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This retrospective study assessed the effect of an intraoral bilateral maxillary nerve block in dogs undergoing surgery for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Records of dogs that underwent BOAS surgery were retrieved. Cases were assigned to Group B or C if a preoperative bilateral maxillary nerve block was performed or not. Type and dose of local anesthetic, inhalant anesthetic minimum alveolar concentration multiples, intraoperative fentanyl and injectable anesthetic use, prevalence of intraoperative hypotension or bradycardia, and postoperative opioids administration, were compared between groups. Sixty-seven cases met the inclusion criteria: 33 were assigned to Group B and 34 to Group C. In Group C, 18 dogs required intraoperative fentanyl ( P = 0.005), and 12 needed injectable anesthetic top-ups ( P = 0.006). Hypotension, or bradycardia, were not different between groups. Bilateral maxillary nerve block reduces intraoperative fentanyl and injectable anesthetic requirement in dogs undergoing BOAS surgery., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)

This study reports the clinical use of two sevoflurane-based anesthetic techniques in dogs undergoing craniectomy. Twenty-one animals undergoing elective rostrotentorial or transfrontal craniectomy for brain tumor excision, anesthetized with sevoflurane, were enrolled in this retrospective, observational study. Anesthetic records were allocated to two groups: Sevo-Op (sevoflurane and short acting opioid infusion): 8 dogs and Sevo-Dex (sevoflurane and dexmedetomidine infusion): 13 dogs. Average mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide, end-tidal sevoflurane and intraoperative infusion rates during surgery were calculated. Presence of intra-operative and post-operative bradycardia, tachycardia, hypotension, hypertension, hypothermia, hyperthermia was recorded. Time to endotracheal extubation, intraoperative occurrence of atrioventricular block, postoperative presence of agitation, seizures, use of labetalol and dexmedetomidine infusion were also recorded. Data from the two groups were compared with Fisher's exact test and unpaired t tests with Welch's correction. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for categorical variables. Intra-operatively, MAP was lower in Sevo-Op [85 (± 6.54) vs. 97.69 (± 7.8) mmHg, p = 0.0009]. Time to extubation was longer in Sevo-Dex [37.69 (10-70) vs. 19.63 (10-25), p = 0.0033]. No differences were found for the other intra-operative and post-operative variables investigated. Post-operative hypertension and agitation were the most common complications (11 and 12 out of 21 animals, respectively). These results suggest that the infusion of dexmedetomidine provides similar intra-operative conditions and post-operative course to a short acting opioid infusion during sevoflurane anesthesia in dogs undergoing elective rostrotentorial or transfrontal intracranial surgery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

Objective: To compare the perioperative effects and pharmacoeconomics of peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) versus fentanyl target-controlled infusion (fTCI) in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO)., Study Design: Randomized clinical study., Animals: A total of 39 dogs undergoing unilateral TPLO., Methods: After acepromazine and methadone, anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane. Dogs were allocated to group fTCI [target plasma concentration (TPC) 1 ng mL -1 ] or group PNB (nerve stimulator-guided femoral-sciatic block using 0.2 and 0.1 mL kg -1 of levobupivacaine 0.5%, respectively). If nociceptive response occurred, isoflurane was increased by 0.1%, and TPC was increased by 0.5 ng mL -1 in group fTCI; a fentanyl bolus (1 μg kg -1 ) was administered in group PNB. During the first 24 postoperative hours, methadone (0.2 mg kg -1 ) was administered intramuscularly according to the Short Form Glasgow Composite Pain Scale, or if pain was equal to 5/24 or 4/20 for two consecutive assessments, or if the dog was non-weight bearing. The area under the curve (AUC) of pain scores, cumulative postoperative methadone requirement, food intake and pharmacoeconomic implications were calculated., Results: Incidence of bradycardia (p = 0.025), nociceptive response to surgery (p = 0.041) and AUC of pain scores (p < 0.0001) were greater in group fTCI. Postoperatively, 16/19 (84.2%) and eight/20 (40%) dogs in groups fTCI and PNB, respectively, were given at least one dose of methadone (p = 0.0079). Food intake was greater in group PNB (p = 0.049). Although total cost was not different (p = 0.083), PNB was more cost-effective in dogs weighing >15 kg., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Compared with group fTCI, incidence of bradycardia, nociceptive response to surgery, postoperative pain scores, cumulative methadone requirement were lower, and food intake was greater in group PNB, with an economic advantage in dogs weighing >15 kg., (Copyright © 2019 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Age-related hippocampal formation (HF) atrophy has been documented on MRI studies using volumetric analysis and visual rating scales.This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to compare linear MRI measurements of the HF between young (1-3 years) and old (>10 years) non-brachycephalic dogs, with normal brain anatomy and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Right and left hippocampal formation height (HFH), height of the brain (HB) and mean HFH/HB ratio were measured by two observers on a transverse T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence containing rostral colliculi and mesencephalic aqueduct.119 MRI studies were enrolled: 75 young and 44 old dogs. Left and right HFH were greater (p<0.0001) in young, while HB was greater in old dogs (p=0.024). Mean HFH/HB ratio was 15.66 per cent and 18.30 per cent in old and young dogs (p<0.0001). No differences were found comparing measurements between epileptic and non-epileptic dogs.Old dogs have a greater HB; this may represent the different study populations or a statistical phenomenon. Ageing affects HF linear measurements. A reduction of mean HFH/HB ratio between 18.30 per cent and 15.66 per cent should be considered a physiological age-related process of the canine lifespan. The use of mean HFH/HB ratio could be considered for quantifying brain atrophy in elderly dogs., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To compare the effect of alfaxalone and propofol on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) after fentanyl administration in healthy dogs., Study Design: Prospective, randomised clinical study., Animals: Fifty healthy client owned dogs (ASA I/II) requiring general anaesthesia for elective magnetic resonance imaging for neurological conditions., Methods: All dogs received fentanyl 7 μg kg(-1) IV and were allocated randomly to receive either alfaxalone (n = 25) or propofol (n = 25) to effect until endotracheal (ET) intubation was possible. Heart rate and oscillometric BP were measured before fentanyl (baseline), after fentanyl (Time F) and after ET intubation (Time GA). Post-induction apnoea were recorded. Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test, Mann Whitney U test and one-way anova for repeated measures as appropriate; p value <0.05 was considered significant., Results: Dogs receiving propofol showed a greater decrease in HR (-14 beat minute(-1) , range -47 to 10) compared to alfaxalone (1 beat minute(-1) , range -33 to 26) (p = 0.0116). Blood pressure decreased over the three time periods with no difference between groups. Incidence of post-induction apnoea was not different between groups., Conclusion: Following fentanyl administration, anaesthetic induction with propofol resulted in a greater negative chronotropic effect while alfaxalone preserved or increased HR., Clinical Relevance: Following fentanyl administration, HR decreases more frequently when propofol rather than alfaxalone is used as induction agent. However, given the high individual variability and the small change in predicted HR (-7.7 beats per minute after propofol), the clinical impact arising from choosing propofol or alfaxalone is likely to be small in healthy animals. Further studies in dogs with myocardial disease and altered haemodynamics are warranted., (© 2014 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia.)

Objective: To evaluate intraoperative effects, complications, postoperative rescue analgesia requirement and presence of postoperative unilateral blockade after hypobaric spinal anaesthesia in dogs., Methods: Retrospective review of case records of dogs that underwent pelvic limb orthopaedic surgery and received hypobaric spinal anaesthesia. Cases that contained complete information on perioperative analgesia, end tidal anaesthetic agent, arterial blood pressure, postoperative urination, motor function and assessment at the sixth week re-examination were selected., Results: Twenty-four of forty-eight records were sufficiently complete to meet the selection criteria. Local anaesthetic dose and volume of the solution administered were 0 · 22 (±0 · 06) mg/kg and 0 · 16 (±0 · 05) mL/kg, respectively. Fentanyl was administered intraoperatively in seven dogs (29%); mean ± sd end-expired isoflurane was 1 · 09 ± 0 · 17%; hypotension was observed in nine dogs (37 · 5%). Unilateral blockade was documented in 18 dogs (75%); 6 dogs (25%) required methadone postoperatively; urinary retention was not observed. One dog developed steroid responsive meningitis arteritis., Clinical Significance: Hypobaric spinal anaesthesia achieved unilateral postoperative pelvic limb motor blockade in dogs, although bilateral block occurred in a proportion of animals; intraoperative hypotension was not infrequent. Fentanyl and postoperative methadone might be required to control nociception and pain, despite technical success in performing spinal anaesthesia., (© 2014 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Objective: To evaluate the success rate and complications of lumbar plexus (LP) and femoral nerve (FN) blocks, each combined with a sciatic nerve (SN) block, in dogs undergoing pelvic limb orthopaedic surgery., Design: Retrospective clinical study., Procedure: The intra-operative and postoperative clinical records of dogs that underwent orthopaedic surgery of the pelvic limb were reviewed. Dogs were divided into two groups according to the analgesic technique used during surgery: dogs that received a peripheral nerve block (group PNB) and dogs in which opioid analgesia alone was used (group C)., Results: The PNB and C groups included 265 and 31 dogs, respectively. Complete statistical analysis was performed in 115/265 dogs of PNB group. The overall success rate of the PNB performed was 77% (89/115): 76% (72/95) and 85% (17/20) for LP-SN and FN-SN blocks, respectively. In group PNB, the prevalence of intra-operative hypotension was 7.8% (9/115). Only one (out of 95 [1.05%]) LP-SN block manifested transient postoperative bilateral pelvic limb paralysis. None of the 265 dogs in group PNB manifested neurological complications at six weeks postoperatively., Conclusion: The success rate and the absence of neurological complications obtained support the use of LP-SN and FN-SN for loco-regional anaesthesia and analgesia in dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery of the pelvic limb.

Objectives: To compare the analgesic and sedative effects of butorphanol and pethidine (meperidine) in dogs., Methods: Twenty-eight female dogs undergoing ovariectomy (20) or ovariohysterectomy (8) were randomly divided into two groups. Pre-anaesthetic medication in group B consisted of 20 μg/kg intramuscular (im) acepromazine and 0·4 mg/kg butorphanol, while group P received 20 μg/kg acepromazine with 5 mg/kg pethidine. The resulting sedation (simple descriptive scale), propofol dose required to induce anaesthesia, several intraoperative cardiorespiratory variables and postoperative pain (Colorado Pain Scoring System) were compared between the two groups. A 0·2 mg/kg meloxicam dose was administered intravenously to all animals at the end of the 4 hours observation period, or earlier if the pain score was more than 13., Results: Sedation scores, propofol induction doses and intraoperative cardiorespiratory variables were not different between groups. Postoperative pain scores were also similar although one dog in group B required rescue analgesia. Five dogs in group P vomited postoperatively., Clinical Significance: Either butorphanol and pethidine, combined with acepromazine, produced reliable sedation and analgesia up to 4 hours after intramuscular injection in dogs., (© 2011 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

Tramadol is a synthetic opioid agonist used extensively in human and, to a lesser extent, veterinary medicine throughout the world. The clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetic profile of intravenous (i.v.) and extradural (e.d.) tramadol (2 mg/kg) and its o-desmethyl metabolite were studied in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO). Intra-operative cardiorespiratory variables were monitored and post-operative pain was assessed using the short form of the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale. A rapid (<5 min) and effective production of o-desmethyl tramadol was recorded. The pharmacokinetic profile was similar for tramadol and its metabolite irrespective of the route of administration. E.d. tramadol provided sufficient intra- and post-operative analgesia without significant clinical side-effects, but the post-operative analgesia was comparable to that following i.v. administration and the e.d. route could therefore not be considered a practical alternative to the i.v. route., (2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This clinical review summarises the pharmacological and anaesthetic properties of alfaxalone in the dog. Available pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic data and factors affecting the induction dose have been reported. Furthermore, quality of induction and recovery after alfaxalone administration, the use of alfaxalone for total intravenous anaesthesia, and its effects on the cardio‐respiratory system, on laryngeal motion, on intraocular pressure and tear production have been evaluated. Finally, the use of alfaxalone in dogs undergoing caesarean section and the effect of intramuscular alfaxalone administration have been considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the prevalence, clinical findings and predictors of disease in dogs with cervical hyperaesthesia. Materials and Methods: Medical records of dogs referred for neurological investigation of cervical hyperaesthesia between 2009 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Dogs were assigned to one of the following groups according to the final diagnosis: Non‐Neurologic, Brain, Cervical Spine, Multifocal, and Chiari‐like Malformation/Syringomyelia. Demographic data, clinical and neurological signs and laboratory findings were compared between groups using univariate analysis; predictors of disease location were assessed by multivariate analysis. Results: Final diagnostic allocations of the 185 records included in the study were as follows: 2.7% Non‐Neurologic, 2.2% Brain, 63.2% Cervical Spine, 22.2% Multifocal and 9.7% Chiari Malformation/Syringomyelia. Intervertebral disc extrusion and steroid‐responsive meningitis arteritis were the most common diseases. Compared to Multifocal dogs, those allocated a Cervical Spine diagnosis were older, heavier, more frequently ataxic and lame on a thoracic limb; furthermore, they were less frequently depressed or hyperthermic at presentation. Leucocytosis, neutrophilia and monocytosis were more frequent in dogs allocated a Multifocal diagnosis. Dogs with cervical hyperaesthesia older than 36 months and non‐hyperthermic at presentation were more likely to have a lesion of the cervical region rather than a multi‐focal disease. Clinical Significance: Although non‐specific, these results may be useful to guide clinicians in management of dogs presenting with cervical hyperaesthesia. Animal age and body temperature may support the suspicion of either focal or multi‐focal cervical spinal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]