In humans and dogs, loco-regional anesthesia is associated with lower peri-operative opioid consumption and less related side effects. The combination of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) and intercostal blocks can be used to desensitize the entire abdominal wall in dogs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of TAP and intercostal blocks in bitches undergoing laparoscopic ovariectomy. Twenty client-owned bitches were enrolled in this double-blinded randomized controlled trial. After premedication with dexmedetomidine, methadone and ketamine, the animals were randomized into two groups. Dogs in the TAP group received intercostal blocks from T8 to T10 and a TAP block with ropivacaine. Dogs in the FEN group received a fentanyl bolus and a constant rate infusion for the entire duration of the procedure. Intra-operative cardiovascular stability, post-operative pain scores, rescue opioid requirement, dysphoria during recovery, time to attain sternal recumbency and interest in food at 6 h post-extubation were compared. Bitches in the TAP group received a statistically significant lower amount of rescue fentanyl intra-operatively and methadone post-operatively. Pain scores were lower in the TAP group until 6 h post-extubation. No difference was found for dysphoric recoveries, time to attain sternal recumbency and appetite at 6 h post-extubation. No adverse event was recorded for any of the dogs. The combination of TAP and intercostal blocks can be part of an effective multi-modal analgesic strategy in bitches undergoing laparoscopic ovariectomy.

Mast cell tumour (MCT) is a common cutaneous and subcutaneous neoplasia in dogs. It can metastasise to lymph nodes (LNs), and this adversely affects the prognosis and treatment. The study aims to evaluate the SLN mapping of MCTs with radiographic indirect lymphography. Dogs that underwent clinical staging were prospectively enrolled. Lipiodol was injected around the MCT or the surgical scar. After 24 h, LNs that picked up contrast were radiographically assessed. Twenty-six dogs with 29 MCTs were included. MCTs were confirmed histologically, while SLNs were evaluated either by cytology and/or histology. SLNs were detectable in 23 dogs with 26 MCTs. Lymphatic vessels were visible in 19 MCTs. In nine MCTs, at least two SLNs picked up contrast. In particular, seven MCTs involved two SLNs, and two MCTs involved three different SLNs. In nine MCTs, at least a SLN was metastatic. This study indicates that the lymph drainage pattern of the MCTs may be different for each MCT, and more than one SLN can be involved. Indirect lymphangiography with Lipiodol allowed the detection of the SLN in 90% of MCTs. This provided clinically relevant information to remove the LN and stage the patient.

Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly being used in veterinary medicine. Laparoscopic procedures have several advantages compared with open surgery. These include the magnification of the field of surgery, reduced post-surgical pain and associated stress, reduced post-operative infection rates, and decreased hospitalization time. The establishment of a pneumoperitoneum is a critical step; however, this procedure can prolong the operation time, and most of the complications associated with laparoscopic surgery have been attributed to the insertion of devices into the abdominal cavity. Two main techniques have been employed to create pneumoperitoneum: the closed-entry method using the Veress needle and the open Hasson technique. The first portal is necessary to start insufflation and, subsequently, to realize the operative channel to insert the laparoscopic instruments into the abdomen. Many authors have compared the time necessary to create the first portal using different techniques in human medicine, but studies on this topic in veterinary medicine are lacking. In the veterinary medicine literature, complications associated with the creation of a pneumoperitoneum and the placement of ports include spleen, bowel, or bladder injuries; pneumothorax; and subcutaneous emphysema. The aim of the present study was to compare the times required for the placement of the first portal and the creation of pneumoperitoneum, and the rates of intraoperative complications using the Veress needle technique (VNT) and the open modified Hasson technique (MHT). The sample population comprised 30 female dogs who underwent laparoscopic ovariectomies. The dogs were randomly organized into two groups and two different entry techniques were used: Veress needle (VNT = group A) and the modified Hasson technique (MHT = group B). Complications related to abdominal entry were classified as major, in cases of organ perforation, and minor, in cases of subcutaneous emphysema and gas leakage. The VNT and MHT required 374.0 s and 242.9 s, respectively, for the placement of the first portal and for establishing pneumoperitoneum (p < 0.05). Their major complications rates were 20% and 0%, respectively (p < 0.05). Their minor complications rates were 20% and 35%, respectively (p < 0.05). No surgical procedures required laparotomy. The MHT was associated with a lower major complication rate and required less time to create the first portal, compared with the Veress needle technique.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the perioperative analgesic effect of a quadratus lumborum (QL) block in queens undergoing ovariectomy. Methods: A total of 37 healthy queens admitted for elective ovariectomy were randomised into two groups: control (CTRL, n = 19) and QL block (QL, n = 18). All cats were premedicated with dexmedetomidine 0.005 mg/kg, alfaxalone 1 mg/kg and methadone 0.1 mg/kg IM. Under general anaesthesia, cats allocated to the QL group received a bilateral ultrasound-guided QL block with 0.4 ml/kg of ropivacaine 0.4% (3.2 mg/kg). No treatment was administered to cats in the CTRL group. Intraoperative rescue fentanyl boluses were administered if haemodynamic and/or respiratory parameters exceeded 30% of the pre-incisional values. Postoperative methadone boluses were administered based on Feline Grimace Scale scores. Demographics, baseline vital parameter values, requirement for rescue analgesia, incidence of hypotension, sialorrhoea, vomiting and dysphoria, and number of cats accepting food at 6 h after extubation were compared between groups. Results: A higher number of queens required intraoperative fentanyl in the CTRL group (14/18, 77.8%) compared with the QL group (1/19, 5.3%) ( P <0.001). The median total fentanyl dose was 4 µg/kg (range 0–4) in the CTRL group and 0 µg/kg (range 0–4) in the QL group ( P <0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between groups when comparing the number of animals requiring postoperative methadone, total methadone dose, episodes of hypotension, sialorrhoea, vomiting and dysphoria, and number of queens accepting food at 6 h postoperatively. No adverse effect or complication potentially related to the block was recorded. Conclusions and relevance: The QL block resulted in a lower intraoperative fentanyl requirement in queens undergoing ovariectomy. Further studies are needed to clarify the postoperative analgesic effect of this technique in cats.

Castration is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in livestock. All methods of castration are associated with a significant degree of pain, affecting the patients’ welfare. Limited information on species-specific protocols in buffaloes is available. Considering the importance of this species and the scarcity of reports available, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different intramuscular doses of xylazine for premedication in water buffalo calves undergoing isoflurane maintenance anaesthesia for routine castration surgery. Twenty clinically healthy male water buffaloes undergoing bilateral orchiectomy were randomly assigned to two groups of 10 animals each: Group 1 was premedicated with xylazine 0.1 mg/kg bw i.m. and Group 2 was premedicated with xylazine 0.15 mg/kg bw i.m. Anaesthesia was induced by ketamine (2 mg/kg bw i.v.) and maintained with isoflurane-oxygen-air in both groups. The HR, RR, presence/absence of ataxia, sedation, depth of anaesthesia, muscle relaxation status, response to acoustic and tactile stimuli, eyelid reflex, extent of salivation and stimulus were evaluated every 5 min. Both protocols provided consistent sedation and were safe. Faster and more satisfactory sedation was recorded when xylazine was administered at 0.15 mg/kg bw i.m., leading us to recommend this dose for buffalo orchiectomy.

Cutaneous lymphoid neoplasms and cutaneous plasmacytosis are rare in the dog; in human and in veterinary medicine, these have many clinical, cytological, histological, and phenotypic similarities, and a diagnosis of certainty is not easy. The aim of this study is to describe a case of cutaneous non epitheliotropic B-cell lymphoma (CNEBL) with plasmablastic differentiation vs. multiple cutaneous plasmacytosis (CP) in a dog, since the scarce bibliographic data on these topics. A 12-year-old male Beagle dog was presented for multiple, nodular, cutaneous, and subcutaneous, indolent masses disseminated on the whole body. Cytological, histological, flow cytometric, and immunohistochemical examinations, as well as complete radiographic evaluation, echocardiography, and abdominal ultrasound were performed. Cytology, histopathology, flow cytometric, and immunohistochemical examination, performed on the skin lesions, revealed a B-cell phenotype with plasmablastic differentiation. Nevertheless, a final diagnosis could not be achieved and it was categorized as a case of borderline CNEBL with plasmablastic differentiation versus CP. The dog was treated with a COP chemotherapeutic protocol. Total remission was obtained and relapse occurred 120 days later. To our knowledge, specific markers are actually unavailable to certainly differentiate CNEBL and CP in the dog and future studies are needed to improve knowledge on these pathologies in veterinary medicine, since prognosis and therapy are different.