The use of oclacitinib compared to azathioprine in the management of canine pemphigus foliaceus: A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oclacitinib (Apoquel; Zoetis) has been reported to be beneficial for treating immune-mediated disorders. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study evaluates in which group of dogs [oclacitinib (OC) or azathioprine (AZ)] remission of pemphigus foliaceus (PF) was more effectively achieved with matched induction dosing of glucocorticoids; it further evaluates which group had a higher glucocorticoid-sparing effect. ANIMALS: Review of 30 medical records of dogs diagnosed with PF presented to a private practice dermatological service. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of dogs diagnosed with PF and treated with OC or AZ in combination with glucocorticoids. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the ability to induce remission between AZ and OC groups. In the AZ group, 13 of 15 dogs went into some type of remission (partial or complete), compared with 11 of 15 in the OC group. There was no significant difference between the two groups for the glucocorticoid-sparing effect. The AZ group had an average reduction of 77.9% from the induction glucocorticoid dose, and OC group had an average reduction of 64.4%. One of 15 patients in the AZ group and three of 15 patients in the OC group had a 100% reduction of the glucocorticoid dose. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results indicate that OC can be considered as a treatment option for canine PF.

Survey of dermatophytes in stray dogs and cats with and without skin lesions in Puerto Rico and confirmed with MALDI-TOF MS.

Dermatophytosis is a common and highly contagious zoonotic skin disease in companion animals. This disease is a major concern in geographical areas that contain large numbers of stray animal populations. Numerous surveys on dermatophytosis among stray animal populations worldwide range between 27% to 50%. In recent years, the US territory of Puerto Rico was impacted by several natural disasters such as hurricanes, which has led to a large increase of abandonment cases and an increase in the stray animal population. Due to this, large low-cost spay/neuter clinics and trap-neuter-release programs have become a more common practice on the island. During these events, veterinary staff are exposed to multiple animals with no health history, and therefore, zoonotic diseases are of concern. The aim of this study was to provide information regarding the presence of dermatophyte species in symptomatic and asymptomatic stray dogs and cats in a region of Puerto Rico. Hair samples were collected from 99 stray animals with and without dermatological clinical signs. The hair samples were cultured on plates containing rapid sporulation medium and dermatophyte test medium. All cultures were evaluated microscopically to confirm the presence of dermatophytes. Then, all dermatophytes were further evaluated with MALDI-TOF MS to compare both diagnostic tests. A total of 19 animals (19%) were positive for dermatophyte growth. Of these animals, 18/19 were infected with M. canis and 1/19 with Trichophyton spp. Animals with clinical lesions were positive only 13.5% of the time compared to asymptomatic animals, who were positive in 36% of the sample population. All 19 dermatophytes (100%) diagnosed with microscopic evaluation were confirmed with MALDI-TOF MS. Our results indicate that there is a prevalence of 19% of dermatophytosis among the stray dog and cat population of the southeastern coast of the island.

Evaluation of the cutaneous inflammatory cells in dogs with leishmaniosis and in dogs without the disease that were naturally infected by Leishmania infantum (syn. L. chagasi).

BACKGROUND: Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is associated with an aberrant cutaneous immune response. Few studies have compared cutaneous immune cells among dogs with leishmaniosis or infected without leishmaniosis, and noninfected dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the number of neutrophils, histiocytes, T lymphocytes, T-bet-positive, GATA3-positive, FoxP3-positive and interleukin (IL)-17-positive cells, in lesional (Group A) and normal-looking (Group B) skin of nine dogs with stage II/III leishmaniosis; in normal-looking PCR-positive (Group C; n = 6) or PCR-negative (Group D; n = 6) skin of infected dogs; and in the normal-looking skin of 12 noninfected dogs (Group E). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Diagnosis of CanL considered clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities, detection of Leishmania amastigotes in lymph nodes, and/or bone marrow and positive serological results. Paraffin-embedded skin biopsies were processed for routine immunofluorescence and positive cells were identified using commercially available anti-canine antibodies. RESULTS: In Group A, there was a significantly higher number of neutrophils (P < 0.001), histiocytes (P = 0.012), T lymphocytes (P = 0.011), GATA3-positive (P = 0.02) and IL-17A-positive (P = 0.002) cells compared to Group E. In Group B, there was a significantly higher number of histiocytes (P = 0.02), T lymphocytes (P = 0.004), GATA3-positive (P = 0.006) and FoxP3-positive (P = 0.028) cells compared to Group E. There was no difference in between groups A and B and between groups C or D and E. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: In the lesional and/or normal-looking skin of dogs with moderate/severe CanL there is an infiltration of neutrophils, histiocytes, T lymphocytes, GATA3-, FoxP3- and IL17A-positive cells. By contrast, the number of these cells is not increased in the normal-looking skin of infected dogs without CanL compared to the skin of noninfected dogs.

Presumptive iatrogenic hypoadrenocorticism induced by high-dose ketoconazole administration in a dog.

A 11-year-old male neutered Shih Tzu was referred to a tertiary facility with a history of weight loss, decreased appetite, polydipsia, and lethargy. The dog had a 10-year history of nonspecific allergic dermatitis and was being treated with 16 mg/kg of ketoconazole q12h for Malassezia dermatitis. Vague gastrointestinal signs, hypocholesterolemia, and lack of a stress leukogram increased suspicion for hypoadrenocorticism (HA). An adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test identified hypocortisolemia on pre- and post-ACTH samples and ketoconazole was discontinued. After a short course of corticosteroid treatment, an ACTH stimulation test was repeated and pre-ACTH cortisol concentration was within the reference range, and the post-ACTH cortisol concentration was mildly increased. The temporal association between return of adequate adrenocortical cortisol production and discontinuation of ketoconazole led to the conclusion that the dog had developed iatrogenic HA secondary to ketoconazole treatment.