Rehoming Centre Research Articles

Human allergy to cats: A review of the impact on cat ownership and relinquishment

Practical relevance:Cats have become increasingly common as companion animals, and in many countries their popularity now exceeds that of dogs. At the same time, human allergies (including allergy to cats) have been increasing and it has been estimated that globally up to 10-20% of human adults are sensitised to cats.Aim:This review summarises the available published data on how human allergy to cats affects cat ownership and considers the implications of the findings on the wider human-cat bond and how adverse effects can be minimised.Evidence base:Online databases were searched for all original studies up to December 2020 that had quantified the impact of human allergy to cats on ownership or relinquishment. Objective quantifiable data appeared to fall into three broad outcomes - (1) choosing to avoid cat ownership; (2) relinquishment of owned cats; and (3) return of cats after acquisition from a rehoming centre. The data retrieved on these topics are the focus of this review. In some studies, data from cats and dogs were combined and these have also been included in the review.

Celia Hammond Animal Trust - a day in the life of

ABSTRACT: There are a lot of rehoming centres doing essential wok with matching new owners with potential pets. Ideally, veterinary practices should encourage people to rehome animals rather than buying a new kitten or puppy. One rehoming centre, the Celia Hammond Trust, was initially set up to provide low-cost neutering clinics to control the feral cat population and now runs several rehoming centres providing loving animals with new owners. This second article describes a typical day for the staff at the Canning Town centre and includes an interview with Celia Hammond herself, looking at her passion for animal welfare.

The scent of enrichment: Exploring the effect of odour and biological salience on behaviour during enrichment of kennelled dogs

Worldwide, millions of dogs are held in kennels for extended periods of time and may experience compromised welfare. Enrichment, often using toys, is considered important to minimize the negative impacts of kennelling. However, the value of this enrichment may be based on various sensory facets of such toys and untangling the relative contributions is a residual challenge. Therefore, improving the utility of toys as enrichment is contingent on an improved understanding of the relationship between the properties of a toy and a dog's interaction with it. The present study aimed to evaluate the addition of two different scents to toys, both presumed to have a different level of biological salience. The behaviour and level of toy engagement of 44 singly housed dogs in a rehoming centre was compared amongst no-toy (NT), unscented-toy (T) and scented-toy (T+) treatments. For T + two scents were used: rabbit (T + R) and lavender (T + L). Toys were colour and type-matched for each treatment. Many of the datasets were zero-inflated therefore a Hurdle analysis was used to explore the relationships amongst the treatments. Non-zero inflated behavioural data were analysed using a Linear Mixed Model to discern treatment effect. Dogs were significantly more likely to interact, and interacted for longer, with scented toys. This was both in comparison to periods when only unscented toys were present and when both scented and unscented toys were simultaneously presented. However, there was no difference in response to the rabbit or lavender scented toys. Provision of scent also significantly reduced stress related behaviours and increased exploration. However, alterations in behaviour were not directly related to likelihood or amount of toy use, suggesting the scents were altering behaviour through means other than increasing physical enrichment use. These findings suggest that augmentation of toys using scents may improve engagement of dogs with them, and positively affect behavioural welfare indicators in the kennelled environment. The use of novel scents may therefore promote better welfare in kennels irrespective of their presumed biological salience, but differing scents should be further trialled.

Impact of Socio-Economic Status on Accessibility of Dog Training Classes.

Simple SummaryBehaviour problems are among the most common reasons owners give for relinquishing their dog to a rehoming centre. Dog training and owner education classes can help prevent behaviour problems, but some people may not attend these due to cost and other barriers, particularly people on low incomes. This study compared the engagement of dog owners recruited in areas with high levels of socio-economic deprivation who were offered free face-to-face dog training classes or an online dog training course. The study aimed to find out whether the online or the face-to-face formats were better at reducing barriers to learning about dog behaviour. There were high dropout rates from both types of courses; none of the participants finished the online course, and 43% of people did not reach the end of the face-to-face classes. A course of paid dog training classes with similar content, running in the same geographic area, had a comparatively low dropout rate (24%). Participants who completed the free face-to-face classes had significantly higher household incomes and were less likely to receive means-tested benefits than participants who dropped out. This evidence suggests that low income dog owners may face other barriers to attending dog training classes, aside from, or in addition to, cost. Future research should investigate people’s reasons for not continuing with dog training courses in order to support the development of training and behaviour advice delivery that is accessible to everyone.Behaviour problems are amongst the most common reasons given for relinquishing dogs to rehoming centres. Some behaviour problems may be amenable to being tackled pre-emptively with classes educating owners on basic dog training and understanding behaviour; however, it is recognised that people with low socio-economic status (SES) may face barriers to attending classes such as affordability, variable working hours, and limited access to transport and childcare. The current study piloted free-to-use dog training and owner education classes in areas with high levels of economic deprivation, both in the traditional face-to-face format and online. It was hypothesised that providing an online dog training course may help people overcome practical barriers by allowing them to complete training modules in their own time. High dropout rates were observed in both formats (online: 100%, face-to-face: 43% dropout). A course of paid dog training classes running in the same area saw a comparatively low dropout rate (24%). Participants who completed the face-to-face classes had significantly higher household incomes and were less likely to receive means-tested benefits than participants who dropped out (household income p = 0.049; benefits status p = 0.017). This evidence suggests that people with low SES may face non-course fee-related barriers to attending dog training classes. Future research should include a qualitative investigation of people’s reasons for not continuing with dog training courses. Study findings can support the development of training and behaviour advice delivery that is accessible to people with varied socio-economic backgrounds.

One-year parasitological screening of stray dogs and cats in County Dublin, Ireland.

To date, there are no recent studies identifying the prevalence of parasites of human and veterinary importance in dogs and cats in Ireland. The interaction between pets and wildlife species in the environment is an important source of parasite exposure to canids and felines, and one likely to be heightened in the stray animal population. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of endoparasites in unowned dogs and cats in County Dublin, Ireland. Feces from stray dogs (n = 627) and cats (n = 289) entering a rehoming centre were collected immediately after defecation. The main parasitic agents detected were ascarids (15.52 and 30.26%), Cystoisospora (3.27 and 3.69%), Giardia spp. (6.02 and 1.84%) and lungworms (0.64 and 2.08%), in dogs and cats respectively. Animals younger than 3 months of age were more likely to be infected with ascarids (P < 0.001) and Cystoisospora spp. (P = 0.008 and P = 0.014) than older animals. All lungworms were morphologically identified and dogs were infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum (0.48%) and Crenosoma vulpis (0.16%) whereas cats were only infected with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (2.08%). This represents the first prevalence study of stray animals in Ireland. Data collected will inform the treatment and in addition, the future monitoring and control studies of parasite populations.

Prevalence of and risk factors for FIV and FeLV infection in two shelters in the United Kingdom (2011–2012)

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections in cats presented to two RSPCA (Royal Society for...

The global population diversity of Streptococcus equi highlights transmission across international boundaries

The genomes of 499 strains of S. equi, which were isolated between 1955 and 2015 from horses across the world, were sequenced to study the phylogenetic relationships of strains of different geographical and temporal origins. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed based on single nucleotide polymorphisms in the core genome and the genetic diversity of isolates was examined relative to the country of origin. The molecular epidemiology of outbreaks, where information was available, was investigated in greater depth to enable the identification of outbreak sources. Sequencing strains from an outbreak at a rehoming centre in Norfolk, UK, in early 2015 identified that a breakdown in biosecurity measures in the isolation yard was responsible for recent cases of disease. This information enabled rapid remedial actions to be implemented, which minimised further cases and facilitated the resolution of the outbreak. The sequences of isolates recovered from an outbreak of strangles at a rehoming centre in Lincolnshire, UK, during 2007/8 provided evidence that this outbreak was triggered by persistently infected carrier animals, most likely from a previous spate of disease on this site. Following the outbreak, the identification and treatment of persistently infected horses enabled the eradication of S. equi from these premises. The transmission of four strains of S. equi linked to the import of horses from Europe led to multiple outbreaks of strangles in Dubai. Our data highlight potential benefits of preexport screening for the effective identification and treatment of carrier animals. Certain groups of S. equi were restricted to particular outbreaks or countries, for example isolates in Australia and New Zealand were related. However, the populations of S. equi recovered from several European countries (Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and the UK) and Dubai were virtually indistinguishable. Our data highlight that the international movement of horses facilitates cross-border transmission of S. equi. International transmission is most likely to occur through a failure of pre-import health checks and quarantine procedures to identify outwardly healthy persistently infected animals. Pre-movement screening can identify persistently infected horses and prevent outbreaks of strangles. However,

Does cat attachment have an effect on human health? A comparison between owners and volunteers

Cat owners and volunteers from a rehoming centre were given the Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale (LAPS) questionnaire to assess their level of attachment to their own or rescue cats. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure were measured 10 minutes before, during, and after spending time with the cats. Consistent with other studies, the results here show that spending time with a cat can reduce heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that this reduction is generally more pronounced in the cats’ owners rather than in volunteers from a cat rehoming centre. For owners, levels of attachment as measured by the LAPS scale were positively associated with this reduction in metabolic measurements before and during pet presence; i.e. the difference (B-D) was positively correlated with the level of attachment. This was not observed for volunteers. Interestingly, however, reported levels of attachment were not significantly different between owners and volunteers. For owners, duration of ownership had a positive effect on the level of attachment reported and this effect increased sharply after two plus years of ownership. This contribution to Human Animal Interaction (HAI) research suggests that attachment is an important factor in promoting health benefits to owners.

Cardiomyopathy prevalence in 780 apparently healthy cats in rehoming centres (the CatScan study)

ObjectivesHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) appears to be common in cats and, based on pilot data, a prevalence of 15% has been hypothesized. The objectives were to screen a large population of apparently healthy adult cats for cardiac disease, and identify factors associated with a diagnosis of HCM. AnimalsA total of 1007 apparently healthy cats ≥6 months of age. MethodsIn this prospective, cross-sectional study, the inclusion criteria were: apparently healthy cats, aged ≥6 months, available for rehoming over a 17-month period from two rehoming centres. Hypertensive or hyperthyroid cats were excluded. Body weight, body condition score, auscultation, systolic blood pressure and two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography were evaluated. Cats with left ventricular end-diastolic wall thickness ≥6 mm on 2-D echocardiography were considered to have HCM. ResultsComplete data were obtained in 780 cats. Heart murmur prevalence was 40.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 37.3–44.3%), 70.4% of which were considered functional. The prevalence of HCM was 14.7% (95% CI 12.3–17.4%), congenital disease 0.5% (95% CI 0.1–1.3%), and other cardiomyopathies 0.1% (95% CI 0.0–0.7%). The HCM prevalence increased with age. The positive predictive value of a heart murmur for indicating HCM was 17.9–42.6% (higher in old cats), and the negative predictive value was 90.2–100% (higher in young cats). The factors associated with a diagnosis of HCM in binary logistic regression models were male sex, increased age, increased body condition score and a heart murmur (particularly grade III/VI or louder). ConclusionsHypertrophic cardiomyopathy is common in apparently healthy cats, in contrast with other cardiomyopathies. Heart murmurs are also common, and are often functional.

Troubled horses need exceptional homes

Vicki Alford, Horse Unit Manager at Blue Cross Rehoming Centre in Burford explains why the pet charity has an influx of troubled horses that need extra special homes.

Identifying environmental and management factors that may be associated with the quality of life of kennelled dogs (Canis familiaris)

This paper describes the use of a validated quality of life assessment tool (described elsewhere) to identify environmental and management factors that may affect quality of life in dogs kennelled in rehoming centres. Dogs were allocated to one of the four treatment groups, all of which had a positive (0.0–1.0) average quality of life score: long stay dogs with an enriched routine had a mean score of 0.477; long stay dogs with a standard routine had a mean score of 0.453; newly admitted dogs with an enriched routine had a mean score of 0.399; and newly admitted dogs with a standard routine had a mean score of 0.362. Only 2% of the dogs had a negative score (−1.0–0.0). Thirteen rehoming centre managers completed a questionnaire relating to the kennel environment and management practices of their rehoming centres. The environmental and management factors’ associations with quality of life scores, collected from 202 dogs from the 13 rehoming centres using this scoring system, were analysed as fixed factors in a linear mixed-effect model, with rehoming centre fitted as a random factor, and a multiple linear regression model. There was a statistically significant association between quality of life scores and rehoming centre (H(12)=54.153, p<0.001), however, the fitted linear mixed-effect model did not improve upon the null model and therefore cannot be used to explain the 29% variance in quality of life scores attributed to rehoming centre. The multiple linear regression model explained 42% of the variation in quality of life scores (F(10,131)=9.318, p<0.001): the provision of bunk beds increased quality of life scores by 0.3 (t=3.476, p<0.001); provision of 30min or more of staff or volunteer interaction increased scores by 0.26 (t=−2.551, p=0.012); grooming dogs decreased scores by 0.404 (t=3.326, p=0.001); exercising dogs more than once a day decreased scores by 0.173 (t=−3.644, p=<0.001), whereas exercising dogs for 30min or more increased quality of life scores by 0.213 (t=−2.374, p=0.019) and the provision of less common types of exercise increased scores by 0.504 (t=5.120, p<0.001); training dogs for 30min or more every day increased scores by 0.688 (t=3.040, p=0.003) and training dogs less than daily decreased scores by 0.393 (t=−4.245, p<0.001); feeding a diet of dry and wet food compared to dry food alone decreased scores by 0.08 (t=−2.331, p=0.021); and a quiet environment increased scores by 0.275 (t=−3.459, p<0.001). These results suggest that environmental design and kennel management have an impact on the quality of life of kennelled dogs and should be considered carefully in decision-making processes. However, further study may be required as grooming and exercising dogs more than once per day decreased quality of life scores, which are not obviously intuitive results.

‘Four Seasons’ in an animal rescue centre; classical music reduces environmental stress in kennelled dogs

On admission to rescue and rehoming centres dogs are faced with a variety of short- and long-term stressors including novelty, spatial/social restriction and increased noise levels. Animate and inanimate environmental enrichment techniques have been employed within the kennel environment in an attempt to minimise stress experienced by dogs. Previous studies have shown the potential physiological and psychological benefits of auditory stimulation, particularly classical music, within the kennel environment. This study determined the physiological/psychological changes that occur when kennelled dogs are exposed to long-term (7days) auditory stimulation in the form of classical music through assessment of effects on heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol and behaviour. The study utilised a cross over design in which two groups were exposed to two consecutive 7day treatments; silence (control) and classical music (test). Group A was studied under silent conditions followed by 7days of test conditions during which a fixed classical music playlist was played from 10:00–16:30h. Group B received treatment in the reverse order. Results showed that auditory stimulation induced changes in HRV and behavioural data indicative of reduced stress levels in dogs in both groups (salivary cortisol data did not show any consistent patterns of change throughout the study). Specifically, there was a significant increase in HRV parameters such as μRR, STDRR, RMSSD, pNN50, RRTI, SD1 and SD2 and a significant decrease in μHR and LF/HF from the first day of silence (S1) to the first day of music (M1). Similarly, examination of behavioural data showed that dogs in both groups spent significantly more time sitting/lying and silent and less time standing and barking during auditory stimulation. General Regression Analysis (GRA) of the change in HRV parameters from S1 to M1 revealed that male dogs responded better to auditory stimulation relative to female. Interestingly, HRV and behavioural data collected on the seventh day of music (M2) was similar to that collected on S1 suggesting that the calming effects of music are lost within the 7days of exposure. A small ‘9-Day’ study was conducted in attempt to determine the time-scale in which dogs become habituated to classical music and examination of the results suggests that this occurs within as soon as the second day of exposure. The results of this study show the potential of auditory stimulation as a highly effective environmental enrichment technique for kennelled dogs. However, the results also indicate the requirement for further investigations into the way in which auditory stimulation should be incorporated within the daily kennel management regime in order to harness the full physiological and psychological benefits of music.

Development and validation of a quality of life assessment tool for use in kennelled dogs (Canis familiaris)

There is currently no objective and validated quality of life assessment tool available to assess the quality of life of domestic dogs in kennels. This study aimed to develop a validated scoring system to assess the quality of life of dogs kennelled in rehoming centres. Objective animal-based measures of welfare and quality of life, identified from the scientific literature, were included in the scoring system to indicate negative and positive quality of life. Each item was scored using a binary system to minimise subjectivity in scoring. Dogs were recruited from 13 rehoming centres into four different treatment groups: group NS consisted of dogs that had newly arrived at the shelter and received a standard husbandry routine; group NE consisted of dogs that had newly arrived at the shelter and received an enrichment programme; group LS consisted of dogs that had been in the centre for more than 30 days and received a standard husbandry routine; and group LE consisted of dogs that had been in the shelter for more than 30 days and received an enrichment programme. Inter-observer reliability of each item was established and internal consistency of the entire score was assessed: seven unreliable items were removed and the scoring system was refined. 26.7% (ICC1=0.267) of the variation in quality of life scores was explained by rehoming centre group membership, and rehoming centre groups could reliably be differentiated in terms of quality of life scores (ICC2=0.832). Therefore, quality of life scores varied between rehoming centres but other factors must exist to explain the remaining 73.3% of the variation in quality of life scores. The addition of an enrichment programme and later recruitment onto the study increased quality of life scores by 0.035±0.027 (SE) and 0.086±0.027 (SE), respectively. These increases represent an 8.27% and a 20.33% improvement on the overall (across all treatment groups) mean QoL score (0.423). Evidence of good content, construct and criterion validity was established, however, internal consistency was found to be poor, indicating that the reliability of the score could be improved.

Short term consequences of preventing visitor access to kennels on noise and the behaviour and physiology of dogs housed in a rescue shelter

Re-homing centres present a range of potential stressors to kennelled dogs which are likely to impact negatively on their welfare. Despite the presence of visitors to the kennel often being considered a potential stressor, empirical investigation into their impact on the behaviour and welfare of kennelled dogs in re-homing centres is lacking. This study investigated the influence of changing visitor access policy from open access to prohibited viewing at kennels (with organised single meetings for viewing dogs outside of the kennel environment) on the welfare of 15 dogs housed in a dog-only re-homing facility. Data were collected across a number of domains comprising kennel noise levels, behavioural measures (activity, repetitive behaviour, response to human approach); physiological measures (urinary cortisol:creatinine ratios); sickness events and faecal scoring. The general kennel noise levels were significantly lower when visitor access to the kennel area was restricted. Furthermore, dogs were found to display behaviour indicative of improved welfare during this time period; dogs spent significantly more time sedentary, less time moving and exhibited significantly fewer episodes of repetitive behaviours. No significant change was seen in the urinary cortisol:creatinine ratio, nor in sickness behaviour, faecal scoring or response to a human approach test. Overall, the results from this study suggest that restricting visitors from viewing the dogs while in their kennels may be better for the dogs' short term welfare.

A critically appraised topic (CAT) to compare the effects of single and multi-cat housing on physiological and behavioural measures of stress in domestic cats in confined environments

BackgroundDomestic cats have evolved from solitary, asocial predators and whilst they may display social behaviours, they can still exist as solitary survivors. Over-population and relinquishment of pet cats are ubiquitous problems worldwide, and rehoming centres (also known as rescues/ shelters) aim to ameliorate this by holding cats in confinement for a variable period until a new home is found. The provision of optimal housing for large numbers of cats in close confinement, such as in rehoming centres, is therefore inherently difficult. Under these conditions there is the potential for individuals to develop signs of physical and psychological ill health, and thus experience compromised welfare. Available information regarding housing practices that maximise welfare currently provides conflicting results, and as a consequence there are no unanimous housing recommendations. The aim of this study was therefore to review the evidence on the impact of single housing compared to multi-cat housing on stress in confined cats, as measured by physiological and/or behavioural outcomes. The review was conducted using a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) format. A systematic search of electronic databases (CAB s, Zoological Records and Medline) was carried out to identify peer-reviewed literature comparing single and multi-cat housing in confined environments.ResultsA total of 959 papers were initially identified, six of which met sufficient criteria based on their relevance to be included within this review. All of the studies had significant limitations in design and methodology, including a lack of information on how groups were assigned, inconsistent handling and enrichment provision between groups, and lack of information on the socialisation status of cats.ConclusionsWhilst some studies suggested that single housing may be less stressful for cats, others suggested group housing was less stressful. Several other important factors were however identified as potential mediators of stress within the different housing systems, and recommendations based upon these findings are presented.

Reducing stress in dogs in shelters

THERE are thousands of dog shelters worldwide, whose aim is to care for stray or unwanted dogs and ensure that as many as possible are rehomed successfully. It has been...

Comparison of auscultatory and echocardiographic findings in healthy adult cats

Objectives This pilot study was performed to investigate murmur prevalence and to explore the association between auscultatory and echocardiographic findings in apparently healthy cats in order to design a larger study. Animals, materials and methods Adult cats in 4 rehoming centres were screened by auscultation and echocardiography (echo) over 2 periods of 2 weeks each. In the first period, echo was attempted only in cats with murmurs. In the second period, all cats underwent auscultation by 2 observers and echo. LVH was defined in 5 ways: maximal diastolic left ventricular (LV) wall thickness ≥6 mm or ≥5.5 mm with 2D (LVH 6 2D, LVH 5.5 2D, respectively) or M-Mode echo (LVH 6 MM or LVH 5.5 MM respectively), or LV wall thickness ≥6 mm (2D) for >50% of a wall segment (LVH 50%). Results 67/199 (34%) cats had a murmur. Interobserver agreement on murmur presence was moderate ( κ 0.47). 61 cats with a murmur and 31 cats without underwent both auscultation and echo. Depending on the criteria, LVH was present in 31 (LVH 6 2D), 21 (LVH 50%) and 11 (LVH 6 MM) scanned cats. 18–62% of cats with murmurs had LVH, depending on the echo criteria used. Agreement was best between observers in identifying LVH using LVH 6 2D and LVH 50% ( κ = 1.0). Conclusions Heart murmurs are common in apparently healthy cats. The prevalence of LVH varies depending on the criteria used.

Rapid shaping of behaviour associated with high urinary cortisol in domestic dogs

The occurrence of stress has widely been associated with impairments in learning abilities in animals, although the influence of stress appears to differ with the complexity of tasks. Previous research has suggested that some domestic dogs exhibit both physiological (elevated cortisol) and behavioural signs of stress when newly admitted to re-homing centres. In this study we have investigated whether levels of stress as measured by urinary cortisol: creatinine is sufficient to impair the learning of simple associations. On the day following their admission to a re-homing centre, 32 dogs were trained on one classical conditioning task and one operant conditioning task; 6 days later, they were trained on a second operant conditioning task. Their mean urinary cortisol:creatinine ratio (C/C) fell from 27.1 × 10 −6 to 22.3 × 10 −6 (nmol/l:nmol/l) between these 2 days; a substantial proportion (78% on day 1, 63% on day 7) of dogs had ratios above the range of 5–20 × 10 −6, which is that defined as clinically normal ( Bush, 1991), suggesting high levels of stress. The dogs’ average time to reach criterion on either task on day 1 was unrelated to C/C or to behavioural signs of stress; this lack of correspondence may reflect the diverse previous experiences of the dogs. On day 7, the six dogs which failed to reach criterion for the operant association were significantly less active and interactive in their kennels than the others. For the remainder, a high rate of learning the operant association was associated with high C/C (in excess of 40 × 10 −6), and a poor performance was associated with fearful behaviour in the kennel. Dogs appear to have adopted one of two coping strategies: either the display of fearful behaviours and an impaired ability to learn the tasks, which may reflect a ‘reactive’ style of responding, or a higher level of HPA axis activation and an enhanced ability to rapidly learn a new task, which may be indicative of a more ‘proactive’ coping style.

Canine leishmaniosis in the United Kingdom: A zoonotic disease waiting for a vector?

Leishmaniosis is an important sand fly transmitted protozoan disease of dogs and humans. In northern Europe, infection is mainly restricted to dogs that have travelled to and/or from endemic areas of the Mediterranean region during periods when there is high sand fly exposure, mostly between March and November. Infected dogs in these areas in northern latitudes are a potential reservoir should incursion of a competent vector occur. However, information on the scale of the potential reservoir in the UK is lacking. Confirmed cases of canine leishmaniosis entering the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2007 were identified using diagnostic samples submitted to the Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol and from collaborating laboratories ( n = 257). All study dogs had clinico-pathological signs compatible with leishmaniosis, as typically reported in endemic countries and were leishmania positive in real time or conventional PCR tests, IFA serology and/or tissue microscopic examination for amastigote identification. Information obtained from each case included travel history, habitat, clinico-pathological findings and geographical location once located in the UK. The majority of dogs with complete travel history ( n = 183) had spent at least 6 months in Spain (105/183), 28/183 were rescued from re-homing centres in the country of origin and 26/183 entered the UK with confirmed leishmaniosis. Once located in the UK, the majority of positive cases were resident in south and central England. The spectrum of clinico-pathological signs for this group of dogs is similar to that reported in endemic countries. These data confirm that a potentially significant reservoir of infected dogs is resident in areas where future climatic conditions may support introduction of competent vectors.

Development of a quantitative real-time PCR for the detection of canine respiratory coronavirus

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) has been detected recently in dogs with canine infectious respiratory disease and is involved in the clinical disease complex. CRCoV is a group 2 coronavirus most closely related to bovine coronavirus and human coronavirus OC43. A real-time PCR assay was developed for the detection of CRCoV. The assay was validated against cell culture grown virus and shown to have a high level of sensitivity. A range of tissue samples were collected from dogs at a re-homing centre with a history of endemic respiratory disease. The samples were tested using a conventional nested PCR assay and CRCoV was quantitated by real-time PCR. CRCoV was detected most frequently in the nasal mucosa, nasal tonsil and trachea. It was also detected in the lung, and bronchial lymph node. Of the enteric tissues, only one mesenteric lymph node sample was positive. In addition two colon samples were positive for CRCoV by nested PCR only. In conclusion, CRCoV appears to infect the upper respiratory tract preferentially. The CRCoV real-time PCR assay has proved to be a highly specific and sensitive assay that can be applied for diagnostic purposes as well as to investigate further the tissue tropism of CRCoV.