Left ventricular motion can be adequately quantified in dogs and can provide new noninvasive indices of myocardial function. General anesthesia improved repeatability of the procedure but cannot be recommended because it induces a decrease in myocardial velocities.
Alfaxalone is a neuroactive steroid derivative of pregnanedione that was recently reintroduced to the market for use as an induction agent in small animal anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine an intramuscular alfaxalone dose for safe immobilisation. Ten healthy New Zealand white rabbits were used to evaluate a single intramuscular injection of alfaxalone. The design of the study was a three-way, complete block, cross-over trial to compare the effect of alfaxalone at three doses (4, 6 and 8 mg). The mean duration of the effect for the 4, 6 and 8 mg/kg doses was, respectively, 36.9 (95% CI (31.6 to 42.3)), 51.8 (46.4 to 57.2) and 58.4 (52.8 to 63.9) minutes. The loss of the righting reflex was achieved after 3.1 (2.5 to 3.8), 2.4 (1.7 to 3.1) and 2.3 (1.6 to 2.9) minutes, respectively. The mean duration of the effect for the 6 and 8 mg doses was significantly higher than for the 4 mg dose (with estimated differences of 14.8 95% CI (8.8 to 20.8) minutes and 21.4 (15.3 to 27.6) minutes, respectively). No significant dose effect was observed before the loss of the righting reflex (P=0.14). Ear pinching and limb withdrawal were elicited in all groups at every dose. Doses of 4 or 6 mg/kg could be recommended; higher doses do not provide clinical benefits and can be associated with anaesthetic complication.
Since most of dystocia end up in caesarean sections (C‐sections), the history of any problem during whelping is a good reason to plan in advance a further C‐section. Our aim was to confirm that on a large sample and over an extended period of time, mortality in puppies <2 weeks of age was low, born after a planned C‐section using aglepristone as a primer. Seventy‐four C‐sections on 59 different bitches were included. Bitches were monitored during oestrus to estimate the day of ovulation by progesterone assays; 60, 61 or 62 days after ovulation, foetal viability was checked by ultrasonography and progesterone plasma level was measured. None of the bitches was at term (progesterone plasma level >2 ng/ml). An injection of aglepristone was performed in late afternoon to block the effect of progesterone, mimicking its drop at the end of pregnancy. The C‐section was conducted the following morning. Twenty‐one breeds were represented most of which were bulldogs (26%, 21/74) and Great Danes (16%, 13/74). Four hundred and thirty‐five puppies were born. A total of 43/435 puppies died within the first 2 weeks (9.89%). None of the puppies showed any external signs of prematurity. The average number of deaths per litter relative to the date after ovulation was similar (0.5 pups per litter at day 60, 0.7 at day 61, 0.4 at day 62). This study shows that planned C‐section after an accurate determination of ovulation and using aglepristone as a primer is a safe procedure for bitches and their offspring. It may be offered to owners if a pregnant bitch is “at risk” of dystocia.
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