Proximal perineal urethrostomy technique for treatment of urethral stricture in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig

Urinary tract obstruction in pigs can be seen with anatomical abnormalities or as a complication following castration. The surgical techniques described in the pig are few and consist of prepubic urethrostomy, extrapelvic urethral or urethropreputial anastomosis. These techniques are complex and not free from complications. Aim of the study was to describe the technique used to perform a proximal perineal urethrostomy in a Vietnamese potbellied pig. A Vietnamese pot-bellied pig with urinary obstruction was referred for complications after prepubic cystostomy. Endoscopy showed a stricture at the junction of the membranous and penile portions of the urethra. A perineal urethrostomy was performed. Seven days later the cystostomy was closed. No complication was reported during the procedure and after surgery, with the exception of urine induced dermatitis. Perineal urethrostomy is an effective technique as an alternative to prepubic urethrostomy and extrapelvic urethral anastomosis for the treatment of urethral obstruction in Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs

Short-term General Anesthesia With Tiletamine/Zolazepam in Horses Sedated With Medetomidine for Castration Under Field Conditions

The objective of the study is to evaluate the anesthetic effect produced by the tiletamine/zolazepamassociation in horses sedated with medetomidine undergoing orchiectomy underfield conditions. Tenuncastrated male horses, American Society of Anesthesiologists category I, undergoing orchiectomy,were enrolled in the study. The horses received acepromazine (0.03 mg kg1intramuscularly) 30 mi-nutes before sedation with medetomidine (8mgkg1intravenously). Anesthesia was induced withtiletamine/zolazepam (0.7 mg kg1intravenously). During anesthesia, heart rate (HR), pulse quality,respiratory rate, temperature, SpO2, movement, and reflexes were measured every 5 minutes. Arterialblood gases were evaluated before the premedication and during the surgical procedure. The quality ofinduction and recovery was recorded. The sedation was appropriate, and the quality of recovery wasevaluated as good. A statistically significant difference was revealed between the basal and intra-anesthesia HR. No differences were observed in blood gas parameters during the procedure. The re-sults suggested that general anesthesia produced with tiletamine/zolazepam for induction in horsessedated with medetomidine is suitable during orchiectomy underfield conditions

The influence of environmental variables on platelet concentration in horse platelet-rich plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) commonly refers to blood products which contain a higher platelet (PLT) concentration as compared to normal plasma. Autologous PRP has been shown to be safe and effective in promoting the natural processes of soft tissue healing or reconstruction in humans and horses. Variability in PLT concentration has been observed in practice between PRP preparations from different patients or from the same individual under different conditions. A change in PLT concentration could modify PRP efficacy in routine applications. The aim of this study was to test the influence of environmental, individual and agonistic variables on the PLT concentration of PRP in horses. Six healthy Standardbred mares were exposed to six different variables with a one-week washout period between variables, and PRP was subsequently obtained from each horse. The variables were time of withdrawal during the day (morning/evening), hydration status (overhydration/dehydration) treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and training periods on a treadmill. The platelet concentration was significantly higher in horses treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (P= 0.03). The leukocyte concentration increased 2-9 fold with respect to whole blood in the PRP which was obtained after exposure to all the variable considered. Environmental variation in platelet concentration should be taken into consideration during PRP preparation

Proteinase-activated receptor 2 distribution and expression in equine small intestine tracts following herniation through the epiploic foramen

Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is a G-protein-coupled receptor for trypsin and mast cell tryptase; it is highly expressed at the intestinal level with multiple functions, such as epithelial permeability and intestinal motility. The aim of the study was to evaluate the distribution and expression of proteinase-activated receptor 2 in the small intestine during herniation through epiploic foramen. In this prospective clinical study, eight horses admitted for colic and which underwent exploratory laparotomy were considered. During surgery, the jejunum or the ileum was sampled by enterectomy. Morphological examination (histology, PAR2immunohistochemistry) and molecular biology analysis (western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction) were carried out on the resected intestinal samples. The Marginal Injured Tracts (MITs) and Central Injury Tracts (CITs) were defined as the oral and caudal marginal segments of the resected bowel tract and as the geometric centre of the intestinal ischaemic lesion length, respectively.The PAR2immunoreactivity was particularly evident in the epithelial cells, with higher immunoreactivity in the MIT rather than in the CIT. Moreover, a different immune localisation was observed in the MITs at the cell membrane level and in the CITs in the cytoplasm. No statistical difference was observed in PAR2mRNA and protein (44kDa) expression between the MIT and the CIT. The PAR2protein content in the intestinal tracts which were removed from horses with herniation was lower when compared with the control animals.This study provided data concerning the PAR2presence and distribution in horses with intestinal herniation through the epiploic foramen