Serum acute‐phase protein concentrations following uncomplicated total hip arthroplasty in dogs

Objectives To establish preoperative and postoperative serum C reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels in dogs undergoing uncomplicated total hip arthroplasty (THA). Study design Prospective clinical trial. Animals Eighteen client‐owned dogs. Methods Dogs undergoing THA were recruited. Serum CRP and SAA levels were measured in all dogs the day prior to surgery, and 3 and 6 months following surgery. All dogs received a physical examination and underwent radiography at each visit, and dogs with complications were excluded from the study. For continuous numeric data, histograms were generated and evaluated for normality. A 1‐way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to find differences between time points. Results No complications were encountered in any of the recruited dogs. Median age was 30 months (12‐66), and the median bodyweight was 27.3 kg (22.3‐40.2). Mean CRP concentrations in the preoperative, 3‐month, and 6‐month periods were 3.8 mg/L ± 4.4, 0.8 mg/L ± 1.9, and 1.4 mg/L ± 1.4, respectively. The mean SAA concentrations in the preoperative, 3‐month, and 6‐month periods were 13.9 mg/L ± 8.8, 14.1 mg/L ± 12.6, and 18.4 mg/L ± 15.1, respectively. There were no differences for each parameter between time points. Conclusion C‐reactive protein and SAA levels were consistent with levels previously established for noninflammatory and normal conditions in dogs. Clinical significance Postoperative CRP and SAA concentrations were low by 3 months following uncomplicated THA.