Incomplete ovarian tissue removal in female dogs and cats

Incomplete ovariectomy (IO) is the unintentional partial or complete lack of removal of one or both ovaries during an ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy procedure, and is often referred to as ‘ovarian remnant syndrome’. It usually has a clear clinical presentation, although there are a number of other conditions that may have similar presenting signs. In female cats and dogs these include: non-oestrous mounting behaviour, non-oestrous vulval discharge and, solely in bitches, sexual interest from males and iatrogenic pseudopregnancy. This article considers the causes, presentation, methods of diagnosis and management of IO in bitches and queens

Застосування інтервальних нормобаричних гіпоксичних тренувань для амеліорації впливу бальнеотерапевтичного комплексу курорту Трускавець на резистентність до гіпоксії та вегетативну нервову систему

В клинико-физиологическом наблюдении за детьми с вегетативной дистонией показано, что дополнение стандартного бальнеотерапевтического комплекса курорта Трускавец интервальной нормобарической гипоксической тренировкой предотвращает снижение теста Штанге и сопутствующее ему усугубление симпатотонического сдвига вегетативного гомеостаза, а также усиливает положительное влияние бальнеотерапии на тест Штанге, сопровождаемое ваготоническим сдвигом вегетативного гомеостаза.In the clinical-physiological monitoring of children with vegetative dystonia is shown that the addition of standard balneotherapeutic complex spa Truskavets interval normobaric hypoxic training prevents the reduction of the hypoxic test Stange and the concomitant worsening sympathotonic shift of vegetative homeostasis, but also enhances the positive effect of balneotherapy on the test Stange, accompanied by a shift of autonomic vagotonic homeostasis

Zoonotic intestinal helminths interact with the canine immune system by modulating T cell responses and preventing dendritic cell maturation.

Parasite co-evolution alongside the mammalian immune system gave rise to several modulatory strategies by which they prevent exaggerated pathology and facilitate a longer worm survival. As little is known about the immunoregulatory potential of the zoonotic canine parasites Ancylostoma caninum and Toxocara canis in the natural host, the present study aimed to investigate whether their larval excretory-secretory (ES) products can modulate the canine immune system. We demonstrated TcES to increase the frequency of CD4+ Foxp3high T cells, while both AcES and TcES were associated with elevated Helios expression in Foxp3high lymphocytes. ES products were further capable of inducing IL-10 production by lymphocytes, which was mainly attributed to CD8+ T cells. ES treatment of PBMCs prior to mitogen stimulation inhibited polyclonal proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, monocyte-derived ES-pulsed dendritic cells reduced upregulation of MHC-II and CD80 in response to lipopolysaccharide. The data showed that regulation of the canine immune system by A. caninum and T. canis larvae comprises the modification of antigen-specific and polyclonal T cell responses and dendritic cell maturation

Ovarian and uterine changes during the oestrous cycle in female dogs

Context An accurate staging of sexual cycle is essential for the optimum timing of medical interventions. Aims Here, an updated insight into clinical, endocrinological and vagino-cytological parameters, and their correlation with histomorphology of ovarian and uterine tissue samples is presented. Methods Samples from 39 dogs were collected at various stages of the oestrous cycle: pro-oestrus (n = 8), oestrus (n = 12), dioestrus (n = 9) (luteal phase) and anoestrus (n = 10), according to clinical observations. Final allocation of samples was done after histomorphological evaluation of all tissues. Peripheral oestradiol-17ß (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations were measured, P4 by both chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Key results Differences were observed between determination of the stage of the oestrous cycle, either by clinical, endocrinological or histomorphological evaluation. Individuals considered to be in clinical and endocrinological oestrus, had entered the luteal phase according to histomorphology. P4 concentrations measured by two different assays differed, underlying the importance to understand that absolute P4 concentrations may deviate depending on the used assay. Comparison of E2 and P4 concentrations is suggested to be useful when defining the transition from early follicular phase to the time of ovulation. Conclusions and implications Based on parallel histomorphological observations, combined with clinical and endocrinological findings on the same individuals, the present study emphasises that an accurate classification of the stage of the cycle in female dogs based solely on clinical and endocrinological assessments can be difficult. The histomorphological findings presented herein provide new insights into the transitional phases between the different stages of the oestrous cycle in the dog

Dog sperm swimming parameters analysed by computer-assisted semen analysis of motility reveal major breed differences

Dogs have undergone an intensive artificial selection process ever since the beginning of their relationship with humans. As a consequence, a wide variety of well-defined breeds exist today. Due to the enormous variation in dog phenotypes and the unlikely chance of gene exchange between them, the question arises as to whether they should still be regarded as a single species or, perhaps, they be considered as different taxa that possess different reproductive traits. The aim of this study was therefore to characterize some male reproductive traits, focusing on kinematic characteristics of dog spermatozoa from several breeds. Thirty-seven dogs from the following breeds were used: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Spanish Mastiff, Valencian Rat Hunting Dog, British Bulldog and Chihuahua. Semen samples were obtained via manual stimulation and diluted to a final sperm concentration of 50 million/ml, and they were subsequently analysed by the computer assisted semen analysis (CASA-Mot) ISAS® v1 system. Eight kinematic parameters were evaluated automatically. All parameters showed significant different values among breeds and among individuals within each breed. The fastest sperm cells were those of Staffordshire Bull Terriers and the slowest were recorded in Chihuahuas. The intra-male coefficient of variation (CV) was higher than the inter-male CV for all breeds with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier showing the lowest values. When taking into consideration the cells by animal and breed, discriminant analyses showed a high capability to predict the breed. Cluster analyses showed a hierarchical classification very close to that obtained after phylogenetic studies with genome markers. In conclusion, future workers on dog spermatozoa should bear in mind major differences between breeds and realize that results cannot be extrapolated from one to another. Because sperm characteristics are associated with breed diversity, dogs may represent a good model to examine changes in reproductive parameters associated with selection processes.Funding information: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología y Telecomunicacione