Supplemental vibrissal extensions as an alternative to improve the tactile sensitivity of blind dogs - a preliminary approach investigation.

Objective: This preliminary study suggests a way to artificially extend vibrissae of blind dogs to assist ambulation and avoiding facial contact with obstacles.

Procedures: Fourteen irreversibly blind dogs had 5-6 mystacial vibrissae on each side of the face supplementally extended by attaching carefully chosen adult pig hairs to them and were subjected to a maze test before and after the procedure. In three of these dogs the test was repeated one more time after all the extensions had fallen off.

A morphometric study of the canine skull and periorbita and its implications for regional ocular anesthesia.

Objective: A hypothetical relationship between canine cranial length and the length of the periorbita could be used for intraconal anesthetic volume estimation.

Study Subjects: Forty-one canine cadaver heads and one macerated dog skull.

Procedures: Inion and nasion points were recognized in the macerated skull and used as landmarks for cranial length measure.