Background
The utility of 1,2‐o‐dilauryl‐rac‐glycero glutaric acid‐(6′‐methylresorufin)‐ester‐(DGGR)‐lipase activity (DLA) in monitoring clinical progression of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in dogs is ...unknown.
Objective
To examine the association of DLA with clinical signs of CP, as assessed by a CP clinical severity score (CPCSS).
Animals: Twenty‐four dogs.
Methods
This is a retrospective study. Chronic pancreatitis was diagnosed based on clinical signs and DLA > 250 U/L and monitored using CPCSS and DLA.
Results
The study included 134 visits (median, 10 visits/dog; range, 2‐11). Mild‐moderate (CPCSS, 0‐3) and severe (CPCSS, ≥4) disease were documented in 94 (70%) and 40 (30%) visits, respectively. In emergency visits (n = 44; 33%) CPCSS (median, 5; range, 0‐15) and DLA (median, 534 U/L; range, 63‐7133) were higher (P < .001 and P = .003, respectively) than in scheduled ones (n = 90; 67%; median, 1; range, 0‐6 and median, 384 U/L; range, 49‐3747, respectively). DGGR‐lipase activity was associated (P = .009) with the CPCSS, with a lower activity documented in mild‐moderate CPCSS (median 391 U/L; range, 49‐3747), compared to severe score (median, 558 U/L; range, 63‐7133). DGGR‐lipase activity was significantly, but weakly, correlated with CPSS (r = 0.233, P = .007). DGGR‐lipase activity inefficiently discriminated mild‐moderate vs severe CP (area under the receiver operator characteristics curve, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.53‐0.75; P = .012), with DLA cutoff of 428 U/L corresponding to sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 63%.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
Increased DLA is associated with emergency revisits in dogs with CP, possibly reflecting acute flare‐ups. DGGR‐lipase activity was associated with the CPCSS over the follow‐ups but could not differentiate disease severity.
Background
Thromboelastometry (TEM) provides a comprehensive overview of the entire coagulation process and has not been evaluated in heatstroke‐induced coagulopathies in dogs.
Objectives
To ...determine the diagnostic and prognostic utility of TEM in dogs with heatstroke.
Animals
Forty‐two client‐owned dogs with heatstroke.
Methods
Prospective observational study. Blood samples for intrinsic and extrinsic TEM (INTEM and EXTEM, respectively) were collected at presentation and every 12 to 24 hours for 48 hours. Coagulation phenotype (hypo‐, normo‐, or hypercoagulable) was defined based on TEM area under the 1st derivative curve (AUC).
Results
Case fatality rate was 31%. Median TEM variables associated with death (P < .05 for all) included longer INTEM clotting time, lower AUC at presentation and at 12 to 24 hours postpresentation (PP), lower INTEM alpha angle, maximum clot firmness, and maximum lysis (ML) at 12 to 24 hours PP, and lower EXTEM ML at 12 to 24 hours PP. Most dogs were normo‐coagulable on presentation (66% and 63% on EXTEM and INTEM, respectively), but hypo‐coagulable 12 to 24 PP (63% for both EXTEM and INTEM). A hypo‐coagulable INTEM phenotype was more frequent at presentation and 12 to 24 PP among nonsurvivors compared to survivors (55% vs 15% and 100% vs 50%, P = .045 and .026, respectively). AKI was more frequent (P = .015) in dogs with hypo‐coagulable INTEM tracings at 12 to 24 hours. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was more frequent (P < .05) in dogs with a hypo‐coagulable INTEM phenotype and in nonsurvivors at all timepoints.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
Hypocoagulability, based on INTEM AUC, is predictive of worse prognosis and occurrence of secondary complications.
Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute exacerbation of CKD (ACKD) are common in dogs.
Objective
To characterize the etiology, clinical and laboratory findings, and short‐ and long‐term ...prognosis of dogs with ACKD.
Animals
One hundred dogs with ACKD.
Methods
Medical records of dogs diagnosed with ACKD admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital were retrospectively reviewed.
Results
The most common clinical signs included anorexia (84%), lethargy (77%), vomiting (55%) and diarrhea (37%). Presumptive etiology included inflammatory causes (30%), pyelonephritis (15%), ischemic causes (7%), other (3%), or unknown (45%). Median hospitalization time was 5 days (range, 2‐29 days) and was significantly longer in survivors (6 days; range, 2‐29 days) compared with nonsurvivors (4 days; range, 2‐20 days; P < .001). Mortality rate was 35%. International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) acute kidney injury (AKI) grade at presentation was associated (P = .009) with short‐term survival, but presumptive etiology was not (P = .46). On multivariable analysis; respiratory rate (P = .01), creatine kinase (CK) activity (P = .005) and serum creatinine concentration (SCR; P = .04) at presentation were associated with short‐term outcome. Median survival time of dogs discharged was 105 days (95% confidence interval CI, 25‐184), with 35 and 8 dogs surviving up to 6 and 12 months, respectively. Presumptive etiology (P = .16) and SCR (P = .59) at discharge were not predictors of long‐term survival.
Conclusion and Clinical Importance
Short‐term outcome of dogs with ACKD is comparable to those with AKI but long‐term prognosis is guarded. The IRIS AKI grade at presentation is a prognostic indicator of short‐term outcome.
Daboia (Vipera) palaestinae (Dp), accounts for most envenomations in humans and dogs in Israel. In humans envenomed by Dp, serum cholesterol concentration (sChol) is inversely correlated with ...envenomation severity. This study examined the utility of sChol upon admission in dogs envenomed by Dp as an envenomation severity and outcome marker. Data upon admission, including sChol, were retrospectively collected from the medical records of dogs with proven Dp envenomation. The study included 415 dogs. The mortality rate was 11%. The heart rate upon admission was higher in non-survivors than in survivors. Signs of bleeding or hematoma and circulatory shock signs were more frequent among non-survivors compared to survivors. sChol, the platelet count, and serum albumin concentration (sAlb) were lower, while serum creatinine concentration was higher among non-survivors. sChol and sAlb were moderately, positively, and significantly correlated. sChol was significantly, negatively, albeit weakly, correlated with the length of hospitalization and the heart rate. sChol was lower in dogs admitted >12 h post-envenomation than in those admitted later. In dogs, sChol upon admission is a potential marker of severity and outcome of Dp envenomation. The platelet count, sAlb, and sCreat might also be potential markers.
Babesiosis is a protozoan tick-borne infection associated with anemia and life-threatening disease in humans, domestic and wildlife animals. Dogs are infected by at least six well-characterized ...Babesia spp. that cause clinical disease. Infection with a piroplasmid species was detected by light microscopy of stained blood smears from five sick dogs from Israel and prompted an investigation on the parasite's identity.
Genetic characterization of the piroplasmid was performed by PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Four of the dogs were co-infected with Borrelia persica (Dschunkowsky, 1913), a relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by the argasid tick Ornithodoros tholozani Laboulbène & Mégnin. Co-infection of dogs with B. persica raised the possibility of transmission by O. tholozani and therefore, a piroplasmid PCR survey of ticks from this species was performed.
The infected dogs presented with fever (4/5), anemia, thrombocytopenia (4/5) and icterus (3/5). Comparison of the 18S rRNA and cox1 piroplasmid gene sequences revealed 99-100% identity between sequences amplified from different dogs and ticks. Phylogenetic trees demonstrated a previously undescribed species of Babesia belonging to the western group of Babesia (sensu lato) and closely related to the human pathogen Babesia duncani Conrad, Kjemtrup, Carreno, Thomford, Wainwright, Eberhard, Quick, Telfrom & Herwalt, 2006 while more moderately related to Babesia conradae Kjemtrup, Wainwright, Miller, Penzhorn & Carreno, 2006 which infects dogs. The piroplasm forms detected included tetrads (Maltese cross), merozoite and trophozoite stages whose average size was larger than stages of other canine Babesia spp. belonging to the Babesia (s.l.) and B. gibsoni Patton, 1910, and smaller than other canine Babesia (sensu stricto) spp. Of 212 O. tholozani ticks surveyed, 11 (5.2%) harbored DNA of the new species of Babesia.
Babesia negevi n. sp. is described based on morphological and genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses. The species is named after the Negev desert of southern Israel, where the first infected dog originated from. Despite co-infection in four dogs, the fifth dog had fatal disease attesting that B. negevi n. sp. infection requires clinical attention. Incriminating O. tholozani or another tick species as the vector of Babesia negevi n. sp., would require additional studies.
Background
Giardia duodenalis (Gd) causes intestinal parasitosis. The involvement of the intestinal microbiome in determining the infection's clinical phenotype is unknown.
Objective
Investigate the ...fecal microbiome features in dogs with giardiasis.
Animals and Methods
Cross‐sectional study, including fecal samples of kenneled dogs with Gd diagnosed by fecal Giardia antigen dot ELISA. The fecal microbial compositional characteristics and dysbiosis index (DI) were compared between diarrheic and nondiarrheic dogs.
Results
Fecal samples of 38 Gd‐infected dogs (diarrheic, 21; nondiarrheic, 17) were included. No differences were found in Faith's phylogenic diversity and beta diversity (weighted UniFrac distances) and in specific taxa abundances at the phylum, genus, and species levels, as well as in alpha and beta diversities between diarrheic and nondiarrheic dogs, and also when divided by sex or age. Among diarrheic dogs, alpha diversity was higher in males than in females (pairwise Kruskal‐Wallis, q = 0.01). Among males, fecal abundances of the genus Clostridium (W = 19) and Clostridium spiroforme species (W = 33) were higher in diarrheic compared to nondiarrheic dogs. In diarrheic dog fecal samples, Proteobacteria were more prevalent (W = 1), whereas Verrucomicrobia were less prevalent in dogs <1 year of age than in older dogs. The fecal sample DI of 19 diarrheic and 19 nondiarrheic dogs was similar (median, −0.2; range, −4.3 to 4.5 and median, −1.0; range, −4.3 to 5.8, respectively).
Conclusions
The fecal microbial composition of symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs with giardiasis is similar. Based on fecal DI, giardiasis is not characterized by prominent dysbiosis. Other host and parasite characteristics might determine the severity of giardiasis in dogs.
Spirocerca lupi, the dog oesophageal nematode, causes a potentially fatal disease in domestic dogs, and is currently clinically diagnosed by coproscopy and oesophagoscopy. To date, a single molecular ...method, a semi-nested PCR, targeting the cox1 gene, has been developed to aid in the diagnosis of spirocercosis. The present study describes three novel high-resolution melt (HRM) quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays targeting fragments of the ITS1, 18S and cytb loci of S. lupi. The performance of these molecular assays in feces was compared to fecal flotation and to the previously described cox1 gene semi-nested PCR in 18 fecal samples from dogs with clinical oesophageal spirocercosis diagnosed by oesophagoscopy.
The HRM qPCR for ITS1 and 18S were both able to detect 0.2 S. lupi eggs per gram (epg), while the HRM qPCR for the cytb and the semi-nested PCR for the cox1 detected 6 epg and 526 epg, respectively. Spirocerca lupi was detected in 61.1%, 44.4%, 27.8%, 11.1% and 5.6% of the fecal samples of dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis by using the ITS1 and 18S HRM qPCR assays, fecal flotation, cytb HRM qPCR and cox1 semi-nested PCR, respectively. All dogs positive by fecal flotation were also positive by ITS1 and 18S HRM qPCRs. Quantification of S. lupi eggs was successfully achieved in the HRM qPCRs and compared to the fecal flotation with no significant difference in the calculated concentrations between the HRM qPCRs that detected the 18S and ITS1 loci and the fecal flotation. The HRM qPCR for the 18S cross-amplified DNA from Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina. In contrast, the HRM qPCR for ITS1 did not cross-amplify DNA from other canine gastrointestinal parasites.
This study presents two new molecular assays with significantly increased sensitivity for confirming and quantifying fecal S. lupi eggs. Of these, the HRM qPCR for ITS1 showed the best performance in terms of the limit of detection and absence of cross-amplification with other parasites. These assays will be useful in detecting infection and for follow-up during therapy.
Background
Early recognition of acute kidney injury (AKI) is hindered by current definitions and use of traditional, insensitive markers.
Hypothesis/Objectives
Urinary (u) activity of γ‐glutamyl ...transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and concentrations of heat‐shock protein 70 (HSP70) and interleukins (ILs) ‐6 and ‐18, are predictive biomarkers for AKI and survival.
Animals
Nonazotemic, hospitalized dogs (n = 118) and healthy controls (n = 20).
Methods
A prospective observational study. Nonazotemic dogs at risk of AKI were recruited and their urinary biomarker concentrations were measured at presentation. Serum creatinine (sCr) and symmetric dimethylarginine (sSDMA) were measured daily until discharge/death.
Results
The overall case fatality rate was 18.6%. Fifteen dogs (12.7%) developed AKI, which was associated with death (relative risk, 3.2; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.57‐6.55). All 5 urinary biomarkers were significantly higher in hospitalized dogs compared to controls, with minimal overlap. uHSP70/uCr, uGGT/uCr, and uIL‐6/uCr at presentation were higher in dogs which later developed AKI. Areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) (95% CI) for the 3 biomarkers as predictors of AKI were 0.67 (0.51‐0.83), 0.68 (0.55‐0.81), and 0.78 (0.65‐0.91), respectively. When they were categorically classified as elevated/normal, each additional elevated biomarker increased the odds for AKI (OR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.23‐6.52, P = .01). Agreement between sCr and sSDMA was poor (Cohen's kappa = .071). The AUROC of SDMA at presentation for AKI prediction was 0.73 (0.51‐0.95).
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
Kidney injury was common, irrespective of subsequent worsening of azotemia or death. The predictive value of individual urinary biomarkers was reduced by moderate sensitivities and specificities. SDMA showed moderate discriminatory utility for AKI prediction, and often displayed discordant results with sCr.
Background
Acute pancreatitis (AP) presumably is associated with pancreatic protease activation, protease inhibitor (PI) depletion, and inflammatory mediator secretion.
Objectives
Examine PIs and ...inflammatory mediator concentrations in dogs with AP and their association with death.
Animals
Thirty‐one dogs diagnosed with AP based on clinical signs, ultrasonographic findings, and increased canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI) and 51 healthy control dogs.
Methods
Antithrombin and α2‐antiplasmin activity (ATA and α2AP, respectively) and concentrations of α1‐proteinase inhibitor (α1PI), α2‐macroglobulin (α2MG), C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukins (ILs)‐2,6,8 and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) were prospectively measured. Severity of AP was assessed by clinical severity scoring systems.
Results
Mortality rate was 19%. Antithrombin activity was lower (P = .004) and maximal CRP, IL‐6, and TNF‐α concentrations higher (P < .04) in the AP group compared to the controls, whereas IL‐2, IL‐8, α1PI, and α2AP concentrations did not differ between groups. Serum α2MG concentration was not reliably detected. Serum cPLI, CRP, and IL‐6 concentrations were significantly and positively correlated. The ATA was lower (P = .04), and canine acute pancreatitis severity (CAPS) scores higher (P = .009) in nonsurvivors compared to survivors. Higher CAPS scores were associated (P < .05) with decreased ATA and increased cPLI, CRP, and IL‐6 concentrations.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
Systemic inflammation in dogs with AP is manifested by increased inflammatory mediator concentrations, correlating with cPLI and CRP concentrations. Hypoantithrombinemia is associated with death. Serum concentrations of α2AP and α1PI are less useful prognostic markers. The CAPS score is a useful prognostic marker in dogs with AP.
Background
Urethral obstruction (UO) is a common complication of feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). Robust treatment recommendations to prevent its recurrence are scarce.
Objectives
To evaluate ...meloxicam treatment for prevention of clinical recrudescence in male cats with obstructive FIC.
Animals
Fifty‐one client‐owned cats.
Methods
Prospective, randomized clinical trial. Every male cat with FIC‐associated UO was deemed eligible for the study and was recruited during hospitalization. After discharge, cats were treated with phenoxybenzamine and alprazolam for 2 weeks, with (24 cats) or without (27 cats) low‐dose meloxicam (0.025 mg/kg/day PO) and monitored for 6 months.
Results
Cumulative number (%) of cats with recurrent UO at 10 days, 1‐, 2‐, and 6‐months after discharge was 1 (2%), 2 (4%), 4 (8%), and 8 (16%), respectively. Overall, 12 (24%) cats experienced signs of recurrent FIC within 6 months, with (8 cats) or without (4 cats) concurrent UO. No difference in the cumulative incidence of UO within 6 months was detected with addition of meloxicam (odds ratio 95% confidence interval, 0.63 0.13‐2.97; P = .70). All cats were alive at 6 months.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
No clinical benefit was detected with the addition of low‐dose meloxicam to phenoxybenzamine and alprazolam treatment for 2 weeks after discharge. Nevertheless, this study was underpowered to identify potential differences, and its findings must be corroborated in larger studies.
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