David Spreng

Gegenstand und Ziel: Der Fallbericht beschreibt die serielle Messung und den Vergleich von peripher venösem Hämatokrit mit dem Hämatokrit der Abdominalflüssigkeit bei einem Hund mit traumabedingtem Hämoabdomen. Diese Methode half bei der Entscheidung zwischen konservativer und operativer Therapie. Material und Methoden: Bei einer 18 Monate alten Mischlingshündin wurde nach einem Autounfall mit Hämoabdomen vor und während der Stabilisation mit Flüssigkeitstherapie regelmäßig der abdominale und peripher venöse Hämatokrit bestimmt. Ergebnisse: Bei Präsentation betrug der peripher venöse Hämatokrit 39% und der abdominale Hämatokrit 42%. Nach Flüssigkeitstherapie sank der peripher venöse Hämatokrit auf 20%, während der abdominale Hämatokrit bei 40% stabil blieb. Die Hündin wurde konservativ behandelt. Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz: Der Vergleich von Hämatokritwerten in abdominaler Flüssigkeit und venösem Blut kann hilfreich sein bei der Unterscheidung zwischen einer inaktiven abdominalen Blutung, die sich konservativ behandeln lässt, und einer ungestoppten abdominalen Blutung, die eine chirurgische Intervention notwendig macht. Objective: This case report describes the use of serial measurements of peripheral venous and abdominal fluid hematocrits as a guide to treatment in a dog with traumatic hemoabdomen. Material and methods: An 18-month-old, female mixed-breed dog was presented with traumatic hemoabdomen. The dog was treated with intravenous fluids, and concurrent measurements of venous and abdominal fluid hematocrits were performed. Results: The initial hematocrit values were 39% in venous blood and 42% in abdominal fluid. Following fluid therapy, the venous hematocrit decreased to 20%, whereas the abdominal hematocrit remained stable at 40%. Based on this finding severe ongoing intra-abdominal hemorrhage was ruled out, and the dog was treated conservatively. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Comparison of serial abdominal and venous hematocrits may be useful in assessing the need for surgical management in patients with traumatic hemoabdomen.

Five cats with large, distal extremity abrasion wounds were treated with an autogenous, full-thickness, mesh skin graft. Survival of the mesh grafts in all five cats was considered between 90 and 100%. Successful grafting requires asepsis, an adequately prepared recipient bed consisting of healthy granulation tissue, proper harvesting and preparation of the graft, meticulous surgical technique and strict postoperative care. Factors that are essential for the survival of skin grafts include good contact between the graft and the recipient bed, normal tension on the sutured graft, strict immobilization after grafting and prevention of accumulation of blood or serum under the graft. Meshing the graft provides more graft flexibility over uneven surfaces and allows adequate drainage. In contrast to previous proposals, the authors recommend no bandage change before the fourth day after grafting. Full-thickness mesh skin grafting can be used to successfully treat large distal skin wounds in cats.

Objective— To investigate the potential of doxycycline to reduce stromelysin and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity in dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) secondary to spontaneous cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture. Study Design— Prospective, clinical study. Animals— Eighty-one dogs with OA secondary to CCL rupture and 54 normal dogs. Methods— Dogs with OA secondary to CCL rupture were divided into 2 groups before surgery. The Doxy-CCl group received 3 to 4 mg/kg doxycycline orally every 24 hours for 7 to 10 days (n = 35). The CCL group received no treatment (n = 46). Synovial fluid, articular cartilage, synovial membrane, and CCL samples were collected during surgery (Doxy-CCL group and CCL group) or immediately after euthanasia from healthy dogs (control group). Synovial fluid samples were examined cytologically. Total nitric oxide (NO_t) concentrations were measured in the supernatant of explant cultures of all tissue samples, and stromelysin activity was measured in the supernatant of explant cultures of cartilage. Results— NO_t concentrations measured in cartilage were significantly lower in the Doxy-CCL group than in the CCL group, but were not different from those measured in the control group. Doxycycline treatment did not have a significant effect on cartilage stromelysin levels. Conclusion— The findings in this study indicate that doxycycline inhibits NO production in cartilage in dogs with CCL rupture. Clinical Relevance— Doxycycline may have a role in the treatment of canine OA by inhibiting NO production.

Chronic osteoarthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint is predominantly observed in working dogs. Surgical intervention is often required to maintain a functional limb. Excision arthroplasty represents a simple, relatively quick and cosmetically esthetic alternative to arthrodesis, endoprosthesis or amputation. In the present study, the technique of excision arthroplasty is described and discussed as a treatment method for chronic osteoarthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint.

Summary: The goal of our study was to compare values of stromelysin activity in stifle joint tissues, from dogs with osteoarthritis, secondary to naturally acquired cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture and from a control population.Twenty four dogs (CCL group) with osteoarthritis (OA), secondary to CCL rupture, were evaluated. The control groups consisted of 22 beagles (control #1) and 14 dogs (control #2) without CCL rupture. Articular cartilage, synovial membrane and CCL tissue specimens were harvested during operations in the CCL group and immediately following euthanasia in the control groups. The specimens were submitted for routine histology and for explant tissue cultures.Stromelysin activity was measured in the supernatant of explanted cultures. The results of stromelysin concentrations were reported as mean ± STD and compared to histological cartilage degeneration, synovial membrane inflammation and ligament changes. Stromelysin activity in cartilage explants of the CCL group (70 ± 82.5 U/g) was significantly higher when compared to the control #1 (4.2 ± 6.3 U/g) and control #2 (15 ±10 U/g) groups. The synovial membrane explant cultures of the CCL group produced less stromelysin compared to the control group. Whereas ligament cultures showed a tendency toward higher activity of stromelysin when compared to the control groups. An association between the severity of histological OA changes in the cartilage and stromelysin activity in cartilage explants was demonstrated. We conclude that dogs with OA, secondary to naturally acquired CCL rupture, release higher stromelysin levels in articular cartilage and cranial cruciate ligament explant cultures when compared to the controls. Our results indicate that stromelysin production in articular cartilage is related to the severity of OA.Stromelysin, one of the major metalloproteinases degrades articular cartilage mainly by cleavage of proteoglycans. Increased levels of stromelysin could be demonstrated in cartilage of stifle joints from dogs with naturally acquired cranial cruciate ligament rupture using a radioimmunoassay. There was an indication in this study that the activity of stromelysin is associated with the severity of osteoarthritic changes.Presented in part at the European College of Veterinary Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting, Pörtschach-Austria, June 1998.

In absence of basic canine hip biomechanics, a specific, consequent three dimensional concept to evaluate the coxofemoral joint was developed for the dog. With the help of a new method to radiologically demonstrate the hip in a physiological standing position several new clinically relevant aspects could be further investigated. For example the breed specific anatomical differences in the hip, and dynamics and the background on "iatrogenic luxations" in HD diagnostics could be shown. The caudal luxation and the growth abnormalities of the hip and their consequences on the whole leg (antetorsion syndrome) as a consequence of inadequate breeding could be demonstrated.