Lars Moe

Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the pain-relieving effects of the implantation of gold beads into dogs with hip dysplasia

Seventy-eight dogs with pain due to hip dysplasia were studied in a controlled, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate gold bead implantation as a pain-relieving treatment. The dogs were randomly assigned to two groups, 36 in the gold implantation group and 42 in the placebo group. Both groups were treated equally regarding anaesthesia, hair clipping and penetration of the skin with the same type of needle. The gold implantation group had small pieces of 24 carat gold inserted through needles at five different acupuncture points and the placebo group had the skin penetrated at five non-acupuncture points so as to avoid any possible effect of stimulating the acupuncture points. A certified veterinary acupuncturist marked the points, and two surgeons performed the implantations according to a randomisation code made in advance. After 14 days, three months and six months, the owners assessed the overall effect of the treatments by answering a questionnaire, and the same veterinarian examined each dog and evaluated its degree of lameness by examining videotaped footage of it walking and trotting. The treatment was blinded for both the owners and the veterinarian. There were significantly greater improvements in mobility and greater reductions in the signs of pain in the dogs treated with gold implantation than in the placebo group. The veterinarian’s and the owners’ assessments corresponded well.

Two years follow-up study of the pain-relieving effect of gold bead implantation in dogs with hip-joint arthritis.

Seventy-eight dogs with pain from hip dysplasia participated in a six-month placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial of gold bead implantation. In the present, non-blinded study, 73 of these dogs were followed for an additional 18 months to evaluate the long-term pain-relieving effect of gold bead implantation. The recently-published results of the six month period revealed that 30 of the 36 dogs (83%) in the gold implantation group showed significant improvement (p = 0.02), included improved mobility and reduction in the signs of pain, compared to the placebo group (60% improvement).In the long-term two-year follow-up study, 66 of the 73 dogs had gold implantation and seven dogs continued as a control group. The 32 dogs in the original placebo group had gold beads implanted and were followed for a further 18 months. A certified veterinary acupuncturist used the same procedure to insert the gold beads as in the blinded study, and the owners completed the same type of detailed questionnaires. As in the blinded study, one investigator was responsible for all the assessments of each dog. The present study revealed that the pain-relieving effect of gold bead implantation observed in the blinded study continued throughout the two-year follow-up period.

A population-based case-control study of canine mammary tumours and clinical use of medroxyprogesterone acetate

We investigated whether or not an association could be found between mammary tumours and prior clinical use of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in bitches. A population‐based retrospective agematched case‐control study was designed based on interviews with the owners of the bitches. The proportion of bitches with diagnosed mammary tumours (group MT+, n = 98) that had received progestin injections was compared with the proportion in a control group without mammary tumours (group MT‐, n=98). In the case group 39%, and in the control group 21% of the bitches had been treated with MPA. A significantly higher number of bitches with mammary tumours had been exposed to progestins, compared with the control group without mammary tumours (odds ratio = 2.32, Chisquare=7.01, p=0.008). Bitches treated clinically with low doses of MPA to avoid oestrus were at a greater risk of developing mammary tumours, the majority of which were histologically malignant (91%).

Canine neonatal mortality in four large breeds

The high mortality in canine neonates are related to many factors, including prolonged labour, maternal neglect or carelessness, lack of milk, plus congenital abnormalities and acquired disorders in the neonate [1,3-5]. The immature status of the newborn puppies makes them vulnerable and totally depending on intensive care from the dam. The puppies are highly susceptible to hypothermia, due to poorly developed thermoregulatory mechanisms. They cannot induce peripheral vasoconstriction or react to low temperature by shivering. The energy requirement is high, but the energy reserves are low and the immature liver is inefficient in generating energy. This makes the neonate predisposed to hypoglycaemia. Due to immature kidney function there is an increased risk of dehydration. The neonates have a high percentage of body water (82%) compared to adults and have a greater loss of water through their lungs and skin due to a large surface to volume ratio, which further increase the risk of dehydration [7-9].

Stratification, Blinding and Placebo Effect in a Randomized, Double Blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of Gold Bead Implantation in Dogs with Hip Dysplasia

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the need for and choice of stratification factors, and the effects of blinding and placebo in a clinical experiment. Eighty dogs with canine hip dysplasia (CHD) were included in a randomized, placebo-controlled and double blind clinical trial with stratified parallel group design, in which body weight and degree of CHD were used as stratification factors. Thirty-eight dogs were allocated to gold bead implantation and 42 to placebo. After six months, 33 of the 42 placebo-treated dogs received gold bead implantation in an open study lasting a further 18 months. The main outcome variable in the study was change in pain signs of CHD as assessed by the owner. No significant difference in the main outcome variable, regardless of the treatment given, could be detected in the two chosen stratification factors. The only factor to influence the main outcome variable significantly was age. The blinding procedure used in the study, in which 60% of the owners correctly guessed the treatment given, was found sufficient. Of those who guessed the treatment erroneously, 88% believed the treatment given was gold bead implantation. The treatment efficacy after six months in the blinded treatment group was found to be significantly larger compared to the efficacy obtained in the open study. A significant placebo effect was therefore detected. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance: The age of the dogs influenced the outcome of the CHD treatment, and is recommended as a stratification factor. A significant placebo effect has to be expected and an optimal blinding procedure is necessary in similar clinical studies.SammanfattningStratifisering, blinding og placeboeffekt i en randomisert, dobbeltblind og placebokontrollert klinisk undersøkelse av gullimplantasjon hos hunder med hofteleddsdysplasi. Hensikten med studien var å undersøke behovet for og valget av stratifiseringsfaktorer, og effekten av blinding og placebobehandling. Åtti hunder med hofteleddsdysplasi (HD) ble inkludert i en randomisert, placebokontrollert og dobbeltblind klinisk undersøkelse med stratifisert parallellgruppedesign. Kroppsvekt og graden av HD ble valgt som stratifi-seringsfaktorer. Trettiåtte hunder ble trukket til en engangs gullimplantasjonsbehandling og 42 hunder ble trukket til placebobehandling. Etter seks måneder (blindstudien) fikk 33 av de 42 placebobehandlede hundene gullimplantasjon i en åpen undersøkelse som varte i ytterliggere 18 måneder. Behandlingseffekten var den viktigste effektparameteren. Den ble vurdert av eieren som endring i smertesymptomer fra hofteleddsdysplasien. Ingen signifikant forskjell i behandlingseffekt uavhengig av behandling ble funnet med de to valgte stratifiseringsfaktorene. Alder var den eneste faktoren som signifikant influerte på behandlingseffekten. Seksti prosent av hundeeierne gjettet korrekt på hvilken type behandling de trodde hunden deres hadde fått. Blindingsprosedyren ble derfor ansett som tilstrekkelig. Blant eierne som gjettet feil trodde 88% at hundene hadde fått gull implantert. Behandlingseffekten i blindstudien var signifikant bedre enn effekten i den åpne studien. En signifikant placeboeffekt ble funnet. Konklusjon og klinisk relevans: Alderen til hundene påvirket utfallet av behandlingen, og er derfor anbefalt som stratifiseringsfaktor. En signifikant placeboeffekt må forventes, og en optimal blindingsprosedyre er derfor nødvendig.

Breed differences in the proportional morbidity of testicular tumours and distribution of histopathologic types in a population‐based canine cancer registry

Histologically verified tumours submitted to the Norwegian Canine Cancer Register from 1990 to 1998 were studied (n=14,401). The proportion of testicular tumours (n=345) was 2.4%, and the breakdown of histological tumour diagnoses is presented. The frequency of the most common histopathological types was 33% interstitial (Leydig), 26.4% Sertoli and 33.9% seminomas/germ cell tumours. The average age at diagnosis was 10 years, but was significantly lower for Sertoli cell tumours (8.6 years) than for the other tumour types. Following a histopathological re-evaluation, 22.5% of the original tumor diagnoses were modified. Proportional morbidity ratios were calculated and individuals from the breeds Shetland sheepdog and Collie were five times more likely to have testicular tumours than the overall average for the registry. Breed differences in the distribution of histopathologic types were observed. Shetland sheepdog and Collie were most commonly diagnosed with Sertoli cell tumours, while all tumours from Norwegian elkhound in this material were seminomas.

A Gly98Val Mutation in the N-Myc Downstream Regulated Gene 1 (NDRG1) in Alaskan Malamutes with Polyneuropathy

The first cases of early-onset progressive polyneuropathy appeared in the Alaskan Malamute population in Norway in the late 1970s. Affected dogs were of both sexes and were ambulatory paraparetic, progressing to non-ambulatory tetraparesis. On neurologic examination, affected dogs displayed predominantly laryngeal paresis, decreased postural reactions, decreased spinal reflexes and muscle atrophy. The disease was considered eradicated through breeding programmes but recently new cases have occurred in the Nordic countries and the USA. The N-myc downstream-regulated gene (NDRG1) is implicated in neuropathies with comparable symptoms or clinical signs both in humans and in Greyhound dogs. This gene was therefore considered a candidate gene for the polyneuropathy in Alaskan Malamutes. The coding sequence of the NDRG1 gene derived from one healthy and one affected Alaskan Malamute revealed a non-synonymous G>T mutation in exon 4 in the affected dog that causes a Gly98Val amino acid substitution. This substitution was categorized to be “probably damaging” to the protein function by PolyPhen2 (score: 1.000). Subsequently, 102 Alaskan Malamutes from the Nordic countries and the USA known to be either affected (n = 22), obligate carriers (n = 7) or healthy (n = 73) were genotyped for the SNP using TaqMan. All affected dogs had the T/T genotype, the obligate carriers had the G/T genotype and the healthy dogs had the G/G genotype except for 13 who had the G/T genotype. A protein alignment showed that residue 98 is conserved in mammals and also that the entire NDRG1 protein is highly conserved (94.7%) in mammals. We conclude that the G>T substitution is most likely the mutation that causes polyneuropathy in Alaskan Malamutes. Our characterization of a novel candidate causative mutation for polyneuropathy offers a new canine model that can provide further insight into pathobiology and therapy of human polyneuropathy. Furthermore, selection against this mutation can now be used to eliminate the disease in Alaskan Malamutes.

A diet change from dry food to beef induces reversible changes on the faecal microbiota in healthy, adult client-owned dogs

BackgroundDiet has a major influence on the composition of the gut microbiota, whose importance for gut health and overall well-being is increasingly recognized. Knowledge is limited regarding health implications, including effects on the faecal microbiota, of feeding a diet with high content of red meat to dogs, despite some owners’ apparent preference to do so. The aim of this study was to evaluate how a diet change from commercial dry food to one with a high content of boiled minced beef and vice versa influenced the faecal microbiota, and short chain fatty acid profile in healthy, adult, client-owned dogs.ResultsThe diet change influenced the faecal microbiota composition and diversity (Shannon diversity index). The most abundant OTUs in samples of dogs fed the dry food and high minced beef were affiliated with the species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Clostridia hiranonis respectively. The high minced beef diet apparently also influenced the short chain fatty acid profile, with increased isovaleric acid, as well as an increase in faecal pH. These effects were reversed when the commercial dry food was reintroduced in weeks 6 and 7.ConclusionsResults of this study can aid in the understanding of how diet changes influence the faecal microbiota and metabolite content on a short-term basis. Long-term studies are required to investigate potential implications for canine gut and general health.

Canine neoplasia – population‐based incidence of vascular tumours

We have identified thirteen breeds that are registered in the Norwegian Canine Cancer Register with more than five cases of newly diagnosed, primary vascular neoplasia in the period from 1990 to 1998. Incidence rates have been estimated for the boxer and the Bernese mountain dog because the population at risk is known as a result of the 1992/93‐census of the Bernese mountain dog, boxer and bichon frisé.

A method for measurement of the uptake patterns of two beta-emitting radionuclides in the same tissue section with a digital silicon detector: application to a study of 89SrCl2 and 153Sm-EDTMP in a dog with spontaneous osteosarcoma

Abstract The biological effect of a radiopharmaceutical depends heavily on the heterogeneity of the uptake in the various tissues. A comparative study of two radiopharmaceuticals should therefore include a comparison of the uptake patterns in different tissues. To eliminate the problems caused by variation in kinetics and tumour characteristics between individuals, such a comparison should be based on measured distributions of the radiopharmaceuticals in the same tissue sample. The excellent linearity between activity and counts in images obtained with a digital silicon strip detector allows such distributions to be derived from two autoradiographs acquired at different time points. This method was applied in a comparison of the uptake patterns of 153Sm-EDTMP and 89SrCl2 in sections obtained from a dog with spontaneous osteosarcoma, containing both tumour and normal bone tissues. As the areas of the section were larger than the detector area, the section had to be cut into smaller parts. Images of these were later merged by means of image processing techniques. There were significant differences in the uptake patterns of the two nuclides. In the primary tumour, the uptake of 153Sm was highly heterogeneous, while 89Sr was more uniformly distributed. In trabecular bone, the accumulation of 153Sm was higher than that of 89Sr. In solid cortical bone, 89Sr had the highest uptake.