Feline obesity causes hematological and biochemical changes and oxidative stress - a pilot study.

Obesity, an extremely important factor in feline clinical practice, is estimated to affect up to one third of the feline population. Moreover, it can trigger chronic inflammation, which could predispose to oxidative stress by increasing reactive oxygen species, thereby generating potentially irreversible cellular damage. This study analyzed hematological, biochemical and oxidative stress profiles at various degrees of feline obesity. Forty-five cats were selected and divided into three groups: control (n = 17), overweight (n = 13) and obese (n = 15), after clinical and laboratory evaluation and body condition score. Biochemical and oxidative stress analyses were performed using a photocolorimeter and hematological analyses were performed in a veterinary cell counter. Obese cats showed increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), HDL cholesterol and triglycerides and decreased activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) than control cats, although within the reference ranges for the species. As for oxidative stress, obese cats showed higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC), by the inhibition of 2,2'-Azino-Bis-3-Ethylbenzthiazoline-6-Sulfonic Acid (ABTS), inhibition of ABTS associated with horseradish peroxidase (ABTS + HRP), cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods, while overweight cats had a higher TAC-ABTS + HRP and TAC-FRAP than control cats. We conclude that the conditions of natural obesity and overweight in the feline species alter its hematological, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters.

Hemodynamic Effects of Different Combinations of Midazolam and Opioids in Healthy Dogs.

The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic effects of four different combinations of midazolam and opioids in healthy dogs. Twenty-four healthy dogs were divided in four groups (n = 6) using intramuscular midazolam 0.3 mg/kg and morphine 0.3 mg/kg (GMOR), methadone 0.3 mg/kg (GMET), butorphanol 0.2 mg/kg (GBUT) or fentanyl 5 ug/kg (GFEN). Cardiovascular variables were recorded before (TB) and 20 minutes following drug administration (T20) and comprised arterial blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac index. Subsequently, left ventricular work index and total peripheral resistance index were calculated using the previous variables. At the end of the study, data were compared using analysis of variance followed by Tukey test and Friedman followed by Dunn test, all under 5% significance. No differences were found on cardiovascular variables at all times among the groups, which indicates that all combinations provide hemodynamic stability for clinical sedation of healthy dogs. However, a few animals showed paradoxical excitation in GBUT. In conclusion, the association of midazolam with morphine, methadone, butorphanol or fentanyl provides cardiovascular stability and can be used to sedate dogs undergoing cardiovascular examination, although caution is warranted with the use of midazolam with butorphanol due to possible paradoxical excitation.