Articular cartilage scores in cranial cruciate ligament-deficient dogs with or without bucket handle tears of the medial meniscus.

OBJECTIVE: To compare articular cartilage scores in cranial cruciate ligament (CCL)-deficient dogs with or without concurrent bucket handle tears (BHT) of the medial meniscus. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs treated with arthroscopy and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or extracapsular repair for complete CCL rupture (290 stifles from 264 dogs). METHODS: Medical records and arthroscopic images were reviewed. Medial femoral condyle (MFC) and medial tibial plateau (MTP) cartilage was scored using the modified Outerbridge scale. Periarticular osteophytosis (PAO) and injury to the medial meniscus were recorded. Data were analyzed using Student's t-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Fisher's exact test for changes in the stifle based on meniscal condition, body weight, and duration of lameness. RESULTS: PAO, MFC, and MTP articular cartilage scores were not significantly different in dogs with or without BHT. There were no significant differences in MFC or MTP scores when dogs were evaluated based on bodyweight and the presence or absence of a BHT. However, PAO formation was significantly increased in dogs weighing >13.6 kg and concurrent meniscal injury vs. dogs weighing <13.6 kg and concurrent meniscal injury (P < .001). Significantly more stifles with chronic lameness (40 of 89; 44.9%) had the highest PAO score of 2 reported compared to only 42 of 182 stifles (23.1%) with acute lameness (P < .001). CONCLUSION: The presence of a BHT of the medial meniscus was not associated with more severe arthroscopic articular cartilage lesions in the medial joint compartment at the time of surgery.

Evaluation of the effects of topical zinc gluconate in wound healing.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of topical zinc gluconate on healing, analgesia, and bacterial growth of full-thickness rat skin wounds. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Male Wistar rats (n = 98) METHODS: One full-thickness round 2 cm × 2 cm surgically created wound on the dorsum of each rat received 1 of the following randomized treatments: zinc gluconate in carrier solution, carrier solution, saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, chlorhexidine, chlorhexidine + zinc gluconate, corticosteroid, and no treatment. At 4 and 21 days, biopsy samples were taken for histopathology. Bacterial cultures were performed on day 4. Subjective pain scores and weight were recorded daily. RESULTS: No significant differences were noted among the groups except the corticosteroid group, in which delayed healing was noted at 4 and 21 days. Bacterial isolates were similar and no differences in pain scores or weight gain were noted among groups. The wounds treated with corticosteroid at day 4 had decreased inflammatory cells and serocellular crust formation, and minimal neovascularization and granulation tissue formation. At day 21, that group had prolonged neutrophilic inflammatory cells, immature fibrosis, less re-epithelialization, and more prominent serocellular crust. CONCLUSION: Wounds treated with zinc gluconate healed similarly and contained similar bacterial load as wounds with other topical treatments except for corticosteroids. No treatment demonstrated the negative effects seen with topical corticosteroid nor did any demonstrate analgesic advantage.

Short- and long-term outcomes after digit amputation in dogs: 33 cases (1999-2011).

OBJECTIVE: To determine complications and outcomes for dogs that underwent digit amputation. DESIGN: Retrospective case series and owner survey. ANIMALS: 33 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs that underwent digit amputation were evaluated. Signalment, digits amputated, level of amputation, reason for amputation, and complications were recorded. Owners were contacted via mail or telephone to collect follow-up information. RESULTS: 35 digit amputation procedures were performed for the 33 dogs in the study (1 dog underwent 3 procedures). Short-term (≤ 14 days) complications other than lameness were detected in dogs after 13 of 33 (39.4%) procedures for which follow-up information was available; incisional dehiscence was the most common short-term complication. Long-term (>14 days) lameness was detected in dogs after 8 of 32 (25.0%) procedures for which follow-up information was available; lameness was mild or intermittent after 6 of these procedures. Amputation of a digit in a hind limb was the only variable that was significantly associated with the development of short-term complications. Twenty-four of 33 (72.7%) owners responded to the survey via mail or telephone interview; 23 (95.8%) of those owners were satisfied with the procedure. Most dogs had a good functional outcome (including dogs that underwent amputation of digit 3 or 4 or both). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Amputation of a hind limb digit was the only risk factor identified for development of short-term complications. Dogs that underwent amputation of digit 3 or 4 or both did not seem to have a worse outcome than dogs that underwent amputation of other digits.