Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy assessment in bitches - literature review

Doppler ultrasound enables the assessment of blood flow in real time and has been widely used to aid in pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring in dogs and cats. This technique has a diferencial when compared with the B-mode ultrasound, as it allows the evaluation of vascular hemodynamic characteristics, while the two-dimensional ultrasound allows the diagnosis of pregnancy and fetal viability. Thus, the objective of this review is to describe how circulation is characterized in the uterine and fetal arteries in bitches during pregnancy using Doppler ultrasonography.

Application of ultrasound in the evaluation of renal abscess in a dog

Renal abscesses are rare in dogs and, although its pathogenesis is uncertain, may occur in diabetic patients with pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis, kidney injuries or after abdominal surgery or kidney biopsy. Because of nonspecific clinical signs, laboratory tests associated with ultrasonography are important to confirm the diagnosis and treatment. Generally, kidney abscesses have sonographic aspects with different degrees of echogenicity such as hypo or hyperechoic, homogeneous or heterogeneous, and may or may not have thickened and hyperechoic walls, depending on its chronicity. Our objective was to report the use of ultrasound as a complementary method in the evaluation of disorders of the urinary tract, focusing on a case of renal abscess in a dog.

Contribuição da utrassonografia para o diagnóstico do shunt portossistêmico em câes e gatos

Portosystemic shunt, an hepatobiliary anomaly, much common in dogs and less frequent in cats, can be detected by several diagnostic methods. Among them, the one which stands out is ultrasonography due to its numerous advantages: noninvasive, quick, accessible, relatively low cost and provides useful information relating to the other systems, apart from being a highly sensitive method. Portosystemic shunt diagnosis using ultrasonography becomes highly sensitive when associated with B-mode, color Doppler and pulsed Doppler. A bibliographic survey about portosystemic shunt ultrasonographic diagnosis was carried out, and the main ultrasonographic signals were: decreased hepatic size, difficulty in blood vessels visualization, presence of an anomalous vessel, tortuous with turbulent flow and, finally, increased portal blood flow velocity near the shunting vessel

Importância do exame laboratorial no diagnóstico de linfoma em cães e gatos

Lymphoma is a cancer originating in solid hematopoietic tissue and is one of the most common tumors in dogs and cats. Usually the diagnosis is made late, when the disease is at an advanced stage, reducing the success of treatment, affecting the prognosis. Therefore, early diagnosis is the best tool to combat this increasingly common disease in veterinary medicine. Due to the diversity of presentations and forms of the disease, clinical signs are nonspecific and varied making the use of laboratory testing essential to lymphoma diagnosis in order of establishing the most appropriate treatment as quickly as possible, giving the patient a longer survival rate

Ultrasonografia Doppler na reprodução de pequenos animais

The Doppler ultrasound allows the assessment of blood flow and the differentiate vessels according to each spectral pattern, location and organ that irrigate, helping the examinations and disease diagnosis. The main methods used are Pulsed Doppler, Color Doppler and Power Doppler. In Brazil veterinary medicine, it shows progress since 1990, but its use is limited by the equipment high cost, the need for operator experience and patient cooperation. There are studies in obstetrics and reproduction of dogs and cats, such as evaluation of the testicular vasculature, including the use of contrast material, and attempts to evaluate prostate in healthy dogs or pathological conditions (cancer and testicular torsion , orchitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia; estrous cycle monitoring, evaluation of irrigation in follicles and corpus luteum, uterus and breasts (mammary tumors) in bitches; monitoring pregnancy from the assessment of maternal, fetal and placental hemodynamics, both in dogs as in cats, and aspirations for early detection of pregnancy in dogs. However, new studies are still required, given the lack of these species, especially cats

Analise técnico-econômica de um gaseificador Downdraft e de filtros para limpeza de gás de síntese

The biomass gasification systems have been used for a long time and prove to be a good alternative to the generation of energy problems. This type of management requires a simple installation and maintenance which gives them a high availability. In Biomass project via Call CTEnerg 33/2006-1, funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology - MCT - Brazil, the Group Energy Systems Optimization – GOSE - at FEG - UNESP built and tested two prototypes of gasifiers. These is fed with 25 kg / h of dry wood (chips), and 50 Nm3 / h of air to produce gas at a flow rate of approximately 70 Nm3 / h of wood (syngas) at a temperature approximately 600 ° C. In this work of graduation, studies were conducted on the materials used in both the gasifier as well as cleaning the filter synthesis gases. The system of gas cleaning and conditioning is vital to ensure the life of the Internal Combustion Engine. In this case the studies of different filters for small gasification systems (properties, materials used, characteristics, types, etc.) are very relevant to its use in the prototype of the college campus. Were also performed a technical and economic analysis of a cogeneration system that consists in the combination of the downdraft gasifier studied in this work, an internal combustion engine, two heat exchangers and a SRA (absorption system refrigerator). Were calculated the costs of electricity generation, hot water and cold water. Finally, we analyzed the economic feasibility of the project

Tratamento farmacológico da epilepsia em cães

Seizure is a clinical manifestation of abnormal neuronal hyperactivity of the cerebral cortex, presentation clinical varies according to the location and extent of the brain. The classic seizure begins with an inicial period, named prodrome, followed by the aura, the ictus and finally the post-ictus phase. Seizures can be generalized or focal/partial types. Focal seizures with secondary generalization are the most common type in dogs. The seizure can be divided etiologically in intracraneal (idiopathic epilepsy; sintomatic; probably sintomatic epilepsy) and extracraneal disorders. After determining the etiology of seizures and critical analysis of the frequency, severity, and worry they cause to the owner, you should make the decision whether to launch an anticonvulsant drug therapy. Although the ideal is the elimination of seizures, the real goal should be to decrease the frequency and intensity of crises, without affecting the quality of life of patients taking the drugs used side effects acceptable. The veterinary should consider the bioavailability of the drug, contraindications, toxicity, drug interactions, the amount of daily administration, the availability of the owner and the cost of therapy. Seizures can be controlled in about 70- 80% of the dogs and in the majority of the cats when treated with Phenobarbital alone. Addition of a second drug (usually potassium bromide), decreases the number of seizures in more that 50% in about 70-80% of dogs. However, approximately 20-30% of dogs are refractory to this treatment. In these cases, it will be necessary to think in other pharmacological alternatives, like felbamate, gabapentin, levetiracetam, zonisamid, among others. It has been concluded that... (Complete abstract click eletronic access below)

Endocardite infecciosa em pequenos animais

Infective endocarditis is a process in which an infection attacks the heart endothelial surface, and is commonly caused by bacterial colonization, which is called bacterial endocarditis. It is a condition rarely found in dogs and cats, and is more prevalent in male dogs of large size. It mainly affects the left side of the heart, affecting the mitral and aortic valves with greater frequency. The circulation of the bacterium in the bloodstream is what gives rise endocarditis, and is caused by any non-aseptic process that serves as a gateway for bacterium in the body, as from a skin lesion, even as an invasive procedure, such as, catheterization and surgery. The ante-mortem diagnosis is difficult because the clinical signs of endocarditis are varied and common to other diseases, summing up the signs of infection (fever, lethargy, weight loss), and presence of heart murmur and may show signs of congestive heart failure. Thus, the diagnosis is most often through autopsy. To arrive at a diagnosis should be used, besides the history and physical examination, some laboratory tests, especially blood cultures and echocardiography. Treatment is accomplished through the use of antibiotics for long period of time, it is very important to follow the results of susceptibility after its outcome is revealed. The prognosis for bacterial endocarditis ranges from guarded to poor, and can be assessed mainly by the echocardiography. There are few studies in veterinary about the bacterial endocarditis, and the majority is case reports

Síndrome dilatação-vólvulo gástrico em cães

The gastric dilatation- volvulus (GDV) is an acute and potentially lethal disease, characterized by increased size of the stomach associated with mesenteric rotation on its axis, which affects mainly large breed dogs and giants with deep and narrow chest. The diagnosis is made from the history, physical examination, clinical signs and radiographic evaluation. It is an emergency that requires immediate therapy and consists on protocols to treat shock, gastric decompression, surgical repositioning of the stomach, gastropexy and intensive post-operative care. Despite the significant progress in the elucidation of pathophysiological events, risk factors and treatment, there was almost no progress in determining the root causes of this disease. A significant advance was recently described in the literature on this topic is the technique of gastropexy laparoscopy. Instruct the owners of the high risk breeds is extremely important to avoid situations in which the severity of the illness make the surgical treatment impracticable and the animal’s condition irreversible

Falência renal aguda em pequenos animais

The pets, mostly dogs and cats are susceptible to a variety of situations that can lead to acute kidney failure, such as infection and intoxication, besides other common causes such as dehydration or other pre-existing diseases. The abrupt decrease in renal function in these animals characterizes a severe clinical condition and requires specialized veterinary medical care since it increases the death. Early diagnosis is an important factor for the survival of these animals and so is the appropriate treatment. New technologies on diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases in veterinary medicine have made acute renal failure successfully reversed by hemodialysis in cases where conventional therapy may not be effective. In cases like that, hemodialysis treatment may be the only chance of survival for the animals, which makes this therapy more and more important and necessary, especially in referral centers of veterinary assistance

Síndromes Paraneoplásicas em Pequenos Animais

Paraneoplastic syndromes are being increasingly recognized in dogs and cats in veterinary medicine as they often are oncological emergencies and may help in early diagnosis of primary neoplasm, performing a more effective treatment, which usually is the removal of the tumor, and thereby improving the quality of life of the animal and perhaps prognosis. The syndrome is caused by the tumor through the production of substances such as hormones and cytokines that are released into circulation and are responsible for the appearance of distant signals from the primary neoplasm. These syndromes can involve multiple systems of the body, among them we mention: the hematology, the dermatologist, the neurologist, endocrine and musculoskeletal

Análise de metilação do gene FOXE1 em carcinoma de células escamosas em cães: padronização metodológica

It is believed that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation are important for the tumorigenesis and maintenance of the altered state of tumor cells. DNA methylation occurs by the addition of a methyl group to carbon 5 of cytosine, catalyzed by the enzyme DNA methyl-transferase, which can change the expression of a gene, including the tumor suppressor genes. In human squamous cell carcinoma, several features have shown the etiological role of genes in tumor development. Among them, FOXE1 gene (forkhead box E1 - thyroid transcription factor) is presented with an important role in susceptibility to disease. Similarly the FOXE1 methylation pattern could alter the expression of this gene in dogs and predisposed to tumor on. Therefore, this study aims to investigate in dogs, the validity of the strategy employed in humans to analyze the FOXE1 methylation status. DNA extraction from fresh frozen tumoral samples was performed by Wizard Genomic® DNA Purification Kit. The methylation status was determined by MSP-PCR (methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction), using 2.0 ng of DNA treated with sodium bisulphate. One hundred micrograms of bisulphite-modified DNA was amplified using primers specific for either methylated or unmethylated DNA (primers sequences are available at http://pathology2.jhu.edu/pancreas/primer.pdf). The analysis of fragments was loaded on to 7% polyacrylamide gels and silver nitrate staining. In this stage of technical approach, 60% were FOXE1 hypermethylated. In conclusion, it was observed that the standard technique for assessing the methylation pattern of gene FOXE1 in humans can be used for the same evaluation in dogs. The correlation of these molecular data with clinical and histopathological parameters may have diagnostic and prognostic value and still be used as a tumor marker for therapeutic decision and surgical approach

Sistema de cálculo para determinação do tempo de exposição em radioterapia veterinária

Radiotherapy in veterinary practice is already known and widely distributed in large specialized centers of developed countries. In early 2000, there were about 30 radiotherapy equipment specifically designed for the veterinary clinic in the United States. In Brazil, the veterinary radiotherapy is still confined to research in universities, where most of the procedures is radiation therapy performed with superficial x-ray machines, with a voltage between 50 and 150 kVp, focus-distance surface (DFS) between 20,0cm and 40,0cm. As that occurs in human medicine, new research strengthens the development and prospects for the use of radiotherapy as a safe option for treating cancer in animals. This paper presents a methodology for calculating the exposure time for superficial radiotherapy procedures in veterinary medicine for small animals (dogs and cats). The dosimetric parameters of X-rays are determined using a spreadsheet tool for Microsoft Office Excel, developed in this paper for a device Dermopan 2, Veterinary Hospital of UNESP in Araçatuba. Using the worksheet helps the veterinarian to determine the time of exposure to radiation determined for each clinical case, optimize the workflow for professionals in veterinary radiotherapy procedures, which often lack the medical physics in team and at the time of radiotherapy. The correct use of spreadsheet decreases the chances of errors in dose rates of radiation, providing a higher quality of care

Adesão de Paracoccidioides brasiliensis e outros fungos anemófilos a teias de aranhas: implicações para a identificação de nichos microbianos no ambiente

The dimorphic pathogenic fungus, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb), is the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most important systemic mycosis in Latin America. While the yeast phase can be isolated from patients affected by paracoccidioidomycosis, dogs and naturally infected armadillos; several elements related to the ecology of the saprophytic phase of the pathogen, which is responsible for the production of infective propagules, are poorly understood, hampering the adoption of preventive measures. The demonstration of the high incidence of Pb infection in the 9- banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, has opened new perspectives for the identification of the pathogen’s habitat. At the opening of the armadillos’ burrows, spider webs are commonly found. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of Pb in spider webs samples related to the habitat of armadillos. Spider web samples were collected at Lageado Farm, Botucatu/SP and prepared for microscopic, molecular and mycological analyses. Microscopic analysis showed that different fungi were closely attached to spider web samples. Nested-PCR reaction showed positive amplification for Pb in 4 samples, with identity confirmed by amplicon sequencing. Fungal colonies also included members of Aspergillus, Blastobotrys, Penicillium, Candida, and Sporothrix genera, which are related to opportunistic disease and primary infections of great medical importance. In vitro adhesion tests of mycelia and yeast form of Pb to the spider webs were also performed, in order to analyze the possible physical attraction between fungal cells and the spider web protein network. The results showed a clear adherence of fungal particles to spider webs. In the current literature, there are no studies reporting adhesive properties of microorganisms to spider webs... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Hiperadrenocorticismo hipófise dependente em cães

The spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism is one of the most common endocrine diseases in dogs, and is caused by an excessive production of cortisol by the adrenal cortex. In most cases (85-90%) occur the presence of a pituitary tumor, and for this reason, it is called hyperadrenocorticism pituitary-dependent. In this work, was realized a broad discussion about the different diagnostic methods and the many drugs that are used to treat hyperadrenocorticism pituitary-dependent and its benefits and side effects, leaving it to the veterinarian, along with the owner, choose to use or not each one of them