New Zeal Vet J
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Eight feline patients with fractures of the femur, tibia or humerus were presented non-weight-bearing, with varying degrees of soft tissue and concurrent injury. Five fractures were comminuted, two were open fractures and there was one malunion. ⋯ The resin-acrylic ESF/tied-in IM pin construct was versatile and lightweight and allowed even highly comminuted non-load-sharing fracture configurations to be stabilised successfully using a biological strategy. Failure of the pin/acrylic interface did not occur and the frames provided sufficient strength as evidenced by healing without failure of the bar in these cases. A resin-acrylic ESF construct is inexpensive and affords the occasional orthopaedist the means to provide rotational stability when IM pinning has been used as the primary mode of fracture repair for short-oblique and transverse fractures. An extensive and costly clamp/bar inventory is not required, and there is greater flexibility for the orientation and placement of fixation pins than allowed by traditional linear bar systems.
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To investigate the attitudes of veterinary practitioners in New Zealand to pain and analgesia, and their use of analgesic drugs, in dogs and cats. ⋯ The establishment of current attitudes and practices indicates to practising veterinarians how their own use of analgesics compares with that of their colleagues. It also provides information to educators on potential areas of focus, given that 42% of respondents felt their knowledge in the area of assessment and treatment of pain was inadequate.
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Dr Jackson's concerns about citing non-peer-reviewed studies in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal (NZVJ) are shared by the editors and Editorial Board and have provoked considerable discussion about our policy and practice in this regard. Independent peer review remains a central part of the quality control process applied to the publication of scientific literature and is embraced by the NZVJ. All papers published in the NZVJ are scrutinised by the editors and Editorial Board, and those considered suitable are sent to two or three expert referees. ⋯ There are many benefits of publishing in quality peer-reviewed journals such as the NZVJ, not least of which is the almost inevitable improvement in the quality and rigour of manuscripts after peer-review and the greatly increased opportunity for recognition and citation of peer-reviewed studies by others. Peer-reviewed journals remain the most widely accepted and established medium for communication and preservation of high-quality science. Authors and industry sectors that choose not to publish in peer-reviewed journals arguably limit the recognition and true progress of their science.
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This paper reviews published data on welfare aspects of stag restraint and velvet antler removal, and prevention of antler growth. Several studies of physical restraint and handling demonstrate behavioural and physiological changes both during and after velvet antler removal. Interpretations vary as to whether the act of velvet antler removal imposes a welfare cost additional to that of handling and restraint alone. ⋯ Post-operative sequelae are uncommon, but include clostridial infection. Antler growth in most stags can be prevented by rubber-band application to the growing pedicle, although behavioural changes after ring application suggest this practice may be painful. The procedures used for velvet antler removal, and whether practices are acceptable on the balance of welfare costs and benefits, should be reviewed on an ongoing basis as science, using an increasing range of techniques and measures, provides more data about the welfare implications of this practice.
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There is a legal requirement to provide analgesia for velvet antler removal in New Zealand. Currently, this is achieved using local anaesthetic blockade, with or without systemically administered sedative/analgesic agents, or by compression in 1-year-old stags. Lignocaine hydrochloride 2% is most commonly used and is most effective when administered as a high-dose ring block. ⋯ Thus, local anaesthetic blockade is still indicated, though the potential for drug or drug-metabolite residues in velvet antler remains a concern. The need for and effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for post-operative analgesia requires investigation. Amitriptyline, locally administered opioid agonists, tramadol and other systemically administered agents may warrant future investigation for surgical and post-operative analgesia for velvet antler removal.