Unusual presentation of neosporosis in a neonatal puppy from a litter of bulldogs

Dead or Alive? A Review of Perinatal Factors That Determine Canine Neonatal Viability

Simple Summary

The article summarizes the current knowledge on factors related to pregnancy, parturition, and newborns that affect the health status of a puppy and determine its chances for survival and development. The detailed information is provided in terms of breed predispositions, objectives of pregnancy monitoring, potential sources of complications, and veterinary advances in care and treatment of perinatal conditions. Successful pregnancy outcomes still pose challenges in veterinary neonatology; thus, publications presenting the current state of knowledge in this field are in demand.

Abstract

The perinatal period has a critical impact on viability of the newborns. The variety of factors that can potentially affect the health of a litter during pregnancy, birth, and the first weeks of life requires proper attention from both the breeder and the veterinarian. The health status of puppies can be influenced by various maternal factors, including breed characteristics, anatomy, quality of nutrition, delivery assistance, neonatal care, and environmental or infectious agents encountered during pregnancy. Regular examinations and pregnancy monitoring are key tools for early detection of signals that can indicate disorders even before clinical signs occur. Early detection significantly increases the chances of puppies’ survival and proper development. The purpose of the review was to summarize and discuss the complex interactions between all elements that, throughout pregnancy and the first days of life, have a tangible impact on the subsequent fate of the offspring. Many of these components continue to pose challenges in veterinary neonatology; thus, publications presenting the current state of knowledge in this field are in demand.

The Causes of Canine Myocarditis and Myocardial Fibrosis Are Elusive by Targeted Molecular Testing: Retrospective Analysis and Literature Review

Myocarditis can cause death or permanent heart damage. As epidemiologic and etiopathologic data for canine myocarditis are lacking, we performed a retrospective study using nucleic acid extracted from archived (2007 to 2015) tissues from myocarditis cases and control dogs without myocardial lesions. Heart tissue from pediatric/juvenile and adult dogs was tested with a comprehensive panel of conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting recognized agents of canine myocarditis based on a literature review and informed by the comparative epidemiology of human myocarditis. The PCR screen, which included canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2), canine distemper virus, canine herpesvirus, Borrelia spp, West Nile virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, pneumovirus, respiratory coronavirus, influenza virus, Bartonella spp, Rickettsia spp, Mycoplasma spp, and Neospora caninum, did not detect agents in 35 of 66 cases (53%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 41%-65%) and was frequently negative in adults (21/26); by comparison, agents were not detected in 27 of 57 controls (47%; 95% CI, 35%-60%). Canine distemper virus, herpesvirus, adenovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza virus, Mycoplasma haemocanis, and N. caninum were occasionally detected in both cases and controls; thus, PCR detection was not considered to indicate causation. We previously reported that CPV-2 continues to be associated with myocarditis in young dogs despite widespread vaccination; in adults, CPV-2 was detected in 2 of 26 cases and 4 of 22 controls. As several agents were similarly detected in cases and controls, it is unclear if these are cardiopathogenic, incidental, or latent. West Nile virus was detected at the analytic limit in 1 adult case. We did not detect Borrelia spp, Bartonella spp, Rickettsia spp, or influenza A virus in the myocarditis cases. These data demonstrate the limitations of current targeted diagnostic tests and the need for additional research to identify unknown agents and develop testing strategies for canine myocarditis.

Presumptive vertical transmission of Neospora caninum in related Bernese Mountain dogs

Neospora caninum is a tissue cyst-forming coccidium capable of causing spinal cord or skeletal muscle disease in dogs. Infected bitches can transmit the parasite to their pups in utero. Seroprevalence of N. caninum was studied in naturally-infected, privately owned Bernese Mountain dogs, using antibody detection via an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) to identify infected individuals. A retrospective study was undertaken on available dogs from 14 litters. Five of eight dams tested seropositive. The index case was a bitch with a titre of 1:3200 by IFAT. Only one offspring from her first litter was seropositive. The frequency of putative congenital transmission in the breeding kennel was variable. Our results reiterate the importance of serological testing of all dams and littermates in a breeding kennel when clinical neosporosis is suspected in neonatal puppies.

High seroprevalance of Neospora caninum in dogs in Victoria, Australia, compared to 20 years ago

BACKGROUND

Canids are definitive hosts of the apicomplexan parasite Neospora caninum, the leading cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. For horizontal transmission from canids to occur, oocysts of N. caninum must be shed by the definitive host into the environment of susceptible intermediate hosts such as cattle. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of N. caninum in canids in Victoria, Australia's leading dairy producing state.

RESULTS

Neospora-like oocysts were observed in 8% (18/234) of faecal samples from wild dogs, domestic dogs and red foxes from Victoria, Australia. However, none tested positive for N. caninum DNA using a quantitative PCR. In a separate sample population, blood sera from 483 domestic dogs were tested for anti-N. caninum antibodies using competitive ELISA. A subset of cELISA samples were re-tested using indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT). A seroprevalence of 29.8% (144/483; 95% CI: 11.7-47.8%) was calculated when using cELISA; whereas it was 32.9% (27/80; 95% CI: 15.8-51.8%) using IFAT. Potential risk factors were evaluated using univariable analyses and then assessed in separate multivariable models. Using 'aged' dogs as a reference, the seroprevalence of 'adolescent' and 'adult' dogs was 88% (P = 0.05) and 91% (P = 0.08), respectively, indicating seroprevalence increases with age. There was a 19% higher likelihood of infection in rural locations (P = 0.10) relative to urban areas. Jack Russell Terriers had a 22% higher risk of a cELISA-positive result (P = 0.05) regardless of geographical location, age or sex.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that exposure to N. caninum in domestic dogs is widespread in Victoria, although faecal oocyst shedding is infrequent. Our results indicate increased N. caninum seroprevalance status in dogs over the past two decades. The results imply that dogs get either exposed to the infected meat more frequently or that vertical dam to foetus transmission is more frequent than previously thought. Our study calls for re-evaluation of historical N. caninum seroprevalance studies, because the attitude to dog diet changes.