Endoscopic diagnostic and surgical orbital approach in canines.

The aim of this study is to describe new diagnostic and surgical orbital approaches using video endoscopy in canines. Four different endoscopic approaches were investigated in this study of video endoscopy in cadavers: dorsal transorbital ligament approach via incision of the orbital ligament (DTOLA), dorsal subpalpebral transconjunctival approach (DSTA), ventral subpalpebral transconjunctival approach (VSTA), and transoral orbital approach (TOA). Two additional approaches, the ventral transpalpebral approach (VTA) and dorsal caudal transmuscular approach (DCTA) along with the DTOLA and DSTA were used in clinical patients. The most technically demanding approach was DTOLA; however, it provided the best visualisation of different anterior and posterior orbital structures. Visualisation of primarily the dorsal orbital wall, dorsal portion of the eye globe, and dorsal extraconal space also was achieved by DSTA. The VSTA enabled good visualisation of the ventral orbital floor and the ventral extraconal and intraconal space. In contrast, the TOA provided relatively poor visualisation of orbital structures, limited to the ventral orbital quadrant. Meanwhile, the VTA provided visualisation similar to the VSTA, while DCTA visualisation was limited to the dorsal and caudal orbital space. Orbital endoscopy is an effective and minimally invasive procedure that can be used for diagnostic and surgical orbital procedures.

A short-term and long-term relationship between occurrence of acute canine babesiosis and meteorological parameters in Belgrade, Serbia.

Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Serbia, is an endemic location for canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis. This tick-borne disease occurs seasonally in regions with moderate continental climate. However, recent clinical data show that: 1) some cases of canine babesiosis have been recorded during the winter, and 2) canine babesiosis is spreading to the northern parts of Europe with a colder climate, which is a region previously free of this disease. Our study investigates the occurrence of canine babesiosis in different seasons over 2013-2016, and explores a short-term link between meteorological parameters and number of diagnosed cases of canine babesiosis in Belgrade. It also looks into possible long-term correlations that span one year before the onset of the disease. Based on 872 recorded cases over four years, our results show a bimodal seasonal distribution of canine babesiosis, with a pronounced peak in the spring, and a less conspicuous one in the autumn. Throughout the year, even over the coldest and warmest periods, there is a broad range of temperatures and relative humidities when the disease is recorded. Over one year prior to the spring and autumn onset of the disease, we found a noticeable impact of temperature and relative humidity, and to a lesser extent, of atmospheric pressure and cloud cover, on the number of diagnosed cases. These findings imply short-term and long-term relationships between occurrence of acute canine babesiosis and certain meteorological parameters, and they open further questions that need to be investigated in order to understand the epidemiology of this disease.

Cardiac troponin I in dogs anaesthetized with propofol and sevoflurane: the influence of medetomidine premedication and inspired oxygen fraction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in dogs in which medetomidine was used for sedation or for premedication prior to anaesthesia with propofol and sevoflurane. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: A total of 66 client-owned dogs. METHODS: The dogs were sedated with medetomidine (0.04 mg kg-1) intravenously (IV) (group M; n = 20) and left to breath room air or anaesthetized with propofol (6.5 ± 0.76 mg kg-1 IV) and sevoflurane (4.5% vaporizer setting) in oxygen (group P + S; n = 20) or with medetomidine (0.04 mg kg-1 IV), propofol (1.92 ± 0.63 mg kg-1) and sevoflurane (3% vaporizer setting) in oxygen (group M + P + S; n = 26), respectively. After 35 minutes, medetomidine was antagonized with atipamezole (0.1 mg kg-1 intramuscularly). Blood samples for serum cTnI determination were taken before sedation or anaesthesia, 6 and 12 hours and 4 days thereafter. Serum cTnI concentrations were measured with the Architect STAT Troponin-I assay. RESULTS: Before sedation or anaesthesia, cTnI concentrations were above the detection limit in 22 out of 66 (33%) of dogs. Compared to basal values, cTnI concentrations significantly increased at 6 and 12 hours in all groups and at day 4 in group M. There were no differences in cTnI concentration between groups at baseline, at 6 hours and at 4 days. At 12 hours, cTnI concentrations were significantly higher in groups M and P + S, respectively, compared to group M + P + S. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Oxygenation during anaesthesia and reduction of propofol and sevoflurane dose due to the sparing effects of medetomidine might have played a role in alleviation of myocardial hypoxic injury as indicated by the less severe and short-lived increase of cTnI in the M + P + S group.

Molecular detection and prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses of central Balkan.

Equine piroplasmosis is significant tick-borne disease with wide distribution. The prevalence of equine piroplasmosis in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina is unknown. In aim to obtain a first insight into the prevalence we performed molecular epidemiological study which included 142 horses, on seven locations in these three countries. We first performed PCR for the detection of a 450bp long section of the 18S rRNA of piroplasma-specific region. For all positive samples we have done multiplex PCR for the species detection. Species determination was further confirmed by sequencing PCR products of 10 randomly selected Theileria equi and all Babesia caballi samples. The overall prevalence rates in analysed region for T. equi and B. caballi were 22.5% and 2.1%, respectively. Possible risk factors (such as location, age, sex and activity) associated with PCR positivity were evaluated. Marked differences were found in prevalence between geographic areas. There was no significant association between positivity and age group. T. equi was more prevalent in females and farming horses. This is the first report on the molecular survey of T. equi and B. caballi in central Balkan. Further prevalence studies on definitive host and vectors in this region are necessary.

Clinical babesiosis and molecular identification of Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni infections in dogs from Serbia.

Canine babesiosis is a frequent and clinically significant tick-borne disease. Sixty symptomatic dogs with clinical findings compatible with babesiosis were included in this study conducted in Serbia. After clinical examination, blood samples were taken for microscopic examination, complete blood count (CBC), Canine SNAP 4Dx Test, DNA analyses and sequencing. The main clinical signs included apathy, anorexia, fever, brown/red discoloration of urine, pale mucous membranes, icterus, splenomegaly, and vomiting. The main clinicopathological findings in Babesia infections were a slight to severe thrombocytopenia and a mild to very severe normocytic normochromic anaemia. Microscopic evaluation revealed 58 positive samples with the presence of large and small intraerythrocytic piroplasms in 57 and 1 sample(s), respectively. No co-infections were found using SNAP test. Two Babesia species, B. canis (58/60) and B. gibsoni (2/60), were differentiated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Species identification was further confirmed by sequencing PCR products of B. gibsoni samples and six randomly selected B. canis samples. All dogs were treated with imidocarb dipropionate (6.6 mg/kg of body weight), given intramuscularly twice at an interval of 14 days. This report presents the first molecular evidence of the occurrence of B. gibsoni and B. canis, confirmed by DNA sequencing, in sick dogs from Serbia.