Effect of Topical Application of Different Substances on Fibroplasia in Cutaneous Surgical Wounds

Background. Fibroblasts on the edges of a surgical wound are induced to synthesize collagen during the healing process which is known as fibroplasia. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the application of different substances on fibroplasia of cutaneous surgical wounds on rats. Materials and Methods. 48 Wistar rats were divided into three groups. A surgical wound 1 cm in diameter and 1  mm in depth was created on the dorsum of each animal. The surgical wounds were submitted to the topical application of an alcoholic extract of 30% propolis, 70% alcohol, or 0.001% dexamethasone in a cream base every 12 hours. The animals were sacrificed three, seven, 14, and 28 days postoperatively. The specimens were histologically processed and stained with Masson's trichrome. The assessment of fibroplasia was performed using a scoring system: (1) 5 to 25% collagen deposition; (2) 26 to 50% collagen deposition; (3) 51 to 75% collagen deposition; (4) more than 75% collagen deposition. Results. There were statistically significant differences in collagen deposition between the substances at all postoperative evaluation times. Conclusion. Propolis and alcohol promoted greater collagen deposition in surgical wounds than dexamethasone

Pectus carinatum in a Cat

Background: Pectus are congenital sternal deformities considered rare in small animals, and they are divided into two types. Pectus excavatum causes a concave aspect in the ventral portion of the animal’s thorax, which is known as “funnel chest,” while pectus carinatum produces a convex appearance and is therefore called “pigeon chest.”  The etiology of these anomalies has not yet been fully elucidated, but it is assumed that there is genetic involvement. The diagnosis is based on clinical examination and is confirmed by thoracic radiography. This report describes a case of pectus carinatum in a one-month-old domestic cat.Case: An unspayed female domestic cat, about one month old, weighing 0.1 kg, was admitted to the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI). When her history was taken, her owner reported that he had rescued the animal the previous day and noticed that showed difficulty breathing, so naturally worming and vaccination were not reported. Upon physical examination, the patient showed an abdominal breathing pattern, severe dyspnea, pale mucosa, nasal discharge, apathy, poor nutritional status (body score 1), signs of apparent dehydration and a temperature of 38.5ºC. Palpation revealed increased volume in the thoracic region. X-rays were ordered due to suspicion of diaphragmatic injury. The chest X-ray report indicated ventral segment displacement of the 4th to the 8th sternebra, with accommodation of the cardiac silhouette in the right lateral, left lateral and dorsoventral projections, suggesting pectus carinatum. Pulmonary radiodensity was also augmented, with greater intensity in the right middle lobe, an alveolar pattern, radiographic signs suggestive of an infectious process (pneumonia), and pulmonary hyperinflation. A qualitative analysis revealed cardiac silhouette whose dimensions showed no radiographic evidence of alterations at the moment of the examination. The diaphragmatic dome was intact. Normally aerated thoracic trachea, with preserved dorsoventral diameter.Discussion:  Although deformities of the chest wall are infrequent and cases of pectus carinatum (PC) have rarely been published in veterinary medicine, reports of pectus excavatum (PE) in both dogs and cats are more easily found. Therefore, epidemiological data on PC are unknown, and moreover, most veterinary clinicians and surgeons are unaware of this anomaly. In the case of this kitten, pectus carinatum was diagnosed based on imaging tests allied to a clinical evaluation. The pathophysiology of the deformity has not yet been fully elucidated. In a case reported in a Shih Tzu dog, it was pointed out that one of its siblings had died at birth, and that the parents had no kinship and no congenital or hereditary abnormality. In another case of a five-month-old miniature pinscher, born from a consanguineous gestation, several anomalies were observed, in addition to pectus carinatum, such as dental malocclusion, poor limb alignment and locomotion difficulty, bilateral cryptorchidism and umbilical hernia. Because it was a rescue dog, the appearance of the anomaly could not be attributed to consanguinity in the reported case. No other anomalies were observed. Therefore, it is worth emphasizing that the earlier the diagnosis the better the animal’s prognosis. However, further studies are needed in order to clarify the etiology, determine possibilities of intervention and devise treatments

Hydrodissection in the Construction of Conjunctival Flaps in Dogs

Background: Hydrodissection is a minimally invasive procedure that consists of injecting fluid into an anatomical space to facilitate dissection during surgery. Although this procedure is employed in several areas of veterinary medicine, including ophthalmology, there are no reports of the use of this maneuver in conjunctival procedures in dogs. The use of this technique can facilitate the construction of conjunctival pedicle flaps, thereby improving the results. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of hydrodissection in the construction of conjunctival pedicle flaps in dogs. Materials, Methods & Results: The sample consisted of 20 eyes from 10 healthy dogs that had been subjected to elective surgical procedures of ovariohysterectomy and orchiectomy. The dogs were divided into 2 groups; the 1st group of 10 eyes underwent hydrodissection and the 2nd group of 10 eyes did not. All the patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination and assessment of their systemic conditions. The patients were then anesthetized and the procedures were performed under a surgical microscope. In the group subjected to hydrodissection, the conjunctival flap was prepared by means of a previous subconjunctival injection of 0.7 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride, followed by preparation of the flap. In the group without hydrodissection, the flap was prepared by means of conventional divulsion using iris scissors. After producing the conjunctival flaps, a conjunctival fragment was collected from both groups for histological analysis and evaluation of the presence of the Tenon capsule. The operating time, degree of hemorrhage and ease of handling the conjunctiva in the intraoperative period were evaluated. Postoperative evaluations were performed at 1, 7 and 14 days after surgery and included: blepharospasm, conjunctival hyperemia and edema, which were classified as absent, mild, moderate or severe; tear production was evaluated using the Schirmer test, and the appearance of the conjunctival scar was assessed based on photographs taken in the postoperative period, and by a visual analogue scale, with healing classified as fair, good or excellent.  The 2 groups showed no statistical difference in terms of operating time, bleeding, ease of handling and conjunctival divulsion. A volume of 0.48 ± 0.12 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride was administered to the conjunctiva. Postoperative assessments of hyperemia, blepharospasm, conjunctival edema, and tear production also did not differ statistically. Conjunctival scarring was considered optimal until the 14th postoperative day, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. These results demonstrate that both maneuvers are effective in creating conjunctival flaps. The Tenon capsule could not be identified in histological stains. Discussion: The literature offers numerous descriptions of the use of hydrodissection in surgical procedures in humans in order to facilitate dissection and reduce surgical duration and handling, thereby improving the clinical recovery of patients. Conversely, this technique has not been described frequently in veterinary medicine, notably with respect to conjunctival procedures. In this study, we demonstrated that conjunctival hydrodissection was perfectly feasible, contributing to the divulsion and preparation of conjunctival flaps, thus proving to be a viable option for this type of procedure. The absence of the Tenon capsule in the evaluated samples demonstrates that, in both groups, the techniques were effective in separating them from the conjunctiva. It was therefore concluded that the hydrodissection technique is a feasible maneuver in the construction of conjunctival flaps, providing a new option for surgeons, especially for novice ophthalmologists. Keywords: ophthalmology, corneal ulcer, divulsion, pedicle flaps, conjunctival hydrodissection.

Detecção molecular de Babesia canis vogeli em cães da cidade de São Luís – MA, Brasil

A babesiose é uma enfermidade emergente, de distribuição mundial, causada por protozoários do gênero Babesia, que afeta animais domésticos e animais selvagens, bem como em humanos. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a ocorrência de Babesia canis vogeli em cães na cidade de São Luís – MA, Brasil. Foram coletadas amostras de sangue de 65 animais para exame direto, por meio do esfregaço sanguíneo e diagnóstico molecular, por meio do PCRun. Dentre os 65 animais analisados por meio do diagnóstico direto, nenhum foi positivo para Babesia spp. enquanto pela PCRun, constatou-se que 5 (7,69%) estavam infectados por B. canis vogeli, demonstrando a presença dessa espécie em cães provenientes de ambiente urbano na cidade de São Luís. Concluiu-se que a PCR é uma técnica mais sensível e específica para esse diagnóstico, podendo ser utilizada para definir com maior precisão a infecção de cães por B. canis vogeli. Este estudo confirmou a presença de B. C. vogeli em cães na cidade de São Luís – MA

Digestible lysine levels in diets supplemented with ractopamine

In order evaluate digestible lysine levels in diets supplemented with 20 ppm of ractopamine on the performance and carcass traits, 64 barrows with high genetic potential at finishing phase were allotted in a completely randomized block design with four digestible lysine levels (0.80, 0.90, 1.00, and 1.10%), eight replicates and two pigs per experimental unit. Initial body weight and pigs' kinship were used as criteria in the blocks formation. Diets were mainly composed of corn and soybean meal supplemented with minerals, vitamins and amino acids to meet pigs' nutritional requirements at the finishing phase, except for digestible lysine. No effect of digestible lysine levels was observed in animal performance. The digestible lysine intake increased linearly by increasing the levels of digestible lysine in the diets. Carcass traits were not influenced by the dietary levels of digestible lysine. The level of 0.80% of digestible lysine in diets supplemented with 20 ppm ractopamine meets the nutritional requirements of castrated male pigs during the finishing phase

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data