Non-blinded treatment of aural -hematoma with oral prednisolone as a monotherapy in privately-owned dogs

INTRODUCTION

Aural hematoma is the most common injury of the pinna in dogs. Treatment options are various. More recently, medical therapy has been more commonly pursued than surgical options. Therefore, our hypothesis was that monotherapy with oral prednisolone for one month is sufficient to successfully treat dogs diagnosed with aural hematoma. In this open prospective experimental study without control group, clinicians treated 24 privately-owned dogs suffering from aural hematoma with oral prednisolone at 1 mg / kg / day for 14 days, followed by 0,5 mg / kg / day for another 14 days. In case of strong side effects, the dose reduction was already initiated after 7 days of treatment. The success was assessed subjectively after 14 days by the owner and after 28 days by a clinician or specialist. In addition, before and after treatment the thickness of the swelling was measured. In 21 of 24 dogs, oral prednisolone treatment for 28 days lead to a subjective clinical improvement of at least 80 %. The ear thickness was reduced by at least 50 %. This study showed that treating dogs suffering from aural hematoma for four weeks with oral prednisolone used as a monotherapy leads to promising results and could be considered as an economical, non-invasive and safe treatment alternative for aural hematoma in dogs.

Familiäres Auftreten der Dermatomyositis bei Working Kelpies

Acht eng verwandte Mitglieder einer Linie von Working Kelpies zeigten Symptome einer Dermatomyositis in Form von Alopezie, Krusten, Ulzerationen der Haut, Depigmentation von Nasenspiegel und Lefzen, Onychodystrophie und Muskelatrophie, vor allem der Kaumuskeln. Die Symptome waren bei den betroffenen Tieren unterschiedlich stark oder nur teilweise ausgeprägt. Die klinische Diagnose wurde bei drei Hunden durch histologische Untersuchung von Hautbioptaten, nicht jedoch Muskelbioptaten bestätigt. Therapeutisch kamen verschiedene immunmodulatorische Medikamente (Steroide, Ciclosporin, Mycophenolat-Mofetil, Pentoxifyllin, Doxycylin/Niacinamid, Omega-3-Fettsäuren, Vitamin E) mit unterschiedlichem Erfolg zum Einsatz. Bei der Dermatomyositis handelt es sich um eine immunvermittelte Erkrankung mit genetischem Hintergrund bei Mensch und Hund. Die verantwortlichen Gene sind weitgehend unbekannt. Für die Hunderassen Collie und Shetland Sheepdog besteht eine Prädisposition. Zudem wird eine familiäre Häufung beim Beauceron beschrieben. Da die Rasse Working Kelpie im 19. Jahrhundert aus schottischen Hunden des Collie-Typs entstanden ist, wäre eine genetische Prädisposition für die Dermatomyositis erklärbar.

[Swiss warmblood horse with symptoms of hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia without mutation in the cyclophylin B gene (PPIB)]

Hereditary equine dermal asthenia (HERDA) is an autosomal recessive skin disease that affects predominantly Quarter Horses and related breeds. Typical symptoms are easy bruising and hyperextensible skin on the back. The prognosis is guarded, as affected horses cannot be ridden normally and are often euthanised. In the Quarter Horse, HERDA is associated with a mutation in cyclophilin B (PPIB), an enzyme involved in triple helix formation of collagen. Here we describe the case of a Swiss Warmblood filly with symptoms of HERDA without PPIB-mutation and in which we also could exclude Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Type IV, VI, VIIA, VIIB and VIIC (dermatosparaxis type) as etiological diseases.

Scleromyxedema-like Syndrome With Systemic Involvement in a Cat

Scleromyxedema—the generalized form of lichen myxedematosus, a primary mucinosis—is a rare disease in human patients. It is characterized by dermal mucin deposits, increased numbers of fibroblasts, and variable fibrosis in the absence of thyroid disease. It is accompanied in 80% of cases by a monoclonal gammopathy. To date, scleromyxedema with systemic involvement has not been documented in domestic animals. This is the first report of a scleromyxedema-like syndrome in a cat, which had a substantial deposition of mucin in the dermis of the head and paws with a mild gammaglobulinemia of 2.25 g/dl (reference range, 1.39–2.22 g/dl). At necropsy, multiple nodules of connective tissue intermingled with mucin deposits were conspicuous on the surface of thoracic and abdominal organs. Such severe systemic accumulations of mucin have not been reported in human or veterinary medicine.

A prospective study on canine atopic dermatitis and food-induced allergic dermatitis in Switzerland

Canine atopic dermatitis sensu stricto and food-induced allergic dermatitis are common canine skin conditions, which are often considered clinically undistinguishable. Several attempts have been made to describe populations of atopic dogs and determine breed predisposition but the results were often biased by the use of hospital populations as control group. The present study aims to describe a population of Swiss atopic and food-allergic dogs and to compare it with a data set representing more than 85% of all Swiss dogs. The study, which was carried out during 1 year in several practices and teaching hospital in Switzerland, describes a group of 259 allergic dogs, determines breed predisposition for atopic dermatitis and food-induced allergic dermatitis, compares the clinical signs and features of both conditions, and outlines the clinical picture of five frequently affected breeds.

Dermatologie bei Neuweltkameliden

Hauterkrankungen machen einen großen Teil der Krankheiten bei Neuweltkameliden aus. Der vorliegende zweite Teil der Arbeit gibt eine Übersicht über die häufigsten dermatologischen Erkrankungen und präsentiert die aktuellen Behandlungsschemata in praxisgerechter Form. Die Diagnosestellung, Prognose und Therapie werden bei den häufig vorkommenden Fällen von Alopezie, Schuppen- und Krustenbildung im Detail vorgestellt. Differenzialdiagnostisch kommen ein Milbenbefall, eine zinkabhängige Dermatose und idiopathische Hyperkeratose infrage.

Mutations within the FGF5 gene are associated with hair length in cats

Hereditary hair length variability in mice and dogs is caused by mutations within the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) gene. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feline FGF5 orthologue as a functional candidate gene for the long hair phenotype in cats, which is recessive to short hair. We amplified the feline FGF5 cDNA and characterised two alternatively spliced transcripts by RT-PCR. Comparative cDNA and genomic DNA sequencing of long- and short-haired cats revealed four non-synonymous polymorphisms in the FGF5 coding sequence. A missense mutation (AM412646:c.194C>A) was found in the homozygous state in 25 long-haired Somali, Persian, Maine Coon, Ragdoll and crossbred cats. Fifty-five short-haired cats had zero or one copy of this allele. Additionally, we found perfect co-segregation of the c.194C>A mutation within two independent pedigrees segregating for hair length. A second FGF5 exon 1 missense mutation (AM412646:c.182T>A) was found exclusively in long-haired Norwegian Forest cats. The c.182T>A mutation probably represents a second FGF5 mutation responsible for long hair in cats. In addition to the c.194C>A mutation, a frameshift mutation (AM412646:c.474delT) was found with a high frequency in the long-haired Maine Coon breed. Finally, a missense mutation (AM412646:c.475A>C) was also associated with the long-haired phenotype in some breeds. However, as one short-haired cat was homozygous for this polymorphism, it is unlikely that it has a functional role in the determination of hair length.

[Inherited alopecia X in Pomeranians]

Four male Pomeranians that showed alopecia with an age of onset between five months and eight years were investigated. The aim of the investigation was to clarify whether the affected dogs had alopecia X and whether their symptoms might be due to a hereditary defect. The four affected dogs showed hairless patches at the root of the tail, at the back, at the limbs from the thigh to the tarsus and at the abdomen. Within the hairless patches some islets with sparse hair were present. In hairless patches the skin was dark pigmented. Besides the alopecia and hyperpigmentation no other symptoms were found according to anamnestic and clinical examination. History, clinical examinations, laboratory diagnostics, and histopathology of skin biopsies allowed the diagnosis of alopecia X in three affected male dogs. The last one of the affected dogs additionally had slightly reduced thyroid hormone levels. Based on identical symptoms and the close relatedness of all four animals, it was assumed that the fourth affected dog also had alopecia X. The available data possibly indicate a monogenic autosomal dominant inheritance, however a recessive inheritance can not be excluded at this time.

Pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of cyclosporine treatment of dogs with steroid-refractory inflammatory bowel disease

The usual treatment of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of administration of immunosuppressive doses of steroids. However, some dogs are refractory to steroid treatment and pose a significant challenge to the veterinarian. Because cyclosporine A (cyA) has been shown to be effective in steroid-resistant IBD in humans, the purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of PO cyA treatment in dogs with steroid-refractory IBD (n = 14). All dogs were treated with cyA 5 mg/kg PO q24h for a period of 10 weeks. A clinical activity score was assigned to assess severity of clinical signs before and after treatment. The total number of infiltrating lymphocytes and T cells in duodenal biopsies were assessed before and after treatment in 9 dogs. In addition, serum concentration of cyA was measured in 8 dogs over a 24-hour period. Pharmacokinetic profiles in dogs with IBD were similar to those of healthy dogs. Improvement of clinical signs was observed in 12 of 14 dogs with IBD. Median clinical activity score after treatment with cyA was significantly reduced from a median score of 9 to a median score of 5 (P = 0.001). T cell numbers in duodenal biopsies were significantly decreased after treatment from a median +/- 95% range in the villous region of 28 (19-30) cells/10,000 microm2 before versus 7 (0-10)/10,000 microm2 after treatment, P = 0.01; and from a median +/- 95% range number in the crypt region of 15 (6-23) cells/10,000 microm2 before versus 4 (0-9)/10,000 microm2 after treatment, P = 0.02, implying T cell lysis as a possible mechanism of action. In conclusion, based on this small study, cyA appears to be an effective alternative drug in dogs with IBD that are refractory to immunosuppressive doses of steroids.

Two cases of feline leishmaniosis in Switzerland

Two cats with Leishmania species infections were investigated. The first had been imported from Spain with a non-healing, ulcerated nodule on a hindleg. The presence of Leishmania species was detected by histopathology and pcr on samples of skin. The lesion was unresponsive to treatment with allopurinol for three months but the cat was treated successfully by removing the lesion surgically. The second cat had lived in both Spain and Switzerland, and had a history of recurrent skin lesions on its head and neck. A diagnosis of pemphigus foliaceus was made on the basis of histopathology, but Leishmania species serology (elisa) and pcr of skin were positive, leading to a diagnosis of a Leishmania species infection combined with pemphigus foliaceus.