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Babesia canis is the predominant Babesia species in dogs in Europe and is responsible for a severe and fatal disease. An increase in global pet tourism and a widening of the geographic distribution of the tick vector has led to the emergence of infections in areas where previously only imported cases have been reported. Due to the potential for rapid and serious disease progression, direct parasite detection by stained blood smears and light microscopy or DNA-based methods have traditionally been used for the diagnosis of acute infections. This study describes the production of a murine monoclonal antibody ('mAb BcFIII 7/1/2') that reacts to a 65kDa corpuscular epitope present in B. canis-infected erythrocytes and can be used in an ELISA to detect circulating Babesia antigen during acute infections. The sensitivity of the ELISA was 100% (95%CI: 84.5-100) as determined using blood lysate samples from 27 dogs with acute B. canis infections. Sensitivity was reduced to 53.8% in 13 patent Babesia vogeli infections (95%CI: 26.1-79.6) based on the current test design using convalescent serum from a B. canis-infected dog. The specificity was determined to be 86.4% (95%CI: 64-96.4) using 22 samples from healthy canine blood donors. In the course of acute B. canis infections, the ELISA showed a positive result at the same time as a positive PCR result was recorded. This was 24-48h before parasites could be detected by light microscopy. Convalescent samples collected from 6 B. canis-infected dogs at least 14days post treatment resulted in negative ELISA reactions. The hyper-acute to acute phase of a B. canis infection represents an emergency situation with high mortality. To increase the chances of survival, a fast and accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment is required. The current study demonstrates the opportunity of an early and specific detection of acute infections by an AgELISA that is potentially translatable to a rapid diagnostic test design.

In the field of veterinary dermatology dermatophytosis is one of the most frequently occurring infectious diseases, therefore its treatment should be effective, convenient, safe and inexpensive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of newly developed topical formulations in the treatment of cats with dermatophytosis. Evaluation of clinical efficacy and safety of terbinafine and econazole formulations administered topically twice a day was performed in 40 cats. Cats, suffering from the most widely spreadMicrosporum canis-induced dermatophytosis and treated with terbinafine hydrochloride 1% cream, recovered within 20.3±0.88 days; whereas when treated with econazole nitrate 1% cream, they recovered within 28.4±1.14 days. A positive therapeutic effect was yielded by combined treatment with local application of creams and whole coat spray with enilconazole 0.2% emulsion „Imaverol”. Most cats treated with econazole cream revealed redness and irritation of the skin at the site of application. This study demonstrates that terbinafine tended to have superior clinical efficacy (p

The aim of the study was to evaluate pathological conditions in canine spleens. The spleens of 105 dogs were examined histopathologically. The age of dogs ranged from 2 months (n = 6) to 21 years (n = 99). There were 78 male and 27 female animals. Macroscopically, 93 spleens were enlarged. During histophatological examination, different pathological conditions were found (extramedullary hemopoiesis (EMH), lymphoma, inflammation, amyloidosis, diffuse and follicular white pulp hyperplasia, red pulp hyperplasia, hematomas). Although it is a rare condition, EHM was found in the spleens of 72 dogs (68.6 percent), and further investigations are needed together with bone marrow examination. We observed that splenomegaly, especially as a focal spleen enlargement, is common in dogs, but often missdiagnosed as malignant spleen tumor.

Sindrom sustavnog upalnog odgovora (SSUO) je klinička manifestacija sistemski proširene upale, različitog uzroka. Neki od najčešćih uzroka su sepsa, trauma, opekline i novotvorine. Ovaj sindrom često se povezuje s povećanim morbiditetom i mortalitetom u životinja. U ovo istraživanje uključeno je deset pasa zaprimljenih na Kliniku za kirurgiju, ortopediju i oftalmologiju zbog traume ili zahvata u trbušnoj šupljini, u kojih su primijećeni simptomi SSUO-a. Svi podatci prikupljeni su u vremenskom razdoblju od 14.8.2013. do 17.8.2015. SSUO je dijagnosticiran na temelju zadovoljenja najmanje dva od četiri potrebna kriterija: hipotermija ili hipertermija, tahikardija, tahipneja, leukopenija ili leukocitoza ili pojava nesegmentiranih neutrofila u krvotoku. Svim psima uzeta je krv za hematološku pretragu, a polovici i za biokemijsku. Svi psi praćeni su klinički za vrijeme hospitalizacije. Uspoređene su vrijednosti trijasa, hematološki i biokemijski nalazi. Istraživanje je pokazalo da je najučestaliji pokazatelj SSUO-a leukocitoza, a potom tahipneja. Međutim, nije pronađena poveznica između pojedinog pokazatelja i letalnog ishoda. Isto tako nije pronađena, Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a clinical manifestation of systemic inflammation induced by various causes. Some of the most common include sepsis, trauma, burns and neoplasia. This syndrome is often related to increased morbidity and mortality in animals. This study included ten dogs that developed signs of SIRS and that were admitted to the Clinic for surgery, orthopaedics and ophthalmology due to trauma or requiring surgical intervention in the abdominal cavity. All data was collected in the period from 14 August 2013 to 17 August 2015. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome was diagnosed based on the fulfilment of at least two of the following four criteria: hypo- or hyperthermia, tachycardia, tachypnea, leukocytosis or leukopenia or a left shift. Blood samples were collected from all ten dogs for haematological analysis, and from five dogs for serum biochemistry analysis. All dogs were re-evaluated clinically during hospitalization. Clinical, haematological and serum biochemistry data were examined. This study showed that the most frequent SIRS parameter was leukocytosis, followed by tachypnea. However, no link was found between specific SIRS parameters and a fatal outcome, nor between the number of occurring parameters and a fatal outcome. A much higher survival rate was observed in this study than in the literature. Considering the variability of the SIRS criteria and its unreliability in dogs, further study should be aimed at determining the relevant diagnostic and prognostic factors. poveznica između broja utvrđenih pokazatelja i letalnog ishoda. Utvrđena je znatno veća stopa preživljavanja nego u drugim istraživanjima. S obzirom na varijabilnost kriterija te nepouzdanost pokazatelja SSUO-a u pasa, potrebna su daljnja istraživanja kojima bi se utvrdili dijagnostički i prognostički značajniji pokazatelji.

Canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis is an emerging infectious disease in Europe. Although previously uncommon, canine babesiosis has become quite frequent in Lithuania during the past decade. In the last few years an increasing number of cases with a wide variety of clinical signs have been recorded throughout the country. In Lithuania the identification of the disease agent in veterinarian clinics is based on a microscopic analysis of size and morphology. To date, no data on the genetic characterization of Babesia species in dogs have been documented for Lithuania. A total of 123 blood samples from dogs showing clinical signs of babesiosis on the basis of veterinary examination were tested for the presence of babesial parasites. Babesia isolated from dogs were detected and characterized by nested-PCR and sequence analysis of a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Babesia parasites were detected in blood smears of 94 dogs (76.4%). The molecular analysis revealed the presence of B. canis in 108 dogs (87.8%). Two genotypes of B. canis were distinguished on the basis on two nucleotide (GA → AG) substitutions observed in 18S rRNA gene sequences. The results of the present study provide knowledge of the distribution of B. canis genotypes in dogs in Lithuania, and show the necessity to use a molecular analysis for an accurate diagnosis of canine babesiosis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate age-related peculiarities of acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve plexus and its length in the dog cornea.Nine mixed breed dogs (male and female) of 1.8-20 kg weight were used. They were divided into three age groups: young (until 1 year), adult (1-7 years) and old (8 and more years). Acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve plexus was identified using acetylcholinesterase method of M. J. Karnowsky and L. A. Roots (1964) modified by D. H. Pauza et al. (1996). The length of nerve bundles was measured by mm in 1 mm(2) of cornea.Branching thick, medium and thin nerve bundles form acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve plexus in dog cornea. The average of the length of nerve bundles between the left and the right corneas was similar in different age groups (p0.05). The length of acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve bundles in 1 mm(2) of the cornea in the group of adult dogs (10.32+/-0.11 mm) was higher than in the groups of young (9.42+/-0.02 mm) and old dogs (7.75+/-0.14 mm) (p0.001).