Change over time and agreement between clinical markers of disease resolution in dogs with aspiration-induced lung injury.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of consensus regarding which markers of disease resolution to prioritise when assessing treatment response in client-owned dogs with aspiration-induced lung injury. This study describes the change over time and the agreement between the clinical markers used to determine disease resolution. METHODS: Physical examination (PE), owner-reported clinical signs (CS-O), thoracic radiographs (TXR) scores and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were determined at enrolment, after 24, 48 and 72 hours, and after 7, 14 and 28 days. RESULTS: PE scores were significantly improved at 48 hours, while CRP initially increased (24 hours) and then decreased (48 hours). PE, CS-O and CRP significantly improved earlier (7 days) than TXR (14 days). The median number of days to marker normalisation was 7, 9 and 14 for PE, CRP and CS-O, respectively. Marker agreement was excellent/very good at enrolment and fair/poor during disease recovery. LIMITATIONS: Analysis did not control for differences aetiology of aspiration or the lack of standardisation in treatment approach. CONCLUSIONS: PE was the earliest and most consistent marker indicating disease resolution. Serial CRP monitoring (72 hours) may provide an objective marker of early treatment response. Alongside PE normalisation, improvement in CS-O, CRP and TRX may assist in determining disease resolution and guide treatments, including limiting antibiotic exposure in dogs with aspiration-induced lung injury.

Evaluation of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA.

BACKGROUND: A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA. Evaluations of on-animal and premises flea burdens, flea sex structure and fed-unfed premises flea populations were conducted to more accurately assess flea population dynamics in households. METHODS: Thirty seven naturally flea infested dogs in 23 homes in Tampa, FL were enrolled in the study and treated with afoxolaner chewables. Chewables (NexGard® Chewables; Merial) were administered according to label directions by study investigators on study day 0 and once again between study days 28 and 30. Flea infestations on pets were assessed using visual area thumb counts and premises flea infestations were assessed using intermittent-light flea traps on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and once between study days 28-30, 40-45, and 54-60. RESULTS: Within 7 days of administration of afoxolaner chewable tablets, flea counts on dogs were reduced by 99.3%. By one month post-treatment, total flea counts on dogs were reduced by 99.9%, with 97.3% (36/37) of the dogs being flea free. Following the second dosing on study day 28-30, total on-dog flea burden was reduced by 100% on days 40-45 and 54-60. On day 0, the traps collected a geometric mean of 18.2 fleas. Subsequent reductions in emerging flea populations were 97.7 and 100% by days 28-30 and 54-60, respectively. There were 515 total fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis) collected in the intermittent light flea traps on day 0, and 40.4% of those fleas displayed visual evidence of having fed. Seven days after initial treatment, only 13.1% of the fleas contained blood and by day 14 only 4.9% of the fleas collected in traps displayed evidence of having fed. On day 0, prior to treatment, 60% of the unfed fleas collected in intermittent-light flea traps were females, but by days 28-30, unfed males accounted for 78% of the population. CONCLUSIONS: This in-home investigation conducted during the summer of 2014 in subtropical Tampa, FL demonstrated that afoxolaner chewables rapidly and effectively eliminated flea populations in infested dogs and homes.

Evaluation of indoxacarb and fipronil (s)-methoprene topical spot-on formulations to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs and cats in private residences in Tampa FL. USA.

BACKGROUND: A study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two different spot-on topical flea products to control flea infestations on naturally infested dogs and cats in Tampa, FL USA. METHODS: Thirty-two dogs and 3 cats with natural flea infestations living in 18 homes were treated topically with a 19.53% w/w spot-on formulation of indoxacarb. Another thirty dogs and 2 cats living in 19 different homes were treated topically with either fipronil (9.8% w/w)/(s)-methoprene (8.89% w/w) or fipronil (9.8% w/w)/(s)-methoprene (11.8% w/w), respectively. All products were applied according to label directions by study investigators on day 0 and again between days 28 and 30. Flea populations on pets were assessed using visual area counts and premise flea infestations were assessed using intermittent-light flea traps on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28-30, 40-45, and 54-60. RESULTS: A single application of the indoxacarb or fipronil (s)-methoprene formulations reduced flea populations on pets by 97.8% and 85.5%, respectively within 7 days. One month (28-30 days) after treatment the indoxacarb and fipronil (s)-methoprene formulations reduced on-animal flea burdens by 95.0% and 49.5%, respectively. Following two monthly applications of either the indoxacarb or fipronil (s)-methoprene formulations, pet flea burdens were reduced by 99.1% and 54.8%, respectively, by days 54-60. At the end of the two month study, 77.1% and 15.6% of the dogs and cats in the indoxacarb and fipronil (s)-methoprene treatment groups, respectively were flea free. Flea numbers in the indoor-premises were markedly reduced in both treatment groups by days 54-60, with 97.7% and 84.6% reductions in intermittent-light flea trap counts in the indoxacarb and fipronil (s)-methoprene treatment groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This in-home investigation conducted during the summer of 2013 in subtropical Tampa, FL, is the first published U.S field investigation of the indoxacarb topical formulation. The indoxacarb formulation was able to effectively control flea populations in heavily flea infested pets and homes. The efficacy achieved by the fipronil (s)-methoprene formulation against flea infestations on these pets was lower than in previous investigations using the same study design.