Align-ju SCIENCE SHORTS
Effects of swimming therapy on the recovery of dogs after hip surgery
USER-ALT Pongsatorn Tuchpramuk and others, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Exercising orthopaedic surgery patients in a swimming pool can help build up muscle strength and endurance while minimising both pain and the physical load on the affected limb. While hydrotherapy is thought to be useful in patients recovering from femoral head and neck excision( FHNE) procedures, there is limited objective information on its effects on hindlimb function. The authors assessed the progress of dogs following FHNE surgery using ground reaction force measurements. Their findings show that dogs undergoing hydrotherapy as part of their postoperative care had a faster functional recovery time than other dogs receiving physiotherapy without swimming. Their treated limb achieved functional equivalence with that of the contralateral limb in 3 months, compared with 5 months for dogs in the non-swimming group.
American Journal of Veterinary Research https:// doi. org / 10.2460 / ajvr. 25.04.0139
Reducing patient-inflicted injuries to veterinary staff in general practice
USER-ALT Ellen Everett and others, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
Veterinary staff are at a much higher risk of occupational injuries than those working in the human medical field. Bites and scratches from patients are particularly common, and often only the more severe injuries are reported. The authors investigated the relationship between patient-handling techniques and the incidence of workplace injuries, together with the response from the clinic ' s management to such events. From 113 responses, they found that injuries occurred at a rate of at least one a day in a few practices, but in most clinics these would occur only every month or even less frequently. Those practices that provided training in stress-reducing animal care had significantly fewer incidents of injuries to staff. The study offers useful information for veterinary employers interested in making their clinics a safer environment for their staff.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https:// doi. org / 10.2460 / javma. 25.05.0325
Management of dog-on-dog bite wounds without antibiotics
USER-ALT Marianne Peters and others, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
Dog bite wounds are likely to be contaminated with a range of different bacterial species and so treatment will often begin with empirical use of prophylactic antibiotics. However, to control the spread of drug-resistant bacterial strains, veterinary staff are encouraged to avoid unnecessary use of these agents. The authors describe a study looking at two alternatives to antimicrobials for treating contaminated bite wounds, polyhexanide and hypochlorous acid. They found that using hypochlorous acid to lavage the wound produced faster decontamination effects and required a shorter soaking time. However, despite the positive effects of these antiseptic agents, they state that prophylactic antibiotics should still be used in the management of severe bite wounds. Clinicians may be able to avoid routine use of antibiotics when dealing with lower-grade injuries.
The Veterinary Journal https:// doi. org / 10.1016 / j. tvjl. 2025.106505
Volume 41( 2) • April 2026
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