Bacterial microbiota and proinflammatory cytokines in the anal sacs of treated and untreated atopic dogs: Comparison with a healthy control group.

The pathogenesis of anal sacculitis has not been extensively investigated, although atopic dogs seem to be predisposed to the disease. The aim of this study was therefore to characterize and compare the bacterial microbiota and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the anal sacs of dogs from three groups (healthy dogs, untreated atopic dogs and atopic dogs receiving antipruritic treatment or allergen-specific immunotherapy) in order to determine whether changes could be at the origin of anal sacculitis in atopic dogs. Bacterial populations of anal sac secretions from fifteen healthy dogs, fourteen untreated and six treated atopic dogs were characterized by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using Illumina technology. Proinflammatory cytokines were analyzed with the Luminex multiplex test. Community membership and structure were significantly different between the anal sacs of healthy and untreated atopic dogs (P = 0.002 and P = 0.003, respectively) and between those of untreated and treated atopic dogs (P = 0.012 and P = 0.017, respectively). However, the community structure was similar in healthy and treated atopic dogs (P = 0.332). Among the proinflammatory cytokines assessed, there was no significant difference between groups, except for interleukin 8 which was higher in the anal sacs of untreated atopic dogs compared to treated atopic dogs (P = 0.02), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha which was lower in the anal sacs of healthy dogs compared to treated atopic dogs (P = 0.04). These results reveal a dysbiosis in the anal sacs of atopic dogs, which may partially explain the predisposition of atopic dogs to develop bacterial anal sacculitis. Treatments received by atopic dogs (oclacitinib, desloratadine and allergen-specific immunotherapy) shift the microbiota of the anal sacs towards that of healthy dogs. Further studies are required to identify significant cytokines contributing to anal sacculitis in atopic dogs.

Vulvar calcinosis cutis in a female dog with urinary incontinence secondary to an ectopic ureter.

A 2-year-old, spayed female standard schnauzer dog was presented with a history of urinary incontinence and painful whitish lesions localized to the vulvar region. An ectopic ureter was diagnosed by cystoscopy. Histopathology of the biopsy specimens from the vulvar lesions was compatible with calcinosis cutis. Seven weeks following the cystoscopic laser ablation of the ectopic ureter and resolution of the urinary incontinence, the calcinosis cutis lesions completely resolved without any specific treatment. To the authors' knowledge, vulvar calcinosis cutis secondary to urinary incontinence has not been previously reported in a dog. Key clinical message: This is the first case report in the veterinary literature of vulvar calcinosis cutis in a female dog due to urinary incontinence.

Calcinose cutanée au niveau de la région vulvaire chez une chienne présentant une incontinence urinaire secondaire à un uretère ectopique. Une femelle stérilisée Schnauzer standard âgée de 2 ans a été présentée pour une histoire d'incontinence urinaire et des lésions blanchâtres douloureuses localisées en région vulvaire. Un uretère ectopique a été diagnostiqué par cystoscopie. L'analyse histopathologique des biopsies des lésions de la vulve était compatible avec une calcinose cutanée. Lors de la réévaluation 7 semaines après la résection cystoscopique de l'uretère ectopique par ablation au laser, les lésions de calcinose cutanée étaient complètement résolues sans traitement spécifique. D'après les auteurs, une calcinose cutanée secondaire à une incontinence urinaire et affectant la région vulvaire chez une chienne n'a pas été rapportée à ce jour.Message clinique clé:Ceci constitue le premier rapport dans la littérature vétérinaire d'un cas de calcinose cutanée vulvaire chez une chienne due à de l'incontinence urinaire.(Traduit par les auteurs).