Effects of orally administered clioquinol on the fecal microbiome of horses.

Background: Whereas restoration of fecal consistency after treatment with clioquinol for chronic diarrhea and free fecal water syndrome has been attributed to its antiprotozoal properties, actions of clioquinol on the colonic bacterial microbiota have not been investigated.

Objectives: Characterize the dynamics of fecal microbial diversity before, during, and after PO administration of clioquinol to healthy horses.

Study Design: Experimental prospective cohort study using a single horse group.

Development and Validation of an Equine Castration Model and Rubric.

Castration is one of the most common surgeries performed in equine practice. Veterinary students require deliberate practice to reach competence in surgical procedures including equine castration, but availability of patients limits students' practice opportunities. A recumbent equine castration model was created and evaluated using a validation framework consisting of content evidence (expert opinion), internal structure evidence (reliability of scores produced by the accompanying rubric), and evidence of relationship with other variables, specifically the difference in scores between experts and students.

Development and validation of a preclinical canine model for early onset fracture-related infections.

Fracture-related infections (FRIs) are a challenging complication in orthopaedics. Standard of care management for FRIs typically involves prolonged antibiotic therapies, irrigation and debridement (I&D) of the fracture site, and retention of fracture-fixation implants with or without exchange. Unfortunately, this treatment regimen is associated with treatment failure rates of up to 38 %, such that improved preventive and therapeutic interventions are needed.

Improving laboratory animal genetic reporting: LAG-R guidelines.

The biomedical research community addresses reproducibility challenges in animal studies through standardized nomenclature, improved experimental design, transparent reporting, data sharing, and centralized repositories. The ARRIVE guidelines outline documentation standards for laboratory animals in experiments, but genetic information is often incomplete. To remedy this, we propose the Laboratory Animal Genetic Reporting (LAG-R) framework.

Investigating Dirofilaria immitis isolates infecting domestic canines and their susceptibility/resistance patterns to macrocyclic lactones in the northern region of the Mississippi Delta area (southeast Missouri).

Previous reports of macrocyclic lactone (ML) resistance in Dirofilaria immitis, the parasitic nematode which causes heartworm disease, have mainly been from the southern Mississippi Delta region. Southeast Missouri (SEMO), forming the northern boundary of this region, has not previously been well studied. The area is an ideal propagation region for heartworm infection and possibly for the spread of ML resistance.

Effects of neoadjuvant zoledronate and radiation therapy on cell survival, cell cycle distribution, and clinical status in canine osteosarcoma.

Introduction: Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a third-generation bisphosphonate with a higher affinity for bone resorption areas than earlier bisphosphonates (i.e., pamidronate, PAM).

Use of RNA-seq to identify genes encoding cytokines and chemokines activated following uptake and processing a candidate peptide vaccine developed against subsp. .

Analysis of the primary and recall responses to a membrane molecule (MMP), encoded by MAP2121c demonstrated that tri-directional signaling between the antigen-presenting cell (APC), CD4 and CD8 is essential for eliciting a CD8 cytotoxic T cell (CTL) response against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. As reported here, RNA-sequencing was used to initiate the characterization of the signaling pathways involved in eliciting the development of CD8 CTL, starting with the characterization of the activation status of genes in monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMΦ) following uptake and processing MMP for the presentation of antigenic epitopes to CD4 and CD8 T cells.

Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion during Breathing and Swallowing.

The larynx is an essential organ in mammals with three primary functions - breathing, swallowing, and vocalizing. A wide range of disorders are known to impair laryngeal function, which results in difficulty breathing (dyspnea), swallowing impairment (dysphagia), and/or voice impairment (dysphonia). Dysphagia, in particular, can lead to aspiration pneumonia and associated morbidity, recurrent hospitalization, and early mortality.

Integrated multi-omic analyses provide insight into colon adenoma susceptibility modulation by the gut microbiota.

Colon cancer onset is strongly associated with the differences in microbial taxa in the gastrointestinal tract. Although recent studies highlight the role of individual taxa, the effect of a complex gut microbiome (GM) on the metabolome and host transcriptome is still unknown. We used a multi-omics approach to determine how differences in the GM affect the susceptibility to adenoma development in a rat model of human colon cancer.

Evaluation of infrared thermography and 6-minute walk tests to assess airflow limitation, impaired thermoregulation, and exercise intolerance in dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Routine clinical evaluation fails to detect physiologic consequences of BOAS including airflow limitation, exercise intolerance, and impaired thermoregulation. A six-minute walk test (6MWT) with infrared thermography (IRT) may aid detection and clinical management by assessing the physiologic consequences of BOAS.

Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of a novel fluorine-18 labeled small-molecule PET radiotracer for imaging of CXCR3 receptor in mouse models of atherosclerosis.

CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor and is expressed on innate and adaptive immune cells. It promotes the recruitment of T-lymphocytes and other immune cells to the inflammatory site in response to the binding of cognate chemokines. Upregulation of CXCR3 and its chemokines has been found during atherosclerotic lesion formation.

Transfer efficiency and impact on disease phenotype of differing methods of gut microbiota transfer.

To test causal relationships between complex gut microbiota (GM) and host outcomes, researchers frequently transfer GM between donor and recipient mice via embryo transfer (ET) rederivation, cross-fostering (CF), and co-housing. In this study, we assess the influence of the transfer method and the differences in baseline donor and recipient microbiota richness, on transfer efficiency. Additionally, recipient mice were subjected to DSS-induced chronic colitis to determine whether disease severity was affected by GM transfer efficiency or features within the GM.

Cytauxzoonosis.

Cytauxzoon felis is a hematoprotozoan parasite with a complex life cycle involving a tick-vector and a mammalian host. The mammalian hosts are all felidae but in the bobcat reservoir host, the parasite typically causes only a brief, self-resolving illness followed by a prolonged subclinical infection. In domestic cats, however, infection often leads to an acute febrile illness characterized by severe morbidity and mortality.

Incidence, clinical signs, and videofluoroscopic swallow study abnormalities associated with airway penetration and aspiration in 100 dogs.

Background: Videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) utilizing penetration-aspiration (P-A) scoring assesses airway protection in people. On VFSS, penetration (ingesta or secretions immediately cranial to the vocal folds) and aspiration (material caudal to the vocal folds) are associated with increased risk of lung injury in people. Penetration-aspiration (P-A) scoring has been validated in animal models, but the incidence of P-A, clinical signs (CS), and dysphagic disorders associated with P-A in dogs are unknown.

Effectiveness of a Student-Developed Instructional Video in Learning the Anatomy of the Equine Distal Limb.

The anatomy of the equine distal limb (EDL) is both complex and important to veterinary clinical practice. First-year veterinary students (VM1s) often struggle to adequately understand it. Two third-year veterinary students collaborated with instructors to create an instructional video to facilitate first-year students' comprehension of EDL anatomy.

Gastrointestinal foreign bodies in pet pigs: 17 cases.

Background: Pigs have an indiscriminate eating behavior placing them at high risk of developing foreign body (FB) obstructions.

Objectives: Describe the clinical and diagnostic features, treatments, and outcome of pet pigs diagnosed with gastrointestinal (GI) FBs. Medical and surgical treatments, pig outcomes, and post-mortem findings were also investigated.

Fluid Therapy for Pediatric Patients.

Pediatric dogs and cats within their first 12 weeks of life have important electrolyte requirements and physiologic considerations that may impact fluid therapy. Fluid requirements are higher in pediatrics, while fluid losses are greater due to underdeveloped physiologic responses. Hydration and volume status are difficult to assess in young animals, and their small size makes intravenous (IV) access difficult to obtain.

Veterinary house officer perceptions of dimensions of well-being during postgraduate training.

Objective: To describe veterinary house officers' perceptions of dimensions of well-being during postgraduate training and to identify potential areas for targeted intervention.

Sample: 303 house officers.

Procedures: A 62-item questionnaire was generated by use of an online platform and sent to house officers at participating institutions in October 2020.

Clinicopathologic features, comorbid diseases, and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in dogs with bronchomalacia.

Background: Reports of clinicopathologic features of bronchomalacia (BM) differ because of inconsistent definitions and frequent prevalence of comorbid cardiopulmonary disease. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to BM is poorly described.

Objectives: Dogs with BM will be older but of any somatotype, and increased expiratory effort, ≥1 comorbid disease, and PH will be more common than in dogs without BM.

Microglial Inflammation and Cognitive Dysfunction in Comorbid Rat Models of Striatal Ischemic Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease: Effects of Antioxidant Catalase-SKL on Behavioral and Cellular Pathology.

Ischemic stroke often co-occurs with Alzheimer's disease (AD) leading to a worsened clinical outcome. Neuroinflammation is a critical process implicated in AD and ischemic pathology, associated with cognitive decline. We sought to investigate the combined effects of ischemic stroke induced by endothelin-1 injection in two AD rat models, using motor function, memory and microglial inflammation in the basal forebrain and striatum as readouts.

Etiology and outcome of extreme neutrophilic leukocytosis: A multi-institutional retrospective study of 269 dogs.

Background: The magnitude of diagnostic abnormalities can influence the perception of clinical outcome. Extreme neutrophilic leukocytosis (ENL) is an uncommon finding caused by markedly increased granulopoiesis. A lack of recent, large-scale studies limits our understanding of the importance, causation, and prognosis associated with ENL in dogs.

Prevalence of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnoses and Correlation With Signalment and Presenting Complaint in Dogs.

Since magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced, it has become increasingly available and technologically improved. Studies have documented the prevalence of specific pathologies, however no previous veterinary studies have investigated the prevalence and distribution of pathology across all MRIs performed at a single institution. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MRI-diagnosed brain lesions and correlate these to patient signalment and presenting complaint.