This study aimed to validate a scale for assessing acute pain in donkeys. Forty-four adult donkeys underwent castration after sedation with intravenous (IV) xylazine, induction with guaifenesin and thiopental IV, local anesthetic block, and maintenance with isoflurane. The scale was constructed from a pilot study with four animals combined with algetic behaviors described for equines. After content validation, the scale was evaluated in 40 other donkeys by three blinded and one reference evaluator, by means of edited videos referring to the preoperative and postoperative periods: before anesthesia, 3–4 h after recovery from anesthesia, 5–6 h after recovery from anesthesia (2 h after analgesia with flunixin—1.1 mg/kg, dipyrone—10 mg/kg, and morphine—0.2 mg/kg) IV, and 24 h after recovery. Content validity, sensitivity, specificity, and responsiveness of behaviors were investigated to refine the scale. Intra- and inter-evaluator reliabilities were investigated by the weighted kappa coefficient, criterion validity by comparing the scale with the visual analog scale (VAS), internal consistency by Cronbach's α coefficient, item-total correlation by the Spearman coefficient, and intervention point for rescue analgesic by the receiver operating characteristics curve and Youden index. The scale showed very good intra-evaluator reliability (0.88–0.96), good to moderate (0.56–0.66) inter-evaluator reliability, responsiveness for all items, good criterion validity vs. VAS (0.75), acceptable internal consistency (0.64), adequate item-total correlation, except for head position and direction, and according to the principal component analysis, good association among items. The accuracy of the point for rescue analgesic was excellent (area under the curve = 0.91). The rescue analgesic score was ≥ 4 of 11 points. The scale can diagnose and quantify acute pain in donkeys submitted to castration, as the instrument is reliable and valid, with a defined intervention analgesic score.

There is currently little information available on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the analgesic opioid tramadol when used in the veterinary medicine of domestic species. In this study, we aimed to determine the pharmacokinetics of tramadol and its active metabolite M1 following intravenous administration of 2 (T2) and 4 (T4) mg/kg to Northeast Brazilian donkeys. Tramadol and M1 plasma levels were quantified using a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method. We found that plasma levels of tramadol and M1 were higher than those reported as clinically meaningful in humans for at least 3 hr. However, the pharmacokinetic parameter calculation corrected by dose analysis identified no proportional increase with dose for the AUC of tramadol (T2: 2,663 ± 1,827 vs. T4: 2,964 ± 1,038 ng*h/ml) and M1 (T2: 378 ± 237 vs. T4: 345 ± 142 ng*h/ml). This finding appears to be attributable to a significant increase in clearance and a reduction in the terminal half‐life of tramadol. The frequency of adverse effects observed at the higher dose indicates that 2 mg/kg administered intravenously would be suitable for donkeys. Clinical studies are required to determine the implications of these observations regarding the pharmacodynamic response to tramadol in Northeast Brazilian donkeys.

Environmental variability and hazards on the coastal and continental shelf regions of South America and the Caribbean Special Article CollectionNutrients and chlorophyll across a coral reef

Background: Rare studies have described the association of hematopoietic tumors and canine visceral leishmaniosis, however the association between the parasitary disease and neoplasia is still not well established in dogs. Thus, the aim of the present study was to report a case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a dog infected by Leishmania spp. and otherinfectious agents.Case: A 8-year-old, male Poodle, was brought to the Veterinary Hospital from Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido. The dog had a history of recurrent tick-borne diseases, such as anaplasmosis, over the previous ten months. On physical examination, pale mucosa, enlargement of popliteal lymph nodes, onychogryphosis, purulent nasal discharge, and bilateralblepharitis with purulent discharge were observed. The dog was skinny and infested with ticks. The blood cell count revealed normocytic, normochromic anemia and leukocytosis (38.000/mm3) with neutrophilia (30.020/mm3). Serum biochemical tests demonstrated hyperproteinemia due to hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and an albumin:globulin ratio of 0.30. The immunochromathographic test for leishmaniasis was negative. The alterations observed in the bone marrow cytological analysis were suggestive of AML, and Anaplasma spp., Hepatozoon spp., and amastigote forms of Leishmania spp. were observed inside bone marrow cells. After diagnosis, a decision to euthanize the animal was made.Discussion: Few studies have demonstrated the presence of hematopoietic neoplasia in dogs chronically and simultaneously infected with multiple pathogens. A case of multiple myeloma in a dog associated with infection by Ehrlichia canis, A. phagocytophilum, L. infantum, and Dirofilaria immitis is described. Another study reported B-cell lymphoma in a dog with E. canis and Histoplasma capsulatum infection. The pathogenesis of AML in the reported dog might be associated with continuous antigenic stimulation and chronic inflammation caused by the infectious agents. The pathological changes in bone marrow caused by Leishmania are well described, and different combinations of hypoplasia, hyperplasia, or dysplasia of all hematopoietic lineages can occur. The inflammation and chronic stimulation of hematopoiesis can lead to an increased risk of changes in the genetic material of the hematopoietic precursor cells. Thus, there is an increased chance of generation of mutated clones, resulting in hematopoietic malignancies. Immunosuppression is a common condition present in numerous types of neoplasia, especially in those with hematopoietic origins, which increases the vulnerability to opportunistic diseases. In humans, the presence of concomitant neoplasia and leishmaniasis is well documented, However, there are very few veterinary medicine studies on the association between neoplasia and canine visceral leishmaniosis. Cases of hematopoietic tumors, such as multiple myeloma, and multicentric, cutaneous, and cardiac lymphomas, have been described in dogs with leishmaniasis. To the best of our knowledge, this is possibly the first report implicating pathogens of the genera Leishmania, Anaplasma and Hepatozoon as contributors in the etiopathogenesis of AML in the studied animal. Based on all clinical and laboratory findings, we theorize that the prolonged antigenic stimulation and chronic inflammationcaused by the infectious agents played a crucial role in the development of leukemia in the dog.Keywords: myeloproliferative disorder, hemoparasites, canine leishmaniasis.

Objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar o uso do anestésico alfaxalona associado à meperidina e midazolam para o procedimento de desobstrução uretral em um gato com doença do trato urinário inferior felino (DTUIF), analisando as qualidades de indução e recuperação, assim como as alterações fisiológicas. Um felino macho, quatro anos de idade, 3.1 Kg, castrado, foi atendido no setor de emergência do Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-árido com histórico de estrangúria, abdome distendido e vesícula urinária repleta, sendo diagnosticado com DTUIF obstrutiva. Para o procedimento de desobstrução uretral a MPA foi instituída com meperidina 3mg/Kg por via intramuscular (IM), dez minutos após, procedeu-se a indução anestésica: 0,4mg/ Kg de midazolam seguido de 2mg/Kg de alfaxalona, ambos diluídos em água de injeção, dispostos separadamente em seringas individuais, e administrados pela via intravenosa (IV). A alfaxalona foi administrado lentamente, contabilizando 1 minuto para total fornecimento. Foram avaliadas a frequência cardíaca (FC), frequência respiratória (f), temperatura retal (TR), pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), média (PAM), diastólica (PAD) e hemogasometria venosa, antes, durante e após o procedimento anestésico. A alfaxalona em associação com o midazolam produziu perda rápida da consciência, do reflexo de deglutição e intenso relaxamento muscular, bem como boa qualidade de indução e recuperação. O protocolo utilizado produziu mínimas anormalidades clinico patológicas, sem alterações importantes nos parâmetros cardíacos e respiratórios durante todo o procedimento, com manutenção da pressão arterial. Portanto, o anestésico alfaxalona foi considerado seguro para o procedimento de desobstrução uretral em gato macho com DTUIF.