A case report of a cementless total hip replacement performed in a pelvic limb amputee after a failed surgical reduction of a traumatic coxo-femoral luxation with a toggle rod

Coxo-femoral luxation is the most common luxation seen in dogs after road traffic accidents. There are multiple surgical techniques to repair the luxation. These range from a capsular reconstruction to a total hip replacement. This case report describes a total hip replacement to repair a failed toggle rod repair of a coxo-femoral luxation in a Greyhound pelvic limb amputee. The dog returned to normal activity as a household pet three months post-surgery and at the last follow-up consultation at 12 months post-surgery the dog was able to maintain an acceptable activity level as an amputee with no radiographic signs of complications.

Titanium mesh reconstruction of a dog’s cranium after multilobular osteochondrosarcoma resection

An eleven-year-old cavalier King Charles spaniel was presented with a large mass arising from the sagittal crest of the skull. Computed tomography also revealed an intracranial component. A histological diagnosis of multilobular osteochondrosarcoma grade 1 was made from surgical biopsies. Since this tumor type has a moderate aggressive biological behavior characterized by a slow growth, compression of adjacent structures, and only a 30% metastatic rate, surgical resection was performed. A wide partial craniectomy was performed, the skull defect was reconstructed with a designated custom designed titanium mesh and the skin defect closed with a local subdermal plexus flap technique. Histologic evaluation indicated clean surgical margins, which may lead to a long-term survival in this low-grade tumor. Approximately seventeen months after surgical resection, the dog showed no signs of local tumor recurrence or metastasis.

Negative pressure wound therapy: the past and the future

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) involves the application of negative pressure on a wound bed for its positive effects on wound healing. Indications for NPWT concern various types of wounds, skin grafts and flaps, partial-thickness burns, open abdomen management and closed incisions. Negative pressure wound therapy has been used for centuries in human medicine. Its first use dates back to the Roman era (around 27 BCE) when human generated pressures were used. Later, European and Russian physicians developed various advanced methods and systems to apply negative pressure on wounds or other injuries. The on-going positive findings in human medicine triggered researchers in veterinary medicine to apply this technique on animal patients. However, much still has to be investigated regarding NPWT, especially in veterinary medicine, as there are many factors playing a role in the mechanisms of this treatment. New methods and techniques are continuously being developed and the existing studies show great potential for NPWT.

Chirurgische behandeling van een sublinguale sialocoele (ranula) bij een kat

In deze casuïstiek wordt een zeven jaar oude, mannelijke, gecastreerde, Europese korthaar met een ranula beschreven. De patiënt werd aangeboden vanwege een sublinguale zwelling aan de rechterkant die chirurgisch werd behandeld door middel van marsupialisatie en excisie van de mandibulaire en sublinguale speekselklieren. Histopathologisch onderzoek van de verwijderde weefsels bevestigde de diagnose van een ranula en toonde de onopzettelijke resectie van de rechter submandibulaire lymfeknopen. Vijf maanden na de ingreep werden er geen complicaties of recidieven vastgesteld.

Feminization and severe pancytopenia caused by testicular neoplasia in a cryptorchid dog

In this case report, a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by testicular neoplasia in a ten-year-old cryptorchid dog is described. Feminization and pancytopenia were observed, resulting from the testicular neoplastic production of estrogens. A diagnosis of testicular tumor and associated bone marrow suppression was made by ultrasonography and blood examination, with estrogen blood levels being severely elevated. Urinalysis revealed a urinary tract infection. Castration was performed together with a blood transfusion, and antibiotic treatment was started. After an initial improvement, the dog died suddenly after approximately three weeks. In this report, the importance is highlighted of identifying clinical signs associated with feminization in intact male dogs at an early stage, to avoid severe, potentially irreversible, hematological consequences due to bone marrow suppression. Elective orchidectomy of both testes is highly recommended in cryptorchid dogs as neoplastic transformation of the undescended testis may occur, with potentially fatal outcome.

Orofaryngeaal stoktrauma bij de hond

Tijdens het spelen met stokken kan een orofaryngeale perforatie ontstaan. Acute klachten zijn pijn, bloedverlies uit de mond, dysfagie of zelfs ademhalingsklachten. Chirurgische exploratie van de halsstreek is noodzakelijk om de perforatiegang te spoelen en eventueel aanwezige contaminanten (houtfragmenten, gras, zand) te verwijderen. Tenzij de oesofagus in het proces betrokken is (15-50% mortaliteit), is de prognose na stoktrauma gunstig. De kans op het ontwikkelen van een fistel bedraagt 1%. Wanneer het initiële trauma echter niet wordt herkend of behandeld, ontstaat een chronische presentatie (> 7 dagen oud) die wordt getypeerd door abcesvorming of drainerende fistelgangen. Medische beeldvorming is dan aangewezen om de locatie van de achtergebleven, migrerende houtfragmenten te bepalen. Ondanks uitgebreide chirurgische exploratie treden bij een derde van deze honden recurrente symptomen op.