Determination of the in vitro susceptibility of feline tritrichomonas foetus to 5 antimicrobial agents.

Background: The nitroimidazole, ronidazole, has been demonstrated to have in vitro and in vivo activity against the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus in cats. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro susceptibility of feline T. foetus isolates obtained from naturally infected cats to 5 antimicrobial agents and to compare the in vitro time kill of ronidazole and metronidazole.

Determination of the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes in canine Clostridium perfringens isolates.

Clostridium perfringens is a well documented cause of a mild self-limiting diarrhea and a potentially fatal acute hemorrhagic diarrheal syndrome in the dog. A recent study documented that 21% of canine C. perfringens isolates had MIC's indicative of resistance to tetracycline, an antimicrobial commonly recommended for treatment of C.

Epidemiologic evaluation of diarrhea in dogs in an animal shelter.

Objectives: To determine associations among infectious pathogens and diarrheal disease in dogs in an animal shelter and demonstrate the use of geographic information systems (GISs) for tracking spatial distributions of diarrheal disease within shelters.

Sample Population: Feces from 120 dogs.

Procedure: Fresh fecal specimens were screened for bacteria and bacterial toxins via bacteriologic culture and ELISA, parvovirus via ELISA, canine coronavirus via nested polymerase chain reaction assay, protozoal cysts and oocysts via a direct fluorescent antibody technique, and parasite ova and larvae via microscopic examination of direct wet mounts and zinc sulfate centrifugation flotation.

Bacterial-associated diarrhea in the dog: a critical appraisal.

The clinical documentation of enteropathogenic bacteria causing diarrhea in dogs is clouded by the presence of many of these organisms existing as normal constituents of the indigenous intestinal flora. The diagnosis of a putative bacterial enteropathogen(s) in dogs should be made based on a combination of parameters, including signalment and predisposing factors, clinical signs, serologic assays for toxins, fecal culture, and PCR. Relying on results of fecal culture alone is problematic, because C perfringens, C difficile, Campylobacter spp, and pathogenic and non-pathogenic E coli are commonly isolated from apparently healthy dogs [10,13,33].

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of canine Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens isolates to commonly utilized antimicrobial drugs.

Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens are anaerobic, Gram-positive bacilli that are common causes of enteritis and enterotoxemias in both domestic animals and humans. Both organisms have been associated with acute and chronic large and small bowel diarrhea, and acute hemorrhagic diarrheal syndrome in the dog. The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibilities of canine C.

Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile in diarrheic and healthy dogs.

The objectives of this study were to examine the potential roles of Clostridium difficile and enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in diarrhea in dogs by comparison of isolation, determination of toxin status via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and application of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These techniques were used to evaluate fecal specimens in 132 healthy and diarrheic dogs. These dogs were prospectively evaluated by grouping them into the following 3 categories: hospitalized dogs with diarrhea (n = 32), hospitalized dogs without diarrhea (n = 42), and apparently healthy outpatient dogs without diarrhea (n = 58).