Our quest for creating a space that is welcoming to all: A commentary from the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are crucial elements of successful veterinary emergency and critical care practices across the world. Embracing the elements of DEI creates a work environment that is safe and welcoming for all the members of the team. The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care DEI committee was formed to enhance and support efforts to increase racial diversity in veterinary emergency and critical care, as well as provide resources that will generate DEI practices across the country. This article provides an overview of the vision of the committee and some of the steps that have been taken to create a welcoming space for all represented in veterinary emergency and critical care.

Migration of a sewing needle foreign body into the brainstem of a cat.

CASE SUMMARY: A 1-year-old, female spayed domestic shorthair cat with a 6 week history of upper respiratory signs and a progressive reluctance to move, which culminated in a right-sided hemiparesis, was found to have a sewing needle foreign body lodged in the brainstem. Surgical extraction of the needle was successful and the cat's neurological deficits resolved over the days to weeks following its removal. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: This case report describes, to our knowledge, the first reported incidence and management of an ingested sewing needle migrating into the central nervous system of a cat.

Methocarbamol CRI for symptomatic treatment of pyrethroid intoxication: a report of three cases.

Pyrethroids are popular for use in companion animals due to their relatively low mammalian toxicity and efficacy against arthropods. Nonetheless, pyrethroid intoxication has been reported in cats and dogs, and cats appear to be more susceptible due to difficulty in biotransformation and excretion of pyrethroids. Pyrethroid intoxications are generally due to either the improper use or accidental ingestion of approved products. Methocarbamol, given as intermittent injections, is a common first-line treatment choice for the tremors associated with pyrethroid intoxication. Two cats and one dog were treated with a methocarbamol continuous rate infusion (CRI) for pyrethroid intoxication. Clinical signs of toxicity resolved within a few hr in all three cases, with no adverse drug effects. A methocarbamol CRI can be considered in animals presenting with pyrethroid intoxication.

Effect of sterilisation by gamma irradiation on the ability of polycaprolactone (PCL) to act as a scaffold material.

This paper investigates the effect of sterilisation by gamma irradiation (dose 2.5Mrad) on the following properties of polycaprolactone (PCL): (1) degradation rate (catalysed by lipase), (2) mechanical properties, (3) the ability of cells to attach and subsequently grow on its surface. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to determine the effects of gamma irradiation of weight average (M(w)) and number average (M(n)) molecular weights. Gamma irradiation significantly decreased the rate of degradation, although the rates depended on the initial mass of polymer; it also affected the appearance of the degraded specimens when they were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Irradiation also significantly increased the mechanical yield stress but not the failure stress of PCL. It caused a significant increase in M(w) and decrease in M(n) that could be attributed to chain scission and cross-linking. Chondrocyte attachment and growth on PCL was not significantly affected by gamma irradiation.