Efficacy of a combination of nucleotides and lactoferrin in maintaining stable or improving the clinical picture and laboratory findings of leishmaniotic dogs: A randomized controlled study.

This prospective, randomized, controlled, therapeutic study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a product containing nucleotides and lactoferrin in maintaining or improving the clinical picture and laboratory findings of canine leishmaniosis (CanL). The safety and tolerance of this combination were also assessed. Forty Leishmania infantum-seropositive dogs, not requiring leishmanicidal and/or leishmaniostatic treatment, were enrolled in the study and randomized into treatment (TG) and placebo (CG) groups.

Occurrence of bacteremia, bacteriuria and bacteriuria-related bacteremia in dogs and cats with chronic kidney disease. A pilot study.

In human medicine, major infections are the most significant and critical non-cardiovascular complications in patients affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), with bacteriuria being the primary source of bloodstream infections and its evolution toward sepsis. The availability of data on prevalence of bacteremia and its association with bacteriuria in dogs and cats with CKD is limited. The aim of this observational cross-sectional study was to determine the occurrence of bacteremia, bacteriuria, and bacteriuria-related bacteremia in dogs and cats affected by CKD.

Microfilaruria of Dirofilaria immitis in a dog from Italy.

Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne nematode-causing canine heartworm disease, with adult worms localized in the pulmonary arteries and right heart. In rare cases, ectopic migration might occur, and adults and blood circulating microfilariae can be found in unusual organs or fluids (e.g.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in heartworm naturally infected dogs "with or without" seropositivity: an observational prospective study.

Canine heartworm disease by and canine leishmaniosis by (CanL) are both vector-borne diseases with frequently overlapping endemicity and able to trigger the acute phase response, being characterized by variations in acute phase proteins (APP). Recently, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), an indicator of inflammation, has gained attention in veterinary medicine, proving useful in several conditions that include CanL active forms in dogs. This study aims to evaluate ESR in heartworm-infected dogs, compare levels with heartworm-infected and seropositive dogs as well as clinically healthy dogs, and assess correlations with other laboratory parameters.

Inflammatory Status and Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats: Old and New Inflammatory Markers-A Pilot Prospective Study.

This prospective study aimed to evaluate inflammatory status in cats affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) at IRIS stages 2-4, using serum amyloid A (SAA) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as inflammatory markers. Thirty-two cats with CKD and ten clinically healthy cats (i.e.

Neurogenic Bladder in Dogs, Cats and Humans: A Comparative Review of Neurological Diseases.

Lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) includes abnormalities in the structure and function of the bladder and the urethra. LUTD caused by neurological disease is defined neurogenic bladder (NB). The integrity of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) is required to explicate normal micturition, maintaining the proper function of bladder and urethra.

Efficacy of domperidone plus renal diet in slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease in dogs with leishmaniosis.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents the main cause of mortality in dogs with leishmaniosis. Domperidone has recently been reported to improve kidney function in leishmaniotic dogs affected by CKD. Serum symmetric dimethylarginine (sSDMA) has also been shown to be a useful biomarker for earlier detection of decreased kidney function when compared to serum creatinine (sCr).

Role of Gut Microbiota through Gut-Brain Axis in Epileptogenesis: A Systematic Review of Human and Veterinary Medicine.

Canine idiopathic epilepsy is a common neurological disease characterized by the enduring predisposition of the cerebral cortex to generate seizures. An etiological explanation has not been fully identified in humans and dogs, and, among the presumed causes, several studies support the possible involvement of gut microbiota. In this review, the authors summarize the evidence of the reasonable role of gut microbiota in epilepsy through the so-called gut-brain axis.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in canine leishmaniosis diagnosis: A new resource.

This study aims to evaluate the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in -seropositive dogs compared with healthy dogs and to assess the existence of a correlation between ESR and clinical form of Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) as well as acute phase proteins (APPs). From October 2021 to January 2022, dogs were recruited in this study if -seropositive by enzyme-linked immunoassay and classified as exposed or affected by a CanL active form based on physical examination, clinical score, and laboratory results [i.e.

Leishmania (Sauroleishmania) tarentolae isolation and sympatric occurrence with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in geckoes, dogs and sand flies.

The trypanosomatid protist Leishmania tarentolae is a saurian-associated parasite vectored by the Sergentomyia minuta sand fly. This study aimed to confirm the circulation of L. infantum and L.

Prevalence of bacteriuria in cats with neurogenic bladder.

Urinary tract infections are defined as the adherence, multiplication, and persistence of an infectious agent within the urogenital system, causing an associated inflammatory response and clinical signs; instead, the presence of bacteria in urine as determined by positive bacterial culture (PUC) from a properly collected urine specimen, in the absence of clinical signs, is defined subclinical bacteriuria. Limited information on the prevalence of PUC in spinal cord injury cats affected by neurogenic bladder (NB) is available. On contrary, in NB dogs and humans the prevalence of bacteriuria is well documented.

A review of the neural control of micturition in dogs and cats: neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuroplasticity.

This article discusses the current knowledge on the role of the neurological structures, especially the cerebellum and the hypothalamus, and compares the information with human medicine. Micturition is a complex voluntary and involuntarily mechanism. Its physiological completion strictly depends on the hierarchical organisation of the central nervous system pathways in the peripheral nervous system.

Serum protein electrophoresis in Dirofilaria immitis naturally infected dogs: Latest news and a systematic literature review.

According to the main Guidelines on canine heartworm disease (HWD) by the American and European Societies (i.e., AHS, ESDA, and ESCCAP), a correct diagnosis of Dirofilaria immitis infection should include the detection of circulating microfilariae in the whole blood and the adult antigens in serum or plasma sample.

Conjunctival Swab Real Time-PCR in Seropositive Dogs: Diagnostic and Prognostic Values.

Conjunctival swabs (CS) are the most promising non-invasive samples for the diagnosis and the regular screening of infection in dogs although knowledge on their diagnostic performance is still inconclusive. This study evaluates CS real time-PCR (PCR) analysis for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) and its prognostic value in seropositive dogs from an endemic area. In October 2020 (T0), 26 dogs were enrolled, divided in two groups according to anti- antibody titres ( = 13, group low titre (LT) and = 13, group high titre (HT)), and followed-up in August 2021.

Effect of domperidone (leisguard®) on antibody titers, inflammatory markers and creatinine in dogs with leishmaniosis and chronic kidney disease.

Background: Immunotherapeutic drugs, such as domperidone, have been shown to be promising treatments against canine leishmaniosis (CanL), but limited data are available. The aim of this pilot study (therapeutic, prospective and non-controlled) was to evaluate the effect of domperidone on serum antibody titers of Leishmania infantum, globulins, gamma globulins, acute-phase proteins (e.g.

Clinical and Histopathological Features of Renal Maldevelopment in Boxer Dogs: A Retrospective Case Series (1999-2018).

Renal maldevelopment (RM) has been proposed to replace the old and sometimes misused term "renal dysplasia" in dogs. Although renal dysplasia has been described in Boxers, hereditary transmission has only been hypothesized. This study reports clinical and renal histological findings in Boxer dogs with RM, proposing a possible mode of inheritance.

Dirofilarioses in two cats in southern Italy.

Two cats infected by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, respectively, were taken to two different private practitioners for a clinical examination. The analyses conducted on the first cat revealed a microfilaraemia due to D. repens of 66 mfs/mL by a modified Knott's test.

A novel encephalopathy in a thiamine-deficient dog resembling human Wernicke's disease with atypical MRI pattern.

Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin, which participates in several vital metabolic pathways involved in energy metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis of mammals. In companion animals thiamine deficiency is classically associated with signs of diffuse encephalopathy and lesions on brainstem nuclei and mesencephalic colliculi evident on magnetic resonance imaging. This paper describes a novel clinical presentation in a thiamine-deficient dog showing multifocal, central and peripheral nervous and cardiovascular system alterations.

Central vestibular syndrome in a red fox () with presumptive right caudal cerebral artery ischemic infarct and prevalent midbrain involvement.

A wild young male red fox () was found in the mountainous hinterland of Rome (Italy) with a heavily depressed mental status and unresponsive to the surrounding environment. Neurological examination revealed depression, left circling, right head tilt, ventromedial positional strabismus and decreased postural reactions on the left side. Neurological abnormalities were suggestive of central vestibular syndrome.

Imaging diagnosis-bilateral abnormal ossification of the supraglenoid tubercle and cranial glenoid cavity in an English Setter.

An 8-month-old intact male English Setter was presented with bilateral shoulder lameness. Radiographic and CT examinations demonstrated bilateral irregular margination and separation of the supraglenoid tubercle from the scapula, with involvement of the cranial articular surface of the glenoid cavity. After 30 days of cage rest, complete fusion of proximal portions of both supraglenoid tubercles and persistent un-united cranial portions of both glenoid cavities were evident.

Frequency of the allelic variant of the PTPLA gene responsible for centronuclear myopathy in Labrador Retriever dogs as assessed in Italy.

Centronuclear myopathy (CNM) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease affecting Labrador Retriever dogs. The disease is characterized by muscle lesions, typically encompassing reduction in the number and atrophy of type II fibers, and is caused by a short interspersed repeat element insertion in exon 2 of the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like member A. The actual allele frequency is unknown; a study was undertaken to ascertain it using a convenience-sample population composed of 217 Labrador Retrievers.