Evaluation of Metronidazole With and Without Enterococcus Faecium SF68 in Shelter Dogs With Diarrhea.

Diarrhea is common in shelter dogs and nonspecific therapies like therapeutic diets, probiotics, and drugs with activity against Giardia spp. or enteric bacteria are commonly prescribed empirically. All dogs in this study were administered metronidazole, fed a standardized diet, and randomized to either receive a commercially available probiotic (Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets; FortiFlora® Probiotic Supplement, FortiFlora, Nestle Purina PetCare, St Louis, MO) or a placebo which was the commercial product without the probiotic for 7 days. A fecal score was assigned to each stool passed during the study by masked individuals. Fecal samples were evaluated for select enteric agents including nematodes, Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin before and at the end of the treatment period. There were no differences between groups in regard to parasite prevalence. By day 7, a normal stool (<5) was detected in 37.5% of the dogs administered metronidazole and 68.8% of the dogs administered dual therapy, but the result was not significant (P = .1556). The percentages of days with normal stools were significantly higher (P = .0496) for dogs administered dual therapy 65.6%) when compared to those administered metronidazole alone (46.9%). Giardia cysts were eliminated and diarrhea resolved in both dogs that were infected in the SF68 group. In contrast, of the 7 Giardia positive dogs in the placebo group, 6 (85.7%) were still positive for Giardia cysts on day 7, and 4 of those dogs still had diarrhea on day 7. Addition of SF68 to this protocol of metronidazole and a standardized diet appeared to enhance clinical responses in shelter dogs with diarrhea.

Evaluation of intranasal vaccine administration and high-dose interferon- α2b therapy for treatment of chronic upper respiratory tract infections in shelter cats.

Clinical signs of upper respiratory tract infection can be hard to manage in cats, particularly those in shelters. In this study, clinical data were collected from chronically ill (3-4 weeks' duration) cats with suspected feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV) infections after administration of one of two novel therapies. Group A cats were administered a commercially available formulation of human interferon-α2b at 10,000 U/kg subcutaneously for 14 days, and group B cats were administered one dose of a FHV-1 and FCV intranasal vaccine. Molecular assays for FHV-1 and FCV were performed on pharyngeal samples, and a number of cytokines were measured in the blood of some cats. A clinical score was determined daily for 14 days, with cats that developed an acceptable response by day 14 returning to the shelter for adoption. Those failing the first treatment protocol were entered into the alternate treatment group. During the first treatment period, 8/13 cats in group A (61.5%) and all 12 cats in group B (100%) had apparent responses. The seven cats positive for nucleic acids of FHV-1 or FCV responded favorably, independent of the treatment group. There were no differences in cytokine levels between cats that responded to therapy or failed therapy. Either protocol assessed here may be beneficial in alleviating chronic clinical signs of suspected feline viral upper respiratory tract disease in some cats that have failed other, more conventional, therapies. The results of this study warrant additional research involving these protocols.