Background Acupuncture has been used as a treatment for pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) for thousands of years; however, there is a lack of definitive evidence for this indication in humans or animals. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on lameness and clinical function in dogs affected by naturally-occurring OA using objective outcome measures. A total of 32 client-owned dogs completed this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical trial, using a cross-over design. Participants were assigned to receive placebo or acupuncture treatment once weekly for 4 weeks in random order with a two-week wash-out period in between treatment phases. Outcome measures included ground reaction forces (GRF), subjective orthopedic scoring (SOS), activity counts (AC), and owner-completed clinical metrology instruments (CMI; Canine Brief Pain Inventory [CBPI] and Client Specific Outcome Measures [CSOM]). For statistical comparison, baseline GRF, SOS, and CMI data were compared to data obtained 1 week after each treatment phase. Similarly, total weekly AC of the final week of each treatment phase were compared to the baseline week. Results Evidence of differences between baseline versus acupuncture and placebo treatments was not identified for the following outcome measures: GRF, AC, or SOS. However, evidence of differences was identified for some of the CMI scores, including the CSOM questionnaire which showed evidence of improvement when comparing baseline versus acupuncture (p = 0.0002) as well as between placebo versus acupuncture treatments (p = 0.035) but not between baseline versus placebo treatments (p = 0.221). Conclusions The applied acupuncture protocol did not show improvement in function when using objective outcome measures for OA in dogs; however, certain CMI measurements recorded some degree of treatment response.

Objective To determine the influence of a novel surgical guide on the accuracy and technical difficulty of closing wedge osteotomies (CWO). Study design Ex vivo experimental study. Sample population Canine tibia models (n = 40). Methods A 20° cranial CWO (CCWO) was created without (standard procedure; STCCWO) or with the aid of a novel wedge osteotomy guide (WOCCWO). Procedures were performed by diplomate (n = 4) and resident (n = 6) surgeons, with each performing 2 STCCWO followed by 2 WOCCWO. To prevent bias, surgeons were unaware of the study purpose until after completing the STCCWO. The wedges were evaluated by comparing the deviation from the 20° target angle, divergence of the 2 osteotomies (osteotomy divergence angle [ODA]), and measurements of the wedge height at the caudomedial cortex (CMC) and caudolateral cortex (CLC). Technique difficulty was explored through a surgeon questionnaire. Results The WOCCWO resulted in smaller mean ODA (WOCCWO = 0.86°, SD ± 0.38°, P < .001), and smaller mean difference between CMC and CLC (WOCCWO = 0.29 mm, SD ± 0.19, P < .001) than for the STCCWO (4.22°, SD ± 2.16° and 1.39 mm, SD ± 0.65 respectively). Deviation from the target 20° wedge angle was greater after STCCWO (1.46°, SD ± 1.27°) than after WOCCWO (0.53°, SD ± 0.33°, P = .004). No difference was reported regarding the difficulty of the procedures, but resident surgeons stated that they were more likely to use the guide in a clinical setting compared with diplomates. Conclusion The wedge osteotomy guide improved the accuracy of CCWO compared with standard technique. Clinical significance The clinical significance of the differences detected in this study is unclear and warrants in vivo investigation.

OBJECTIVE To describe surgical technique, biopsy sample quality, and short-term outcome of minimally invasive small intestinal exploration and targeted abdominal organ biopsy (MISIETB) with use of a wound retraction device (WRD) in dogs. ANIMALS 27 client-owned dogs that underwent MISIETB with a WRD at 1 of 4 academic veterinary hospitals between January 1, 2010, and May 1, 2017. PROCEDURES Medical records were retrospectively reviewed, and data collected included signalment; medical history; findings from physical, ultrasonographic, laparoscopic, cytologic, and histologic evaluations; surgical indications, procedures, duration, and complications; and short-term (14-day) outcomes. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to evaluate the normality of continuous variables, and descriptive statistics were calculated for numeric variables. RESULTS Laparoscopic exploration was performed through a multicannulated single port (n = 18), multiple ports (5), or a single 6-mm cannula (4). Median length of the incision for WRD placement was 4 cm (interquartile [25th to 75th percentile] range, 3 to 6 cm). All biopsy samples obtained had sufficient diagnostic quality. The 2 most common histologic diagnoses were lymphoplasmacytic enteritis (n = 14) and intestinal lymphoma (5). Twenty-five of 27 (93%) dogs survived to hospital discharge, and 3 (12%) dogs had postsurgical abnormalities unrelated to surgical technique. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that MISIETB with WRD was an effective method for obtaining diagnostic biopsy samples of the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, and mesenteric lymph nodes in dogs. Prospective comparison between MISIETB with WRD and traditional laparotomy for abdominal organ biopsy in dogs is warranted.

C ollection of CSF is a procedure commonly performed at referral practices as part of the assessment of patients with neurologic conditions. Cerebrospinal fluid is usually collected after advanced imaging of the CNS has been performed. Analysis of CSF is particularly useful in the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases of the CNS. In 1 study, 1 abnormalities of the CSF were more common than abnormalities detected with MRI in dogs with inflammatory CNS diseases.The CSF is produced primarily by the choroid plexuses in the brain and, to a smaller extent, the ependymal cells of the ventricular system. 2,3 It circulates through the ventricular system before entering the subarachnoid space, where it is accessible for collection through the cisterna magna cranially or the interarcuate space between L5 and L6 or between L4 and L5 caudally. 2 The CSF serves many functions, including physically protecting the CNS, assisting with regulation of intracranial pressure, and serving as a medium for transport of metabolites, neurohormones, and neurotransmitters. 2 Macroscopically, CSF

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