ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, intensity and risk factors (age and gender) promoting the intestinal helminthic infections of the Domestic mountain ponies and Balkan donkeys in Serbia. METHODS: Prevalence, intensity and risk factors influencing helminth infection in horses (n=39) and donkeys (n=18) at the site of Nature Park Stara Planina, were studied from May to Sep 2015. The presence of one or several gastrointestinal helminth species was confirmed by faecal flotation in 97.43% of horses and 88.88% of donkeys included in the monitoring. The identified helminth species were Trichostrongylus axei, Strongylus edentatus, S. vulgaris, Parascaris equorum, Dictyocaulus arnfieldi and Anoplocephala magna in 84.61%, 46.15%, 5.13%, 58.97%, 94.87% and 38.46% of horses, respectively. The significant association of infection with P. equorum and sex of horses was established. (χ2=13.33, P<0.01). RESULTS: The prevalence of parasitic helminths identified in donkeys was the following: D. arnfieldi, T. axei, Pa. equorum, S. vulgaris, A. margna and Strongyloides westeri in 55.55%, 38.89%, 27.78%, 22.22% and 22.22% of donkeys, respectively. Moreover, the mean faecal egg count was higher in donkeys (369.9 EPG - egg per gram) than in horses (250.2 EPG). The association between the age and the mean EPG was significant (P<0.05) in both equine species. CONCLUSION: The results of the investigation provided basic information that can be helpful for planning strategic control of nematode infection in equine population in Nature Reserves in Serbia.
ABSTRACT
Studies of clinical uses of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) represent one of the most important advances in cardiology since the introduction of echocardiography as a clinical diagnostic procedure. Defining the clinical potential of BNP in canine cardiology has not been completed yet. The aim of this study is to measure BNP concentrations in healthy German Shepherd dogs of different ages as a baseline in resting and when conventional protocol of the dobutamine stress test (DST) is applied to dogs. Concentrations of BNP were measured in blood serum by the radioimmunoassay method. The values of BNP concentrations were compared to cardiac parameters obtained by standard cardiac diagnostic procedures (radiology, electrocardiography and echocardiography). No significant differences in serum BNP concentrations existed in dogs of different ages. A statistically significant increase in BNP concentrations was registered after DST. These changes in BNP concentrations were related to ST/T electrocardiographic changes, and correlated to changes in the left ventricular internal diameter in systole (LVESD). These data suggest that BNP is not increased in aged dogs with normal cardiac systolic function and renal function, and that myocardial ischemia leads to a significant increase in BNP concentrations even in dogs with normal left ventricular function.