Tumescent local anesthesia with ropivacaine in different concentrations in bitches undergoing mastectomy: plasma concentration and post-operative analgesia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Oocyte maturation in bitches

The canine species has been used as an experimental model for preservation of endangered species. Biotechnologies of reproduction, such as in vitro maturation (IVM), have been used to meet this objective. Several protocols for in vitro embryo production (IVEP) in swine and bovine species have been adapted for canids. However, the highest rate reported for in vitro maturation in canids is only 39%, which is still lower than those in other species. Therefore, current research on assisted reproduction in canids have focused on several IVM protocols, including the addition of proteins, hormones, meiosis inhibitors, growth factors and antioxidants to the maturation media and the determination of suitable timing for culture, so that variables involved in the process can be fine-tuned. This review has the main objective of describing major developments and limitations in the process of oocyte maturation in bitches.

Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy assessment in bitches - literature review

Doppler ultrasound enables the assessment of blood flow in real time and has been widely used to aid in pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring in dogs and cats. This technique has a diferencial when compared with the B-mode ultrasound, as it allows the evaluation of vascular hemodynamic characteristics, while the two-dimensional ultrasound allows the diagnosis of pregnancy and fetal viability. Thus, the objective of this review is to describe how circulation is characterized in the uterine and fetal arteries in bitches during pregnancy using Doppler ultrasonography.

Comparative study of ultrasonographic methods for assessment of pregnancy age in bitches

Compared with human beings, the application of ultrasound in estimating fetal age in bitches is limited due to the large variation of breed and size in this species. Several formulas were developed to calculate the gestational age and to provide the date of birth in dogs, but the efficacy of these formulas on the different gestational stages and dog breeds is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare sonographic methods for assessment of gestational age and days before parturition in dogs with different body weights and pregnancy stages. Twenty seven bitches of several sizes were examined and divided into three groups according to the initial body weight (A: <10kg; B: 10.1 - 20kg; C: >20.1kg); then each group was divided into three subgroups according to pregnancy stage (1st: 18 to 30 days; 2nd: 31 to 40 days; 3rd: >40 days) estimated according to the first day of copulation. Ultrasonography was performed weekly from the first stage of pregnancy. In the first and second stage the following formulas were applied: GA = (6XGSD) + 20; DBP = 65 - IG; by Nyland & Matton (2002); GA: gestational age; DBP: days before parturition; DSG: gestational sac diameter; in the third stage: DBP = 61,2 - (24,6 X BD); DBP = 43,5 - (10,9 X CD); by Burk & Ackerman (1996); BD: biparietal diameter; CD: body diameter, and: GA = (15 X BD) + 20; GA = (7 X CD) + 29; GA = (6 X BD) + (3 X CD) + 30; DBP = 65 - GA; by Nyland & Matton (2002). Results were compared statistically. The equations proposed by Nyland & Matton (2002), were more accurate in all pregnancy stages, with a margin of error of only three days, regardless of the size of the animal; therefore these methods are the best option in veterinary practice.

Female paraurethral prostate gland in Bitches

Even though the presence of the female prostate has been reported in many species, including humans, bats and several rodents, it has many anatomical and histological variations. There is still plentiful discussion on the biological function of this organ. Many authors state that paraurethral ducts and glands are functional and homologous to the male prostate. The use of experimental models and a better knowledge of the female prostate gland in other species, can be useful to veterinary medicine as well as human medicine. Therefore the aim of this study is to check for the presence of this gland in female dogs of various breeds and age. For that purpose 25 urethras, from the bladder to the vulva, were collected, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, routinely processed and sectioned into 4 slides of 4 µm, each with 40 µm gap between each set of 4 slides, using an automatic microtome and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosine (HE). The HE sections were evaluated for the presence of prostatic gland in the sample. Unstained tissue sections cut from paraffin blocks were marked with a polyclonal anti-PSA primary antibody. The prevalence of the gland was 32% (8/25). The structure of the paraurethral PSA-positive gland was acinar, organized in buds, with secretory epithelium varying from cubic to columnar; eccentric nuclei, with lose chromatin and a layer of basal cells, very similar to the male prostate were observed. In view of these characteristics, for the first time in the literature, was demonstrate that those glands. may be considered as female prostate in dogs, as they are in other vertebrates

Effects of ropivacaine combined with morphine at 0.15 and 0.2 mg kg-1 in bitches undergoing epidural anesthesia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Surgical time and complications of total transvaginal (total-NOTES), single-port laparoscopic-assisted and conventional ovariohysterectomy in bitches

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Analgesic and antihyperalgesic effects of dipyrone, meloxicam or a dipyrone-meloxicam combination in bitches undergoing ovariohysterectomy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Escherichia coli strains isolated from the uteri horn, mouth, and rectum of bitches suffering from pyometra: virulence factors, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and clonal relationships among strains

Pyometra is recognized as one of the main causes of disease and death in the bitch, and Escherichia coli is the major pathogen associated with this disease. In this study, 70 E. coli isolates from the uteri horn, mouth, and rectum of bitches suffering from the disease and 43 E. coli isolates from the rectum of clinically healthy bitches were examined for the presence of uropathogenic virulence genes and susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs. DNA profiles of isolates from uteri horn and mouth in bitches with pyometra were compared by REP, ERIC, and BOX-PCR. Virulence gene frequencies detected in isolates from canine pyometra were as follows: 95.7% fim, 27.1% iss, 25.7% hly, 18.5% iuc, and 17.1% usp. Predominant resistance was determined for cephalothin, ampicillin, and nalidixic acid among the isolates from all sites examined. Multidrug resistance was found on ∼ 50% pyometra isolates. Using the genotypic methods some isolates from uteri, pus, and saliva of the same bitch proved to have identical DNA profiles which is a reason for concern due to the close relationship between household pets and humans.

Epidural anesthesia and postoperatory analgesia with alpha-2 adrenergic agonists and lidocaine for ovariohysterectomy in bitches

The aim of this study was to determine the viability and cardiorespiratory effects of the association of epidural alpha-2 adrenergic agonists and lidocaine for ovariohysterectomy (OH) in bitches. Forty-two bitches were spayed under epidural anesthesia with 2.5 mg/kg body weight (BW) of 1% lidocaine with adrenaline (CON) or in association with 0.25 mg/kg BW of xylazine (XYL), 10 mu g/kg BW of romifidine (ROM), 30 mu g/kg BW of detomidine (DET), 2 mu g/kg BW of dexmedetomidine (DEX), or 5 mu g/kg BW of clonidine (CLO). Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (f(R)) and arterial pressures were monitored immediately before and every 10 min after the epidural procedure. Blood gas and pH analysis were done before, and at 30 and 60 min after the epidural procedure. Animals were submitted to isoflurane anesthesia if they presented a slightest sign of discomfort during the procedure. Time of sensory epidural block and postoperative analgesia were evaluated. All animals in CON and DEX, 5 animals in ROM and CLO, 4 animals in XYL, and 3 in DET required supplementary isoflurane. All groups, except CLO, showed a decrease in HR. There was an increase in arterial pressures in all groups. Postoperative analgesia lasted the longest in XYL. None of the protocols were totally efficient to perform the complete procedure of OH; however, xylazine provided longer postoperative analgesia than the others.

Experimental infection with Neospora caninum in pregnant bitches

In this study, transplacental transmission of Neospora caninum in bitches at different stages of pregnancy was evaluated. Three bitches were inoculated in the 3rd week and three in the 6th week of gestation with 10(8) tachyzoites of N. caninum (Nc-1 strain). All the infected bitches and at least one of their offspring presented anti-N. caninum antibodies according to the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT > 400). The pups and their mothers were sacrificed and tissues from the central nervous system (CNS), popliteal lymph nodes, skeletal muscle, brain, lungs, heart and liver were analyzed for the presence of N. caninum using the nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The parasite was found in the pups in lymph node, CNS, heart and liver tissues using nested PCR. There was no difference in perinatal mortality between the offspring from bitches infected in the 3rd week of gestation (60%) and in the 6th week (53.8%).

(Table 3) Liver weight, blood liver parameters, and blood plasma PCB concentrations in 14 sledge dog bitches and their 14 pups in Aasiaat, west Greenland

We assessed the relationship between exposure to organohalogen polluted minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber and liver morphology and function in a generational controlled study of 28 Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris). The prevalence of portal fibrosis, mild bile duct hyperplasia, and vascular leukocyte infiltrations was significantly higher in the exposed group (all Chi-square: p<0.05). In case of granulomas, the frequency was significantly highest in the bitches (P generation) while the prevalence of portal fibrosis was highest in the F generation (pups) (both Chi-square: p<0.05). No significant difference between exposed and controls was found for bile acid, ALAT, and ALKP, while ASAT and LDH were significantly highest in the control group (both ANOVA: p<0.05). We therefore suggest that a daily intake of 50-200 g environmentally organohalogen polluted minke whale blubber can cause liver lesions in Greenland sledge dogs. It is reasonable to infer that other apex predators such as polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and humans may suffer from similar impacts.