Prevention of renal carriage of leptospirosis in dogs by vaccination

Dogs vaccinated with a Leptospira interrogans vaccine containing serogroups Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae and prepared from cultures grown in a protein-free medium resisted challenge with heterologous representatives of these serogroups. In contrast, control dogs were pyrexic and leptospires were isolated from the blood for nine days following Canicola challenge and six days after Icterohaemorrhagiae challenge. Leptospires were isolated from the urine of controls throughout the post challenge period and from kidneys at post mortem examination of six out of six and four out of six Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae challenged controls, respectively. There have been no reports of hypersensitivity reactions to this vaccine since its introduction in 1980.     

Nonhypotensive autonomic agents in veterinary ophthalmology.

The parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system are involved in homeostatic control of a wide variety of ocular functions, including accommodation, pupillomotor control, lacrimation, eyelid position, and aqueous humor production. Familiarity with the functional anatomy of the autonomic nervous system is paramount to the understanding and application of the large number of autonomic drugs used in veterinary ophthalmology. The cholinergic and adrenergic agents discussed in this article are commonly employed to facilitate routine ophthalmic examination, in the diagnosis of autonomic dysfunction, and in the treatment of a variety of ocular diseases.     

The pathology of disseminated Aspergillus terreus infection in dogs

Disseminated Aspergillus terreus infection was diagnosed in ten previously healthy adult dogs--nine German shepherds and one dalmatian. The disease was characterized by the presence of multiple granulomas and infarcts in a wide range of organs. The kidney, spleen, and skeletal system were most commonly and severely affected. Fungal hyphae were demonstrated in large numbers within granulomas and thrombi, and A. terreus was readily isolated by culture. This disseminated mycosis appears unique; in this series of cases there was no apparent predisposing factor, portal of entry, or primary focus for dissemination of the infection.