Renal Dysplasia in a Maltese dog

Background: Renal dysplasia (RD) is a common cause of renal failure in young dogs. It is defined as a disorganization in renal parenchymal development, with abnormal differentiation. In all domestic animal species, RD may be hereditary or acquired. The affected animals show clinical signs of early chronic kidney disease, usually between 3 months to 3 years of age. The alterations include persistent metanephric ducts surrounded by primitive mesenchyme, glomeruli and fetal tubules, and abnormal interstitial fibrous tissue. We aimed to report the case of a 1-year-old canine with renal dysplasia.Case: A 1-year-old male Maltese dog experiencing polyuria, polydipsia, recurrent episodic vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weight loss, apathy, and anorexia was referred to a private clinic in the municipality of Itabuna-Bahia. Physical examination revealed hypochromic mucosa, dehydration estimated at 8%, rectal temperature of 37.5º C, halitosis, and a body score of 3 out of 9. Laboratory abnormalities included hematocrit of 18%, with hypochromic normocytic aregenerative anemia, azotemia (urea - 530 mg/dL, creatinine - 10.5 mg/dL), hyperglobulinemia (4.7 g/dL), low urinary density (1005), proteinuria (300 mg/dL), and urinary pH - 7.0. Ultrasonography revealed bilateral small kidneys with loss of cortico-medullary definition, cystic formations of different sizes on the renal surface, and hyperechoic areas in the parenchyma; these alterations were suggestive of bilateral chronic nephropathy. Considering the clinical, hematological, biochemical, and ultrasonographic presentation associated with the age of the patient, renal dysplasia was suspected. The patient's clinical condition progressed to loss of consciousness and convulsions, followed by death. Necropsy revealed pale, hypotrophic kidneys with firm consistency, irregular capsular surface containing multiple cortical cysts of different sizes, and altered cortico-medullar proportion. . Kidney fragments were sent to the Laboratory of Histopathology of the State University of Santa Cruz.  Histopathological analysis revealed a marked alteration of renal architecture with glomeruli and immature tubules (adenomatous aspect), persistent primitive mesenchyme, and remnants of the metanephric ducts, as well as tubular dilatation associated with marked interstitial fibrosis, discrete lymphohistiocytic interstitial nephritis, and multifocal areas of mineralization.Discussion: The clinical changes observed in the present case occurred as a consequence of chronic kidney failure caused by RD and included anorexia, apathy, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, polyuria, polydipsia, and dehydration. These alterations were also found in other reported cases. The macroscopic findings were similar to those described in the literature and are characteristic of chronic kidney disease: small, firm, pale-colored kidneys. Microscopic changes of renal dysplasia include persistent metanephric ducts surrounded by primitive mesenchyme, glomeruli and fetal tubules, and abnormal interstitial fibrous tissue. In the histopathological renal evaluation in the present report, morphological alterations compatible with the described alterations in the literature were observed, thus allowing the diagnosis of renal dysplasia. Renal dysplasia can affect young dogs of different breeds, causing clinical manifestations of chronic kidney disease. In view of this, this disease should be included as a differential diagnosis in patients under 3 years old who present signs of chronic nephropathy.

Conidiobolomycosis in Ovine in Southeast Bahia - Brazil

Background: Conidiobolomycosis is a highly lethal, granulomatous disease that primarily affects the respiratory system of sheep. The etiological agents are fungi of the genus Conidiobolus, including Conidiobolus coronatus, C. incongruus, and C. lamprageus. In Northeast Brazil, this disease is particularly important considering the significant impact sheep and goats have on the regional economy. The present report describes the occurrence of conidiobolomycosis in two sheep from the same property in the Itabuna-BA region that were referred to the Veterinary Hospital of the State University of Santa Cruz, Bahia, Brazil. Case: The primary complaint in both animals was bilateral bloody nasal discharge over a period of approximately 15 days and frequent coughing. On physical examination, the animals exhibited “goosebumps” and opaque hair, with a body score of 1 (scale, 1-5), mild dehydration (7%), apathy, frequent cough with putrid odor, bilateral serosanguinolent nasal discharge, craniofacial asymmetry, expiratory dyspnea, enlargement of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes, audible pulmonary rales, and pain on percussion of the pulmonary field. A therapeutic support protocol was established to stabilize the animals until the results of complete blood count, radiography, and microbiological evaluation of nasal content were available. Definitive diagnosis of disease was made by direct positive mycological examination, that revealed the presence of wide rarely septate hyphae, and isolation and cultivation of the fungus Conidiobolus sp., with microculture on slides and staining with lactophenol blue cotton. Due to disease diagnosis and the severity of injuries observed, the prognoses of both animals were considered to be unfavorable and led to euthanasia and necropsy. At necropsy, the most relevant findings were granulomatous rhinitis with ascending inflammatory processes to the meninges and adjacent structures, in addition to cranioventral areas of pulmonary consolidation with drainage of purulent exudate at the cut surface, suggestive of bronchopneumonia. Histopathology revealed intense pyogranulomatous inflammation associated with the presence of hyphae in negative images within the cytoplasm of multinucleated giant cells in the nasal cavity, lungs, meninges, and brain. Discussion: The association of necropsy findings, histopathological changes, and microbiological isolation of the fungus facilitated understanding of the changes observed in the respiratory system and other organs, and enabled correlation between the recorded lesions and clinical manifestations exhibited by the animals. Based on the lesions observed clinically and at necropsy, both cases were diagnosed with rhinopharyngeal conidiobolomycosis. The histopathological and macroscopic changes observed were similar to what are often described in severe cases of the disease. Considering the severity of the disease and its high lethality in these animals, conidiobolomycosis can lead to significant damage of the production chain; this was observed in the present property, where three animals in a herd of 20 died with signs of the disease, highlighting the importance of the disease, particularly in the Northeast region, where the largest flocks of sheep are found in Brazil. The implementation of prophylactic measures is particularly important considering the unfavorable prognosis and the absence of effective treatments

INDUÇÃO DE OVULAÇÃO COM SWAB VAGINAL EM GATAS DOMÉSTICAS E SEUS EFEITOS SOBRE A MORFOLOGIA UTERINA

A ovulação em gatas é induzida por um reflexo neuroendócrino atribuído à estimulação mecânica dos receptores sensoriais durante o coito. Esta estimulação pode ser simulada com auxílio do swab vaginal, desencadeando a pseudogestação. Objetivou-se verificar a eficiência da indução de ovulação com swab, a fim de estabelecer um tratamento contraceptivo natural para felinos domésticos, bem como os efeitos sobre o útero do uso repetido dessa técnica. Na primeira fase do trabalho, foram avaliados 12 animais em três ciclos estrais consecutivos. No primeiro ciclo (T1), houve estimulação vaginal com swab. No segundo ciclo (T2), foi utilizado macho vasectomizado para cópula. No último ciclo (T3), a ovulação foi acompanhada sem estímulo (controle). Na segunda etapa do trabalho, 13 gatas foram submetidas a sucessivos estados de pseudogestação com intuito de verificar os efeitos da estimulação mecânica sobre o útero. A confirmação da ovulação em todas as etapas do trabalho foi realizada por meio da mensuração dos níveis de progesterona. A estimulação vaginal com swab apresentou resposta similar à obtida por monta natural (P>0,05). Algumas gatas apresentaram modificações uterinas discretas; no entanto, nenhum desses achados foi considerado de relevância patológica. Desta forma, a indução de ovulação com swab mostrou-se segura e sem efeitos colaterais expressivos.Palavras-chave: contraceptivo; estro; felinos; ovulação

Feline Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Background: Feline idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an irreversible disease that is rarely reported in veterinary clinical routine, with this case as the second reported in Brazil. This study aimed to describe a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a domestic cat.Case: A 10-year-old female cat with a history of respiratory distress was treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the State University of Santa Cruz (HV-UESC). The first signs were observed three months before clinical care, characterized mainly by dyspnea that was more pronounced during nighttime. There was no history of previous illnesses or prior drug use. The cat lived with two other domiciled cats, did not have access to the street, and had restricted access to the terrace of the building, from where other animals could have possibly entered. Physical examination showed a poor body condition with a temperature of 37°C and dehydration estimated at 9%.The animal was observed to remain in an orthopedic position, with tachypnea (109 mvm), wheezing through the mouth, and severe expiratory dyspnea. Pulmonary auscultation detected fine discontinuous adventitious noises. There were no changes in the cardiac function in terms of rhythm, frequency, or auscultation. Oxygen therapy and slow administration of 0.9% NaCl solution were performed; moreover, blood was collected for complete blood count, in which no abnormalities were observed. Thoracic radiography was performed on the cat, and the results showed a mixed pulmonary pattern characterized by bronchiectasis, thickening of the bronchiolar wall, and an unstructured interstitial pattern throughout the pulmonary area. Shortly after the beginning of the clinical care, the animal died due to respiratory arrest and was necropsied. The main macroscopic finding was pulmonary edema. Lung samples were subjected to microscopic evaluation, which revealed extensive multifocal areas of alveolar septa thickening characterized by smooth muscle hyperplasia, hypertrophy associated with intense fibroplasia, type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, and discrete intra-alveolar and interstitial lymphohistiocytic inflammatory infiltrate. Based on the clinical, radiographic, macroscopic, and histopathological findings, the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was established. Discussion: This is the second case of feline idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis reported in Brazil. The observations in the physical examination, namely, the orthopedic positioning, dyspnea, and mouth breathing, are characteristic of respiratory distress and showed the severity of the lesions in the respiratory system. The clinical manifestation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in cats reveals that gas exchange had already been compromised, which indicates an advanced stage of disease. In addition to respiratory signs, systemic signs such as apathy, anorexia, weight loss, and dehydration also confirm the severity of the condition. Because of the severity of the clinical condition at the time of the clinical care, it was not possible to adopt a more aggressive therapeutic approach, and the animal eventually died. Taken together, the clinical, radiographic, macroscopic, and histopathological findings led to the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Literature states that the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis requires clinical, radiographic, and histopathological findings consistent with the alterations observed in this cat. Much remains to be understood with regard to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in felines, since the currently available information is sparse and divergent. The description of these cases is extremely important to increase the available knowledge and to improve the prognosis and therapy for this serious disease

Conservação de alimentos pelo uso de aditivos: Uma Revisão

Desde a antiguidade, várias técnicas para conservação dos alimentos são utilizadas pela humanidade para preservar as características dos alimentos devido a necessidade de importantes às grandes períodos de escassez. No entanto, o emprego dos aditivos químicos, como os conservantes, é fundamental para atender a demanda do mercado quando os alimentos não podem ser aplicar a aplicação de métodos de conservação tradicionais. O objetivo do estudo é realizar uma revisão bibliográfica referente ao uso de aditivos na conservação dos alimentos, conservadores e antioxidantes. Os estudos realizados foram selecionados nas seguintes bases de dados: Scielo, Lilacs, Bireme e Pubmed,publicado no período de 2000 a 2019. Também foram utilizadas como fontes de pesquisa de livros da área de Nutrição e Tecnologia de Alimentos considerados relevantes em relação ao tema estudado. Os resultados demonstram uma importância, aplicação e mecanismo de ação dos conservantes mais utilizados na indústria alimentícia, bem como os riscos associados ao consumo, inocuidade e toxicidade. Pode-se concluir que a utilização de aditivos em alimentos tornou-se praticamente indispensável. Os aditivos conservadores possuem funções importantes na manutenção da vida útil dos alimentos. Entretanto, é possível verificar que os mesmos podem efeitos trazer adversos a curto ou longo prazo, por isso é necessária sua utilização dentro dos limites

Three Cases of Exclusively Extragenital Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor (cTVT)

Background: Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor (cTVT) is a neoplasia that affects mainly the genital organs of dogs, but can rich extragenital sites as well. It´s a tumor characterized microscopically by the presence of vacuolized round cells. Transmission occurs by implantation of these cells in non-affected tissues and the treatment is based on vincristine chemotherapy.Cases: Case 1. A 5-year-old intact male Poodle, presenting an increase volume of nasal plane came for veterinary care at a private veterinary clinic. The animal had bilateral bloody nasal secretion and dyspnea. The external genitalia had no alterations. The cytological evaluation confirmed cTVT. Treatment with vincristine sulfate weekly showed a rapid responsewith improvement of the respiratory condition, total remission of the mass and absence of neoplastic cells in cytology. Case 2. A 5-year-old mixed-breed canine bitch, weighing 6.7 kg, was brought to the State University of Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital (UESC-VH), showing an increase volume in the nasal plan region, with complaints about sneezing, nasal bleeding,respiratory distress with approximately 4 months of evolution. The owner informed that the mother of these female dog, that lived in the same environment, died a month before the beginning of clinical signs of the bitch of this case, and showed a reddish vaginal mass with intense bleeding. Intranasal exfoliative cytology showed moderately cellular sample compatible with cTVT. The treatment with vincristine sulphate for 6 weeks, showed completely remission of all clinical signs. Case 3. A 3-year-old mixed-breed male dog was brought to the UESC-VH with a reddish, friable mass located in the left eye. The citology confirmed the clinical suspicion of cTVT. After six weekly sessions of chemotherapy with vincristine sulfate, the tumor regressed and a new cytological evaluation was performed, without visible of tumor cells. By the end of the treatment, the dog was diagnosed with phitisis bulbi, and one year later, due to recurrent ulcerative keratitis, the enucleation was performed and the histopathological examination of the eye did not identify the presence of tumor cells.Discussion: Two of the dogs cited in this report had freely streets access, without supervision of the owners, and they are likely to have contracted cTVT on one of those occasions. The animal’s care style acts as a risk factor for the development of neoplasia. Regarding the third animal, the close contact with another female dog, who had compatible vaginal cTVTclinical signs was probably the factor that determined the transmission. None of the animals cited in this report had lesions on their external genitalia. The extragenital presentation may be attributed to the social behavior of licking and sniffing the genitalia of carrier animals, which may lead to the natural implantation of the viable cells of the cTVT into the ocular and nasal mucosa. About the clinical signs manifested, in the cases of involvement of the nasal structures, the main signs described in literature are bloody nasal secretion, sneezing, dyspnea and increased nasal plane volume, and are similar to those observed in the animals cited in this report. In the case of ocular cTVT, the increase volume with impairment and deformity of all ocular structures, as well as pain and pruritus corroborate with the clinical findings observed in the literature. The cytopathological test was the diagnostic tool used in all cases cited in this report and the cytopathological findings corroborates with those described in the literature. Vincristine sulfate is the drug of choice for the treatment of cTVT cases, and in the dogs of this report, this drug was successfully used leading to complete remission of lesions and clinical signs, as observed in other studies.Keywords: nasal mucosa, ocular mucosa, venereal disease, round cells

Babesia spp. and Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in Dogs from Southeastern Bahia, Brazil

Background: Tickborne diseases are frequent in tropical countries such as Brazil. Protozoa of the Babesia genus and bacteria of the Ehrlichia genus spread throughout the country with high prevalences in urban and rural areas, causing clinical or subclinical diseases in dogs. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of infection from Babesia spp. and Ehrlichia chaffeensis in the dog population in the municipality of Ituberá, Bahia, Brazil, and to verify the risk factors associated with the infections.Materials, Methods & Results: A cross-sectional study was conducted, consisting of the following procedures: clinical examination and blood samples collection from 380 dogs and application of a structure questionnaire to dog owners to collect epidemiological data. All dogs were evaluated for the presence of ticks and clinical signs associated with the infections. Blood samples were collected and tested for Babesia spp. through capillary blood smears, indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFAT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR); all the samples were also tested for E. chaffeensis through nested PCR. Intra-erythrocyte piroplasms were visualized in the blood smears of two animals (2/380; 0.5%) in the cytology exams. Anti-B. canis antibodies were detected in 140/380 (36.8%) dogs, at 1:40 dilution. By PCR, 147/380 (38.7%) dogs tested positive for infection by Babesia sp., but no animal was infected by E. chaffeensis. Only 115/380 dogs (30.3%) were infested by ticks. In total, 223/380 dogs (58.7%) were found infected by Babesia spp. No clinical signs were it found to be significant for the infection. The infected (Ht = 40%) and uninfected dogs’ (Ht = 39%) hematocrit averages were not found to significantly differ (P = 0.47). No hematological changes were found to be significant for the disease. The evaluated variables sex, habitat (urban or rural), exposure to other dogs, age, and infestation by ticks were not found to be risk factors. The condition of semirestriction of 175/223 (78.4%) dogs was found as a risk factor for the infection (P = 0.01; OR = 1.75; IC 95% = 1.10-2.78).Discussion: The low detection from blood smears was inferior to the lowest prevalences found in Brazil. On the other hand, the high seroprevalence rate by IFAT observed in this study was found in other Brazilian states.  The low infection prevalence in the cytologic analysis associated with high seroprevalence are characteristics of chronic or subclinical infections. The high seroprevalence rates may also indicate chronicity and/or subclinical disease when associated with low parasitemia and may also be indicated by the low title variation observed. In this study, some dogs that tested positive for Babesia by serology tested negative in the PCR, which suggests a previously exposure to this pathogen and maintenance of detectable levels of antibodies, or that they were subclinical or chronic carriers of the infection. The equal hematocrit averages of dogs either carrying or not the disease suggests that the infected animals, especially the seemingly healthy dogs, are subclinical or chronic carriers, either asymptomatic or otherwise, that are adapted to the disease, which may contribute to the agent remaining in this population. The fact that no clinical sign of hematological change was significant for the infection may demonstrate the low pathogenicity of this agent in the evaluated population. The semi-restricted condition of the dogs as a risk factor is probably due to the increased exposure of these animals to canine babesiosis vectors during their movement through different neighborhood areas and villages in the municipality. The combination of diagnostic methods is important to identify the infection and determine its prevalence in epidemiological studies. Also, PCR was fundamental in this study, to identify the infection in asymptomatic dogs

PERFIL NUTRICIONAL DE IDOSOS PORTADORES DE ALZHEIMER ATENDIDOS EM HOMECARE

A Doença de Alzheimer (DA) é uma doença cerebral degenerativa que atinge normalmente a população idosa e que provoca declínio cognitivo. Pacientes acometidos por essa doença tendem a sofrer de disfagia, podendo surgir defciências nutricionais, com consequente perda de peso, o que difculta o tratamento de modo geral. Diante desse fato, o principal objetivo deste artigo é avaliar os resultados da interferência da nutrição em pacientes portadores de DA. Foram analisados parâmetros antropométricos, dietéticos e bioquímicos em ambos os sexos. Com base nos resultados apresentados no que diz respeito ao sexo, obteve-se uma média de idade de 84 anos entre os sexos, com maior prevalência no gênero feminino, totalizando 73% do total da amostra de 51 participantes. Na análise do inquéritoalimentar, o consumo médio de energia e de macronutrientes dos idosos do sexo masculino foi de 1247,88 kcal, distribuídos 128,62g de carboidratos, 44,80g de proteínas e 20,66g de lipídeos, enquanto no sexo feminino foi de 1229,01 kcal, distribuídos em 137,61g de carboidratos, 44,58g de proteínas e 23,12g de lipídeos. Portanto, conclui-seque é fundamental a atuação de uma equipe interdisciplinar para a integração de conhecimento de várias áreas, com o objetivo comum de promoção e reabilitação da saúde dos idosos

ATLANTIC-CAMTRAPS: a dataset of medium and large terrestrial mammal communities in the Atlantic Forest of South America

Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, eight ungulates and six armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (±6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domestic dog Canis familiaris, crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous, tayra Eira barbara, south American coati Nasua nasua, crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus and the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. The information contained in this dataset can be used to understand macroecological patterns of biodiversity, community, and population structure, but also to evaluate the ecological consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and trophic interactions. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of Americ