15 research outputs found

    Acute haemoabdomen associated with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in a dog: a case report

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    A one-year-old intact female, Danish shorthaired pointer was referred to the emergency service with a history of acute collapse and pale mucous membranes after a month of reduced activity but with no other clinical signs. An ultrasound examination of the abdomen indicated the presence of a large amount of free fluid with no obvious cause such as neoplasia or splenic rupture. Fluid analysis had the macroscopic appearance of blood with no signs of infection or neoplasia. Multiple Angiostrongylus vasorum L1 larvae were revealed on a direct rectal faecal smear. The dog was treated with fenbendazole 25 mg/kg orally once daily for 20 days and given supportive treatment. The dog was stabilised on this treatment. Haemoabdomen is a clinical sign where surgical intervention is often considered an integral part of the diagnostic investigation (i.e., laparotomy) or treatment. Failing to make the diagnosis of canine angiostrongylosis before performing surgery may have a serious adverse affect on the outcome. Consequently, in areas where A. vasorum is enzootic, a Baermann test and a direct faecal smear should be included in the initial diagnostic investigation of all dogs presenting with bleeding disorders of unknown origin

    Acute neurological signs as the predominant clinical manifestation in four dogs with Angiostrongylus vasorum infections in Denmark

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    Four dogs with acute neurological signs caused by haemorrhages in the central nervous system were diagnosed with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection as the underlying aetiology. Two dogs presented with brain lesions, one dog with spinal cord lesions and one with lesions in both the brain and spinal cord. Only one dog presented with concurrent signs of classical pulmonary angiostrongylosis (respiratory distress, cough), and only two dogs displayed overt clinical signs of haemorrhages. Results of coagulation assays were inconsistent. Neurological signs reflected the site of pathology and included seizures, various cranial nerve deficits, vestibular signs, proprioceptive deficits, ataxia and paraplegia. One dog died and three were euthanised due to lack of improvement despite medical treatment. This emphasises canine angiostrongylosis as a potential cause of fatal lesions of the central nervous system and the importance of including A. vasorum as a differential diagnosis in young dogs with acute neurological signs in Denmark

    Clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in dogs experimentally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum

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    The aim of this comparative study was to investigate the development of clinical signs and accompanying haematological, coproscopic and pathological findings as a basis for the monitoring of health condition of Angiostrongylus vasorum infected dogs. Six beagles were orally inoculated with 50 (n = 3) or 500 (n = 3) A. vasorum third stage larvae (L3) obtained from experimentally infected Biomphalaria glabrata snails. Two dogs were treated with moxidectin/imidacloprid spot-on solution and two further dogs with an oral experimental compound 92 days post infection (dpi), and were necropsied 166 dpi. Two untreated control dogs were necropsied 97 dpi. Prepatency was 47-49 days. Dogs inoculated with 500 L3 exhibited earlier (from 42 dpi) and more severe respiratory signs. Clinical signs resolved 12 days after treatment and larval excretion stopped within 20 days in all four treated dogs. Upon necropsy, 10 and 170 adult worms were recovered from the untreated dogs inoculated with 50 and 500 L3, respectively. Adult worms were also found in two treated dogs, in the absence of L1 or eggs. Despite heavy A. vasorum infection load and severe pulmonary changes including vascular thrombosis, only mild haematological changes were observed. Eosinophilia was absent but the presence of plasma cells was observed. Neutrophilic leucocytes showed a transient increase but only after treatment. Signs for coagulopathies were slight; nevertheless coagulation parameters were inoculation dose dependent. Ten weeks after treatment pulmonary fibrosis was still present. Infections starting from 50 L3 of A. vasorum had a massive impact on lung tissues and therefore on the health of affected dogs, particularly after prepatency, although only mild haematological abnormalities were evident

    Why are women buying GOOP? Women’s health and the wellness movement

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    The questions that have animated the women\u27s health movement for the last half‐century—questions of autonomy, expertise, authority—appear to be bubbling up again on social media, as feminist health journalists, celebrity gynecologists, and wellness moguls once again debate the role of health and medicine in women\u27s lives. The tensions inherent in these debates were nicely captured when journalist Jennifer Block published her commentary titled “Doctors Are Not Gods” in Scientific America at the end of November 2019—and put Twitter\u27s favorite gynecologist Dr Jennifer Gunter in her crosshairs. Few anticipated the mayhem that ensued. To recap, feminist health journalist Jennifer Block argued that Dr Jennifer Gunter—with her New York Times column on women\u27s health, her best‐selling book “The Vagina Bible,” and her robust online following—had crossed a line from friendly Twitter gyno to Internet bully. Block accused Gunter (and, broadly, medical professionals) of “gaslighting” women who partake in the wellness movement. In the hasty, arm wrestling that ensued what was lost was more than just another squabble over Gweneth Paltrow\u27s GOOP and whether or not those jade eggs belong in women\u27s vaginas. Instead, the rancor that has accompanied debates about conventional medicine versus the wellness movement has foreclosed the opportunity to engage in a broader discussion about the role of women\u27s experience in women\u27s health, and what is at stake when women do not feel heard
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