Longitudinal evaluation of the cutaneous and rectal microbiota of German shepherd dogs with perianal fistulas undergoing therapy with ciclosporin and ketoconazole.

Background: Perianal fistulas are painful ulcers or sinus tracts that disproportionately affect German shepherd dogs and are proposed as a spontaneous animal model of fistulising Crohn's disease.

Objectives: To characterise the rectal and cutaneous microbiota in German shepherd dogs with perianal fistulas and to investigate longitudinal shifts with lesion resolution during immunomodulatory therapy.

Animals: Eleven German shepherd dogs with perianal fistulas and 15 healthy German shepherd dogs.

Genomic and clinical case characterisation of Staphylococcus haemolyticus isolated from dogs and cats in the United States, including strains with high-level mupirocin tolerance.

Background: Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a coagulase-negative commensal organism of both people and companion animals. It has pathogenic potential and when cultured is often meticillin- and multidrug-resistant.

Objectives: To characterise the clinical features of dogs and cats with clinical skin disease that had positive S.

Urine cortisol-creatinine and protein-creatinine ratios in urine samples from healthy dogs collected at home and in hospital.

Background: Recently, urine protein:creatinine ratios (UPC) were shown to be lower in urine samples from dogs collected at home (AH) as compared to those collected in hospital (IH). Stress-inducing procedures and travel to the hospital have been hypothesized to cause prerenal proteinuria.

Objectives: Evaluate patient stress using urine cortisol:creatinine ratios (UCCr) and correlate UCCr to UPC in urine samples obtained AH and IH.