Prospective survey of tick paralysis in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To obtain information on tick paralysis in dogs, including the nature of disease, host signalment, tick-host relationship, treatment, disease progression and recovery, and preventive measures. DESIGN: A prospective survey of 577 dogs affected by tick paralysis was conducted during 1998. Forty-two veterinary clinics along the eastern coast of Australia were instructed to complete survey forms for the first 15 dogs that presented with tick paralysis during September to November. RESULTS: Five percent of dogs died from tick paralysis. Younger dogs were more likely to survive. Long coat length was associated with a greater tick burden but not greater tick size, whereas coat thickness had no bearing on either. Dogs with mild disease recovered more quickly from tick paralysis. Respiratory and gait scores reflected disease severity and were good prognostic indicators. The size of the tick did not reflect the severity of the clinical condition it induced in the host. No method of tick removal or in situ treatment improved recovery time or reduced mortality. However, the time spent in hospital was significantly less for dogs from which the live tick was manually removed. Inspiratory stridor, evident in some dogs with tick paralysis, was not related to tick attachment on the neck. The use of acepromazine maleate or dexamethasone did not reduce recovery time or mortality. Increasing the dose of tick antitoxin serum (TAS) above 0.1 mL/kg had no effect on mortality or recovery time. Dogs with severe disease that received an additional dose of TAS were significantly less likely to survive. Subcutaneous use of TAS at the site of tick attachment was of no benefit in reducing mortality or time to initial clinical improvement. A registered preventative product had not been used on the majority of dogs. Clipping the coat to search for ticks did not reduce mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy needs to address cardiopulmonary dysfunction that may be due directly to the effect of tick toxin and not just respiratory compromise caused by progressive respiratory muscle failure.     

Suspected tick paralysis (Ixodes holocyclus) in a Miniature Horse

A 9‐year‐old Miniature Horse gelding infested with ticks (Ixodes holocyclus) was presented with flaccid motor paralysis causing recumbency. Neurological examination and other diagnostic tests did not identify an alternative aetiology, leading to a presumptive diagnosis of tick paralysis. The gelding was treated with tick antiserum and intensive supportive care. He made a gradual recovery over the 48 h following presentation and was discharged without further complications. This case report describes in detail the clinical signs and successful treatment of a Miniature Horse with flaccid paralysis caused by suspected envenomation by Ixodes holocyclus.     

Asymmetrical focal neurological deficits in dogs and cats with naturally occurring tick paralysis (Ixodes holocyclus): 27 cases (1999-2006)

OBJECTIVE: To describe basic epidemiological features, clinical characteristics and outcomes of asymmetrical focal neurological deficits identified in dogs and cats with naturally occurring tick paralysis (Ixodes holocyclus). DESIGN: A retrospective study. PROCEDURE: Computer records were reviewed for all dogs and cats treated for tick paralysis between July 1999 and June 2006 at a suburban veterinary hospital in Newcastle, New South Wales. RESULTS: Neurological deficits were identified in 17/197 dogs and 10/89 cats and included unilateral facial paralysis (14 dogs; 2 cats), anisocoria (4 dogs; 7 cats), unilateral loss of the cutaneous trunci reflex (1 dog; 1 cat) and Horner's syndrome in 2 cats with anisocoria. Occurrence of deficits was not linked to season, severity of tick paralysis, breed, age, sex or body weight. With facial paralysis and anisocoria, the site of tick attachment was invariably on the head or neck and always ipsilateral to the facial paralysis. By contrast, with anisocoria alone, no consistent relationship was noted between any one pupillary dimension and the side of tick attachment. With cutaneous trunci deficits the site of tick attachment was the ipsilateral caudal axilla. Compared with recovery times from generalised signs of tick paralysis, those for facial paralysis were significantly longer (days to weeks; P < 0.001), those for anisocoria showed no significant difference (P = 0.25) and those for cutaneous trunci deficits lagged by 6 and 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: Asymmetrical focal neurological deficits are a consistent finding in a proportion of dogs and cats with naturally occurring tick paralysis due to I. holocylcus.     

Retrospective study of 103 presumed cases of tick (Ixodes holocyclus) envenomation in the horse

Objective Review 103 cases of presumed tick envenomation in horses. Design Retrospective study. Method Variables, including date of presentation, age, breed, weight, presence of ticks, gait and respiration scores, duration of recumbency, treatment, outcome and complications were recorded. A series of univariable screening tests were performed and used in a multivariable logistic regression model. Results There were a total of 103 cases affecting 10 breeds, aged between 1 week and 18 years of age. Horses >6 months old and weighing >100 kg had a higher odds of death than those <6 months old and <100 kg. Cases were seen from North Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales and were more likely to present in the warmer months. There was no association between the number of ticks found on an animal and death. Horses with a higher respiratory score had higher odds of dying, but there was no association between gait score and survival. Horses recumbent >120 h after presentation had higher odds of dying. Complications were reported in 35% of horses. The odds ratio for survival was higher for horses receiving >0.5 mL/kg of tick antiserum. Overall, 74% of horses survived. Multivariable modelling was limited by the small sample size. Conclusion In general, tick envenomation in horses follows the geographic distribution of Ixodes holocyclus. Tick antiserum administered at >0.5 mL/kg increases the odds of survival. It would appear that the complications associated with managing a recumbent horse increase the odds of death.     

Dermatoses caused by infestations of immature Ixodes spp. on dogs and cats in Sydney, Australia

Infestations of larval and nymphal Ixodes spp. were identified in 16 dogs and 16 cats from several small animal clinics in Sydney. Cases occurred in late summer or autumn, peaking in February, and were seasonally recurrent in some individuals. Clinical signs of infestation included a papular dermatitis and irritation or pruritus that ranged from severe to mild or absent. The distribution of tick attachment tended to be cranial and ventral, with the face, legs, axillae and ventrum the most commonly affected sites. The estimated number of ticks in each infestation varied from less than 10 to more than 100. Basic morphological examination of ticks collected from affected animals was performed by attending veterinarians using light microscopy, and larvae and nymphs belonging to the Ixodes genus were identified. Ticks collected from 17 animals and submitted to the Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital were putatively identified as I. trichosuri (57%) and I. holocyclus (25%) larvae. Histopathological samples of attachment sites collected from three dogs and one cat were characterised by ticks attached in well-demarcated invaginations of the skin ('tick craters') associated with variable epidermal and/or dermal necrosis, focal eosinophilic intraspinous pustules, mild to marked eosinophilic and neutrophilic, superficial to deep, dermal perivascular to interstitial inflammation, and moderate to marked superficial dermal oedema and red cell extravasation. A range of topical acaricidal preparations, including fipronil and synthetic pyrethroids, were used for treatment.     

Distributions of the paralysis ticks Ixodes cornuatus and Ixodes holocyclus in south-eastern Australia

OBJECTIVE: To describe the actual and potential geographic distributions of Ixodes cornuatus and I holocyclus in south-eastern Australia. PROCEDURE: Examination of ticks from museum collections and trapped animals were made. (Bioclimatic analysis BIOCLIM) was used to predict potential distributions. RESULTS: I holocyclus was collected from rodents (Rattus fuscipes, R lutreolus, R rattus), wombats (Vombatus ursinus), cats and dogs in Gippsland and I cornuatus was collected from rodents (R fuscipes), wombats, cats and dogs in central Victoria. All life-cycle stages of both species were collected during the warmer months of the year. The known distribution of the two species was established from specimens in museum collections and suggested that a boundary between the two may exist in eastern Gippsland. BIOCLIM suggested that the area immediately to the east of Melbourne was climatically suitable for I holocyclus, although no endemic foci of infection are currently known from this region. The potential distribution of I cornuatus included east Gippsland and the Otway Ranges, areas in which the tick is not currently known to occur. CONCLUSIONS: I holocyclus and I cornuatus have more restricted distributions than current collections suggest and therefore may have the possibility to extend their geographical ranges in the future.     

Long-term efficacy of a deltamethrin-impregnated collar for the control of the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, on dogs

Objective To determine the duration of efficacy of a 4% deltamethrin‐impregnated collar for dogs (Scalibor® ProtectorBand, MSD Animal Health) against adult female paralysis ticks (Ixodes holocyclus). Procedures A controlled pen study was conducted. Dogs were artificially infested at 14‐day intervals with unfed adult female ticks for up to 140 days following application of the collar to the dogs. Efficacy was assessed by manually counting ticks on dogs at 24, 48 and 72 h after each infestation. Results Efficacy at the 72‐h count was 96% after the day 14 tick infestation. The 72‐h efficacy remained above 94% from the day 14 to the day 98 infestations, when efficacy was still 99.5%. Efficacy at 72 h was above 90% after the day 112 infestation and was still 93% at 72 h after the day 140 infestation. Conclusions The deltamethrin‐impregnated collar gave greater than 90% control of paralysis ticks for at least 14 weeks.     

Reactions to tick antitoxin serum and the role of atropine in treatment of dogs and cats with tick paralysis caused by Ixodes holocyclus: a pilot survey

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and nature of adverse reactions of dogs and cats to tick antitoxin serum and to re-evaluate the role of atropine in the treatment of tick paralysis. DESIGN: A retrospective questionnaire of veterinarians. PROCEDURE: Questionnaires were posted to 320 veterinarians in tick-endemic regions of Australia. Questions referred to dogs and cats treated for tick paralysis over a period of three years: the number treated, treatment protocols and adverse systemic reactions to tick antitoxin serum. Ninety completed questionnaires were returned and responses analysed. RESULTS: Veterinarians reported that approximately 3% of dogs exhibited adverse reactions immediately following treatment with tick antitoxin serum. Eighteen percent of these reactions were described as anaphylaxis, with the remaining 82% attributed to the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. Six percent of cats treated with tick antitoxin serum reacted adversely and the majority of reactions (63%) were ascribed to the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. Atropine was used routinely by 10% of responding veterinarians in the treatment of dogs and cats with tick paralysis. A similar number of veterinarians used atropine only in selected cases. Most veterinarians (76%) reported that they never used atropine in the treatment of tick paralysis in either dogs or cats. Within the survey population, premedication with atropine reduced the number of Bezold-Jarisch reactions following tick antitoxin administration approximately five-fold in dogs and four-fold in cats. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this pilot survey indicate that more cats than dogs have adverse systemic reactions to tick antitoxin serum and that the majority of these reactions in both dogs and cats could be related to the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. The number of reactions to tick antitoxin serum in dogs and cats could be significantly reduced by the routine use of atropine prior to administration of tick antitoxin serum.     

Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats

Abstract Antibiotics and immunostimulants are used in the systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections in small animals. The major antibiotic groups commonly utilized are the macrolides, lincosamides, potentiated sulphonamides, β-lactamase-resistant penicillins, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Empirical usage, culture and sensitivity, mode of action, dosages, efficacy and side-effects are reviewed. A summary of the veterinary literature relative to immunostimulants is also included. Résumé— Antibiotiques et immunostimulants sont utilisés dans le traitement systémique des infections bactériennes cutanées des animaux de compagnie. Les families d'antibiotiques les plus utilisées sont les macrolides, les lincosanides, les sulfonamides potentialisés, les pénicillines résistantes à la lactamase, les céphalosporines et les fluoroquinolones. L'utilisation empirique, l'isolement et l'antibiogramme, le mode d'action, les dosages, l'efficacité et les effets secondaires sont présentés. Un résumé de la littérature vétérinaire concernant les immunostimulants est également inclus. [White, S. D. Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats. (Traitement systémique des infections bactériennes cutanées du chien et du chat). Veterinary Dermatology 1996; 7 : 133–143.] Resumen Para el tratamiento sistémico de ls infecciones bacterianas cutáneas en pequeños animales se usan antibióticos e inmunoestimulantes. Los grupos de antibióticos más frecuentemente utilizados incluyen los macrólidos, lincosamidas, sulfonamidas potenciadas, penicilinas beta-lactamasa resistentes, cefalosporinas y fluoroquinolonas. Se revisan su uso empirico, cultivo y sensibilidad, mecanismo de acción, dosis, eficacia y efectos colaterales. Se incluye un resumen de la literatura veterinaria sobre immunoestimulantes. [White, S. D. Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats. (Tratamiento sistemico de las infecciones bacterianas cutaneas de perros y gatos). Veterinary Dermatology 1996; 7 : 133–143.] Zusammenfassung— Antibiotika und Immunstimulantien werden in der systemischen Behandlung von bakteriellen Hautinfektionen bei Kleintieren eingesetzt. Die Hauptgruppen der gewöhnlich verwendeten Antibiotika sind Markrolide, Lincosamide, potenzierte Sulfonamide, beta-Laktamase-resistente Penicilline, Cephalosporine und Fluroquinolone. Die empirische Anwendung, Kultur und Empfindlichkeit, Wirkungsweise, Dosierung, Wirksamkeit und Nebenwirkungen werden dargestellt. Eine Zusammenfassung der Veterinärliteratur bezüglich Immunstimulantien wird miteingeschlossen. [White, S.D. Systemic treatment of bacterial skin infections of dogs and cats (Systemische Behandlung von bakteriellen Hautinfektionen bei Hund und Katze). Veterinary Dermatology 1996; 7 : 133–143.]     

Clinical presentation,treatment and outcome in 31 dogs with presumed primary colorectal lymphoma (2001–2013)

The objective of this multicentre retrospective study was to describe clinical presentation, treatment and outcome and to determine prognostic factors for dogs with presumed primary colorectal lymphoma (PCRL). A total of 31 dogs were included. The predominant features of PCRL were high grade (n = 18) and immunophenotype B (n = 24). Most dogs were substage b (n = 25) with higher prevalence of haematochezia (n = 20). One dog had surgery only. Thirty dogs received chemotherapy; amongst them 13 had surgery or radiotherapy. Progression free survival (PFS) was 1318 days and disease‐related median survival time (MST) was 1845 days. Fourteen dogs were alive at the end of the study with a median follow‐up time of 684 days (3–4678 days). Younger dogs had longer PFS (P = 0.031) and disease‐related MST (P = 0.01). Presence of haematochezia corresponded with longer PFS (P = 0.02). Addition of local treatment to chemotherapy did not significantly improve the outcome (P = 0.584). Canine PCRL has considerably longer PFS and MST than other forms of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma.     

北京地区犬猫弓形虫病流行病学调查

为初步调查北京地区犬猫弓形虫感染的流病学特征,用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)方法检测2010年5月至2011年4月采集的家养犬猫、流浪猫血清样本.其中,家养犬血清样本1876份,家养猫血清样本561份,检测发现,家养犬动物弓形虫IgG抗体阳性率24.9％;家养猫弓形虫IgG阳性率21.2％;同时检测流浪猫样本201份,阳性率30.3％.家养犬弓形虫血清抗体阳性率不同季节间差异显著(P＜0.05),夏季最高,为30.0％,家养猫弓形虫血清抗体阳性率不同季节间无显著差异(P＞0.05).不同性别犬猫弓形虫血清抗体阳性率无显著差异(P＞0.05).随着年龄增长,犬猫弓形虫抗体阳性率均有明显增长.对25例弓形虫抗体阳性家养犬病例和37例弓形虫抗体阳性家养猫病例进行了回访调查,结果发现,该62例动物主人的弓形虫检测结果均为阴性.