Age of Dental Apical Closure in Domestic Cats.

Data on the age of apical closure in felines is limited. Moreover, differences in age of apical closure between male and female cats have not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the timing of apical closure in cats and determine if sex or position in the dental arch affected closure. In this retrospective descriptive study, intraoral radiographs were obtained at monthly or multiple-monthly intervals for 18 cats. Nine were intact females and 9 were neutered males, ranging from 6 to 9.4 months of age at the start of the study which ranged over an 8-month period. Radiographs were evaluated to establish age of apical closure for all canine teeth as well as the mandibular premolar and molar teeth. Mandibular canine tooth apices closed between 10 and 12 months of age and maxillary canine tooth apices closed between 12 and 14 months of age. The mesial and distal root apices of both the mandibular third and fourth premolar teeth closed between 8 and 9 months. The mandibular first molar tooth mesial and distal root apices closed between 8 and 8.5 months. Root apices of canine teeth closed earlier in female cats than in male cats with mandibular canine tooth root apices closing significantly earlier than maxillary canine tooth roots in both sexes. These findings suggest that there are notable differences in age of apical closure between male and female cats and discernible trends in timing of apical closure among teeth in the dental arcade.

Prognostic indicators for feline craniofacial trauma: a retrospective study of 114 cases.

Craniofacial traumatic injuries contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of domestic felines. Previous studies focused on feline craniofacial injuries have investigated the origin of injury, injuries sustained, and effectiveness of diagnostic tools. The aim of the study is to identify prognostic indicators for feline craniofacial trauma patients and determine their association with negative and positive outcomes. The Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) Trauma Registry and Dentistry and Oral Surgery Case Logs were utilized to identify feline craniofacial trauma cases that were presented to Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2014 and 2020. Prognostic indicators evaluated included: etiology of injury, signalment (age and sex), the Modified Glascow Coma Scale (MGCS), Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) scores, craniofacial examination findings, diagnostic imaging technique, and injuries identified via imaging. Outcomes were determined via patient status upon discharge. Outcomes were grouped into the following categories: survival to discharge at initial presentation to CSU Urgent Care (SDIP), survival to discharge after injury treatment/repair by CSU DOSS or another specialty service (SDTX), euthanized due to grave prognosis at initial presentation (EUGP), euthanized due to financial limitations at initial presentation (EUF), and euthanized due to grave prognosis and financial limitations (EUGP + EUF). The continuous data was described using means and standard deviations. To determine the associations of various groupings of clinical signs and imaging findings with outcome a principal component analysis was performed. Patient sex, trauma etiology, cumulative MGCS and ATT scores on initial presentation and clinical signs on initial presentation were identified as prognostic indicators with intact males, vehicular and animal altercations, lower MGCS cumulative scores, higher ATT scores and the presence of altered mentation identified as negative prognostic indicators. Prognostic indicators for feline craniofacial trauma can be associated with outcomes and help guide clinical decision making.

Cadaveric Evaluation of Injectate Distribution for Two Maxillary Nerve Block Techniques in Cats.

Regional nerve blocks have been shown to decrease general anesthetic drug requirements and improve pain management in patients undergoing surgery. Regional nerve blocks are used routinely in patients undergoing oral surgery, such as dental extractions. There is little published information regarding the efficacy of feline maxillary and infraorbital nerve blocks. The goal of the study was to compare injectate distributions of the infraorbital foramen and percutaneous maxillary nerve block techniques in feline cadavers using a combined dye and radiopaque contrast media solution to simulate an injection. There was no significant difference in length of stained nerve between the two different techniques. It was not necessary to advance the needle into the infraorbital canal to achieve effective staining of the maxillary nerve. There was no significant difference in injectate distribution between two different injectate volumes, 0.2 and 0.4 ml, indicating that the smaller volume injected at the infraorbital foramen resulted in adequate nerve staining.

Computed Tomography Analysis of the Feline Infraorbital Foramen and Canal.

Feline skull anatomic variation is plain to see with casual observation. Obtaining an in-depth understanding of this anatomic variability is critical to performing safe and effective regional anesthesia for dental procedures and maxillofacial surgeries. Maxillofacial anatomic variability is proven to impact the placement and efficacy of nerve blocks in dogs and horses, but similar studies have not been performed in cats. This study's main objective was to evaluate the anatomy of the infraorbital foramen and canal in relation to regional anatomic landmarks in brachycephalic and mesaticephalic cats. Significant anatomic variability was identified, particularly among cats with brachycephalic skulls.

Prevalence of Malocclusion of Deciduous Dentition in Dogs: An Evaluation of 297 Puppies.

A total of 297 dogs between 8 and 12 weeks of age were examined during a 1-year period to evaluate occlusion. Dogs were categorized either as individual dogs or members of a litter and purebred or mixed breed. Occlusion was evaluated by class: normal, class 1 malocclusion (MAL1), class 2 malocclusion (MAL2), or class 3 malocclusion (MAL3). Dogs with MAL3 were also subdivided based on whether MAL3 was considered a breed standard; dogs with breed standard MAL3 were considered under normal occlusion for statistical analyses. Malocclusions were further categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Twenty-six percent (77/297) were identified as having a malocclusion. For single dogs, purebreds had a significantly higher percentage of malocclusions compared to the mixed breeds (33.8% and 20% respectively; P = .042). For dogs in litters, there were no purebreds with malocclusion, which was significantly less than the number of mixed breeds with malocclusions (0% and 23.5%, respectively; P = .0023). No significant difference in prevalence was noted between mixed breed and purebred dogs. Occlusal evaluation is important for all dogs to allow for early recognition of malocclusion and, if necessary, intervention in a timely manner.

Extensive Maxillary Odontomas in 2 Dogs.

Two immature male dogs were presented for the treatment of extensive maxillary compound odontomas. In both cases, clinical evaluation and diagnostic imaging revealed extensive lesions invading and displacing anatomical structures of the maxilla. Histopathology confirmed the diagnoses in both cases. One dog was treated with partial rostral maxillectomy, and the other dog was treated with enucleation of the cystic lining and removal of tooth-like structures through a lateral rhinotomy utilizing an intraoral approach. This report illustrates the growth potential of maxillary compound odontomas in 2 dogs and highlights their subclinical appearance and excellent prognosis despite their extensive nature.