Chronic diarrhea associated with intestinal anomalies in a six-year-old dog.

A 6-year-old mixed-breed dog was referred because of chronic diarrhea, which had begun after antibiotic treatment for pulmonary disease. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth was presumptively diagnosed on the basis of intestinal mucosal cytologic examination and low serum cobalamin concentration. When the diarrhea did not respond to treatment, contrast radiography was performed and a short small intestine was found. The diarrhea could not be managed by medical treatment, and the dog was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed 2 blind intestinal pouches attached to a 46-cm length of small intestine connecting the stomach and colon. The dog's deteriorating condition was attributable to necrosis and rupture of 1 of the pouches.     

Isolation of a rotavirus from a newborn dog with diarrhea

A rotavirus was isolated from a newborn dog that died after having clinical signs of diarrhea. Virus particles with rotaviral morphologic features were observed by transmission electron microscopy in the intestinal homogenate collected at necropsy. Cytopathic effects were observed, and rotaviral antigens were detected by indirect immunofluorescence in MA-104 monolayer cultures (a fetal rhesus macaque kidney cell) inoculated with intestinal homogenate. This rotavirus isolate, designated LSU 79C-36, may be a specific canine rotavirus or a rotavirus from another species.     

犬腹泻病的鉴别诊断及治疗

腹泻是最常见的临床症状之一，是指粪便稀薄如水样或稀粥样，临床上表现排便次数明显增多。腹泻病是具有腹泻症状疾病的统称，它可导致犬营养不良、生长发育障碍和工作能力的丧失，严重时可导致死亡。     

Nutrition for critical gastrointestinal illness: feeding horses with diarrhea or colic.

Horses with GI diseases such as colic and diarrhea are often intolerant of adequate enteral nutrition. Nutritional intervention should be an early part of therapeutic management in such cases. Protein and energy malnutrition in critically ill horses can have deleterious effects, including poor wound or incisional healing, reduced immunity, and weight loss. Early enteral or parenteral support should be provided to supply resting DE requirements in the equine ICU.     

Brucella melitensis infection in dog: a critical issue in the control of brucellosis in ruminant farms

Canine brucellosis is a contagious disease associated with health implications for humans as well as for a wide range of wild and domesticated animals. In this study, 173 dog blood specimens were sampled from herding dogs in three different provinces including Tehran (n = 127), Qom (n = 40) and Alborz (n = 6) provinces. The presence of Brucella antibodies was determined using Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), slow agglutination test (SAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), respectively. The seropositive samples were further screened using blood culture and PCR tests to identify and differentiate the implicated Brucella species. According to our results, 24.3% (42/173), 13.8% (24/173) and 6.3% (11/173) of blood samples were tested positive using RBPT, SAT and 2-ME, respectively. However, among 42 seropositive samples, only 38.1% (16/42) and 14.2% (6/42) were positive by PCR and culture, respectively. Brucella melitensis biovar 1 and biovar 2 was isolated from the bacterial cultures of 6 blood samples and confirmed by biotyping, AMOS PCR and Bruce-ladder PCR assays. These findings highlight the potential risk of Brucella transmission from dog to humans along with other livestock and reflect the critical role of infected dogs in the persistence of Brucella infections among ruminant farms. This study stresses the need for further epidemiological investigations on canine brucellosis among herding dogs and suggests the systematic screening of the disease among companion animals such as dogs in order to improve brucellosis surveillance and control programs.     

A small animal clinician's guide to critical appraisal of the evidence in scientific literature.

There is a tremendous amount of medical literature available to the clinician. The challenge is to identify information that is useful and relevant for the patient population of interest. This article provides an overview of important considerations when critically appraising a report, such as selection of the study population, features of the study design used, potential sources of bias, and evaluation of the statistical evidence.     

Dietary management of chronic renal disease in dogs: A critical appraisal

Diets low in protein have been recommended for dogs with chronic renal failure (CRF) since 1948, and for apparently healthy old dogs since 1960. These recommendations were based on studies of rats and poorly documented clinical experiences with dogs. Since 1979, a series of eight experiments on partially nephrectomised dogs and four clinical trials on naturally occurring chronic renal disease have demonstrated serious disadvantages of diets that contained high (38 to 49 per cent on a metabolisable energy (ME) basis) or very low (3 to 10 per cent) protein. In addition to poor acceptance of low protein (12 and 16 per cent) diets, undesired responses included exacerbation of depressed renal functions, reduced renal reserve, severe hyperfiltration in single nephrons, metabolic acidosis, hypercholesterolaemia, and hypertension. Protein deficiency may not have caused the complications observed, and may have been due to another feature of the diets fed. In seven studies, diets with a moderate (20 to 31 per cent ME) protein level fared better in regard to reduced renal pathology and proteinuria, better renal functions and reserve, and improvement of clinical status, azotaemia, hyperphosphataemia and anaemia. In the first instance, preferred products for CRF should contain moderate (20 to 24 per cent) protein and minimal phosphorus. Taking into consideration these 12 kidney studies a protein content of 30 per cent is recommended for apparently healthy old dogs. Current recommendations are to introduce a diet that is low in protein at a ‘critical point’ in the course of CRF, when its advantages are likely to outweigh its possible disadvantages. When this critical point has been reached has not been determined, but it is likely to be based on an assessment of the individual case.     

Spirochetes in periodontal disease in the dog: a review.

The importance and the role of spirochetes in periodontal disease is controversial since the means to study these particular bacteria are limited. Because of specific requirements for growth, spirochetes are difficult to culture. Spirochetes could have profound effects on the perpetuation of periodontal disease. A review of the literature related to spirochetes is described.     

Phycomycosis in a dog.

Chronic vomiting in a 2-year-old dog was suspected to be due to a neoplasm of the stomach wall. During exploratory laparotomy, a lymph node from the pyloric area was examined microscopically. Inasmuch as neoplastic cells or evidence of metastasis were not found, all visibly involved tissue was removed surgically. A diagnosis of phycomycosis was then established by histologic evaluation of the tissue removed. It was concluded that diagnosis of this disease is important inasmuch as it may be treated successfully, in contrast to the situation with malignant neoplastic conditions, which it grossly resembles.     

Intrahepatic cholestasis in a dog: a clinicopathological study.

The paper describes a case of jaundice in a three-year-old bassett hound. The illness was accompanied by hyperbilirubinaemia and raised serum levels of alkaline phosphatase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase, indicating the presence of both biliary obstruction and hepatocellular damage. Examination of liver biopsies on two occasions showed intrahepatic cholestasis and mild inflammatory change. The dog was treated with corticosteroid. The jaundice regressed after three months, hepatic functions returned to normal and the dog recovered. The cause of the jaundice was not determined.