Antonio González-Cantalapiedra

Preoperative anxiety may compromise perioperative welfare and anesthetic management in dogs. This randomized, blind clinical study evaluated the effects of oral tasipimidine on anxiety-related behaviors, handling quality, cardiovascular variables, anesthetic requirements and recovery in dogs undergoing elective ovariectomy. Thirty ASA I dogs were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 10). Treatment groups received tasipimidine (30 µg/kg PO) 45 min before admission, followed by morphine (0.3 mg/kg IM) combined with dexmedetomidine at either 2.5 µg/kg (GTa) or 5 µg/kg IM (GTb). Control dogs (GC) received an oral placebo followed by dexmedetomidine (5 µg/kg IM) and morphine (0.3 mg/kg IM). Anxiety was assessed using the Clinic Dog Stress Scale (CDSS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Reactivity Evaluation Form (REF). Handling quality was assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and recovery quality using the Simple Descriptive Scale (SDS). Tasipimidine significantly reduced anxiety-related behaviors compared with controls, with lower CDSS (5 [0–10] vs. 13 [3–19]), VAS (4 [2–7] vs. 6.5 [2–9]), and REF scores (1 [1–3] vs. 2 [1–4]) (p < 0.05). Handling quality improved significantly in treated dogs with lower NRS (1 [1–2] vs. 2 [1–4]; p = 0.003). Preoperative heart rate was lower in tasipimidine-treated dogs (85 ± 19 bpm) than in controls (127 ± 23 bpm; p < 0.001). Recovery agitation requiring dexmedetomidine rescue sedation occurred in 30% of treated dogs versus 60% of controls. Propofol and fentanyl requirements did not differ significantly among groups (p > 0.05). Tasipimidine improved anxiety-related behavioral scores and handling quality in dogs; however, its cardiovascular effects and perioperative role warrant further investigation.

Background: Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth, causing abnormal blood flow and potential heart failure. The Branham reflex, a transient slowing of the heart rate after ductus closure, has been described in transcatheter procedures and surgical ligation. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 25 dogs undergoing surgical PDA ligation under a standardized anesthetic protocol. Heart rate and arterial blood pressures were recorded at multiple time points before, during, and after surgery. The incidence of the Branham reflex and the need for cardiovascular drugs were assessed. Results: Nineteen dogs (76%) exhibited the Branham reflex, characterized by a transient decrease in heart rate and a concurrent increase in diastolic pressure, which resolved without antimuscarinic medication. The reflex was less frequent in dogs weighing more than 10 kilograms. Complications occurred in 12% of patients, with no fatalities. Conclusions: The Branham reflex is common but generally self-limiting. Careful hemodynamic monitoring is essential, especially in smaller dogs. These findings provide important guidance for veterinarians to optimize perioperative care and minimize risks during PDA surgery.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a noninvasive therapeutic tool with promising clinical applications in veterinary clinical surgery. Its mechanism of action is based on the stimulation of cellular processes through low-intensity light, promoting adenosine triphosphate production, inflammatory modulation, and tissue regeneration. This narrative review examines the current state of knowledge on the use of PBM in veterinary surgical contexts, with an emphasis on its clinical application in wound healing, postoperative pain control, and functional recovery. The physiological foundations of the technique, the main technical parameters that determine its effectiveness (wavelength, dose, frequency, and mode of application), and the available clinical evidence from different specialties such as soft tissue surgery, orthopedics, dentistry, and neurosurgery are analyzed. Current limitations, such as the lack of standardized protocols and their limited inclusion in clinical guidelines, are also addressed, as are future opportunities related to treatment personalization, the development of specific veterinary devices, and integration with emerging technologies. PBM represents a safe and effective adjuvant therapeutic strategy with the potential to become an integral part of veterinary postoperative management.

Reproductive system diseases are common in guinea pigs, but cases presenting with the coexistence of ovarian cysts and cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) are poorly documented. This case describes a two-year-old female with abdominal tenderness and an ultrasonographic diagnosis of bilateral ovarian cysts and CEH, structured accordingly to the CARE guidelines. An ovariohysterectomy was performed via a ventral midline approach under multimodal anaesthesia and analgesia. Histopathological examination confirmed rete ovarii cysts and cystic endometrial hyperplasia. The postoperative course was uneventful, with complete recovery achieved within 21 days. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report, structured accordingly to the CARE guidelines, to provide complete clinical aspects, diagnostic testing (including imaging), treatment, and final confirmation of the diagnosis of both lesions in the same patient. Abdominal ultrasonography proved to be an essential tool for the simultaneous diagnosis of ovarian and uterine abnormalities in guinea pigs. Surgical management combined with multimodal anaesthesia ensured safe outcomes and satisfactory recovery. This case report also highlights the importance and value of structuring veterinary case reports according to the CARE guidelines, thereby improving the quality, transparency, and reproducibility of clinical reporting in exotic animal medicine.

The clinical use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has gained increasing attention as a regenerative strategy in veterinary orthopedic surgery, yet its efficacy beyond osteoarthritis remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of liquid and gel PRP formulations as adjuncts in canine orthopedic procedures and to assess the methodological quality of the available evidence. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Fourteen eligible studies (six experimental in vivo and eight clinical investigations) including in vivo and clinical investigations of fracture and osteotomy repair and tendon or ligament reconstruction were critically analyzed. Overall, PRP demonstrated safety and biological activity, with early-phase improvements in tissue regeneration and inflammatory modulation; however, long-term functional outcomes were often similar to controls. Gel PRP showed practical advantages in handling, local retention, and the sustained release of growth factors, acting as a transient fibrin scaffold. Quality and risk-of-bias assessments following ARRIVE 2.0, CONSORT, and RoB 2.0 guidelines revealed moderate methodological rigor, with frequent omissions in blinding, sample-size calculation, and preregistration. However, the marked heterogeneity in PRP preparations and outcomes across studies, together with weak evidence for consistent long-term benefits, limits the strength of these conclusions. These findings highlight PRP, particularly in gel form, as a promising biological adjuvant for orthopedic repair in dogs, while emphasizing the need for standardized preparation protocols and harmonized outcome measures to advance its translational application.

Aims: To compare the early wound‐healing responses to crosslinked hyaluronic acid enriched with two proline‐rich peptides (P2, P6) against unmodified hyaluronic acid and the enamel‐matrix derivative (EMD) in a porcine gingival‐detachment model. Methods: In six pigs, defects around premolars were treated with HA, HA + P2, HA + P6 or EMD. After 6 days, the sites were harvested and evaluated using histology, immunohistochemistry, multiplex cytokine assay and untargeted proteomics of the gels, which were examined, informing an integrated multiomics approach analysis. Results: Both peptide formulations improved the composite histological score compared to HA alone, and HA + P6 matched EMD in suppressing oedema, TNF‐α staining and CD80 ⁺ macrophages while increasing mannose‐receptor labelling. Proteomics revealed that P2 upregulated actin (Q6QAQ1) and histone H2A (F2Z5L5), consistent with active remodelling, whereas EMD reduced trypsin and trypsinogen, indicating a more stabilised wound milieu; HA + P6 showed an intermediate yet favourable profile. IL‐6 levels were lower in both peptide groups and EMD than in HA, and all gels proved noncytotoxic, with HA + P6 enhancing cell viability. Conclusion: HA + P6 suppressed TNF‐α and trypsin signalling while boosting M2‐linked markers and proresolution proteins to the same extent as EMD, whereas plain HA did not. Thus, adding a short proline‐rich peptide confers EMD‐like early immunomodulation on a fully synthetic HA carrier. These observations, although limited to 6‐day soft tissue healing, warrant longer studies in true periodontal regeneration models.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a noninvasive therapeutic tool with promising clinical applications in veterinary surgery. Its mechanism of action is based on the stimulation of cellular processes through low-intensity light, promoting adenosine triphosphate production, inflammatory modulation, and tissue regeneration. This narrative review examines the current state of knowledge on the use of PBM in veterinary surgical contexts, with an emphasis on its clinical application in wound healing, postoperative pain control, and functional recovery. The physiological foundations of the technique, the main technical parameters that determine its effectiveness (wavelength, dose, frequency, and mode of application), and the available clinical evidence from different specialties such as soft tissue surgery, orthopedics, dentistry, and neurosurgery are analyzed. Current limitations, such as the lack of standardized protocols and their limited inclusion in clinical guidelines, are also addressed, as are future opportunities related to treatment personalization, the development of specific veterinary devices, and integration with emerging technologies. PBM represents a safe and effective adjuvant therapeutic strategy with the potential to become an integral part of veterinary postoperative management.

Purpose To evaluate intervertebral cage migration and bony ingrowth in 3D printed additive manufacturing titanium cages with hexagonal geometry in the cage walls and traditional PEEK anterior cervical cages using an in-vivo ovine model. Materials and methods A comparative animal study was performed. 3D-printed titanium and PEEK interbody cages were implanted in eight ovine cervical spines without fixation. After 8 weeks, animals underwent a full body CT-scan and at 12 weeks, a micro-CT scan and histological sections were performed to qualitatively assess (i) the cage position (ii) the ratio of bone ingrowth inside the cage central window in terms of area and volume and (iii) the osseointegration inside the 3D-printed titanium complex geometry. Results Within the central window of the cages, the mean percentage of bone area/total area for the PEEK and 3D-printed titanium groups was 3.79 ± 7.26 and 10.46 ± 8.52, respectively (p-value = 0.086). The mean percentage of bone volume/total volume for PEEK and 3D-printed titanium groups was 7.83 ± 6.65 and 20.53 ± 14.56 respectively (p-value = 0.018). Histological results showed a similar trend with bone ingrowth. Implant migration was observed more frequently in PEEK (87.5%) than in 3D-printed titanium cages (37.5%). Conclusions 3D-printed titanium cages showed significantly increased bone formation in an in-vivo ovine model under suboptimal conditions. We suspect that the early osseointegration in the hexagonal geometry in the cage walls may contribute to decreased cage migration. However, further studies are necessary to confirm the findings of this preliminary study.

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture is the most common orthopedic condition in dogs, causing lameness, joint instability, and discomfort due to its role in knee stability. Surgical treatment, particularly osteotomies in the proximal tibia, is the preferred approach, with tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), and the modified Maquet technique (MMT) being widely used. A common postoperative complication is patellar desmopathy—thickening of the ligament that is detectable on radiographs and can cause further discomfort. However, studies on this complication in TPLO are limited, and there are no direct comparisons of ligament thickening between these surgical techniques. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ligament desmopathy in TPLO, examine any associations with age, sex, or weight, and compare findings with those from other techniques. A retrospective analysis was conducted, with ligament thickness measured at three points during postoperative follow-up, which had a mean of approximately 2.5 months. Results showed an 86.7% prevalence of desmopathy, with average thicknesses of 3.90 mm proximally, 4.69 mm at mid-ligament, and 5.98 mm distally. These findings align with previous TPLO studies and suggest that TPLO may cause greater ligament thickening than TTA or MMT, particularly in the distal portion.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of trazodone as part of premedication in routine surgical procedures. A prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical study was conducted on 16 adult female dogs undergoing elective ovariectomy. Behavioral responses were assessed after oral administration of trazodone (5 mg/kg) in eight dogs and compared with a control group (n = 8). Sedation levels at the time of induction and the required dose of propofol were recorded. Additionally, intraoperative fentanyl IV boluses (2.5 µg/kg) administered in response to surgical pain, along with heart rate (HR) and non-invasive arterial pressure (NIAP), were compared between groups. Dogs receiving trazodone exhibited significantly lower stress scores on the Clinic Dog Stress Scale (CDSS) and fewer episodes of vomiting after premedication, and they required lower doses of both propofol and intraoperative analgesia. These findings suggest that oral trazodone administration two hours before hospital arrival may help reduce preoperative stress in dogs undergoing elective ovariectomy. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results and fully evaluate the role of trazodone in preoperative protocols.