Dpto. Medicina y Cirugía Animal

The internationalization journey of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at CEU Cardenal Herrera University (CEU-UCH) started a decade ago with the creation of the French bilingual group, followed two years later by the initiation of the English bilingual group. This initiative resulted in a substantial rise in the enrolment of international students, constituting nowadays approximately 50% of the total student population in the faculty. Consequently, the Coordinator of Bilingual Groups position was established to address the unique needs and intricacies of the international student management. Over the past 10 years, this role has undergone continuous evolution. Initially, the Coordinator played a pivotal role in various tasks, including the recruitment and admission of new students, their orientation, providing ongoing support to international students, and helping in their professional integration, always in collaboration with other services. With the success of the bilingual groups and the substantial influx of international students, specific responsibilities were delegated to specialized services while others underwent refinement. Noteworthy examples include the management of new student admissions to the French group and the validation processes for international students, the digitalization of which commenced in 2020. This, in turn, has led to a reduction in file evaluation times, enhanced the precision of collected information, and improved the overall student experience by minimizing response times. Ultimately, this innovative international management model serves as a blueprint that can be adapted and extrapolated to other domains, as well as to other Faculties and Universities.

Ovum pick-up (OPU) by transvaginal ultrasound guided follicle aspiration in mares is a common assisted reproductive technique used for oocyte recovery and in vitro production of horse embryos. There has been relatively little research into the factors influencing oocyte recovery in OPU from live mares. The objective of this study was to compare oocyte recovery and morphology of ultrasound-guided follicle puncture and aspiration in live mares and in postmortem excised ovaries, in order to validate an experimental model for research purposes of the efficiency of OPU in mares. Data from OPU performed in 12 mares from a commercial program (follicle numbers, oocyte recovery and oocyte morphology) were compared to that obtained from ultrasound-guided follicle puncture of 13 postmortem excised ovaries from slaughtered mares processed within 2 h of slaughter. In both groups, the OPU was performed by the same operator using the same equipment and OPU technique. The recovered oocytes per aspirated follicle was higher (P < 0.05) in the postmortem group (105/166, 63.2 %) than in live mares (138/261, 52.9 %). There was more (P < 0.05) expanded cumulus oocyte complexes in the postmortem than in the live mares (18 % vs. 2.9 %). Several oocytes (5 oocytes from 81 aspirated follicles) were found in the leaked fluid which overflowed during follicle flushing of postmortem ovaries. In conclusion, the higher recovery rate obtained in the excised ovaries and the finding of oocytes in the leaked fluid during OPU, suggests that there is still room for improvement in the in vivo OPU technique. Utilizing postmortem excised ovaries could offer an alternative for further research into factors affecting oocyte recovery and oocyte leakage during OPU procedures.

Flipped classroom (FC) is a teaching method where traditional learning roles are inverted. Students are provided with material in advance and are expected to study the content prior to in-class sessions. These sessions are subsequently utilized to clarify doubts and examine in greater depth the previously acquired knowledge. Despite the widespread nature of its approach in health education, its application in basic veterinary subjects remains poorly described. This study explores the implementation of the FC approach in veterinary physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, and embryology. Pre-class material was mainly provided in video format, and class sessions facilitated quizzes and interactive activities aimed to reinforce understanding. The findings indicate a high level of student involvement and effective class preparation, as evidenced by over 84% of students participating in FC in-class sessions and generally achieving satisfactory scores on quizzes. A survey conducted at the end of the first semester shows that a high proportion of students positively valued pre-class material (>90%), quizzes (82%), and the FC approach (66%). However, by the end of the second semester, traditional lectures were preferred by more students than FC (45% and 25%, respectively), while 30% of the students mentioned having no preference between the two methods. Analysis of open-ended responses underscored positive facets of the FC approach, including self-organization, enhanced understanding, and availability of pre-class material. However, it also emphasized challenges associated with FC, such as the significant time and effort required. In conclusion, this study suggests that the FC approach can be well received in integrated basic veterinary subjects if it does not imply an excessive student workload, underscoring the potential benefits of a blended teaching approach that combines elements of both traditional and FC methods.

Background: Patient safety is essential in small animal anaesthesia. Thisstudy aimed to assess anaesthesia-related deaths in cats worldwide, identifyrisk and protective factors and provide insights for clinical practice.Methods: A prospective multicentre cohort study of 14,962 cats from198 veterinary centres across different countries was conducted. Data onanaesthesia-related deaths, from premedication up to 48 hours postex-tubation, were collected. Logistic regression was used to analyse patientdemographics, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification,procedure type and anaesthetic drugs.Results: The anaesthesia-related mortality was 0.63%, with 74.5% of deathsoccurring postoperatively. Cats with cachexia, a higher ASA status or whounderwent abdominal, orthopaedic/neurosurgical or thoracic proceduresexhibited elevated mortality. Mechanical ventilation use was associated withincreased mortality. Mortality odds were reduced by the use of alpha2 -agonistsedatives, pure opioids in premedication and locoregional techniques.Limitations: Limitations include non-randomised sampling, potentialbiases, unquantified response rates, subjective death cause classification andlimited variable analysis.Conclusions: Anaesthetic mortality in cats is significant, predominantlypostoperative. Risk factors include cachexia, higher ASA status, specificprocedures and mechanical ventilation. Protective factors include alpha2 -agonist sedatives, pure opioids and locoregional techniques. These findingscan help improve anaesthesia safety and outcomes. However, further researchis required to improve protocols, enhance data quality and minimise risks.

Background: In modern times, horses are utilized not only for labour and transportation purposes but also for recreational activities such as competition and pleasure riding. In these various pursuits, the role of vision plays a crucial role. Electroretinography is the most used test to diagnose diseases of the retinal outer segment. There is a wide variety of devices to perform the electroretinography differing one from each other in the corneal electrode and the light stimulation. The Koijman electrode has been tested in dogs but not in horses. The main purpose of this study was to compare electroretinography parameters from horses sedated with detomidine alone or in combination with butorphanol, during a standardized protocol using the Koijman electrode and RETI-port® system. Seven mares were allocated to the detomidine and detomidine plus butorphanol group in a randomised, controlled, crossover study. Friedman and Willcoxon-signed ranked tests were used to compare the electroretinogram parameters. A Student's t-test was used to compare differences in the number of artefacts to valid values ratio obtained under both sedation protocols. Results: Dark adaptation peaked after 16 min under scotopic conditions in both groups. No significant differences in electroretinogram parameters between groups were observed. During the mixed rod and cone response evaluation under scotopic conditions, all mares made a movement of the head resulting in a high number of artefacts. The detomidine plus butorphanol group showed a non-significant tendency to have fewer artefacts and a longer duration of sedation compared to the detomidine group. Conclusions: Detomidine alone or combined with butorphanol may be suitable to use Koijman electrode and the RETI-port® to perform a standardized long protocol in horses with some adaptations.

Las consultas relacionadas con cojera son frecuentes en la clínica veterinaria diaria. Los métodos de diagnóstico diferencial ordenado son necesarios y útiles en el quehacer diario de la consulta, evitando errores por omisión. En el presente trabajo se revisarán las causas de cojeras no traumáticas del miembro posterior de aparición más frecuente en el perro. Con ello, se pretende mostrar un método ordenado de diagnóstico y pautas básicas de tratamiento de las cojeras. Puesto que el objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar de forma amplia las posibles causas de cojera no traumáticas del miembro posterior, nos es imposible profundizar en los tratamientos y pronósticos. Por ello, recomendamos al lector recurrir a textos especializados para ampliar la información de este tema.

Los estudios publicados sobre la morbilidad y mortalidad asociadas con la anestesia en gatos así como la farmacología de agentes anestésicos inhalatorios forman la base para discutir algunos de los desafíos que los gatos presentan durante el mantenimiento de anestesia, encontrándose hoy en día muy por detrás de los resultados obtenidos con los perros. En el presente capítulo se va a tratar la valoración anestésica y la principal farmacología que se utiliza en la clínica diaria, y en el próximo, se expondrá el acto anestésico completo, la monitorización y principales complicaciones que se encontrarán durante la anestesia en esta especie.

Los casos de osteosarcoma que no contemplan la opción de la amputación cuentan con un tratamiento paliativo que combina varias terapias y cuyo objetivo es el control del dolor del paciente.

Hoy en día todo el mundo sabe que cualquier intervención quirúrgica implica una serie de complicaciones posibles entre las que podemos citar las técnicas derivadas de la propia intervención o las anestésicas. Pero quizá, la complicación quirúrgica más frecuente y, muchas veces temida, es la infección.