Complications secondary to endotracheal intubation in dogs and cats
Moriz Ettore Klonner and others, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
Endotracheal intubation offers several benefits during general anaesthesia, ensuring a patent airway and facilitating mechanical ventilation. However, it can result in short- and long-term complications and has been associated with increased perioperative mortality in cats. The authors investigated anaesthesiologists’ attitudes towards endotracheal intubation and their perceptions of the incidence of complications in small animal practice. An online survey was completed by 191 diplomates and residents of the US and European colleges of veterinary anaesthesia. More than 95 percent of respondents agreed that intubation was a key element in state-of-the-art anaesthesia, with the benefits perceived to be greater in canine than in feline patients. Major complications were reported to be infrequent in both species, while minor complications such as cuff leaks, coughing and laryngeal spasm were seen more often in cats.
Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 50, 220-229
Update of WSAVA guidelines on the recognition, assessment and treatment of pain
Beatriz Monteiro, University of Montreal, Canada, and others
Veterinary staff have a moral and ethical duty to mitigate suffering due to pain in animals, but despite much progress in its recognition and treatment, there are still limitations to the ability of clinicians to manage pain in their patients. In recognition of this issue, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association published guidelines on the management of pain in companion animals in 2014. The authors report an updated version of this project in view of the advances in pain management over the past decade. The document is intended to provide small animal practitioners with easy-to-implement advice on the recognition and management of pain in a small animal clinical practice setting. It also offers an extensive reference list for those seeking to advance their knowledge in this area.
Journal of Small Animal Practice, 64, 177-254
Liposomal bupivacaine in canine gastrointestinal foreign body surgery
Alexander Rahn and others, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
A product containing liposomal bupivacaine (Nocita, Aratana Therapeutics) has been approved in the US for specific indications, such as an incisional infiltration block for cruciate ligament surgery in dogs. It has also been used off-label in other applications with mixed results. The authors investigated its use in surgery to remove gastric foreign bodies in dogs. They found that it was associated with reduced post-operative analgesia and a shorter duration of intensive-care unit and hospital treatment. However, there was also an increased incidence of wound complications. Therefore, the authors recommend that this agent is used with caution in surgery involving potentially contaminated wound sites.
Veterinary Surgery [Early view]
Comparison of two intramuscular anaesthetic protocols in uncooperative cats
Mara Bagardi and others, University of Milan, Italy
An echocardiographic examination in a conscious animal is essential for the diagnosis of occult feline cardiomyopathies. Sedation may be necessary in an uncooperative patient, but the method used should result in minimal changes to key haemodynamic variables. The authors compare the effects of two multimodal intramuscular anaesthetic protocols when sedating stray female cats. The patients received ketamine and methadone with either dexmedetomidine or alfaxalone. Both provided effective sedation, but there were greater changes in some echocardiographic measurements in the cats receiving dexmedetomidine. Hence, the alfaxalone-based protocol is recommended for use in uncooperative feline patients.
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 25
Acetaminophen (paracetamol) in treating experimentally induced lameness in horses
Melissa Mercer and others, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Acetaminophen has been used successfully in combination with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to treat experimentally induced lameness in horses. The authors investigated the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of this agent at doses of 20mg/kg or 30mg/kg when compared with phenylbutazone or a placebo control in horses with lameness induced using a reversible sole pressure horseshoe model. When administered at the higher dose, acetaminophen produced a more rapid improvement in lameness scores as well as a reduced heart rate compared with the other treatment groups. However, further evaluation is necessary into the safety and efficacy of the drug with repeated oral administration.
Equine Veterinary Journal, 55, 524-533
Sacrococcygeal epidural bupivacaine in cats undergoing orthopaedic surgery
Xavier Torruella and others, University of Dublin
The administration of local anaesthetic agents into the lumbosacral epidural space can provide good intraoperative antinociception for surgery on the pelvis and pelvic limb. However, the spinal cord in cats extends to the level of the first sacrococcygeal vertebra. Therefore, sacrococcygeal administration of anaesthetic may be safer than a lumbosacral epidural in this species. The authors describe the effects of administering 0.5 percent bupivacaine into this site in seven cats undergoing orthopaedic surgery. Their findings show that this is an effective strategy in feline patients, but intraoperative blood pressure monitoring is necessary because of the significant risk of hypotension.
Irish Veterinary Journal, 76, 1
Subcutaneous alfaxalone for sedation of the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo)
Michelle Yee and others, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon
Chemical restraint is often necessary when performing routine procedures such as blood sampling or imaging in ferrets due to their small size and constant motion. Inhalant anaesthetics can be associated with safety issues in this species, while many injectable agents are likely to cause cardiorespiratory depression. Alfaxalone is a neurosteroid anaesthetic that may be used as an induction agent or sedative when administered intravenously, subcutaneously or intramuscularly. The authors investigate the safety and efficacy of this agent as a sedative for ferrets. They conclude that the level of sedation obtained would be appropriate for non-invasive procedures such as a physical examination, ultrasonography or radiographic positioning without manual restraint.
Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, 46, 12-18
Ultrasound-guided nerve block with bupivacaine for abdominal surgery in cats
Marta Garbin and others, University of Montreal, Canada
Regional anaesthetic blocks have the potential to reduce anaesthetic and analgesic drug requirements and limit other potential adverse effects in veterinary surgery. The authors describe a study using an ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) for neutering procedures in female cats. This randomised, prospective, masked clinical trial involved 32 healthy adult cats. Their findings show that a bilateral two-point TAPB with bupivacaine in combination with systemic buprenorphine produced a lower post-operative pain score with a reduced need for rescue analgesia compared with buprenorphine alone in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy.
