Postanesthetic Pulmonary Edema In an Arab Stallion

A six-year-old arabian stallion was admitted to The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital for evaluation and repair of a comminuted fracture of the second phalanx. The horse developed impaired arterial oxygenation during surgey and pulmonary edema post-operatively. We postulate that impaired arterial oxygenation resulted from atelectasis of the dependent lung during annesthesia, and the pulmonary edema occurred following re-expansion of the atelectatic of the initiating cause of the edema, removal of excess lung water from the alveoli, and restoration of normal arterial oxygenation. The horse was fully recovered within 12 hours of initiation of clinical signs of respiratory compromise. The horse was fully recovered within 12 hours of initiation of clinical signs of respiratory compromise. This report describes re-expansion pulmonary edema due to reperfusion injury in a horse, treatment of the condition, and a possible explanation of the pathogenesis of this pulmonary pathology.     

Pain management in horses and farm animals

Objective: This review discusses the different analgesic drugs and routes of administration used in large animals for acute pain management. General guidelines and doses are given to assist in choosing techniques that provide effective analgesia. Etiology: Noxious stimuli are perceived, recognized, and localized by specialized sensory systems located at spinal and supraspinal levels. Diagnosis: Localizing the source of the noxious stimulus as well as understanding the behavioral aspects and physiological changes that result from such insult is important to adequately diagnose and treat pain. Pain assessment is far from being definite and objective; not only are there species differences, but also individual variation. In addition, the behavioral and physiological manifestations vary with the acute or chronic nature of pain. Therapy: Pain management should include (1) selecting drugs that better control the type of pain elicited by the insult; (2) selecting techniques of analgesic drug administration that act on pathways or anatomical locations where the nociceptive information is being processed or originating from; (3) combining analgesic drugs that act on different pain pathways; and (4) provide the best possible comfort for the animal. Prognosis: Providing pain relief improves the animal's well being and outcome; however, interpreting and diagnosing pain remains difficult. Continuing research in pain management will contribute to the evaluation of the pathophysiology of pain, pain assessment, and newer analgesic drugs and techniques.     

TRANSABDOMINAL SONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE CANINE PROSTATE

The present study sought to determine the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement of the prostate; to observe the ultrasonographic appearance of the normal prostate; and to compare these observations with those in prostates affected by cystic hyperplasia, benign hyperplasia, land neoplasia. Trassabdominal ultrasonography of the canine prostate was performed in eight normal dogs to establish criteria for evaluating enlarged prostates. Marginal boundries, size, and ultrasonographic architecture were compared with dissection findings to assess the accuracy of ultrasonography. Four enlarged prostates were evaluated ultrasonographically, and the findings were correlated with results of needle aspiration and urethral wash and with surgical and histopathologic findings. Differentiation between cystic and solid prostatic enlargement by ultrasonography proved efective. Transducer frequency and gain manipulation were important factors in describing the nature of the fluid within a cyst. Assenssment of the nature of solid prostatic enlargement and accurate size determination proved to be areas in which ultrasonography should by used in conjunction with other diagnostic techniques.     

MENSURATION OF THE NORMAL PITUITARY GLAND FROM MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES IN 96 DOGS

The pituitary gland was measured from transverse magnetic resonance T1-weighted images after Gadolinium administration in 96 dogs weighing from 13 to 45 kg. The measurements were done by hand with calipers. The mean (+/- standard deviation) pituitary gland height was 5.1 mm (+/-0.9 mm). The mean width was 6.4 mm (+/- 1.1 mm). The correlation coefficient between pituitary and brain measurements, between pituitary measurement and body weight, and brain measurements and body weight was 0.0 to 0.3. A hyperintense region was present on T1-weighted images in the center of the pituitary gland in 64% of the dogs. At necropsy the pituitary glands were grossly and histologically normal. No pituitary gland measurements were performed at necropsy.     

PSITTACINE SKULL RADIOGRAPHY

The psittacine skull is a complex anatomic structure, frequently traumatized but difficult to adequately image with standard radiographic procedures. Multiple views including a ventrodorsal, a lateral, and complementary oblique projections are necessary to fully evaluate potential skull fractures in the avian patient. Magnification radiography is a relatively easy procedure that aids the review of small osseous structures. Familiarity with psittacine skull anatomy greatly facilitates radiographic interpretation of cranial trauma.     

Clinical Results Following Nonoperative Management for Rupture of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament in Dogs

Eighty-five dogs were diagnosed as having rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament. They were managed by restriction of activity to leash walks for 3 to 6 weeks, weight loss if indicated, and analgesic medication as needed. Twenty-four of 28 dogs that had a body weight of 15 kg or less (85.7%) were considered to be clinically normal (no lameness and normal range of motion in stifle, 21 dogs) or improved (3 dogs) after an average follow-up period of 36.6 months. Lameness in the remaining four dogs persisted or worsened over an average period of 8.2 months (minimum 6 months), and surgical replacement of the cruciate ligament was performed. Eleven of 57 dogs that had a body weight of 15 kg or greater (19.3%) were classified as normal (4 dogs) or improved (7 dogs) after an average follow-up period of 49.1 months. Lameness in the remaining 46 dogs persisted or worsened over an average period of 10.2 months (minimum 6 months), and surgical replacement of the cruciate ligament was performed.     

Characterization of age- and location-associated variations in the composition of articular cartilage from the equine metacarpophalangeal joint

Objective: To characterize the impact of age, gender, location and individual animal variation on the composition of articular cartilage from the metacarpophalangeal joint of horses. Design: Cartilage specimens were obtained from the metacarpophalangeal joints of 28 male, female and castrated male horses ranging in age from one day to 27 years of age. Cartilage samples from the distal metacarpus, proximal first phalanx and proximal sesamoids were analyzed separately. Chondrocyte number, DNA content, proteoglycan concentration and total collagen content were determined for each animal and joint location. Results: Age and joint location had a significant effect on chondrocyte number and DNA content with higher cell counts and DNA content detected in cartilage from the youngest age groups and in cartilage from the metacarpus and proximal sesamoids. The influence of age on chondrocyte numbers was not significant in horses over two years of age. Both age and joint location also influenced total proteoglycan and collagen content. Lower proteoglycan and collagen concentrations were detected in younger horses, and cartilage from the metacarpus had lower proteoglycan and collagen concentrations than that from other joint locations. Gender did not appear to influence chondrocyte number or matrix content of equine articular cartilage. However, there was significant residual variation in cellularity, proteoglycan levels and collagen content between individual animals that could not be explained by the signalment factors considered in this study. Conclusions: Future studies examining equine articular cartilage should avoid direct morphologic comparisons between animals of different ages, and any comparisons made between individuals should be interpreted cautiously. In addition, in vitro tissue culture models should avoid the use of cartilage pooled from different animals or from different locations within the same joint.     

Evaluation of a Collagenase Generated Osteoarthritis Biomarker in Naturally Occurring Canine Cruciate Disease

Objective— To determine the clinical value of a novel osteoarthritis (OA) biomarker in detecting canine cruciate disease.
Study Design— Cross sectional clinical study.
Animals— Dogs (n=22) with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture and 12 control dogs.
Methods— Concentrations of collagenase-generated cleavage epitope of type II collagen (Col2-3/4C_{long mono}, or C2C) in serum, urine, and joint fluid were compared between a group of dogs with CCL rupture and a control group. Correlation of C2C concentrations to the clinical stage of stifle OA was also evaluated.
Results— There were no significant differences in C2C concentrations in serum, urine, and joint fluid between groups ( P >.05). Subjective scores of lameness, joint effusion, osteophytosis were significantly more severe in the CCL rupture group compared with the control group ( P <.05). There was no significant correlation of C2C concentrations with clinical stage of stifle OA ( P >.05).
Conclusion— This OA biomarker did not detect pathology associated with CCL rupture. Our results suggest that collagenase-specific degradation of type II collagen in articular cartilage may not be involved in the early stage of naturally occurring canine cruciate disease, and that pathology associated with naturally occurring CCL rupture is different from that of experimental OA model.
Clinical Relevance— C2C is not clinically useful in detecting CCL rupture in dogs.