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- Author or Editor: Kristy L. Dowers x
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Abstract
Objective—To evaluate the efficacy of the fluoroquinolone pradofloxacin in the treatment of cats experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hemofelis.
Animals—23 young adult specific-pathogen–free cats.
Procedures—Cats were inoculated with M hemofelis from a chronically infected donor and assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: a doxycycline group, a low-dose–pradofloxacin group, a high-dose–pradofloxacin group, and an untreated control group. Treatment was initiated for 14 days when M hemofelis infection was detected via PCR assay and clinical signs of hemoplasmosis were present. Cats that had negative PCR assay results after treatment were administered a glucocorticoid and monitored via PCR assay for an additional 4 weeks.
Results—All cats yielded positive results for M hemofelis via conventional PCR and quantitative PCR assays and developed anemia. The low-dose–pradofloxacin group had significantly lower M hemofelis copy numbers than the doxycycline group. Six cats treated with pradofloxacin yielded negative results during treatment. Of those cats, 4 yielded negative conventional PCR assay results and all yielded negative quantitative PCR assay results for M hemofelis 1 month after administration of high-dose glucocorticoids.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Pradofloxacin had anti–M hemofelis effects similar to those of doxycycline. In addition, pradofloxacin may be more effective at long-term M hemofelis organism clearance than doxycycline.
Abstract
Objective—To compare treatment with enrofloxacin and doxycycline with no treatment in cats experimentally infected with Haemobartonella felis.
Design—Prospective case-control study.
Animals—16 cats.
Procedure—Cats were inoculated with large-form H felis from a chronically infected donor. Cats were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: doxycycline (5 mg/kg [2.3 mg/lb], PO, q 12 h), low-dose enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h), high-dose enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h), and an untreated control group. Clinical signs, Hct, blood smears, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay were used to monitor progression of the infection.
Results—All cats were confirmed to be infected with H felis via blood smear evaluations and PCR assay results. Treatment had no effect on Hct during the intratreatment period, but Hct values were significantly greater in the low-dose enrofloxacin group, compared with the control group, during the posttreatment period. During the intratreatment period, H felis organism counts per 1,000 RBC in the doxycycline treatment and the high-dose enrofloxacin treatment groups decreased at a significantly faster rate than those in the control group. In the posttreatment period, organism counts in the doxycycline treatment group and the low- and high-dose enrofloxacin groups decreased at significantly faster rates than counts in the control group. There was no significant effect of treatment on the number of positive PCR assay results. Two cats treated with enrofloxacin and 1 cat treated with doxycycline completely cleared the H felis organism despite presumed immunosuppression caused by glucocorticoids.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results support the hypothesis that enrofloxacin has anti-H felis effects. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002;221:250–253)
Abstract
Objective—To evaluate effects of injection with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) followed by oral administration of an NSAID on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of healthy dogs.
Animals—6 healthy Walker Hounds.
Procedures—In a randomized, crossover design, dogs were administered 4 treatments consisting of an SC injection of an NSAID or control solution (day 0), followed by oral administration of an NSAID or inert substance for 4 days (days 1 through 4). Treatment regimens included carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by inert substance; saline (0.9% NaCl) solution followed by deracoxib (4 mg/kg); carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by carprofen (4 mg/kg); and carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by deracoxib (4 mg/kg). Hematologic, serum biochemical, and fecal evaluations were conducted weekly, and clinical scores were obtained daily. Endoscopy of the GIT was performed before and on days 1, 2, and 5 for each treatment. Lesions were scored by use of a 6-point scale.
Results—No significant differences existed for clinical data, clinicopathologic data, or lesion scores in the esophagus, cardia, or duodenum. For the gastric fundus, antrum, and lesser curvature, an effect of time was observed for all treatments, with lesions worsening from before to day 2 of treatments but improving by day 5.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Sequential administration of NSAIDs in this experiment did not result in clinically important gastroduodenal ulcers. A larger study to investigate the effect of sequential administration of NSAIDs for longer durations and in dogs with signs of acute and chronic pain is essential to substantiate these findings.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of hospitalization on gastrointestinal motility and pH in healthy dogs.
DESIGN Experimental study.
ANIMALS 12 healthy adult dogs.
PROCEDURES A wireless motility capsule (WMC) that measured pressure, transit time, and pH within the gastrointestinal tract was administered orally to dogs in 2 phases. In the first phase, dogs received the WMC at the hospital and then returned to their home to follow their daily routine. In the second phase, dogs were hospitalized, housed individually, had abdominal radiography performed daily, and were leash exercised 4 to 6 times/d until the WMC passed in the feces. All dogs received the same diet twice per day in both phases. Data were compared between phases with the Wilcoxon signed rank test.
RESULTS Data were collected from 11 dogs; 1 dog was excluded because the WMC failed to exit the stomach. Median gastric emptying time during hospitalization (71.8 hours; range, 10.7 to 163.0 hours) was significantly longer than at home (17.6 hours; range, 9.7 to 80.8 hours). Values of all other gastric, small bowel, and large bowel parameters (motility index, motility pattern, pH, and transit time) were similar between phases. No change in gastric pH was detected over the hospitalization period. High interdog variability was evident for all measured parameters.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Hospitalization of dogs may result in a prolonged gastric emptying time, which could adversely affect gastric emptying of meals, transit of orally administered drugs, or assessments of underlying motility disorders.
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION
A 1.5-year-old 1.5-kg (3.3-lb) castrated male Pomeranian was examined because of a 10-month history of diarrhea characterized by hematochezia and weight loss and an acute onset of respiratory distress (ie, tachypnea and dyspnea). A presumptive diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease had been made previously, and the dog had been treated with budesonide and tylosin but continued to have diarrhea and weight loss.
CLINICAL FINDINGS
On initial examination, the dog was weak and slightly obtunded. Thoracic radiography revealed a moderate to severe, diffuse, unstructured interstitial pattern. Serum biochemical abnormalities consisted of mild hypoalbuminemia, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypocholesterolemia that were likely secondary to chronic gastrointestinal disease and malnutrition. Pyuria and moderate bacteriuria with a single live larva were found on microscopic evaluation of the urine sediment. Fecal examination revealed numerous nematode larvae; the morphology was consistent with first-stage, rhabditiform larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis.
TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
A diagnosis of disseminated S stercoralis infection was made. The dog was treated with fenbendazole and ivermectin but developed respiratory collapse approximately 12 hours later and was euthanized because of the poor prognosis. Postmortem examination revealed S stercoralis in the lungs, small intestine, and kidney.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Findings illustrated the importance of performing diagnostic testing, including routine fecal examination, to rule out infectious causes of diarrhea before beginning empirical treatment with glucocorticoids such as budesonide. Further, repeated fecal examinations, including Baermann tests, should be considered if a positive response to glucocorticoids is not observed.
