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Objective: To compare the prevalence of types of trauma, mechanisms of injury, and outcomes among military working dogs (MWDs), operational canines (OpK9s), and civilian dogs (CDs) that sustained traumatic injury., Design: Retrospective descriptive analysis., Animals: One hundred and ninety-three cases of MWD trauma, 26,099 cases of CD trauma, 35 cases of OpK9 trauma., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Medical records of MWDs that incurred trauma while deployed to the Middle East were identified, and information was extracted from these records. The resultant database was compared to CD and OpK9s in the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Veterinary Committee on Trauma registry. All 3 groups showed similar trends with regard to type of trauma: penetrating injuries occurred most frequently, followed by blunt injuries for CDs and OpK9s. An equal proportion of blunt and blunt and penetrating traumas were observed in MWDs. Only MWDs sustained trauma from explosions, which accounted for 22.3% of injuries in this group. Animal bite/scratch/quilling and motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) were significantly more prevalent among CDs than MWDs (P < 0.01), whereas injuries from gunshot wounds (GSW) or a knife/sharp object were more common among MWDs compared to CDs (P < 0.01). No statistical differences in survival were observed between CDs and MWDs after excluding civilian dogs euthanized due to financial limitations., Conclusions: MWDs, OpK9s, and CDs experience differences in injury type, mechanism, and outcome. Regardless, MWDs and CDs have good prognosis for survival to discharge after trauma., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2021.)

Objective: To determine the hemostatic potential of canine chilled whole blood maintained at clinically relevant storage conditions., Design: In vitro experimental study., Setting: Government blood and coagulation research laboratory and government referral veterinary hospital., Animals: Ten healthy Department of Defense military working dogs., Interventions: One unit of fresh whole blood was collected from each of 10 military working dogs using aseptic technique. Blood was maintained in a medical-grade refrigerator for 28 days at 4°C (39°F) and analyzed before refrigeration (day 0) and after (days 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 21, and 28)., Measurements and Main Results: Ten units of canine blood were analyzed with whole blood platelet aggregation, thromboelastography, CBC, biochemical analysis, blood gas, and prothrombin/activated partial thromboplastin/fibrinogen assay. Clotting strength of chilled blood was maintained up to 21 days despite significant decreases in platelet aggregation to ADP, collagen, or γ-thrombin, significant prolongation of prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, and reduced speed of clot formation (K time, alpha angle). Fibrinogen concentration, WBC, RBC, and platelet counts did not change over time., Conclusions: Chilled canine whole blood loses a small percentage of clot strength through 21 days of refrigerated storage. Further research is needed to determine if this hemostatic potential is clinically relevant in hemorrhaging dogs who require surgical intervention or are exposed to traumatic events., (© Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2021.)