Corneal ulcerative disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in England: epidemiology and clinical management

Abstract Background Corneal ulcerative disease (CUD) has the potential to adversely affect animal welfare by interfering with vision and causing pain. The study aimed to investigate for the first time the prevalence, breed-based risk factors and clinical management of CUD in the general population of dogs under primary veterinary care in England. Results Of 104,233 dogs attending 110 clinics participating within the VetCompass Programme from January 1st to December 31st 2013, there were 834 confirmed CUD cases (prevalence: 0.80%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75–0.86). Breeds with the highest prevalence included Pug (5.42% of the breed affected), Boxer (4.98%), Shih Tzu (3.45%), Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (2.49%) and Bulldog (2.41%). Purebred dogs had 2.23 times the odds (95% CI 1.84–2.87, P < 0.001) of CUD compared with crossbreds. Brachycephalic types had 11.18 (95% CI 8.72–14.32, P < 0.001) and spaniel types had 3.13 (95% CI 2.38–4.12, P < 0.001) times the odds for CUD compared with crossbreds. Pain was recorded in 385 (46.2%) cases and analgesia was used in 455 (54.6%) of dogs. Overall, 62 (7.4%) cases were referred for advanced management and CUD contributed to the euthanasia decision for 10 dogs. Conclusions Breeds such as the Pug and Boxer, and conformational types such as brachycephalic and spaniels, demonstrated predisposition to CUD in the general canine population. These results suggest that breeding focus on periocular conformation in predisposed breeds should be considered in order to reduce corneal disease

Ophthalmologic findings associated with Rhodococcus equi

Objective: To describe ocular findings associated with Rhodococcus equi bronchopneumonia in foals, and to determine whether severity of the ocular lesions is related with outcome. Animals studied: Foals diagnosed with R equi infection at the VTH-UAB from January 2002 to December 2017. Procedure: Rhodococcus equi infection was diagnosed by means of clinical signs, radiographic/ultrasonographic findings, and/or positive culture. In all the foals, a complete ophthalmic examination by a boarded ophthalmologist was performed and ocular signs were recorded and graded (0-4). Results: Thirty-nine foals were included in the study, from which 12 showed signs of bilateral anterior uveitis (30.8%). Among these, three foals were classified as mildly uveitis-affected (MUA:7.7%) and nine as severely uveitis-affected (SUA:23.1%). Five SUA foals showed green aqueous flare (5/9;55.5%). Despite the systemic treatment, 9/39 sick foals died (23.1%), the fatality rate being different between groups: SUA (4/9;44.4%), MUA (0/3; 0%) and nonuveitis-affected foals (5/27;18.5%). Among SUA foals, only one with green aqueous flare died (1/5;20%). Conclusion: Bilateral anterior uveitis is highly prevalent in foals with R equi pneumonia (30.8%). The severity of anterior uveitis might be considered a nonsurvival prognostic factor and, until proven otherwise, green aqueous flare could be taken as a strongly suggestive ocular sign of the disease. Findings of this study remark the clinical relevance of performing a complete ophthalmic examination in sick foals, in order to help in the diagnosis and prognosis of uveal diseases, as well as to guaranteeing visual soundness