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A seven-year-old immunocompetent dog presenting with lymphadenopathy, mesenteric masses and splenic nodules was diagnosed with Phialosimplex caninus infection. Cytology of a mesenteric mass aspirate demonstrated few intact cells but numerous variably sized fungal cells and rare hyphal fragments. The identity of the cultured fungus was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Itraconazole therapy improved clinical signs, but the fungus was reisolated at follow-up. P. caninus systemic infection should be suspected in dogs presenting with lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly.

An 11.5-year-old, neutered male, golden retriever dog that had previously had a splenectomy for benign disease 2 years prior to presentation was diagnosed with anemia and a large abdominal mass. Necropsy and histopathology identified the abdominal mass as ectopic splenic tissue.

Staphylococcus aureus colonization was identified in 67/242 (28%) humans, 19/132 (14%) dogs, and 7/161 (4.3%) cats in households in Ontario, with methicillin-resistant S. aureus present in 8 (3.3%) humans, 2 (1.5%) dogs, and 0 cats. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was isolated from 8 (4.1%) humans, 61 (46%) dogs, and 11 (6.8%) cats, with methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius detected in 1 (0.4%) human, 6 (4.5%) dogs, and 2 (1.2%) cats. Staphylococcus schleiferi subspecies coagulans was isolated from 1 (0.8%) dog. Regular hand washing was a protective factor for S. pseudintermedius colonization in humans. Indistinguishable S. aureus isolates were present in humans and their dogs in 4/8 households, where S. aureus was isolated concurrently from humans and dogs. Similarly, indistinguishable human and feline strains were isolated in 1 of 2 households with concurrent human/feline colonization. Indistinguishable canine and human S. pseudintermedius isolates were present in 4/9 of households with a human who was colonized.

Nasal, axillary and rectal swabs were collected from 193 dogs admitted to the Ontario Veterinary College Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Enrichment culture was performed and coagulase positive staphylococci were identified via standard methods. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was isolated from 4/193 (2.1%) dogs, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans were each isolated from 1/193 (0.5%) dogs. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius was not identified. All S. pseudintermedius isolates were unrelated on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Evaluation of the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonization is necessary to understand the apparent emergence of these strains and to develop appropriate control strategies.

TOC Summary: Prevalence of colonization was 6.5%, and employment within a large-animal practice was a significant risk factor., Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated from nares of 27/417 (6.5%) attendees at an international veterinary conference: 23/345 (7.0%) veterinarians, 4/34 (12.0%) technicians, and 0/38 others. Colonization was more common for large-animal (15/96, 15.6%) than small-animal personnel (12/271, 4.4%) or those with no animal patient contact (0/50) (p

Melanocytic glaucoma, previously known as pigmentary glaucoma, is characterized by diffuse intraocular infiltration of heavily pigmented melanocytes. This unusual ocular disorder has been documented only in the cairn terrier and is considered familial. Treatment strategies are based on evidence that the condition is slowly progressive but not neoplastic.