Congenital cutaneous melanoma in a dog.

BACKGROUND: Melanocytic tumours are derived from melanocytes and are common in older dogs with dark pigmented skin. Primary congenital cutaneous melanoma has been described in domestic mammals although there are no reports in the dog. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE: We describe a case of canine congenital cutaneous melanoma with rapid progression to metastasis and death. ANIMAL: A male, mixed breed dog was born with a circular ulcerated lesion near the left ear. By 12 days of age the lesion had grown significantly, with multiple soft, round nodules located at the outer base of the ear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Histopathological examination showed the proliferation of round and elongated neoplastic cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm that occasionally contained granules of melanin. Immunohistochemical analysis was positive for melan A, S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and vimentin, confirming the diagnosis of melanoma. The tumour progressed rapidly and at six months the dog died suddenly. Postmortem examination revealed pulmonary, cardiac and lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a primary congenital melanoma in the dog. The neoplastic condition showed malignant behaviour and high metastatic potential.

Analytical accuracy of the owner's perception about exposition to risk factors for canine Diabetes Mellitus, and survival after its diagnosis at Southern Brazil

Background: Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a common group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In this aspect, many environmental factors have been implicated in CDM development such as sedentariness, obesity, and diet. The goals of this work were to evaluate the accuracy of a questionnaire for detection of exposition to risk factors for CDM, as well as make a survey of the degree of exposition to these different risk factors before diagnosis in a diabetic dog's population and study their survival curve after diagnosis. Materials, Methods & Results: A questionnaire with 18 questions was elaborated based on previous validated questionnaires. From a total of 120 diabetic patients recruited to the study, 110 owners agreed in answer it. The interviews were telephone made by trained interviewers. For accuracy determination, answers were compared with standardized medical records from the patient's first consultation. In 94 patients, accuracy determination was possible to be done, and then sensibility, specificity, and the concordance value Kappa were determined for each question, being considered significant P values < 0.05. Concerning population profile, 37 patients (33.63%) were mongrel and 27 (24.54%) Poodles. Other 21 breeds were identified, with a mean age at CDM diagnosis of 10 ± 2.6 years (3 to 15 years). Eighty one patients (73.63%) were females. Mean survival time of the animals that have already dead at the time the questionnaire was applied to the owners was 24.4 months (1 to 120 months). Concerning percentage of patients exposed to the different factors in study, some data were found in these case series, for example, a high exposition level to diets based on commercial dog food plus homemade food or exclusively homemade (70.9%), overweight (76.3%), diestrus in females (68%) and pancreatitis (20%) before diagnosis. Owners were consistent in most of their answers, with a mean agreement level for question of 95% (65 to 100%), and mean agreement level by questionnaire of 92% (72 to 100%). All questions showed Kappa values greater than 0.81, except for questions 8 (0.57) and 13 (0.38) that evaluated an overweight history previous to diabetes diagnosis and diagnosis during diestrus period, respectively. Discussion: Based on the good Kappa values for most of the questions the questionnaire was assumed as a reliable tool for evaluating risk factors exposition to CDM development and useful to other investigators. The questions with lower Kappa values were more susceptible to confusion and recall bias, once sometimes there was a long time elapsed from diabetes diagnosis and questionnaire applying. The high percentage of exposition of diabetic dogs to overweight and exclusively homemade or homemade plus commercial dog food diet before CDM diagnosis may suggests this environmental factors as risk factors to CDM development in southern Brazil, as have been noticed recently by Nordic authors. The fact that almost 70% of the not spayed bitches were in diestrus at time of CDM onset, suggests diestrus as important risk factor also, agreeing with the greater amount of females among the cases. Moreover, the percentage of patients with a previous history of pancreatitis may reflect CDM as a pancreatitis consequence in a substantial number of cases. Average survival time for this population is in agreement with previous studies that indicate the first treatment months as critical to a successful outcome. These descriptive studies with diabetic dogs are rare in Brazil, despite they may help on client's orientation towards CDM protection.

Analytical accuracy of the owner´s perception about exposition to risk factors for canine diabetes mellitus, and survival after its diagnosis at Southern Brazil / Analytical accuracy of the owner´s perception about exposition to risk factors for canine diabetes mellitus, and survival after its diagnosis at Southern Brazil

Background: Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a common group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In this aspect, many environmental factors have been implicated in CDM development such as sedentariness, obesity, and diet. The goals of this work were to evaluate the accuracy of a questionnaire for detection of exposition to risk factors for CDM, as well as make a survey of the degree of exposition to these different risk factors before diagnosis in a diabetic dogs population and study their survival curve after diagnosis. Materials, Methods & Results: A questionnaire with 18 questions was elaborated based on previous validated questionnaires. From a total of 120 diabetic patients recruited to the study, 110 owners agreed in answer it. The interviews were telephone made by trained interviewers. For accuracy determination, answers were compared with standardized medical records from the patient´s first consultation. In 94 patients, accuracy determination was possible to be done, and then sensibility, specificity, and the concordance value Kappa were determined for each question, being considered significant P values 0.05. Concerning population profile, 37 patients (33.63%) were mongrel and 27 (24.54%) Poodles. Other 21 breeds were identified, with a mean age at CDM diagnosis of 10 ± 2.

Background: Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a common group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In this aspect, many environmental factors have been implicated in CDM development such as sedentariness, obesity, and diet. The goals of this work were to evaluate the accuracy of a questionnaire for detection of exposition to risk factors for CDM, as well as make a survey of the degree of exposition to these different risk factors before diagnosis in a diabetic dogs population and study their survival curve after diagnosis. Materials, Methods & Results: A questionnaire with 18 questions was elaborated based on previous validated questionnaires. From a total of 120 diabetic patients recruited to the study, 110 owners agreed in answer it. The interviews were telephone made by trained interviewers. For accuracy determination, answers were compared with standardized medical records from the patient´s first consultation. In 94 patients, accuracy determination was possible to be done, and then sensibility, specificity, and the concordance value Kappa were determined for each question, being considered significant P values 0.05. Concerning population profile, 37 patients (33.63%) were mongrel and 27 (24.54%) Poodles. Other 21 breeds were identified, with a mean age at CDM diagnosis of 10 ± 2.

Analytical accuracy of the owner´s perception about exposition to risk factors for canine diabetes mellitus, and survival after its diagnosis at Southern Brazil / Analytical accuracy of the owner´s perception about exposition to risk factors for canine diabetes mellitus, and survival after its diagnosis at Southern Brazil

Background: Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a common group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In this aspect, many environmental factors have been implicated in CDM development such as sedentariness, obesity, and diet. The goals of this work were to evaluate the accuracy of a questionnaire for detection of exposition to risk factors for CDM, as well as make a survey of the degree of exposition to these different risk factors before diagnosis in a diabetic dogs population and study their survival curve after diagnosis. Materials, Methods & Results: A questionnaire with 18 questions was elaborated based on previous validated questionnaires. From a total of 120 diabetic patients recruited to the study, 110 owners agreed in answer it. The interviews were telephone made by trained interviewers. For accuracy determination, answers were compared with standardized medical records from the patient´s first consultation. In 94 patients, accuracy determination was possible to be done, and then sensibility, specificity, and the concordance value Kappa were determined for each question, being considered significant P values 0.05. Concerning population profile, 37 patients (33.63%) were mongrel and 27 (24.54%) Poodles. Other 21 breeds were identified, with a mean age at CDM diagnosis of 10 ± 2.

Background: Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a common group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In this aspect, many environmental factors have been implicated in CDM development such as sedentariness, obesity, and diet. The goals of this work were to evaluate the accuracy of a questionnaire for detection of exposition to risk factors for CDM, as well as make a survey of the degree of exposition to these different risk factors before diagnosis in a diabetic dogs population and study their survival curve after diagnosis. Materials, Methods & Results: A questionnaire with 18 questions was elaborated based on previous validated questionnaires. From a total of 120 diabetic patients recruited to the study, 110 owners agreed in answer it. The interviews were telephone made by trained interviewers. For accuracy determination, answers were compared with standardized medical records from the patient´s first consultation. In 94 patients, accuracy determination was possible to be done, and then sensibility, specificity, and the concordance value Kappa were determined for each question, being considered significant P values 0.05. Concerning population profile, 37 patients (33.63%) were mongrel and 27 (24.54%) Poodles. Other 21 breeds were identified, with a mean age at CDM diagnosis of 10 ± 2.