Innovative, intra-articular, prosthetic technique for cranial cruciate ligament reconstruction in dogs: a cadaveric study

The purpose of this study was to describe and assess the feasibility of a new intra-articular approach in the treatment of cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs using an artificial ligament and a new bone-anchor system. Twelve canine cadavers weighting 26 to 45 kg were used in this ex-vivo study. Special tibial and femoral screws, two helicoils, and a high resistance artificial fiber compose the implant. Surgery was performed using the mean cranio-lateral approach to the stifle joint. Helicoil and tibial screw, connected to the fiber, were inserted in the center of the tibial insertion area of the cranial cruciate ligament. The fiber was passed over-the-top, tensioned, and fixed to the femoral screw, previously inserted with the helicoil in the distal part of the femur. Surgery was completed in all the cases. Occasional problems found during the insertion of the helicoils and screws were resolved with simple procedures. Post-operative clinical assessment showed negative cranial drawer test, negative cranial tibial thrust, and normal range of motion. Radiographic evaluation showed an appropriate positioning of both tibial and femoral implants in all the cases. The results of the first surgical appraisal of this new technique are encouraging, although further studies are necessary to demonstrate the in vivo efficacy of this procedure

Constant Rate Infusion of Lidocaine, Tumescent Anesthesia and Their Combination in Dogs Undergoing Unilateral Mastectomy

Tumescent anesthesia (TUM) is a technique that was initially used to perform liposuction under local anesthesia, which consists of the injection of such large volumes of local anesthetic until to produce swelling and firmness (tumescence) of the surgical area. The aim of this study was to compare the intraoperative analgesic efficacy of lidocaine (LID) constant rate infusion (CRI), of TUM, or their combination (LID/TUM) and the postoperative pain and analgesic requirement in dogs undergoing unilateral mastectomy. Twenty-four dogs were premedicated with dexmedetomidine (3 μg/kg) and methadone (0.2 mg/kg) intravenously (IV). After induction with propofol IV to effect, dogs were randomly allocated to receive a loading dose of lidocaine (2 mg/kg) followed by a CRI of 100 μg/kg/min (Group LID) in addition to an equivalent volume of lactated Ringer's solution instead of local TUM; a loading dose of lactated Ringer's solution followed by a CRI of Ringer's solution in addition to TUM (Group TUM); a loading dose of lidocaine (2 mg/kg) followed by a CRI of 100 μg/kg/min in addition to TUM (Group LID/TUM). Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. Postoperative pain scores were assessed once the dogs had fully recovered from the sedative effects, and following 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. The results of the current study allow us to assert that all three treatments provided satisfactory intraoperative antinociceptive effects but administration of LID/TUM induced greater inhibition on sympathetic stimulating effect up to 60 min from recovery, thus, providing better early postoperative pain relief in dogs undergoing mastectomy

Hypertrophic osteopathy associated with a bronchial foreign body (grass awn) in a dog: a case report

A five-year-old dog was referred with a five-month history of lethargy, decreased appetite, cough and intermittent forelimb lameness. Radiographs revealed an intra-thoracic lesion and a marked periosteal bone apposition of the second digit on the left forelimb. As it was palisading and circumferential, the latter appeared typical of hypertrophic osteopathy (HO). A grass awn in a sub-lobar ramification of the right caudal bronchus was identified and removed by bronchoscopy. At three months follow-up, the digit appeared clinically normal. On radiographs the periosteal bone reaction had decreased, indicative of resolving hypertrophic osteopathy. Thoracic radiographs showed no abnormalities five months after foreign body removal and the bone lesion on the digit had disappeared. Successful treatment of the pulmonary foreign body abscess led to spontaneous regression of HO and eventually to complete resolution of clinical signs. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of HO secondary to a bronchial-pulmonary grass an abscess

Diagnostic accuracy of a radiographic device to assess cranial tibial translation in dogs: validation protocol

This protocol describes a validation procedure to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a radiographic method using a simple device, specifically designed to quantify the cranial tibial translation in dogs

Comparison of Detomidine or Romifidine in Combination with Morphine for Standing Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Horses

The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate sedation protocol for a standing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in horses, comparing continuous rate infusions (CRIs) of detomidine and romifidine combined with a single bolus of morphine. Sixteen horses referred for standing low-field open-magnet MRI were randomly assigned to one of two sedation protocols. The horses were premedicated with 0.03 mg/kg of intramuscular acepromazine, and those animals belonging to Group D received an intravenous (IV) loading dose of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg) 30 min later, while those of Group R received romifidine (0.04 mg/kg). If the horses were inadequately sedated, an additional dose of IV detomidine (0.005 mg/kg) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg) was administered, according to the animal’s group. During the MRI, a single IV bolus of morphine (0.05 mg/kg) was administered, and according to which group it belonged to, the animal started the administration of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg/h) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg/h). Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), depth of sedation, and degree of ataxia were evaluated every 10 min during MRI. Two horses belonging to Group D and four horses from Group R needed additional sedation before entering the MRI unit because they were unsatisfactorily sedated. No side effects were observed following morphine bolus administration. During the MRI procedure, five horses in Group R received an additional IV romifidine bolus (0.01 mg/kg) because the depth of sedation score was 1 and the ataxia score was 0. Any substantial differences were recorded between the two treatments in terms of HR, RR, and RT. In conclusion, at the doses used, a detomidine–morphine combination following a CRI of detomidine appears more suitable than a romifidine–morphine combination following a CRI of romifidine for maintaining an adequate depth of sedation and adequate immobility in horses undergoing standing MRI

Klox Fluorescence Biomodulation System (KFBS), an alternative approach for the treatment of superficial pyoderma in dogs: preliminary results

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of klox fluorescence biomodulation system (KFBS) as sole treat-ment in dogs suffering from superficial pyoderma in comparison with systemic antimicrobial treatment

Comparison between the effects of epidural lidocaine, tramadol, and lidocaine-tramadol on postoperative pain in cats undergoing elective orchiectomy

Background: In veterinary clinical practice, orchiectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures for cats and is performed mainly in young animals. The purpose of this study was to compare three different epidural (EP) analgesic protocols used in cats undergoing orchiectomy in order to determine which protocol resulted in superior outcomes in terms of perioperative analgesia. Twenty-one client-owned male cats were premedicated with a combination of dexmedetomidine (10 µg/kg) and midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) injected intramuscularly. Anesthesia was induced intravenously with propofol. Cats were randomly divided in three treatment groups of seven animals each: Group L received EP lidocaine (2 mg/kg), Group T received EP tramadol (1 mg/kg), and Group LT received EP lidocaine (2 mg/kg) plus tramadol (1 mg/kg). The post-operative pain level was assessed using two different scales: the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale-Feline (CMPS-F) and the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS). Rescue analgesia was administered when the CMPS-F total score was ≥5 or the FGS total score was ≥4. Results: No adverse effects related to tramadol or lidocaine were observed. Based on post-operative pain assessments, significant differences between groups were observed according to both pain scoring systems. In particular, in Group LT, the CMPS-F and FGS scores decreased significantly in the first six hours following castration. Conclusions: Based on our results, EP lidocaine plus tramadol provided the best post-operative analgesic effects in cats submitted to orchiectomy lasting 6 h and could also be a choice to consider for longer surgical procedures

Anesthetic Management during Cesarean Section in English Bulldogs

The authors describe their experience with the management of the perioperative period, general anesthesia and the postoperative period in English bulldogs undergoing elective cesarean section and its effect on the neonates. The anesthetist for animals undergoing cesarean operation must be aware of any special needs, not only of the patient undergoing surgery, but also of the neonates. Anesthetic drugs administered to the pregnant patient will readily cross the placenta and affect them, with the exception of local anesthetics. Pregnant female patients are at increased anesthetic risk due to pregnancy-associated physiological alterations, such as altered pulmonary function. The anesthetist is often called to perform anesthesia on brachycephalic dogs for an elective cesarean section. Due to their conformation, these animals may have one or more anatomical abnormalities of the upper airways, which compromise the ability to ventilate adequately. The induction and recovery phases of anesthesia can be extremely dangerous in these patients, but the maintenance phase is generally fairly straightforward because the airways are controlled during maintenance. In addition, vagal tone is frequently high and this can contribute towards significant bradycardia and further airway narrowing. All these reasons make general anesthesia in brachycephalic dogs undergoing cesarean section rather complicated

Biophotonic composition for the treatment of otitis external

The present disclosure describes methods and uses of biophotonic compositions which comprise at least one oxidant and at least one chromophore capable of activating the oxidant, in association with a pharmacologically acceptable carrier for the treatment of otitis externa

Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block in Rabbit Cadavers: Anatomical Description and Measurements of Injectate Spread Using One- and Two-Point Approaches

Simple Summary Anesthetic risk in rabbits is higher than in other species such as dogs and cats and, furthermore, the treatment of their perioperative pain is sometimes inadequate. Loco-regional anesthesia is seeing increasing application in veterinary medicine, as it allows a reduction in the systemic administration of drugs. The block of the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) is an anesthetic technique of great interest for locoregional anesthesia in veterinary practice. This technique is used to desensitize the abdominal wall and consists of injecting a volume of local anesthetic into the TAP with the aim of obtaining its distribution on the branches of the thoracolumbar nerve located in the fascial plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles. In both human and veterinary medicine, this technique is considered promising for producing analgesia for surgical procedures performed on the abdominal wall (e.g., laparoscopies, mastectomies, abdominal hernias), representing a valid alternative to epidural analgesia. Different approaches to performing ultrasound-guided TAP block have been described. The preiliac approach is one of the most used; however, it seems to be useful in managing pain in the caudal abdomen, but the cranial diffusion of the local anesthetic does not seem to be sufficient to achieve complete desensitization of the abdominal wall. Alternative approaches, involving further retrocostal and/or subcostal infiltration, have been successfully studied in dogs, cats, calves and ponies to ensure effective desensitization of the cranial abdomen and, in part, also of the thorax; but these techniques do not have yet been described in rabbits.Abstract The aim of this study was to describe one-point (preiliac approach) and two-point (preiliac and retrocostal approach) blocks of the Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) on a cadaveric model. For this purpose, ultrasound-guided infiltration of the plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles was performed and, after dissection of tissues, the areas and percentage of nerve fibers involved were analyzed. Injection into the TAP plexus of a 1 mL/kg solution of 2% lidocaine and 1% methylene blue (1:1) was performed in 30 rabbit cadavers. In fifteen rabbits (group S), the solution was inoculated at the preiliac level. In the other 15 rabbits (group D), the solution was divided into two inoculations (0.5 mL/kg at the retrocostal level and 0.5 mL/kg at the preiliac level). All cadavers were then dissected and stained spinal nerve branches were measured. Moreover, the percentage of length, height and the total area of the stained tissue were calculated. In the S group, T10, T11 and T12 nerve eminences were successfully stained in 18%, 52% and 75% of cases, respectively. Furthermore, L1, L2, L3 and L4 were stained in 95%, 100%, 60% and 40% of cases, respectively. In group D, the ventromedial eminence of T10, T11 and T12 were stained in 68.1%, 100% and 98% of cases, respectively, and L1, L2, L3 and L4 were stained in 88%, 100%, 62% and 31% of cases, respectively. In conclusion, a two-point TAP block is more effective in covering the nerve eminences of the cranial abdomen than the preiliac approach alone