Successful Treatment of Penile Hematoma in a Colt

Traumatic injuries of the penis result from kick-related injuries, and injuries during coitus or masturbation are reported as common causes of penile hematoma in horses. In the present report, mating for the first time in a 2-year-old colt resulted in penile hematoma. The animal had difficulty in passing urine and had paraphimosis. Under general anesthesia a stab was given to drain the hematoma, and hydrotherapy with cold water along with antibiotics and analgesics was advised. Early surgical intervention and drainage of the hematoma helped in resolving the condition and resulted in normal functioning of the penis.     

Clinical evaluation of serum alcohol dehydrogenase activity in horses with acute intestinal obstruction

Objectives – To measure serum alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in horses with acute intestinal obstruction and to determine the diagnostic and prognostic utility of this analyte. Design – Prospective observational study. Setting – University Veterinary Hospital. Animals – Thirty healthy horses (control group) and 77 horses with acute intestinal obstruction, including 36 horses with nonstrangulating obstruction (23 with left ventral colon impaction and 13 with left dorsal displacement [G1], 22 with small intestinal strangulation [G2], and 19 with colon torsion [G3]). Interventions – Serum ADH activity was assayed spectrophotometerically in all horses. Serum lactate concentration and hepatic enzyme (aspartate aminotransferase, gamma‐glutamyl transferase, glutamate dehydrogenase) activities were measured using an automatic analyzer. Measurements and Main Results – The median [interquartile range] serum ADH activity in healthy horses was 10.5 [8.7 – 11 U/L]. ADH activity was significantly increased (P<0.05) in G1=16.5 [13.8 – 18 U/L], G2=40 [20 – 74.9 U/L], and G3=63.2 [40 – 78 U/L] compared with healthy controls. Aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities were also significantly increased in G3 in comparison with controls. ADH activity was correlated with serum lactate concentration in G1 and G3, respectively (P<0.01, r=0.55 and 0.8). Other liver enzymes did not show any significant correlation with lactate. ADH activity was directly related to the probability of strangulation; odds ratio=1.11. ADH activity >20 U/L had 80.6% specificity and 80.5% sensitivity for discriminating horses with strangulating obstruction. Twelve horses euthanized before surgery were excluded from the outcome analysis. Increasing ADH activity was associated with nonsurvival; odds ratio=1.03. ADH activity <80 U/L had 94.44% specificity and 66.67% sensitivity for survival. Conclusion – Serum ADH activity may be a useful clinical parameter in detecting intestinal strangulation in horses and may provide some prognostic value in horses with acute intestinal obstruction.     

Management of Tibial Fractures Using a Circular External Fixator in Two Calves

Objectives: To report the repair of tibial diaphyseal fractures in 2 calves using a circular external skeletal fixator (CEF). Study Design: Clinical report. Animals: Crossbred calves (n=2; age: 6 months; weight: 55 and 60 kg). Methods: Mid‐diaphyseal tibial fractures were repaired by the use of a 4‐ring CEF (made of aluminum rings with 2 mm K‐wires) alone in 1 calf and in combination with hemicerclage wiring in 1 calf. Results: Both calves had good weight bearing with moderate lameness postoperatively. Fracture healing occurred by day 60 in 1 calf and by day 30 in calf 2. The CEF was well maintained and tolerated by both calves through fracture healing. Joint mobility and limb usage improved gradually after CEF removal. Conclusions: CEF provided a stable fixation of tibial fractures and healing within 60 days and functional recovery within 90 days. Clinical Relevance: CEF can be safely and successfully used for the management of selected tibial fractures in calves.     

Partial Carpal Arthrodesis for Third Degree Carpal Sprains: A Review of 45 Carpi

The efficacy of partial carpal arthrodesis was evaluated retrospectively in 39 dogs (45 carpi) with severe sprains of the middle carpal joints, the carpometacarpal joints, or both. The carpometacarpal joint was the most frequently injured joint. Jumping or falling from heights was the cause of injury in 49% of these animals. Of the 25 owners who responded to a mailed questionnaire (mean follow-up, 32 months), all stated their animal had improved or greatly improved after partial carpal arthrodesis and all were pleased or very pleased with the final surgical result. Hyperextension persisted in 11% of the cases and degenerative joint disease of the antebrachiocarpal joint was present in 15.5% of the cases. No dogs with partial carpal arthrodesis required panarthrodesis at a later date.     

Intra-Articular Replacement of Bovine Cranial Cruciate Ligaments with an Autogenous Fascial Graft

Transected cranial cruciate ligaments in nine Holstein heifers were replaced with an autograft harvested from fascia on the medial surface of the gluteobiceps muscle and a connected segment of the lateral patellar ligament. There was minimal lameness at month 1, and all animals were sound by month 2. There was no evidence of degenerative joint disease in any stifles examined at necropsy on days 90, 120, or 365. Augmented healing of the severed cranial cruciate ligaments occurred in several animals. The mean failure strength of the cranial cruciate ligament replacements was 29.7% of the failure strength of the contralateral normal cranial cruciate ligament in four heifers. The technique was successful in eight of 13 bulls and cows with ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments. Animals treated successfully had significantly lower body weights than those with unsuccessful outcomes.     

Comparative morphometrical studies on the skull bones of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor)

The present study reports data on the skull bone morphometry of barking and sambar deer. The skulls of adult barking deer (n = 6) and sambar deer (n = 6) of either sex (n = 3 males and n = 3 females) were collected from the Aizawl Zoological Park, Aizawl, Mizoram, India, with official permission from the Government of Mizoram. Anatomically, barking and sambar deer's skulls were elongated, pyramid-like, dolichocephalic and consisted of thirty-two cranial and facial bones. The cranial bones were eleven (three single and four paired), comprising of occipital, sphenoid, ethmoid, frontal, interparietal, parietal and temporal. The facial bones were twenty-one (one single and ten were paired), consisting of the maxilla, premaxilla (incisive), palatine, pterygoid, nasal, lacrimal, zygomatic (malar), vomer, turbinates, mandible and hyoid. In the present study, altogether 41 different measurements were taken morphologically and 6 different indices were applied. The obtained morphometrical parameters were significantly (p < .01, p < .05) higher in males than females of both species. Species wise, all obtained parameters were higher in sambar deer than barking deer. The obtained 41 different skull parameters and 6 indices showed statistically significant differences (p < .01 and p < .05) between both sexes of barking and sambar deer; however, practically these differences were meagre. The present morphometrical study on the skull of both species can help the wildlife professionals and zoo veterinarians determine the sex of these animals and differentiate it from other domestic and wild small ruminants for solving veterolegal cases. This study's findings will also motivate and assist other comparative studies with various domestic and wild small ruminants.     

Effect of Prosthesis Number and Position on Rima Glottidis Area in Equine Laryngeal Specimens

Objective— To assess the effect of 1 or 2 laryngeal prosthetic sutures on rima glottidis areas in equine laryngeal specimens. Study Design— Experimental, randomized design. Animals— Cadaveric equine larynges (n=16). Methods— Larynges were collected from 10 horses; 2 sutures each were preplaced in the right and left sides of each larynx. A dorsal suture (DS) was placed through the caudal rim of the dorsal midline of the cricoid cartilage, under the cricopharyngeus muscle and through the proximal and rostral aspect of the muscular process. A lateral suture (LS) was placed 1.5 cm lateral to the DS and through the muscular process more distal and caudal to the 1st suture. Larynges were positioned in a customized stand and the rima glottidis photographed after each suture (LS or DS) or suture combination (CS) was tied in random sequence. An additional 6 larynxes were used to determine whether the tension applied to the sutures was repeatable. Sutures were preplaced in both the right and left side of each larynx as described above and each suture and CS was tied and released 3 times in each larynx. Photographs were taken of the rima glottidis after each suture or CS was tied generating 3 replicates for each suture configuration on each side of the 6 larynges. Results— Mean rima glottidis area was not different between DS and LS when tied alone (P=.85); however, mean area after CS (DS+LS) was greater than DS (P<.001) and LS (P<.001) alone. The coefficient of variation for the 6 suture patterns were low (1–7%) and the intraclass correlation coefficient estimates were very high (0.997–0.998) demonstrating excellent repeatability between replicates for each of the 3 suture configurations. Conclusion— Our results suggest that laryngoplasty using 2 prostheses; 1 placed dorsally in the cricoid and through the rostral and proximal muscular process and 1 placed 1.5 cm lateral to the 1st and more caudal and distal in the muscular process results in a greater cross sectional area of the rima glottidis than either suture used alone. Clinical Relevance— Seemingly prosthetic sutures contribute independently to each other in determining the contour of the rima glottidis. Use of 2 prosthetic sutures improves crosssectional area of the rima glottidis compared with each suture alone and may improve surgical outcome in laryngoplasty.     

Glomerular filtration rate after tramadol, parecoxib and pindolol following anaesthesia and analgesia in comparison with morphine in dogs

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of morphine, parecoxib, tramadol and a combination of parecoxib, tramadol and pindolol on nociceptive thresholds in awake animals and their effect on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in dogs subjected to 30 minutes of anesthesia.AnimalsEight adult mixed breed experimental dogs.Study designRandomized, controlled trial.MethodsDogs received 0.05 mg kg^?1 acepromazine subcutaneously (SC) as anaesthetic pre-medication. Thirty to sixty minutes later, they received either tramadol 3 mg kg^?1 intravenously, (IV), parecoxib (1 mg kg^?1 IV), a combination of tramadol 3 mg kg^?1 (IV), parecoxib 1 mg kg^?1 (IV) and pindolol 5 μg kg^?1 (SC), morphine (0.1 mg kg^?1 (IV) or 0.9% saline (2 mL). Anaesthesia was then induced with IV propofol to effect (2.9 ± 0.8 mg kg^?1) and maintained with halothane in oxygen for 30 minutes. Systolic arterial blood pressure was maintained above 90 mmHg with IV fluids and by adjusting the inspired halothane concentration. Post-treatment nociceptive thresholds to mechanical stimuli, expressed as percent of pre-treatment values, were compared between the treatments to assess the analgesic efficacy of the drugs. Plasma iohexol clearance (ICL), a measure of GFR, was estimated both before and 24 hours after induction of anaesthesia to study the drugs’ effects on renal perfusion. Nociceptive threshold and GFR data were compared using mixed model analysis in sas^®9.1.ResultsBoth tramadol and parecoxib produced similar analgesia, which was less than that of morphine. Their combination with pindolol produced analgesia comparable with morphine. None of the test drugs, either alone or in combination, reduced GFR.ConclusionTramadol and parecoxib (either alone or in combination) can increase nociceptive thresholds in awake dogs and have minimal effects on renal perfusion in normotensive dogs subjected to anaesthesia.     

Anesthetic management of an off-pump open-heart surgery in a dog

ObservationsA 9 year-old, 40 kg, female spayed Bouvier des Flandres was anesthetized for surgical removal of an intra-cardiac mass. Pre-anesthetic work-up included thoracic radiographs, which revealed moderate pleural effusion, and cardiac ultrasound, which identified a mass attached to the wall of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). The mass caused dynamic obstruction of the RVOT during systole. The dog was pre-medicated with intravenous (IV) hydromorphone (0.05 mg kg^?1). Following pre-oxygenation, anesthesia was induced with ketamine (3.75 mg kg^?1, IV) and diazepam (0.18 mg kg^?1, IV). Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen, an intravenous constant rate infusion (CRI) of fentanyl (10–30 μg kg^?1 hour^?1) and a CRI of lidocaine (50–200 μg kg^?1 minute^?1). A right lateral thoracotomy was performed. The heart was stopped transiently with a cold cardioplegic solution for 7.83 minutes to allow the removal of the mass through an open-heart procedure. No cardiopulmonary bypass was used. The heart was successfully restarted after cardiopulmonary resuscitation with internal cardiac massage and internal defibrillation. The dog recovered uneventfully from anesthesia without any apparent neurological sequelae. Post-operative analgesia consisted of intercostal nerve blocks with bupivacaine, CRIs of fentanyl (2–5 μg kg^?1 hour^?1) and lidocaine (40 μg kg^?1 minute^?1) and with oral meloxicam (0.1 mg kg^?1). Five days following surgery, the dog was discharged from the hospital. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of the mass identified an ectopic thyroid carcinoma.ConclusionsThis case showed the feasibility of whole body hypothermia and using a cold cardioplegic solution to induce cardiac arrest for a short open-heart procedure.     

Effects of tramadol on the minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane in dogs

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of tramadol on sevoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC_SEVO) in dogs. It was hypothesized that tramadol would dose-dependently decrease MAC_SEVO.Study designRandomized crossover experimental study.AnimalsSix healthy, adult female mixed-breed dogs (24.2 ± 2.6 kg).MethodsEach dog was studied on two occasions with a 7-day washout period. Anesthesia was induced using sevoflurane delivered via a mask. Baseline MAC (MAC_B) was determined starting 45 minutes after tracheal intubation. A noxious stimulus (50 V, 50 Hz, 10 ms) was applied subcutaneously over the mid-humeral area. If purposeful movement occurred, the end-tidal sevoflurane was increased by 0.1%; otherwise, it was decreased by 0.1%, and the stimulus was re-applied after a 20-minute equilibration. After MAC_B determination, dogs randomly received a tramadol loading dose of either 1.5 mg kg^?1 followed by a continuous rate infusion (CRI) of 1.3 mg kg^?1 hour^?1 (T1) or 3 mg kg^?1 followed by a 2.6 mg kg^?1 hour^?1 CRI (T2). Post-treatment MAC determination (MAC_T) began 45 minutes after starting the CRI. Data were analyzed using a mixed model anova to determine the effect of treatment on percentage change in baseline MAC_SEVO (p < 0.05).ResultsThe MAC_B values were 1.80 ± 0.3 and 1.75 ± 0.2 for T1 and T2, respectively, and did not differ significantly. MAC_T decreased by 26 ± 8% for T1 and 36 ± 12% for T2. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the decrease between the two treatments.Conclusion and clinical relevanceTramadol significantly reduced MAC_SEVO but this was not dose dependent at the doses studied.