Bilateral Anophthalmia in Feline

Background: Anophthalmia is a rare, congenital condition, defined as the complete absence of the eye bulb due to inadequate growth of the vesicle or optic dome. The malformation can be primary (in the absence of complete), secondary (in the presence of only residual tissue), or degenerative (in which the eye begins to form, but for some reason, it begins to degenerate). This condition is rare in dogs, cats, cattle, and sheep. Microscopic evaluation of orbital tissue for identification is always recommended. The aim of this study was to report a case of bilateral anophthalmia in a domestic cat.Case: A feline male, healthy, Maine Coon breed with 60 days of life was attended at the one veterinary private clinic. The cat, negative for FIV and FeLV, was born in a commercial cattery, belonging to his mother's third litter, healthy litter with the exception of this feline. He arrived with a complaint of not opening his eyelids, like the rest of the litter. In the clinical examination, it was found the normality of vital signs, absence of other visible anatomical abnormalities, only the ocular region was observed with closed eyelids. The initial suspicions were anophthalmia and microphthalmia. The patient was referred for an ocular ultrasound, which showed the complete absence of the right and left eye bulbs. The right and left orbital cavities had only a volume of soft, amorphous, and predominantly homogeneous tissue. After the ultrasound report, the patient underwent a surgical procedure to remove a fragment of tissue from the eye socket, which was sent for histopathological examination to confirm anophthalmia and discard the differential diagnosis of microphthalmia. Microscopy revealed immature, epithelial, and glandular tissue in the middle of discrete and moderate connective tissue, loosely arranged. In some fragments, cartilaginous tissue was also revealed. Thus, the histological findings are compatible with immature, pseudoformed tissues and without neoplastic characteristics. The diagnosis of secondary anophthalmia was reached with use of ultrasound and histological reports.Discussion: Congenital malformations in domestic cats are less frequent than in dogs, some of which are rare, and little reported. Secondary anophthalmia in the reported patient was confirmed by histological and ultrasound examination. Bilateral secondary anophthalmia is characterized by the absence of the eyeball, but with the presence of adjacent tissue. The animal was submitted to an ocular ultrasound examination and the complete absence of ocular bulbs was found. The differential diagnosis of microphthalmia was ruled out because there was no evidence of the eyeball. Microphthalmia is a common congenital ophthalmic disorder in veterinary medicine. Representative fragments were submitted to histopathological examination, where immature, epithelial tissue was found. In some fragments sent for analysis, cartilaginous tissue was observed. The histological findings are compatible with immature, pseudoformed tissues, thus verifying bilateral congenital anophthalmia in the reported animal. The clinical examination in these cases serves to ensure that the animal does not have any other congenital changes, allowing a favorable prognosis in puppies. Based on the information presented, the animal in this study has bilateral secondary congenital anophthalmia, with a favorable prognosis for the patient to live with certain normality, with quality and well-being

Cutaneous Asthenia in a Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus)

Background: Cutaneous asthenia or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is an inherited and rare disease. This infirmity is from an autosomal mutation that influences the collagen synthesis of the carrier. Thus, its skeleton, formed of fibers, is structurally defective. The disease is characterized by hyperelasticity and skin fragility, leading to lesions throughout the skin. The lesions may manifest in specific places or in a generalized way, being more frequent in the limbs, neck, and back. This disease does not have a specific treatment, only management care to avoid new traumas.Case: A 3-year-old male castrated, no defined race cat, was attended at one veterinary clinic with a history of intense itching. The rapid tests for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) were negative. On physical examination, infestation by fleas, lesions all over the body, and skin hyperelasticity were observed. Topical treatment for ectoparasites as well as for body wounds was established. After the treatment, he returned without itching, but with the complaints of new lesions that did not heal. The patient underwent a total shearing to facilitate the treatment of the skin, and then he underwent blood tests, biochemistry, hormonal tests, and ultrasound, which showed no suggestive changes for hyperadrenocorticism and diabetes mellitus. His clinical signs, besides not matching with these diseases, also did not indicate skin fragility due to his history of age and balanced diet. The confirmation of the cutaneous asthenia syndrome was acquired through biopsy of skin fragment, in which it was observed disarray of collagen fibers, hypertrophy, and fibroblast hyperplasia, together with the rate of extensibility of the skin where the value reached the mark of 27.5%. Throughout the hospitalization, it was noted the progression of the disease with the appearance of new lesions, where there was no bleeding and they appeared even with the patient wearing padded clothes. Its progression lasted one year until the patient's euthanasia.Discussion: For the disposal of diabetes mellitus and hyperadrenocorticism as causes of the appearance of lesions by the body in the patient, he was submitted to the suppression tests with dexamethasone, in which he presented normality, in the biochemical examination it was dosed with fructosamine and glucose. The fructosamine was in the reference value, but the glucose was slightly altered, this increase may have been a result of stress at the time of blood collection. In addition to the patient not showing specific clinical signs such as polyphagia, polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss, these are characteristic clinical signs of the disease. For the diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, histological examination, and calculation of the skin extensibility index were used, where the results obtained confirmed the suspicion. This genetic anomaly has no treatment, being progressive, so only environmental management is done to mitigate the appearance of the lesions and provide animal welfare. This case report contributes to aggregating the scientific literature in the area of veterinary medicine since skin asthenia is a rare disease and when its extent is total it becomes even more atypical. The availability of this article will provide a vision of palliative treatment for other cases, demonstrating the progressive nature of the lesions and the methods of diagnosis. Keywords: cat, collagen deficiency, ehlers-danlos syndrome, hyperelastic, skin.

Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance in Members of the Enterobacteriaceae Family from Vaginal and Preputial Mucous Isolates of Stray Dogs

Background: Contact between humans and pets, mainly dogs and cats, has been increasing in recent years, which may result in the spread of infectious agents to new hosts and even to the environment, causing emergencies of national and international interest. The aim of this work was to understand the phenotypic profile of bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family of vaginal and preputial mucous of stray dogs from a border region.Materials, Methods & Results: Swab samples from the vaginal and preputial mucosa of stray dogs from two border regions were collected for later bacterial isolation, biochemical identification of bacterial isolates, susceptibility tests to different antimicrobials, and determination of the bacterial resistance index. Samples were collected from 70 animals, was possible to isolate 88 samples, of which 36 (40.9%) presented isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, with Escherichia coli being the most prevalent species (44.8%), followed by Obesumbacterium proteus in eight (27.5%); Enterobacter aerogenes and Enterobacter cloacae in two (6.8%); and Erwinia herbicola, Koserella trabulsii, Proteus mirabilis, and Serratia rubidaea (3.4%) from one isolate. The most resistant antimicrobials Clindamycin (100%), Metronidazole (100%), Oxacillin (100%), and Penicillin (100%) were tested against the vaginal and preputial samples and when the multidrug resistance index of the isolates was analyzed, all were classified as presenting a public health risk.Discussion: The results of this work suggest that stray dogs may be considered potential reservoirs of resistant pathogenic microorganisms, enabling future health problems due to the close coexistence of tutors with their dogs. It is known that the microorganisms that inhabit a certain environment or a specific part of the body are collectively called microbiomes. More specifically, some of them are bacteria that inhabit the reproductive mucous membranes (vaginal and preputial) of healthy dogs. Several works have also identified E. coli as the most prevalent bacteria identified in the vaginal and preputial mucosa of healthy dogs, that is regarded as a member of different microbiomes that is a commensal of different species of domestic animals, it is important to stress that this bacterial species presents sophisticated virulence mechanisms possibly responsible for different nosocomial infections as well as community infections in mankind and different species of animals. Found other bacterial species suggests a connection of these bacterial species with different environments and different animal species, which is even more disturbing regarding public health, since most of the time dogs share the same spaces of their tutors, which would facilitate the transmission and interaction with potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The MAR index result is worrying when dealing with stray and asymptomatic dogs, since the behavioral particularities of canine species such as licking the body, licking the genitalia, sniffing the environment for territorial demarcation and, in some cases, coprophagy, may facilitate the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms and even disseminate genes of resistance to their keepers, other animals, and even to the environment. Unique health education works should be conducted in border regions in order to raise awareness of the population involved about the different situations that may favor the dissemination of microorganisms and their resistance genes, including the problems caused by the illegal sale and/or transportation of drugs, a situation that is very common in borders

Cutaneous Asthenia in a Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus)

Background: Cutaneous asthenia or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is an inherited and rare disease. This infirmity is from an autosomal mutation that influences the collagen synthesis of the carrier. Thus, its skeleton, formed of fibers, is structurally defective. The disease is characterized by hyperelasticity and skin fragility, leading to lesions throughout the skin. The lesions may manifest in specific places or in a generalized way, being more frequent in the limbs, neck, and back. This disease does not have a specific treatment, only management care to avoid new traumas.Case: A 3-year-old male castrated, no defined race cat, was attended at one veterinary clinic with a history of intense itching. The rapid tests for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) were negative. On physical examination, infestation by fleas, lesions all over the body, and skin hyperelasticity were observed. Topical treatment for ectoparasites as well as for body wounds was established. After the treatment, he returned without itching, but with the complaints of new lesions that did not heal. The patient underwent a total shearing to facilitate the treatment of the skin, and then he underwent blood tests, biochemistry, hormonal tests, and ultrasound, which showed no suggestive changes for hyperadrenocorticism and diabetes mellitus. His clinical signs, besides not matching with these diseases, also did not indicate skin fragility due to his history of age and balanced diet. The confirmation of the cutaneous asthenia syndrome was acquired through biopsy of skin fragment, in which it was observed disarray of collagen fibers, hypertrophy, and fibroblast hyperplasia, together with the rate of extensibility of the skin where the value reached the mark of 27.5%. Throughout the hospitalization, it was noted the progression of the disease with the appearance of new lesions, where there was no bleeding and they appeared even with the patient wearing padded clothes. Its progression lasted one year until the patient's euthanasia.Discussion: For the disposal of diabetes mellitus and hyperadrenocorticism as causes of the appearance of lesions by the body in the patient, he was submitted to the suppression tests with dexamethasone, in which he presented normality, in the biochemical examination it was dosed with fructosamine and glucose. The fructosamine was in the reference value, but the glucose was slightly altered, this increase may have been a result of stress at the time of blood collection. In addition to the patient not showing specific clinical signs such as polyphagia, polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss, these are characteristic clinical signs of the disease. For the diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, histological examination, and calculation of the skin extensibility index were used, where the results obtained confirmed the suspicion. This genetic anomaly has no treatment, being progressive, so only environmental management is done to mitigate the appearance of the lesions and provide animal welfare. This case report contributes to aggregating the scientific literature in the area of veterinary medicine since skin asthenia is a rare disease and when its extent is total it becomes even more atypical. The availability of this article will provide a vision of palliative treatment for other cases, demonstrating the progressive nature of the lesions and the methods of diagnosis. Keywords: cat, collagen deficiency, ehlers-danlos syndrome, hyperelastic, skin.

Bilateral Anophthalmia in Feline

Background: Anophthalmia is a rare, congenital condition, defined as the complete absence of the eye bulb due to inadequate growth of the vesicle or optic dome. The malformation can be primary (in the absence of complete), secondary (in the presence of only residual tissue), or degenerative (in which the eye begins to form, but for some reason, it begins to degenerate). This condition is rare in dogs, cats, cattle, and sheep. Microscopic evaluation of orbital tissue for identification is always recommended. The aim of this study was to report a case of bilateral anophthalmia in a domestic cat.Case: A feline male, healthy, Maine Coon breed with 60 days of life was attended at the one veterinary private clinic. The cat, negative for FIV and FeLV, was born in a commercial cattery, belonging to his mother's third litter, healthy litter with the exception of this feline. He arrived with a complaint of not opening his eyelids, like the rest of the litter. In the clinical examination, it was found the normality of vital signs, absence of other visible anatomical abnormalities, only the ocular region was observed with closed eyelids. The initial suspicions were anophthalmia and microphthalmia. The patient was referred for an ocular ultrasound, which showed the complete absence of the right and left eye bulbs. The right and left orbital cavities had only a volume of soft, amorphous, and predominantly homogeneous tissue. After the ultrasound report, the patient underwent a surgical procedure to remove a fragment of tissue from the eye socket, which was sent for histopathological examination to confirm anophthalmia and discard the differential diagnosis of microphthalmia. Microscopy revealed immature, epithelial, and glandular tissue in the middle of discrete and moderate connective tissue, loosely arranged. In some fragments, cartilaginous tissue was also revealed. Thus, the histological findings are compatible with immature, pseudoformed tissues and without neoplastic characteristics. The diagnosis of secondary anophthalmia was reached with use of ultrasound and histological reports.Discussion: Congenital malformations in domestic cats are less frequent than in dogs, some of which are rare, and little reported. Secondary anophthalmia in the reported patient was confirmed by histological and ultrasound examination. Bilateral secondary anophthalmia is characterized by the absence of the eyeball, but with the presence of adjacent tissue. The animal was submitted to an ocular ultrasound examination and the complete absence of ocular bulbs was found. The differential diagnosis of microphthalmia was ruled out because there was no evidence of the eyeball. Microphthalmia is a common congenital ophthalmic disorder in veterinary medicine. Representative fragments were submitted to histopathological examination, where immature, epithelial tissue was found. In some fragments sent for analysis, cartilaginous tissue was observed. The histological findings are compatible with immature, pseudoformed tissues, thus verifying bilateral congenital anophthalmia in the reported animal. The clinical examination in these cases serves to ensure that the animal does not have any other congenital changes, allowing a favorable prognosis in puppies. Based on the information presented, the animal in this study has bilateral secondary congenital anophthalmia, with a favorable prognosis for the patient to live with certain normality, with quality and well-being

Resistance Profile of Bovine Mastitis Isolates, Presence of the <i>mec</i>A Gene and Identification of <i>ESBL</i> Producing Strains from Small Rural Dairy Properties

Bovine mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland in response to invasion by opportunistic agents. Due to the high economic importance of dairy production and the complexity related to animal health, the objective of this work was to identify and evaluate the antibacterial resistance profile of samples of mastitis milk, milking hand and milking equipment from small rural dairy farms belonging to the northwest region of the state of Paraná, Brazil. Five small, non-technical dairy farms in the municipalities of Boa Esperança, Juranda and Tapejara, all belonging to the northwest region of the state of Paraná, Brazil, were selected. The properties had Holstein and/or crossbred herds, carried out a bucket-by-foot milking system and all had the presence of animals with subclinical mastitis confirmed by the California Mastitis Test. Samples of sterile swabs from the milking insufflators, the milking hand and milk samples were collected—and later, isolation tests and phenotypic characterization of the samples, sensitivity tests to antimicrobials and phenotypic tests for the detection of beta-producing strains were performed with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), molecular identification of Staphylococcus aureus isolates and mecA gene research. Of the 199 samples collected from the 15 selected properties in the municipalities of Boa Esperança, Tapejara and Juranda, 72 (36.20%) were classified as multiresistant. Isolated from milkers’ hands and milking machines, which phenotypically produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), the presence of the mecA gene was also observed in 11 isolates of Staphylococcus spp. of milk samples, machines and milking hands. Mastitis can be spread to the herd through the milking process by the milkers’ instruments and hands, and adequate management measures can prevent its transmission and the conscious use of antibiotics decreases the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. In this work, different pathogenic bacteria were detected in mastitic milk, milking equipment and milking hand with a high percentage (36.20%) of isolates classified as multidrug resistant. In addition, the presence phenotypically (ESBL) and molecularly (mecA gene) of isolates carrying resistance genes was also verified. These results directly reflect on the health of the animals, the health of the workers and the health of the respective environment, which can enable the continuity of the propagation of the etiological agents involved in the mastitis infection. The awareness of producers and workers on these properties about the disease, transmission, sanitary aspects and adequate management and treatment are essential for improving milk production and production efficiency