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Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single intramuscular administration of gonadorelin to induce ovulation in queens in oestrus., Methods: Twenty-seven queens presented in oestrus for elective ovariectomy were divided into a treatment (n = 19) and a placebo (n = 8) group. Treated queens received a 50 µg dose of gonadorelin, while placebo-treated queens were injected intramuscularly (IM) with an equal amount of saline solution. All treatments were performed between the second and fourth days of heat., Results: Two days later, signs of behavioural heat had disappeared in all gonadorelin-treated queens, while 5/8 placebo-treated queens were still in heat. Following ovariectomy, performed 4 days after drug administration, the ovaries of each queen were evaluated histologically and the number of corpora lutea were counted. Sixteen of 19 (84%) gonadorelin-treated queens had ovulated and developed five (range 2-9) corpora lutea, while 3/8 (37%) placebo-treated queens had ovulated and developed five (range 3-6) corpora lutea., Conclusions and Relevance: This is the first study to document the efficacy of a 50 µg/cat gonadorelin dose to induce ovulation in oestrous queens when administered IM on days 2-4 following the onset of oestrus.

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate, by quantitative PCR (qPCR), the presence of papillomavirus in feline viral plaques (VPs), Bowenoid in situ carcinoma (BISC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and actinic keratosis (AK). Methods Twenty-nine cases with previously established diagnoses of feline VPs, BISC, invasive SCC and AK were selected from a dermatopathological database. A critical re-evaluation of diagnosis was performed by defining clear criteria toward carcinomatous vs non-carcinomatous, in situ vs invasive (if carcinomatous) and viral vs actinic. Cases were evaluated for p16 immunolocalisation. The presence of the target viral genes for Felis catus papillomavirus (FcaPV)-1, FcaPV-2, FcaPV-3 and FcaPV-4 was determined by qPCR. The data generated ΔΔCq values, which represent a normalised measure of DNA viral quantity. Samples with a positive ΔΔCq value were submitted to sequence analysis. Results Four VPs, 19 BISCs, four SCCs and one case of AK were included. By ΔΔCq analysis we found that all VPs were positive for FcaPV-1 or FcaPV-2; eight BISCs were positive for FcaPV-1, FcaPV-2 and FcaPV-4. FcaPV-2 was the most prevalent among the group of VPs and BISCs. Conclusions and relevance Using the ΔΔCq method we report the first evidence of FcaPV-1, FcaPV-2 and FcaPV-4 in Italy. FcaPV-2 was the most frequently detected; to a lesser extent, FcaPV-1 and FcaPV-4 were detected in the examined samples. FcaPV-3 was never associated with viral-induced lesions by ΔΔCq investigation. Compared with conventional PCR the ΔΔCq method has the advantage of establishing a possible role of the virus in the outcome of infection.

Tissues from 34 naturally feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cats, 13 asymptomatic cats and 21 cats with signs of feline acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (F-AIDS), and 35 FIV-seronegative subjects were examined to determine the presence of amyloid deposits. Twenty experimentally FIV-infected cats and five specific pathogen-free (SPF) control cats were also included in the study. Paraffin-embedded sections from kidney and other organs were submitted to histological and histochemical analysis. Amyloid deposits were identified by a modified Congo red stain and confirmed by electron microscopy to demonstrate the presence of amyloid fibrils in amyloid positive glomeruli. In all positive cases, secondary amyloidosis was identified with potassium permanganate pretreatment and amyloid type was further characterised by immunohistochemistry using primary antibodies against human AA and feline AL amyloids. Amyloid deposits were present in different tissues of 12/34 (35%) naturally FIV-infected cats (seven presenting F-AIDS and five in asymptomatic phase) and in 1/30 FIV-seronegative cats. All the experimentally FIV-infected and SPF subjects showed no amyloid deposits. Amyloidosis has been reported in human lentiviral infections, and the data reported here demonstrate the need, in naturally FIV-infected cats, to consider the presence of amyloidosis in differential diagnosis of hepatic and renal disorders to better assess the prognosis of the disease.

Proliferative and necrotising otitis externa is a rare and recently described disease affecting the ear canals and concave pinnae of kittens. This article describes a case of proliferative and necrotising otits externa in a young adult cat. In this case, the lesions did not affected the pinnae, but both ear canals were severely involved. Video-otoscopy revealed a digitally proliferative lesion, growing at 360° all around the ear canals for their entire length, without involvement of the middle ear. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis, and the cat responded completely to a once-daily application of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment diluted in mineral oil in the ear canals. Video-otoscopy findings, not described previously, were very peculiar and may help clinicians to diagnose this rare disease.