Serious surgical complications of canine cryptorchid castration are associated with surgical approach: a case-control study of 202 dogs.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare a cohort of dogs with serious or life-threatening complications following cryptorchid castration to dogs without complications to identify potential contributing factors to the development of these complications. METHODS: Dogs that had a cryptorchid castration between 2018 and 2022 in 2 hospital networks were retrospectively reviewed in a case-control manner for reported complications. Inclusion criteria for cases and controls consisted of dogs with documented surgical procedures to address a retained testicle within the abdomen and an in-person follow-up visit at least 2 weeks postoperatively. Exclusion criteria consisted of felines, procedures limited to inguinal cryptorchid castrations, if the retained testicle had undergone malignant transformation, and medical records lacking essential patient or procedure information. RESULTS: 202 dogs were included in the study, with 38 dogs with reported complications and 164 controls. The most reported serious complication was trauma to the prostate, followed by gastrointestinal signs and urinary tract trauma. A complication was more likely if a paramedian skin incision was performed (OR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.45 to 11.1) compared to a parapreputial incision, as well as if a paramedian abdominal incision was performed compared to a ventral midline incision (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5 to 7.4). CONCLUSIONS: The most common complication found in this case-control study was prostatic trauma and was likely associated with inadequate exposure based on the incision location. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Parapreputial skin incision and ventral midline abdominal incision increase exposure and visualization of organs, decreasing the risk of serious complications associated with cryptorchid castration.

Breed, smaller weight, and multiple injections are associated with increased adverse event reports within three days following canine vaccine administration.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient and vaccine factors associated with adverse events (AEs) recorded within 3 days of vaccine administration in a large cohort of dogs. ANIMALS: 4,654,187 dogs vaccinated in 16,087,455 office visits in a 5-year period at 1,119 hospitals of a corporate practice. METHODS: Electronic medical records of dogs vaccinated between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020, were searched for diagnoses of possible AEs recorded within 3 days of administration of vaccines without concurrent injectable heartworm preventative. Patient risk factors (age, sex, breed, and weight) and number and type of vaccine were extracted from records. ORs (and 95% CIs) for risk factors were estimated via multivariable logistic regression mixed models with patient as a random effect. RESULTS: AEs were recorded following 31,197 vaccination visits (0.19%, or 19.4/10,000 visits). Reported AE rates increased from 1 to 4 vaccines administered and among individual vaccines were greatest for rabies vaccine. AE rate was generally inversely related to body weight, with largest rates in dogs ≤ 5 kg. The largest AE rates were noted in French Bulldogs and Dachshunds (ORs > 4 compared to mixed-breed dogs). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Risk factor information can be used to update vaccination protocols and client communication. Breed differences may indicate genetics as the primary risk factor for adverse vaccine reactions following vaccinations.

Stratification of Companion Animal Life Stages from Electronic Medical Record Diagnosis Data.

Aging is a complex, multifactorial process, where different life stages reflect changes in metabolic processes, immune capacities, and genetic/epigenetic repertoires. With accumulating exposure to environmental stresses and deterioration of physiological functions, body systems become more prone to low-grade chronic inflammation and an increasing range of pathologies. We hypothesized that differential susceptibility to diseases across life span reflects phased changes in an organism's physiological capacity that may highlight when interventions may be appropriately used. Furthermore, the number of life stages may vary between species and be impacted by signalment such as breed. We tested this hypothesis using disease diagnoses data from veterinary electronic medical records containing almost 2 million cats and over 4 million dogs. Bi-clustering (on rates of disease diagnoses) and adaptive branch pruning were used to identify age clusters that could be used to define adult life stages. Clustering among diagnoses were then interpreted within the context of each defined life stage. The analyses identified 5 age clusters in cats and 4 age clusters within each of the 4 canine breed size categories used. This study, using population scale data for two species, one with differential size and life expectancies, is the first to our knowledge to use disease diagnosis data to define adult life stages. The life stages presented here are a result of a data-driven approach to age and disease stratification and are intended to support conversations between clinicians and clients about appropriate health care recommendations.

Younger dogs of specific breeds are more likely to experience a rare adverse event after administration of extended-release injectable moxidectin heartworm preventive.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of and identify patient risk factors for an acute adverse event in dogs after administration of a sustained-release injectable heartworm preventive product. ANIMALS: Canine patients that received the injectable heartworm preventive product during routine preventive care visits. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of electronic medical records of canine visits within a large network of primary care veterinary clinics in which the product was administered from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2020. Visits during which vaccination(s) were also administered were excluded from analysis. Identification of acute adverse events was based on diagnostic entries and other clinical presentations suggestive of an adverse event within 3 days of product administration. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects logistic regression. RESULTS: In the 5-year study period, 1,399,289 visits with 694,030 dogs led to an incidence estimate of approximately 14.3 events/10,000 doses. Regression analysis found younger dogs and 7 breeds (relative to mixed-breed dogs) to have statistically significant greater odds of an event. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding of incidence and patient risk factors provides veterinary professionals and dog owners more information when deciding on heartworm preventive options for their dog when considering risk for adverse event in dogs of certain ages or breeds.

Avian wildlife mortality events due to salmonellosis in the United States, 1985-2004.

Infection with Salmonella spp. has long been recognized in avian wildlife, although its significance in causing avian mortality, and its zoonotic risk, is not well understood. This study evaluates the role of Salmonella spp. in wild bird mortality events in the United States from 1985 through 2004. Analyses were performed to calculate the frequency of these events and the proportional mortality by species, year, month, state, and region. Salmonellosis was a significant contributor to mortality in many species of birds; particularly in passerines, for which 21.5% of all mortality events involved salmonellosis. The proportional mortality averaged a 12% annual increase over the 20-yr period, with seasonal peaks in January and April. Increased salmonellosis-related mortality in New England, Southeastern, and Mountain-Prairie states was identified. Based on the results of this study, salmonellosis can be considered an important zoonotic disease of wild birds.

Raptor mortality due to West Nile virus in the United States, 2002.

West Nile virus (WNV) has affected many thousands of birds since it was first detected in North America in 1999, but the overall impact on wild bird populations is unknown. In mid-August 2002, wildlife rehabilitators and local wildlife officials from multiple states began reporting increasing numbers of sick and dying raptors, mostly red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus). Commonly reported clinical signs were nonspecific and included emaciation, lethargy, weakness, inability to perch, fly or stand, and nonresponse to danger. Raptor carcasses from 12 states were received, and diagnostic evaluation of 56 raptors implicated WNV infection in 40 (71%) of these cases. Histologically, nonsuppurative encephalitis and myocarditis were the salient lesions (79% and 61%, respectively). Other causes of death included lead poisoning, trauma, aspergillosis, and Salmonella spp. and Clostridium spp. infections. The reason(s) for the reported increase in raptor mortality due to WNV in 2002 compared with the previous WNV seasons is unclear, and a better understanding of the epizootiology and pathogenesis of the virus in raptor populations is needed.

A cooperative approach to animal disease response activities: Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and vvIBD in California poultry.

Very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDv) was first detected in the United States at the end of 2008. Since its detection, Federal and State animal health officials, the poultry industry and the research/academic community have led response activities through a collaborative effort. By June 2011, much still remained unknown regarding the basic epidemiology and ecology of vvIBD in California, although there were a number of potential activities to fill this information gap. Available resources limited the ability to pursue all the activities, and responsible parties and stakeholders recognized the need to prioritize the activities. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a useful multi-criteria decision making methodology that incorporates qualitative information (in the form of judgments) with available quantitative information. This is especially useful when there is very limited quantitative information, such as in the situation with vvIBD in California. A commercial package that allows ready use of the AHP model was utilized for prioritizing activities, incorporating input from members from the three stakeholder groups: State and Federal animal health officials, poultry industry, and research/academia. Based on their inputs on 17 potential activities, the participants identified three priority activities; specifically determination of risk factors for re-emergence or re-introduction at affected premises, development of a laboratory diagnostic test to screen for segment B of the vvIBDV genome and surveillance of other potential reservoirs (mealworms, rodents, beetles). In order to evaluate the ability of the AHP to respond to differences, a sensitivity analysis was done in order to evaluate changes in prioritization of activities. Changes in prioritization were noted demonstrating the plasticity of the model under different conditions. However, a 50% increase or decrease in weighting was necessary to affect the order of the three highest scoring activities. The use of a tool such as the AHP enables the development of a transparent, repeatable and flexible decision process, which can be useful in certain animal health response situations including the re-emergence of a previously eliminated disease or the introduction of a foreign animal disease.

Surveillance of Wildlife Diseases: Lessons from the West Nile Virus Outbreak.

The West Nile virus outbreak of 1999 revealed many weaknesses in this country's ability to respond to disease threats that cross species lines. There were issues of poor communication among human, domestic animal, and wildlife health agencies that delayed diagnosis; a lack of diagnostic capacity of wildlife agencies at the state level; the exclusion of captive wildlife from any surveillance efforts; an inability to visualize the geospatial relationship between the human and avian outbreaks in a timely manner; and marked disparities of funding levels across agencies. Wildlife has played an important role in recent emerging infectious diseases, and it is clear that a One Health approach will be necessary to respond to future threats. The question is, are we any better prepared to recognize and respond to a wildlife-related emerging infectious disease than we were 14 years ago? Have the lessons of WNV been learned?

Corvidae feather pulp and West Nile virus detection.

We evaluated cloacal swab, vascular pulp of flight feather, and kidney and spleen pool samples from carcasses of members of the family Corvidae as sources of West Nile virus (WNV). The cloacal swab, kidney and spleen pool, and feather pulp were the source of WNV in 38%, 43%, and 77%, respectively, of the carcasses.