Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Does Apoquel increase infection risk after dog knee surgery
By Motz, Alyssa K et al.·Published in PloS one·2023·Surgery Department, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A retrospective evaluation of the effect of oclacitinib (Apoquel) administration on development of surgical site infection following clean orthopedic stifle surgery.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs undergoing knee surgery were studied to see if a medication called oclacitinib (Apoquel) affected the risk of developing infections afterward. Out of 390 surgeries, 8.7% of the dogs had infections, with a slightly higher rate in those treated with oclacitinib. However, the difference wasn't significant, suggesting that oclacitinib may not increase infection risk. The study highlighted that dogs with longer anesthesia times and higher body weights were more likely to develop infections, so extra care and monitoring are recommended for those pets after surgery.
People also search for: dog knee surgery infection risk · Apoquel side effects in dogs · post-surgery care for dogs
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oclacitinib (Apoquel) on development of surgical site infections in canines following clean orthopedic stifle surgery. Medical records of dogs undergoing unilateral, clean orthopedic stifle procedures were retrospectively examined for development of post-operative surgical site infections. Data collected for statistical analysis included age, sex, body weight, current medications, anesthesia and surgery times, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count. Surgical site infections were identified in 8.7% (34/390) of stifle procedures- 8.0% (29/364) in dogs not treated with oclacitinib and 19.2% (5/26) in dogs treated with oclacitinib (p = 0.053). There was a significant difference in development of surgical site infection in dogs with longer anesthesia times (p = 0.003) and higher body weights (p = 0.037). Dogs being treated with oclacitinib at the time of clean, orthopedic stifle surgery did not have a significantly higher incidence of surgical site infections. However, client education regarding risk of infection and increased patient monitoring post-operatively are recommended, especially in patients with increased body weight or longer anesthetic times.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37556416/