An 8.5 year-old neutered Pomeranian female dog presented with non-ambulatory tetraparesis underwent computed tomography that revealed calcified disk extrusions at C3-C4, C4-C5 and C5-C6 intervertebral spaces, causing severe extradural compressions. A triple ventral slot decompression surgery was performed. The dog regained ambulation after surgery with only mild deficits remaining.

OBJECTIVE To report 2 dogs that developed temporary pelvic limb paralysis with loss of deep pain sensation after topical intrathecal morphine administration during spinal surgery. STUDY DESIGN Clinical report. ANIMALS Dogs (n = 2). METHODS A 5-year-old castrated male French Bulldog with a subarachnoid diverticulum at T9-T10 and a 9.5-year-old castrated male Belgian Shepherd dog with a herniated disc at T12-T13 and intradural component, had Gelfoam soaked with morphine placed over the dura mater defect. RESULTS Pelvic limb paralysis and loss of deep pain sensation was noticed immediately after recovery from anesthesia. After intravenous naloxone administration, both dogs immediately regained ambulation and normal pain sensation; however the effect was temporary lasting only a few hours. Permanent resolution of clinical signs occurred 24 hours after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Topical intrathecal morphine administration resulted in temporary pelvic limb paralysis and loss of deep pain sensation. This route of administration should be used cautiously until further determination of the efficacy and adverse effects associated with topical intrathecal morphine administration.

Providing a pre-operative prognosis for dogs presented with absent deep pain perception (DPP) is extremely challenging, as the overall recovery rates widely vary. This study assesses the possible correlation between the severity of spinal cord injury and CSF cytology in 31 paraplegic dogs presented with absent DPP due to acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation (TL-IVDH). All dogs underwent surgical decompression immediately following diagnosis. CSF TNCC, macrophage percentage and macrophage to monocyte (M Phi:M) ratio were significantly higher in dogs that failed to regain DPP within 10 days post-operatively and in dogs that failed to regain ambulation at the end of the study period (P <0.05). M Phi:M of 0.73 and higher corresponded to a sensitivity of 54% and specificity of 100% for prediction of a negative long-term outcome. CSF TNCC, macrophage percentage and M Phi:M ratio effectively predicted regaining DPP and the long-term outcome in dogs that lost DPP due to acute TL-IVDH. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Two wild adult Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) were captured and admitted to the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with various neurologic signs, including alerted mentation, head tilt, and pathologic nystagmus. The lesion in the central nervous system was localized to the forebrain in one ibex and to the cerebellum of the other. Both ibex's were diagnosed with brain cyst using computed tomography (CT). Craniectomy was performed to remove the cysts, and both animals returned to their natural environment after a rehabilitation period. Parasitologic examination revealed cysts of Taenia multiceps coenurus. This is the first report to describe the neurologic signs, CT findings, surgical procedure, and follow-up postsurgery information in wild Capra nubiana.

Beta-lactam antimicrobials, commonly used in both veterinary and human medicine, generally present short biologic half-lives, whereas their activity is enhanced as pathogen exposure is prolonged. These properties necessitate multiple-dose regimens of standard dosage forms, thereby hampering pet owner adherence, frequently resulting in therapeutic failure. This study presents a novel controlled-release gastroretentive oral drug delivery system for beta-lactams with which single-dose administration provides an effective antimicrobial course, optimizing pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles, minimizing adverse effects and emergence of antimicrobial resistance and facilitating adherence. Our prototype sustained-delivery swelling-tablet (SDST), based on a degradable hydrophilic polymeric matrix, was designed to enable continuous input of these drugs to their absorption sites over several days. Several SDST formulations of the beta-lactam amoxicillin were evaluated in in vitro dissolution studies. Two formulations were selected for further in vivo canine studies, for determination of gastric retention and PK-PD profiling. Prolonged gastric retention times maintaining allowed for maintained effective drug concentrations against many clinically relevant pathogens for more than 48 h for one formulation and more than 5 days for the other. Both SDST formulations offer significant advantages over standard immediate-release therapy in achieving PK-PD goals and enhancing adherence. The prototypical formulations represent a novel platform which may be modified to meet various clinical requirements.