Influence of Anesthesia on Grading of Canine Hip Dysplasia.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anesthesia on grading of canine hip dysplasia. For this purpose, 20 middle-sized healthy dogs from different breeds were used. Radiographs were taken using 4 different imaging methods, including the hip-extended, subluxation, distraction, and compression. This procedure was repeated 4 times for each dog, while the dogs were unanesthetized and anesthetized with 3 different anesthetic protocols at 15-day intervals (propofol [5 mg/kg, IV]; diazepam [0.5 mg/kg, IV] / ketamine [20 mg/kg, IV]; medetomidine [0.05 µg/kg, IM] / ketamine [20 mg/kg, IM]). The radiographs were taken and evaluated by the same investigator to prevent interobserver variation. Because of the radiographic positioning difficulty, unanesthetized radiographic imaging revealed higher repetition number than the anesthetized; therefore, radiation safety decreased. The administration of diazepam/ketamine and medetomidine/ketamine was sufficient in terms of both muscle relaxation and duration of the anesthesia; however, some dogs under propofol anesthesia were required maintenance doses to complete radiographic imaging procedure. Unanesthetized radiographic images of the dogs had significantly lower (P < .001) hip score, distraction index (DI), subluxation index (SI), and higher compression index (CI) (P< .001), when compared with anesthetized radiographic images. When compared the anesthetic protocols, propofol revealed lower (P< 0.001) hip score, DI, SI, and higher (P < .001) CI than medetomidine/ketamine. Medetomidine/ketamine is the most appropriate anesthetic protocol for detailed radiographic evaluation of CHD considering both muscle relaxation and duration of action.

Treatment of Long Bone Fractures in Calves with Ilizarov External Fixator.

In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of Ilizarov external fixator in the treatment of long bone fractures in calves were investigated. For this purpose, 26 calves of different breeds, ages and genders, having metacarpal (n = 12), metatarsal (n = 5) and antebrachial (n = 9) fractures underwent surgery under general anaesthesia. Frames, which were prepared before surgery in accordance with the radiographic findings, were applied under open reduction in 18 cases, and under closed reduction in eight cases. In the postoperative period, all calves except one started to bear some weigh on the injured limb on the first day, while the remaining calf did the same on the second day. The consolidation started in the first 2 weeks for 24 of the calves and was completed by the day 55. In the two remaining cases, it started in the third week and was completed on day 71 and day 90, respectively.The soft tissue wounds were completely healed in all calves and no complications occurred. In five calves that were not kept in our clinic pin tract infections formed. They were controlled rapidly, and there was no change in the fracture reduction or healing duration.In conclusion, in our study, the Ilizarov external fixator system was applied to long bone fractures in cattle calves, in cases where the fragments were not large enough to apply pins and plates, and which became open and infected after defective bandage practices or unsuitable treatment. Fractures completely healed in all cases, without any complications. These results show that many of the long bone fractures experienced by calves, that were considered for amputation due to the anticipated inability to treat them successfully, could be treated with the use of the Ilizarov system.

Evaluation of proximal and distal motor nerve conduction using the electrical root stimulation technique in the femoral and obturator nerves.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the adaptability of the electrical root stimulation technique by achieving normative data from the obturator and femoral nerves of healthy dogs. METHODS: For this purpose, two stimulations and recordings were performed on both the obturator and femoral nerves in 40 dogs (22 males and 18 females). Electrical root stimulation was applied via monopolar needle electrodes between the sixth to seventh and fifth to sixth lumbar interarcuate spaces to the obturator and femoral nerves, respectively. Muscle waves were recorded from the gracilis and sartorius muscles of the left and right pelvic limb. RESULTS: The proximal motor nerve conduction velocity was 60.89 ± 3.93 m/s and 59.87 ± 4.83 m/s in the obturator and femoral nerves, respectively. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our results showed that electrical root stimulation could be a useful method to test the integrity of the roots of obturator and femoral nerves and their proximal parts.

Electrical stimulation of lumbar spinal nerve roots in dogs.

The aim of this study was to test the applicability of electrical stimulation of lumbar spinal nerve roots and obtain normative electrical root stimulation (ERS) data for L7 nerve root and sciatic nerve in dogs. For that purpose ERS and sciatic nerve stimulations were performed consecutively, in totally 40 healthy dogs. ERS was applied in the L7/S1 intervertebral space via monopolar needle electrodes. Muscle responses were recorded from the gastrocnemius muscles on the left and right hind limbs. Sciatic nerve stimulation was performed at the greater trochanter level on the left hind limb, with records obtained from the left gastrocnemius muscle. Mean root latencies of the left and right side were 5.22 ± 0.49 ms and 5.29 ± 0.53 ms, respectively. There was no significant difference in root latency between the right and left sides. The mean terminal latency was 3.82 ± 0.46 ms. The proximal motor nerve conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve was 63.15 ± 3.43 m/s. The results of this study show that ERS provides objective data about the integrity of lumbar spinal nerve roots by evaluating the entire population of motor fibres and total length of the motor axon in dogs. ERS can be considered a useful diagnostic method for confirmation of diagnoses of lumbosacral diseases.

Effect of triple pelvic osteotomy on the proximal femoral geometry in dysplastic dogs.

Triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) is one of the surgical procedures for use to try to reduce subsequent degenerative joint disease or modify the progress of hip dysplasia in young dogs. Joint force and pressure distribution were changed by this procedure. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find out whether the remodeling of proximal femur exists or not after TPO in dysplastic dogs. Ten femora from five young dysplastic mongrel dogs, treated unilaterally with TPO using 20° canine pelvic osteotomy plates, were used. One year after TPO, neck-proximal shaft angle, femoral head, neck, diaphyseal and mid-shaft diameters, total femoral, femoral neck axis, and intertrochanteric, femoral head offset lengths as well as the lengths from head center to lateral margin of greater trochanter and to proximal femoral axis were measured from the bone. The significant differences between treatment and control side were determined in Norberg angle, neck-proximal shaft angle, neck diameter, diaphyseal diameter, mid-shaft diameter, length from head center to proximal femoral axis and femoral head offset length. In conclusion, although small number of cases was used, it was determined that the aforementioned variables are affected by TPO. So, these variables may be supply additional information about the changes to the joint following TPO in dysplastic dogs.

Early and late effects of capsaicin pretreatment in otitis media with effusion.

PURPOSE: Discovery of the role of the neurogenic inflammation in the formation of otitis media with effusion has led to the investigation of the place of some neuropeptide antagonists in the treatment. In the current study, we investigated the effect of capsaicin (CP) pretreatment on the inflammation and proliferation in the middle ear mucosa and on the nerve fibers containing substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and calcitonin gene-related peptide. METHODS: Seventeen Wistar rats were used in the study. Ten rats were given CP on 3 consecutive days, and seven rats were given isotonic saline solution. Seven days after the third injection, animals were operated on, and their eustachian tubes were occluded. On the seventh day after the operation, five rats from the test group and three from the control group were killed. The others were killed 21 days after the operation. In the histopathologic examination of the sections, acute inflammation and proliferation scores were determined. Gland degeneration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and the density of mast cells were evaluated. Neural elements were stained immunohistochemically. RESULTS: The acute inflammation score in the test group was lower, but the difference was insignificant (p > 0.05). The proliferation score in the test group was lower, and the difference was significant (p = 0.02). In the control group, gland degeneration was significantly higher (p = 0.044). Goblet cell hyperplasia demonstrated no difference between two groups (p > 0.05). Mast cell density was higher in the control group, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). Substance P immunoreactivity (IR) was significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.015). calcitonin gene-related peptide-IR and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-IR were limited in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: That CP pretreatment reduces inflammatory proliferative findings, and gland degeneration leads us to consider that it could be effective in both treatment of experimental otitis media with effusion and prevention of its complications.

Bone cement treatment for aneurysmal bone cyst in a dog.

An eighteen month old female Doberman pinscher dog was referred to teaching hospital of Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with the complaint of right forelimb lameness for a month. On the basis of clinical, radiographical, scintigraphical, computed tomographical and histopathological findings, aneurysmal bone cyst was diagnosed. Surgical curettage and bone cement treatment were applied. The patient recovered after 12 months. This case proves that aneurysmal bone cyst, without osteolysis and/or damages to the surrounding tissues, may result in a good prognosis if curettage and treatment with bone cement are done.