Practical relevance:
There has been increasing identification of vector-borne pathogens in cats presented to veterinary clinics around the world for evaluation of fever and the associated secondary ...effects, such as signs of depression and loss of appetite.
Aim:
The aim of this article is to summarize the clinically relevant information concerning fever in cats that is associated with pathogens vectored by ticks or sandflies, with an emphasis on presenting clinical abnormalities and optimal diagnostic, treatment and prevention strategies. Fever in cats associated with pathogens known or suspected to be vectored by fleas was discussed within Part 1 of this two-part article series.
Feline morbillivirus (FeMV) was first isolated in 2012 from stray cats in Hong Kong. It has been found in association with tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN), the most common cause of feline chronic ...kidney disease (CKD). However, viral host spectrum and virus tropism go beyond the domestic cat and kidney tissues. The viral genetic diversity of FeMV is extensive, but it is not known if this is clinically relevant. Urine and kidney tissues have been widely tested in attempts to confirm associations between FeMV infection and renal disease, but samples from both healthy and sick cats can test positive and some cross-sectional studies have not found associations between FeMV infection and CKD. There is also evidence for acute kidney injury following infection with FeMV. The results of prevalence studies differ greatly depending on the population tested and methodologies used for detection, but worldwide distribution of FeMV has been shown. Experimental studies have confirmed previous field observations that higher viral loads are present in the urine compared to other tissues, and renal TIN lesions associated with FeMV antigen have been demonstrated, alongside virus lymphotropism and viraemia-associated lymphopenia. Longitudinal field studies have revealed persistent viral shedding in urine, although infection can be cleared spontaneously.
Objectives
Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and non-regenerative immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (NRIMHA) are uncommon causes of non-regenerative anaemia affecting the bone marrow in the cat. This ...retrospective study aimed to describe the clinical features, treatment and outcome (remission and survival) of cats with these disorders.
Methods
Cases of PRCA and NRIMHA presenting between 2009 and 2013 were retrieved. Clinical features including signalment, history, clinical signs and diagnostic investigations were recorded, as well as treatment(s) used and outcome (remission and survival). Outcome was compared for PRCA and NRIMHA.
Results
Fifteen cats met inclusion criteria: seven with PRCA and eight with NRIMHA. The majority (12/15) were younger than 3 years of age. Volume overload was common (8/11). Treatment with whole blood transfusions with or without Oxyglobin was necessary in most cats (14/15) and resulted in congestive heart failure in one cat. Most cats (11/15) achieved remission 12–42 days after starting immunosuppressive treatment. Treatment protocols associated with remission were glucocorticoids alone (remission in 6/7 cats), glucocorticoids and chlorambucil (remission in 3/6 treated cats), glucocorticoids and ciclosporin (one cat only) and ciclosporin alone (one cat only). Relapse was observed in 3/11 cats, and 8/11 cats were still receiving treatment at the time of follow-up. Outcome (remission and survival) did not differ between PRCA and NRIMHA.
Conclusions and relevance
PRCA and NRIMHA are uncommon causes of anaemia in predominantly young cats. The prognosis is reasonable, with a mortality rate of 27%, and it can take at least 6 weeks before remission is observed. Following clinical remission, gradual withdrawal of immunosuppressive treatments should be attempted, with close monitoring for relapse; some cats may require long-term treatment. This study is the first to report the use of chlorambucil as an adjunctive immunosuppressant in these cases. Outcome did not differ for PRCA and NRIMHA.
Influenza Virus Infections in Cats Frymus, Tadeusz; Belák, Sándor; Egberink, Herman ...
Viruses,
07/2021, Letnik:
13, Številka:
8
Journal Article, Web Resource
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In the past, cats were considered resistant to influenza. Today, we know that they are susceptible to some influenza A viruses (IAVs) originating in other species. Usually, the outcome is only ...subclinical infection or a mild fever. However, outbreaks of feline disease caused by canine H3N2 IAV with fever, tachypnoea, sneezing, coughing, dyspnoea and lethargy are occasionally noted in shelters. In one such outbreak, the morbidity rate was 100% and the mortality rate was 40%. Recently, avian H7N2 IAV infection occurred in cats in some shelters in the USA, inducing mostly mild respiratory disease. Furthermore, cats are susceptible to experimental infection with the human H3N2 IAV that caused the pandemic in 1968. Several studies indicated that cats worldwide could be infected by H1N1 IAV during the subsequent human pandemic in 2009. In one shelter, severe cases with fatalities were noted. Finally, the highly pathogenic avian H5N1 IAV can induce a severe, fatal disease in cats, and can spread via cat-to-cat contact. In this review, the Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), a scientifically independent board of experts in feline medicine from 11 European countries, summarises current data regarding the aetiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnostics, and control of feline IAV infections, as well as the zoonotic risks.
Objectives
The objective was to use electronic health records to describe the use of cefovecin (Convenia; Zoetis UK), a third-generation long-acting injectable antimicrobial, in a UK population of ...cats attending first-opinion practices, and to compare the use of Convenia with the licensed uses described on the UK Convenia datasheet.
Methods
Data were obtained as an Excel database from the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network for all feline consultations containing the word Convenia and/or cefovecin from 1 September 2012 to 23 September 2013 inclusive. Entries were classified according to body system treated, confirmation or suspicion of an abscess, evidence of microbiological evaluation being performed, any concurrent therapies given and whether any reason was given for use of Convenia over alternative antimicrobials. Data were exported to IBM SPSS Statistics and descriptive analysis performed.
Results
In total, 1148 entries were analysed. The most common body system treated was skin in 553 (48.2%) entries, then urinary (n = 157; 13.7%) and respiratory (n = 112; 9.8%). Microbiological evaluation was recorded in 193 (16.8%) entries, with visible purulent material most commonly cited (in 147 12.8% entries). A reason for prescribing Convenia over alternative antimicrobials was given in 138 (12.0%) entries; the most cited was an inability to orally medicate the cat in 77 (55.8%) of these entries. Excluding 131 entries where no body system or multiple body systems were described, the use of Convenia complied with a licensed use in the UK datasheet in 710 (69.8%) of 1017 entries.
Conclusions and relevance
Most administrations were licensed uses; however, most entries did not describe any microbiological evaluation, or a reason for prescribing Convenia over alternative antimicrobials. Further education of the public and the veterinary profession is needed to promote antimicrobial stewardship in the UK. Health records provide a valuable tool with which to monitor, both locally and at scale, the use of important therapeutics like antimicrobials. Information relevant to decision-making should be recorded in individual animal health records.
Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infections are endemic among cats worldwide. The majority of infections are asymptomatic or result in only mild enteric disease. However, approximately 5 % of cases develop ...feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a systemic disease that is a frequent cause of death in young cats. In this study, we report the complete coding genome sequences of six FCoVs: three from faecal samples from healthy cats and three from tissue lesion samples from cats with confirmed FIP. The six samples were obtained over a period of 8 weeks at a single-site cat rescue and rehoming centre in the UK. We found amino acid differences located at 44 positions across an alignment of the six virus translatomes and, at 21 of these positions, the differences fully or partially discriminated between the genomes derived from the faecal samples and the genomes derived from the tissue lesion samples. In this study, two amino acid differences fully discriminated the two classes of genomes: these were both located in the S2 domain of the virus surface glycoprotein gene. We also identified deletions in the 3c protein ORF of genomes from two of the FIP samples. Our results support previous studies that implicate S protein mutations in the pathogenesis of FIP.
Vaccines protect cats from serious diseases by inducing antibodies and cellular immune responses. Primary vaccinations and boosters are given according to vaccination guidelines provided by industry ...and veterinary organizations, based on minimal duration of immunity (DOI). For certain diseases, particularly feline panleukopenia, antibody titres correlate with protection. For feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus, a similar correlation is absent, or less clear. In this review, the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) presents current knowledge and expert opinion on the use of antibody testing in different situations. Antibody testing can be performed either in diagnostic laboratories, or in veterinary practice using point of care (POC) tests, and can be applied for several purposes, such as to provide evidence that a successful immune response was induced following vaccination. In adult cats, antibody test results can inform the appropriate re-vaccination interval. In shelters, antibody testing can support the control of FPV outbreaks by identifying potentially unprotected cats. Antibody testing has also been proposed to support decisions on optimal vaccination schedules for the individual kitten. However, such testing is still expensive and it is considered impractical to monitor the decline of maternally derived antibodies.
Limited socialisation can contribute to the development of undesirable dog behaviours. The COVID-19 lockdown potentially limited socialisation opportunities, which may negatively impact the future ...behaviour of puppies raised during lockdown. Data were gathered from longitudinal study participants in the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland via multiple questionnaires between May 2016 and November 2022. The impact of age and lockdown phase (pre-, during, and post-) on the types of socialisation experiences of 8-to-19-week-old puppies and the recency of socialisation experiences of approximately 6-month-old puppies were examined. Puppies under 19-weeks had significantly more types of socialisation experiences (from a predefined list) as they aged, and pre-lockdown compared to post-lockdown, but not between other lockdown phases. Most 6-month-old puppies had met a new adult or dog outside the household, a familiar dog, and/or a child within the last 1-7 days, and this was similar between lockdown phases. During lockdown, 6-month-old puppies experienced longer periods between meeting a new adult in their home. Puppies were hypothesised to have had fewer experiences during lockdown, but this was not found. However, the quantity and quality of these experiences may have been affected. Future research within this longitudinal study will explore relationships between the timing and type of experiences had by puppies and their subsequent behaviour.
•Dog.•Behaviour problems.•Dog owner perceptions.
Problem behaviours may lead to compromised welfare, risk of relinquishment and euthanasia for dogs, as well as distress and safety issues for owners. ...This study used data provided by 1111 UK and Republic of Ireland participants in the ‘Generation Pup’ longitudinal study of canine health and behaviour. The aims were to; i) identify the proportion and type of problem behaviours reported by owners when their dogs were 6 and 9-months; ii) identify risk factors for behaviours owners reported as a ‘problem’ when their dog was 9-months old; iii) identify risk factors for behaviours reported to occur but not recorded as a ‘problem’ by owners when dogs were 9-months old; and iv) identify whether and how owners sought help for undesired behaviours. In the 6 and 9-months questionnaires, 31 % and 35 % (respectively) of owners reported their dog to be showing behaviour(s) that they found a problem. Owners most often sought help for these behaviours from dog trainers (72 % at 6-months and 68 % at 9-months), and online sources excluding those associated with welfare organisations (which were listed separately) (34 % at 6-months and 27 % at 9-months). The most commonly reported problem behaviours at both ages were pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and poor recall. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that female owners, owners who were unemployed/homemakers/pensioners/retired, owners who did not attend (nor planned to attend) puppy classes, and owners who reported they used a mixture of positive reinforcement and positive punishment or positive punishment only training methods at 9-months had increased odds of reporting a problem behaviour in their dogs at that age. Further investigation determined risk factors for owners reporting one or more of the three most commonly reported problem behaviours (pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and poor recall) in their dog’s 9-months questionnaire compared with those owners who separately recorded the occurrence of these behaviours, but did not report any to be problematic. Owners who were employed/self-employed/students, owners who reported that they used positive reinforcement only, owners that had not attended puppy class, and owners of small dogs had increased odds of not reporting a behaviour to be problematic despite evidence of the behaviour having been observed by the owner. These results indicate that not all potentially concerning canine behaviours were perceived by the owners to be problematic, and has identified groups of owners more likely to require support with behaviour issues in their dogs.
Regular exercise for dogs has health and welfare benefits. This study sought to address a gap in existing research regarding what constitutes ‘common’ age-specific walking practices by owners of young ...dogs, and how these practices change as the dogs reach adulthood. Dog owners living in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland participating in a longitudinal study reported the frequency and duration of their average weekday and average weekend walks when their dogs were aged 16 weeks (n = 2225), 9 months (n = 1200) and 15 months (n = 808). Owners also reported the amount of time their dogs spent on lead during these walks. For the statistical analysis, a subpopulation of dogs with data regarding walking practices at all three timepoints were used (n = 609). At all three timepoints dogs were most commonly walked twice a day. Commonly, 16-week-old puppies were walked for a total of 30 min on weekdays and weekend days, whereas dogs aged 9 and 15 months were walked for a total of 1 h on weekdays and 2 h on weekend days. Commonly, 16-week-old puppies spent ≥75% of total walk time on lead, whereas the older dogs mostly spent < 25% of total walk time on lead on weekdays and weekend days. Most owners reported using a short lead rather than a long lead (for example, a flexi-lead, training line, long line). For the subpopulation of dogs for which data were available at all three timepoints, the total duration of walks on both an average weekday and average weekend day increased significantly as the dogs aged. The proportion of total walk time spent on lead on both an average weekday and average weekend day significantly decreased as the dogs aged. This study can provide veterinarians and dog behaviourists with an insight into the common walking practices of owners with puppies and young dogs, which potentially could help them advise their clients on appropriate practices for the health and wellbeing of their dogs. Additionally, this study can potentially be used as a baseline for comparison for other populations of dogs at these age points, as the practices described by owners within this large sample offer an indication of the walking practices by owners of young dogs. Future research within this longitudinal study will explore how walk frequency and duration are associated with dog behaviour, welfare indicators and health outcomes, and what factors are associated with walk frequency and duration.
•Walking practices by owners of young dogs living in the UK/ROI were explored.•Dogs under 15 months were typically walked twice a day on weekdays/weekend days.•As dogs aged (from 16 weeks to 15 months), walk durations significantly increased.•As dogs aged, the proportion of walk time spent on lead significantly decreased.
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