Prognostic factors and survival after radiotherapy for intranasal neoplasms in dogs: 70 cases (1974-1985)

Survival time and 31 prognostic factors were analyzed for 70 dogs undergoing radiotherapy for intranasal tumors at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between 1974 and 1985. At the time of analysis (January 1987), 14.3% (10 of 70) of the dogs were alive. Of the remaining dogs, 34 died because of tumor recurrence, 14 died because of intercurrent disease, and 12 were lost to follow-up evaluation. Pretreatment prognostic factors that were significantly correlated with disease-free interval or long-term survival could not be identified. Notably, presence of a facial mass was not prognostically significant, suggesting that extensive disease should not preclude treatment. Median survival time of dogs with all tumor types was 16.5 months, with a 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival of 54%, 43%, and 35%, respectively. Median survival time of dogs with carcinoma was 13.5 months, with 1-year survival of 51%, 2-year survival of 37%, and 3-year survival of 31%. Orthovoltage radiation was efficacious in the treatment of canine intranasal tumors.     

Immunotoxicity of ochratoxin A to growing gilts.

Ochratoxin A (OA) was incorporated in the diets of growing gilts (mean body weight, 20.1 kg) at a concentration of 2.5 mg of OA/kg of feed and was fed continuously for 35 days. Humoral and cell-mediated immunologic measurements were evaluated to determine the effects of OA on immune function in swine. Cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin, PHA-induced lymphocyte blastogenesis, interleukin-2 production, total and isotype immunoglobulin concentrations, antibody response to chicken RBC, and macrophage activation were used to evaluate immune function. Gilts treated with OA had reduced cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity response to PHA, reduced delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin, decreased stimulation index for lymphoblastogenesis, decreased interleukin-2 production when lymphocytes were stimulated with concanavalin A, and decreased number and phagocytic activity of macrophages. Differences were not observed for total and isotype immunoglobulin concentrations, or humoral hemagglutination (chicken RBC) titer. These data indicate that OA may suppress cell-mediated immune response in growing swine.     

Babesiosis in a litter of pups

Babesia canis infection was diagnosed in a litter of seven 3-week-old Mastiff pups kept in a north Florida kennel. The pups were evaluated because of poor weight gain; the smallest pup also was markedly lethargic. Six of the pups were anemic and thrombocytopenic. A positive linear correlation between PCV and absolute reticulocyte count suggested that the variation in PCV may have been related more to the ability of a pup to increase erythrocyte production than to a difference in magnitude of erythrocyte destruction. All pups recovered from clinical signs and hematologic abnormalities attributable to babesiosis within 2.5 weeks after treatment with diminazene aceturate. Transient neurologic signs observed in 1 pup 3 days after treatment were believed to represent an adverse drug reaction. The dam of the litter had a serum titer of 1:640 for B canis, but appeared healthy, as did approximately 30 other adult dog in the kennel. The strain of B canis infecting dogs in the kennel caused severe illness and death in some pups, but clinically inapparent disease in adult dogs.