicin, carboplatin and oral piroxicam. All dogs were monitored for side effects of chemotherapy and evaluated for response to treatment by computed tomography scan of the nasal cavity after the first four treatments. Results Complete remission was achieved in four dogs, partial remission occurred in two dogs and two had stable disease on the basis of computed tomography evaluation. There was resolution of clinical signs after one to two doses of chemotherapy in all dogs. Conclusions This chemotherapy protocol was efficacious and well tolerated in this series of eight cases of canine nasal tumours.

Treatment of canine osteosarcoma with surgery, carboplatin, doxorubicin and piroxicam

Thirteen dogs with histologically confirmed osteosarcoma were treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. None of the dogs had evidence of metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. The chemotherapy protocol consisted of four cycles of doxorubicin (15mg/m(2)) and carboplatin (150-220mg/m(2)) intravenously every three weeks. Both cytotoxic agents were administered concurrently. Oral piroxicam was administered at a dose of 0.3mg/kg once daily for the duration of the protocol. The treatment protocol was well tolerated. Only four patients developed mild neutropaenia or self-limiting gastrointestinal signs. Median disease free interval and survival time were 210 days and 450 days respectively.

Soft tissue sarcomas in dogs: A study assessing surgical margin, tumour grade and clinical outcome

The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to quantify the surgical margin necessary to maximise local disease control for canine soft tissue sarcoma of various grades. This was achieved via gross and histopathologic studies. Fourteen dogs underwent surgical treatment for 15 localised, measurable, subcutaneous sarcomas. Surgery and histopathologic evaluation were performed to standardised protocols. Regular examinations for local recurrence and distant metastases were performed for at least 12 months postoperatively. One hundred percent local disease control was achieved with deep margins >10mm and 93% one year disease-free survival with wide margins (i.e. >10mm laterally and one fascial plane or >10mm in depth). There was one case of recurrence. Fascial planes appear to act as biological barriers to local tumour invasion but this protective effect may be overcome with high-grade lesions.

Canine intra-nasal squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemotherapy prior to surgical resection

A 12-year-old male castrated Samoyed dog was presented with left-sided epistaxis and sneezing. Diagnostic procedures included haematology and biochemistry testing, thoracic radiography, fine needle aspiration of regional lymph nodes, CT, rhinoscopy, incisional biopsy and histopathology. Squamous cell carcinoma of the rostral nasal cavity was diagnosed, with no evidence of metastatic disease. External beam radiation was not an accessible treatment option. Complete surgical resection of the tumour would have required a larger, more disfiguring resection of nasal planum and maxilla than the owner was prepared to accept and may have been associated with an unacceptable morbidity. As an alternative, the extent of disease was reduced using a combination of carboplatin, doxorubicin and piroxicam chemotherapy. This allowed a less extensive nasal planum removal to be performed to remove residual disease with clean margins. The patient achieved a 14 month disease free interval from the time of surgery to the time of local recurrence. Survival time from diagnosis to eventual euthanasia for progressive local disease was 18 months.

The effect of organic mulch amendments on the physical and chemical properties and revegetation success of a saline-sodic minespoil from central Queensland, Australia

Saline-sodic clay minespoil materials excavated during open-cut coal mining in central Queensland, Australia, pose significant challenges for revegetation, particularly where suitable topsoil capping is not available. We examined the ability of sawdust or straw mulch amendments to ameliorate the adverse properties of these minespoils and improve the success of revegetation efforts. In laboratory studies, mulch application improved infiltration, increased soil moisture retention and reduced surface crust strength. In the field, mulches incorporated to a depth of 0.15 m at application rates of at least 20 t/ha straw or 80 t/ha sawdust were needed to mitigate against capillary rise of salts during drying cycles and support satisfactory vegetation cover. Further research is needed to determine whether improvements are maintained beyond the 4-year trial period reported here.