Effects of perioperative saphenous and sciatic nerve blocks,lumbosacral epidural or morphine–lidocaine–ketamine infusion on postoperative pain and sedation in dogs undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy

ObjectiveTo compare the quality of postoperative analgesia and sedation after preoperative saphenous and sciatic nerve blockade, preoperative lumbosacral epidural injection and perioperative intravenous (IV) morphine, lidocaine and ketamine infusions in dogs undergoing stifle arthroscopy and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) under general anesthesia.Study designProspective, blinded, randomized, clinical comparison study.AnimalsA total of 45 dogs weighing 33.9 (15.9–56.7) kg and aged 5.2 (1.0–12.0) years, mean (range), undergoing elective unilateral TPLO for spontaneous cranial cruciate ligament rupture.MethodsClient-owned dogs were enrolled. Dogs were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group MLK, perioperative IV morphine, lidocaine and ketamine infusion; group EPID, lumbosacral epidural with ropivacaine and morphine; or group SSNB, saphenous and sciatic nerve blockade with ropivacaine. Routine stifle arthroscopy followed by TPLO surgery was performed. Sedation and pain scores were assessed at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours following extubation. Rescue analgesia was administered as prescribed by Glasgow composite pain score–short form score >5.ResultsSedation scores for MLK were higher than EPID and SSNB. Pain scores for SSNB were lower than those for EPID and MLK. No significant differences were found in anesthesia duration or surgery duration among groups. No dogs required rescue analgesia.Conclusions and clinical relevanceAlthough analgesia was adequate in all groups, the best combination of analgesia without increased sedation was recorded for SSNB.     

Environmental fate of mineral,vegetable and transesterified vegetable oils

Vegetable oils, synthetic esters (including transesterified oils) and mineral oils are the main classes of oil used in pesticide formulations. Biodegradation is a major route for the removal of oils from soil systems. Most of the oils used in pesticide formulations are degraded substantially in the laboratory tests that are used to assess aquatic biodegradability. The susceptibility of different oils to biodegradation can be explained in terms of the metabolic capacity of common microorganisms. Fewer soil biodegradability tests have been carried out with oils, but the available data suggest that the mode of degradation is not very different from that in aquatic systems. Supplements of inorganic nutrients (in particular nitrogen) are needed to stimulate microbial activity in soils containing the high concentrations of oil that can be encountered in the event of a spill. However, oils are applied at such low rates in pesticide form illations (maximum of 5g oil m^? soil) that nutrient availability is unlikely to affect the rate of biodegradation in the field.     

Isolates of Verticillium dahliae Pathogenic to Crucifers Are of at Least Three Distinct Molecular Types

ABSTRACT Diverse isolates of the soilborne wilt fungi Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum were studied to understand the nature and origins of those infecting cruciferous hosts. All isolates from cruciferous crops produced microsclerotia, and the majority produced long conidia with a high nuclear DNA content; these isolates were divided into two groups by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. One group could be subdivided by other criteria such as rRNA sequences and mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Two crucifer isolates were short spored and had a low nuclear DNA content. The results are consistent with the crucifer isolates being interspecific hybrids. The long-spored isolates are best regarded as amphihaploids (or allodiploids) with the AFLP groups probably each representing separate interspecific hybridization events. The short-spored crucifer isolates appear to be derived from interspecific hybrids and are here called 'secondary haploids'. Molecular evidence suggests that one parent in the crosses was similar to V. dahliae. The other parent of the amphihaploids seems to have been more similar to V. albo-atrum than to V. dahliae, but was distinct from all isolates of either species so far studied. The implications for the taxonomy of crucifer isolates are discussed and the use of the name V. longisporum, proposed elsewhere for just some of these isolates, is discouraged.     

The longevity of immunoglobulin preservation in canine skin utilizing Michel's fixative

Skin biopsy specimens from 7 dogs with immune-mediated skin diseases diagnosed by routine histology and 5 dogs with other skin diseases were placed in Michel's transport medium for 4 to 9 years. Direct immunofluorescence yielded positive results in tissue samples from 3 dogs with pemphigus foliaceus and 2 dogs with discoid lupus erythematosus. Direct immunofluorescence was not seen in tissue samples from 1 dog with pemphigus foliaceus and 5 dogs with non immune-mediated skin diseases. Direct immunofluorescence was seen in skin biopsy specimens maintained in Michel's medium for 4 to 8 years.