Pain-related aggression in dogs: 12 clinical cases

The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the main features of pain-related aggression in dogs. Twelve dogs presented for aggressive problems at the Veterinary Hospital of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, were included, and a questionnaire was used to gather information on the context of the aggression, body posture during the attack, impulsiveness, and aggressive behavior before the onset of the pain-eliciting condition. The most common cause of pain was hip dysplasia (66.7%), but no relationship was found between the cause of pain and the characteristics of the aggressive behavior. Dogs were classified as having been aggressive before or after the onset of painful condition. Dogs that had not been aggressive before the onset of the pain-eliciting condition were more impulsive (df = 1, χ² = 5.3, P = 0.0209), showed aggression as a result of manipulation context more frequently (df = 1, χ² = 6, P = 0.0143), and adopted a defensive body posture more frequently (df = 1, χ² = 3.733, P = 0.0533) than dogs that had been aggressive before the onset of pain. These results suggest that previous expression of aggressive behavior has a major effect on the pattern of pain-related aggression in dogs.     

Electrochemotherapy in treatment of canine oral non‐tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. A case series report

Non‐tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (ntSCC) is a common and locally aggressive oral tumour in dogs. The treatments of choice are currently surgery and radiotherapy. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a local ablative anti‐tumour technique using electric pulses to enhance the intracellular diffusion of cytotoxic drugs. The aim was to retrospectively evaluate the outcome of patients with oral ntSCC treated with ECT. Twelve dogs with ntSCC were retrospectively enrolled. ECT was combined with IV bleomycin (15 000 UI/m²) alone in 11 cases and post‐surgery in 1. Parameters considered were: tumour site and size, electroporation parameters, response rate (complete remission [CR], partial remission [PR]), median survival time (MST), recurrence rate (RR), median disease‐free interval (DFI) and treatment toxicity (6‐point scale). Median tumour size was 1.65 cm (range 0.3‐8.0 cm) and the response rate was 90.9% (10/11; 8 CR and 2 PR). Two dogs underwent a second ECT. MST for dogs dead with tumour (n = 2) was 110 days and for dogs dead without tumour (n = 3) was 831 days. Among five surviving dogs, one experienced tumour recurrence and four were in CR. Results from two dogs were analysed separately. Overall RR was 27.3%. DFI and MST for dogs with recurrence were 50 and 115 days, respectively. Treatment toxicity was very low. We noticed that all dogs with tumours smaller than 1‐2 cm achieved CR without recurrence suggesting a favourable prognosis when using ECT. ECT for canine ntSCC could be considered a valid treatment option especially for smaller tumours, but a larger caseload would be needed to confirm this statement.     

Detection of Helicobacter spp. DNA in the oral cavity of dogs

The mode of acquisition of gastric Helicobacter spp. infection in dogs has not been determined. It is suspected that oral-oral and faecal-oral transmission may be involved. The present study sought to determine if Helicobacter spp. DNA is present in the oral cavity of healthy and vomiting dogs. Thirty-eight pet dogs (27 vomiting and 11 clinically healthy) were studied. The presence of Helicobacter spp. was determined by single and nested PCR evaluation of DNA extracted from saliva, dental plaque and gastric biopsy samples. Helicobacter spp. DNA was detected by nested PCR in 36 (94.7%) gastric biopsies, 17 (44.7%) dental plaque and 19 (50%) saliva samples out of the 38 dogs examined. Overall 27 (71.1%) dogs screened by nested PCR were found to harbour Helicobacter spp. DNA in the oral cavity (dental plaque and/or saliva). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter spp. DNA in the oral cavity of vomiting and healthy dogs, and the time from vomiting to oral sampling did not have significant impact. This study confirms the high prevalence of gastric Helicobacter spp. infection in dogs, and reveals that Helicobacter spp. DNA is detectable in the oral cavity of over 70% of dogs. These findings support the possibility of oral-oral transmission between dogs and that the canine oral cavity may act as source of non-pylori Helicobacter spp. infection for humans.     

Proliferation activity in oral and cutaneous canine melanocytic tumours: correlation with histological parameters,location, and clinical behaviour

A total of 62 canine melanocytic tumours (10 melanocytomas and 52 primary malignant melanomas) were investigated to compare the accuracy of prognosis provided by MIB-1 proliferation index (MIB-1-PI) with classical histological criteria and location. MIB-1-PI was assessed by means of quantitative image analysis of sections immunostained with MIB-1 monoclonal antibody. Tumour location, histological cell type, stromal or lymphatic vessel invasion, maximum tumour thickness, and presence of inflammation or necrosis were recorded for each case. Thirty-eight dogs were submitted to a 1-year follow-up and the clinical outcome of the disease determined. MIB-1-PI in melanocytomas differed significantly from that detected in primary malignant melanomas (P=0.0001). A significant difference in MIB-1-PI was revealed between oral and cutaneous malignant melanomas (P=0.015), and between presence and absence of lymphatic vessel invasion (P=0.05). MIB-1-PI was not correlated with the other parameters. In univariate analysis, only tumour location (oral vs cutaneous), presence of lymphatic vessel invasion, and MIB-1-PI were associated with decreased overall survival (P=0.0001,P=0.0144, and P=0.0489, respectively). In conclusion, the results of our study confirm that the assessment of the MIB-1-PI may be of additional prognostic value for dogs with primary malignant melanomas.     

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin influences bovine herpesvirus 1 replication through upregulation of SIRT3 and cytoskeletal reorganization

Infection of kidney cells (MDBK) with Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is affected by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), which accelerates BoHV-1-induced apoptosis and increases virus replication. Herein, to elucidate the mechanism through TCDD modifies BoHV-1 infection, we analyzed the modulation of a members of Sirtuin proteins family in MDBK cells. We found that mitochondrial SIRT3 was upregulated during infection. This change was accompanied by cytoskeletal rearrangements and cell extensions. All these trends were drastically modified by TCDD. We hypothesize that, taken together, these results might further clarify the processes responsible for the action of TCDD on the BoHV-1 replication, resulting in enhanced virus production.     

Evaluation of Plasma Detectable Concentrations of Two Lidocaine Transdermal Formulations and Their Analgesic Effect in the Horse

Transdermal absorption of four lidocaine (L) patches (5%) was compared with the transdermal absorption of L cream (5%) to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of the two formulations applied on the same anatomic region under dressing in eight horses. The animals were also assessed for antinociceptive effect after removal of the patches and cream, using a psychophysical method visual analog scale, by pricking the patient's skin to test the response to pain. Horses were randomly assigned to four treatment groups: in groups I and II, four L patches were applied for a period of 24 hours with and without alcohol precleaning, respectively; in group III, 5% L cream was applied every 2 hours over a 24-hour period on the same anatomic site. Group IV was the control. No clinical side effects were noted with either formulation. L was detectable in plasma 6 to 24 hours after application of the patches, and the highest plasma concentrations were reached between 12 and 18 hours. The use of alcohol to preclean the skin appeared to reduce the transdermal drug absorption over time. After L cream application, the peak plasma drug concentration occurred at 24 hours. Nociception assessment after L patch or L cream application showed a decreased response when the L cream was used. The results of this study showed that there was minimal absorption from the L patches compared with the L cream in horses. Also, the L cream treatment reduced significantly the intensity of nociception quality as measured by the visual analog scale.