Epidemiological study of congenital malformations of the vertebral column in French bulldogs, English bulldogs and pugs

Background Congenital vertebral body malformations (CVBMs) have retrospectively been investigated in British and American canine populations. This study prospectively evaluates occurrence, localization, type and characteristic of CVBM along the entire vertebral column in a cohort of French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Pug dogs from Germany. Methods Prospective clinical and radiological screenings for CVBM were performed in brachycephalic dogs presented for reasons unrelated to neurological problems. Neurological and orthopaedic examinations as well as radiographs in two orthogonal planes of the entire vertebral column including the tail were performed in all dogs. Cobb angle and vertebral step were determined. Associations between CVBM, tail malformation, neurological deficits and occurrence of concurrent orthopaedic diseases were investigated. Results A total of 707 VBMs were identified in the whole vertebral column of 169 of 265 brachycephalic dogs. The most common types of CVBMs were ventral wedge shape (48%), dorsal wedge shape (14%) and shortened vertebral body (14%). A new type of malformation was investigated: dorsal wedge shape vertebrae. There was significant association between severe tail malformations with CVBM. Neurological deficits were significantly associated with ventrolateral wedge shape, dorso lateral hemivertebrae, Cobb angle > 30% and vertebral step ≥1.75 mm. Orthopaedic conditions were not significantly associated with CVBM. Conclusion Kyphotic Cobb angle and vertebral step are radiological findings associated with neurological deficits. We propose severe tail malformation as an easy and accurate selection factor for determining breeding dogs

The effect of phenobarbital treatment on behavioral comorbidities and on the composition and function of the fecal microbiome in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy

Phenobarbital (PB) is one of the most important antiseizure drugs (ASDs) to treat canine idiopathic epilepsy (IE). The effect of PB on the taxonomic changes in gastrointestinal microbiota (GIM) and their functions is less known, which may explain parts of its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, especially its antiseizure effect and drug responsiveness or drug resistance as well as its effect on behavioral comorbidities. Fecal samples of 12 dogs with IE were collected prior to the initiation of PB treatment and 90 days after oral PB treatment. The fecal samples were analyzed using shallow DNA shotgun sequencing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based dysbiosis index (DI), and quantification of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Behavioral comorbidities were evaluated using standardized online questionnaires, namely, a canine behavioral assessment and research questionnaire (cBARQ), canine cognitive dysfunction rating scale (CCDR), and an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) questionnaire. The results revealed no significant changes in alpha and beta diversity or in the DI, whereas only the abundance of Clostridiales was significantly decreased after PB treatment. Fecal SCFA measurement showed a significant increase in total fecal SCFA concentration and the concentrations of propionate and butyrate, while acetate concentrations revealed an upward trend after 90 days of treatment. In addition, the PB-Responder (PB-R) group had significantly higher butyrate levels compared to the PB-Non-Responder (PB-NR) group. Metagenomics of functional pathway genes demonstrated a significant increase in genes in trehalose biosynthesis, ribosomal synthesis, and gluconeogenesis, but a decrease in V-ATPase-related oxidative phosphorylation. For behavioral assessment, cBARQ analysis showed improvement in stranger-directed fear, non-social fear, and trainability, while there were no differences in ADHD-like behavior and canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) scores after 90 days of PB treatment. While only very minor shifts in bacterial taxonomy were detected, the higher SCFA concentrations after PB treatment could be one of the key differences between PB-R and PB-NR. These results suggest functional changes in GIM in canine IE treatment

Clinical Course and Diagnostic Findings of Biopsy Controlled Presumed Immune-Mediated Polyneuropathy in 70 European Cats

There is a paucity of information on the clinical course and outcome of young cats with polyneuropathy. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical features, diagnostic investigations, and outcome of a large cohort of cats with inflammatory polyneuropathy from several European countries. Seventy cats with inflammatory infiltrates in intramuscular nerves and/or peripheral nerve biopsies were retrospectively included. Information from medical records and follow up were acquired via questionnaires filled by veterinary neurologists who had submitted muscle and nerve biopsies (2011–2019). Median age at onset was 10 months (range: 4–120 months). The most common breed was British short hair (25.7%), followed by Domestic short hair (24.3%), Bengal cat (11.4%), Maine Coon (8.6%) and Persian cat (5.7%), and 14 other breeds. Male cats were predominantly affected (64.3%). Clinical signs were weakness (98.6%) and tetraparesis (75.7%) in association with decreased withdrawal reflexes (83.6%) and, less commonly, cranial nerve signs (17.1%), spinal pain/hyperesthesia (12.9%), and micturition/defecation problems (14.3%). Onset was sudden (30.1%) or insidious (69.1%), and an initial progressive phase was reported in 74.3%. Characteristic findings on electrodiagnostic examination were presence of generalized spontaneous electric muscle activity (89.6%), decreased motor nerve conduction velocity (52.3%), abnormal F-wave studies (72.4%), pattern of temporal dispersion (26.1%) and unremarkable sensory tests. The clinical course was mainly described as remittent (49.2%) or remittent-relapsing (34.9%), while stagnation, progressive course or waxing and waning were less frequently reported. Relapses were common and occurred in 35.7% of the cats' population. An overall favorable outcome was reported in 79.4% of patients. In conclusion, young age at the time of diagnosis and sudden onset of clinical signs were significantly associated with recovery (p < 0.05). Clinical and electrodiagnostic features and the remittent-relapsing clinical course resembles juvenile chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), as seen in human (children/adolescents), in many aspects

Biopsy Characteristics, Subtypes, and Prognostic Features in 107 Cases of Feline Presumed Immune-Mediated Polyneuropathy

Inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy (IMPN) is one of the causes of sudden onset of neuromuscular signs such as para-/tetraparesis in young cats. Even though most cases have a favorable outcome, persistent deficits, relapses, and progressive courses are occasionally seen. As clinical presentation does not always appear to predict outcome and risk of recurrence, this study was initiated to screen for prognostic biopsy findings in a large cohort of histologically confirmed IMPN cases with clinical follow-up. In total, nerve and muscle specimens of 107 cats with biopsy diagnosis of presumed autoreactive inflammatory polyneuropathy and 22 control cases were reviewed by two blinded raters for a set of 36 histological parameters. To identify patterns and subtypes of IMPN, hierarchical k-means clustering of 33 histologic variables was performed. Then, the impact of histological parameters on IMPN outcome was evaluated via an univariate analysis to identify variables for the final multivariate model. The data on immediate outcome and follow-up were collected from submitting neurologists using a purpose-designed questionnaire. Hierarchical k-means clustering sorted the tissues into 4 main categories: cluster 1 (44/129) represents a purely inflammatory IMPN picture, whereas cluster 2 (47/129) was accompanied by demyelinating features and cluster 3 (16/129) by Wallerian degeneration. Cluster 4 (22/129) reflects normal tissues from non-neuropathic control cats. Returned questionnaires provided detailed information on outcome in 63 animals. They were categorized into recovered and non-recovered. Thereby, fiber-invasive infiltrates by mononuclear cells and mild fiber loss in intramuscular nerve branches correlated with higher probabilities of recovery. Remyelination in semithin sections, on the other hand, is correlated with a less favorable outcome. Animals grouping in cluster 1 had a tendency to a higher probability of recovery compared to other clusters. In conclusion, diagnosis of feline IMPN from nerve and muscle biopsies allowed for the identification of histologic features that were positively or negatively correlated with outcome

Makroskopische, lichtmikroskopische und ukltrastrukturelle Charakterisierung der Placenta fetalis des Asiatischen Elefanten [Elephas maximus)

s. Tex

Makroskopische, lichtmikroskopische und ukltrastrukturelle Charakterisierung der Placenta fetalis des Asiatischen Elefanten [Elephas maximus)

s. Tex

Makroskopische, lichtmikroskopische und ukltrastrukturelle Charakterisierung der Placenta fetalis des Asiatischen Elefanten [Elephas maximus)

s. Tex

Epidemiological study of congenital malformations of the vertebral column in French bulldogs, English bulldogs and pugs

Background: Congenital vertebral body malformations (CVBMs) have retrospectively been investigated in British and American canine populations. This study prospectively evaluates occurrence, localization, type and characteristic of CVBM along the entire vertebral column in a cohort of French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Pug dogs from Germany. Methods: Prospective clinical and radiological screenings for CVBM were performed in brachycephalic dogs presented for reasons unrelated to neurological problems. Neurological and orthopaedic examinations as well as radiographs in two orthogonal planes of the entire vertebral column including the tail were performed in all dogs. Cobb angle and vertebral step were determined. Associations between CVBM, tail malformation, neurological deficits and occurrence of concurrent orthopaedic diseases were investigated. Results: A total of 707 VBMs were identified in the whole vertebral column of 169 of 265 brachycephalic dogs. The most common types of CVBMs were ventral wedge shape (48%), dorsal wedge shape (14%) and shortened vertebral body (14%). A new type of malformation was investigated: dorsal wedge shape vertebrae. There was significant association between severe tail malformations with CVBM. Neurological deficits were significantly associated with ventrolateral wedge shape, dorso lateral hemivertebrae, Cobb angle > 30% and vertebral step ≥1.75 mm. Orthopaedic conditions were not significantly associated with CVBM. Conclusion: Kyphotic Cobb angle and vertebral step are radiological findings associated with neurological deficits. We propose severe tail malformation as an easy and accurate selection factor for determining breeding dogs