For evaluation of the combination of medetomidine and butorphanol as a preanesthetic medication, 137 dogs were premedicated with an intravenous injection of 0.005 mg/kg medetomidine with 0 (n=29), 0.0125 (n=25), 0.025 (n=26), 0.05 (n=30), or 0.1 (n=27) mg/kg butorphanol. In all dogs, anesthesia was induced by an intravenous injection of 5.0 mg/kg ketamine, followed by intratracheal intubation and inhalation anesthesia with nitrous oxide-oxygen-sevoflurane. The adequate sedative effect and muscular relaxation were induced in all dogs. The sedative effect of medetomidine was enhanced by the combination with butorphanol. In all dogs, bradycardia was observed immediately after premedication. No vomiting was observed in dogs premedicated with the combination of medetomidine and butorphanol, while 4 of 29 (13.8%) dogs premedicated with medetomidine alone vomited after premedication. Respiratory depression was notable after intubation, particularly in dogs premedicated with the combinations of 0.005 mg/kg medetomidine and 0.05 or 0.1 mg/kg butorphanol. The end-expiratory concentration of sevoflurane during surgery was not reduced by butorphanol. Mean arterial blood pressure was maintained around 100 mmHg in all dogs, although heart rate was decreased dose dependently by butorphanol after intubation. The combination of medetomidine and butorphanol was useful to enhance the sedative effect of medetomidine and to prevent vomiting induced by medetomidine. The combination of 0.005mg/kg medetomidine and 0.025 mg/kg butorphanol is adequate as an intravenous preanesthetic medication.

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Phacoemulsification (PEA) was applied in two canine cases suffering from juvenile cataract of both eyes. Case 1 was one-year-old, female, mongrel dog with complaints of cataract and its related visual disturbance. Case 2 was 7 month-old, male, American cocker spaniel with the same complaints as in the case 1. In case 1, lenses of both eyes were removed with PEA. The prognosis was good. In case 2, lenses of the both eyes were also removed by the method of PEA, and an intraocular lens was implanted in the left eye. However, severe uveitis and ocular hypertension were found in the lens-implanted eye after the cataract surgery. Surgical treatment with filtering procedures and iridectomy were carried out, since intraocular pressure could not be regulated by the medical therapy. The case was also treated with steroids to control uveitis, though corneal opacity was not entirely restored. Careful manegements including surgical proceudures were needed on the cataract surgery.

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An 8-year-old male Shetland sheepdog (11.5 kg) was referred to the Hokkaido University Veterinary Teaching Hospital 28 days after the initial repair of metatarsal fractures with bone plating and wiring. But fractures developed an infectious atrophic nonunion 125 days after the referral. Plate fixation and rhBMP-2 implantation were done in an attempt to correct this condition. rhBMP-2 was implanted with a PGS carrier, which was synthetic polymer and gelatin sponge complex. Metatarsal ossifications were radiographically present by 25 days, and all fractures revealed healing 63 days after the implantation of rhBMP-2. rhBMP-2 may be useful to promote and accelerate bone ossification for nonunion fractures in dogs.

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