A retrospective study was carried out on 858 female canine patients who were attended at the Surgery Service of the Clinical Veterinary Hospital of the University of Extremadura (Spain), during a period of 5 years (2008-2012). This study aims to determine the incidence of mammary tumors in the canine species of this region together with the analysis of several epidemiological variables (breed, age, and size) and the histopathological variable tumor malignancy. Three groups of patients were considered: (I) general group including all patients (n=858), (II) oncological patients (n=376), and (III) patients with mammary tumors (n=227). Oncology represented the most common pathology for female dogs (n=376, 43.82%), with mammary tumors being the most frequent neoplasms (n=227, 60.37%). Mixed breed dogs were more likely than purebred dogs to suffer from mammary tumors, with these tumors being more frequently malignant. It was also found that large-sized patients show a greater predisposition to malignant mammary tumors. In patients with tumors, age at diagnosis was significantly associated with a higher malignancy rate. The results of the study confirm the importance of oncology in the veterinary clinic in the region. Mammary tumors represent the most frequently diagnosed neoplasia in female dogs. Old age, mixed breed and large size predispose to its development and represent risk factors for malignancy.

BackgroundOrotracheal intubation in dogs is a common and easily-performed procedure that provides a patent airway during anaesthesia. In dogs with temporomandibular joint ankylosis or pseudo-ankylosis, airway management can be a challenging procedure since these dogs have a limited ability to open their mouth. Methods to provide safe, uneventful intubation in such patients may include minimally invasive techniques such as retrograde intubation using a guide wire and fibre-optic-aided laryngoscopy.Case presentationWe report a case of a 16-month-old, intact female Bull Terrier weighing 17 kg, admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment of bilateral ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint. Intubation was achieved, without direct observation of the larynx, by retrograde intubation using a vascular access catheter and a vascular wire guide through cricothyroid membrane. Bilateral condylectomy was performed and the dog recovered uneventfully.ConclusionsIn conclusion, retrograde intubation was relatively simple to perform with the guide wire technique and no specific training or equipment were necessary.

Canine mammary carcinoma represents a model for the study of human breast cancer, although the prognostic value of various clinical, histological and immunohistochemical parameters has shown contradictory results. A prospective study, through a 4-year followup, was performed in 77 patients with mammary carcinoma to analyse the association between histological diagnosis, grade of malignancy, peritumoral and vascular invasion. We have also performed immunohistochemistry for the expression of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) that define human biomarkers of disease progression and treatment response. An association between histological diagnosis and clinical stage was observed with a high proportion of complex carcinoma classified as stage I. There was a higher proportion of ER + /PR + /HER2 − tumours in stage I. In contrast, triple-negative tumours (ER − /PR − /HER2 −) were found mainly in advanced clinical stages and were associated with vascular and peritumoral invasion. The tumours included in group VII (carcinosarcoma/ adenosquamous carcinoma/other special types of carcinoma) had a higher expression of COX-2. The univariate analysis showed that those patients with complex carcinoma had the lowest incidence of metastases and the highest probability of survival. In contrast, a high proportion of patients with anaplastic/inflammatory carcinoma developed metastases and showed the lowest probability of survival. In addition, the estimated survival time was shorter for those patients with triple-negative tumours and those with high COX-2 expression. However, in the multivariate analysis, only the peritumoral invasion maintained its prognostic significance. In conclusion, in our study anaplastic/inflammatory carcinomas had the worst prognosis with a high proportion of triple-negative tumours in this category.

BackgroundCerebral coenurosis is a disease of the central nervous system in sheep and goats, and is usually fatal unless surgical relief is provided. Information regarding neuroanaesthesia in veterinary medicine in goats is scant.Case presentationWe describe anaesthetic management of an intact female goat (2 years; 16 kg) presented for craniectomy. The goat was sedated with xylazine (0.05 mg kg−1, i.m.) and morphine (0.05 mg kg−1, i.m.). General anaesthesia was induced 20 min later with propofol and maintained with a constant rate infusion of propofol (0.2 mg kg−1 min−1). A cuffed endotracheal tube was placed and connected to a rebreathing (circle) system and mechanical ventilation with 100% oxygen was initiated. A bolus of lidocaine (1 mg kg−1), midazolam (0.25 mg kg−1) and fentanyl 2.5 μg kg−1 was delivered via the intravenous route followed immediately by a constant rate infusion of lidocaine (50 μg kg−1 min−1), midazolam (0.15 mg kg−1 h−1) and fentanyl (6 μg kg−1 h−1) administered via the intravenous route throughout surgery. Craniectomy was undertaken and the goat recovered uneventfully.ConclusionTotal intravenous anaesthesia with propofol, lidocaine, fentanyl and midazolam could be an acceptable option for anaesthesia during intracranial surgery in goats.

Elastography is a sonographic technique that provides a noninvasive evaluation of the stiffness of a lesion. The objective of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of strain elastography, the most accessible modality in clinical practice, to discriminate between different histological types of malignant mammary neoplasms in the canine species, which can provide complementary information in real time to the diagnosis and thus help in the choice of surgical technique. A total of 34 females with 56 mammary carcinomas were selected and classified into three histological groups according to their aggressiveness. The histological and elastographic characteristics of these malignant tumors were analyzed and compared to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of strain elastography. Visual score presented a sensitivity of 88.0%, specificity of 58.1%, and accuracy of 71.43% in distinguishing the most aggressive group of carcinomas. The strain ratio had a sensitivity of 84.0%, specificity of 61.1%, and accuracy of 69.64%. On the other hand, intratumoral strain ratio obtained a sensitivity of 71.40% and specificity of 61.90% when intratumoral fibrosis was taken as reference, with an accuracy of 66.07%. Similarly, peritumoral strain ratio was also positively related to fibrosis in the periphery of lesions (p ≤ 0.001), with a sensitivity of 93.80%, specificity of 77.50% and an accuracy of 92.87%. In conclusion, accuracy of this elastographic modality can be a useful method to differentiate more aggressive histological types. Therefore, it represents an additional diagnostic technique useful in the daily clinic thanks to the short time required for the examination, which allows real-time visualization and immediate interpretation of the results.