Incidence of phantom limb pain in cats following limb amputation
USER-ALT Marika Menchetti and others , University of Bologna
In human patients , limb amputation will often lead to neuropathic pain from the remaining stump , and a sensation of pain appearing to emanate from the amputated limb . Companion animals will sometimes undergo amputations as a result of trauma or bone malignancies , but there is little published research on phantom pain in non-human species . The authors questioned the owners of 27 amputee cats to assess their awareness of phantom limb pain in their pets . The majority of owners described some different manifestations of pain both before and after the limb was removed . In 12 cats that underwent tests on their nociceptive threshold , the results indicated an increased sensitivity to pressure stimuli .
Journal of Veterinary Behavior https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . jveb . 2022.01.002
Increased incidence of infected corneal ulcers in dogs exposed to wildfire smoke
USER-ALT Katrina Jones and others , Colorado State University , Fort Collins
Wildfires are becoming more common in many countries , as a consequence of global climate change . Smoke produced by these blazes is known to have negative effects on the respiratory health of people in the surrounding area , but there has been little research looking at the impact on domestic animals . The authors describe a study into the incidence of infected corneal ulcers in dogs in Colorado following the two largest wildfires in the state ’ s history , in 2020 . Their data suggest that there was a significant increase in the number of dogs presenting with ocular disease following the fire , compared with the 2 previous years when air quality was normal .
Veterinary Ophthalmology https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / vop . 12977
Volume 37 ( 5 ) • November 2022
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