The purpose of this study was to develop a laparoscopic-assisted prepubic urethorstomy (PPU) technique using rabbits as an experimental model. Six male New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) over six months old and weighing between 3 and 4kg (3.5kg ± 0.4) were used in this study. The animals underwent laparoscopic dissection of the pelvic urethra, which was then exposed for the laparoscopic-assisted urethrostomy procedure. The proposed model for training of laparoscopic-assisted PPU in rabbits was considered effective and feasible. It proved to be a simple technique even for surgeons under basic endosurgery skills training, with possibilities of employing the technique for the treatment of cats with loss of function of the distal urethra.

Parenteral administration of phosphonoformic acid (PFA) results in phosphaturia, but the effects of oral PFA on Pi handling are not known. To assess this effect, PFA was administered in drinking water for 5 days to rats stabilized on normal (NPD) or low (LPD) phosphorus diets. In renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV), kinetic studies showed a higher apparent Vmax for Pi in rats on LPD compared with rats on NPD (1,840 +/- 274 vs. 1,111 +/- 192 pmol.mg-1.5 s-1, respectively, P < 0.05, n = 5). In LPD rats, PFA reduced the apparent Vmax for Pi to 1,047 +/- 191 pmol.mg-1.5 s-1 (P < 0.05, n = 5) with no change in the apparent Km. Similarly, there was a higher apparent Vmax for Pi in intestinal BBMV from rats on LPD compared with rats on NPD. In LPD rats, PFA reduced the apparent Vmax for Pi with no change in the apparent Km. Oral PFA had no effect on the kinetics of Pi transport in renal or intestinal BBMV from rats on NPD. Pi-protectable [14C]PFA binding was lower in renal BBMV from PFA-treated LPD rats, but membrane fluidity was not different. Orally administered PFA can blunt the adaptive response of the renal and intestinal BBM to an LPD. The downregulation of Na(+)-Pi cotransport is mediated through a reduction in the number of Na(+)-Pi cotransporters.

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumor diagnosed in dogs and

A efusão pericárdica em cães frequentemente é idiopática ou secundária à neoplasia. O acúmulo de líquido causa aumento da pressão intrapericárdica e alterações hemodinâmicas. Este trabalho relata o tratamento cirúrgico através de pericardiectomia parcial toracoscópica em um cão com efusão pericárdica recidivante. Acredita-se que esta seja a primeira descrição da utilização desta técnica, em caso clínico, no Brasil. Foi atendido, no Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias da UFRGS, um cão Akita, macho, de 11 anos, com sinais clínicos compatíveis com efusão pericárdica, confirmada através de exames complementares (radiografia torácica, eletrocardiografia e ecografia). Após duas pericardiocenteses com recidiva do acúmulo de líquido, o paciente foi submetido à videotoracoscopia intercostal para realização de pericardiectomia parcial. Após 76 dias da cirurgia, o animal veio a óbito, contudo não decorrente de efusão pericárdica. No presente caso, a técnica minimamente invasiva se mostrou efetiva, sendo considerada rápida, de fácil realização e sem complicações pós-operatórias significativas.

Cats with orthopedic conditions are a prominent part of the clinical work of veterinary. Conditions such as comminuted fractures, bone tumors and non-unions are often difficult to repair and may require the use of bone grafts for treatment. This study evaluated cortical bone allografts preserved in honey, frozen or lyophilized for correcting long bone defects created in the diaphysis of the right femur of domestic cats (n=24). In the control group (n=6), the defect was repaired using autogenous cortical bone graft. In the remaining animals (n=6/group), the defect was repaired with cortical bone allografts preserved in honey, frozen or lyophilized. Success of graft incorporation and length of time for consolidation were assessed through clinical, radiographic and histological evaluations performed up to 180 days. In the control, frozen, honey and lyophylized groups, respectively, success of graft incorporation was 91.6%, 83.3%, 75%, and 25%, with corresponding mean length of time for consolidation of 83.1, 78, 105 and 120 days. Incorporation percentage in the lyophilized group was significantly lower than in the frozen and control groups. In conclusion, bone grafts preserved in honey or frozen were effective for repairing cortical defects in the femurs of cats as compared to autogenous cortical bone grafts.