Clinical Features and Outcome of Dogs with Epiglottic Retroversion With or Without Surgical Treatment: 24 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Published information describing the clinical features and outcome for dogs with epiglottic retroversion (ER) is limited. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe clinical features, comorbidities, outcome of surgical versus medical treatment and long-term follow-up for dogs with ER. We hypothesized that dogs with ER would have upper airway comorbidities and that surgical management (epiglottopexy or subtotal epiglottectomy) would improve long-term outcome compared to medical management alone. ANIMALS: Twenty-four client-owned dogs. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records to identify dogs with ER that underwent surgical or medical management of ER. RESULTS: Dogs with ER commonly were middle-aged to older, small breed, spayed females with body condition score (BCS) ≥6/9. Stridor and dyspnea were the most common presenting signs. Concurrent or historical upper airway disorders were documented in 79.1% of cases. At last evaluation, 52.6% of dogs that underwent surgical management, and 60% of dogs that received medical management alone, had decreased severity of presenting clinical signs. In dogs that underwent surgical management for ER, the incidence of respiratory crisis decreased from 62.5% before surgery to 25% after surgical treatment. The overall calculated Kaplan-Meier median survival time was 875 days. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our study indicated that a long-term survival of at least 2 years can be expected in dogs diagnosed with epiglottic retroversion. The necessity of surgical management cannot be determined based on this data, but dogs with no concurrent upper airway disorders may benefit from a permanent epiglottopexy to alleviate negative inspiratory pressures.

Short-term wound complications and predictive variables for complication after limb amputation in dogs and cats.

OBJECTIVES: To identify short-term wound complications and associated predictive factors following amputation in dogs and cats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of case records of dogs and cats undergoing thoracic or pelvic limb amputation. Preoperative data on signalment, body weight, limb amputated, reason for amputation and laboratory parameters were collected. Details regarding surgical procedures and use of anaesthesia such as total surgical and anaesthesia times, incidences of intraoperative hypotension or hypothermia, method of muscle excision and type of skin closure utilized were recorded. Postoperative data on duration of hospital stay, use of postoperative antibiotics, use of a wound soaker catheter, wound complications noted both during hospitalization and at recheck and treatments if applicable were collected. RESULTS: In total, 67 records were identified including 39 dogs and 28 cats. Wound infection/inflammation complications occurred in 20.9% of cases and wound infection complications in 9%; 12.8% in dogs and 3.6% in cats. One (1.5%) complication was classified as major, which occurred immediately postoperatively. Nine (13.4%) minor complications occurred immediately after surgery and four (6.0%) were identified at recheck. Age was the only significant predictor of postoperative infection/inflammation following pelvic or thoracic limb amputation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Short-term wound complications following pelvic or thoracic limb amputation in cats and dogs were typically minor and resolved after treatment.