The effects of a hydrolyzed protein diet on the plasma, fecal and urine metabolome in cats with chronic enteropathy.

Hydrolyzed protein diets are extensively used to treat chronic enteropathy (CE) in cats. However, the biochemical effects of such a diet on feline CE have not been characterized. In this study an untargeted H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolomic approach was used to compare the urinary, plasma, and fecal metabolic phenotypes of cats with CE to control cats with no gastrointestinal signs recruited at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

The effect of a hydrolyzed protein diet on the fecal microbiota in cats with chronic enteropathy.

The effect of a hydrolyzed protein diet on the fecal microbiota has not been studied in feline chronic enteropathy (CE). Our study aimed to (1) compare the fecal microbiota of cats with CE to control cats with no gastrointestinal signs and (2) determine the effect of a hydrolyzed protein diet on the fecal microbiota of cats with CE and whether this differs between dietary responders and non-responders. The fecal microbiome of cats with CE (n = 36) showed decreased α-diversity in terms of genus richness (P = 0.

Hypercoagulability in dogs with chronic enteropathy and association with serum albumin concentration.

Background: Dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) are at risk of developing a hypercoagulable state, but the prevalence of hypercoagulability in dogs with chronic enteropathies (CE) and normal serum albumin concentration is unknown.

Hypothesis: Dogs with CE are predisposed to a hypercoagulable state as assessed by thromboelastography (TEG) independent of serum albumin concentration.

Methods: Dogs with chronic gastrointestinal signs from suspected inflammatory CE between 2017 and 2019 were included.

Indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) mRNA is over-expressed in the duodenal mucosa and is negatively correlated with serum tryptophan concentrations in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

Introduction: Dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) have decreased serum tryptophan concentrations, which may contribute to disease pathogenesis. Indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) expression is associated with low serum tryptophan concentrations and is increased in the gastrointestinal tract of humans with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, the objective of our study was to determine if the mRNA expression of IDO-1 is increased in the duodenal mucosa of dogs with PLE as compared to dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE) and healthy dogs, and whether this expression is correlated with changes in serum tryptophan concentration.

Interleukin-13 and interleukin-33 mRNA are underexpressed in the duodenal mucosa of German Shepherd dogs with chronic enteropathy.

Background: A recent genome-wide association study in German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) with chronic enteropathy (CE) has identified polymorphisms in the Th2 cytokine genes.

Hypothesis/objective: To determine if the expression of the Th2 cytokines, interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interleukin-33 (IL-33), is altered in the duodenal mucosa of GSDs with CE compared to non-GSDs with CE and healthy dogs.

Animals: Twenty client-owned dogs diagnosed with CE (10 GSDs and 10 non-GSDs) at the Bristol Veterinary School and 8 healthy Beagle dogs from the Iowa State University Service Colony.

Exploring early life events including diet in cats presenting for gastrointestinal signs in later life.

Our study aimed to determine if certain early life events were more prevalent in cats presenting to veterinary practices specifically for gastrointestinal signs on at least two occasions between six months and 30 months of age. Data from an owner-completed questionnaire for 1212 cats before 16 weeks of age and subsequent questionnaires for the same cats between six months and 30 months of age were reviewed. Of the 1212 cats included, 30 visited a veterinary practice for gastrointestinal signs on two or more occasions.

Association of chronic enteropathy activity index, blood urea concentration, and risk of death in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

Background: Malnutrition is associated with increased risk of premature death in humans with inflammatory bowel disease.

Hypothesis/objective: To determine if historical, clinical, and laboratory markers of malnutrition in dogs at the time of histologic diagnosis of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) caused by chronic enteropathy (CE) or lymphangiectasia are associated with increased risk of death.

Animals: Seventy-one client-owned dogs diagnosed with PLE.

Assessment of eosinophils in gastrointestinal inflammatory disease of dogs.

Background: Accurate identification of eosinophils in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of dogs with eosinophilic GI disease (EGID) by histological evaluation is challenging. The currently used hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining method detects intact eosinophils but does not detect degranulated eosinophils, thus potentially underrepresenting the number of infiltrating eosinophils.

Objective: To develop a more sensitive method for identifying and quantifying both intact and degranulated eosinophils to diagnose EGID more accurately.

Alterations in serum amino acid concentrations in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

Background: Certain amino acids are decreased in humans with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and supplementation with the same amino acids has shown beneficial effects in animal models of IBD. Currently, the amino acid status of dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is unknown.

Hypothesis/objective: To determine if serum amino acid concentrations are abnormal in dogs with PLE and correlated with clinical and laboratory variables and outcome.

Effect of premedication with butorphanol or methadone on ease of endoscopic duodenal intubation in dogs.

Objective: The effect of premedication with butorphanol or methadone on ease of endoscopic duodenal intubation.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial.

Animals: A group of 20 client-owned dogs.

Mechanisms, causes, investigation and management of vomiting disorders in cats: a literature review.

Vomiting is a common presenting complaint in feline practice. This article differs from previous reviews in that it is an evidence-based review of the mechanisms, causes, investigation and management of vomiting in the domestic cat. Published evidence was reviewed, and then used to make recommendations for clinical assessment, diagnosis, antiemetic drug treatment, dietary management and monitoring of cats presenting with vomiting.

Serum cobalamin concentrations in cats with gastrointestinal signs: correlation with histopathological findings and duration of clinical signs.

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of hypocobalaminaemia in UK cats presented for referral investigation of gastrointestinal signs and to ascertain whether the duration of clinical signs or severity of disease (based on WSAVA Gastrointestinal Standardization histopathological grading) related to cobalamin concentration. The study population comprised 39 cats, of which 11 (28.2%) had hypocobalaminaemia.

Antibiotic-responsive diarrhea in small animals.

Antibiotic-responsive diarrhea (ARD) is an idiopathic syndrome causing chronic diarrhea in young, large-breed dogs. Why antibiotics are effective in controlling diarrhea is not understood, and whether small intestinal bacterial numbers are truly increased is now doubted, but previous focus on the condition being small intestinal bacterial overgrowth has hampered the understanding of this condition. The name ARD simply defines the condition, and studies are now looking at the interaction of small intestinal bacteria and the mucosa to try to understand why it occurs.

Prevalence of potentially pathogenic enteric organisms in clinically healthy kittens in the UK.

Faecal samples were collected from 57 clinically healthy kittens presented for initial vaccination, in the UK. Routine bacteriological examination identified Salmonella species in one and Campylobacter species in five samples. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected the presence of Campylobacter species in a further four samples.

Cytokine mRNA quantification in duodenal mucosa from dogs with chronic enteropathies by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and antibiotic-responsive diarrhea (ARD) in dogs likely involves an interaction between the intestinal immune system and luminal bacterial or food antigens. German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) are particularly predisposed to both IBD and ARD. CD4+ T cells are important for the regulation of immune responses in the mucosa, and they exert their effects through the secretion of cytokines.

Measurement of messenger RNA encoding the alpha-chain, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, and J-chain in duodenal mucosa from dogs with and without chronic diarrhea by use of quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays.

Objective: To examine the difference in expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts for polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (plgR), alpha-chain, and J-chain determined by use of quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) assays in duodenal biopsy specimens obtained from dogs with and without chronic diarrhea.

Sample Population: Biopsy specimens of the proximal portion of the duodenum were obtained endoscopically from 39 dogs evaluated because of chronic diarrhea (12 German Shepherd Dogs and 27 non-German Shepherd Dog breeds); specimens were also obtained from a control group of 7 dogs evaluated because of other gastrointestinal tract diseases and 2 dogs that were euthanatized as a result of nongastrointestinal tract disease.

Procedure: Dogs were anesthetized, and multiple mucosal biopsy specimens were obtained endoscopically at the level of the caudal duodenal flexure by use of biopsy forceps; in 2 control dogs, samples were obtained from the descending duodenum within 5 minutes of euthanasia.

Identification of four allelic variants of the dog IGHA gene.

Multiple IgA subclasses have been identified in humans, primates and lagomorphs, whereas in mice, cattle and dogs only a single subclass has been identified. The two human subclasses (IgA1 and IgA2) are defined by a difference in the length of the hinge region of the alpha chains between the CH1 and CH2 domains. The single IgA subclass so far identified in dogs has an alpha-chain hinge region with a predicted amino-acid sequence similar to that of the human alpha1 chain.

Quantitative real-time RT-PCR measurement of mRNA encoding alpha-chain, pIgR and J-chain from canine duodenal mucosa.

IgA is the predominant immunoglobulin class in mucosal secretions and secretory deficiencies may predispose to chronic enteropathies. The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) facilitates the transport of IgA across the epithelial border. Critical to the transport of IgA by pIgR is the presence of a polypeptide joining chain (J-chain) linking the IgA monomers of the dimeric IgA molecule.