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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to report clinical outcomes of horses with naturally occurring full-thickness skin lacerations treated with an amorphous silicate dressing. We hypothesized that wounds treated with an amorphous silicate dressing would have minimal complications and lesion resolution without formation of exuberant granulation tissue.
ANIMALS
11 client-owned horses.
PROCEDURES
Clinical records of 11 horses with distal limb wounds treated with an amorphous silicate dressing were collected from participating veterinarians across the US. Wound healing progression was monitored by the veterinarian and owners.
RESULTS
None of the wounds required granulation bed debridement following treatment with topical amorphous silicate dressing. There were no complications associated with the treatment. The size of wounds varied from 5 to 20 cm in length with a median of 10 cm and from 2 to 15 cm in width with a median of 5 cm. Time to resolution varied greatly from 14 to 126 days with a median of 49 days. There was a moderate positive correlation between healing time (days) and area of the wound. All referring veterinarians and owners were satisfied with the healing of the wounds treated with the amorphous silicate dressing.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Treatment of equine distal limb wounds with an amorphous silicate dressing may reduce development of exuberant granulation tissue and the need for surgical debridement.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To identify associations between admission variables, Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) score, and Modified Glasgow Coma Scale (MGCS) score with need for transfusion or surgical interventions and survival to discharge in cats with bite wounds.
ANIMALS
1,065 cats with bite wounds.
PROCEDURES
Records of cats with bite wounds were obtained from the VetCOT registry from April 2017 to June 2021. Variables included point of care laboratory values, signalment, weight, illness severity scores, and surgical intervention. Associations between admission parameters, terciles of MGCS, quantiles of ATT scores, and death or euthanasia were assessed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS
872 cats (82%) survived to discharge, while 170 (88%) were euthanized and 23(12%) died. In the multivariable model, age, weight, surgical treatment, ATT and MGCS scores were associated with nonsurvival. For every 1 year of age, odds of nonsurvival increased by 7% (P = .003) and for every 1 kg of body weight, odds of nonsurvival decreased by 14% (P = .005). Odds of dying increased with lower MGCS and higher ATT scores (MGCS: 104% [95% CI, 116% to 267%; P < .001]; ATT: 351% [95% CI, 321% to 632%; P < .001). Odds of dying decreased by 84% (P < .001) in cats that underwent surgery versus those that did not.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
This multicenter study indicated association of higher ATT and lower MGCS with worse outcome. Older age increased the odds of nonsurvival, while each kilogram increase in bodyweight decreased odds of nonsurvival. To our knowledge, this study is the first to describe associations of age and weight with outcome in feline trauma patients.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To explore veterinarians’ mental health symptom burden during COVID-19 and identify differences in symptom burden, social support, help seeking, and incentives and barriers associated with receiving help across career stages.
SAMPLE
Online survey responses from 266 veterinarians between June 4 and September 8, 2021.
PROCEDURES
Respondents were grouped by career stage (early [< 5 years of experience], middle [5 to 19 years of experience], or late [≥ 20 years of experience]), and results were compared across groups.
RESULTS
Of the 262 respondents who reported years of experience, 26 (9.9%) were early career, 130 (49.6%) were midcareer, and 106 (40.4%) were late career. The overall mean anxiety and depression symptom burden score was 3.85 ± 3.47 (0 to 2 = normal; 3 to 5 = mild; 6 to 8 = moderate; and 9 to 12 = severe), with 62 of 220 (28.1%) respondents reporting moderate to severe symptom burden. Most (164/206 [79.6%]) reported not accessing behavioral health providers, and of these, 53.6% (88/164) reported at least mild symptom burden. There were significant differences in both symptom burden and mental health help-seeking intentions across career stages, with early- and midcareer (vs late-career) veterinarians reporting higher symptom burden (P = .002) and midcareer (vs late-career) veterinarians reporting higher help-seeking intentions (P = .006). Barriers and incentives for seeking mental health care were identified.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Findings revealed differences in symptom burden and intentions to seek mental health care across veterinary career stages. Incentives and barriers identified serve to explain these career stage differences.
Abstract
The primary aim of this article is to provide an overview of several selected skin conditions in livestock species. Topics include ectoparasites in alpacas, antler velvet in reindeer, immune-mediated disease in goats, ectoparasites in pigs, Culicoides allergic dermatitis and parapox infection in sheep. When dealing with skin disease in livestock, it is important to collect a detailed history and undertake a thorough clinical examination to include the axilla, groin, limbs and feet. While the diagnosis will often be anticipated from the history and presentation, it is important to consider a differential diagnosis list and appropriate diagnostic testing before embarking on a poly-pharmacy approach to “rule out” causes of disease. This is particularly important where morbidity is high and the livestock of perceived high value to the keeper/owner, such as goats and small-breed pigs, or when the skin condition is long standing/chronic. Ideally, the management plan should sequentially clarify the role of microbial infection and then ectoparasites before considering less common allergic and autoimmune conditions. Skin cytology is an invaluable in-house diagnostic method that can support the findings of culture. Taking skin samples for histopathology and possibly culture may prove valuable once other diagnostic methods have been explored. Given the need to protect the use of parenteral antimicrobials, topical antimicrobial therapies can be deployed successfully. The repeated use of macrocyclic lactones (avermectins) must be balanced in terms of the risks of promoting anthelmintic resistance versus controlling or eradicating the ectoparasites that have, ideally, been specifically identified.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To describe citrullinemia profiles during the weaning transition and correlate citrulline production with stress and growth in a commercial pig farm.
ANIMALS
240 healthy piglets of homogenous weight, weaned from second and third parity sows, were selected at weaning and subjected to the farm’s routine management practices in May to July 2020 and May to July 2021.
PROCEDURES
Piglets were weighed at weaning, then 15 and 49 days later in order to calculate daily weight gain during the first 15 and 49 days after weaning. Blood samples were collected from each piglet to determine citrulline and cortisol profiles during the early postweaning period.
RESULTS
Citrullinemia decreased dramatically during the first week postweaning and then increased progressively to reach preweaning values by 15 days postweaning. Citrulline production during the first 2 weeks postweaning was negatively correlated with cortisol production (r: –0.2949) and positively correlated with mean daily weight gain during the first 15 (ρ: 0.5450) and 49 (ρ: 0.6603) days postweaning.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Citrullinemia profile of piglets during the early postweaning period showed a temporal negative impact of stress (assessed by plasmatic cortisol levels) on intestinal enterocytes’ mass and function, which resulted in a lower average daily weight gain. We demonstrated that a single biomarker, plasmatic citrulline, is useful to describe intestinal metabolism during the early postweaning period and that the greater the citrulline production during the first days after weaning, the higher the weight gain during the entire postweaning period.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To review ordering patterns, positivity rates, and outcome data for a subset of consecutive samples submitted for a commercially available, blood-based multicancer early-detection liquid biopsy test for dogs using next-generation sequencing at 1 laboratory.
SAMPLE
1,500 consecutively submitted blood samples from client-owned dogs with and without clinical suspicion and/or history of cancer for prospective liquid biopsy testing between December 28, 2021, and June 28, 2022.
PROCEDURES
We performed a retrospective observational study, reviewing data from 1,500 consecutive clinical samples submitted for liquid biopsy testing. Outcome data were obtained via medical record review, direct communication with the referring clinic, and/or a patient outcome survey through October 16, 2022.
RESULTS
Sixty-four percent (910/1,419) of reportable samples were submitted for cancer screening, 26% (366/1,419) for aid in diagnosis, and 10% (143/1,419) for other indications. The positivity rate was 25.4% (93/366) in aid-in-diagnosis patients and 4.5% (41/910) in screening patients. Outcome data were available for 33% (465/1,401) of patients, and outcomes were classifiable for 428 patients. The relative observed sensitivity was 61.5% (67/109) and specificity was 97.5% (311/319). The positive predictive value was 75.0% (21/28) for screening patients and 97.7% (43/44) for aid-in-diagnosis patients, and the time to diagnostic resolution following a positive result was < 2 weeks in most cases.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Liquid biopsy using next-generation sequencing represents a novel tool for noninvasive detection of cancer in dogs. Real-world clinical performance meets or exceeds expectations established in the test’s clinical validation study.
Abstract
Contemporary human and animal viruses have a broad or narrow host range—those with a broad host range are potentially transmitted from animals to humans (ie, zoonosis) or humans to animals (ie, reverse zoonosis). This Currents in One Health article reviews the recent reverse zoonoses involving Coronaviridae, Poxviridae, arboviruses, and, for nonhuman primate species, the human respiratory viruses. The prevention and control of reverse zoonoses are also reviewed. Coronaviruses continue to emerge as new zoonotic agents, including a canine coronavirus, CCoV-HuPn-2018, circulating in people at low levels, and a pangolin coronavirus, MjHKU4r-CoV-1, circulating in Malayan pangolins. Moreover, the risk for SARS-CoV-2 variants to mutate in animal reservoirs and reinfect humans is ongoing. In the case of mpox, the risk of reverse zoonosis is low and there are vaccines for use in humans at risk. The situation with arboviruses is as varied as the number of human arboviruses, and only yellow fever virus and dengue virus have licensed vaccines in the Americas. As for reverse zoonoses in endangered species, solutions require changing human behavior and policies at all levels impacting wildlife. Overall, continuous surveillance and viral discovery in humans and animals remain core components of a one-health approach to reduce and, where possible, eliminate zoonotic and reverse zoonotic diseases. Viral zoonosis and viral reverse zoonosis focusing on recent influenza A virus disease events in humans and other species are the subjects of the companion Currents in One Health by Kibenge, AJVR, June 2023.
Abstract
Equine pastern dermatitis (EPD) is a nonspecific cutaneous reaction pattern on the distal extremities, typically in the palmar/plantar area of the pastern. Although EPD is commonly seen in equine practice and can be a debilitating condition, peer-reviewed original studies on many aspects of this multifactorial syndrome are still scarce. This narrative review aims to give an overview of the clinical presentation (forms of EPD and clinical scores and differential diagnoses), risk factors, and therapeutic approaches. The emphasis is on intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors as most of the original work has been published on these aspects. The available data supports the effects of age, breed, and breed-related phenotypical traits (draft breeds with feathers and large cannon circumference) on the frequency and severity of EPD manifestations. Hind legs and unpigmented limbs are also more frequently affected. Genetic effects in draft breeds appear to be complex, and no commercial genetic tests currently exist. Evidence for meteorological effects like rainfall and humidity is inconclusive. Associations with Chorioptes infestation and bacterial microbiota imbalances but not with fungal infections have been consistently shown. Causality has not been demonstrated for specific infectious agents. Original studies have investigated the effects of antibacterial agents (Kunzea oil, phytosphingosines, and triclosan), fatty acids, aromatic oils, and humectants as well as therapeutic approaches to Chorioptes infestation in EPD-affected equids. While therapy remains largely empirical, knowledge of investigated risk factors for this multifactorial syndrome can inform diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Raising owner awareness of EPD could be key to improving the welfare of affected horses.
