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Verdoodt F, Bhatti SFM, Kragic K, Van Ham L, Vanhaecke L, Hesta M, Hemeryck LY. Towards a better understanding of idiopathic epilepsy through metabolic fingerprinting of cerebrospinal fluid in dogs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14750. [PMID: 38926488 PMCID: PMC11208596 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64777-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid metabolomics is a promising research technology in the elucidation of nervous system disorders. Therefore, in this work, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolomics method using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was optimized and validated to cover a wide range of metabolites. An acceptable coefficient of variance regarding instrumental, within-lab and intra-assay precision was found for 95, 70 and 96 of 102 targeted metabolites, together with 1256, 676 and 976 untargeted compounds, respectively. Moreover, approximately 75% of targeted metabolites and 50% of untargeted compounds displayed good linearity across different dilution ranges. Consequently, metabolic alterations in CSF of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) were studied by comparing CSF of dogs diagnosed with IE (Tier II) to dogs with non-brain related disease. Targeted metabolome analysis revealed higher levels of cortisol, creatinine, glucose, hippuric acid, mannose, pantothenol, and 2-phenylethylamine (P values < 0.05) in CSF of dogs with IE, whereas CSF of dogs with IE showed lower levels of spermidine (P value = 0.02). Untargeted CSF metabolic fingerprints discriminated dogs with IE from dogs with non-brain related disease using Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (R2(Y) = 0.997, Q2(Y) = 0.828), from which norepinephrine was putatively identified as an important discriminative metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fien Verdoodt
- Equine and Companion Animal Nutrition, Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
- Laboratory of Integrative Metabolomics, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Sofie F M Bhatti
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Karla Kragic
- Equine and Companion Animal Nutrition, Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Luc Van Ham
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Lynn Vanhaecke
- Laboratory of Integrative Metabolomics, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Myriam Hesta
- Equine and Companion Animal Nutrition, Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Lieselot Y Hemeryck
- Laboratory of Integrative Metabolomics, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Watanangura A, Meller S, Farhat N, Suchodolski JS, Pilla R, Khattab MR, Lopes BC, Bathen-Nöthen A, Fischer A, Busch-Hahn K, Flieshardt C, Gramer M, Richter F, Zamansky A, Volk HA. Behavioral comorbidities treatment by fecal microbiota transplantation in canine epilepsy: a pilot study of a novel therapeutic approach. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1385469. [PMID: 38978633 PMCID: PMC11229054 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1385469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Anxiety and cognitive dysfunction are frequent, difficult to treat and burdensome comorbidities in human and canine epilepsy. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been shown to modulate behavior in rodent models by altering the gastrointestinal microbiota (GIM). This study aims to investigate the beneficial effects of FMT on behavioral comorbidities in a canine translational model of epilepsy. Methods Nine dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and behavioral comorbidities were recruited. The fecal donor had epilepsy with unremarkable behavior, which exhibited a complete response to phenobarbital, resulting in it being seizure-free long term. FMTs were performed three times, two weeks apart, and the dogs had follow-up visits at three and six months after FMTs. Comprehensive behavioral analysis, including formerly validated questionnaires and behavioral tests for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)- and fear- and anxiety-like behavior, as well as cognitive dysfunction, were conducted, followed by objective computational analysis. Blood samples were taken for the analysis of antiseizure drug (ASD) concentrations, hematology, and biochemistry. Urine neurotransmitter concentrations were measured. Fecal samples were subjected to analysis using shallow DNA shotgun sequencing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based Dysbiosis Index (DI) assessment, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) quantification. Results Following FMT, the patients showed improvement in ADHD-like behavior, fear- and anxiety-like behavior, and quality of life. The excitatory neurotransmitters aspartate and glutamate were decreased, while the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA/glutamate ratio were increased compared to baseline. Only minor taxonomic changes were observed, with a decrease in Firmicutes and a Blautia_A species, while a Ruminococcus species increased. Functional gene analysis, SCFA concentration, blood parameters, and ASD concentrations remained unchanged. Discussion Behavioral comorbidities in canine IE could be alleviated by FMT. This study highlights FMT's potential as a novel approach to improving behavioral comorbidities and enhancing the quality of life in canine patients with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antja Watanangura
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hannover, Germany
- Veterinary Research and Academic Service, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nareed Farhat
- Tech4Animals Lab, Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jan S. Suchodolski
- Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, United States
| | - Rachel Pilla
- Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, United States
| | - Mohammad R. Khattab
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Bruna C. Lopes
- Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, United States
| | | | - Andrea Fischer
- Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Kathrin Busch-Hahn
- Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Martina Gramer
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Franziska Richter
- Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anna Zamansky
- Tech4Animals Lab, Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Holger A. Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hannover, Germany
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Schmidt T, Meller S, Meyerhoff N, Twele F, Zanghi B, Volk HA. A six-month prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover, dietary trial design to investigate the potential of psychobiotics on seizure semiology and comorbidities in canine epilepsy: study protocol. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:57. [PMID: 36864510 PMCID: PMC9983181 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03609-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs. More than two-thirds of these patients suffer from associated behavioural comorbidities. The latter could have their origin in partially overlapping pathomechanisms, with the intestinal microbiome as a potential key link between them. The current arsenal of drugs for epilepsy management remains limited. Most canine patients continue to have seizures despite treatment and the occurrence of comorbidities is not sufficiently addressed, limiting quality of life of affected dogs and owners. Therefore, novel additional epilepsy management options are urgently needed. The microbiome-gut-brain axis may serve as a new target for the development of innovative multimodal therapeutic approaches to overcome current shortcomings in epilepsy management. METHODS A six-month prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover, dietary trial was designed to investigate the potential of the psychobiotic Bifidobacterium longum on behavioural comorbidities in canine epilepsy. Seizure semiology will be evaluated as a secondary outcome measure. Thirty-four privately owned dogs are planned to be included in the ongoing study meeting the following inclusion criteria: Dogs displaying increased anxiety/fear behaviour since the start of the idiopathic epilepsy. Tier II confidence level of the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force for the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy, with a maximum seizure interval of 3 month and a minimum of three generalised seizures within that period and chronically treated with at least one antiseizure drug without improvement in seizure frequency Each dog will receive the allocated supplement (probiotic vs. placebo) alongside its normal diet for a 3-month period. After a three-week wash out period, the second phase starts by administering the respective other supplement for another 3 months. DISCUSSION The current study considers modern high-quality standards for epilepsy medication trials. Common biasing effects should be limited to a possible minimum (regression-to-the mean effect, placebo effect, observer effect), ensuring a high validity and accuracy of the acquired results, thus enabling a representative nature of the efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum as add-on supplement for dogs suffering from epilepsy and its comorbidities. This publication should provide a description of the study procedure and data acquisition methods, including prognosed statistical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Schmidt
- grid.412970.90000 0001 0126 6191Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meller
- grid.412970.90000 0001 0126 6191Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nina Meyerhoff
- grid.412970.90000 0001 0126 6191Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Friederike Twele
- grid.412970.90000 0001 0126 6191Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Brian Zanghi
- Research and Development, Nestlé Purina PetCare, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany. .,Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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Schmidt T, Meller S, Talbot SR, Packer RMA, Volk HA. Urinary neurotransmitter analysis and canine behavior assessment. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1124231. [PMID: 36814465 PMCID: PMC9939829 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1124231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral problems are highly prevalent in domestic dogs, negatively affecting the quality of life of dogs and their owners. In humans and dogs, neuropsychological or neurobehavioral disorders can be associated with deviations in various neurotransmitter systems. Previous evidence has revealed correlations between urinary neurotransmitters and various behavioral disorders; however, a causal relationship has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Non-invasive urinary neurotransmitter analysis may identify specific biomarkers, which enable a more differentiated assessment of canine behavioral disorders in the future and contribute to more effective neuromodulatory treatment decisions and monitoring. This approach could offer new insights into underlying pathomechanisms of canine neurobehavioral disorders. This study assessed urinary neurotransmitter levels and the descriptive behavior profile of 100 dogs using established rating scales (Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale, Dog Personality Questionnaire, Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating Scale), and explored relationships between these variables. No correlation was found between urinary neurotransmitters and the assessed behavior profiles; however, age-, sex- and neuter-related influences were identified. The lack of correlation could be explained by the many confounding factors influencing both behavior and urinary neurotransmitter excretion, including age, sex and neuter status effects, and methodological issues e.g., low discriminatory power between anxiety and aggression in the descriptive behavior evaluation. Urinary neurotransmitter testing could not be validated as a tool for canine behavior evaluation in this study. However, reliable assessment methods with low susceptibility to human biases could be valuable in the future to support behavioral-phenotype diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Schmidt
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steven Roger Talbot
- Hannover Medical School, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rowena Mary Anne Packer
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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Wieser M, Beckmann KM, Kutter APN, Mauri N, Richter H, Zölch N, Bektas RN. Ketamine administration in idiopathic epileptic and healthy control dogs: Can we detect differences in brain metabolite response with spectroscopy? Front Vet Sci 2023; 9:1093267. [PMID: 36686158 PMCID: PMC9853535 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1093267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In recent years ketamine has increasingly become the focus of multimodal emergency management for epileptic seizures. However, little is known about the effect of ketamine on brain metabolites in epileptic patients. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive technique to estimate brain metabolites in vivo. Our aim was to measure the effect of ketamine on thalamic metabolites in idiopathic epileptic (IE) dogs using 3 Tesla MRS. We hypothesized that ketamine would increase the glutamine-glutamate (GLX)/creatine ratio in epileptic dogs with and without antiseizure drug treatment, but not in control dogs. Furthermore, we hypothesized that no different responses after ketamine administration in other measured brain metabolite ratios between the different groups would be detected. Methods In this controlled prospective experimental trial IE dogs with or without antiseizure drug treatment and healthy client-owned relatives of the breeds Border Collie and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, were included. After sedation with butorphanol, induction with propofol and maintenance with sevoflurane in oxygen and air, a single voxel MRS at the level of the thalamus was performed before and 2 min after intravenous administration of 1 mg/kg ketamine. An automated data processing spectral fitting linear combination model algorithm was used to estimate all commonly measured metabolite ratios. A mixed ANOVA with the independent variables ketamine administration and group allocation was performed for all measured metabolites. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Twelve healthy control dogs, 10 untreated IE and 12 treated IE dogs were included. No significant effects for GLX/creatine were found. However, increased glucose/creatine ratios were found (p < 0.001) with no effect of group allocation. Furthermore, increases in the GABA/creatine ratio were found in IEU dogs. Discussion MRS was able to detect changes in metabolite/creatine ratios after intravenous administration of 1 mg/kg ketamine in dogs and no evidence was found that excitatory effects are induced in the thalamus. Although it is beyond the scope of this study to investigate the antiseizure potential of ketamine in dogs, results of this research suggest that the effect of ketamine on the brain metabolites could be dependent on the concentrations of brain metabolites before administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Wieser
- Section of Anesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,*Correspondence: Manuela Wieser ✉
| | | | - Annette P. N. Kutter
- Section of Anesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nico Mauri
- Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Vetimage Diagnostik AG, Oberentfelden, Switzerland
| | - Henning Richter
- Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Niklaus Zölch
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rima Nadine Bektas
- Section of Anesthesiology, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Berk BA, Ottka C, Hong Law T, Packer RMA, Wessmann A, Bathen-Nöthen A, Jokinen TS, Knebel A, Tipold A, Lohi H, Volk HA. Metabolic fingerprinting of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy receiving a ketogenic medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:935430. [PMID: 36277072 PMCID: PMC9584307 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.935430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Consumption of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) has been shown to improve seizure control, reduce behavioural comorbidities and improve cognitive function in epileptic dogs. However, the exact metabolic pathways affected by dietary MCT remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify changes in the metabolome and neurotransmitters levels relevant to epilepsy and behavioural comorbidities associated with the consuming of an MCT supplement (MCT-DS) in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE). Metabolic alterations induced by a commercial MCT-DS in a population of 28 dogs with IE were evaluated in a 6-month multi-centre, prospective, randomised, double-blinded, controlled cross-over trial design. A metabolic energy requirement-based amount of 9% MCT or control oil was supplemented to the dogs' stable base diet for 3 months, followed by the alternative oil for another 3 months. A validated, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy platform was applied to pre- and postprandially collected serum samples to compare the metabolic profile between both DS and baseline. Furthermore, alterations in urinary neurotransmitter levels were explored. Five dogs (30%) had an overall reduction in seizure frequency of ≥50%, and were classified as MCT-responders, while 23 dogs showed a ≤50% reduction, and were defined as MCT non-responders. Amino-acid metabolism was significantly influenced by MCT consumption compared to the control oil. While the serum concentrations of total fatty acids appeared similar during both supplements, the relative concentrations of individual fatty acids differed. During MCT supplementation, the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids and arachidonic acid were significantly higher than under the control oil. β-Hydroxybutyric acid levels were significantly higher under MCT supplementation. In total, four out of nine neurotransmitters were significantly altered: a significantly increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration was detected during the MCT-phase accompanied by a significant shift of the GABA-glutamate balance. MCT-Responders had significantly lowered urinary concentrations of histamine, glutamate, and serotonin under MCT consumption. In conclusion, these novel data highlight metabolic changes in lipid, amino-acid and ketone metabolism due to MCT supplementation. Understanding the metabolic response to MCT provides new avenues to develop better nutritional management with improved anti-seizure and neuroprotective effects for dogs with epilepsy, and other behavioural disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Andreas Berk
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom,BrainCheck.Pet, Tierärztliche Praxis für Epilepsie, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Claudia Ottka
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,PetBiomics Ltd., Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tsz Hong Law
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Rowena Mary Anne Packer
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Annette Wessmann
- Pride Veterinary Centre, Neurology/Neurosurgery Service, Derby, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tarja Susanna Jokinen
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Knebel
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Tipold
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hannes Lohi
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,PetBiomics Ltd., Helsinki, Finland
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom,Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany,*Correspondence: Holger Andreas Volk
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