Quadratus lumborum block (QLB) is used to provide analgesia for abdominal surgery in humans. The aim of this study was to assess an anaesthetic protocol involving the QLB for canine ovariohysterectomy. Ten dogs were included. Anaesthetic protocol consisted of premedication with IM medetomidine (20 μg kg−1) and SC meloxicam (0.1 mg kg−1), induction with propofol to effect, and maintenance with sevoflurane in oxygen/medical air. QLB was performed injecting 0.4 mL kg−1 of 0.25% bupivacaine/iohexol per side. Computed Tomography (CT) was performed before and after surgery. Fentanyl was administered as rescue analgesia during surgery. The Short Form of The Glasgow Composite Pain Scale and thermal threshold (TT) at the level of the elbow, T10, T13 and L3 were assessed before premedication and every hour postoperatively. Methadone was given as rescue analgesia postoperatively when pain score was >3. A Yuen’s test on trimmed means for dependent samples was used to analyse the data (p < 0.05). CT images showed spreading of the contrast/block for a median (range) of 3 (2–5) vertebrae, without differences between preoperative and postoperative images. One dog needed rescue analgesia during surgery. Pain score was less than 4/24 in all the animals during the first 4 h after surgery. TT showed a significant increased signal in all the areas tested, apart from the humerus, 30 min after surgery. The QLB may provide additional analgesia for canine ovariohysterectomy. Further studies are needed to assess the specific contribution of the QLB in abdominal analgesia.

PULMONIC stenosis (PS) is a common congenital cardiac defect in dogs (Buchanan 1992). Depending on the type of stenosis and its severity, surgical management is required. Balloon valvuloplasty (BV) is a non-invasive surgical technique that has become commonly performed in veterinary medicine (Bussadori and others 2001).Several protocols to anaesthetise patients undergoing this procedure have been described. However, only one retrospective study (Ramos and others 2014) assessing and reporting the perioperative complications during BV has been published recently.The aim of this study was to describe the anaesthetic management used over the past years in a large referring European veterinary institution and to explore which major factors are associated with complications in dogs undergoing BV.Forty-six dogs in which PS was managed with BV were included in this study. Parameters included in the analysis were breed, age, sex, weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status, severity of the stenosis, systolic pressure gradient, heart remodelling, presence of heart failure, patient medication, concurrent problems, use of NSAIDs, drugs used for premedication, induction and maintenance of anaesthesia, use of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV), use of other drugs, hypotension (mean arterial blood pressure <60 mmHg for at least five minutes), bradycardia (heart rate <50 beats per minute (bpm)), tachycardia (heart rate >140 bpm), systemic hypertension (systolic arterial blood pressure >160 mmHg for at least five minutes), arrhythmias, treatment of complications, temperature at the end of procedure, length of procedure, drugs used during recovery, morbidity (appearance of any complication during the procedure) and mortality within 48 hours.Statistical analysis was performed using statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics V.20.0.0). Normality of data was assessed with histograms and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Data were described with mean and sd, median and range or frequency ( per cent) as appropriate. Chi-squared, Fisher's exact or Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse the data. A P<0.05 was considered as significant.The most commonly represented breed was the cocker spaniel (eight patients, 17 per cent), followed by the boxer and Cavalier King Charles (three patients, 6 per cent each of them). The median age was 11.5 months (range 2-85 months) and median weight was 10.3 kg (range 2.5-65.5 kg).PS without other cardiac diseases was the most frequently diagnosis (30 patients, 65 per cent). The severity of stenosis, according to Bussadori's classification (Bussadori and others 2000), was severe ( peak gradient above 80 mm Hg corresponding to velocity over 4.5 m/s) in 39 patients (85 per cent) and moderate ( peak gradient from 50 to 80 mmHg corresponding to a velocity between 3.5 and 4.5 m/s) in the other seven patients (15 per cent). Forty patients (87 per cent) showed some degree of heart remodelling although only five patients had developed heart failure before the procedure. S...

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The objective of this study was to determine the demographic, clinical and survival characteristics and to identify risk factors for mortality due to tricuspid valve dysplasia in UK dogs. Records of client-owned dogs diagnosed with tricuspid valve dysplasia at a referral centre were retrospectively reviewed. Only dogs diagnosed with tricuspid valve dysplasia based on the presence of a right-sided heart murmur identified prior to one year of age, and confirmed with Doppler echocardiography, were included. Dogs with concomitant cardiac diseases, pulmonary hypertension and/or trivial tricuspid regurgitation were excluded. Analysed data included signalment, reason for presentation, clinical signs, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features, survival status and cause of death. Survival times and risk factors for mortality were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression. Eighteen dogs met inclusion criteria. Border collies were over-represented (p= 0.014). Dogs were most frequently referred for investigation of heart murmur. The most common arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (n=3). Median survival time from diagnosis of tricuspid valve dysplasia was 2775 days (range 1-3696 days; 95% CI 1542.41-4007.59) and from onset of right-sided congestive heart failure was 181 days (range 1-2130 days; 95% CI 0-455.59). Syncope was the sole risk factor for cardiac death. In this population of UK dogs, tricuspid valve dysplasia was uncommon but, when severe, frequently led to rightsided congestive heart failure. Prognosis was favourable for mild and moderate tricuspid dysplasia. Survival time was reduced with right-sided congestive heart failure but varied widely. Risk of cardiac death was significantly increased if syncope had occurred.

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The aim of this study was to report the anaesthetic management and peri-anaesthetic complications of 57 dogs undergoing pacemaker implantation at a referral institution over 10 years (2002-2012). The median duration of the procedure was 135 minutes (range 25-260 minutes). Patients were classified as American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) III (42 cases) and ASA IV (15 cases). Forty-three patients had third-degree atrioventricular block, and 14 patients had sick sinus syndrome. The anaesthetic protocol most frequently chosen was pethidine (41 cases), etomidate-midazolam (43 cases) and isoflurane in oxygen for maintenance (57 cases). Transthoracic external pacing was used (43 cases) until the internal pacing lead was implanted. Atracurium was administered (48 cases) and intermittent positive pressure ventilation was applied in 52 cases. Complications observed included hypothermia (19 cases) and hypotension (5 cases). Three patients died (5.8%, 95% CI 1.1% to 14.6%) within the first 48 hours after termination of anaesthesia. The outcome for this procedure in sick animals appeared generally good though a number of complications were documented.