A long-lasting gel-based diffuser of feline pheromone can help reduce undesirable behaviors in cats at home: comparison with an electric diffuser.

Using pheromone diffusers is part of the strategy to control stress-related behaviors in cats (). The goal of the study was to compare the efficacy of a novel long-acting, unpowered gel-based diffuser containing a facial pheromone analog (Zenifel gel diffuser, Virbac) with a similar electrically powered feline pheromone diffuser that already has proven efficacy, on situational stress in cats, at home. The study involved 90 owners of cats presenting undesirable behaviors receiving one diffuser or the other: 46 received one gel diffuser and 44 received one plug-in device and a refill, for the 2-month study duration.

Ursolic Acid Induces Beneficial Changes in Skeletal Muscle mRNA Expression and Increases Exercise Participation and Performance in Dogs with Age-Related Muscle Atrophy.

Muscle atrophy and weakness are prevalent and debilitating conditions in dogs that cannot be reliably prevented or treated by current approaches. In non-canine species, the natural dietary compound ursolic acid inhibits molecular mechanisms of muscle atrophy, leading to improvements in muscle health. To begin to translate ursolic acid to canine health, we developed a novel ursolic acid dietary supplement for dogs and confirmed its safety and tolerability in dogs.

Effect of l-theanine tablets in reducing stress-related emotional signs in cats: an open-label field study.

Background: L-theanine is an aminoacid found in tea leaves which has relaxing effects in humans and animals. It is a structural analogue of glutamate which can bind glutamate receptors. Although the relaxing action of L-theanine has been shown in humans, laboratory animals and dogs, it has never been published in cats.

Light Damage Models of Retinal Degeneration.

The induction of retinal degeneration by light exposure is widely used to study mechanisms of cell death. The advantage of such light-induced lesions over genetically determined degenerations is that light exposures can be manipulated according to the needs of the experimenter. Bright white light exposure can induce a synchronized burst of apoptosis in photoreceptors in a large retinal area which permits to study cellular and molecular events in a controlled fashion.

Efficacy of proactive long-term maintenance therapy of canine atopic dermatitis with 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate spray: a double-blind placebo controlled pilot study.

Background: Long-term remission between flares of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) can be difficult to achieve. Therefore, additional strategic forms of treatment are needed in order to target flare prevention. The concept of proactive therapy is recommended in the European guidelines for the treatment of human atopic eczema.

Ultraviolet damage to the eye revisited: eye-sun protection factor (E-SPF®), a new ultraviolet protection label for eyewear.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation potentially damages the skin, the immune system, and structures of the eye. A useful UV sun protection for the skin has been established. Since a remarkable body of evidence shows an association between UV radiation and damage to structures of the eye, eye protection is important, but a reliable and practical tool to assess and compare the UV-protective properties of lenses has been lacking.

Towards standardization of UV eye protection: what can be learned from photodermatology?

While knowledge about standardization of skin protection against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has progressed over the past few decades, there is no uniform and generally accepted standardized measurement for UV eye protection. The literature provides solid evidence that UV can induce considerable damage to structures of the eye. As well as damaging the eyelids and periorbital skin, chronic UV exposure may also affect the conjunctiva and lens.

Light damage as a model of retinal degeneration.

The induction of retinal degeneration by light exposure is widely used to study mechanisms of cell death. The advantage of such light-induced lesions over genetically determined degenerations is that light exposures can be manipulated according to the needs of the experimenter. Bright white light exposure can induce a synchronized burst of apoptosis in photoreceptors in a large retinal area which permits to study cellular and molecular events in a controlled fashion.

Comparison of two shampoos for the treatment of canine Malassezia dermatitis: a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: Two antimicrobial shampoos for treatment of canine Malassezia dermatitis (CMD) were compared in a prospective, randomised, single-blinded, field clinical trial.

Methods: Sixty-seven dogs with pedal or generalised dermatitis associated with Malassezia overgrowth (MO) were treated with 3% chlorhexidine shampoo (3%CHX) or 2% miconazole-2% chlorhexidine shampoo (2%MIC/CHX) and evaluated for up to 6 weeks until cytological recovery. Pruritus, erythema, papules, greasy seborrhoea, scaling, malodour, excoriations, secondary hairloss, lichenification, hyperpigmentation and lesion extent were each scored on a 0-3 severity scale and combined making an aggregate score.

Spot-on skin lipid complex as an adjunct therapy in dogs with atopic dermatitis: an open pilot study.

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of topical skin lipid complex (SLC) in canine atopic dermatitis (AD). Eight dogs with chronic AD and no improvement of main therapy in symptoms, erythema, lichenification, excoriation, and alopecia in the previous month were treated with SLC topically as adjunct therapy at lesion sites twice weekly for 12 weeks. A statistically significant reduction (26.

Efficacy of a 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate spray in presumed feline allergic dermatitis: an open label pilot study.

This study evaluated the efficacy of a 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate (HCA) spray (Cortavance(®); Virbac SA) in 10 cats with presumed allergic dermatitis. The cats initially received two sprays/100 cm(2) of skin once daily.

Comparable efficacy of a topical 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate spray and oral ciclosporin in treating canine atopic dermatitis.

This study compared the efficacy of a 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate (HCA) spray (Cortavance(®); Virbac SA) and ciclosporin (Atopica(®); Novartis Animal Health) in canine atopic dermatitis in a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Dogs received HCA (two sprays/100 cm(2); n=24) or ciclosporin (5 mg/kg; n=21).

The use of recombinant omega interferon therapy in canine atopic dermatitis: a double-blind controlled study.

This double-blind controlled study assessed whether reduced doses of omega interferon (rFeIFN-omega) (Virbagen Omega) could improve the clinical signs of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) over a 6-month period, in comparison with cyclosporin. Thirty-one dogs diagnosed with CAD were entered in the study. Complicating infections were treated prior to entry.

Noninvasive, in vivo assessment of mouse retinal structure using optical coherence tomography.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel method of retinal in vivo imaging. In this study, we assessed the potential of OCT to yield histology-analogue sections in mouse models of retinal degeneration.

Methodology/principal Findings: We achieved to adapt a commercial 3(rd) generation OCT system to obtain and quantify high-resolution morphological sections of the mouse retina which so far required in vitro histology.

Cooperative phagocytes: resident microglia and bone marrow immigrants remove dead photoreceptors in retinal lesions.

Phagocytosis is essential for the removal of photoreceptor debris following retinal injury. We used two mouse models, mice injected with green fluorescent protein-labeled bone marrow cells or green fluorescent protein-labeled microglia, to study the origin and activation patterns of phagocytic cells after acute blue light-induced retinal lesions. We show that following injury, blood-borne macrophages enter the eye via the optic nerve and ciliary body and soon migrate into the injured retinal area.

Efficacy of a 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate spray in the management of canine atopic dermatitis: a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial.

This study evaluated a 0.0584% hydrocortisone aceponate (HCA) spray (Cortavance; Virbac SA, Carros, France) in canine atopic dermatitis (AD). Initially, dogs with a canine AD extent and severity index (CADESI-03) >or= 50 were randomly allocated to receive HCA (n = 15) or placebo (n = 13) (two sprays from 10 cm away to treat an area of 100 cm(2)) once daily for 28 days.

Monosaccharide inhibition of adherence by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to canine corneocytes.

The effect of D-galactose, D-mannose, L-rhamnose and dextrose on the adhesion to canine corneocytes by three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied in six healthy dogs. Canine corneocytes were collected from the inner aspect of the pinna using adhesive discs (D-Squame). Half millimetre of bacterial suspension in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with or without the addition of a monosaccharide was placed over the corneocyte layer and incubated in moist chambers.

Effect of S-adenosylmethionine tablets on the reduction of age-related mental decline in dogs: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Oral S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) tosylate supplementation (Novifit tablets, Virbac) was evaluated as a dietary aid for the management of age-related mental impairment in dogs. Thirty-six dogs older than 8 years that had displayed signs of cognitive dysfunction for at least 1 month were selected for the study. The dogs were administered 18 mg/kg SAMe tosylate (n=17) or identical placebo tablets (n=19) for 2 months.

Müller cell response to blue light injury of the rat retina.

Purpose: In addition to photoreceptor degeneration, excessive light causes degenerative alterations in the inner retina and ganglion cell death. A disturbance in osmohomeostasis may be one causative factor for the alterations in the inner retina. Because Müller cells mediate inner retinal osmohomeostasis (mainly through channel-mediated transport of potassium ions and water), the authors investigated whether these cells alter their properties in response to excessive blue light.

Effects of a topically applied preparation of epidermal lipids on the stratum corneum barrier of atopic dogs.

Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized ultrastructurally by disorganization of the lamellar lipids (LLs) in the stratum corneum (SC), similar to that seen in the human disease. This study, based on the examination of biopsy samples, was designed to investigate the expression of canine epidermal lipids and to evaluate quantitatively, by means of electron microscopy and ruthenium tetroxide post-fixation, the effect of a new topical skin lipid complex (SLC) on the structural deficit in the skin of five dogs with AD. The non-lesional skin of atopic dogs differed from the skin of healthy dogs in that the LLs were reduced in number and highly disorganized.

Localization of glial aquaporin-4 and Kir4.1 in the light-injured murine retina.

Excessive light causes damage to photoreceptor and pigment epithelial cells, and a local edema in the outer retina. Since Müller glial cells normally mediate the osmohomeostasis in the inner retina (mainly via channel-mediated transport of potassium and water), we determined whether retinal light injury causes an alteration in the retinal localization of glial water (aquaporin-4) and potassium (Kir4.1) channels, and in the potassium conductance of Müller cells.

A field trial evaluation of the prophylactic efficacy of amitraz-impregnated collars against canine babesiosis (Babesia canis rossi) in South Africa.

South African canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis rossi is a common clinical disease in dogs in South Africa and remains a significant cause of domestic dog mortality. To determine whether tick-repellent, 9% amitraz-impregnated tick collars (Preventic-Virbac) could prevent tick-borne exposure to B. canis rossi, 50 dogs were assigned to two groups.

R91W mutation in Rpe65 leads to milder early-onset retinal dystrophy due to the generation of low levels of 11-cis-retinal.

RPE65 is a retinal pigment epithelial protein essential for the regeneration of 11-cis-retinal, the chromophore of cone and rod visual pigments. Mutations in RPE65 lead to a spectrum of retinal dystrophies ranging from Leber's congenital amaurosis to autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. One of the most frequent missense mutations is an amino acid substitution at position 91 (R91W).