Use of a surgical safety checklist in reducing peri- and postoperative complications

Megan Cray and others, University of Illinois, Urbana

Every UK National Health Service hospital trust is now required to implement a surgical safety checklist system to reduce the risk of surgical complications. The concept is becoming increasingly widely used in the veterinary field. The authors examined the impact of introducing checklists on the incidence of perioperative and postoperative complications, including infections, minor and major bleeds, postoperative gastrointestinal disturbances, etc. at a veterinary teaching hospital. In procedures involving 633 dogs and 44 cats, there was a 40.9% incidence of some form of complication during those procedures carried out without a surgical safety checklist and a 29.3% incidence in situations where it was used. Other factors which influenced the number of complications included the presence of a trained observer the use of the American Society of Anesthesiologists preoperative physical status score, and operation time. Since completing the study checklists have has become a permanent feature of working practices at the hospital.

Veterinary Surgery 47(8), 1052-1065

Owners’ perceptions of their dog’s quality of life following cancer radiotherapy

Ana Rita Serras and others, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket

Radiotherapy has been used to provide curative or palliative treatment for canine solid tumours for more than a century However treatment may cause both immediate and long-term adverse effects. The authors investigated the perceptions of owners on the impact of those complications on the dog's quality of life. A questionnaire completed by 91 owners showed that at six weeks following treatment, 92% of respondents were happy to have chosen this form of therapy for their pet and 88% would agree to having the same treatment for another animal.

Journal of Small Animal Practice Published On-line 7 January

Advances in the assessment of acute pain in cats

Paulo Steagall, Beatriz Monteiro, University of Montreal, Quebec

Our inability to accurately assess pain in cats is the main reason why historically the provision of analgesia in this species has been inadequate. But recent studies have validated the use of two established pain scoring systems, the UNESP-Botucatu and the Glasgow composite scales in this species, while the Feline Grimace Scale has been shown to be another useful tool. The authors review the uses and limitations of the current assessment methods and present a practical approach to feline pain recognition and assessment. They also point out further challenges to improving pain management in cats, notably the need for studies on the effects of disease and sedation on pain scores.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 21(1), 25-34

Effects of silver-coated urinary catheters on the incidence of urinary tract infections

Adam Ogilvie and others, University of Guelph, Ontario

Urinary catheterisation may be indicated for a number of medical conditions in veterinary patients but can significantly increase the risk of patients developing urinary tract infections. In human hospitals, the use of antibacterial silver coatings has shown some value in preventing catheter-associated bacteriuria. The authors investigated the effects of this approach on the incidence of infections in dogs requiring urinary catheterisation. Used in 36 dogs catheterised for more than 24 hours, the silver-coated silicon products provided no evidence of clinical benefits over standard devices.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253(10), 1289-1293

Comparison of the efficacy of diet and exercise in promoting weight loss in dogs

Mel Chapman and others, University of Liverpool

Canine obesity is usually managed through a combination of dietary calorie restriction and increased physical exercise but there has been no previous study on the relative contribution of those two strategies on the results. In a study featured on the BBC television programme ‘Trust me, I'm a vet', the authors compared the effects in 13 obese client-owned dogs of feeding a therapeutic weight-loss diet and increasing the amount of exercise undertaken by at least a third for eight weeks. The results demonstrate that dietary restriction is more effective than physical activity for managing obesity in dogs. While exercise had no significant impact on the dogs' weight, other studies may demonstrate additional health benefits from this approach.

The Veterinary Journal 243 (1), 65-73

Use of flavoured water to stimulate drinking behaviour in cats fed a dry kibble diet

Brian Zanghi and others, Nestle Purina Research, St Louis, Missouri

Cats that become chronically dehydrated may be at risk of developing lower urinary tract disease. Previous studied suggest that water consumption is relatively unchanged in cats after switching to a dry food diet which may result in the production of highly concentrated urine. The authors examined the effect of offering nutrient-enriched water, with or without added poultry flavouring, on cats receiving ad libitum tap water They found that liquid intake increased by up to 96% in the group given flavoured, nutrient enriched water and by up to 44% in those receiving the nutrient enriched water without flavouring. This increased fluid intake was also associated with greater output of more dilute urine.

American Journal of Veterinary Research 79(11), 1150—1159

A novel marker for acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease in cats

Hilla Chen and others, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Acute kidney injury is a cause of high mortality in cats, partly due to the lack of sensitive markers for early stage disease when the lesions are potentially reversible. Serum creatinine and urea, the conventional indicators of kidney function, are also insensitive indicators of chronic kidney disease. The authors investigated the use of a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker of kidney disease, urinary heat shock protein-72. Their results show that this protein was a sensitive and specific marker of acute kidney injury and its presence was also associated with a shorter survival time in cats with chronic kidney disease.

The Veterinary Journal 243 (1), 77-81

Owner satisfaction with the use of videoconferencing for recheck examinations after surgery

Greg Bishop and others, Coastal Animal Hospital, Encinitas, California

Telemedicine describes a range of activities in which medical information is exchanged from one site to another using electronic communications technologies. The concept is now widely used in human medicine and is now becoming more commonly applied in the veterinary field. The authors investigated the response of dog owners to video-conferencing as an alternative to in-clinic appointments for routine check-ups following neutering procedures. In a trial involving 30 clients, they found no difference in owner satisfaction between the video-conference and in-clinic appointment groups.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253(9), 1151-1157

Focal epilepsy with fear-related behaviour as a primary presentation in Boerboel dogs

< p>Quirine Stassen and others, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

In about 15% of human patients with focal epilepsy the abnormal and excessive neuronal discharges in specific brain areas can result in behavioural signs of fear and anxiety There is some evidence of similar behavioural changes in the veterinary literature associated with canine seizures. The authors report a newly recognised form of juvenile onset focal epilepsy with fear-related behaviour as the most prominent sign in the Boerboel, or South African mastiff breed. Pedigree analysis suggested that the condition was inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Veterinary staff are encouraged to include focal epilepsy among the possible explanations for sudden episodes of unusual behaviour

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine Published online December 22

Laparoscopic ovariectomy in dogs in late gestation

Kaustubh Dongaonkar and others, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, India

Laparoscopic ovariectomy offers advantages over traditional open surgical methods in projects for managing stray dog populations in developing countries. However in cases where bitches are found to be pregnant, either traditional ovariohysterectomy is generally used, or the surgery is deferred. The authors investigated the effectiveness of laparoscopic ovariectomy in combination with an intragestational sac injection of potassium chloride for bitches in late gestation. Their findings show that foetal death was not immediate and followed the drop in serum progesterone levels which occurred around 24 hours after ovariectomy

BMC Vetererinary Research 15:19 Open Access

Survival rates of birds taken into wildlife centres following cat attacks

Philip Baker and others, University of Reading

Cats will often catch birds and bring them back to their owners still alive, which raises concerns about the victim's ability to survive being returned to the wild. The authors investigated the records of 3,597 birds taken to RSPCA welfare centres in the UK following cat attacks. The mortality rate for birds that were euthanased or died either in transit or shortly after arrival was 78%. A further 62% of the surviving birds died following admission for veterinary treatment. On average, those birds that died following admission survived for three days. Extrapolating from this data, the authors suggest that a minimum of 0.3 million birds released annually by UK cat owners will subsequently die and suggest that the emphasis should be on preventing cats taking birds by fitting bells, etc.

Animal Welfare 27(4), 305-318

Protective role of vulture skin and gut microbiome as an adaptation to scavenging

Marie Mendoza and others, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Vultures have a remarkable ability to feed on carcasses containing microorganisms that would be highly pathogenic to other animals, such as the bacteria responsible for anthrax, tuberculosis and brucellosis. It is considered likely that these birds have genetic adaptations that protect against those pathogens. The authors conducted genetic analyses of facial skin tissue and of the intestinal biome of two vulture species. They report finding genes responsible for producing antiparasitic and insecticidal agents on the facial skin and of anti-listerial bacteria in the gut. They also found phages (viral agents that destroy bacteria) which they suggest are active in the control and elimination of bacteria that are pathogenic in other vertebrate species.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 60:61 Open Access

Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 34 • April 2019