Animal-related injuries in veterinary services personnel, U.S. Army, 2001-2018.

Limited data exist on animal-related injuries in the U.S. Army veterinary service (VS). The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of animalrelated injuries and the associated risk factors in VS personnel. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using military healthcare surveillance data on animal- related injuries in VS personnel from 2001-2018. Yearly incidence of medically diagnosed animal-related injuries ranged from 25-50 injuries per 1,000 person-years from 2001-2018. Linear regression showed no significant trend in the incidence rate per year over the study period (R2=0.005). Bites were the most common injury (86.5%), with dog bites (44.3%) being the most common injury type and dogs the most common species implicated. After controlling for sex, age group, race/ethnicity group, and occupation, adjusted incidence rate ratios (AIRRs) showed significantly elevated risk for animal-related injuries among females compared to males (AIRR=1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45-1.99), soldiers aged 17-29 compared to those aged 30 years or older (AIRR=2.55; 95% CI: 2.12-3.08), and technicians compared to veterinarians (AIRR=1.57; 95% CI: 1.30-1.89). Unlike the majority of published literature on veterinary occupational health and safety, this study showed a clear increased risk of diagnoses of injury among females compared to males.

Meteorological influence on the occurrence of gastric dilatation-volvulus in military working dogs in Texas.

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition in dogs and other species in which the stomach dilates and rotates on itself. The etiology of the disease is multi-factorial, but explicit precipitating causes are unknown. This study sought to determine if there was a significant association between changes in hourly-measured temperature and/or atmospheric pressure and the occurrence of GDV in the population of high-risk working dogs in Texas. The odds of a day being a GDV day, given certain temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions for that day or the day before, was estimated using logistic regression models. There were 57 days in which GDV(s) occurred, representing 2.60% of the days in the 6-year study period. The months of November, December, and January collectively accounted for almost half (47%) of all cases. Disease risk was negatively associated with daily maximum temperature. An increased risk of GDV was weakly associated with the occurrence of large hourly drops in temperature that day and of higher minimum barometric pressure that day and the day before GDV occurrence, but extreme changes were not predictive of the disease.

Causes for discharge of military working dogs from service: 268 cases (2000-2004).

OBJECTIVE: To determine causes for discharge of military working dogs (MWDs) from service. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 268 MWDs. PROCEDURES: Records of all MWDs approved for discharge from December 2000 through November 2004 were evaluated for cause of discharge. RESULTS: 23 dogs had been obtained through the Department of Defense breeding program but had failed to meet prepurchase or certification standards. The remaining 245 (120 German Shepherd Dogs, 100 Belgian Malinois, and 25 dogs of other breeds) had been purchased as adults or obtained through the breeding program and had passed prepurchase and certification standards. Eighty-five of the 245 (34.7%) adult dogs were 1 to < 5 years old at discharge, and 160 (65.3%) were >or= 5 years old at discharge. The proportion of adult dogs < 5 years old at discharge that were German Shepherd Dogs (69.4%) was significantly greater than the proportion of adult dogs >or= 5 years old at discharge that were German Shepherd Dogs (38.1%). Within the subgroup of dogs >or= 5 years old at discharge, median age at discharge for the German Shepherd Dogs (8.59 years) was significantly less than median age at discharge for the Belgian Malinois (10.61 years). For adult dogs < 5 years old at discharge, the most common cause for discharge was behavioral problems (82.3%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that longevity of service for MWDs may be influenced by breed differences and that selection criteria should be evaluated to reduce behavior-related discharge from service.

Causes of death or reasons for euthanasia in military working dogs: 927 cases (1993-1996).

OBJECTIVE: To determine causes of death or reasons for euthanasia in a population of military working dogs. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 927 military working dogs. PROCEDURE: Records of all military working dogs that died during the period from 1993 to 1996 were evaluated for cause of death or reason for euthanasia by review of necropsy and histopathology reports, death certificates, and daily clinical treatment sheets. A single primary cause of death or euthanasia was determined. RESULTS: Although sexually intact male dogs were more numerous in the study population, castrated male dogs typically lived longer than spayed females or sexually intact males. Leading causes of death or euthanasia (76.3% of all dogs) were appendicular degenerative joint disease, neoplasia, spinal cord disease, nonspecific geriatric decline, and gastric dilatation-volvulus. Compared with German Shepherd Dogs, Belgian Shepherd Dogs were at increased risk for death attributable to neoplasia, behavior, and respiratory tract disease. German Shepherd Dogs had nearly twice the risk for death associated with spinal cord diseases, compared with Belgian Shepherd Dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: For most military working dogs, death or euthanasia results from a few diseases commonly associated with advanced age. Some breed differences in risk for these diseases may exist, which clinicians should consider in the procurement and long-term management of these dogs.

Incidence of zoonotic diseases in military working dogs serving in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

The United States deployed 118 military working dogs (MWDs) to the Persian Gulf theater during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. This study is a retrospective descriptive study of medical records of these deployed dogs, with the objective to determine whether there were infectious or parasitic diseases with a zoonotic potential in a sentinel population of MWDs that may be of concern to Persian Gulf veterans. Fifty-one percent of visits to veterinary treatment facilities during deployment were for illness or injury. Potential zoonotic conditions accounted for 21% of the total visits, 41% of the "sick-call" visits, and 63% of presentations for illness to veterinary treatment facilities. This study did not determine whether the diseases treated were transmitted between MWDs and the troops. Although the etiologic agents were not determined in these cases, no evidence was found supporting new or reemerging illnesses in this population of dogs.

Importance in France of the infestation by Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens in dogs.

The presence of Dirofilaria repens has been mentioned in Europe, in Africa and in Asia, in different carnivores (dogs, foxes, cats, lions). In Europe the nematode has been reported in dogs, cats and foxes and the countries concerned by native cases are Italy, Spain, Greece, Yugoslavia and France. In France, until now, D. repens has been described, among animals, only in dogs. The first undoubted report dates back to 1953. Later, the prevalence was studied through widespread surveys (1986-1988-1989), focal surveys within some canine populations (military dogs) and some sporadic and fortuitous descriptions. The prevalence has been mainly assessed by pointing up the microfilariae in the blood and by identifying it after histochemical staining (for demonstration of the somatic distribution of acid phosphatase activity). The infestation rate was higher than 20% in some military dog populations. The cases occurred in nineteen French departments (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Aude, Bouches-du-Rhône, Corrèze, Corse, Dordogne, Gard, Gers, Gironde, Haute-Garonne, Loir-et-Cher, Nièvre, Pyrénées-Orientales, Rhône, Tarnet-Garonne, Var, Vaucluse, Vienne and Region Parisienne). The pathogenicity which is normally denied has to be reconsidered. The pathology of adult worms has not been clearly proved in dogs but the embolized microfilariae can bring about skin troubles. The potential pathogenicity, the necessity of the differentiation with D. immitis and above all, the zoonotic importance of D. repens must lead to search for it more often and to consider it with great interest.