Palatability and Clinical Effects of an Oral Recuperation Fluid During the Recovery of Dogs With Suspected Parvoviral Enteritis.

Dogs infected with canine parvovirus (CPV) can develop severe enteritis that requires supportive care until voluntary food and water consumption return. An oral recuperation fluid (ORF) may assist in the overall recovery from CPV. The hypotheses of the study were that dogs with naturally infected CPV would prefer the ORF to water and that dogs consuming the ORF would have a more rapid return to voluntary appetite and improved caloric intake during the initial recovery period compared with dogs consuming water. A total of 28 dogs with CPV were enrolled. Dogs were excluded if voluntary food or water intake was present at the time of study enrollment. Dogs were randomized to either an ORF or water group. The designated fluid was offered twice daily, followed by offering the opposite fluid 1 hour later if the designated fluid was refused. Dogs also received a standardized supportive treatment protocol. Beginning on day 2, all dogs were offered a gastrointestinal diet q8h, staggered with the fluid intake trials. A total of 40% (6/15) of dogs with CPV consumed the ORF as their designated fluid, and 31% (4/13) of dogs with CPV consumed water as their designated fluid (P = .71). For those dogs who refused their designated fluid, 56% (5/9) of the dogs consuming ORF ultimately consumed water, and 22% (2/9) of the dogs consuming water also consumed the ORF (P = .33). Dogs who consumed the ORF demonstrated a more rapid return to voluntary appetite (median = 1.5 days [range: 1-3]) compared with those that consumed water (median = 4.25 days [range: 1.5-5.5], P = .01) or neither fluid (median = 2 days [range: 1.5-5.5], P = .03). Additionally, those dogs consuming the ORF demonstrated greater caloric intake [median = 100% resting energy requirement (RER), range: 61%-100%] compared with those that consumed water (median = 19% RER; range: 9%-100%; P = .004) or neither fluid (median = 37% RER; range: 3-100; P = .05). This study suggests that some dogs with CPV voluntarily consume an ORF during the recovery phase of their illness and that consumption of the ORF may foster a more rapid return of voluntary appetite as well as improved caloric intake. Additional studies are warranted to further assess additional effects of this ORF during recovery from CPV.

Evaluation of intranasal vaccine administration and high-dose interferon- α2b therapy for treatment of chronic upper respiratory tract infections in shelter cats.

Clinical signs of upper respiratory tract infection can be hard to manage in cats, particularly those in shelters. In this study, clinical data were collected from chronically ill (3-4 weeks' duration) cats with suspected feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV) infections after administration of one of two novel therapies. Group A cats were administered a commercially available formulation of human interferon-α2b at 10,000 U/kg subcutaneously for 14 days, and group B cats were administered one dose of a FHV-1 and FCV intranasal vaccine. Molecular assays for FHV-1 and FCV were performed on pharyngeal samples, and a number of cytokines were measured in the blood of some cats. A clinical score was determined daily for 14 days, with cats that developed an acceptable response by day 14 returning to the shelter for adoption. Those failing the first treatment protocol were entered into the alternate treatment group. During the first treatment period, 8/13 cats in group A (61.5%) and all 12 cats in group B (100%) had apparent responses. The seven cats positive for nucleic acids of FHV-1 or FCV responded favorably, independent of the treatment group. There were no differences in cytokine levels between cats that responded to therapy or failed therapy. Either protocol assessed here may be beneficial in alleviating chronic clinical signs of suspected feline viral upper respiratory tract disease in some cats that have failed other, more conventional, therapies. The results of this study warrant additional research involving these protocols.