Search Results

Abstract

Objective—To determine whether an association exists between oral bacterial contamination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and positive PCR assay results for the detection of Mycoplasma spp in BALF samples of dogs with lower respiratory tract (LRT; portion from the trachea to the lungs) disease.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—121 dogs with LRT disease.

Procedures—Medical records from January 2005 to April 2012 were reviewed. Dogs with LRT disease that had BALF samples evaluated by use of Mycoplasma-specific PCR assay, bacterial culture, and cytologic examination were included. Information on signalment, final diagnoses, and BALF testing results was extracted.

Results—83 (68.6%) dogs had BALF samples with negative PCR assay results for Mycoplasma spp, and 38 (31.4%) had positive results. The BALF samples with cytologic evidence of oral bacterial contamination were 5.1 times as likely to have positive Mycoplasma-specific PCR assay results as were noncontaminated samples. Compared with hound or herding dogs, other breeds were 13.6 times as likely to have positive PCR assay results. Dogs with bronchitis were less likely than dogs with other LRT diseases to have positive Mycoplasma-specific PCR assay results. No significant association was found between Mycoplasma-specific PCR assay results and bacterial culture results.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—In dogs with LRT disease, Mycoplasma-specific PCR assay results for BALF samples should be interpreted in terms of possible oral bacterial contamination. Mycoplasma-specific PCR assay of BALF samples from herding dogs, hound dogs, and dogs with bronchitis may be less rewarding than for other dogs with LRT disease.

Abstract

Objective—To determine the incidence of bacteremia, as detected by routine methods for bacterial culture of blood samples, following routine endoscopic biopsy of the stomach and duodenum in healthy research dogs and to determine whether treatment with omeprazole administration affected the incidence of bacteremia.

Animals—8 healthy purpose-bred research dogs.

Procedures—All dogs underwent gastroduodenoscopy with biopsy at 4 points: twice prior to treatment with omeprazole, once following 15 days of omeprazole treatment (20 mg, PO, q 12 h), and once 14 days after treatment ceased. Dogs had a mean ± SD body weight of 18.6 ± 2.0 kg. Blood samples were aseptically obtained at 3 points during each procedure (before, immediately following, and 24 hours after endoscopy), and routine aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture of blood was performed.

Results—96 cultures were attempted for each culture method, yielding positive results of aerobic culture for 2 dogs at separate time points and no positive results of anaerobic culture.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Routine gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy in healthy dogs did not result in a detectable bacteremia in most dogs. Treatment with the gastric acid–suppressing medication omeprazole did not affect the incidence of bacteremia as detected via standard techniques.

Abstract

Objective—To evaluate a commercially available modified-live Streptococcus equi subsp equi vaccine for safety and persistence in vaccinated ponies and to detect recombination or reversion events in the vaccine strain.

Animals—5 ponies that were 1.5 to 8 years old (group 1) and 4 ponies that were 6 months old (group 2).

Procedures—Ponies were vaccinated, with a subsequent booster vaccination 2 to 3 weeks later, and monitored for 50 days. At booster vaccination, an equal amount of a tetracycline-resistant wild-type strain of S equiwas administered. Recovery of all strains was performed by use of bacteriologic culture and PCR assays.

Results—Ponies in group 1 had background antibody titers against S equi antigen before vaccination despite the lack of known exposure to S equi. Ponies in group 2 were immunologically naïve. Increases in anti-S equi antibody titers were detected in both groups. Ponies in group 1 did not have clinical signs of disease caused by S equi. In group 2, all ponies developed abscesses in retropharyngeal lymph nodes; 1 pony developed severe clinical disease and was euthanized. The vaccine strain was recovered from ponies in group 2 for up to 24 days after vaccination.

Conclusions and Clinical Significance—Although the vaccine was successful in inducing IgG antibodies against S equi in all ponies, findings suggested that the vaccine may have caused substantial morbidity and some deaths in the young ponies. In young ponies, the vaccine strain persisted in tissues for weeks; however, no evidence of recombination was detected.