Long-term treatment with carprofen of 805 dogs with osteoarthritis.

The pain-relieving effect of carprofen and tolerance to the drug were investigated in 805 dogs that were lame as a result of osteoarthritis. The dogs were of different breeds, ages and bodyweights and of both sexes, and were selected from 51 veterinary clinics. Each dog was treated orally by its owner with 4 mg/kg carprofen for 84 consecutive days. Twenty-four dogs were removed from the study because of side effects, and 55 left the study for reasons unrelated to the treatment. The condition of the dogs and the benefit of the treatment were evaluated by the veterinary surgeons and the owners after 14 days, and at the end of the period of treatment, when 194 of the dogs (26.7 per cent) were no longer lame, and 357 (49.2 per cent) had improved. The period for which the dogs had been lame before entering the study significantly (P<0.01) affected the results and the rate of improvement. Too much exercise during the 84 days of treatment caused some dogs to relapse.

Comparison of the recurrence rate of gastric dilatation with or without volvulus in dogs after circumcostal gastropexy versus gastrocolopexy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the recurrence rate of acute gastric dilatation with or without volvulus (GDV) after circumcostal gastropexy (CCGP) or gastrocolopexy (GCP) in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, double-blind, multicenter, randomized, controlled, clinical trial with two groups (A and B). ANIMALS: Fifty-four client-owned dogs presented for treatment of GDV. METHODS: Dogs with acute GDV that had not previously had a gastropexy performed were included. The preoperative treatment before gastropexy was standardized. A CCGP was performed on dogs in group A, and a GCP was performed on dogs in group B. Postoperative treatment was standardized, but deviation did occur according to the special needs of particular patients. A minimal follow-up time of 180 days was required for dogs not excluded from the study. The median follow-up time in group A was 700 days; in group B, it was 400 days. The occurrence of abdominal pain and gastrointestinal problems after surgery were recorded by the owners. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate of GDV between the two groups. At the end of the study, the recurrence rate was 9% and 20% in group A and in group B, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both surgical techniques are effective in preventing recurrence of GDV.

Maxillectomy and targeted radionuclide therapy with 153Sm-EDTMP in a recurrent canine osteosarcoma.

An eight-year-old dog with a local relapse of an osteosarcoma was treated with partial maxillectomy and systemic radionuclide therapy that involved two injections, 43 and 45 megabecquerels per kg bodyweight of the bone-seeking agent samarium-153-ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonic acid (153Sm-EDTMP), 15 weeks apart. A transient drop in white blood cell count and platelet count was observed following each 153Sm-EDTMP treatment. Follow-up 21 months after surgery revealed no evidence of local recurrence or metastases. The dog was in excellent condition, suffering only minor sequelae from the surgical procedure. Compared with historical controls treated with surgery alone, the combination of surgery and systemic radionuclide therapy seems a promising strategy for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma.

Comparison of two surgical treatments of gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs.

The purpose of this randomized clinical study was to compare the effect of 2 surgical methods in the treatment of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) in dogs. One group of dogs (group A) was treated with and one group (group B) without fixation of the stomach. Group A consisted of 21 cases (including 2 dropouts) and group B of 10 cases. The dogs in group A received decompression, anatomical repositioning of the stomach and a circumcostal gastropexy and the dogs in group B (the control group) received the same treatment without gastropexy. Supportive treatment was the same for both groups. The randomization of the dogs in groups A and B was successful with only small differences between the 2 groups in the breed, age, sex and initial decompression methods. At the end of the study (censoring time), the median survival times were significantly different between group A and group B, respectively 549 and 107 days. There were no recurrences in group A while in group B 3 dogs (50%) experienced a recurrence within 6 months. The overall death rates within the first year were 32% in group A and 80% in group B. The death rates caused by GDV and GDV related causes only, after one year of follow-up, were 19% and 71% for groups A and B, respectively. This study shows that treatment that included circumcostal gastropexy significantly reduced the recurrence of GDV and prolonged the postoperative survival time compared with treatment that did not include fixation of the stomach.

Pancreatic insulin-secreting carcinoma in a dog: fructosamine for determining persistent hypoglycaemia.

A five-year-old intact male rottweiler was presented with a history of episodic weakness and mild-generalised seizures. A tentative diagnosis of an insulin-secreting tumour in the pancreas was made based on fasting hypoglycaemia with concomitant hyperinsulinaemia and a subnormal fructosamine value. The diagnosis was confirmed by exploratory coeliotomy, intravenous infusion of methylene blue, histopathology and immuno-histochemical analysis of suspected neoplastic tissue. Fructosamine assays are traditionally used for monitoring the metabolic status of diabetics where a single elevated measurement reflects persistent hyperglycaemia. This report suggests that a single low measurement of fructosamine may indicate persistent hypoglycaemia and may be helpful, in conjunction with an insulin measurement, in the diagnosis of insulin-secreting tumours.