Intracranial haemorrhage associated with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in three dogs

This report describes three dogs with intracranial haemorrhage secondary to severe coagulation defects associated with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection. The initial case was diagnosed at necropsy, with two subsequent cases diagnosed antemortem and successfully treated. The dogs ranged in age from 14 months to four years and were presented for evaluation of a severe, subacute onset of suspected cerebral disease. Magnetic resonance imaging performed on all three dogs was suggestive of multiple areas of intraparenchymal brain haemorrhage. Coagulation assays showed a consumptive coagulopathy resembling chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation. Postmortem examination of the initial case confirmed the presence of multiple intracranial and extracranial haemorrhages. An unexpected finding was that of a marked multifocal nematode infection of the lungs with an associated vasculopathy. The parasites were confirmed to be A vasorum. In the two other dogs, faecal examination by Baermann technique confirmed A vasorum infection. Both dogs were treated with fenbendazole and one was additionally given a plasma transfusion. Repeated coagulation assays were normal within one week. Neurological examinations were normal for both dogs within six weeks. This case series indicates that A vasorum infection should be considered as a possible aetiology of intracranial haemorrhage in dogs.     

Clinical, radiological and pathological features of 12 Irish setters with canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency

The clinical, radiological and pathological findings in 12 dogs with canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD) from six litters are described. All the dogs were younger than 15 weeks at admission, all had been febrile and 11 had been treated with antibiotics. Seven had been treated for omphalophlebitis. At admission, all had gingivitis, lymph node enlargement and profound neutrophilia. Ten dogs were radiographed and showed various skeletal lesions compatible with metaphyseal osteopathy, craniomandibular osteopathy and osteomyelitis. Four dogs had clinical signs of respiratory distress and seven exhibited a mild interstitial pneumonia at necropsy. Six dogs had skin wounds, with strikingly few neutrophils seen on stained sections. All dogs were euthanased before six months of age due to severe and incurable infections. The clinical signs, radiological features and haematology were strongly suggestive of CLAD. The diagnosis was confirmed by granulocyte function tests and flow cytometry, which revealed impaired adhesion, impaired C3b-mediated phagocytosis and absence of adhesion proteins CD11b/CD18.     

A longitudinal assessment of periodontal health status in 53 Labrador retrievers

Objectives

To determine the incidence and rates of progression of gingivitis and periodontitis in Labrador retrievers.

Materials and Methods

Fifty‐three dogs, aged 1·1 to 5·9 years, had their periodontal health assessed every 6 months for up to 2 years. The extent of gingivitis and periodontitis was measured around the whole gingival margin of every tooth under general anaesthesia.

Results

All dogs had gingivitis at the initial assessment. The majority (64·2%) of tooth aspects had very mild gingivitis. The palatal/lingual aspect of all tooth types was most likely to show bleeding when probed: 63·0% of these aspects had mild or moderate gingivitis. Over 2 years, 56·6% of dogs developed periodontitis and dogs as young as 1·9 years were affected. There was a significant positive correlation between the proportion of teeth with periodontitis and age. In total, 124 teeth (5·7%) developed periodontitis; 88 (71·0%) of these were incisors. The palatal/lingual aspect of the incisors developed the disease first (2·8% of incisor aspects).

Clinical Significance

Periodontitis developed in regions that are difficult to see in conscious dogs implying that detection and treatment of disease requires periodic sedation or anaesthesia.     

Effect of two dietary regimens on gingivitis in the dog

The effect of two commercially available dietary regimens on the development of gingivitis and the accumulation of dental plaque, calculus and stain in the dog were studied. One regimen consisted of feeding an oral hygiene chew and a standard dry diet.
The other was based on a specifically designed oral care dry main meal. The study was conducted using 15 dogs in a two period, parallel cross-over design. Each period consisted of a one week pretest phase followed by a three week test phase. During the test phase, gingivitis and plaque were measured after one week and gingivitis, calculus, stain and plaque were measured after a further two weeks. Comparison of the two regimens showed that there were equal amounts of gingivitis, plaque and calculus by the end of the study. There was significantly more stain and significant loss in bodyweight when the main meal was fed.
The role of dietary modification in the maintenance of periodontal health is discussed.     

Experimental conjunctival infection of lambs with a strain of Chlamydia psittaci isolated from the eyes of a sheep naturally affected with keratoconjunctivitis

Five ram-lambs were inoculated into the left conjunctival sac with the 15R isolate of Chlamydia psittaci, recovered from a sheep with keratoconjunctivitis. A sixth ram-lamb was kept in contact with them. The five lambs developed varying degrees of acute conjunctivitis and 14 days later C psittaci could be recovered from the inoculated eyes, from which Branhamella ovis was also isolated. The eyes were examined regularly for four months; C psittaci could not be re-isolated but the eyes developed varying degrees of follicular conjunctivitis. After four months the sheep were treated with corticosteroids in an attempt to reactivate a latent chlamydial infection but no chlamydiae could be isolated. Five months after the start of the experiment the six lambs were inoculated with 15R into the left conjunctival sacs. Acute conjunctivitis developed which was not as severe as after the first inoculation, but C psittaci could only be recovered from the left eyes of three sheep three days after inoculation. The eyes remained chronically affected by follicular conjunctivitis. Six months after the start of the experiment the left eyes were again inoculated with 15R; on this occasion acute conjunctivitis did not develop and chlamydiae could not be isolated. Chronic follicular conjunctivitis persisted until the experiment was terminated three months later.     

Effective periodontal disease control using dental hygiene chews

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a newly developed dental hygiene chew for dogs, with and without a natural antimicrobial additive, compared with a reference diet. Efficacy was determined by measuring the severity of gingivitis and the accumulation of dental plaque and calculus in dogs after 4-weeks of being fed the different dietary regimens. Dogs fed a single daily dental chew had significantly less gingivitis (P = 0. 02), plaque (P = 0. 0004), and calculus (P = 0.0001) compared with dogs in the control group that were fed an identical diet but received no chews. The inclusion of the antimicrobial agent did not improve the efficacy of the product. The dental hygiene chews tested in this study have potential to help reduce the incidence of periodontal disease in dogs.     

Effectiveness of a vegetable dental chew on periodontal disease parameters in toy breed dogs

Sixteen toy breed dogs completed a parallel, 70-day two-period, cross-over design clinical study to determine the effect of a vegetable dental chew on gingivitis, halitosis, plaque, and calculus accumulations. The dogs were randomly assigned into two groups. During one study period the dogs were fed a non-dental dry diet only and during the second study period were fed the same dry diet supplemented by the daily addition of a vegetable dental chew. Daily administration of the dental chew was shown to reduce halitosis, as well as, significantly reduce gingivitis, plaque and calculus accumulation and therefore may play a significant role in the improvement of canine oral health over the long-term.     

Therapeutic trial of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor for dilated cardiomyopathy in three dogs

Three dogs were presented to us for evaluation of cardiac problems. Electrocardiographic recordings revealed severe tachyarrhythmia and atrial fibrillation with ventricular tachycardia in 2 of the 3 dogs. The echocardiographic findings of the 3 dogs revealed markedly decreased fractional shortening and a marked increase in E-point septal separation. Based on the results of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluation, the 3 dogs were diagnosed as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The dogs were treated with conventional cardiac medication, but cardiac function did not improve and the clinical signs remained. We subsequently attempted treatment with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF; 10 microg/kg, subcutaneously). The specific purpose of G-CSF therapy for DCM was to improve cardiac function and a significant improvement in cardiac function was confirmed. The three dogs had no treatment side effects. This case report suggests that G-CSF might have therapeutic effects for medically refractory DCM in dogs.     

Effect on canine oral health of adding chlorhexidine to a dental hygiene chew

A study to compare the effect of a dental hygiene chew with or without 0.2% chlorhexidine on the development of gingivitis and the accumulation of dental deposits was performed using 11 small dogs. Confirming previous data, the daily addition of a standard chew to a dry diet resulted in significantly less gingivitis and calculus after 3 weeks compared with feeding the dry diet alone. Addition of chlorhexidine to the chew made no difference to the degree of gingivitis or the amount of calculus that accumulated, but did result in significantly less plaque accumulation after 3 weeks. The abrasiveness of the chew, rather than the antibacterial activity of chlorhexidine, is likely to have contributed the most to the maintenance of oral health in dogs with mild gingivitis.     

Ophthalmic complications following megavoltage irradiation of the nasal and paranasal cavities in dogs

Megavoltage x-radiation was used to treat orbital nasal, and paranasal cavity malignant neoplasia in 29 dogs. In each instance, the globe and adnexal tissues were within the treatment portals (entry and/or exit). Doses administered to tumors ranged from 3,680 to 5,000 cGy. Ocular reactions after irradiation were classified as mild in 5 of 29 cases (17.2%) and severe in 17 of 29 cases (58.6%). No ocular complications were noticed in 7 of 29 cases (24.1%). Complications frequently noticed included severe keratitis (41%), mild conjunctivitis (34%), severe conjunctivitis (28%), cataract (28%), and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (24%). Ocular complications that developed were not life threatening, but posed a threat to visual function and patient quality of life. Treatment for the complications included control of bacterial infection, reduction of tissue inflammation, and ocular surface protection when tear film deficiencies were noticed. Mild complications represented acute effects of irradiation, and typically resolved. Severe complications developed both acutely and as late irradiation effects. Those attributed to late irradiation effects were more vision threatening and altered the quality of life more than did the early effects.     

Concentrations of clindamycin in the mandibular bone of companion animals

Concentrations of clindamycin in the mandible were determined in 17 dogs and 13 cats with severe plaque, gingivitis/periodontitis, and calculus that were treated orally with clindamycin (11 mg/kg) once daily for 5 days prior to professional teeth cleaning and extractions. The animals were patients at the Dental Department of the Clinic for Surgery and Ophthalmology of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria. Clindamycin levels were determined during postextractional alveoloplasty. Approximately 1 to 3 mm3 of mandible was removed from the intraradicular septum in multirooted teeth and from the protruding labial/buccal alveolar rim with a small rongeur. The mean concentration of clindamycin was 8.18 microg/g in dogs (range=3.16 to 24.08 microg/g) and 17.43 microg/g in cats (range=2.45 to 51.60 microg/g). The concentration of clindamycin in the mandibles of dogs and cats may be useful to combat infections after periodontal procedures, tooth extractions, or injuries to the mandible.     

Evaluation of a barrier dental sealant in dogs

A study was conducted in 40 healthy, randomly selected, client-owned, mixed and purebred dogs to assess the efficacy of a barrier dental sealant. All dogs showed evidence of dental plaque, calculus, or gingivitis. The dental sealant was applied to one side of the mouth following a professional teeth cleaning procedure and reapplied weekly for 8-weeks following the cleaning procedure. Dental parameters evaluated included plaque, calculus, gingivitis, and gingival bleeding indices. A statistically significant difference was detected between treated and untreated teeth compared with baseline values for plaque and calculus at weeks 4 and 8, gingivitis at week 4, and gingival bleeding time at week 8. A professional teeth cleaning procedure followed by a single application of the barrier dental sealant and weekly reapplication performed by a veterinarian or veterinary technician provided significant improvement in plaque and calculus indices during an 8-week period.     

Clinical and patho-morphological investigation of spontaneously occurring Seriodontal isease in dogs

Diagnostic evaluation of, and treatment planning for, different periodontal diseases of dogs are a common problem in veterinary dentistry. Therefore the aim of the present study was to propose a classification for inflammatory periodontal disease. One hundred and twenty-three male and female poodles (from two to over 12 years) were used for the clinical investigations; 120 periodontitis teeth were analysed for pathomorphological signs of inflammation. The recorded data made it possible to differentiate five forms of gingivitis (gingivitis simplex, hyperplastica, ulcerosa, granulomatosa and desquamativa) and three forms of periodontitis (juvenile, rapidly progressive adult and chronic adult periodontitis). The pathomorphological investigations allowed a differentiation between acute progressive inflammation, chronic nonprogressive inflammation, chronic proliferative inflammation and chronic resorptive inflammation. It is concluded that standardised diagnoses as well as the pathomorphological background may be helpful tools for providing effective treatment strategies.     

Seroprevalence of antibodies against severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in household dogs in Japan

We investigated the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among dogs in the Tokyo area via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the spike protein as the target antigen. Plasma samples from 494 household dogs and blood-donor dogs were tested from July 2020 to January 2021. Of these samples, three showed optical densities that were higher than the mean plus two standard deviations of the mean of the negative-control optical densities (ODs). Of these three samples, only the sample with the highest OD by ELISA was confirmed positive by virus neutralization testing. The positive dog presented no SARS-CoV-2-related symptoms. The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections among dogs in the Tokyo area was approximately 0.2%.     

Carotid Body Tumors in the Dog Eleven Cases (1978–1988)

Case records of 11 dogs with histologically confirmed carotid body tumors were reviewed. Surgical excision had been attempted in ten dogs with carotid body tumors, and one dog had been euthanatized at diagnosis. There were no intraoperative deaths but perioperative mortality was 40%. Horner's syndrome and laryngeal paralysis were the most common postoperative morbidities. The median survival time after surgery alone in the four dogs that survived the perioperative period was 25.5 months (range, 12-45 months). Two dogs treated with postoperative radiation therapy had survival times of 6 and 27 months. Of the six dogs surviving the perioperative period, two dogs are still alive at 19 and 32 months postoperatively. Of the four dogs that died, one was euthanatized 12 months postoperatively for nontumor-related causes. The remaining three dogs died of distant metastases. The carotid body tumors studied were characterized by local tissue invasion, neurovascular complications after therapy, and a propensity to metastasize to multiple sites in the body.     

Effect of long-term intermittent periodontal care on canine periodontal disease

The periodontal health status was assessed in two groups of dogs which had received different levels of periodontal care over a two-year period. The dental group received regular dental scaling and polishing, and intermittent daily tooth brushing, while the control group received no periodontal care. All dogs developed gingivitis, and two (one from each group) showed evidence of incipient periodontitis. The dental group had a reduced gingivitis index (GI) compared with the control group only when they had received daily tooth brushing before the GI assessment. When the dogs had not had their teeth brushed for four weeks before the assessment, the GI was not significantly different to that in the control dogs. This suggests that continual periodontal care throughout life is of great importance and questions the benefits of intermittent oral care. The GI of the palatal and lingual surfaces in all dogs was significantly higher than the GI of the buccal surfaces. Thus, all tooth surfaces may need to be cleaned to achieve optimal periodontal health.     

A clinical trial of the effect of a mouth-rinse prepared with Lippia sidoides Cham essential oil in dogs with mild gingival disease

We evaluated the effect of a mouth-rinse prepared using Lippia sidoides essential oil (EO) in dogs with marginal gingivitis. German Shepherd dogs were distributed in two groups: control (control mouth-rinse) and EO (EO mouth-rinse). Both mouth-rinses were applied on the dogs' teeth every 2 days for 2 weeks. At day 0 and day 15, the scores for plaque-bacteria (P), calculus (C), gingivitis (G) and the inflammatory infiltrate (INF) were evaluated blindly. The results were analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney tests (P相似文献   

Detection of human filarial parasite Brugia malayi in dogs by histochemical staining and molecular techniques

Human filariasis caused by Brugia malayi is still a public health problem in many countries of Asia including India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The World Health Organization (WHO) has targeted to eliminate filariasis by the year 2020 by Mass annual single dose Diethylcarbamazine Administration (MDA). Results of the MDA programme after the first phase was less satisfactory than expected. Malayan filariasis caused by B. malayi is endemic in the south of Thailand where domestic cat serves as the major reservoir host. There is no report about the occurrence of B. malayi in dogs. The present work was carried out to find out the incidence of microfilariasis in dogs and also to detect the presence of human filarial infection in dogs, if any. One hundred dogs above 6 months of age presented to the veterinary college Hospital, Mannuthy, Kerala, with clinical signs suggestive of microfilariasis - fever, anorexia, conjunctivitis, limb and scrotal oedema - were screened for microfilariae by wet film examination. Positive cases were subjected to Giemsa staining, histochemical staining and molecular techniques. Results of the study showed that 80% of dogs had microfilariasis; out of which 20% had sheathed microfilaria. Giemsa and histochemical staining character, PCR and sequencing confirmed it as B. malayi. High prevalence of B. malayi in dogs in this study emphasized the possible role of dogs in transmission of human filariasis.     

Clinical and Pathological Features of Aortic Thromboembolism in 36 Dogs

Thirty-six dogs with aortic thromboembolism were identified in a retrospective study conducted using case material from the small animal necropsy service of the University of Pennsylvania, from 1977 through 1992. No age, breed, or sex predisposition was found. Thirty dogs presented with primary complaints referable to the aortic thromboembolus and the duration of signs varied from hours to months. In 16 dogs, the presence of the thromboembolus was confirmed antemortem by ultrasound or angiography. Coagulograms were performed in 11 animals, and were consistent with consumptive hemostatic disorders in 8. The aortic occlusions were determined to be emboli in 11 dogs, associated with cardiac disease (9 dogs) and neoplastic emboli (2 dogs). In 18 dogs, the aortic occlusions were determined to be caused by primary aortic thrombi. Nine of these dogs had renal disease and four dogs had severe atherosclerosis associated with thyroid disease. In seven dogs, it could not determined if the aortic occlusions were due to primary aortic thrombi or due to emboli. In 25 dogs, the aorta was the only vessel occluded; but in 11 dogs, thrombi were identified in vessels outside of the systemic arterial system. In 9 dogs, the pulmonary arteries contained thromboemboli; one dog had thrombi in the portal vein and pulmonary arteries, and one dog a cranial vena caval thrombus. Nine of 11 dogs with multiple vascular thrombi, as well as some of the dogs with primary aortic thrombi, may have had either a propensity for thrombosis (a hypercoagulable state) or an inability to lyse thrombi (a hypothrombolytic state).