Chronic renal failure in young Old English Sheepdogs

Chronic renal failure was diagnosed in three young Old English Sheepdogs. Clinical signs were characterised by ill-thrift, polydipsia, polyuria, nervous signs and behavioural changes. Laboratory findings showed azotaemia, non-regenerative anaemia, hyperphosphataemia and isosthenuria. The kidneys were characterised histologically by interstitial fibrosis, and thickening and calcification of the tubular and glomerular basement membrane. A familial incidence could not be confirmed in these cases. (New Zealand Veterinary Journal 38, 118–121, l990)     

Cystic bone lesions in related Old English Sheepdogs

At 6 months of age, an Old English Sheepdog with swollen and painful distal radial/ulnar metaphyses was found to have multiple cystic lesions in left and right radius and ulna. Cystic bone lesions were also detected radio-graphically in two clinically normal littermates and in the sire and dam of the litter. Radiographic changes of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism were found in the three affected pups and in two other individuals from the litter of eight.
The cystic lesions in one pup were drained surgically and the cyst wall curetted, while the other two pups were not treated. The lesions in all three pups gradually resolved and had almost completely disappeared by 10 months of age.     

Chronic renal failure in young dogs–possible renal dysplasia

The clinico-pathological findings are described in thirteen young dogs with advanced renal disease. All but three dogs were less than 2 years old. Some had signs of renal dysfunction since birth. Presenting signs were variable but anorexia, lethargy and weight loss were most frequent. All dogs had raised blood urea levels and most passed dilute urine; proteinuria and anaemia were variable findings. At necropsy all dogs had extra-renal lesions of renal failure and finely granular or lobulated, shrunken kidneys. The microscopical appearances of the kidneys were not those of amyloidosis, inflammatory or glomerular disease but were considered likely to be of developmental origin. The renal lesions were divided into three histologically distinct groups.

• 1 Predominantly cystic and connective tissue changes, characterized by striking dilatation of glomerular capsular spaces and cortical tubules.
• 2 Atypical connective tissue changes in which there were segmental bands of fibrous tissue containing primitive glomerular and tubular structures.
• 3 Predominantly glomerular and connective tissue changes, characterized by varying degrees of glomerulosclerosis and widespread calcification of glomeruli, tubules and blood vessels.

All groups had cortical and medullary interstitial fibrosis but minimal inflammatory cell infiltrates.     

Clinical Findings and Prevalence of the Mutation Associated with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in Old English Sheepdogs

Background

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is generally a recessively inherited disorder characterized by dysfunction of motile cilia. A mutation in a new causative gene (CCDC39) has been identified in the Old English Sheepdog (OES).

Objectives

To describe the clinical findings and the molecular changes of affected dogs and estimate the worldwide prevalence of the mutation in a large cohort of OES.

Animals

578 OES, including 28 affected and 550 clinically healthy dogs.

Methods

This retrospective study reviewed the data of OES diagnosed with PCD and OES tested for the mutation. Clinical data including results of physical examination and further investigations were obtained on 11/28 dogs. CCDC39 expression was assessed by qRT‐PCR and Western blot analysis in affected dogs and healthy dogs. DNA was extracted on 561/578 dogs and a genetic test by Taqman technology was developed to genotype the CCDC39 mutation in these dogs.

Results

Clinical findings were recurrent nasal discharge and cough, pyrexia, leucocytosis, and bronchopneumonia. Ultrastructural defects were characterized by central microtubular abnormalities and decreased number of inner dynein arms (IDAs). Molecular analysis revealed a reduced expression of CCDC39 RNA and an absence of CCDC39 protein in affected dogs compared to healthy dogs. The mutation was more frequent in nonrandomly selected European OES population with a higher proportion of carriers (19%) compared to non‐European dogs (7%).

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

CCDC39 mutation is dispersed in a worldwide population and is responsible for PCD in this breed. Genetic testing might enable control of this disease.     

Chronic renal failure in an English bull terrier with polycystic kidney disease

An entire female English bull terrier, aged five years and one month, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease by renal ultrasonography. It had thickening and abnormal motion of the mitral valve on 2D and M mode echocardiography, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, characterised by turbulence in the left ventricular outflow tract and elevated aortic blood flow velocity, detected by colour flow and spectral Doppler echocardiography, respectively. Two years later, haematology, serum biochemistry and urinalysis data suggested the presence of compensated renal failure. The dog was euthanased at 10 years and eight months of age, with haematology, serum biochemistry and urinalysis data Indicating decompensated chronic renal failure. Postmortem examination confirmed polycystic kidney disease, chronic renal disease, mitral and aortic valvular myxomatous degeneration, and mixed mammary neoplasia. This case demonstrates that bull terriers with polycystic kidney disease may develop associated chronic renal failure.     

Chronic partial obstructive urolithiasis causing hydronephrosis and chronic renal failure in a steer.

A 13-month-old Angus steer was examined with a 6-week history of lethargy, malaise and dribbling urine. Laboratory exam revealed crystalluria and poor renal function. Ultrasound revealed hydronephrosis and hydroureter. Euthanasia was chosen because of a poor prognosis for economic recovery. Necropsy demonstrated numerous calculi causing partial urethral obstruction approximately 25 cm from the end of the penis. Secondary renal changes were confirmed. Urolithiasis occurs commonly in ruminants. Secondary obstruction is usually complete with severe consequences. This is the first report of chronic partial obstructive urolithiasis resulting in endstage renal disease.     

Generalized Apocrine Cystomatosis in an Old English Sheepdog

Résumé— Les kystes sudoripares multicentriques sont des affections rares chez le chien caractérisées par une hyperplasie multifocale kystique des glandes apocrines au niveau du cou et de la tête. Dans ce cas, nous décrivons un cas sévére de kystes sudoripares multicentriques généralisés chez un Bobtail. Bien que cette affection soit considérée comme un processus non-néoplasique, le comportement et l'histologie des lésions sont compatibles avec révolution d'une tumeur bénigne. En outre nous avons mis en évidence l'expression de récepteurs pour un facteur de croissance épidermique, puissant mitogéne de l'épithélium glandulaire. [Generalized apocrine cystamatosis in an Old English Sheepdog. (Kystes sudoripares généralisés chez un Bobtail.) Zusammenfassung— Apokrine Zystomatose ist eine seltene Erkrankung beim Hund, die durch eine multifokale zystische Hyperplasie der apokrinen Drüsen über Kopf und Hals gekennzeichnet. In diesem Bericht wird der Fall einer schweren generalisierten apokrinen Zystomatose bei einem Bobtail beschrieben. Obwohl dieser Zustand gewöhnlich als nicht-neoplastisches Geschehen eigenstuft wird, war das Verhalten und die Histologie der Veränderungen in diesem Fall mit einem gutartigen Tumor vergleichbar. Weiterhin wurde die Expression eines Rezeptors für den epidermalen Wachstumsfaktor entdeckt, der ein potentes Mitogen für die Drüsenepithelien darstellt und in sekretorischen Zellen apokrine Zysten umgibt. [Generalized aprocrine cystomatosis in an Old English Sheepdog (Generlisierte apokrine Zystomatose bei einem Bobtail). Abstract— Apocrine cystomatosis is an uncommon disorder in the dog characterized by multifocal cystic hyperplasia of apocrine glands over the head and neck. In this report, we describe a case of severe generalized apocrine cystomatosis in an Old English Sheepdog. Although the condition is usually regarded as a non-neoplastic process, the behaviour and histology of the lesions in our case are compatible with a benign tumor. Furthermore, we detected the expression of the receptor for epidermal growth factor, a potent mitogen for glandular epithelia, in secretory cells lining apocrine cysts.