Eosinophilic Bronchopneumopathy in Dogs

Background: The eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP) is characterized by pulmonary infiltration with eosinophils. The etiology of canine EBP remains unclear, although hypersensitivity to aeroallergens is suspected. Dogs affected are usually young. The persistent cough is the most common clinical sign, often associated with respiratory difficulty and exercise intolerance. The diagnosis is based on signalment, radiographic and bronchoscopic findings, and the tissue eosiphilic infiltration demonstrated by cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). No reports were found in Brazil. The aim of this paper is report four cases of canine BPE, with emphasis on clinical aspects, diagnosis and therapy.Cases: Case 1. A 18-month-old female dog with 12 kg of body weight was presented for consultation with a 60-day history of cough, inappetence and weariness. It presented cough and tachypnea. The complementary exams demonstrated peripheral eosinophilia, bronchointersticial pulmonary pattern on radiography, moderate amount of mucus on bronchoscopy andtissue eosinophilis infiltration on the BAL. The treatment was based on steroids, with improvement of clinical signs. Case 2. A 24-month-old female dog with 16 kg of body weight was presented for consultation with one-year history of cough, inappetence and lethargy. It presented only cough, and in complementary exams showed transitory peripheral eosinophilia, bronchointersticial pattern on radiography and predominantly eosinophilic inflammation on citology of BAL. The therapy was based on steroids, with improvement followed by worsening of signs, with need of readjustment of doses. Case 3. A 8-year-old male dog with 6.2 kg of body weight was presented for consultation with 3-weeks history of productive cough,vomiting and weight loss. The complementary exams showed peripheral eosinophilia, bronchointersticial pulmonary patternon radiography and eosinophils infiltration on cytology of BAL. It was used steroids as therapy, with improvement of signs. Case 4. A 2-month-old female dog with 2.8 kg of body weight was presented for consultation with 3-days history of cough, nasal discharge and inappetence. It presented severe expiratory dyspnoea, tachypnea, harsh cough, lung crackles on auscultation and lethargy. The complementary exams demonstrated leukocytosis by peripheral eosinophilia and neutrophilia, bronchointersticial and alveolar pulmonar radiographic pattern. The therapy was started with steroids, febendazole and antibiotics. Tracheal swab was obtained and it showed eosinophilic inflammation on cytology. After 20-days treatment, the signs improved. Maintenance therapy was performed with steroids.Discussion: The EBP is usually reported in young patients, as described in three cases. The cough showed predominant clinically, associated with lethargy and inappetence in half of cases, as well as with dyspnea and weariness. The peripheral eosinophilia was observed in all patients, although transient in one of them, not being mandatory for the diagnosis.Despite there are not a specific radiographic pattern to the diagnosis, the bronchointersticial pattern was common to the four animals, with worsening of the radiographic findings possibly related to worsening clinical findings. The definitive diagnosis made through identification of eosinophilic inflammatory infiltration by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Steroidtherapy proved to be effective in the four cases.Keywords: eosinophils, bronchus, lung parenchyma, dog

Effects of subanesthetic doses of ketamine in cats with induced experimental endotoxemia

ABSTRACT. Farias F.H., Gehrcke M.I., Padilha V.S., Volpato J., Tochetto R., Comassetto F. & Oleskovicz N. [Effects of subanesthetic doses of ketamine in cats with induced experimental endotoxemia.] Efeitos da cetamina em doses subanestésicas em gatos submetidos à endotoxemia experimental. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 37(4):297-302, 2015. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Avenida Luís de Camões, 2090, Bairro Conta Dinheiro, Lages, SC 88520-000, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] The clinical endotoxemia is difficult to diagnosis and treatment because of the involvement of multiple organs. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of subanesthetic doses of ketamine, before or after the induction of endotoxemia in cats. Were used nine healthy cats, with 4.3±0.59 kg, autocontroles, placed into three groups: lipopolysaccharide (LPS, n=9) received a bolus of NaCl 0,9 % followed by a continuous infusion (CI) of LPS for two hours and; bolus of NaCl 0,9 % followed by CI of LPS for two hours; ketamine/LPS (C/ LPS, n=9) received a bolus of ketamine followed by ketamine CI and LPS for two hours and, after, bolus of saline followed by CI of LPS for another two hours; LPS/ketamine (LPS/C, n=9) received bolus of saline followed by a CI LPS for two hours and then after bolus of ketamine followed by the same CI associated with LPS for two hours. The heart rate was higher for 5 to 120 minutes after initiation of the CI LPS in C/LPS and less than 150 to 240 minutes and from 600 to 720 minutes in LPS compared to the other groups. Five minutes after CI LPS initiation in C/LPS, 60 minutes in LPS/C and 90 minutes to 720 minutes in LPS, FC was higher than at baseline. The PAS was lower in all groups from 360 to 720 minutes compared to baseline. All treatments showed increased TR from 60 to 600 minutes compared to baseline. The levels of glucose and lactate increase from 120 to 360 minutes compared to baseline in all groups. The leukocyte decreased from 60 to 360 minutes in all treatments compared to baseline. It is concluded that ketamine at subanesthetic doses, before or after induction of endotoxemia in cats has minimal cardiovascular effects, but does not inhibit or reverse hyperthermia and leukopenia produced by endotoxemia in cats

Síndrome hipereosinofílica idiopática do rottweiler: relato de caso

Eosinophils are cells of the immune system that have several important functions including phagocytosis of microorganisms, antigen presentation, contribution to chronic inflammation, and immunity against parasites. The hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disease in humans that is characterized by persistent eosinophilia (over six months) and variable eosinophil infiltration in organs such as the lungs, spleen, liver, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal tract. Once in the tissues, these cells can cause damage by various mechanisms such as release of cytotoxic oxygen free radical and proteins. No etiology has yet been established for HES. The clinical signs vary and relate to the organs involved. In veterinary medicine, the disease has been described in cats, but rarely in dogs, with Rottweilers apparently more predisposed to developing the disease. Owing to the small number of cases reported in the veterinary literature, the prognosis of this disease and the most appropriate treatment options are unclear. Although it can be fatal in animals showing severe clinical symptoms, spontaneous remission may also occur. This study reports a case of HES in a Rottweiler in which the predominant clinical sign was abdominal effusion. We discuss the clinical and laboratory aspects of the disease.Os eosinófilos são células do sistema imunológico que tem importantes funções, tais como fagocitose de micro-organismos, apresentação de antígenos, contribuição para a cronicidade do processo inflamatório e imunidade contra parasitas. A síndrome hipereosinofílica (SHE) é uma enfermidade rara que acomete seres humanos, caracterizada por eosinofilia periférica persistente (acima de seis meses) e infiltração variável de eosinófilos em diferentes órgãos, como pulmão, baço, fígado, linfonodos, medula óssea e o trato gastrointestinal. Uma vez nos tecidos, essas células causam danos por diversos mecanismos, como liberação de proteínas citotóxicas e radicais livres de oxigênio. Não é possível identificar uma etiologia nos casos de SHE. Os sinais clínicos são varáveis, e diretamente relacionados com os órgãos acometidos. Em medicina veterinária, a moléstia já foi descrita em felinos, mas raramente em cães, sendo que animais da raça Rottweiler são mais predispostos ao desenvolvimento da doença. Em função do pequeno número de casos descritos na literatura veterinária, a evolução da doença e as opções mais apropriadas de tratamento são pouco conhecidas. Embora alguns animais apresentem sinais clínicos graves, podendo evoluir para o óbito, a remissão espontânea também pode ocorrer. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo relatar um caso de SHE com sinal clínico predominante de efusão abdominal em um filhote de cão da raça Rottweiler, abordando aspectos clínicos e laboratoriais da enfermidade

Hematology of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) subjected to anesthesia and anticoagulation protocols

 A hematologia clínica é uma ferramenta que auxilia na realização do diagnóstico de doenças e pode atuar como um indicador prognóstico das condições patológicas de peixes. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os valores hematológicos de tilápias do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) submetidas a diferentes anestésicos e amostras obtidas com diferentes anticoagulantes. Foram utilizados trinta peixes, com peso médio de 473±35,50g e comprimento total médio de 29,33±0,37cm, adquiridos de piscicultura comercial localizada no município de Lages (SC). Os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em três grupos (n=10) conforme a forma de indução: grupo eugenol (GE) na concentração de 70mg L-1, grupo cloridrato de benzocaína (GB) na concentração de 100mg L-1 e grupo controle (GC) sem o uso de anestésicos. As amostras de sangue foram obtidas por venopunção dos vasos caudais e acondicionadas em microtubos contendo heparina sódica ou Na2EDTA e posteriormente processadas. Os resultados foram avaliados pelo Sigma Stat, sendo utilizado o teste-t pareado para dados entre diferentes anticoagulantes pertencentes ao mesmo grupo e análise de variância, seguida de teste de Tukey para comparação das médias entre grupos (p?0,05). A maioria das alterações observadas no eritrograma foram superiores com o anticoagulante heparina e no grupo benzocaína comparados com o grupo controle. Porém no leucograma, os valores obtidos foram maiores com o anticoagulante Na2EDTA em todos os grupos, sugerindo que a heparina pode causar aglomeração celular. Baseado nos resultados encontrados conclui-se que os anestésicos testados minimizaram o efeito do estresse causado por manipulações e procedimentos invasivos quando comparado ao grupo controle e a heparina foi o anticoagulante que causou menor hemólise quando comparado com o Na2EDTA para esta espécie no teste de fragilidade osmótica eritrocitária. Assim, as variações hematológicas a partir de amostras obtidas com diferentes protocolos anestésicos e/ou diferentes anticoagulantes devem ser consideradas para a espécie Oreochromis niloticus.Clinical hematology facilitates the diagnosis of disease and can act as a prognostic indicator of pathological conditions in fish. The aim of the present study was to evaluate hematological parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) subjected to different anesthetics and anticoagulants. Thirty apparently healthy fishes (average weight of 473 ± 35. 50 g and mean total length of 29. 33 ± 0. 37 cm), were selected from the local commercial fish farm in the Lages municipality (Santa Catarina, Brazil). The animals were randomly divided into three groups of 10. In two groups, anesthesia was induced with eugenol (70 mg·L- 1) (EG) and Benzocaine hydrochloride (100 mg·L-1) (BG), respectively. Anesthesia was not administered to fish of the third group (CG/control group). Blood samples were obtained by venipuncture of the caudal vessels and placed into microtubes containing sodium heparin or Na2EDTA for further analysis. The results were analyzed by Sigma Stat for Windows, the paired t-test for significant differences between anticoagulants of the same group, and analysis of variance followed by the Tukey test for comparison of means between groups (p ? 0. 05). Most of the observed changes in the erythrogram were significantly higher for the anticoagulant heparin and benzocaine group in comparison to the control group. However, the values obtained for the leukogram were significantly higher for all groups subjected to the Na2EDTA anticoagulant, suggesting that heparin may cause cell clumping. The results suggest that the anesthetics under investigation effectively minimizes the effects of stress caused by handling and invasive procedures, and that the anticoagulant heparin causes less hemolysis in comparison to Na2EDTA for Nile tilapia. Thus, the hematological variations attributed to different anesthetic protocols and/or different anticoagulants should be considered for the species Oreochromis niloticus

Determinação da influência da fluidoterapia nos parâmetros hematológicos e urinários em cães

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes taxas de infusão de fluidoterapia sobre parâmetros hematológicos e urinários em cães. Foram utilizados 30 cães, sem raça definida, machos, distribuídos em três grupos que receberam fluidoterapia (NaCl 0,9%) pelo período de uma hora nas taxas: G5 (5mL/kg); G10 (10mL/ kg); G50 (50mL/kg). Amostras de sangue para realização de hemograma, e de urina para realização de densidade urinária foram colhidas ao longo de diferentes momentos, assim como a avaliação do volume urinário produzido. Os valores do eritrograma foram menores estatisticamente de T10 a T240 em G10 e G50, em relação a T0. Na comparação entre grupos, os menores valores para o eritrograma foram encontrados em G50. A densidade urinária apresentou diminuição estatística entre momentos somente em G50, sendo que este grupo apresentou valores menores em relação a G5 e G10. O débito urinário apresentou diferenças estatísticas entre grupos, com maiores valores em G50 em praticamente todos os momentos estudados. Assim, pode-se concluir que a fluidoterapia altera os valores hematológicos em taxas de 10 e 50mL/ kg/h, se devendo esperar um período superior a quatro horas após o término da infusão para coleta de amostras de sangue. Ainda, a fluidoterapia altera a densidade urinária apenas em altas taxas de infusão (50mL/kg por 1 hora), sendo que, nesses casos, amostras de urina devem ser colhidas num período superior a 4 horas após o término da infusão, porém taxas mais baixas (5 e 10mL/Kg por 1 hora) não interferem com a densidade urinária

Clinical and Haematological Disorders in Cats with Natural and Progressive Infection by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

Background: Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an important infectious agent in cats, responsible for great health damages and a large death amount. Among the most common clinical disorders caused by FeLV, severe hematological changes are related at the progressive infection, ordinarily presented as cytopenias. Regarding its oncogenic potential, lymphoma and leukemia are the most observed illness originated by the agent. Therefore, this study has the goal of describing and comparing clinical and hematological disorders in FeLV positive cats from a selected population.Materials, Methods & Results: Data of clinical evaluations of felines from a previously performed cross-sectional epidemiological study were compiled. This study obtained the prevalence of FeLV infected cats in Santa Catarina Plateau. Three groups were established from the original sample of 274 cats; Group 1 (control), FeLV negative and none clinical alterations (n = 80); Group 2, FeLV positive and none clinical changes (n = 9); Group 3, FeLV positive cats with clinical disorders (n = 29). Physical and hematological examination data were obtained from the medical records. The clinical changes at Group 3 were mucosal pallor (65.51% [19/29]), neurological disorders (20.69% [6/29]), lymphoma (20.69% [6/29]), coinfections (10.34% [3/29]) and leukemia (6.9% [2/29]). The most observed hematological disorders of Group 3 were anemia (65.51% [19/29]) and thrombocytopenia (62.7% [18/20]). At the complete blood count, the medium erythrocyte and eosinophil count, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit were lower for Group 3 than the other two groups. The mean number of platelets count were higher for Group 1 than Group 2 and 3. The mean of the other variables remained between reference numbers. However, a descriptive analysis within the groups demonstrated that lymphopenia was observed in 34.48% (10/29) and neutropenia in 17.24% (5/29) at the Group 3.  Discussion: The greater FeLV positive cats with clinical alterations number is a result of a sample obtained from a hospital population. In this scenario, cats are submitted to medical appointment in order to solve their clinical signs, not for purpose of infection screening. The frequency of non-neoplasic disease in FeLV positive cats was higher than neoplastic diseases. The mucosal pallor is the most important clinical change and it is an anemia consequence. A large number of clinical signs related in this study was non-specific. All the clinical changes are associated to FeLV infection, regardless the clinical syndrome observed. Neurological disorders frequency at this study was higher than other articles, being related to neoplastic lymphocytes in central nervous system at the resolved cases. Lymphoma and leukemia were the only neoplasms found in this FeLV study. Non-regenerative anemia was the main FeLV associated hematologic change. This disorder is originated by several mechanisms, such as the virus influence on bone marrow precursors and leukemic infiltration. Thrombocytopenia showed lower frequency than anemia and leukopenia, however, it was the second most common alteration in this study, which was observed in Group 2 and 3. The severe cytopenias related in Group 3 are probably due to the destruction or decrease of the production of these cells by the virus replication process. The clinical and hematological disorders found in this study, reveal the serious presentation and usually irreversible situation of this viral infection, originating important health harm to the affected cats