A. Pugliese

Clinical Nutrition in Gerontology: Chronic Renal Disorders of the Dog and Cat

The recent advances in the nutrition of companion animals has resulted in a longer possible life-span for dogs and cats and an improvement in their quality of life. Numerous studies about geriatric animals show that an aging dog or cat requires a specific nutritional formulation that considers the metabolic changes associated with age. A correct diet plays an important role in the treatment of some chronic pathologies in aging animals, particularly those for which the aging process modifies the organ function. A correct diet can provide therapeutic support to the administration of drugs that can sometimes compromise organ function. In the present study, we identify key aspects of the clinical nutrition during chronic renal disorders of dogs and cats, diseases with an elevated incidence and a major cause of mortality in geriatric animals. The aim of nutritional treatment for dogs and cats affected by chronic renal disorders is to improve the quality and length of life, assuring an adequate amount of energy and slowing the progression of renal failure. To improve treatment efficacy it is necessary to prepare different dietary rations during the various stages of disease, on the basis of clinical signs and laboratory data.

Clinical findings associated with Borrelia burgdorferi infection in the dog.

Borrelia burgdorferi, the aetiological agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted to humans and animals by Ixodes ticks during the blood meal. In dogs the micro-organism is known to induce a variety of clinical symptoms, particularly acute and chronic skin lesions, polyarthritis, pericarditis and inflammation of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The diagnosis of borreliosis is made on the basis of a history of tick exposure, symptomatology, micro-biological and serological examinations and treatment response (Straubinger, 2000). The course of the disease may be asymptomatic, although the serological tests are often positive, with high antibody titres possibly indicating a previous disease or premunition (Burrascano, 2000). In this paper we report the course, the clinical features and the therapeutic protocol in a Pitbull seropositive for B. burgdorferi.

Clinical and Diagnostic Patterns of Leishmaniasis in the Dog

.,2001). Omitting the “classic” symptoms of canine leishmaniasis, the purpose of this studyis to review the unusual or atypical signs of canine leishmaniasis reported in the literature.At the same time, some advanced clinical-diagnostic tools are described in order to illus-trate the organ involvement and to monitor disease development during therapy.

Effects of a medetomidine-ketamine combination on Schirmer tear test I results of clinically normal cats.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a medetomidine-ketamine combination on tear production of clinically normal cats by use of the Schirmer tear test (STT) 1 before and during anesthesia and after reversal of medetomidine with atipamezole. ANIMALS 40 client-owned crossbred domestic shorthair cats (23 males and 17 females; age range, 6 to 24 months). PROCEDURES A complete physical examination, CBC, and ophthalmic examination were performed on each cat. Cats with no abnormalities on physical and ophthalmic examinations were included in the study. Cats were allocated into 2 groups: a control group (n = 10 cats) anesthetized by administration of a combination of medetomidine hydrochloride (80 μg/kg) and ketamine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg), and an experimental group (30) anesthetized with the medetomidine-ketamine combination and reversal by administration of atipamezole. Tear production of both eyes of each cat was measured by use of the STT I before anesthesia, 15 minutes after the beginning of anesthesia, and 15 minutes after administration of atipamezole. RESULTS Anesthesia with a medetomidine-ketamine combination of cats with no ophthalmic disease caused a significant decrease in tear production. The STT I values returned nearly to preanesthetic values within 15 minutes after reversal with atipamezole, whereas the STT I values for the control group were still low at that point. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that a tear substitute should be administered to eyes of cats anesthetized with a medetomidine-ketamine combination from the time of anesthetic administration until at least 15 minutes after administration of atipamezole.

OCT in the dog and cat : Morpho-structural patterns and clinical features of the fundus

INTRODUCTIONAmong retinal diagnostic methods it is important to consider optical coherence tomography(OCT), an imaging technology that can provide high-resolution tomographic images of theeye and allows thorough and non invasive study of ocular pathologies.OCT is analogous to B-mode ultrasonography, except that optical or light tissue reflec-tivity rather than acoustic tissue reflectivity is used. This innovative technique has higherspatial resolution than ultrasound (7.5 μversus 150 μ) to perform high-resolution measure-ments and imaging of ocular microanatomy. The OCT signal from a particular tissue layeris a combination of its reflectivity and the absorption and scattering properties of the over-lying layers (Schuman

Doppler evaluation of the ophthalmic vasculature in the beagle: normal values.

D. Britti1, S. Di Pietro2, M. Russo3, A. Pugliese2* and M. De Majo2 1Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of T eramo; 2Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy; 3DVM *Correspondence: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Sicily, Italy E-mail: antonio.pugliese@unime.it

Immunological Profile in Clinical Practice

Pugliese, A., De Majo, M. and Pugliese, M., 2007. Immunological profile in clinical practice. Veterinary Research Communications, 31(Suppl. 1), 121–124