Pug Dog Research Articles

Allele frequency of a genetic risk variant for necrotizing meningoencephalitis in pug dogs from Europe and association with the clinical phenotype.

Necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) in pugs is a potentially fatal disease, which needs lifelong treatment with immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory drugs and shares parallels with acute fulminating multiple sclerosis. Genetic variants of the DLA class II gene are associated with an increased risk for NME. Genetic testing is recommended prior to breeding. The aim of this study was to describe the current allele frequency of a previously identified NME risk variant in the European pug population. A secondary aim was to investigate the association of the NME risk variant with the clinical phenotype in pugs. Results of genetic testing for the CFA12:2605517delC variant in European pugs between 2012 and 2020 were retrieved (n = 5,974). A validated questionnaire was mailed to all submitters of samples for further information on neurological signs, diagnostic tests, and disease course. The allele frequency of the CFA12 NME risk variant was 25.7% in the European pug population dogs; 7.4% of the dogs were homozygous and 36.7% were heterozygous for the NME risk variant on CFA12. Completed questionnaires were available in 203 dogs including 25 dogs with epileptic seizures or other neurological signs. The clinical phenotype was consistent with NME in 3.9% with a median age of onset of 1.0 years, and indicative of idiopathic epilepsy in 2.9% with a median onset of 2.5 years. Eleven dogs remained unclassified. Pugs with the NME phenotype were significantly more frequently homozygous for the NME risk variant on CFA12 compared to pugs ≥6 years without neurological signs or seizures (p = 0.008). The CFA12:2605517delC genetic risk variant is widely distributed in the European pug population and frequently homozygous in pugs with a NME phenotype. The data support the clinical relevance of the CFA12:2605517delC genetic risk variant.

Assessment of glial fibrillary acidic protein and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein autoantibody concentrations and necrotising meningoencephalitis risk genotype in dogs with pug dog myelopathy.

Pugs commonly present with thoracolumbar myelopathy, also known as pug dog myelopathy (PDM), which is clinically characterised by progressive signs involving the pelvic limbs, no apparent signs of pain and, often, incontinence. In addition to meningeal fibrosis and focal spinal cord destruction, histopathology has confirmed lymphohistiocytic infiltrates in the central nervous system (CNS) in a considerable number of pugs with PDM. Lymphohistiocytic CNS inflammation also characterises necrotising meningoencephalitis (NME) in pugs. This study aimed to investigate the potential contribution of an immunological aetiology to the development of PDM. The concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in serum and CSF and of anti-GFAP autoantibodies in CSF were measured with an ELISA. In addition, a commercial test was used for genetic characterisation of the dog leukocyte antigen class II haplotype, which is associated with NME susceptibility. This study included 87 dogs: 52 PDM pugs, 14 control pugs, four NME pugs and 17 dogs of breeds other than pugs that were investigated for neurological disease (neuro controls). Anti-GFAP autoantibodies were present in 15 of 19 (79%) of the PDM pugs tested versus six of 16 (38%) of the neuro controls tested (p = 0.018). All 18 PDM pugs evaluated had detectable CSF GFAP. Serum GFAP was detected in two of three (67%) of the NME pugs and in two of 11 (18%) of the control pugs but not in any of the 40 tested PDM pugs. Male pugs heterozygous for the NME risk haplotype had an earlier onset of clinical signs (70 months) compared to male pugs without the risk haplotype (78 months) (p = 0.036). The study was limited bythe lack of healthy dogs of breeds other than pugs and the small numbers of control pugs and pugs with NME. The high proportion of PDM pugs with anti-GFAP autoantibodies and high CSF GFAP concentrations provide support for a potential immunological contribution to the development of PDM.

Diagnosis and treatment of Ehrlichiosis in a Pug dog

In addition to damaging the skin and causing inflammatory reactions and anemia, dog tick infestations are vectors for blood parasites such as Ehrlichia spp., known as Ehrlichiosis. This article reports the case of a five-year-old female Pug dog whose body was covered with ticks. The clinical examination found tick infestation on the face, ears, back, abdomen, legs, and interdigital areas. Supporting examinations included a complete blood count (CBC), buffy coat smear, and a test kit. CBC examination showed that the dog had leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hypochromic microcytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. A buffy coat smear examination showed the presence of Ehrlichia morulae in the cytoplasm of the dog's monocytes, and the test kit results were positive for Ehrlichia antibodies; therefore, the dog was diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis. Treatment is done by administering Doxycycline, Intervetta Dr. Choice Ferro-B, and Fu Fang Ejiao Jiang orally for 21 days. After treatment, hematological parameters in leukocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes, and platelets returned to normal ranges.

New insights into neuropathology and pathogenesis of autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein meningoencephalomyelitis.

Anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) meningoencephalomyelitis (autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy) is a new autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disease diagnosable by the presence of anti-GFAP autoantibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid and presents as meningoencephalomyelitis in the majority of patients. Only few neuropathological reports are available and little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms. We performed a histopathological study of two autopsies and nine CNS biopsies of patients with anti-GFAP autoantibodies and found predominantly a lymphocytic and in one autopsy case a granulomatous inflammatory phenotype. Inflammatory infiltrates were composed of B and T cells, including tissue-resident memory T cells. Although obvious astrocytic damage was absent in the GFAP-staining, we found cytotoxic T cell-mediated reactions reflected by the presence of CD8+/perforin+/granzyme A/B+ cells, polarized towards astrocytes. MHC-class-I was upregulated in reactive astrocytes of all biopsies and two autopsies but not in healthy controls. Importantly, we observed a prominent immunoreactivity of astrocytes with the complement factor C4d. Finally, we provided insight into an early phase of GFAP autoimmunity in an autopsy of a pug dog encephalitis that was characterized by marked meningoencephalitis with selective astrocytic damage with loss of GFAP and AQP4 in the lesions.Our histopathological findings indicate that a cytotoxic T cell-mediated immune reaction is present in GFAP autoimmunity. Complement C4d deposition on astrocytes could either represent the cause or consequence of astrocytic reactivity. Selective astrocytic damage is prominent in the early phase of GFAP autoimmunity in a canine autopsy case, but mild or absent in subacute and chronic stages in human disease, probably due to the high regeneration potential of astrocytes. The lymphocytic and granulomatous phenotypes might reflect different stages of lesion development or patient-specific modifications of the immune response. Future studies will be necessary to investigate possible implications of pathological subtypes for clinical disease course and therapeutic strategies.

Comparison of standard T2-weighted turbo spin echo and volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination magnetic resonance imaging sequences in the assessment of articular process dysplasia in Pug dogs with thoracolumbar myelopathy.

A retrospective study to compare the classification, as normal, hypoplastic or aplastic, of thoracic (T10-T13) caudal articular process (CAP) morphology in Pug dogs with a thoracolumbar myelopathy as normal, hypoplastic or aplastic, between T2 weighted Turbo Spin Echo (T2W-TSE), in sagittal and transverse planes, and Volumetric Interpolated Breath-hold Examination (VIBE) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) sequences, in comparison to Computed Tomography (CT). We hypothesized a stronger agreement for VIBE in comparison to T2W-TSE. Diagnostic accuracy of T2W-TSE was inferior to VIBE for aplastic (60%, 95% CI 0.561-0.639 vs. 78%, 95%CI 0.744-0.815) hypoplastic (44%, 95%CI 0.427-0.452 vs. 62.5%, 95%CI 0.595-0.655) and normal CAP (70%, 95%CI 0.655-0.744 vs. 87%, 95%CI 0.848-0.892). Superior accuracy of classification using VIBE vs. T2W-TSE sequences using the McNemar Chi squared test was significant for aplastic (p = 0.0002) and normal CAP (p = 0.004). VIBE sequences had a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 75% to detect CAP abnormality and with T2W-TSE imaging sensitivity 81% and specificity of 75%. Three-dimensionally reconstructable VIBE sequences were significantly more accurate than traditional T2W-TSE MRI sequences in classifying CAP morphology, which should reduce the need for CT for pre-operative assessment.

Utilization of a Decellularized Skin Scaffold for Repair of a Cleft Palate in a Dog: A Case Report.

Cleft palates are oral deformities that mostly affect puppies. They are frequently extensive and characterized by bone and palatal mucosa malformation. This deformity is a serious condition that may result in the death of the dog, therefore surgical treatment is recommended. Tissue bioengineering has emerged as a valuable option to treat cleft palates by applying acellular biological scaffolds as grafts. This case report proposed a new approach for surgical correction of canine cleft palate through a grafting technique using a decellularized scaffold. A decellularized portion of skin was implanted to correct a large cleft palate in a 3-month-old female Pug dog. The skin fragment was obtained from a dog cadaver and a decellularization protocol was performed. Under general anesthesia, a bilateral mucoperiosteal separation of the entire length of cleft margins was performed, and the scaffold was then positioned between the tissue and the bone palate. The interaction of the grafted scaffold with the oral mucosa and palatine layers resulted in total cleft closure, without postsurgical rejection or infection, indicating the applicability of this technique in dog's cleft palate correction. This is the first reported case demonstrating this new technique, which resulted in full cleft closure and healing.

Urolithiasis in a Pug dog: Case report

The objective of this study was to present a case of urolithiasis in a nine-year and eleven-month-old Pug, weighing nine kilos, with a history of urolithiasis. Upon physical examination, the animal presented apathy and abdominal pain on palpation. Upon ultrasound examination, it was not possible to identify the presence of uroliths in the urinary tract. The animal underwent surgical treatment, with cystotomy being the most suitable for this type of case. A cystotomy is an incision in the urinary bladder to remove uroliths, which can be made up of various minerals and of varying sizes. In the postoperative period, a diet change was indicated to reduce the chances of recurrences, since an inadequate diet is one of the factors for the formation of uroliths when there is certain predisposition.

Thoracolumbar myelopathies in pug dogs.

Constrictive myelopathy (CM) involving a fibrous band around the spinal cord is a newly recognized disease in pug dogs. To identify the frequency of CM based on diagnostic imaging supplemented with necropsy; to determine whether a relationship exists between the sites of CM and other described T3-L3 myelopathies; and to determine the frequency of caudal articular process dysplasia (CAPD). Thirty-two client-owned pug dogs diagnosed with a chronic, progressive T3-L3 myelopathy based on neurological examination performed by a board-certified neurologist. This is a prospective study. All dogs underwent computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reviewed by a board-certified radiologist. Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were categorized into diseases; CM only, CM plus other non-CM condition(s), or non-CM condition. Sites of CAPD were reported on CT. Nineteen dogs underwent necropsy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed 3 dogs with CM only, 17 with CM plus at least 1 other myelopathy, 11 dogs with non-CM myelopathies only, and 1 with no MRI abnormalities. Nineteen of 32 dogs had >1 myelopathy diagnosis on MRI whereas 15/32 had >1 site of spinal cord compression. All dogs had CAPD at >1 site in the T3-L3 vertebral column on CT. Constrictive myelopathy affected more than half of pug dogs presenting with chronic thoracolumbar myelopathies. Most had multilevel disease, concurrent myelopathies, or both. There was no apparent relationship between anatomic locations of CAPD and most severe myelopathy or myelopathy type.

Multiple Genetic Loci Associated with Pug Dog Thoracolumbar Myelopathy.

Pug dogs with thoracolumbar myelopathy (PDM) present with a specific clinical phenotype that includes progressive pelvic limb ataxia and paresis, commonly accompanied by incontinence. Vertebral column malformations and lesions, excessive scar tissue of the meninges, and central nervous system inflammation have been described. PDM has a late onset and affects more male than female dogs. The breed-specific presentation of the disorder suggests that genetic risk factors are involved in the disease development. To perform a genome-wide search for PDM-associated loci, we applied a Bayesian model adapted for mapping complex traits (BayesR) and a cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity test (XP-EHH) in 51 affected and 38 control pugs. Nineteen associated loci (harboring 67 genes in total, including 34 potential candidate genes) and three candidate regions under selection (with four genes within or next to the signal) were identified. The multiple candidate genes identified have implicated functions in bone homeostasis, fibrotic scar tissue, inflammatory responses, or the formation, regulation, and differentiation of cartilage, suggesting the potential relevance of these processes to the pathogenesis of PDM.

Neurological Disorders in Pug Dogs: a Retrospective Study of 285 Cases (2013 – 2020) from a Single Referral Hospital in the United Kingdom

Pugs are commonly affected by neurological disorders and this retrospective observational study aims to describe what pathologies were more commonly diagnosed, their diagnostic approach and clinical features. This study was performed in a single referral hospital in the United Kingdom (UK). Medical records of pugs referred to the Neurology & Neurosurgery department from 2013 to 2020 were retrieved. Signalment, presenting complaint, presence of pain at neurological examination and diagnostic tests were recorded. Final diagnosis was classified as: encephalopathies, myelopathies or peripheral nervous system (PNS) disease. Descriptive and univariate statistical analysis were performed. A total of 285 records were included in the study. The most common presenting complaints were: ambulatory paraparesis (27.6%), seizures (20.3%), ataxia (16.4%), spinal pain (10.1%) and vestibular signs (5.6%). Myelopathies were diagnosed in 64.7% of pugs, while encephalopathies and PNS disease in 29.7% and 5.3% of pugs respectively. Different types of intervertebral disc diseases (IVDDs; 44.3%), spinal arachnoid diverticulum (SAD; 22.2%) and vertebral malformations (VMs; 18.9%) were the most prevalent myelopathies. Idiopathic epilepsy (IE; 44.7%) and meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology (MUA; 29.4%) were the most common encephalopathies. Peripheral vestibular syndrome (60%) and masticatory muscle myositis (20%) were the most prevalent PNS diseases. Pugs with IVDDs were more likely to be painful than pugs diagnosed with SAD and VMs. In this study, IVDDs, SAD and VMs were the most represented myelopathies, while IE and MUA the most prevalent encephalopathies. SAD and VMs were found to be non-painful myelopathies, as opposed to IVDDs being painful. These results may be used as a guide reflecting the prevalence of neurological diseases in a larger population of pugs.

Double vena cava cranialis in a female Pug – a case report

The purpose of the present case report was to describe an extremely rare variation of vena cava cranialis in a Pug dog observed during routine dissection. The right cranial vena cava was normally represented, while the left cranial vein was described as an exception and very rarely in mammalian orders with an asymmetric cranial hollow vein, while there are animal classes and orders in which the double, symmetrical cranial hollow vein is normally present. The different end in the right atrium of this extra vein, visualised by imaging methods, can be misinterpreted as pathology of the heart. The left cranial vena cava is an important finding during radiological examination, as well as for specialists dealing with breeding and hereditary anomalies.

Genomic Characterisation of Canis Familiaris Papillomavirus Type 24, a Novel Papillomavirus Associated with Extensive Pigmented Plaque Formation in a Pug Dog.

Numerous large dark plaques developed over the ventrum, legs and head of a 9-year-old pug dog over a 4-year-period. Histology confirmed a diagnosis of viral pigmented plaque and a short section of a novel papillomavirus (PV) type was amplified using consensus PCR primers. Taking advantage of the circular nature of PV DNA, 'outward facing' PCR primers allowed amplification of the full sequence. As this is the 24th PV known to infect dogs, the novel PV was designated canine papillomavirus (CPV) type 24. The CPV24 genome contained putative coding regions for 5 early proteins and 2 late ones. The CPV24 open reading frame L1 showed the highest (78.2%) similarity to CPV4 and phylogenetic analysis showed that CPV24 clustered with CPV4 and CPV16 suggesting CPV24 is the third species 2 Chipapillomavirus type identified in dogs. This is the third report of extensive pigmented plaques covering a high proportion of the skin. Both previous cases were caused CPV4 and, considering the high genetic similarity between CPV4 and CP24, infection by these CPV types may predispose to more severe clinical disease. In addition, as plaques caused by CPV16 appear more likely to progress to neoplasia, the detection of a species 2 Chipapillomavirus within a pigmented plaque may indicate the potential for more severe disease.

A potential early clinical phenotype of necrotizing meningoencephalitis in genetically at-risk pug dogs.

BackgroundNecrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) in the pug dogs is a fatal neuroinflammatory disease associated with rapid progression and poor response to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Diagnosis is typically made after severe neurological abnormalities have manifested.Hypothesis/ObjectivePug dogs at genetic risk for NME might manifest neurological abnormalities before developing pathognomonic clinical signs of NME.AnimalsThirty‐six pug dogs less than 4 years of age asymptomatic for NME.MethodsProspective observational cohort study with germline genome‐wide genotyping. Neurological examinations were performed 4 weeks apart to document reproducible findings of central nervous system disease. Magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and testing for infectious diseases were performed in all pugs with reproducible abnormalities detected on neurological examination.ResultsThe overall risk allele frequency in this cohort was 40%; 5 (14%) dogs were high risk, 19 (53%) dogs were medium risk, and 12 (33%) dogs were low genetic risk for NME. Reproducible abnormalities detected on neurological examination were identified in 8/24 (33%) genetically at‐risk dogs and 0/12 (0%) low risk dogs. Clinical abnormalities included multifocal spinal pain in 8/8, reduced menace response in 5/8, and lateralizing postural reaction deficits in 5/8 pugs. There was a strong association between genotype risk and the presence of this clinical phenotype (P = .03).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceOur findings suggest the presence of a novel early clinical phenotype of NME in apparently asymptomatic genetically at‐risk pugs which might be used to plan early diagnostic and therapeutic clinical trials.

Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections

BackgroundPugs are a brachycephalic dog breed that has become phenomenally popular over recent decades. However, there is growing concern about serious health and welfare issues in the breed. To augment the evidence-base on the comparative health of Pugs, this study aimed to compare the odds of common disorders between Pugs and all remaining dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK during 2016.A cross-sectional study design of VetCompass clinical records was used to estimate the one-year (2016) period prevalence for the disorders most commonly diagnosed in Pugs and non-Pugs. Risk factor analysis applied multivariable logistic regression modelling methods to compare the odds of 40 common disorders between Pugs and non-Pugs.ResultsFrom a study population of 905,544 dogs, the analysis included random samples of 4308 Pugs and 21,835 non-Pugs. Pugs were younger (2.36 years, range 0.07–16.24 vs 4.44 years, range 0.01–20.46, p < 0.001) and lighter (8.95 kg, range 5.00–13.60 vs. 14.07 kg, range 1.41–85.00, p < 0.001) than non-Pugs. Pugs had 1.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.72 to 2.01) times the adjusted odds of diagnosis with ≥1 disorder than non-Pugs. Pugs had significantly increased adjusted odds for 23/40 (57.5%) common disorders. These included: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (odds ratio [OR] 53.92; 95% CI 36.22 to 80.28), stenotic nares (OR 51.25; 95% CI 24.93 to 105.37) and corneal ulceration (OR 13.01; 95% CI 10.50 to 16.11). Conversely, Pugs had significantly reduced adjusted odds of 7/40 (17.5%) common disorders compared to non-Pugs. These included: heart murmur (OR 0.23; 95% 0.13 to 0.14), lipoma (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.55) and aggression (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.47).ConclusionsThe current study highlights that predispositions outnumber protections between Pugs and non-Pugs for common disorders, suggesting some critical health welfare challenges to overcome for Pugs. Highly differing heath profiles between Pugs and other dogs in the UK suggest that the Pug has diverged substantially from mainstream dog breeds and can no longer be considered as a typical dog from a health perspective.

Little Puggies: Consuming Cuteness and Deforming Motherhood in Susan Ferrier’s Marriage

Frequently represented as substitutes for children by eighteenth-century satirists and moralists, lapdogs stood accused of distracting their mistresses from maternal obligations. These women supposedly projected the feelings and desires of children onto their canine companions. In Susan Ferrier’s Marriage (1818), the target of this animal-commodity fetishism is the pug dog. Why was this particular lapdog so well-suited to the attentions of consumers and critics, and what might “ugly” animals beloved by people tell us about human tastes? Reading contemporary aesthetic theory alongside eighteenth-century literary and material culture reveals that the quality identified today as “cuteness” was considered a factor in women’s affection for certain pets. Just as aesthetic theorists find freakishness to be concomitant to cuteness, so too did critics of these dogs discuss the pug’s “deformity.” Current debates about the moral worth of cuteness likewise have eighteenth-century analogues. In Marriage, Juliana Douglas’s interactions with her companion animals and their ceramic simulacra reveal the threat posed by the cute and its ability to collapse distinctions between objects, animals, and people.

Leukocyte and cytokine variables in asymptomatic Pugs at genetic risk of necrotizing meningoencephalitis.

BackgroundNecrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME, aka Pug dog encephalitis) is an inflammatory brain condition associated with advanced disease at initial presentation, rapid progression, and poor response to conventional immunomodulatory therapy.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThat genetic risk for NME, defined by a common germline DNA haplotype located on chromosome 12, is associated with altered blood cytokine concentrations and leukocyte subsets in asymptomatic Pugs.AnimalsForty Pug dogs asymptomatic for NME from a hospital sample.MethodsProspective observational cohort study, including germline genome‐wide genotyping, plasma cytokine determination by multiplexed profiling, and leukocyte subset characterization by flow cytometric analysis.ResultsSeven (18%) dogs were high risk, 10 (25%) medium risk, and 23 (58%) low risk for NME, giving a risk haplotype frequency of 30%. High and medium risk Pugs had significantly lower proportion of CD4+ T cells (median 22% [range, 7.3%‐38%] vs 29% [range, 16%‐41%], P = .03) and higher plasma IL‐10 concentrations than low‐risk Pugs (median 14.11 pg/mL [range, 9.66‐344.19 pg/mL] vs 12.21 pg/mL [range, 2.59‐18.53 pg/mL], P = .001). No other variables were significantly associated with the NME haplotype‐based risk.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThese data suggest an immunological underpinning to NME and a biologic rationale for future clinical trials that investigate novel diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic strategies for this disease.

Comparing Glycerol with Dimethylformamide and Combination for Cryopreservation of Pug Dog Semen in Egg Yolk Plasma Containing Extender

Background: In order to find an alternative cryoprotectant for canine semen, different cryoprotectants, as dimethyl sulphoxide and ethylene glycol, dimethyle formamide either alone or in combination with glycerol have been evaluated on pooled semen of different breeds with different opinions. Methods: In the current study the effect of glycerol, DMF and their combination in Tris-citric acid-fructose egg yolk plasma extender on motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity (PMI), acrosome integrity (AI), inner mitochondrial membrane potential (IMMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes in frozen-thaw semen of pug breed was compared. Result: Values for motility, viability, (PMI), AI were significantly (p less than 0.05) high in TCFEYP-G compared to TCFEYP-DMF and TCFEYP-G+DMF at post thaw. However, HIMMP and MIMMP/MDA were non-significantly (P greater than 0.05) high and low in TCFEYP-G compared to TCFEYP-DMF and TCFEYP- G + DMF at post thaw, respectively. MDA concentration was significantly (p less than 0.05) low in TCFEYP-G compared to TCFEYP-DMF and TCFEYP-G + TCFEYP-DMF extenders. However, H2O2, scavenging capacity of spermatozoa, cryopreserved in TCFEYP-G was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than in TCFEYP-DMF and TCFEYP-G + TCFEYP-DMF. However, there was no significant (p greater than 0.05) difference in superoxide free radical scavenging activity and nitrite concentration of spermatozoa among the three extenders. Activity of GPX, SOD and Catalase was also significantly (p less than 0.05) higher in TCFEYP-G compared to TCFEYP-DMF and TCFEYP-G+DMF. However, values were reverse for GRE activity. This study concludes that glycerol is a healthier cryoprotectant to protect canine spermatozoa from cryo-injury during freezing-thawing process.

Epidemiological study of congenital malformations of the vertebral column in French bulldogs, English bulldogs and pugs

Congenital vertebral body malformations (CVBMs) have retrospectively been investigated in British and American canine populations. This study prospectively evaluates occurrence, localization, type and characteristic of CVBM along the entire vertebral column in a cohort of French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Pug dogs from Germany. Prospective clinical and radiological screenings for CVBM were performed in brachycephalic dogs presented for reasons unrelated to neurological problems. Neurological and orthopaedic examinations as well as radiographs in two orthogonal planes of the entire vertebral column including the tail were performed in all dogs. Cobb angle and vertebral step were determined. Associations between CVBM, tail malformation, neurological deficits and occurrence of concurrent orthopaedic diseases were investigated. A total of 707 VBMs were identified in the whole vertebral column of 169 of 265 brachycephalic dogs. The most common types of CVBMs were ventral wedge shape (48%), dorsal wedge shape (14%) and shortened vertebral body (14%). A new type of malformation was investigated: dorsal wedge shape vertebrae. There was significant association between severe tail malformations with CVBM. Neurological deficits were significantly associated with ventrolateral wedge shape, dorso lateral hemivertebrae, Cobb angle>30% and vertebral step ≥1.75mm. Orthopaedic conditions were not significantly associated with CVBM. Kyphotic Cobb angle and vertebral step are radiological findings associated with neurological deficits. We propose severe tail malformation as an easy and accurate selection factor for determining breeding dogs.

Calcified uterine leiomyoma: A rare association with inguinal hernia in a dog

AbstractA 10‐year‐old intact female Pug dog was presented with a 3‐month history of left inguinal distension. A tentative diagnosis of cystic endometrial hyperplasia and uterine mineralisation with inguinal herniation was made together with palpation, abdominal radiographic and ultrasonographic examination. Ovariohysterectomy and hernioplasty were simultaneously performed. The left uterine horn was herniated through the inguinal ring. On histopathology, multinodular calcified uterine leiomyoma associated with a diffuse endometrial cystic hyperplasia was diagnosed. Uterine herniation should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inguinal mass in an intact bitch, and uterine neoplasia may be found as an underlying disease.

Study on various affections of lower urinary tract in dogs

A total of 55 cases were selected with the different affections of lower urinary tract from year September-2017 to July-2019. The age and sex wise distribution of different disorders of lower urinary tract revealed the age of dogs ranged from one and half year to eighteen years. The age and sex wise distribution of different disorders of lower urinary tract revealed the age of dogs ranged from one and half year to eighteen years. Urolithiasis (52.73 %, n=29) was higher in 7 to 9 years aged dogs (18.18 %), in male dogs (38.18 Vs. 14.55 %). The dogs having non-urolithiasis conditions (n=26, 47.27 %), comprised percent cystitis (n=17), mass in bladder (n=8) (30.91 and 15.54, respectively) and a case of lodged catheter in bladder. The incidence of cystitis and mass in bladder were higher in the age of up to 3 (14.54 %) and 7 to 9 years (9.10 %), respectively. The male dogs were found to be suffering more from cystitis (25.45 %) and mass in bladder (36.36 %) than female dogs (5.45 % and 9.09%, each affection). Labrador and Pug dogs had higher urolithiasis and cystitis up to 14.54 and 7.23 %, each, respectively, whereas German Shepherd had a mass in bladder up to 5.45 %. The dogs given commercial food had higher (31.03 %) urolithiasis. The morbidity period of 24 to 48 hours was observed in dogs having urolithiasis (41.38 %) and cystitis (52.94 %) whereas for dogs having mass in the bladder (52.50 %) had the morbidity lasting for more than a week. The most pronounced clinical signs in dogs having urolithiasis and cystitis were distended bladder in 48.28 % (14) and 70.59 % (12), respectively, whereas haematuria in all cases of mass in bladder. A dog with a lodged catheter in bladder was morbid for more than 72 hrs with a dribbling of urine.