Three cases of canine dermatomyositis-like disease

Background: Dermatomyositis is an idiopathic, inflammatory/immunemediated disease of the skin, muscles and blood vessels of hereditary nature and unclear pathogenesis. This familial disease has been described in certain breeds, especially collies and Shetland sheep dogs and is of rare occurrence in mongrel dogs. To describe and discuss three clinical cases of dermatomyositis-like disease and provide a brief review of the literature.Cases: Three young mongrel dogs are included in this report. Case 1: Mandarino, a 4-year-old mongrel dog, having a history of skin lesions for at least a year. Showed an underweight patient, skin ulcers, crusts, alopecia, peri-ocular scarring causing severe lagophthalmia and a corneal ulcer. Muscle atrophy was most notable in the head and legs; the dog had difficulty and pain walking. Treatment was initialised with cephalexin 30 mg/kg BID, pentoxifylline 25 mg/kg BID, and prednisone 2.2 mg/kg SID. The patient was presented after two weeks for follow up; the anaemia and skin condition had improved, the weight had increased by 2 kg, dysphagia and locomotor abnormalities were not present. Case 2: Milagros, a mongrel female dog approximately two years of age, rescued from a shelter. Physical examination showed facial alopecia, erythema and scarring of the periocular skin, crusting and scaling in alopecic areas, pinnae tip necrosis and crusting, ear alopecia, tail tip necrosis and crusting. Also present were distal limb alopecia, crusting and ulcers in areas of trauma in the hock and carpal surfaces; some nails presented onychorhexis and onychoschizia. The patient has been treated for 12 months with a good clinical outcome, with pentoxifylline, azathioprine 2.2 mg/kg EOD alternating with prednisone 1 mg/kg EOD. Case 3: Chuchito, an 11-month-old male mongrel rescued dog had been previously hospitalised due to his skin condition.[...]

Three cases of canine dermatomyositis-like disease

Background: Dermatomyositis is an idiopathic, inflammatory/immunemediated disease of the skin, muscles and blood vessels of hereditary nature and unclear pathogenesis. This familial disease has been described in certain breeds, especially collies and Shetland sheep dogs and is of rare occurrence in mongrel dogs. To describe and discuss three clinical cases of dermatomyositis-like disease and provide a brief review of the literature.Cases: Three young mongrel dogs are included in this report. Case 1: Mandarino, a 4-year-old mongrel dog, having a history of skin lesions for at least a year. Showed an underweight patient, skin ulcers, crusts, alopecia, peri-ocular scarring causing severe lagophthalmia and a corneal ulcer. Muscle atrophy was most notable in the head and legs; the dog had difficulty and pain walking. Treatment was initialised with cephalexin 30 mg/kg BID, pentoxifylline 25 mg/kg BID, and prednisone 2.2 mg/kg SID. The patient was presented after two weeks for follow up; the anaemia and skin condition had improved, the weight had increased by 2 kg, dysphagia and locomotor abnormalities were not present. Case 2: Milagros, a mongrel female dog approximately two years of age, rescued from a shelter. Physical examination showed facial alopecia, erythema and scarring of the periocular skin, crusting and scaling in alopecic areas, pinnae tip necrosis and crusting, ear alopecia, tail tip necrosis and crusting. Also present were distal limb alopecia, crusting and ulcers in areas of trauma in the hock and carpal surfaces; some nails presented onychorhexis and onychoschizia. The patient has been treated for 12 months with a good clinical outcome, with pentoxifylline, azathioprine 2.2 mg/kg EOD alternating with prednisone 1 mg/kg EOD. Case 3: Chuchito, an 11-month-old male mongrel rescued dog had been previously hospitalised due to his skin condition.[...](AU)

Prevalence of intestinal parasites with zoonotic potential in canids in Mexico City

Background: In Mexico City, there are 1.2 million dogs of which 10% are strays, which produce about 182 tons of feces per year. Among the intestinal parasites with zoonotic risk from dogs are Ancylostoma, Toxocara, Giardia and Dipylidium. These pathogens can be found in standard human environments, such as water, soil, food, parks, and contamination from dog feces, and represent a high risk to persons. Therefore it is important to promote prophylactic measures, which are based on hygiene, having pet deworming programs and control of stray dogs. The objective was identifying Toxocara spp., Giardia spp., Dipylidium caninum, Ancylostoma spp. and Coccidia in canids from the downtown area of Mexico City.Materials, Methods & Results: The study was conducted in Mexico City. A total of 1603 pet feces were collected and were classified according to gender and age (young animals < 1 year and adults > 1.1 years). Microscopic diagnosis of parasites was achieved using the flotation technique of Willis. The proportion of contamination was considered as the percentage of positive samples out of all collected samples. The number of parasite eggs in each sample was counted, and eggs were then identified by structure and morphometry, to provide an additional measure of the degree of parasitization (number of eggs g-1 feces). Prevalence was analyzed using the Chi-square (χ²) test to compare age groups and gender, while the average number of parasites per gram of feces was analyzed using a “t” test with a confidence level of P < 0.05. The results showed that 13.10% (210) of the dogs were positive for some type of gastrointestinal parasite (Toxocara spp., Coccidia, Ancylostoma spp., Giardia spp., Dipylidium caninum) of which 115 (13.18%) were males and 95 (12.99%) females, with no gender difference (χ² = 0.013, P = 0.99). Giardia spp. was found in 25 young animals (6.9%) and 50 adults (4.0 %) whereas Toxocara spp. was less common (3.3% of young animals and 3.7% of adults).[...](AU)

Prevalence of intestinal parasites with zoonotic potential in canids in Mexico City

Background: In Mexico City, there are 1.2 million dogs of which 10% are strays, which produce about 182 tons of feces per year. Among the intestinal parasites with zoonotic risk from dogs are Ancylostoma, Toxocara, Giardia and Dipylidium. These pathogens can be found in standard human environments, such as water, soil, food, parks, and contamination from dog feces, and represent a high risk to persons. Therefore it is important to promote prophylactic measures, which are based on hygiene, having pet deworming programs and control of stray dogs. The objective was identifying Toxocara spp., Giardia spp., Dipylidium caninum, Ancylostoma spp. and Coccidia in canids from the downtown area of Mexico City.Materials, Methods & Results: The study was conducted in Mexico City. A total of 1603 pet feces were collected and were classified according to gender and age (young animals 1.1 years). Microscopic diagnosis of parasites was achieved using the flotation technique of Willis. The proportion of contamination was considered as the percentage of positive samples out of all collected samples. The number of parasite eggs in each sample was counted, and eggs were then identified by structure and morphometry, to provide an additional measure of the degree of parasitization (number of eggs g-1 feces). Prevalence was analyzed using the Chi-square (χ²) test to compare age groups and gender, while the average number of parasites per gram of feces was analyzed using a “t” test with a confidence level of P < 0.05. The results showed that 13.10% (210) of the dogs were positive for some type of gastrointestinal parasite (Toxocara spp., Coccidia, Ancylostoma spp., Giardia spp., Dipylidium caninum) of which 115 (13.18%) were males and 95 (12.99%) females, with no gender difference (χ² = 0.013, P = 0.99). Giardia spp. was found in 25 young animals (6.9%) and 50 adults (4.0 %) whereas Toxocara spp. was less common (3.3% of young animals and 3.7% of adults).[...]

Ocurrence of Toxocara canis in students of veterinary and graphic design in a Mexican university

Background: Human toxocariosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by larval forms of the genus Toxocara. The eggs hatch after being ingested, penetrate the intestinal wall and migrate via the blood stream through to the liver, hence spread to other organs. Erratic larval migration by the different soft tissues in humans, generates four syndromes, Visceral Larva Migrans, Ocular Larva Migrans, neurotoxocariosis and covert toxocariosis. A seroprevalence study of Toxocara canis among students from Veterinary Medicine and Graphic Design in Mexico City was conducted, as the Veterinary student has regular contact with animals was compared with students who have no contact with animals in their study program.Materials, Methods & Results: In both groups of students blood samples were collected and centrifuged to obtain the serum was evaluated by Toxocara serology ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). All participants completed a questionnaire supplying personal data and specifics regarding dog ownership and hygiene practices. Serology data and results from the questionnaire were analyzed using the Fisher´s exact test, Chi-square and odds ratio (OR) test. The frequency of Toxocara infection tended to be greater (P = 0.11) in veterinary students than in those from graphic design (13 % and 7.0 % respectively). Some of the risk factors that were considered were: do not wash your hands...(AU)

Ocurrence of Toxocara canis in students of veterinary and graphic design in a Mexican university

Background: Human toxocariosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by larval forms of the genus Toxocara. The eggs hatch after being ingested, penetrate the intestinal wall and migrate via the blood stream through to the liver, hence spread to other organs. Erratic larval migration by the different soft tissues in humans, generates four syndromes, Visceral Larva Migrans, Ocular Larva Migrans, neurotoxocariosis and covert toxocariosis. A seroprevalence study of Toxocara canis among students from Veterinary Medicine and Graphic Design in Mexico City was conducted, as the Veterinary student has regular contact with animals was compared with students who have no contact with animals in their study program.Materials, Methods & Results: In both groups of students blood samples were collected and centrifuged to obtain the serum was evaluated by Toxocara serology ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). All participants completed a questionnaire supplying personal data and specifics regarding dog ownership and hygiene practices. Serology data and results from the questionnaire were analyzed using the Fisher´s exact test, Chi-square and odds ratio (OR) test. The frequency of Toxocara infection tended to be greater (P = 0.11) in veterinary students than in those from graphic design (13 % and 7.0 % respectively). Some of the risk factors that were considered were: do not wash your hands...