Propofol as an intravenous anaesthetic agent in dogs

Studies in dogs with an emulsion formulation of the intravenous anaesthetic, propofol, showed that induction of anaesthesia was smooth and it was possible to maintain anaesthesia by intermittent injection. The mean dose for induction of anaesthesia in unpremedicated dogs was 5.95 mg/kg body-weight. When no premedication was administered anaesthesia was maintained by a total dose of approximately 0.806 mg/kg/minute. Premedication with between 0.02 and 0.04 mg/kg of acepromazine reduced the mean induction dose by about 30 per cent and the maintenance dose by more than 50 per cent. In 68 unpremedicated dogs given one dose, recovery was complete in a mean time of 18 minutes and after maintenance of anaesthesia by intermittent injection in 65 dogs the mean recovery time was 22 minutes from administration of the last dose. Premedication with acepromazine did not produce statistically significant increases in these recovery times. The quiet, rapid and complete recovery proved to be most valuable in cases where the animal had to be returned to the owners' care with the minimum of delay.     

Propofol or thiopentone as induction agents in romifidine-sedated and halothane-N2O-anesthetized dogs: a preliminary study.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the use of romifidine as a premedicant in dogs before general anesthesia induced with propofol or thiopentone and maintained with halothane-N2O. Fifteen healthy dogs were anesthetized twice. Each dog received, as preanesthetic protocol, atropine (10 microg/kg, IM) and romifidine (40 microg/kg, IM); induction was delivered with propofol or thiopentone and anesthesia was maintained with halothane and N2O for 1 h. Some cardiovascular and respiratory variables and recovery times were recorded. Induction doses of propofol or thiopentone and the percentage of halothane necessary for maintaining anesthesia were also registered. Thiopentone as an induction agent is more respiratory depressive but is less hypotensive than propofol. Thiopentone reduces further the percentage of halothane necessary for maintaining the anesthesia. However, the quality of recovery is poorer, as the time to extubation is longer and the dogs occasionally had a violent recovery. The combination of romifidine, atropine, propofol, halothane, and N2O appears to be an effective combination for inducing and maintaining general anesthesia in healthy dogs.     

Efficacy of doxorubicin as an induction agent for cats with lymphosarcoma

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of doxorubicin when used alone in inducing remission in cats with lymphosarcoma. DESIGN: Prospective multi-institutional study of naturally occurring disease. METHODS: Cases were accrued from veterinary institutions in Australia and New Zealand after obtaining consent from informed owners. Cats were treated with doxorubicin every 3 weeks for three treatments. If there was no response to the first dose of doxorubicin or if the cat relapsed during the doxorubicin regimen, the cat was withdrawn from the trial and either euthanased or treated with other agents. Age, breed, gender and anatomic site of the lymphosarcoma (multicentric, alimentary, mediastinal, extranodal) were recorded for each cat. Clinical remission was assessed before each treatment by physical examination, radiography, ultrasonography and computed tomography where appropriate. Complete remission was defined as the disappearance of all clinical signs and clinically detectable tumour. RESULTS: Twenty-one cases were accrued over a 2-year-period but only 19 were available for data analysis. Young Siamese cats were over-represented and all cats with mediastinal tumours were young Siamese. There was a significant difference between the mean ages of cats with mediastinal or multicentric lymphosarcoma (mean +/- SD: 3.5 +/- 3.0 and 4.3 +/- 2.6 years, respectively) and cats with alimentary or extranodal LSA (11.4 +/- 0.9 and 11.0 +/- 0.9 years, respectively). Of 19 cats treated with doxorubicin alone, 6 (32%) had complete remission, 6 (32%) had partial remission and 7 (36%) did not respond. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that doxorubicin cannot be recommended as a single agent for treatment of feline lymphosarcoma because of the rather poor remission rate achieved.     

Clinical usefulness of propofol as an anesthetic induction agent in dogs and cats

Propofol was used as an induction agent of general anesthesia in 77 dogs and 64 cats, all client owned, for a variety of surgeries/treatments or diagnostic procedures. The mean intravenous doses of propofol required to achieve endotracheal intubation in dogs and cats were 6.5 +/- 1.4 mg/kg and 10.1 +/- 2.8 mg /kg, respectively. Most of the animals could be induced to anesthesia smoothly by the administration of propofol with a high incidence of apnea. Propofol is a clinically valuable anesthetic induction agent in both dogs and cats, however, care must be taken for apnea.     

Failure of terfenadine as an antipruritic agent in atopic dogs: results of a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

Terfenadine (5 mg/kg body weight, q12h) and placebo (0.5 grain/dog q12h) were both administered orally as individual agents to 18 dogs with atopy in a double-blinded study. No dog improved. Hyperactivity, polyphagia, lethargy, anorexia, increased pruritus, or ocular discharge were seen in three dogs treated with terfenadine. Under the conditions of the study, terfenadine was not a useful antipruritic agent for the atopic dog.     

Chicken anemia agent: an electron microscopic study

Particles of chicken anemia agent (CAA) negatively stained with uranyl acetate were found to be 26.5 nm in diameter. The surface detail evident on the particles indicated that the virus capsid was composed of 32 structural subunits arranged as in a class P = 3 icosahedron with a triangulation number of 3. Using mouse monoclonal antibodies to CAA and a gold-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG, CAA-specific structures were observed by thin-section electron microscopy in infected MDCC-MSB1 cells and in thymic lymphocytes from experimentally infected chicks. These consisted of electron-dense, granular, non-membrane-bound nuclear inclusions, which were often ring-shaped, and cytoplasmic accumulations of microtubules. Aggregates of virus-like particles were sometimes observed in the nuclei of infected MDCC-MSB1 cells. The nucleolar involvement that is characteristic of the morphogenesis of parvoviruses was not observed with CAA.     

Failure of cyproheptadine hydrochloride as an antipruritic agent in allergic dogs: results of a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

Cyproheptadine hydrochloride was administered orally at 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg/day to 16 dogs with allergic pruritus. No dog improved. Polyphagia was observed in 4 dogs (25%).     

Ivermectin as an antiparasitic agent in cattle

In experimental trials on cattle, ivermectin given SC at 200 micrograms/kg had 95% or better efficacy against adult and immature GI and pulmonary nematodes, including inhibited fourth-stage larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi. Studies of efficacy against ectoparasites revealed nearly 100% efficacy against sucking lice, psoroptic and sarcoptic mange mites and cattle grubs. Safety trials revealed no adverse effects with the recommended dosage, including bulls and pregnant cows. A few grub-infested cattle died from acute esophagitis associated with a host-parasite reaction after ivermectin injection.     

Esophageal obstruction as a sequela to ruptured esophagus in a goat

Granulation tissue as a sequela to ruptured esophagus was diagnosed as the cause of esophageal obstruction and regurgitation in a 3.5-year-old Toggenburg buck. Thoracic radiography was useful in localization of the problem. The condition was successfully treated by removal of the granulation tissue through left-sided thoracotomy.