Hemotherapy using whole blood and its components is being increasingly used in veterinary therapy. Since it is important to store animal blood while maintaining acceptable hematological, blood gas, and biochemical characteristics, increasing our knowledge of available technologies for strategic blood storage is imperative. Thus, we aimed to assess the hematological, blood gas, and biochemical changes in donkey whole blood using blood bags with two different types of storage agents. Eight adult healthy male donkeys were used; 900 mL of blood was collected from each, with 450 mL stored in citrate-phosphate-dextrose and adenine bags (CPDA-1) and 450 mL stored in bags containing citrate-phosphate-dextrose, adenine, mannitol, and sodium chloride (CPD/SAG-M). Both bags were kept refrigerated between 1 and 6 °C for 42 days. Blood samples were removed from the bags eight times (T): T0 (immediately after blood collection), T1, T3, T7, T14, T21, T35, and T42 (1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 35 and 42 days after storage). Hematological, blood gas, biochemical, and microbiological parameters were assessed. The CPDA-1 bags had a higher packed cell volume when compared to CPD/ SAG-M. The red blood cell count reduced by around 19% in both the bags due to hemolysis, which was confirmed by an increase in plasma hemoglobin. The white blood cell count; pH; concentrations of glucose, sodium, bicarbonate, and 2,3 diphosphoglycerate were reduced in both bags. Meanwhile, pO2, pCO2, lactate dehydrogenase, and levels of potassium increased in the CPDA-1 and CPD/SAG-M bags. Blood bags were efficient for the storage of donkey blood for up to 42 days.

Vertebral and spinal cord trauma are common conditions in small animal practice and often result in vertebral fractures/luxation (VFL) with concomitant spinal cord laceration, concussion, compression, or ischemia. These lesions have several clinical presentations that may vary from moderate to severe pain and partial to total loss of motor, sensory, and visceral functions, which may result in death or euthanasia. Our purpose is to describe five cases (four dogs and one cat) of complications secondary to the use of bone cement for vertebral stabilization. The patients, between five months and four years of age and weighing between 1.4 and 12.2 kg, were referred to the Small Animal Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of the Veterinary Hospital of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo. They had a history of post-operatory polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reactions (such as drainage or cement exposure due to infection or implant failure) in periods from 9 to 18 months after undergoing spinal osteosynthesis. Surgical implant removal occurred in 80% of the patients (4/5). Complete remission was not observed in the patient with residual implants. The association of pins/screws and PMMA is a versatile osteosynthesis technique and is applicable in all spinal regions. However, delayed complications can occur, which could require additional surgical procedures. Despite the small number of cases included in this study, one can infer that complications related to the use of bone cement in spinal surgery can occur in the long term and should be highlighted during the implant choosing process for vertebral osteosynthesis in small animals.

RESUMO: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a influencia do banho 24 horas antes do procedimento cirúrgico e da tricotomia pré-operatória na redução da contagem microbiana da pele do campo operatório, bem como a eficiência antisséptica do gluconato de clorexidina 0,5% e da polivinilpirrolidona iodada 10% para antissepsia do sítio cirúrgico, verificando sua ação 4 minutos e 2 horas após aplicação. Utilizaram-se 20 cadelas hígidas, alocadas ao acaso em 2 grupos de 10 animais: os animais do Grupo I foram submetidos ao banho 24 horas antes do procedimento cirúrgico, enquanto os do Grupo II não passaram por este procedimento. Foram isolados diversos gêneros bacterianos antes e após o uso dos antissépticos. Significância estatística foi verificada entre os grupos quanto ao efeito do banho prévio à cirurgia, apenas 2 horas após a aplicação de clorexidina. A tricotomia reduziu 26,48% da carga microbiana nos animais do Grupo I e elevou a carga microbiana em 41,19% nos animais do Grupo II, revelando diferença estatística. Após o uso dos antissépticos, não foi observada diferença estatística entre os grupos em nenhum momento. Do mesmo modo, a comparação da eficiência dos antissépticos com ou sem banho, não revelou significância estatística. A polivinilpirrolidona iodada causou reação alérgica em 15% dos animais e não foi observada irritação cutânea causada pela clorexidina. Conclui-se que o banho prévio tem efeito na redução da carga bacteriana apenas após 2 horas de antissepsia com clorexidina; a tricotomia é mais eficaz na redução microbiana quando o animal é submetido ao banho e os dois antissépticos são igualmente eficazes na antissepsia cirúrgica por até 2 horas quer o animal tome banho ou não previamente à cirurgia.

The analgesia and cardiopulmonary changes provided by methadone or morphine, by epidural route, were compared in female dogs undergoing to ovariohysterectomy. Sixteen female dogs were distributed into two groups, which received 0.3 mg/kg of methadone (MET group) or 0.1 mg/kg of morphine (MORPH group), both by lumbosacral epidural route. The anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. Heart and respiratory rates, body temperature, systolic, mean and diastolic arterial pressure, cortisol and analgesia were evaluated. The analgesia was measured by numerical descriptive scale which has as a maximum score 25 points. In case a score superior to 16 was detected, morphine was administered (0.5 mg/kg, IM). The following moments were considered: before and 15 minutes after the pre-anesthetic medication (M0 e M1); 15, 50, 55, 65 and 95 minutes after the epidural puncture (M2, M3, M4, M5 and M6, respectively); 2, 4, 7, 13, 19 and 25 hours (M7, M8, M9, M10, M11 and M12, respectively) after the epidural puncture. The cortisol was measured before the measurement of the physiological parameters, in the moments M0, M3, M4, M8, M10 and M12. A reduction in the respiratory rate and decrease of body temperature occurred in both groups. Cortisol increased in the MORPH group at the clamping of the ovarian pedicles (6.10 ± 1.85 μg/dL) and in the MET group, four hours after the epidural puncture (9.05 ± 7.77 mg/dL), but none of the animals needed rescue analgesia and the analgesia was intense in both groups. Morphine and methadone have similar analgesic efficacy, and do not cause significant cardiopulmonary changes.

We compared the analgesia and cardiopulmonary changes induced by epidural methadone or fentanyl in combination with lidocaine in female dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy and anesthetized with propofol. Eighteen female dogs were randomly assigned to two groups and given either methadone (0.3 mg kg?¹) + 2% lidocaine without vasoconstrictor (LM) or fentanyl (5 µg kg?¹) + 2% lidocaine without vasoconstrictor (LF). The drugs were administered epidurally in a volume of 0.25 ml kg?¹. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and blood glucose levels were recorded before and 15 minutes after premedication (T0 and T1); 15 minutes after epidural administration (T2); five minutes after dermotomy (T3); five minutes after clamping of the ovarian pedicle (T4); five minutes and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours (T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, and T11, respectively) after surgery. The number of additional propofol injections and total propofol dose (mg kg?¹) were recorded. Analgesia was assessed using a numerical descriptive scale. SBP and HR were similar in both groups, but hypotension was detected in animals from both groups at different times. Respiratory rate decreased significantly at T6 in the LF group and was lower than in the LM group. Hypothermia was observed in animals from both groups, but RT was significantly lower than baseline values only at T4 in the LM group. Blood glucose levels increased significantly only in the LF group at T4, T7, and T8. All animals in the LF group and eight animals in the LM group required additional propofol injections at T4, but no significant differences were detected in the number of propofol injections and total propofol dose between the LF (3 ± 1 injections, 7.5 ± 4.5 mg kg?¹) and LM (2 ± 2 injections, 4.5 ± 3.4 mg kg?¹) groups. The latency period, anesthetic period, and the duration of surgery were similar in both groups. No animals required rescue analgesia. The lidocaine-methadone and lidocaine-fentanyl combinations caused minimal cardiorespiratory changes, but did not abolish pain at the time of handling of the ovarian pedicle.