Herd-level true seroprevalence of caseous lymphadenitis and paratuberculosis in the goat population of Poland.

A large-scale study was carried out in the Polish goat population in 2014-2021 to determine the herd-level true seroprevalence (HTP) of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Cp) and paratuberculosis (PTB) caused by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (Map). Two-stage cluster sampling was applied to herds counting at least 20 adult goats (aged >1 year) and in each herd all males and 10-13 females were tested. At least one seropositive goat regardless of its sex was necessary to consider the herd as infected. HTP was estimated using the Bayesian approach with the Gibbs sampler in the EpiTools and reported as the median and 95 % credibility interval (95 % CrI). A total of 1282 adult goats from 86 herds were serologically tested using two commercial ELISAs (Cp-ELISA and Map-ELISA). At least 1 seropositive result of Cp-ELISA and Map-ELISA was obtained in 73/86 herds (84.9 %) and 40/86 herds (46.5 %), respectively. HTP of CLA was estimated at 73.3 % (95 % CrI: 65.0 %, 80.4 %) and HTP of PTB was estimated at 42.9 % (95 % CrI: 25.8 %, 58.0 %). There was a significant positive association between the occurrence of CLA and PTB in the herds (odds ratio 6.0, 95 % confidence interval: 1.2, 28.8; p = 0.010). Probability of the seropositive result for PTB was also significantly higher in Cp-seropositive goats than in Cp-seronegative goats (odds ratio 3.9, 95 % confidence interval: 2.4, 6.3; p < 0.001) which could indicate either a higher risk of co-infection or a higher rate of false positive results for PTB in Cp-positive goats. To investigate this issue, optical densities obtained in Map-ELISA were compared between Cp-positive and Cp-negative goats and results of Map-ELISA were adjusted accordingly. Map-negative sera from Cp-positive goats turned out to have significantly higher optical densities than Map-negative sera from Cp-negative goats (p < 0.001). After the adjustment, the herd-level apparent seroprevalence of PTB was 41.9 % (36/86 herds) so it still fell within the 95 % CrI of HTP of PTB calculated before the adjustment. Concluding, CLA appears to be widespread in the Polish goat population. In many of them it may be subclinical at the moment, however will likely emerge in the future as the disease follows cyclic pattern in Poland. On the other hand, given the total lack of clinical PTB in Polish goats, an explanation for a high HTP of PTB remains unclear and warrants further studies using tests of higher analytical specificity than ELISA.

Natural Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5N1 Virus in Pet Ferrets.

The study involved five ferrets from one household in Poland, comprising three sick 9-week-old juveniles, their healthy mother, and another clinically normal adult, admitted to the veterinary clinic in June 2023. The juvenile ferrets displayed significant lethargy and a pronounced unwillingness to move with accompanying pulmonary distress. Prompted by concurrent outbreaks of A/H5N1 influenza virus infections in Polish cats, point-of-care tests were conducted that revealed type A influenza antigens in the throat swabs of all five ferrets. Despite treatment, one juvenile ferret exhibited dyspnea and neurological symptoms and eventually died. The two remaining ferrets recovered fully, including one severely affected showing persistent dyspnea and incoordination without fever that recovered after 11 days of treatment. In the RT-qPCR, the throat swabs collected from all surviving ferrets as well as the samples of lungs, trachea, heart, brain, pancreas, liver, and intestine of the succumbed ferret were found positive for A/H5N1 virus RNA. To our best knowledge, this is the first documented natural A/H5N1 avian influenza in domestic ferrets kept as pets. In addition, this outbreak suggests the possibility of asymptomatic A/H5N1 virus shedding by ferrets, highlighting their zoonotic potential and the advisability of excluding fresh or frozen poultry from their diet to reduce the A/H5N1 virus transmission risks.

Hydrops fetalis caused by a complex congenital heart defect with concurrent hypoplasia of pulmonary blood vessels and lungs visualized by micro-CT in a French Bulldog.

BACKGROUND: Hydrops fetalis (HF) is fluid accumulation in fetus body cavities and subcutaneous tissue. The condition has been described in various farm and companion animal species, including dogs. Most of cases result from a heart defect. Exact nature of this defect is rarely clarified. CASE PRESENTATION: A newborn, male French bulldog puppy with severe HF underwent a full anatomopathological examination to diagnose the primary cause of HF. Based on the anatomopathological examination, fetal ultrasound, and micro-computed tomography, transposition of the great arteries with hypoplasia of the ascending aorta, aortic arch interruption, ostium secundum atrial septal defect, severe tricuspid valve dysplasia, as well as hypoplasia of pulmonary vessels and lungs were diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of HF caused by severe, complex congenital heart defects with concurrent pulmonary vessel and lung hypoplasia.

Upper Respiratory Tract Disease in a Dog Infected by a Highly Pathogenic Avian A/H5N1 Virus.

In summer 2023, during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in cats in Poland, a 16-year-old dog was presented to the veterinary clinic with persistent, debilitating, dry cough, submandibular lymphadenomegaly, mild serous nasal discharge, and left apical heart murmur. A preliminary diagnosis of kennel cough was made and the treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and dexamethasone was initiated. Due to the lack of improvement within 2 days, a blood check-up, thoracic radiography and ultrasonography, and echocardiography were performed. Moreover, a rapid test for orthomyxovirus type A antigen in a throat swab was carried out and proved positive. The result was verified using RT-qPCR, which yielded a positive result for A/H5N1 influenza virus and negative results for A/H1N1, A/H3N2, type B influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. This case indicates that HPAI should be considered as a differential diagnosis not only in cats, but also in dogs with upper respiratory tract disease, particularly in regions experiencing A/H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks.

Morphometry of the heart orifices and morphometry and topography of the coronary ostia in the goat.

BACKGROUND: The coronary vessels have been described in various species of domestic and wild ruminants. However, no studies on the detailed morphology and morphometry of heart orifices and coronary ostia in the Polish goat are available. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 112 female, adult dairy goats belonging to Polish Fawn Improved and Polish White Improved breed, closely related to French Alpine and Saanen, respectively. RESULTS: In all examined individuals, all heart orifices and heart valves were of normal structure. There was no significant difference between diameter of the aortic and pulmonary orifice. The right atrioventricular opening was significantly wider than the left atrioventricular opening. The dimension of the left coronary ostium ranged from 1.0 to 5.5 mm with the arithmetic mean (± standard deviation [SD]) of 4.3 ± 0.8 mm. The dimension of the right coronary ostium ranged from 0.5 to 5.0 mm with the arithmetic mean (± SD) of 2.8 ± 0.7 mm. Both coronary artery ostia were located under the sinotubular junction. Out of 112 examined goats, 39 (34.8%) had variations in the structure of the coronary ostia such as the lack of main trunk or the presence of additional coronary ostia. They were observed in one (in 34/39 goats) or both coronary arteries (5/39 goats). CONCLUSIONS: In goats, the dimensions of aortic and pulmonary orifices are similar while the right atrioventricular opening outsizes the left one. On the other hand, the left coronary ostium is wider than the right one. Morphological variations in the coronary ostia occur in approximately one third of goats, more often in the right than in the left ostium.

Metabolomic analysis indicated changes in triacylglycerols' levels as a result of training in Whippet dogs.

Regular physical effort produces metabolic changes manifested as adaptation to exercise and increasing performance. In humans these changes have been characterized at metabolome level as depending on the discipline. However, all sports involve some level of changes in protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Recently, also performance horses have been subjected to metabolic analyses, but similar studies were lacking in sports dogs. In this study we performed the metabolomic analysis in plasma of Whippet dogs regularly trained and competing in coursing events, and untrained dogs of the same breed, fed with the same diet. We have also compared the hematological and blood biochemical results in these two groups of dogs. Basic blood tests indicated that enzymes related to lipid metabolism (lipase and gamma-glutamyltransferase) differed considerably between the groups. Metabolomic analysis of plasma confirmed the metabolic shift expressed as the differences in triacylglycerols levels between training and non-training dogs, aimed at improving the use of fatty acids as a source of energy during exertion. Surprisingly, other classes of metabolites were only hardly changed when comparing training and non-training Whippets.

A Fatal A/H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus Infection in a Cat in Poland.

A European Shorthair male cat, neutered, approximately 6 years of age, was presented to the veterinary clinic due to apathy and anorexia. The cat lived mostly outdoors and was fed raw chicken meat. After 3 days of diagnostic procedures and symptomatic treatment, respiratory distress and neurological signs developed and progressed into epileptic seizures, followed by respiratory and cardiac arrest within the next 3 days. Post-mortem examination revealed necrotic lesions in the liver, lungs, and intestines. Notably, the brain displayed perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes and histiocytes. Few foci of neuronal necrosis in the brain were also confirmed. Microscopic examination of the remaining internal organs was unremarkable. The A/H5N1 virus infection was confirmed using a one-step real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The disease caused severe neurological and respiratory signs, evidence of consolidations and the presence of numerous B lines, which were detected on lung ultrasound examination; the postmortem findings and detection of A/H5N1 viral RNA in multiple tissues indicated a generalized A/H5N1 virus infection. Moreover, a multidrug-resistant strain of Enterococcus faecium was isolated in pure culture from several internal organs. The source of infection could be exposure to infected birds or their excrements, as well as contaminated raw poultry meat but, in this case, the source of infection could not be identified.

A primary multiple pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart in an adult dog.

BACKGROUND: Heart tumors are rare in dogs. They can be benign or malignant. Clinical signs depend primarily on the location of the tumor and its effect on blood flow. CASE PRESENTATION: An eleven-year-old crossbreed male dog lethargic and anorectic for previous 3 days was presented to the veterinary clinic. The focused ultrasound assessment with sonograms in trauma (FAST) revealed multiple tumors in the heart which were then confirmed in echocardiographic examination performed by a veterinary cardiologist. Due to the poor general condition and grave prognosis, the dog was humanely euthanized. The autopsy revealed numerous intracardiac tumors in all four heart chambers. No proliferative changes were found in other organs either in thoracic or abdominal cavity. Immunohistochemical examination was performed using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from heart masses. The antibodies against myoglobin, desmin, smooth muscle actin, vimentin, CD34, S100, and pan-cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) were used. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of fascicles of spindle-shaped cells with pale eosinophilic cytoplasm with round, oval, and focally elongated nuclei and one or two prominent nucleoli. The tumor cells showed strong diffuse cytoplasmic immunopositivity for myoglobin and vimentin and focal staining for desmin. Immunostainings for smooth muscle actin-SMA, CD34, pan-cytokeratin, S-100 protein were negative. The immunohistochemical staining pattern confirmed rhabdomyosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of the primary multiple heart rhabdomyosarcoma in a dog.

Exercise-induced Haematological and Blood Lactate Changes in Whippets Training for Lure Coursing.

Introduction: Whippets are traditionally trained to compete in lure coursing. While in humans and horses, training is routinely monitored by special tests, this is not carried out in the training of whippets. The aim of this study was to check if laboratory tests designed for racehorses could be useful in monitoring whippets training for lure coursing. Material and Methods: Blood samples were taken from 14 whippets at several time points: before exercise (including warm-up), immediately after, 15 min after and 30 min after exercise sessions of straight 400 m runs (T) and coursing (C). Routine haematological values and lactate concentrations (LA) were measured. Results: White blood cell count, red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit increased significantly in both types of exertion, and no differences between the types were observed. The LA measured immediately after the run were increased, but there was no significant difference between the types of session (T and C). After both types of activity, LA decreased within 30 min post run by 9-11 mmol/L. Lactate concentrations were significantly higher 30 min after the T sessions than after the C sessions. Conclusion: The results confirmed that typical exercise-induced changes occurred in whippets training for lure coursing; however, the scale of changes was different to that in horses. The sampling scheme used in racehorses can be applied to whippets and can be useful as a laboratory tool for monitoring their training.

A large-scale study on the seroprevalence of small ruminant lentiviral infection in the Polish goat population.

A large-scale study was carried out in a Polish goat population in 2014-2022 to determine the herd-level (between-herd) and within-herd seroprevalence of small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection. A total of 8354 adult goats (aged >1 year) from 165 herds located in various regions of Poland were serologically tested using a commercial ELISA. One hundred twenty eight herds were randomly selected while 37 were enrolled based on convenience non-random sampling. At least 1 seropositive result was obtained in 103 / 165 herds. For all these herds the probability that they were truly positive (herd-level positive predictive value) was calculated. It was ≥ 90% in 91 seropositive herds and 73% to < 90% in 12 herds in which only 1-4 goats were seropositive (22 goats in total). The seropositive goats in the latter herds were retested using a different commercial ELISA and 14 goats (9 males and 5 females) from 9 herds were confirmed to be seropositive (serial testing). The true herd-level seroprevalence was estimated at 61% (95% confidence interval [CI 95%]: 53%-68%). It differed significantly between herd size classes (p = 0.003): the highest prevalences were found in the medium (51 - 100 adult goats) and large herds (>100 adult goats) - 72% (CI 95%: 56-84%) and 86% (CI 95%: 67%-95%), respectively, while prevalences in very small (≤ 20 adult goats) and small herds (21 - 50 adult goats) were 46% (CI 95%: 34%-59%) and 57% (CI 95%: 43%-70%), respectively. The true herd-level seroprevalence differed significantly also between geographical regions of Poland (p = 0.003), with the highest values in the north-western and the lowest in the southern region of the country. The true within-herd seroprevalence estimated using a Bayesian approach ranged from 0.7% to 100% with the median (IQR) of 42% (17%-84%), and did not vary significantly between herd size classes (p = 0.393) or geographical regions of Poland (p = 0.570). Concluding, SRLV infection is widespread in the Polish goat population, the north-western region of Poland is most extensively infected, and herds counting > 50 adult goats are more often infected.

Serological testing of an equal-volume milk sample - a new method to estimate the seroprevalence of small ruminant lentivirus infection?

BACKGROUND: In cattle attempts to evaluate within-herd prevalence of various infectious and parasitic diseases by bulk-tank milk (BTM) testing with ELISA have been made with moderate success. The fact that BTM is composed of variable and unknown volumes of milk from individual lactating animals weakens the relationship between numerical result of the ELISA and the within-herd prevalence. We carried out a laboratory experimental study to evaluate if a pooled milk sample created by mixing an equal volume of individual milk samples from seropositive and seronegative goats, henceforth referred to as an equal-volume milk sample (EVMS), would allow for accurate estimation of within-herd seroprevalence of caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) using 3 different commercial ELISAs. By mixing randomly selected milk samples from seronegative and seropositive goats, 193 EVMS were created - 93 made of seronegative samples and 100 with the proportion of seropositive individual milk samples (EVMS%POS) ranging from 1 to 100%. EVMS%POS could be considered as a proxy for the within-herd seroprevalence. Then, OD of EVMS (ODEVMS) of the 193 EVMS was measured using 3 commercial ELISAs for CAE - 2 indirect and 1 competitive. RESULTS: The cut-off values of ODEVMS indicating SRLV infection were determined. The regression functions were developed to link ODEVMS with EVMS%POS. A significant monotonic relationship between ODEVMS measured with 2 commercial indirect ELISAs and EVMS%POS was identified. Two regression models developed on this basis described approximately 90% of variability and allowed to estimate EVMS%POS, when it was below 50%. High ODEVMS indicated EVMS%POS of > 50%. CONCLUSION: Our study introduces the concept of serological testing of EVMS as a method of detecting SRLV-infected herds and estimating the proportion of strongly seropositive goats. Further field studies are warranted to assess practical benefits of EVMS serological testing.

The Prevalence of Histopathological Features of Pneumonia in Goats with Symptomatic Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis.

Chronic interstitial pneumonia (CIP) is a main pathology of sheep infected with small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV). Caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) is caused by the same pathogen; however, the presence of CIP has been only occasionally reported in SRLV-infected goats. We carried out a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of histopathological lesions indicative of CIP in goats with symptomatic CAE, and to investigate whether CIP was associated with a higher prevalence of other types of pneumonia (purulent bronchopneumonia, fibrinous pleuropneumonia) or bacterial infections. Lung specimens and bronchial swabs were collected for histopathological and bacteriological examination, respectively, from 116 goats from a CAE-affected herd. All goats were euthanized due to severe clinical signs of CAE. The goats were seropositive for SRLV infection in two different ELISAs and the presence of SRLV antigen in the lung tissue was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Histopathologically, pneumonia of any type was confirmed in 82 goats (70.7%) and CIP was present in 67 goats (57.8%). In most goats, the severity of the histopathological features of pneumonia was mild. Bacteria were detected in bronchial swabs from 73 goats (62.9%). CIP proved to be significantly positively linked to the occurrence of purulent bronchopneumonia (p < 0.001), fibrinous pleuropneumonia (p = 0.001), and of the infection of lungs with bacteria capable of causing pneumonia (p = 0.050). The causal character of these associations should be considered and warrants further investigation.

Integrated Basic Heart and Lung Ultrasound Examination for the Differentiation between Bacterial Pneumonia and Lung Neoplasm in Dogs-A New Diagnostic Algorithm.

The diagnostics of two of the most prevalent lung diseases in dogs, bacterial pneumonia (BP) and lung neoplasm (LN), are challenging as their clinical signs are identical and may also occur in extrapulmonary diseases. This study aims to identify ultrasonographic criteria and develop a lung ultrasound (LUS)-based diagnostic algorithm which could help distinguish between these two conditions. The study is carried out in 66 dyspneic dogs in which a heart disease was excluded using echocardiography. Based on imaging and laboratory diagnostic tests, as well as follow-up, the dogs are classified into LN (35 dogs) and BP (31 dogs) groups. LUS is performed at admission and the presence of seven lung abnormalities (pleural thickening, B-lines, subpleural consolidations, hepatization with or without aeration, nodule sign and mass classified together as a tumor, and free pleural fluid) and classification and regression trees are used to develop an LUS-based diagnostic algorithm. Distribution of all LUS abnormalities except for aerations differs significantly between groups; however, their individual differentiating potential is rather low. Therefore, we combine them in an algorithm which allows for definitive classification of 60 dogs (91%) (32 with LN and 28 with BP) with correct diagnosis of LN and BP in 31 dogs and 27 dogs, respectively.

Accuracy of acute-phase proteins in identifying lethargic and anorectic cats with increased serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity.

The mainstay of laboratory diagnostics of feline pancreatitis (FP) is measuring serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI). Thus far, several studies have investigated the relationship between acute-phase proteins (APPs) and the presence and severity of FP. Although changes in serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration have been linked with FP, its diagnostic accuracy remains unknown. We aimed to determine the accuracy of selected APPs in identifying cats with a high risk of FP based on increased fPLI. Serum fPLI was measured in cats (n = 52) that were presented to veterinary clinics with signs of lethargy and anorexia. The cats were divided into two groups (fPLI ≤3.5 µg/L; n = 27 and fPLI >3.5 µg/L, n = 25), corresponding to low and high risks of FP. Serum albumin, globulin, haptoglobin (Hp), and SAA concentrations, as well as the albumin-to-globulin ratio (A/G) and SAA-to-albumin (SAA/A) ratios, were determined and compared between groups. The accuracy of these measurements was examined using a multivariable logistic regression model and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. SAA concentrations and SAA/A ratios were significantly (P = .026 and P = .022) higher in cats with increased fPLI, with the area under ROC curve (AUROC) of 68.1% (CI 95%: 53.4%, 82.9%) and 68.6% (CI 95%: 54.0%, 83.2%), respectively. The logistic regression model combining SAA and A/G had AUROC of 75.2% (CI 95%: 62.0%, 88.4%) for identifying cats with increased fPLI. SAA as a sole analyte or combined with A/G had low to moderate accuracy in identifying anorexic, lethargic cats with increased fPLI. Serum albumin, globulin, and Hp concentrations had no discriminatory potential in these cats.

Correlation between metabolomic profile constituents and feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity.

BACKGROUND: Feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) is commonly used to diagnose pancreatitis in cats (FP). Untargeted metabolomics has been extensively applied in human and veterinary medicine, but no metabolomic studies regarding FP have been conducted. OBJECTIVES: To identify metabolites significantly associated with increased fPLI. ANIMALS: Forty-nine client-owned cats: 11 clinically healthy and 38 with various clinical conditions. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study with convenience sampling. A panel of 630 metabolites belonging to 26 biochemical classes was quantified in plasma using a commercial metabolomic assay. The correlation between plasma metabolite concentrations and serum fPLI was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (Rs ) with Bonferroni correction. Multivariable analysis then was performed to control for glomerular filtration rate, liver damage, and blood glucose concentration. The accuracy of selected metabolites in discriminating between cats with normal (≤3.5 µg/L) and increased (>5.3 µg/L) fPLI was estimated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). RESULTS: Four hundred and seven of 630 metabolites (64.6%) were quantified in all cats. When controlled for potential confounders only 3 sphingolipids were significantly positively correlated with fPLI: 2 cerebrosides: HexCer(d18:1/24:0); (Rs  = .56), and HexCer(d18:1/24:1); (Rs  = .58) and 1 sphingomyelin: SM C18:0 (Rs  = .55). Their AUROCs in identifying cats with increased fPLI were 82% (95% confidence interval [CI 95%], 70%-94%), 84% (CI 95%, 72%-96%), and 78% (CI 95%, 65%-92%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Selected sphingolipids are moderately positively correlated with fPLI and appear to have fair to moderate diagnostic accuracy in discriminating between cats with normal and increased fPLI.

Longitudinal Study on Seroreactivity of Goats Exposed to Colostrum and Milk of Small Ruminant Lentivirus-infected Dams.

Introduction: Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) causes caprine arthritis-encephalitis in goats and maedi-visna disease in sheep. Transmission is via ingestion of colostrum and milk from infected dams or long-term direct contact between animals. Lifelong seroconversion can occur several weeks after infection via ingestion. However, sub-yearling lambs that ingest contaminated colostrum may be able to clear the infection and become seronegative. Whether a similar phenomenon occurs in goats remains unknown. Therefore, the serological status of goats was studied longitudinally from the moment of natural exposure to colostrum and milk of SRLV-positive dams through the age of 24 months. Material and Methods: Between February 2014 and March 2017 a dairy goat herd was studied which had been infected with SRLV for more than 20 years and carried maedi-visna virus-like genotype A subtype A17. Thirty-one kids born to dams seropositive for SRLV for at least a year beforehand were followed. They ingested colostrum immediately after birth and then remained with their dams for three weeks. The goats were tested serologically every month using two commercial ELISAs. The clinical condition of the goats was also regularly assessed. Results: Out of 31 goats, 13 (42%) seroconverted at the age ranging from 3 to 22 months with a median of 5 months. Two goats seroconverted in the second year of life. The other eleven did so before the age of one year; two of these reverted to seronegative status. Only 9 out of 31 goats (29%) seroconverted in the first year of life and remained seropositive. They were early and stable seroreactors to which SRLV was transmitted lactogenically. The age at which they seroconverted ranged from 3 to 10 months with a median of 5 months. In 8 of the 18 persistently seronegative goats, a single isolated positive result occurred. No goats showed any clinical signs of arthritis. The level of maternal antibodies at the age of one week did not differ significantly between the stable seroreactors and the remainder. Conclusion: Seroconversion appears to occur in less than 50% of goats exposed to heterologous SRLV genotype A via ingestion of colostrum and milk from infected dams and is delayed by 3-10 months. The natural lactogenic route of transmission of SRLV genotype A in goats appears to be less effective than this route of genotype B transmission reported in earlier studies.

Application of a complete blood count to screening lethargic and anorectic cats for pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Feline pancreatitis (FP) is an important health problem of cats. Its diagnostics is based on the combination of quantification of serum pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) and abdominal ultrasonography (AUS). These modalities allow for establishing highly specific diagnosis, however they are relatively expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, a screening test of high sensitivity which would allow to rule out FP on the first visit without a considerable increase of costs would be clinically useful. To evaluate accuracy of nonspecific inflammatory biomarkers based on complete blood count (CBC) in diagnosing FP 73 client-owned cats with signs of lethargy and reduced appetite lasting for at least 2 days before presentation were enrolled in the cross-sectional study. They were examined with fPLI assay and AUS and classified as cats with very low risk of FP when fPLI ≤3.5 µg/L and AUS negative for FP, or as cats with increased risk of FP in the case of any other combination of results. Then, 7 various CBC measurements were measured in each cat and linked to the risk of FP using the multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Five CBC measurements turned out to be significantly associated with the risk of FP - total leukocyte count (WBC; crude odds ratio(ORcrude) = 12.2; CI 95%: 1.52, 98.5), total neutrophil count (ORcrude = 5.84; CI 95%: 1.22, 27.9), band neutrophil count (BNC; ORcrude = 6.67; CI 95%: 1.98, 22.4), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ORcrude = 3.68; CI 95%: 1.25, 10.9), and eosinophil count (EC; ORcrude = 0.34; CI 95%: 0.12, 0.96). The model based on WBC, BNC, and EC proved to have at least fair diagnostic potential (area under ROC curve 82.7%; CI 95%: 72.8%, 92.5%). When WBC <  18 G/L, BNC <  0.27 G/L, and EC >  0.3 G/L was considered as a negative result, and any other combination as the positive result, the CBC model had high sensitivity (91.8%; CI 95%: 80.8%, 96.8%) at a relatively low specificity (58.3%; CI 95%: 38.8%, 75.5%). CONCLUSION: The combination of three CBC measurements is an immediately available and fairly accurate screening method for identification of lethargic and anorectic cats with increased risk of FP.

Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Examination as a Tool for Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis and Myocarditis in Dogs and Cats.

Symptoms of infective endocarditis (IE) and myocarditis are usually nonspecific and include fever, apathy, and loss of appetite. This condition can lead to severe heart failure with ascites or/and fluid in the thoracic cavity or/and in the pericardial sac. We describe infective endocarditis and myocarditis in 3 dogs and 4 cats. In all animals, the initial diagnosis was performed on the basis of a focused cardiac ultrasound examination performed by a general practitioner after a training in this technique. The initial findings were confirmed by a board-certified specialist in veterinary cardiology. Post mortem positive microbiological results from valves were obtained in 4 of 7 patients. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed in 2 cases and Staphylococcus epidermidis was confirmed in 2 cases, one of which included Enterococcus sp. coinfection. Histopathological examination confirmed initial diagnosis in 5 of 7 animals. In the remaining 2 patients, the time elapsed from the onset of clinical symptoms to death was about 1 month and no active inflammation but massive fibrosis was found microscopically. This is, to our best knowledge, the first report of IE and myocarditis diagnosed in small animals using focused cardiac ultrasound examination. Therefore, we conclude that common usage of this technique by trained general veterinarians may increase the rate of diagnosed patients with these conditions.

The Agreement between Feline Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity and DGGR-Lipase Assay in Cats-Preliminary Results.

The colorimetric catalytic assay based on the use of 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6'-methylresorufin) (DGGR) ester as a substrate for pancreatic lipase activity is commonly used for the diagnosis of pancreatitis in dogs and cats. Even though the assay has generally been shown to yield consistent results with feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) assay, the agreement may vary between assays of different manufacturers. In this study, the chance-corrected agreement between a DGGR-lipase assay offered by one of the biggest providers of diagnostic solutions in Poland and fPLI assay was investigated. The study was carried out on 50 cats in which DGGR-lipase activity and fPLI were tested in the same blood sample. The chance-corrected agreement was determined using Gwet's AC1 coefficient separately for the fPLI assay's cut-off values of >3.5 µg/L and >5.3 µg/L. The DGGR-lipase activity significantly positively correlated with fPLI (Rs = 0.665; CI 95%: 0.451, 0.807, p < 0.001). The chance-corrected agreement between the fPLI assay and DGGR-lipase assay differed considerably depending on the cut-off values of the DGGR-lipase assay. When the cut-off value reported in the literature (>26 U/L) was used, it was poor to fair. It was moderate at the cut-off value recommended by the laboratory (>45 U/L), and good at the cut-off value recommended by the assay's manufacturer (>60 U/L). The highest agreement was obtained between the fPLI assay at the cut-off value of 3.5 µg/L and the DGGR-lipase assay at the cut-off value of 55 U/L (AC1 = 0.725; CI 95%: 0.537, 0.914) and between the fPLI assay at the cut-off value of 5.3 µg/L and the DGGR-lipase assay at the cut-off value of 70 U/L (AC1 = 0.749; CI 95%: 0.577, 0.921). The study confirms that the chance-corrected agreement between the two assays is good. Prospective studies comparing both assays to a diagnostic gold standard are needed to determine which of them is more accurate.

Lung Ultrasound for Imaging of B-Lines in Dogs and Cats-A Prospective Study Investigating Agreement between Three Types of Transducers and the Accuracy in Diagnosing Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema, Pneumonia and Lung Neoplasia.

Transthoracic heart and lung ultrasound (LUS) was performed in 200 dogs and cats with dyspnea to evaluate the agreement between the results obtained using three types of transducers (microconvex, linear, and phased array) and to determine the accuracy of LUS in discriminating between three conditions commonly causing dyspnea in companion animals: cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE), pneumonia, and lung neoplasm. The agreement beyond chance was assessed using the weighted Cohen's kappa coefficient (κw). The highest values of κw (>0.9) were observed for the pair of microconvex and linear transducers. To quantify B-lines the lung ultrasound score (LUSscore) was developed as a sum of points describing the occurrence of B-lines for each of 8 standardized thoracic locations. The accuracy of LUSscore was determined using the area under ROC curve (AUROC). In dogs AUROC of LUSscore was 75.9% (CI 95%: 65.0% to 86.8%) for distinguishing between lung neoplasms and the two other causes of dyspnea. In cats AUROC of LUSscore was 83.6% (CI 95%: 75.2% to 92.0%) for distinguishing between CPE and the two other causes of dyspnea. The study shows that results obtained with microconvex and linear transducers are highly consistent and these two transducers can be used interchangeably. Moreover, the LUSscore may help identify dogs with lung neoplasms and cats with CPE, however its diagnostic accuracy is only fair to moderate.