Subjective vision assessment in companion dogs using dogVLQ demonstrates age-associated visual dysfunction.

Introduction: Dim light vision as assessed by proxy and clinical tools is commonly impaired in older humans and impacts quality of life. Although proxy visual assessment tools have been developed for dogs, it is unclear if they are sensitive enough to detect subtle visual dysfunction in older dogs. We sought to determine if a newly designed proxy visual function questionnaire could detect age-associated differences in visual behaviors in varying lighting conditions in dogs. Methods: A 27-item questionnaire (the dog variable lighting questionnaire, dogVLQ) was designed to assess visual behavior in dogs in different lighting settings. We conducted the dogVLQ, a previously validated visual function questionnaire the dog vision impairment score and performed light- and dark-adapted electroretinography (ERG) on a subset of dogs. Questionnaire scores were analyzed for dog age associations using correlation analysis. Results: Questionnaire responses from 235 dog owners were obtained (122 female, 112 male dogs), 79 of which underwent ERG (43 female, 36 male dogs). Bright light visual behavior was significantly associated with light-adapted bright flash ERG amplitudes, visual behavior in near darkness was associated with dark-adapted ERG amplitudes. The dogVLQ identified worse vision in older dogs in bright light, dim light, and darkness; predicted onset was younger for vision in near darkness. Older dogs had more difficulty navigating transitions between lighting conditions. Discussion: Subjective dog owner assessment of visual function associates with objective measurement of retinal function in dogs and supports reduced vision-mediated behaviors in older dogs.

Frequency and outcomes of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with Corona Virus Disease-19.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the frequency and association of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms with outcomes in patients with corona virus disease 2019  (COVID-19) admitted to the hospital. METHODS: Records were retrospectively collected from patients admitted to a tertiary care center in Washington, D.C., with confirmed COVID-19 from March 15, 2020  to July 15, 2020. After adjusting for clinical demographics and comorbidities, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The most common  presenting symptoms of COVID-19 in patients that were admitted to the hospital were cough (38.4%), shortness of breath (37.5%), and fever (34.3%), followed by GI symptoms in 25.9% of patients. The most common GI symptom was diarrhea (12.8%) followed by nausea or vomiting (10.5%), decreased appetite (9.3%), and abdominal pain (3.8%). Patients with diarrhea were more likely to die (odds ratio [OR] 2.750; p = 0.006; confidence interval [CI] 1.329-5.688), be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (OR 2.242; p = 0.019; CI 1.139-4.413), and be intubated (OR 3.155; p = 0.002; CI 1.535-6.487). Additional outcomes analyzed were need for vasopressors, presence of shock, and acute kidney injury. Patients with  diarrhea  were 2.738 (p = 0.007; CI 1.325-5.658), 2.467 (p = 0.013; CI 1.209-5.035), and 2.694 (p = 0.007; CI 1.305-5.561) times more likely to experience these outcomes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Screening questions should be expanded to include common GI symptoms in patients with COVID-19. Health care providers should note whether their patient is presenting with diarrhea due to the potential implications on disease severity and outcomes.

Self-limiting Orbital Emphysema Following Ocular Evisceration and Demonstration of Nasolacrimal-Oropharyngeal Communication in a South African Ostrich (Struthio camelus australis).

A 25-year-old, male, sanctuary-owned, South African ostrich (Struthio camelus australis) was evaluated for orbital emphysema after evisceration of a nonvisual and chronically irritated eye. On initial ophthalmic examination, the ostrich's left eye displayed severe corneal fibrosis, broad anterior synechia, and a shallow anterior chamber, all suggestive of a previous corneal perforation. Conjunctival hyperemia and eyelid crusts were also present, reportedly associated with chronic rubbing. Evisceration of the left eye was performed by excising the eyelid margins, conjunctiva, nictitans, cornea, and intraocular contents. Four weeks postoperatively, a nonpainful, fluctuant swelling of the surgical site was noted. Trocarization of the surgical site verified orbital emphysema and served to temporarily decompress the orbit. Orbital emphysema reoccurred within 48 hours but gradually regressed without intervention over the subsequent 9 months. A Jones test was performed in the healthy, right eye and demonstrated clear communication to the oropharynx. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an evisceration performed on an ostrich and the first reported case of orbital emphysema in any avian species. It is probable that the emphysema noted in this case was secondary to nasolacrimal duct-oropharynx communication.

Evaluation of the bacterial ocular surface microbiome in ophthalmologically normal dogs prior to and following treatment with topical neomycin-polymyxin-bacitracin.

The ocular surface microbiome of veterinary species has not been thoroughly characterized using molecular-based techniques, such as next generation sequencing (NGS), as the vast majority of studies have utilized traditional culture-based techniques. To date, there is one pilot study evaluating the ocular surface of healthy dogs using NGS. Furthermore, alterations in the ocular surface microbiome over time and after topical antibiotic treatment are unknown. The objectives of this study were to describe the bacterial composition of the ocular surface microbiome in clinically normal dogs, and to determine if microbial community changes occur over time or following topical antibiotic therapy. Topical neomycin-polymyxin-bacitracin ophthalmic ointment was applied to one eye each of 13 adult dogs three times daily for seven days, while contralateral eyes served as untreated controls. The inferior conjunctival fornix of both eyes was sampled via swabbing at baseline prior to antibiotic therapy (day 0), after 1 week of treatment (day 7), and 4 weeks after discontinuing treatment (day 35). Genomic DNA was extracted from the conjunctival swabs and primers targeting the V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes were used to generate amplicon libraries, which were then sequenced on an Illumina platform. Data were analyzed using Quantitative Insights Into Molecular Ecology (QIIME 2.0). At baseline, the most relatively abundant phyla sequenced were Proteobacteria (49.7%), Actinobacteria (25.5%), Firmicutes (12%), Bacteroidetes (7.5%), and Fusobacteria (1.4%). The most common families detected were Pseudomonadaceae (13.2%), Micrococcaceae (12%), Pasteurellaceae (6.9%), Microbacteriaceae (5.2%), Enterobacteriaceae (3.9%), Neisseriaceae (3.5%), and Corynebacteriaceae (3.3%). Alpha and beta diversity measurements did not differ in both control and treatment eyes over time. This report examines the temporal stability of the canine ocular surface microbiome. The major bacterial taxa on the canine ocular surface remained consistent over time and following topical antibiotic therapy.