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Intranasal administration of atomised dexmedetomidine to sedate healthy dogs

USER-ALT Majid Jafarbeglou and others , Shiraz University , Iran

Intranasal administration provides a non-invasive method of drug delivery and , when using lipophilic compounds , the agent can rapidly enter the cerebrospinal fluid , bypassing the blood – brain barrier . The authors used an intranasal atomiser device to administer three different sedative formulations to healthy dogs . These were dexmedetomidine alone , and in combination with midazolam or ketamine . They found that the dexmedetomidine-only group showed fewer signs of adverse responses , while the dexmedetomidine / ketamine combination produced more profound sedative effects . The combination of dexmedetomidine with midazolam is not recommended for dogs as it caused paradoxical excitement , unpredictable sedation and nasal irritation .

The Veterinary Journal https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . tvjl . 2024.106224

Comparison of two analgesic agents for controlling postoperative joint pain in dogs

USER-ALT Anaelle Cassemiche and others , Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d ' Alfort , Maisons-Alfort , France

Grapiprant is a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ( NSAID ) that has been approved for use in osteoarthritic pain control in Europe and the USA . It has a unique mechanism of action that does not interfere with the homeostatic functions of prostaglandins and it is believed to have a higher margin of safety than traditional NSAIDs . The authors assessed the efficacy of this drug in comparison with meloxicam for controlling postoperative joint pain in dogs following surgery for unilateral cruciate ligament rupture . Three days after surgery , the grapipranttreated dogs had lower pain severity and pain interference scores compared with the dogs given meloxicam . Reported adverse effects were mostly of gastrointestinal origin , such as vomiting , diarrhoea and anorexia , and occurred at a similar frequency in the two groups .

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / jvim . 17136

Use of a thiol detection test to assess tooth-brushing efficacy in dogs

USER-ALT Karolina Brunius Enlund and others , Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , Uppsala , Sweden

More than 80 % of dogs over 3 years old show evidence of periodontal disease . Owners who regularly brush their pet ' s teeth may be able to reverse the gingivitis , which is the early stage of this disease process . The authors investigated the use of a test for thiol , a sulphur-based compound that has been shown to correlate with the degree of periodontal disease , as an indicator of the efficacy of tooth-brushing efforts . They brushed the teeth of 22 beagles every day for 2 weeks . After 7 days there was an improvement in the dogs ' oral health , with decreased thiol and improvements in their gingival and plaque indices . After a further 2 weeks without tooth-brushing , these measures had returned to baseline . The study showed that the thiol test can be a good indicator of tooth-brushing efficacy .

Journal of Veterinary Dentistry https :// doi . org / 10.1177 / 08987564231179898

14 Veterinary Nursing Journal