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IntroductionDermatological consultations represent a great part of the small animal medical clinic routine. Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a common skin disease that affects a significant amount of dogs, making it a relevant consideration in clinical practice. The role of the endocannabinoid system on skin homeostasis has been described and its deregulation contributes to dermatopathies. Its function in specialized skin cells reveals an expressive therapeutic potential. Due to the difficulties and the growing scientific evidence of the therapeutic benefits of cannabis on animals, this work aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis-derived oil in the treatment of CAD.MethodsFourteen canines diagnosed with CAD were divided into two groups: T: full spectrum high cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis oil, 2,5 mg/kg; and C: control group (treated with olive oil alone). The effectiveness was evaluated based on the degree of pruritus, dermatological evaluation (CADESI-4) and histopathological evaluation of the skin including mast cell count.ResultsDespite the theoretical basis, there were no significant results obtained between the compared treatments.DiscussionThus, it can be concluded that although full spectrum high cannabinoids therapy presents a promising approach to immunological diseases, further research is required in order to establish the actual effective cannabinoid ratio within the myriad possible combinations and for multi-target therapy of CAD.

ABSTRACT: Tumor embolization is a well-described cause of unexpected death in human oncologic patients; however, it is poorly explored in veterinary medicine. We report a case of pulmonary tumor embolization in a dog with sudden death. During necropsy, a neoplastic mass was observed replacing the left adrenal gland and forming an intravascular thrombus within the central adrenal vein. A large embolus occluded the left pulmonary artery. The adrenal mass was histologically confirmed as a pheochromocytoma, and the embolus was constituted of neoplastic cells. Multiple smaller neoplastic emboli were observed within the pulmonary artery branches. Tumor embolization should be considered as a possible cause of sudden death in dogs, particularly in oncologic patients.

ABSTRACT: Infectious enteritis is highly prevalent among dogs worldwide and, in some cases, it can be fatal. This study describes the clinical and laboratorial findings of single and mixed infections associated with severe enteritis in 76 dogs from Southern Brazil. Intestinal segments and/or fecal samples were subjected to histopathology and molecular detection of DNA viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Severe intestinal lesions were observed in most cases. Single infections were detected in 52.6% of cases, double (36.8%) and triple (10.5%) infections were also identified. Carnivore protoparvovirus 2 (CPV-2) was the most frequent agent in single infections (36.8%). Coinfection by CPV-2 and Giardia spp. was the most common in dual infections (19.7%), followed by CPV-2 and Cryptosporidium spp. (10.5%). The most frequent triple infection was CPV-2, Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. (6.6%). Our results shown that single and mixed infections are associated with severe enteritis in dogs in southern Brazil, mainly involving CPV-2 and Giardia sp.

ABSTRACT: Klossiella equi is an unusual protozoan of equids. In most cases, it does not cause renal injury. A case of K. equi-associated granulomatous nephritis leading to uremia in a brazilian mare is described. The animal presented colic, and among the complementary exams, increased urea and creatinine was observed. The kidneys were unremarkable on gross exam; however, a multifocal granulomatous nephritis with tubular degeneration associated with intraepithelial and intraluminal protozoa was observed histologically. The large intestines were edematous and hemorrhagic. The importance of including K. equi infection among the differential diagnosis of horses with kidney disease in southern Brazil is highlighted.

Abstract The macroscopic, histological, and molecular aspects of Sarcocystis spp. were examined in the tissues of two cattle and four sheep, 16 and eight fragments analyzed respectively, condemned in the slaughterhouse. All 24 samples were collected and analyzed for detecting macrocysts and macroscopic lesions. Subsequently, subdivided for direct examination, polymerase chain reaction and histopathological examination. All sheep tissues samples had grossly white round to oval tissue cysts, ranging from 0.3 to 1 cm in diameter. In contrast, cattle tissues did not present grossly visible cysts but had randomly distributed white-yellow foci with irregular contours. All samples from cattle and sheep had microscopic cysts. In the histological examination of sheep tissues, circular to elongated, encapsulated, basophilic structures ranging from 30 to 3,000 µm in length and 20 to 1,000 µm in width were observed within the skeletal muscle fibers. In cattle tissues, all cardiac muscle four fragments analyzed contained circular to elongated basophilic structures inside cardiomyocytes and in some Purkinje fibers. PCR were performed using the primers: 2L and 3H. In conclusion, all 24 tissues were infected with Sarcocystis spp., and S. gigantea (in sheep) and S. cruzi (in cattle). were the identified species by sequencing.

ABSTRACT: A domestic cat was submitted to necropsy with a small abscess within the subcutaneous tissue and skeletal muscles dorsal to the left ear. It contained multiple 0.8 to 1.2 cm-long adult nematodes and was drained by two cutaneous fistulae. On histopathology, multiple cavitary areas within the skeletal muscles and subcutaneous tissue contained adult nematodes and were surrounded by thick fibrotic and chronic-active inflammatory reaction. The parasites were externally lined by a smooth cuticle and had two prominent lateral alae. They contained an intestinal tract and a pseudocoelom. A prominent polymyarian-coelomyarian musculature and two large lateral chords were identified, and some sections contained a uterus with multiple non-operculated eggs. Lagochilascariasis should be considered a differential diagnosis for cervical skin abscesses in domestic cats from Southern Brazil. This article brings important contributions to the clinical and anatomopathologic diagnosis of this rare zoonotic disease.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this report was to describe a case of aortic thrombosis (AT) secondary to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although, different types of neoplasms are described as possible causes of aortic thrombosis, CLL was not yet considered. The dog showed signs of lameness that worsened with exercise. The diagnosis of AT was made by ultrasound examination. The diagnosis of CLL was made by necropsy, which showed the presence of small lymphocytes with the appearance of mature lymphocytes in the bone marrow, spleen, liver and kidneys. The importance of including CLL in the possible causes of AT in dogs, in addition to the suspicion of AT in cases of neuromuscular disease, was highlighted.

ABSTRACT: This report described clinical, epidemiological, and pathological aspects of ischemic myelopathy caused by fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) in a 10-year-old, mixed breed gelding. Clinically, the horse presented acute hind limbs paralysis, with a clinical course of approximately 24 hours. At necropsy, no gross lesions were observed. Cross-sections of the spinal cord revealed focally extensive areas of malacia from the T10 to L4 segments. Focally extensive areas of liquefactive necrosis involving the gray matter and adjacent white matter were observed on histologic sections. The lumen of multiple blood vessels in the periphery of the necrotic areas was occluded by fibrocartilaginous emboli that strongly stained with alcian blue. Clinical signs, gross necropsy, and histological findings observed in this case were identical to those described in the literature for ischemic myelopathy caused by FCE in the horse and other species.

ABSTRACT: The use of histologic classification by a 2-tier grading system only, immunohistochemistry (IHC) for KIT and Ki-67 and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for internal tandem duplications (ITD) on exon 11 has improved the prognostication of canine cutaneous mast cell tumors (CCMTs) particularly in the United States. However, these techniques are not commonly used in most Brazilian laboratories. Likewise, no studies, to date, have investigated the occurrence of ITD in CCMTs from the country. Thus, this study tested the 2-tier grading system, the immunohistochemistry for KIT and Ki-67 and the PCR for exon 11 in a group of Brazilian CCMTs with the goal of investigating the applicability of these tests in a Brazilian laboratory. Of the 39 CCMTs, 69.2% (27/39) were identified as low-grade and 30.8% (12/39) as high-grade by a 2-tier grading system. All tumors had a KIT expression pattern II, and 30.6% (11/36) had a high growth fraction (Ki-67). PCR amplification was successful in four of the 11 tumors examined. Two of these (50%) were positive for ITD. This study highlights the importance of using auxiliary techniques in the CCMT evaluation, identifies limitations and confirms the applicability of these methods on a routine diagnostic basis in Brazil. Our results will help to improve the prognostication of CCMTs in Brazilian diagnostic laboratories, encouraging the use of supplementary methods.

ABSTRACT: A 14-year-old female Dachshund was referred to a veterinary hospital with a history and signalment of head pressing, compulsive walking, and right circling. At ophthalmologic examination, a mature cataract and absence of photomotor reflex in the right eye were observed. The neurological exam revealed multifocal encephalic signs. At necropsy, a conical solid tan mass was observed involving the right optic nerve throughout its extension to the optic chiasm. Histopathological findings confirmed a retrobulbar papillary meningioma, considered rare and seldom included as differential diagnosis in patients with neurological signs.