The study aims were to evaluate the effects of radial shock wave therapy (RSWT) in dogs with hip osteoarthritis (OA) using clinical assessment and kinetic analysis.
Outcomes of this study suggested beneficial effects of RSWT in dogs with hip osteoarthritis.
“The aim of this article is to illustrate some examples of cases that might present as behavioral disorders but are in fact medical conditions.”
“Observing and collecting complete histories of obvious and subtle changes in behavior will help veterinarians identify and define more precisely all of the signs associated with medical and painful conditions as well as those associated with behavioral disorders.”
To determine effect of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) on rate and degree of return to function of the limb and development of degenerative joint disease (DJD) after surgical creation and subsequent stabilization of the cranial cruciate ligament(CrCL)-deficient stifle.
Improved lameness scores, larger thigh circumference, and decreased radiographically apparent bony changes observed for the treated group of dogs support the hypothesis that dogs treated by EMS after surgical stabilization of the CrCL-deficientstifle had improved limb function, with less DJD, than did dogs treated with the currently accepted clinical protocol of cage rest and slow return to normal activity. However, results of force plate evaluation did not support the hypothesis. Increased meniscal damage in dogstreated by EMS may be cause for concern.
“To assess validity and reliability for a visual analogue scale (VAS) used by owners to measure chronic pain in their osteoarthritic dogs.”
“Although valid and reliable, the pain VAS was a poor tool for untrained owners because of poor face validity (ie, owners could not recognize their dogs’ behavior as signs of pain). Only after owners had seen pain diminish and then return (after starting and discontinuing NSAID use) did the VAS have face validity.”
To evaluate the reliability of goniometry by comparing goniometric measurements with radiographic measurements and evaluate the effects of sedation on range of joint motion.
Goniometry is a reliable and objective method for determining range of motion of joints in healthy Labrador Retrievers.
Reproduction is a risky affair; a lifespan cost of maintaining reproductive capability, and of reproduction itself, has been demonstrated in a wide range of animal species. However, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Most cost-of-reproduction studies simply ask how reproduction influences age at death, but are blind to the subjects’ actual causes of death. Lifespanis a composite variable of myriad causes of death and it has not been clear whether the consequences of reproduction or of reproductivecapability influence all causes of death equally. To address this gap in understanding, we compared causes of death among over 40,000 sterilized and reproductively intact domestic dogs, Canis lupus familiaris.
We found that sterilization was strongly associated with an increase in lifespan, and while it decreased risk of death from some causes, such as infectious disease, it actually increased risk of death from others, such as cancer. These findings suggest that to understand how reproduction affects lifespan, a shift in research focus is needed. Beyond the impact of reproduction on when individuals die, we must investigate its impact on why individuals die, and subsequently must identify the mechanisms by which these causes of death are influenced by the physiology associated with reproductive capability. Such an approach may also clarify the effects of reproduction on lifespan in people.
Modification of metabolic responses for cholesterol and other lipids as a result of dietary methods or drugs has been extensively studied in humans and laboratory animals, and much has been published on this topic. However, less is known about this topic in small companion animals, such as dogs and cats. One of the reasons is that compared to humans, cats and dogs are typically resistant to coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular stroke, and atherosclerosis. Thus, they are rarely studied in regard to these disorders. Nonetheless, dogs are especially useful in the evaluation of compounds that lead to important discoveries of drugs for humans. Therefore, knowledge of canine cholesterol, fatty acid, and lipoprotein metabolism must be understood for these comparative purposes.
Progress has been made during the past years in several areas of fatty acid metabolism and nutrition for dogs. Renal and cardiovascular diseases may be amenable to dietary management with omega-3 fatty acids. Dietary changes to cause improvements in skin and coat exist, and although related to total dietary fat content, additional benefits can be derived when these diets contain higher amounts of polyunsatu- rated fats. The addition of ALA to a diet containing LA results in further accumulation of LA in plasma, which may contribute to a sparing effect on LA. This phenomenon may indirectly promote skin and coat benefits.
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and other marine sources appear to be capable of modifying inflammatory and immune responses in dogs. Information is provided on the capacity of dogs to metabolize omega-3 fatty acids and the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on skin and coat, inflammatory responses, and neurologic development in puppies.
The long-term outcome for dogs treated non-surgically for clinical signs of canine hip dysplasia were evaluated retrospectively; 74 dogswere evaluated by a postal questionnaire sent to their owners, and 24 of these were also evaluated by a veterinary clinical examination.
A total of 11 outcome variables were evaluated. Depending on the variable assessed, between 31 (41.9 per cent) and 49 (66.2 per cent) of the dogs remained clinically affected according to their owner’s assessment, and between 17 (70.8 per cent) and 23 (95.8 per cent) of the 24 dogs had abnormalities attributed to hip osteoarthritis according to the veterinary assessment. Orthopaedic abnormalities other than hip dysplasia affected 17 of the 24 dogs. Long-term medications had been prescribed for the treatment of clinical signs associated with hip dysplasia in 41 of the 74 dogs.
To identify risk factors for development of excessive tibial plateau angle (TPA) in large-breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD).
Results suggested that early neutering was a significant risk factor for development of excessive TPA in large-breed dogs with CCLD. Further research into the effects of early neutering on TPA and the pathophysiology of CCLD is warranted.
