Cellophane banding may be used to occlude larger CEPSSs and may decrease the need for intraoperative monitoring of portal vein blood pressure. The technique may facilitate minimally invasive treatment of CEPSSs in dogs. Intraoperative attenuation of CEPSSs to a diameter < 3.0 mm is not necessary and may result in a less favorable outcome.

Post-mortem retrieval of canine, cemented femoral components was analysed to assess the performance of these implants in the dog as a model for human total hip replacement (THR). Mechanical testing and radiological analysis were performed to determine the stability of the implant and the quality of the cement. Thirty-eight implants from 29 dogs were retrieved after time intervals ranging from 0.67 to 11.67 years. The incidence of aseptic loosening was 63.2%, much higher than in human patients (6% in post-mortem studies). Failure of the femoral implants began with debonding at the cement-metal interface, similar to that in implants in man. The incidence of aseptic loosening was much lower in bilateral than in unilateral implants. Significant differences were observed for three different designs of implant. While the dog remains the animal model of choice for THR, results from this study provide insight into interspecies differences in the performance of implants. For example, the performance of THR in dogs should be compared with that in young rather than in elderly human patients.

Punch resection alaplasty is a previously unreported surgical technique for the management of stenotic nares. Nine dogs underwent the procedure in conjunction with soft palate resection and/or laryngeal sacculectomy. Three dogs and two cats were treated with the novel punch resection alaplasty technique alone. Symmetrical resection was achieved, providing excellent cosmesis. Good to excellent results were achieved in all cases, with owners feeling that their pet's overall well being was improved following surgery.

Synovial cell sarcoma (SCS) with metastasis to the regional lymph node was diagnosed in two cats. Synovial cell sarcomas are rare in cats and metastatic SCS has not previously been reported. In both cases, treatment consisted of limb amputation and adjuvant doxorubicin. Local tumour recurrence and pulmonary metastases were diagnosed in one cat 316 days postoperatively. This cat died of chronic renal failure 444 days after limb amputation. The second cat died of an acute pulmonary thromboembolism 41 days postoperatively without evidence of local tumour recurrence or metastatic disease.

SummaryGuidelines for assessing total hip arthroplasty (THA) radiographs for femoral implant stability have not been published; therefore, often the determination is subjective. The aim of this study was to identify radiographic criteria for veterinary clinicians to use when evaluating radiographs for femoral implant stability. Specific objectives were to: identify radiographic features associated with canine THA femoral implant loosening, evaluate whether technical recommendations for human femoral component implantation apply to dogs, and evaluate the effectiveness of radiographs for identifying canine THA implant loosening. Post-operative, follow-up, and post-mortem contact radiographs of canine implanted femora retrieved postmortem and mechanically tested for implant stability were evaluated. Based on the results, radiographic evaluation is not an effective means of assessing canine femoral implant stability; however, certain radiographic findings including implant retroversion, cement mantle cracks, or the appearance of cementmetal interface radiolucencies, may be indicative of implant loosening. It was also found that femoral implants completely surrounded by cement mantle of any thickness were less likely to loosen than those with an area lacking cement between the implant and bone. There was also a trend suggesting an association between inferior cement mantle quality and femoral implant loosening. In order to improve cement mantle quality and ensure that implants are completely surrounded by cement mantle, the use of modern cementing techniques is recommended.