BMC Veterinary Research最新文献

The enteric protozoan parasites Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. are common cause of diarrhea in pet dogs and cats, affecting primarily young animals. This comparative study evaluates the diagnostic performance of conventional and molecular methods for the detection of G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. infection in dogs and cats.The compared diagnostic assays included merthiolate-iodine-formalin (MIF) method, lateral flow immunochromatography rapid test (ICT) and real-time PCR; using direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA) as golden standard. The study included the analysis of 328 fecal samples from different dog (n = 225) and cat (n = 103) populations.According to DFA, the overall prevalence of G. duodenalis was 24.4% (80/328, 95% CI: 19.8-29.4), varying from 11.6% (12/103, 95% CI: 6.2-19.5) in cats to 30.2% (68/225, 95% CI: 24.3-36.7) in dogs. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was 4.0% (13/328, 95% CI: 2.1-6.7), varying from 2.9% (3/103, 95% CI: 0.6-8.3) in cats to 4.4% (10/225, 95% CI: 2.1-8.0) in dogs. MIF was only used for the detection of G. duodenalis, which was identified by this method in 22.7% of dogs and 7.8% of cats, respectively. DFA was the most sensitive technique for detecting G. duodenalis in samples from dogs and cats (p-value: < 0.001), followed by real-time PCR. Identification of Cryptosporidium infections was most effectively accomplished by the combination of DFA and PCR technique (p-value: < 0.001). In addition, epidemiological (sex, age, origin) and clinical (fecal consistency) variables were collected to assess their potential associations with an increased likelihood of infection by G. duodenalis and/or Cryptosporidium spp. Breeder dogs were more likely to harbor G. duodenalis infection (p-value: 0.004), whereas female cats were significantly more infected with Cryptosporidium (p-value: 0.003).In conclusion, DFA (alone or in combination with PCR) has been identified as the most accurate and cost-effective method for detecting G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in fecal samples from pet dogs and cats. This highlights their importance in both veterinary and clinical settings for enabling prompt treatment and preventing potential transmission to humans.

Background: The majority of primary, intraocular tumors in cats originate from the uvea and include feline diffuse iris melanoma, lymphoma, and iridociliary epithelial adenoma or adenocarcinoma. In this case report, we describe for the first time the clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical findings of a rare myxoid intraocular neoplasm arising from the ciliary body in a cat.

Case presentation: A 14-year-old, female, spayed domestic shorthaired cat was presented for evaluation of discolouration of the right eye. Upon examination, a clear to light whitish-tan, bubble-shaped intraocular mass adherent to the inferior ciliary body and extending into the anterior chamber was noted. Within five weeks, the tumor was significantly larger and the eye had developed secondary glaucoma so was enucleated. Light microscopic examination of the globe revealed a multinodular, hypocellular neoplasm arising from the ciliary body composed of interwoven spindle cells embedded in abundant amounts of a lightly basophilic myxoid matrix. Neoplastic cells exhibited strong immunoreactivity for cytokeratin while also showing moderate to strong immunoreactivity to vimentin. A diagnosis was therefore made of an unusual intraocular myxoid epithelioid sarcoma arising from the ciliary body.

Conclusions: Although apparently exceedingly rare, epithelioid myxosarcoma should be included as a differential diagnosis for intraocular tumors in cats and they represent a clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical diagnostic challenge. Early surgical intervention should be considered to prevent local invasion and ascension to the brain.

Background: Small-bore wire-guided thoracostomy tubes (SBWGTT) are commonly used in cats to manage pleural disease and generally have a low complication rate. Our study aimed to explore the correlation between recumbency of cats, placement method, and the occurrence of insertional complications to identify risk factors during SBWGTT placement. In this experimental cadaveric study, SBWGTT placement using a modified Seldinger technique was conducted in 24 feline cadavers. Cats, euthanized for reasons unrelated to the study, were randomly assigned to pleural effusion (EFF; n = 12) and pneumothorax (PNEU; n = 12) groups. Each cadaver was intubated and ventilated with a peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) of 10 mmHg, and sterile saline or air was instilled into the thorax over a 5 mm thoracoscopic trocar in the fourth intercostal space (ICS). Instillation was stopped when the lateral thoracic wall to lung distance (TWLD) reached 10 to 12 mm, measured with ultrasound in the favorable position. Sternal recumbency was the favorable position for the EFF group, and lateral recumbency for the PNEU group. Following the placement of the first SBWGTT in each group, the cadavers were positioned unfavorably (lateral recumbency for EFF group, sternal recumbency for PNEU group), and a second drain was introduced contralaterally. A bilateral 8th ICS thoracotomy was then performed to visually assess intrathoracic structures and drain integrity. A binary logistic regression mixed model was conducted to determine interaction between the induced condition and body position.

Results: A total of 48 SBWGTTs were placed, with complications observed in 33.3% (8/24) of cases. Five of these were major complications consisting of lung lacerations. Complications were more common in the unfavorable position, accounting for 75% of cases, although this result was not statistically significant. The odds of complication rates were > 70% in the unfavorable position and decreased with an increase in TWLD (< 30%).

Conclusion: Complications associated with SBWGTT placement are influenced by recumbency, although the data did not reach statistical significance. Placing cats in lateral recumbency for pneumothorax treatment and sternal recumbency for pleural effusion treatment may reduce insertional complications.

Background: The common cat tapeworm, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, is widely distributed across many regions of the world but its global genetic diversity, ecology, and other biological features are not fully understood. The predator-prey relationship of felids and rodents sustains the transmission in both sylvatic and synanthropic or urban settings. This study was carried out in three urban market centres in Tamale, Ghana to determine the prevalence of H. taeniaeformis infection in urban rats and characterise the local population genetics using the mitochondrial nad1 gene sequences.

Methods: From January to May 2023, rats were captured and euthanized to identity and isolate the H. taeniaeformis metacestodes. The full mitochondrial nad1 gene was amplified, sequenced and used to characterise the cestode population.

Results: In total 64/80 rats from the three market centres were found naturally infected with metacestodes of H. taeniaeformis. Averagely, infected rats harboured two cysts with one exceptional case of 25 cysts in one liver. Each cyst harboured one metacestode. The DNA sequences revealed four haplotypes in a star-like distribution network across the three market centres. All four haplotypes were found to be unique, clustered with H. taeniaeformis sensu stricto (s.s.) global isolates and had only marginal variation among themselves.

Conclusion: This is the first account of the genetic variability within H. taeniaeformis in Ghana and would contribute to ongoing and future studies on African regional biogeographic distribution of the common cat tapeworm.

Background: Reusable surgical drapes have a lower lifetime environmental impact than disposable drapes in most cases. There is limited evidence regarding whether drape choice impacts patient outcomes including post-operative wound complications. The aim of this study is to compare wound complication rates following routine neutering surgeries in cats and dogs when reusable drapes are used as compared with disposable drapes.

Methods: The trial will be conducted as a pragmatic, multi-centre, parallel group randomised controlled trial in the UK. Dogs and cats undergoing routine neutering will be randomised to disposable or reusable drapes with all other aspects of care occurring as they usually would at the practice. The required sample size is 2,850, with 4750 animals to be recruited from up to ten practices to allow for a 40% loss to follow-up. Demographic data and details on peri-operative care will be collected at the time of surgery. Post-operative wound complications will be assessed and recorded as usual at each practice using clinical codes. The post-operative wound clinical codes and any antibiotic use within 30 days of surgery will be retrieved from the practice management software. The primary outcome that will be compared between the two groups is the rate of post-operative wound complications within 30 days of surgery which will be analysed by multivariable logistic regression with a binary outcome of wound complication (yes/no). Secondary outcomes are the prevalence of different types of complications and antibiotic use within 30 days of surgery which will be compared between the two groups by chi square analysis.

Discussion: Our hypothesis is that there will be no difference in post-operative wound complication rates between disposable and reusable drapes. If the likely rate of post-surgical wound complications with reusable drapes is similar to that with disposable drapes, then veterinary clinical teams can choose the more sustainable option, confident that their patients will not be impacted by this choice.

Trial registration: We have retrospectively registered the protocol on the Open Science Framework on 14 Nov 2023 (Trial registration entry: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/72HMA ).

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of the light-emitting diode (LED) green light alone or in combination with melatonin on pecking-related hormone regulation during incubation under normal and under hormonal stress conditions in breeder eggs. This study was divided into 2 experiments: In the first experiment effect of LED green light incubation on pecking-related hormones under normal conditions, on Hy-line brown (low pecking phenotype) and Roman pink (high pecking phenotype) eggs were tested. The 296 eggs of each strain were divided into two groups: LED green light incubation and dark incubation (control), each containing four replicates (37 eggs/replicate). The second experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of LED green light incubation alone or in combination with melatonin under hormonal stress conditions on Roman pink eggs. A total of 704 Roman pink eggs were taken and divided into four groups, each consisting of 176 eggs. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups, LED green light-regulated incubation and dark incubation with 88 eggs per subgroup, having 4 replicates of 22 eggs each. The groups were as follows: corticosterone solution injection (CI), corticosterone + melatonin mixed solution injection (CMI), Phosphate buffer solution injection (PI), and no injection (UI).

Results: Results of the first experiment revealed a higher level of serotonin hormone and lower corticosterone hormone in Hy-Line brown embryos compared to Roman pink embryos during dark incubation. The LED green light incubation significantly (P < 0.05) increased the level of 5-HT while decreasing the CORT level in Roman pink embryos indicating its regulatory effect on pecking-related hormones. Results of the second experiment showed that LED green light incubation significantly (P < 0.05) alleviated the CORT-induced hyperactivity of plasma 5-HT in Roman pink embryos. Furthermore, Melatonin (MLT) injection and LED green light together significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the hormonal stress caused by corticosterone injection in the eggs.

Conclusions: Overall, the LED green light regulatory incubation demonstrated a regulatory effect on hormones that influence pecking habits. Additionally, when coupled with MLT injection, it synergistically mitigated hormonal stress in the embryos. So, LED green light incubation emerged as a novel method to reduce the damaging pecking habits of poultry birds.

Background: As dogs age, they face various health challenges, and preventive care may be overlooked, impacting their quality of life. Frailty, a concept established in human medicine, has recently been applied to dogs using validated tools like the frailty index and frailty phenotype. This study aims to characterize frailty in senior pet dogs and investigate associated factors. To achieve this goal, 88 apparently healthy dogs, as reported by their owners, voluntarily participated in thorough consultations. These consultations included supplementary examinations such as urinary analyses, hematological assessments, and blood biochemistry. Additionally, owners completed questionnaires addressing their dog's overall health, cognitive and locomotor status, as well as their own attachment to the dog and personality traits. Subsequently, each dog was classified as robust or frail based on the presence of multiple criteria out of a set of five. All collected data underwent preliminary screening by a multiple factorial analysis, followed by binomial logistic regression to model frailty.

Results: The final population consisted of 74 dogs, with a frailty prevalence of 41.9% (95% CI: 30.5 - 53.9). In the statistical analysis, older age of the dog, lower owner attachment score, lack of regular deworming, and a disparity in extraversion between owner and dog were identified as contributing factors to frailty.

Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of regular deworming and strong owner-pet attachment in reducing frailty in dogs. It underscores the significance of proactive pet care and highlights the complex relationship between owner-dog personalities and canine frailty. This research advocates for a holistic approach that considers both human and canine traits to promote better health outcomes.

Background: Periodontitis is common in dogs. It is characterized by destruction of the supporting tissues of the teeth due to the host-immune response triggered by plaque. Magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract showed anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects, respectively. This study aimed to evaluate improvement in periodontitis following the administration of Magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract in dogs. Periodontitis was experimentally induced in 10 beagle dogs. Five dogs were administered 40 mg of Magnoliae cortex extract and 20 mg of Zea mays L. extract orally once per day for 2 months (MZ group), whereas the other group received empty gelatin capsules (control group). Periodontal clinical parameters, complete blood count, serum chemistry parameters, and tissue inflammatory cytokines and chemokine expression were assessed before and after combined oral extracts administration.

Results: The complete blood count and serum chemistry results of all dogs were within normal ranges. Gingival inflammation in MZ group was significantly better than that in the control group at 4 and 8 weeks post-medication (PM; p < 0.05). The periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment loss at 8 weeks PM in the MZ group were significantly lower than the baseline values (p < 0.05). The incidence of bleeding on probing in the MZ group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 4 weeks PM (p < 0.05). Throughout the medication period, the percentages of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were higher and lower, respectively, in the MZ group. However, these differences were only significant at 8 weeks PM. The expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α and the chemokine IL-8 in the inflamed tissues was lower in the MZ group, and the two groups showed a significant difference in TNF-α expression.

Conclusions: Combined administration of Magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract improved the clinical symptoms of periodontal disease in dogs. This beneficial effect may be partly due to the inhibitory effects of these extracts on the inflammatory response.

Background: Concurrent emerging and reemerging avian infectious diseases cause multiple risk factors in poultry. A body amount studies attempted to understand pathogen-associated immunity in chickens. Recent research has made progress in identifying immune functions in chicken, there are still gaps in knowledge, especially regarding immune responses during infectious diseases. A deeper understanding in chicken immune system is critical for improving disease control strategies and vaccine development.

Results: This study proposes analytical method for chicken splenocytes, enabling the tracking changes in T cells, monocytes, and B cells across three ages. Optimized lymphocyte-activating conditions were suggested using concanavalin A and chicken interleikin-2, which facilitate immune cell activation and proliferation. Next, splenocytes from embryonic day 18, day 5, and day 30 were compared using surface markers and flow cytometry analysis. We observed an increase in T cell subsets, including activated T cells (CD4⁺CD44⁺ and CD8⁺CD44⁺), and B cells, along with a reduced monocyte population after hatching. However, morphological changes and genetic expression of functional immune molecules were limited.

Conclusions: The present findings on chicken immune system development offer valuable insights into the avian immune system, including analytical methods and the phenotypic and functional changes in immune cells. Updated immune-boosting strategies during the early stages of life are crucial for developing preventive measures against major infectious diseases in the poultry industry.