Perioperative use of analgesics in dogs and cats by Canadian veterinarians in 2001

A random sample of 652 Canadian veterinarians was surveyed to determine perioperative use of analgesics in dogs and cats following common surgeries. The response rate was 57.8%. With the exception of taildocking in puppies, at least 85% of animals received preincisional analgesics, and 30% to 98.1% received postincisional analgesics. A similar survey was conducted in 1994; since then, analgesic usage has increased markedly, as have ratings of the pain caused by different surgeries. In 2001 most veterinarians (62%) used at least 2 classes of analgesic perioperatively. However, strong opioids, local anesthetics, and alpha-2 agonists were underused, and there was an overreliance on weak opioids (butorphanol, meperidine). Up to 12% of veterinarians did not use any analgesics. Nationally, this may have affected many animals monthly; for example, approximately 6000 dogs or cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Continuing education (provincial level) and review articles were considered effective ways to inform veterinarians about optimal analgesic practices.     

Oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in horses infected with equine infectious anaemia virus

This study assesses the impact of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) infection on the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium of horses. Blood samples from 96 Romanian horses aged 1-25 years, were divided into different groups according to their EIAV-infection status, age, and time post-seroconversion. The effect of infection on oxidative stress was estimated by measuring enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and catalase), non-enzymatic antioxidants (uric acid and carotenoids), and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]). Infection modified the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium in the horses, influencing GPx and uric acid levels (P<0.05). Time post-seroconversion also contributed to oxidative stress imbalance, exhibiting a significant influence on both SOD and MDA concentrations in the blood (P<0.05). Animal age did not have a significant influence on oxidative stress. Recently infected horses (<1 year following seroconversion), and horses >5 years old, represented the most vulnerable category in terms of oxidative stress, followed by recently infected animals <5 years old. The results of this study are novel in implicating EIAV infection in the development of oxidative stress in horses.     

Alginate Microsphere Encapsulation of Drug-Loaded Nanoparticles: A Novel Strategy for Intraperitoneal Drug Delivery

Alginate hydrogels have been broadly investigated for use in medical applications due to their biocompatibility and the possibility to encapsulate cells, proteins, and drugs. In the treatment of peritoneal metastasis, rapid drug clearance from the peritoneal cavity is a major challenge. Aiming to delay drug absorption and reduce toxic side effects, cabazitaxel (CAB)-loaded poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) (PACA) nanoparticles were encapsulated in alginate microspheres. The PACAlg alginate microspheres were synthesized by electrostatic droplet generation and the physicochemical properties, stability, drug release kinetics, and mesothelial cytotoxicity were analyzed before biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy were studied in mice. The 450 µm microspheres were stable at in vivo conditions for at least 21 days after intraperitoneal implantation in mice, and distributed evenly throughout the peritoneal cavity without aggregation or adhesion. The nanoparticles were stably retained in the alginate microspheres, and nanoparticle toxicity to mesothelial cells was reduced, while the therapeutic efficacy of free CAB was maintained or improved in vivo. Altogether, this work presents the alginate encapsulation of drug-loaded nanoparticles as a promising novel strategy for the treatment of peritoneal metastasis that can improve the therapeutic ratio between toxicity and therapeutic efficacy.     

Caprine toxoplasmosis in Southern Brazil: a comparative seroepidemiological study between the indirect immunofluorescence assay,the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and the modified agglutination test

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study investigated the prevalence of caprine toxoplasmosis in goat herds from Southern Brazil by the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and...     

Oesophageal strictures in cats associated with doxycycline therapy

Four cases of oesophageal stricture subsequent to doxycycline administration are reported. All cases were young to middle age (median age 3 years; range 1-7 years), and either domestic shorthair or domestic longhair breed. In all cases the predominant clinical sign was regurgitation, which developed at variable times after doxycycline administration. In all cases the reason for doxycycline use was treatment or prophylaxis of suspected infections (Mycoplasma haemofelis, Chlamydophila felis or Bordetella bronchiseptica), and the duration of therapy was variable. In one case the stricture was definitively diagnosed at post mortem examination, in the three other cases, definitive diagnosis was by endoscopy. Balloon dilation was successful in the three cases that were treated. This is the largest case series, to date, of oesophageal disease in cats associated with doxycycline administration. Caution should be exercised when administering oral medication to cats, especially doxycycline, and should be accompanied either by a water or food swallow.     

Hidden costs of food production: the veterinarian's role

Veterinarians who work in food-animal production and food safety help to deliver food policy by enabling farmers to supply safe, affordable food. However, existing food policy reflects a production bias and is increasingly being criticized for its hidden costs. These costs include reduced animal welfare, the inflated risk of anti-microbial resistance, and the current pandemic of human obesity and overweight. Veterinarians do not generally recognize that this is the context within which they do their work. In this article, I review this context and argue that veterinary students should be taught about it. I also argue that the profession should join with food-policy analysts, ethicists, and others who are already calling for a rethinking of food policy, so that new policy might meet the full wealth of problems and not just some.