Journal of Small Animal Practice最新文献

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and potential clinical relevance of preoperative haematological and biochemical abnormalities in clinically healthy cats classified as ASA Physical Status I.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 414 client-owned cats categorised as ASA I based on physical examination and medical history. Haematological and biochemical profiles were reviewed, and abnormalities were identified using established feline reference intervals. The prevalence and pattern of out-of-range values were assessed, and potential associations with age (≥7 years) and breed type (brachycephalic vs. non-brachycephalic) were analysed using logistic regression.

Results: Only 15.9% of cats had entirely normal laboratory values, whereas 84.1% had at least one abnormal parameter. A total of 12.3% had two or more abnormalities suggestive of possible systemic involvement. The most frequent abnormality was elevated blood urea nitrogen in 55.1% of cats, though most were mild and likely subclinical. Cats aged ≥7 years had significantly increased odds of leukocytosis (OR = 4.02), while brachycephalic cats were more likely to have elevated blood urea nitrogen (OR = 1.61). Neither factor was significantly associated with the presence of multiple abnormalities across different organ systems.

Clinical significance: A substantial proportion of apparently healthy ASA I cats exhibited subclinical laboratory abnormalities. These findings suggest that relying solely on clinical criteria may underestimate anaesthetic risk. Routine pre-anaesthetic laboratory testing, particularly in specific populations such as brachycephalic breeds or cats older than 7 years, may improve perioperative assessment by identifying occult systemic conditions.

A 9-year-old female spayed Pug presented for marked obstructive apnoea and intermittent sneezing. On presentation, the dog had mild tachypnoea and increased inspiratory effort when sleeping. A nasopharyngeal mass was observed during the upper airway examination. On computed tomography scan, the nasopharyngeal characteristics and Hounsfield units were most consistent with a soft tissue mass. Endoscopic-guided electrosurgical snare cauterisation was performed. Procedure time was approximately 5 minutes. The discharge from the nasopharyngeal mass was submitted for cytology, and results were consistent with a nasopharyngeal sialocele. The dog presented for a review and endoscopic examination 4 months post-procedure, which showed no recurrence. This case report provides a novel, minimally invasive approach. The technique involved utilising an electrosurgical snare. Screening for nasopharyngeal sialoceles should be performed in all brachycephalic breeds undergoing brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome surgery. In addition, computed tomography characteristics of a sialocele can be inconsistent with what has been previously reported.

Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis involves the administration of antimicrobials to reduce the risk of a surgical site infection and represents a significant proportion of all antimicrobial use in cats and dogs. This evidence-based, European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy guideline provides recommendations for both peri- and post-operative surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis for a wide range of soft tissue and orthopaedic procedures performed in dogs and cats. A multidisciplinary panel developed the recommendations while adhering to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. The opinions of veterinary practitioners were incorporated to ensure applicability. Ten strong recommendations against, three conditional recommendations against and five conditional recommendations for the use of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis were drafted by the panel. Strong recommendations against surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis were often informed by low- to very low-certainty evidence that treatment has no beneficial effect. However, the anticipated harmful effects of antimicrobial use are well established and offer an important counterbalance to unsubstantiated use. Conditional recommendations were made when there was a probable balance of effects in one direction, although appreciable uncertainty was present. The European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Therapy guidelines initiative encourages national or regional guideline makers to use the evidence presented in this document and the supporting systematic review to draft national or local guidance documents that support rational surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Objectives: (1) To report surgical repair techniques for common calcaneal tendon injuries in cats; (2) to describe both short-term and long-term complications; (3) to investigate the long-term outcome following temporary postoperative immobilisation of the tarsocrural joint; and (4) to evaluate how all three objectives, as well as patient signalment and type of tendinous injury, compared to previously reported studies.

Materials and methods: A multicentric, retrospective study reviewing cases from 11 referral veterinary centres. Data collected included patient demographics, common calcaneal tendon injuries characteristics, repair techniques employed and postoperative immobilisation methods. Based on the temporary tarsocrural joint immobilisation methods, the cases were divided into internal fixation group: calcaneo-tibial screws or plate and tibiometatarsal plate, and external immobilisation group: trans-articular external skeletal fixation or external coaptation. Complications were classified as minor, major or catastrophic. Long-term outcomes were assessed through clinical follow-up examination and owner-reported questionnaires.

Results: A total of 39 cases of common calcaneal tendon repair were analysed. The internal fixation and external immobilisation groups showed a complication rate of 13% and 54.2%, respectively. Catastrophic complications (5.2%) occurred only in the external immobilisation group. Long-term follow-up indicated that 82% of cases regained full or acceptable clinical function, with a higher rate of unacceptable outcomes observed in the external immobilisation group.

Clinical significance: This study suggested that temporary internal fixation may be a more suitable method for postoperative immobilisation of the tarsocrural joint in cats compared with temporary external immobilisation, and it can be associated with lower complication rates.

Objectives: To describe the aetiology, presentation, complications and outcome in cats with traumatic injuries of the tarsometatarsal joint treated with partial tarsal arthrodesis.

Materials and methods: Retrospective series of five client-owned cats. Medical records were retrieved for cats with traumatic injuries of the tarsometatarsal joint treated with partial tarsal arthrodesis between November 2011 and December 2024 at a veterinary teaching hospital. Sex, age at the time of surgery, presenting lameness, surgical technique used, follow-up time, complications and outcome were recorded for each cat.

Results: Five cats were included in this study; of these, four developed the injury as a result of catching their paw in a horizontal drawer handle. All cats were treated with partial tarsal arthrodesis stabilised with a bone plate, applied laterally in three cats and medially in two cats. No intra-operative complications or major post-operative complications were recorded. Four of the five cats had post-operative paw swelling on the operated limb. Clinical and radiographic follow-up assessment was performed 60 to 87 days post-operatively. At final recheck examination, four of the five cats exhibited no lameness. One cat exhibited mild weight bearing lameness, and one cat had mild iatrogenic tarsal valgus associated with incorrect plate contouring.

Clinical significance: Partial tarsal arthrodesis with bone plate fixation for management of traumatic injury of the tarsometatarsal joint in cats is associated with excellent outcomes for return to pre-injury activities. The procedure commonly results in transient paw swelling in the immediate post-operative period. Horizontal drawer handles pose an injury risk to cats jumping from heights.

Objectives: To assess topical ethyl alcohol as a novel treatment for canine superficial pyoderma and compare its effects with chlorhexidine digluconate on the relative abundance of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi within the skin microbiome.

Materials and methods: In this prospective, randomised, blinded study, 15 client-owned dogs with bilaterally symmetric bacterial skin lesions received twice-daily topical chlorhexidine digluconate 3% (Douxo™ S3 Pyo mousse, CEVA; Libourne, France) or 70% ethyl alcohol (Purell™ Gel, GOJO Industries; Wooster, OH, USA) for 28 days. Lesions were clinically and cytologically scored at days 0, 14 and 28 using a modified split-body system to generate a global score. Next-generation DNA sequencing characterised the S. pseudintermedius and S. schleiferi loads at day 0 and 28.

Results: Both treatments significant improved global scores from baseline (chlorhexidine 18.22 ± 3.54; ethyl alcohol 17.95 ± 3.78) at 14-days (chlorhexidine 12.80 ± 2.74, p ≤ 0.001; ethyl alcohol 12.40 ± 3.06, p ≤ 0.001) and 28-days (chlorhexidine 9.24 ± 3.57, p ≤ 0.001 and ethyl alcohol 8.40 ± 4.06, p ≤ 0.001). Global scores were not significantly different between treatment groups at any time point. Both treatments also reduced the relative abundance of S. pseudintermedius (chlorhexidine -28.73% ± 42.86%; ethyl alcohol -25.66% ± 38.74%) and S. schleiferi (chlorhexidine -65.93% ± 13.03%; ethyl alcohol -79.82% ± 8.37%). No statistically significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of either species between the topical treatments (p=0.95 S. pseudintermedius; p=0.38 S. schleiferi).

Clinical significance: This study suggests topical 70% ethyl alcohol may be an effective treatment for canine superficial pyoderma.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical use of preoperative computed tomography (CT) planning and a novel aiming guide to place humeral transcondylar screws in dogs with humeral intracondylar fissures.

Materials and methods: Measurements from preoperative CT scans were used to identify entry and exit points of the screw. These points were identified at surgery using anatomical landmarks and measurements from articular surfaces. An aiming device was used to place transcondylar positional locking screws from medial to lateral. Assessment of position within the humeral condyle was made from postoperative orthogonal radiographs. Clinical records were reviewed and short-term postoperative complications recorded.

Results: Forty-five locking screws were placed in the elbows of 32 dogs. Seven different breeds of differing sizes were included, predominantly English springer and cocker spaniels. Screws placed were either 5.0-mm or 2.7-mm locking screws. All screws were placed within the humeral condyle and no screws required repositioning. No intraoperative complications were encountered. Short-term postoperative complications were recorded in three elbows (1 minor, 2 major medical and 0 major surgical).

Clinical significance: This technique offers a safe, reliable and repeatable minimally invasive technique to place transcondylar locking screws in dogs with humeral intracondylar fissure. A wide variety of breeds and sizes of dogs show the technique to be versatile.

Objectives: To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of primary appendicular bone sarcomas in dogs and to compare the intramedullary lesion extension between the different MRI sequences and computed tomography (CT).

Materials and methods: Dogs with confirmed primary appendicular bone sarcoma presented at a single small animal referral centre were prospectively recruited between June 2023 and October 2024. All dogs underwent an MRI scan following a routine contrast-enhanced CT examination conducted for staging purposes.

Results: Of the 20 dogs with primary appendicular bone sarcoma, 15 had osteosarcoma, four had primary bone sarcoma of uncertain origin and one had haemangiosarcoma. The most common MRI features were heterogeneous and hyperintense signals on T2-weighted short-tau inversion recovery images (n = 20), heterogeneous and hypointense signals on both T2-weighted and T1-weighted images (n = 20), medullary and cortical osteolysis (n = 20), peripheral mass (n =19) and a long transitional zone (n = 17). Distant metastases in the same bone (skip metastases) were suspected in one dog but were not identified in the corresponding CT. In all dogs, the maximal extension of the intramedullary lesions in the longitudinal plane was significantly greater on T2 short-tau inversion recovery sequences than in other MRI sequences and CT (P < .001).

Clinical significance: The MRI features of primary bone sarcomas in dogs were similar to those found in humans and those previously reported in canine axial osteosarcoma. Magnetic resonance imaging and, more precisely, T2 short-tau inversion recovery images can be included in the local staging of appendicular primary bone sarcomas in dogs.

RETRACTION: E. Treggiari, E. Catania, P. Valenti, K. Boyd, and R. Finotello, “Factors Associated with the Development of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events in Dogs with Multicentric Lymphoma Treated with CHOP or CEOP-Based Protocols: a Multi-Institutional, Retrospective Study,” Journal of Small Animal Practice (Early View). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13880.

The above article, published online on 04 May 2025 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors; the journal Editor-in-Chief, Marije Risselada; the British Small Animal Veterinary Association; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Concerns have been raised about statistical errors in the article. A review by the journal editors has confirmed that the reported odds ratios for DOX vs EPI are incorrect and the related interpretation in the Discussion and Conclusions therefore contain errors.

The retraction has been agreed to because the errors in the reported odds ratios fundamentally compromise the Discussion and Conclusions reported in the article. Due to the comprehensive nature of the errors, a correction was not considered possible. The journal editors have determined that the authors may submit a revised version of their article to the journal for potential publication following further review.

Objectives: The objective of this prospective, randomised, blinded, observational clinical study was to investigate the effect of subcutaneously administered buprenorphine on postoperative pain in female feral cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy as part of a trap-neuter-return programme. The aim was to determine whether buprenorphine can prevent pain scores from exceeding established intervention thresholds postoperatively - a problem identified in a previous study using the same anaesthetic protocol.

Materials and methods: A total of 115 cats were anaesthetised with an intramuscular protocol comprising medetomidine, ketamine and butorphanol, in combination with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (meloxicam). Prior to anaesthesia induction, cats were randomly assigned to either receive 0.02 mg/kg buprenorphine (BUP group) or an equal volume of saline (NaCl 0.9%) (control group) subcutaneously at the end of surgery. Pain was assessed at 3, 6 and 24 hours postoperatively using the validated feline Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale.

Results: Subcutaneous administration of buprenorphine at the end of surgery did not significantly reduce postoperative pain scores or prevent values from exceeding the clinical intervention threshold compared to saline. Although numerical differences were observed at specific time points, pain trajectories over time were similar between groups. Notably, overall and independently of the group 34.5% of cats exceeded the intervention threshold at 3 hours and 38.8% at 6 hours postoperatively, underscoring the need for improved analgesic strategies during the early postoperative period in trap-neuter-return settings.

Clinical significance: These findings suggest that a single subcutaneous dose of buprenorphine may not consistently enhance analgesia over standard multimodal protocols under field conditions.