Honey helps with pain and healing

Hello Summarians!

I hope that you are enjoying the newsletter and that they are helping with the overload of info that we face daily.

Please give me feedback on ways I can make it more useful to you.

If it is valuable to you please consider sending it on to a friend 😄 

Medical grade honey in cats

Dental diseases are a major issue in domestic cats, with a prevalence of 70% in adult cats, leading to discomfort and pain, and sometimes requiring tooth extraction. Medical-grade honey (MGH) can promote wound healing and alleviate pain and discomfort associated with surgical trauma. Previous studies in rabbits, rats, and humans have shown positive effects of MGH in post-extraction sockets. This study investigated the effects of intra-socket application of MGH in cats after tooth extraction and found that MGH treatment significantly reduced redness and improved flap viability and wound healing on days 3 and 7 postoperatively. No adverse effects were observed. MGH represents a valuable aid in treating wounds caused by tooth extraction in cats and can be recommended for application in cats and possibly other species. Further research is required to investigate the underlying mechanisms and to validate the findings in larger, multicenter studies. 

Pleeging CC, de Rooster H, Van Wijk B, Wagener FA, Cremers NA. Intra-socket application of medical-grade honey after tooth extraction attenuates inflammation and promotes healing in cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2022 Dec;24(12):e618-e627. doi: 10.1177/1098612X221125772. Epub 2022 Oct 31. PMID: 36315457; PMCID: PMC9743079. 

Bottom line — Helps with healing and pain

Prophylactic omeprazole for dogs

The study aims to investigate the effects of prophylactic omeprazole administration on the development of clinical gastrointestinal (GI) signs during the postoperative period in dogs treated surgically for acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (TL-IVDE). The study found that short-term prophylactic omeprazole administration was not associated with a lower frequency of GI signs compared to placebo in dogs with TL-IVDE. The study concluded that although short-term prophylactic omeprazole administration appears unnecessary for most dogs with TL-IVDE, it is limited to dogs that do not have additional risk factors for GI bleeding. The study is important in understanding the development of GI complications and guiding the appropriate use of prophylactic PPIs in dogs undergoing surgery for TL-IVDE. 

Mehra, JM, Tolbert, MK, Guadiano, P, Steiner, JM, Moore, GE, Lewis, MJ. Double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial of prophylactic omeprazole in dogs treated surgically for acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion. J Vet Intern Med. 2023; 1- 12. doi:10.1111/jvim.16642 

Bottom line — We may want to reconsider omeprazole use.

Hemorrhage in sighthounds

Delayed postoperative hemorrhage (DEPOH) is a health problem in sighthound dog breeds, including Scottish deerhounds and racing greyhounds. Research has shown that DEPOH is caused by reduced alpha-2 antiplasmin activity, which leads to hyperfibrinolysis and premature clot dissolution. Administration of antifibrinolytic drugs, such as epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA), has been shown to be effective in preventing DEPOH. A study was conducted to explore whether genetic variation influences the susceptibility to DEPOH in Scottish deerhounds. Genome-wide association analysis identified a strong association for multiple variants located in a single region on chromosome 9 containing 40 candidate genes, including SERPINF2, which encodes alpha-2 antiplasmin. The study suggests that SERPINF2 heterozygous (C/T), as well as homozygous variant (T/T), dogs could benefit from administration of an antifibrinolytic drug before surgery to prevent DEPOH. The study has some limitations, but genetic testing has the potential to identify dogs that are susceptible to DEPOH. 

Court, MH, Kiser, JN, Neibergs, HL, Zhu, Z, Dillberger, JE. Identification by whole genome sequencing of genes associated with delayed postoperative hemorrhage in Scottish deerhounds. J Vet Intern Med. 2023; 1- 8. doi:10.1111/jvim.16643 

Bottom line — Genetic testing could soon help with this issue

Just putting things in perspective …