A wound retraction device for laparoscopic-assisted intestinal surgery in dogs and cats

Objectives: To report experience with laparoscopic‐assisted intestinal resection and anastomosis for treatment of discrete intestinal masses using a novel wound retraction device. Study Design: Case series. Animals: Dogs (n=2) and cats (6). Methods: Dogs and cats with discrete intestinal masses identified by ultrasonography without evidence of intestinal perforation or peritonitis, were included. A 2 portal technique was used; 1 portal was enlarged for insertion of the wound retraction device through which the intestine was examined as thoroughly as possible. The diseased portion of the intestine was exteriorized through the wound retractor and resection and anastomosis of the intestinal mass performed. Results: Of the 8 animals, laparoscopic‐assisted intestinal resection and anastomosis through the wound retractor was performed in 2 dogs and 3 cats. In 3 cats, based on either location or extent of the lesion, 2 were converted to laparoscopic‐assisted intestinal biopsies and 1 to an open colocolostomy. No other intra‐ or perioperative complications were encountered and all animals survived to discharge. Conclusions: Laparoscopic‐assisted intestinal resection and anastomosis can be performed in select canine and feline patients with modestly sized, discrete intestinal masses.     

Use of an inguinal approach adapted from equine surgery for cryptorchidectomy in dogs and cats: 26 cases (1999-2010)

OBJECTIVE-To determine whether a surgical technique used in cryptorchid horses can be used successfully to remove testicles retained in the inguinal region or abdominal cavity in dogs and cats. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-22 dogs and 4 cats with cryptorchidism. PROCEDURES-In 1999 through 2010, 26 cryptorchid patients underwent surgery during which an incision was made over the inguinal ring and the undescended testicle was located for removal via identification of the vaginal process and the embryonic gubernaculum. Castration was performed once a testicle was located in the inguinal region or via removal of an intra-abdominally located testicle through the inguinal canal. RESULTS-4 dogs and 1 cat were bilaterally cryptorchid. Testicles were retained in the abdominal cavity in 18 dogs and in the inguinal region in 4 dogs; in all 4 cats, undescended testicles were located in the inguinal region. Twenty-one dogs and 4 cats were castrated without breaching the abdominal cavity; in one of those dogs, the inguinal ring was enlarged to permit extraction of a tumorous testicle. In 1 dog, the inguinal ring was enlarged into a paramedian laparotomy and viscera were manipulated to exteriorize an intra-abdominally located testicle because the gubernaculum had ruptured. Major intraoperative or long-term complications did not occur. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Results suggested that as in horses, the surgical approach over the inguinal ring, wherein the vaginal process and the remnant of the gubernaculum are identified and used to locate an undescended testicle for removal, can be used successfully in dogs and cats.     

Use of laparoscopic-assisted cystoscopy for removal of urinary calculi in dogs

Urinary calculi were removed by means of laparoscopic-assisted cystoscopy in 3 dogs. Two small abdominal incisions were made--1 for a laparoscope and 1 for placement of a Babcock forceps to aid in grasping and lifting the urinary bladder to the abdominal wall. A cystoscope and instruments for calculi removal were passed through a small cystotomy. Biopsy of the urinary bladder or other abdominal organs could also be performed by use of this technique. Laparoscopic-assisted cystoscopy was minimally invasive and provided clear images of the mucosal surface of the urinary bladder and proximal portion of the urethra for easy retrieval of urinary calculi. An imaging procedure should be performed to ensure complete removal of calculi.     

Laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy in dogs --report of 15 cases

The study aimed at determining the usability of laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy in treating cases of simple cryptorchidism and neoplastic testes in dogs. The presence of one or both testes inside the peritoneal cavity was confirmed in this study by an ultrasonographic examination employing the use of a 6.5 MHz convex head. The surgeries were conducted on a group of 15 dogs. In 12 subjects a one-sided cryptorchidism was found, 9 of which had right-sided cryptorchidism. In 3 dogs, both-sided cryptorchidism was observed. In 3 cases, an increase in the size of the abdominal testes with the symptoms of hyperestrogenism and feminisation raised a suspicion of neoplastic changes (SCT) taking place, which was confirmed by a histopathological examination. A laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy with intracorporal ligation was performed in all the subjects. The spermatic cord and ductus deferens were occluded with a ligature of an absorbable material, and a manually applied knot.     

Use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in dogs and cats

SUMMARY: Responses (486) were collated from a survey of 5054 Australian veterinarians on their use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in dogs and cats. Almost all respondents used glucocorticoids (usually prednisolone) to treat allergic, pruritic dermatoses in dogs, while two-thirds also gave fatty acid supplements and one-half used antihistamines. Almost 60% of respondents initially injected a glucocorticoid (frequently a long-acting preparation) when treating inflammatory skin diseases in dogs. More than 90% of respondents used glucocorticoids to treat immunemediated haemolytic anaemia or thrombocytopenia, and about one-third also gave cytotoxic drugs. Administration of prednisolone on alternate days was generally favoured for long-term enteral steroid therapy. Phenylbutazone was the most preferred treatment for painful or inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders of dogs, but aspirin and pentosan polysulphate were also used widely. Regarding the use of analgesics drugs generally, both narcotic analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were used more widely in dogs than in cats, but alpha-2 agonists were used similarly in both species. The most commonly used narcotic analgesics were pethidine and buprenorphine in both species, while the NSAIDs used most often were flunixin and dipyrone in dogs and ketoprofen in cats. More than 80% of respondents generally used analgesic drugs with potentially painful surgical procedures, with doses given usually before anaesthetic recovery. Analgesic use rates varied with the condition, ranging from 94% for patients with acute severe trauma, through 60% for cruciate ligament repair and 29% for perineal herniorrhaphy, to about 5% for ovariohysterectomy and dog castration. The three clinical signs most frequently nominated as indicators of pain in dogs and cats were (in descending order) vocalisation, response to handling or palpating the affected area, and mental depression. Other items mentioned frequently were behavioural changes and immobility (in both species), inappetence/anorexia in cats, and altered respiration in dogs.     

A rapid and strong laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To develop a technique for laparoscopic gastropexy in dogs and evaluate effects on stomach position and strength of the adhesion between the stomach and abdominal wall. ANIMALS: 8 healthy dogs. PROCEDURE: Dogs were anesthetized, and the abdomen was insufflated with carbon dioxide. A laparoscope was placed through a cannula inserted on the abdominal midline caudal to the umbilicus. Babcock forceps placed through a cannula inserted lateral to the right margin of the rectus abdominus muscle were used to exteriorize the pyloric antrum, a longitudinal incision was made through the serosa and muscular layer of the pyloric antrum, and the seromuscular layer of the pyloric antrum was sutured to the transversus abdominus muscle. After surgery, positive-contrast gastrography was used to evaluate stomach position and the onset of gastric emptying, and ultrasonography was used to assess stomach wall activity and mobility. Dogs were euthanatized 1 month after surgery, and tensile strength of the adhesion was tested. RESULTS: In all dogs, stomach position and the onset of gastric emptying were normal 25 days after surgery, and the pyloric antrum was firmly attached to the abdominal wall 30 days after surgery. Mean +/- SD ultimate load of the adhesion in tension was 106.5 +/- 45.6 N. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The laparoscopic gastropexy technique described in the present study could be performed quickly and easily by an experienced surgeon, resulted in a strong fibrous adhesion between the stomach and abdominal wall, and appeared to cause minimal stress to the dogs.     

Use of a parainguinal approach for cryptorchidectomy in alpacas

Cryptorchidism is an uncommon condition in llamas and alpacas, and there are no reports detailing surgical management of this condition in llamas or alpacas; however, flank or ventral midline approaches have been mentioned. Cryptorchid castration was performed by use of a parainguinal approach in 2 alpacas. The retained testicle of each alpaca was found on the ventral aspect of the abdomen, just caudal to the incision in 1 alpaca and at the cranial edge of the incision in the other. The testicle was approximately 1 X 0.5 cm in 1 alpaca and 2 X 1 cm in the other. In an alpaca or llama with a single abdominal testicle and no history of surgery, the parainguinal approach has several advantages, including the likely proximity of the testicle to the incision; the small incision, which can be extended if needed; ease of closure; and minimal aftercare. The retained testicles were small and could be difficult to find from a more distant midline, paramedian, or flank incision.     

Use of inhaled medications to treat respiratory diseases in dogs and cats

Noninfectious disorders of the respiratory tract, including laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, and asthma are common problems in dogs and cats. Traditional therapies have often included corticosteroids and bronchodilators given by mouth or injection. Side effects of this form of treatment can be severe and can result in cessation of therapy. Inhaled corticosteroid drugs are not as absorbed into the systemic circulation, do not result in significant side effects, and are now the standard of care for dogs and cats with respiratory diseases that would otherwise be treated with systemic medications.     

Use of an external skin-stretching device for wound closure in dogs and cats

Use of an externally applied, noninvasive skin-stretching device in 24 dogs and cats is described. The device uses adhesive-coated pads that are applied to the skin of an animal; pads are positioned on opposite sides of a surgical site and are connected by means of adjustable elastic cables. The cables maintain continuous tension, and cable tension is adjusted and progressively increased at intervals of 6 to 8 hours to promote skin recruitment (stretching), using the cutaneous viscoelastic properties of mechanical creep and stress relaxation. Consequently, skin adjacent and distant to the surgical site can be recruited to facilitate wound closure, typically within 72 to 96 hours after application of the device. The skin-stretching device has been used effectively in dogs and cats to stretch skin prior to elective surgical procedures, stretch skin during management of open wounds prior to suturing, and alleviate incisional tension after surgery.     

Ringworm in dogs and cats

Ringworm is an uncommon disease of dogs, but cats, especially the longhaired breeds, are more frequently infected. Of the several dermatophytes involved, Microsporum canis causes 94 per cent of ringworm in cats and 65 per cent in dogs. This species is highly contagious for man but the true incidence of human infection is unknown. Ringworm caused by M canis usually responds readily to treatment, but when the infection establishes in a colony of cats, eradication can be difficult and expensive. Other forms of ringworm in dogs and cats are caused by dermatophytes acquired from wild animals, mainly small rodents such as mice and voles. This is an uncommon and trivial disease of cats, but some infections in dogs can be remarkably persistent and difficult to resolve.     

Histoplasmosis in dogs and cats

Histoplasma capsulatum is endemic throughout most of the United States with a high prevalence of infections in the Midwest and South. Histoplasmosis is the second most common systemic fungal disease in cats that may be more susceptible than dogs. Infection occurs by inhalation of conidia from the mycelial phase, which subsequently convert to the yeast form. Histoplasma capsulatum is phagocytized and harbored by cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Infection may be subclinical or cause clinical pulmonary granulomatous disease or dissemination. Disseminated disease predominantly affects the liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, bone and bone marrow, integument, and eyes. Primary gastrointestinal histoplasmosis also occurs. Clinical signs of histoplasmosis often are nonspecific, including chronic wasting, fever, anorexia, respiratory signs, and lameness. Gastrointestinal signs (eg, diarrhea with hematochezia or melena) are common in dogs. The definitive diagnosis is made by identification of the yeast in tissue samples. Itraconazole is the treatment of choice.     

Sporozoa in dogs and cats

SUMMARY Faecal samples from 110 dogs and 71 cats were examined for sporozoan parasites by flotation. Isospora spp were present in 5.5% dogs and 4.2% cats; Sarcocystis spp in 20.9% dogs and 1.4% cats. 74.5% dogs and 77.5% cats were fed raw meat from various sources; beef was fed most often. Animals fed raw meat were more frequently infected with protozoa. No Toxoplasma oocysts were found. The results are compared with those from other surveys in Australia and New Zealand.