Publications by authors named "Johan P Schoeman"

Objective: To determine the association between ionized calcium (iCa) and/or total magnesium (tMg) and the development of sepsis and to investigate whether iCa or tMg is associated with mortality in puppies with canine parvoviral enteritis (CPE).

Methods: 64 client-owned puppies with CPE were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Serum iCa and tMg were measured daily from admission until death or discharge.

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Article Synopsis
  • Canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are significant tick-borne diseases in South Africa, but Theileriosis is not well understood, and co-infections are common among dogs in the region.
  • The study aimed to assess the prevalence of co-infections with Ehrlichia canis or Theileria equi in dogs suffering from babesiosis in the Eastern Cape province, using data from 150 infected dogs over nearly a year.
  • Results showed that while Babesia rossi was present in almost all samples, co-infection with E. canis was only found in 2.0% of cases, and no significant associations were found between various dog characteristics or blood measures and co-infection.
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Background: The regenerative response following Babesia rossi infection in dogs is mild, despite severe hemolytic anemia.

Objective: We aimed to compare the admission absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) and reticulocyte indices in 103 dogs naturally infected with B. rossi with 10 dogs suffering from immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and 14 healthy control dogs.

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The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) species comprises hundreds of breeds, each differing in physical characteristics, behavior, strength, and running capability. Very little is known about the skeletal muscle composition and metabolism between the different breeds, which may explain disease susceptibility. Muscle samples from the triceps brachii (TB) and vastus lateralis (VL) were collected post mortem from 35 adult dogs, encompassing 16 breeds of varying ages and sex.

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causes severe morbidity and mortality in dogs in sub-Saharan Africa. This was an experimental study designed to observe systemic changes caused by infection within a canine disease model as well as investigate the influence of inoculum dose and treatment on the progression of inflammation and clinical disease. Six healthy male beagle dogs formed the study population, one dog was splenectomised and used to raise the infectious inoculum, three were administered a high infectious dose and two a low infectious dose.

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Objective: To determine the influence of skin preparations before application of an alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) on bacterial counts before and after elective surgery.

Study Design: Clinical prospective study.

Sample Population: Veterinary students (n = 103) performing ovariohysterectomies on 140 dogs.

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets exert differential effects on serum cholesterol, triglyceride and fructosamine concentrations in healthy cats.

Methods: A randomised, crossover diet trial was performed in 35 healthy shelter cats. Following baseline health assessments, cats were randomised into groups receiving either a high-protein or high-carbohydrate diet for 4 weeks.

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Background: Babesia rossi is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the canine population of sub-Saharan Africa, but pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Previous studies of B. rossi infection were derived from clinical cases, in which neither the onset of infection nor the infectious inoculum was known.

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Babesia rossi causes the most severe clinical disease in dogs of all the babesia parasites. We included 320 naturally-infected dogs that presented for care at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital between 2006 and 2016. All dogs had mono-infections confirmed by multiplex PCR.

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Aims: Babesia rossi causes severe disease in dogs. Here, we describe the association between serum cytokine concentrations and disease severity.

Methods: Seventeen controls and 55 PCR confirmed B rossi-infected dogs were included.

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Canine babesiosis is a virulent infection of dogs in South Africa caused principally by Babesia rossi. Hypovitaminosis D has been reported in a wide range of infectious diseases in humans and dogs, and low vitamin D status has been associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, the relationship between vitamin D status and canine babesiosis has not been investigated.

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Background: Dogs with Babesia rossi infection display a normocoagulable thromboelastogram, despite being markedly thrombocytopenic, which is purportedly due to large-scale platelet activation. Thromboelastographic platelet mapping (TEG-PM) evaluates individual contributions of thrombin, fibrinogen, and platelets to clot formation, and may elucidate some of the pathomechanisms of thrombocytopenia-associated hemostatic alterations.

Objective: This study investigated potential differences in TEG-PM variables in dogs with complicated B rossi infection compared with healthy controls, and whether these variables correlated with platelet activation indices.

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The effect of aortic baroreceptor stimulation on blood pressure manipulation was assessed using the goat species . The aim of this study was to manipulate blood pressure with future intention to treat high blood pressure in humans. The ages of the animals ranged from 6 months to 2 years.

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Salmonellosis is a disease of major zoonotic importance and canine parvovirus is a potentially fatal cause of canine enteritis with a world-wide distribution. Persistent isolation of Salmonella during routine environmental sampling surveys of a hospital ward, reserved for the treatment of dogs with canine parvovirus infection, prompted investigation into a possible source. We hypothesised that dogs affected by canine parvovirus would have a higher prevalence of faecal salmonellae compared to an apparently healthy cohort.

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Objectives Hyperthyroidism is a disorder of older cats that may have a geographical variation in prevalence. Prevalence studies have not yet been performed in South Africa, a geographical area where hyperthyroidism in cats has recently been observed and where, reportedly, the incidence appears to be increasing. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of feline hyperthyroidism in South Africa and to identify any potential risk factors.

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Urine biomarkers are sensitive indicators of early-stage renal injury, consequently, research in this area is expanding in both human and veterinary medicine. However, studies investigating the impact of preanalytical factors, such as storage conditions, on urine biomarker concentrations are largely lacking in veterinary medicine. Therefore, we evaluated the stability of several renal injury biomarkers in canine urine after storage for 4 y at -72°C.

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Published haematologic and serum biochemistry reference intervals are very scarce for captive cheetahs and even more for free-ranging cheetahs. The current study was performed to establish reference intervals for selected serum biochemistry analytes in cheetahs. Baseline serum biochemistry analytes were analysed from 66 healthy Namibian cheetahs.

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Babesia rossi infection causes a severe inflammatory response in the dog, which is the result of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in cytokine concentrations were present in dogs with babesiosis and whether it was associated with disease outcome. Ninety-seven dogs naturally infected with B.

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Background: A prospective randomized study was used to compare surgery times for laparoscopic ovariectomy and salpingectomy in female African lion (Panthera leo) (n = 14) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) (n = 20) and to compare the use of a multiple portal access system (MPAS) and single portal access system (SPAS) between groups. Two different portal techniques were used, namely MPAS (three separate ports) in lions and SPAS (SILS™ port) in cheetahs, using standard straight laparoscopic instruments. Portal access system and first ovary was not randomized.

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Laparoscopic salpingectomy was performed in two adult leopards (Panthera pardus) using a single portal access system, with a multicannulated single-incision laparoscopic surgery port, without any complications. The poorly developed ovarian bursa provided easy access to the uterine tube for salpingectomy. Laparoscopic salpingectomy can be safely performed in the leopard using a single portal access system.

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Background: Thrombocytopenia without clinical bleeding is a consistent finding in virulent canine babesiosis.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the platelet index phenotype in Babesia rossi-infected dogs and the association with disease outcome. We hypothesized that an increased proportion of large, activated platelets would be present.

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Babesia rossi is the cause of a highly virulent multisystemic disease with a variable outcome, which is a reliable model of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of canine pancreatic-specific lipase (cPL) in a population of dogs with naturally acquired B. rossi infection.

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Using flow cytometry, platelet-leukocyte aggregate (PLA) formation has previously been documented in dogs with a variety of systemic inflammatory disorders and immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia. Platelet activation and subsequent interaction between platelets and leukocytes are important for regulating innate immunity and systemic inflammation. The objective of this study was to investigate PLA formation in canine babesiosis and to determine whether it was associated with outcome.

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Objective: To describe laparoscopic ovariectomy and salpingectomy in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) using single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS).

Study Design: Prospective cohort.

Animals: Female cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) (n = 21).

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A 3-month-old male domestic short-hair kitten was presented with chronic constipation and disproportionate dwarfism. Radiographs of the long bones and spine revealed delayed epiphyseal ossification and epiphyseal dysgenesis. Diagnosis of congenital primary hypothyroidism was confirmed by low serum total thyroxine and high thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations.

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