A novel extraoral ultrasound-guided approach for mandibular nerve block in Rahmani sheep.

BACKGROUND: Regional anesthesia is the favored choice in ruminant animals compared to general anesthesia, primarily due to its high safety margin and reduced demand for cost-intensive equipment in addition to its field applicability. Ultrasound-guided nerve block has gained significant attention in the field of veterinary medicine. This study utilized twenty-seven sheep of the native Rahmani breed to both demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of the ultrasound guided inferior alveolar nerve block technique. METHODS: The research comprised three phases: Phase 1 involved an anatomical examination of mandibles and sheep heads to locate the mandibular foramen and delineate the mandibular nerve course. Phase 2 included ultrasound-guided injection of methylene blue dye at specific sites along the mandibular nerve in cadaveric sheep heads. In Phase 3, clinical implementation of ultrasound-guided inferior alveolar nerve blocks was conducted in 27 live sheep, assessing efficacy, onset, and duration. RESULTS: Vertical extraoral ultrasound-guided nerve block was achieved successfully in 25 sheep (98%). A preliminary cadaveric study showed good distribution of the injectate at the mandibular nerve site. The mean onset time was 138 ± 18 s, and the mean duration time was 54 ± 4.1 min. Prominent analgesia of the ipsilateral mandible, medial surface of the cheek, and lateral border of the tongue was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided mandibular nerve block holds promise as a technique for providing effective and safe anesthesia in sheep undergoing mandibular procedures.

Tongue reshaping: a new surgical method to prevent self-sucking in dairy cows.

Self-sucking behaviors lead to substantial milk loss and inflammation of the udder and teats among dairy cows. Both conservative and surgical approaches are available to prevent such behavior; however, the current methods are limited by variable efficacy and risk of complications. The objective of the present study was to evaluate a new minimally invasive technique for reshaping of the tongue to prevent self-sucking. The current technique was performed on five mixed breed dairy cows aged 4-6 years and with a mean weight 320 kgs. Reshaping of the normal contour of the tongue was achieved by the application of multiple interrupted inverting sutures to the ventral surface to prevent the tongue from forming "U" shape. Post-operative approach included antiseptic mouth wash with povidone iodine solution twice daily and recording the healing process and complications. The mean operative time was 12±1 minutes. No complications except superficial pressure wounds from 3rd up to 10th day post-operative were observed. At three months follow up all treated cows had stopped self-sucking. One-shot tongue reshaping is an easy, minimally invasive, effective, and time-saving procedure for the treatment of self-sucking among dairy cows, with the advantage of causing little tissue damage.