Transrectal ultrasonography of the adrenal glands in donkeys (Equus asinus)

Little information is available for medical imaging in donkeys and no report about adrenal glands ultrasonography can be found in scientific literature. The feasibility of transrectal ultrasonography of the adrenal glands was tested on 30 healthy donkeys using a 10 MHz linear transducer. Mean age of animals was 10.7 ±4.8 years, mean weight 275.0 ±62.9 Kg and mean height 126.7 ±7.1 cm. The left adrenal gland was visualized in all donkeys. The right gland ultrasonography was not feasible in seven animals with a height less than 116 cm. The left gland was visualized as a linear or slightly curved structure, the right gland was most often S-shaped. In both glands, an hypechoic peripheral zone was identified as the cortex with an inner, hyperechoic medulla. The length was 5.49 ±1.90 cm and 5.15 ±1.10 cm for right and left gland, respectively. Right gland whole and medullary thickness were 0.71 ±0.11 cm and 0.24 ±0.09 cm, 0.65 ±0.13 cm and 0.21 ±0.07 cm, 0.56 ±0.17 cm and 0.25 ±0.07 cm for cranial pole, middle point and caudal pole respectively. Left gland whole and medullary thickness were 0.69 ±0.13 cm and 0.25 ±0.09 cm, 0.66 ±0.13 cm and 0.23 ±0.09 cm, 0.57 ±0.15 cm and 0.26 ±0.09 cm for cranial pole, middle point and caudal pole respectively. There was a significant correlation between height and the entire length of the left gland. Ultrasonography of the adrenal glands is a suitable tool for evaluation of both adrenal glands in most of the donkey. The size is a limiting factor for proper visualization of the right gland

Effects of Single-Dose Prucalopride on Intestinal Hypomotility in Horses: Preliminary Observations

Abnormalities of gastrointestinal motility are often a challenge in horses; however, the use of prokinetic drugs in such conditions must be firmly established yet. For this reason we carried out a preliminary study on the effects of prucalopride on intestinal motor activity of horses with gut hypomotility. The effect of prucalopride per os by oral dose syringe (2 mg/100 kg body weight) was assessed by abdominal ultrasound (evaluating duodenal, cecal, and colonic motor activity) in six horses with gut hypomotility. After administration of prucalopride, a significant increase of contractile activity was found in the duodenum at 30 minutes (p = 0.0005), 60 minutes (p = 0.01) and 90 minutes (p = 0.01), whereas in the cecum and in the left colon the increase was only present at 60 minutes (p = 0.03, and p = 0.02, respectively). No changes from baseline heart and respiratory rate or behavior side effects were observed after administration of the drug and throughout the observation period. Prucalopride may be a useful adjunct to the therapeutic armamentary for treating hypomotile upper gut conditions of horses. Dosing information is however needed to establish its actual clinical efficacy and its proper effects on the large bowel in these animals

Blue-green endoscopy in a dog presenting chronic vomiting-regurgitation

A 2-year-old male Maremma sheepdog presenting with chronic vomiting-regurgitation was examined at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Camerino University. An oesophagogastroscopy with a single blue + green (BG) filter restricting wavelengths from 400 to 550 nm was carried out. A conventional white light endoscopy showed a dilated oesophagus with mildly diffuse erythematous mucosa (more accentuated proximal to the cardia); some portions of the gastric mucosa were covered with fluids and appeared only slightly erythematous. A blue green endoscopy highlighted the oesophageal lesions in dark blue, which made them appear more clearly defined from the remaining mucosa. In the gastric antrum, a small, slightly darker blue roundish area was visible. This area did not show up under the white light endoscopy. A histopathological assessment of biopsy specimens from the distal oesophagus, antrum (including the area highlighted only by BG endoscopy) and gastric body showed chronic-active hyperplastic esophagitis and superficial squamous epithelial dysplasia, while gastric samples showed severe diffuse hyperaemic gastritis of the antrum and superficial diffuse atrophy of the gastric body. The authors believe that the use of a BG endoscopy could be useful in veterinary medicine to increase the diagnostic potential of endoscopic assessment in animals

Endoscopic findings, microbiological and cytological evaluation of tracheal aspirates in a population of Standardbred horses with poor performances

Sixty-two Standardbred horses housed at the same racetrack, with history of reduced exercise tolerance, cough lasting for at least two weeks and/or prolonged recovery time were clinically examined. An endoscopic examination of the nasopharynx, larynx and trachea to the level of the carina was performed, amount of mucus in trachea was registered and samples of tracheal wash for cytological and microbiological examinations was collected. A strong statistical association between amount of mucus in trachea and neutrophils percentage in tracheal wash was found. Bacteria isolated included Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (14 horses), Streptococcus pneumoniae (four horses), S. mutans (four horses), S. equinus (four horses) and Burkholderia cepacia (10 horses). S. zooepidemicus and S. pneumoniae were associated with elevated amount of mucus and increased neutrophilic percentage. B. cepacia was associated with cytological evidence of haemosiderophages but its role in racehorses needs further investigations. Mycoplasma spp. and Pasteurella spp. have not been isolated, suggesting that, as for the other putative causes of inflammatory airway diseases, infection could have a regional distribution among horse populations. This study shows that various types of airway inflammations exist in the examined population and that S. zooepidemicus and S. pneumoniae could play an important role in etiopathogenesis of airway inflammation in some horses. Particulate matter, pro-inflammatory agents or noxious gases present in the stables or on the track matter, could be the cause of inflammation in non infected horses

Blue-green endoscopy in canine digestive neoplastic conditions – two cases

Two dogs - one presenting with soft stools for one year and the other vomiting for about a week - were examined at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Camerino University. After clinical evaluations and laboratory tests, both dogs underwent firstly an abdominal ultrasonography, and subsequently a digestive endoscopy (colonoscopy and esophago-gastroscopy, respectively). In case 1, the ultrasonography revealed the presence of markedly enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes and an abnormal colon, presenting irregular mucosa, wall thickening, and in some points, loss of wall layering, while in case 2, a thickening of the gastric body wall and a loss of wall layering. Endoscopically (performed using an endoscope provided with a single blue + green (BG) filter, restraining wavelengths from 400 to 550 nm), in case 1 (using a white light endoscopy) the mucosa of the whole descending colon appeared irregular, in some tracts even nodular, and hyperemic; many diffusely interspersed erosions were also present; in case 2 (using a white light endoscopy), many ulcers were found at the level of the passage between the gastric body and the antrum. In both cases, with the BG endoscopy, lesions of the mucosa and bleeding areas were visible in dark blue and the lesions appeared to be more clearly defined from the remaining mucosa compared to when using a white light endoscopy. Histopathology revealed in case 1 (samples from lymphnodes and colon) a B associate high-grade lymphoma – large cells – B form (transmural type), while in case 2 (samples from the stomach) pathologic ulcers associated with a non-signet type, intestinal type, gastric adenocarcinoma. To the author’s knowledge, information regarding this endoscopic technique in veterinary medicine literature is absent; nevertheless, even if in our cases the lesions appeared to be more clearly defined with a BG endoscopy, many further studies are needed in order to determine the clinical, endoscopic and pathological significance in canine colonic and gastric neoplastic infiltrates, of this technique

Conjunctival bacterial and fungal flora in healthy donkeys in Central Italy

Introduction - The normal eye microflora is composed of several species of fungi and bacteria. If the ocular defense barriers become weak, they can act as pathogens and cause infections. Therefore, characterization of conjunctival normal flora is essential in making diagnosis and treating eye infections. Bacterial and fungal flora of the normal eye has been reported for different mammals but few studies concerning donkeys are available. Aim - To evaluate the bacterial and fungal flora of healthy eyes of donkeys (Equus asinus) reared in three different Areas in Central Italy. Materials and methods - One hundred-fourteen mixed breed donkeys (93 females, 21 males) housed in Marche, Umbria and Lazio Region were included in the study and sampled on the ventral conjunctival fornix. Age ranged between 4 months and 16 years (mean: 7.3 years, SD ± 8.6). Animals were divided into three categories: foals: ≤ 1 year, n = 35; young: 1 < age ≤3 years, n = 9; and adult: ≥ 3 years, n = 70. Results and discussion - Twenty-one different bacteria genus and thirteen fungi/yeasts were isolated. The emergent Kocuria spp. was isolated in 61 cases. None significant effect of gender on bacterial and fungal isolation was observed. Significantly lower bacterial load was recorded in foals than adult donkeys. In relation to the Areas, differences were observed both for bacterial and fungal mean loads. Conclusion - The area in which donkeys are reared seems to be a significant factor influencing the conjunctival bacterial and fungal flora loads. The emerging human pathogen bacteria Kocuria spp. was isolated for the first time in donkeys. In the present study, new important information to facilitate the diagnosis of eye disease in an emergent species like donkeys are provided

Clinical investigation on Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in Italian donkeys

Background: Interest in the welfare and diseases of donkeys is constantly increasing in several countries. Despite this, clinical research into donkeys needs to be in continual development since they show different reactions compared to horses in many conditions, including infectious diseases, and need specific clinical and therapeutic approaches. No reports are currently available on clinical and clinical pathology data regarding donkeys with natural piroplasms infection. Results: Venous blood samples were taken from one hundred and thirty eight donkeys and underwent indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) to detect IgG antibodies against Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and real-time polimerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.. Clinical examinations, haematological analyses and serum bilirubin evaluation were also performed and compared with positive or negative status. A seroprevalence of 40.6% and 47.8% was found for T. equi and B. caballi, respectively; double positivity was detected in 19.6% of the animals. PCR results showed that 17.4% of the animals tested positive for T.equi and 3.6% for B. caballi with no double positivity. Twelve donkeys (8.7%) had clinical signs consistent with chronic forms of the disease and no acute forms were detected. Fifty-eight donkeys had haematological and serum bilirubin alterations and 56 (96.6%) of them were IFAT and/or PCR positive. Changes in erythrocyte number, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, platelets number and total bilirubin were significantly associated with positive and symptomatic animals. Conclusion: Nonspecific clinical presentation seems to be very common in donkeys and several clinical pathology alterations persist after natural infection. Therefore, apparently healthy donkeys can have masked but severe clinical pathology alterations. Acute forms are very seldom observed in donkeys. Clinical monitoring of chronically infected donkeys is recommended since such animals represent a risk both for transmission to other animals and for their own health; furthermore, their production performances could be reduced. The study should also be intended as a contribution for veterinary practitioners because it describes the most usual clinical presentations and laboratory findings of equine piroplasmosis in naturally infected donkeys in endemic areas

Respiratory metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) can differentiate horses affected by severe equine asthma from healthy horses

The use of an untargeted metabolomic approach to investigate biofluids of respiratory origin is of increasing interest in human and veterinary lung research. Considering the high incidence of equine asthma (&gt;\u200914%) within horse population and the importance of this animal model for human disease, we aimed to investigate the metabolomic profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in healthy and asthmatic horses

Transrectal ultrasonography of the adrenal glands in donkeys (Equus asinus)

Little information is available for medical imaging in donkeys and no report about adrenal glands ultrasonography can be found in scientific literature. The feasibility of transrectal ultrasonography of the adrenal glands was tested on 30 healthy donkeys using a 10 MHz linear transducer. Mean age of animals was 10.7 ±4.8 years, mean weight 275.0 ±62.9 Kg and mean height 126.7 ±7.1 cm. The left adrenal gland was visualized in all donkeys. The right gland ultrasonography was not feasible in seven animals with a height less than 116 cm. The left gland was visualized as a linear or slightly curved structure, the right gland was most often S-shaped. In both glands, an hypechoic peripheral zone was identified as the cortex with an inner, hyperechoic medulla. The length was 5.49 ±1.90 cm and 5.15 ±1.10 cm for right and left gland, respectively. Right gland whole and medullary thickness were 0.71 ±0.11 cm and 0.24 ±0.09 cm, 0.65 ±0.13 cm and 0.21 ±0.07 cm, 0.56 ±0.17 cm and 0.25 ±0.07 cm for cranial pole, middle point and caudal pole respectively. Left gland whole and medullary thickness were 0.69 ±0.13 cm and 0.25 ±0.09 cm, 0.66 ±0.13 cm and 0.23 ±0.09 cm, 0.57 ±0.15 cm and 0.26 ±0.09 cm for cranial pole, middle point and caudal pole respectively. There was a significant correlation between height and the entire length of the left gland. Ultrasonography of the adrenal glands is a suitable tool for evaluation of both adrenal glands in most of the donkey. The size is a limiting factor for proper visualization of the right gland

Isolation of Macrococcus brunensis and Kokuria varians in dogs suffering from chronic conjunctivitis

The Human Microbiome Project launched in 2008 by the National Institutes of Health, revealed a remarkably abundant and diverse community of microbial species inhabiting the human body, and the eye represents an emerging area of research [1] trying to understand possible relations between microbiota alterations and pathogenesis of ophthalmic diseases [2]. In veterinary medicine, there are only few paper focused on this topic [3,4,5]. The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify, by molecular techniques, several bacterial species from the conjunctival microflora in dogs with chronic conjunctivitis. Four owned dogs conducted at the UNICAM Veterinary Teaching Hospital for eye examination due to chronic and/or relapsing conjunctivitis, were included in the study. All subjects were submitted to complete ophthalmologic evaluation, including Schirmer Tear test and fluorescein test, slit lamp examination, direct ophthalmoscopy and tonometry, to rule out other causes of conjunctival disease. The administration of systemic antibiotic in the six months prior the visit was considered as an exclusion criteria. To obtain isolated bacterial colonies, conjunctival swabs from seven infected dog eyes were spread onto agar plates with selective and non-selective media. From each isolated colony, the bacterial DNA was extracted using Bacterial Genomic DNA Isolation kit (Norgen Biotek, Ontario, Canada); the 16S bacterial rRNA gene was amplified by PCR and purified by Nucleo Spin Extract kit (Macherey-Nagel, Dürham, Germany). Each purified DNA sample was prepared and sent to be sequenced by Eurofins MWG Operon (Martinsried, Germany). The sequences obtained from each bacterial strain were analyzed using BLAST® (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST). Enterococcus faecium, Kocuria varians, Macrococcus brunensis, Staphylococcus aureus and two strains of S. equorum were the six different bacterial strains isolated from 3 out of 7 samples (43%). Sensitivity of the isolated bacterial strains to the most frequently used antibiotics in veterinary ophthalmology: chloramphenicol, gentamycin, neomycin, and tobramycin was assessed using Kirby-Bauer method. All strains were resistant to chloramphenicol (all patients had previously been treated with it) and sensitive to tobramycin, neomycin, and gentamycin except E. faecium that was sensitive only to tobramycin. To the Authors’ knowledge, this is the first isolation of Macrococcus brunensis and of Kokuria varians from the eyes of dogs suffering from chronic conjunctivitis. They had been previously isolated from animals (e.g. M. brunensis from the skin of llamas [6] and K. varians from the eyes of healthy donkeys [7]), but this is the first isolation from dog. Even if the low number of patients and the single isolates did not allow us to draw conclusion about the involvement of these bacteria in the disease, the isolation of K. varians is particularly relevant because Kokuria spp. is a well-known pathogen in humans, especially in compromised hosts [8]