Severe intermittent lameness secondary to a migrating metallic foreign body in a dog.

CASE DESCRIPTION: An 11-month-old mixed-breed dog was evaluated because of a 2-day history of acute-onset, intermittent vocalization and collapse several days after ingesting metallic wire foreign material. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Physical examination findings were initially unremarkable. After a brief period of hospitalization, the patient acutely developed non-weight-bearing lameness with signs of severe pain localized to the left thoracic limb and inability or refusal to rise. Results of cervical, thoracic, and abdominal radiography revealed a linear metallic foreign body at the thoracic inlet and a single metallic foreign body in the cranial aspect of the abdomen. Neuropathic pain at the level of the left brachial plexus was suspected. Results of a subsequent CT scan were consistent with a metallic foreign body in the left axilla with associated abscess formation and neuritis and an additional metallic foreign body within the omental fat near the pyloroduodenal junction. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Intraoperative fluoroscopy was used to facilitate localization and surgical removal of the axillary foreign body. The intra-abdominal foreign body was removed laparoscopically. Complete resolution of clinical signs was observed before discharge from the hospital the following day. On telephone follow-up 8 months after surgery, the owners reported the patient had no signs of lameness or complications. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Migrating metallic foreign bodies may be identified as incidental findings with the potential to cause harm in the future or may be a cause for severe clinical signs. Migrating foreign bodies should be considered as a differential diagnosis for patients reported to have acute collapse or lameness and consistent clinical history.

Cardiopulmonary Effects of a Partial Intravenous Anesthesia Technique for Laboratory Swine.

Various anesthetic protocols are used in laboratory swine, each with specific advantages and disadvantages. Partial intravenous anesthetic techniques (PIVA) help minimize dose-dependent cardiopulmonary effects of inhalant drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the cardiopulmonary effects of a PIVA in laboratory swine. In a prospective, nonrandomized clinical study, 8 healthy juvenile Landrace-White pigs were premedicated with azaperone (0.20 ± 0.20 mg/kg IM), dexmedetomidine (0.02 ± 0.002 mg/kg IM), and alfaxalone (2.0 ± 0.20 mg/kg IM), and anesthesia was induced with intravenous alfaxalone. Anesthesia was maintained by using constant-rate infusion of dexmedetomidine (2 µg/kg/h) and alfaxalone (25 µg/kg/min) in combination with isoflurane. After the fraction of expired isoflurane was adjusted to 1.1% to 1.5%, respiratory rate, heart rate, systemic and pulmonary arterial pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac output, bispectral index, systemic vascular resistance, and arterial and mixed venous blood gases were recorded every 10 min for 60 min. Statistical analysis consisted of repeated-measures one-way ANOVA. Significant decreases occurred in heart rate, pulmonary mean arterial pressure, pulmonary diastolic pressure, partial pressure of arterial oxygen, partial pressure of venous oxygen; significant increases occurred in respiratory rate, minute volume index, diastolic arterial blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and arterial pH over time. We consider that the observed statistically significant cardiopulmonary changes were clinically important and that the PIVA protocol provided hemodynamic and respiratory stability for short-term anesthesia of laboratory swine.