Necrotizing hepatitis caused by Clostridium novyi type B in a dog with no predisposing liver lesions: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Infectious necrotic hepatitis (INH) is typically a disease of ruminants caused by Clostridium novyi type B. Growth of the causative agent is supported by development of an anaerobic environment within the liver. In dogs, C. novyi is rare and has only been previously reported as a post-mortem diagnosis. In one case, infection was secondary to metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and the other was presumptively diagnosed on histopathology of a hepatic lesion in a dog initially presented for acute collapse. CASE PRESENTATION: An 8-year-old spayed, female mixed breed dog was presented for acute onset of hyporexia and vomiting. Serum biochemistry revealed elevated hepatocellular injury and cholestatic liver enzymes. Ultrasound revealed peritoneal fluid accumulation and multiple hepatic masses. Cytologic examination of liver aspirates and peritoneal fluid revealed frequent 4 × 1 µm bacilli with a terminal endospore. Anaerobic bacterial growth isolated from the fluid sample could not be identified using typical laboratory identification techniques. Long-read, whole genome sequencing was performed, and the organism was identified as Clostridium novyi type B. Antimicrobial and hepatic support treatment were initiated. The patient re-presented 27 days later, and the follow up liver aspirate with cytology revealed no appreciable bacteria and anaerobic culture was negative. The patient was presented four months later and a large hepatic mass and peritoneal fluid were again identified on abdominal ultrasound. Cytologic examination of the peritoneal fluid revealed bacilli similar to those identified on initial presentation. The patient was euthanized. The most significant finding on necropsy was necrotizing hepatitis with intralesional endospore-forming bacilli compatible with recurrence of Clostridium novyi type B. There was no identifiable cause of an anaerobic insult to the liver. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates the diagnostic utility of using cytology as part of the initial diagnostic work up for infectious hepatitis. The cytologic findings coupled with whole genome sequencing and anaerobic culture were crucial for the identification and classification of the organism identified on fine needle aspirate. Clostridium novyi type B should be considered when bacilli organisms containing a terminal endospore are identified on liver aspirates collected from canine patients.

Veterinary medical student perceptions of companion animal primary care as a career choice over an academic year.

Despite companion animal primary care being the most common career choice for veterinarians, relatively little is known about students' perception of this career choice. In this study, the authors examined students' (233 at Time 1 and 119 at Time 2) perceptions of careers in companion animal primary care and whether perceptions changed over the course of an academic year or differed by year in veterinary school. The study was conducted by an online questionnaire sent to the student email listserv and the results analyzed by Mixed ANOVAs for each perception outcome. The study concluded that a majority of veterinary students have companion animal primary care as their preferred career choice and have a positive perception of it as a career choice. This positive perception increased over the course of an academic year, but did not differ significantly by year in school. First year students had a decrease in perception of level of training over time. This study sets a baseline for students' perceptions of companion animal primary care as a career choice at one college of veterinary medicine.

Diagnostic accuracy of a point-of-care test using voided urine samples for detection of bacteriuria in dogs with signs of lower urinary tract disease.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial urine culture is recommended in dogs suspected of having urinary tract infection (UTI), but there is expense and delay in obtaining such results. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic performance of a rapid immunoassay (RIA) dipstick for detection of bacteriuria using voided urine from dogs with clinical signs of lower UTI. ANIMALS: Twenty-four client-owned dogs. METHODS: Voided urine was collected and the RIA performed within 30 minutes. Urine collected by cystocentesis was submitted for aerobic urine culture. McNemar's test and kappa coefficient were calculated to determine agreement between the 2 tests. RESULTS: Nine of 21 dogs (43%) had UTI verified by aerobic urine culture. There was 1 false-negative and no false-positive RIA results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the RIA were 89%, 100%, 100%, and 92%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This RIA is promising for correctly identifying whether or not voided urine samples from dogs with lower urinary tract clinical signs have true bacteriuria in a rapid, inexpensive manner. Additional patients should be enrolled in a similar study to determine if diagnostic performance is robust in a large population.

Incidence of Health and Behavior Problems in Service Dog Candidates Neutered at Various Ages.

Saint Francis Service Dogs (SFSD) trains dogs to aid people with multiple sclerosis, brain injury, and many other conditions. Organizations like SFSD must carefully consider when to neuter dogs to give them the best chance at successfully completing lengthy and expensive training. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to assess differences in the incidence of health or behavior problems leading to dismissal between dogs neutered at different ages. Data on 245 dogs-including birth date, sex, neuter date, dismissal or successful completion of training, and (where applicable) reason for dismissal-were collected from SFSD records. Age-at-neuter was grouped (<7 months; 7-11 months; > 11 months) and compared for dogs who successfully completed training and dogs who were dismissed. Dogs neutered from 7 to 11 months of age were dismissed at a significantly lower overall rate than dogs neutered at an older or younger age. There were no differences between males and females. Labrador and golden retrievers were less likely to be dismissed than other breeds. This pattern was the same for dismissals for behavioral reasons. Dogs neutered at <7 months had more than twice the risk for health-related dismissals as dogs neutered at any older age and this pattern held for orthopedic dismissals. Labradors were at higher risk for orthopedic-related dismissal than golden retrievers and all other breeds. This study suggests that there is a relationship between dogs' age at neuter and the incidence of health and behavioral problems that can lead to dismissal from service dog training.

Evaluation of Risk of Zoonotic Pathogen Transmission in a University-Based Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) Program.

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that apparently healthy animals participating in Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) have the potential to asymptomatically carry and even transmit zoonotic pathogens to people, which is of particular concern for therapy animal teams visiting healthcare settings. This two-part study was designed to investigate the risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission within a university-based AAI program as a combination of the prevalence of these pathogens in the animal population as well as the handlers' understanding of the risks of zoonoses in AAI and their adherence to infection control practices. Methods: In part one of the study, AAI program records were retrospectively reviewed and infectious disease screening test results were compiled from 22 dogs and 2 cats. Screening tests for dogs and cats included a zinc sulfate fecal float, fecal culture, and nasal and perianal skin swabs for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudointermedius (MRSP). Additional tests for cats were blood cultures for Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasmosis IgG and IgM antibody titers. In part two, a survey was conducted of 40 registered therapy animal handlers to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding risk of infectious disease transmission in AAI settings, including risk to the animal, the handler, and those being visited. Results: In part one, there were 17 total positive results of the 118 infectious disease screenings performed, 14 of which were potentially zoonotic organisms. In part two of the study, a majority (70%) of respondents expressed they had no concerns regarding infectious disease transmission in AAI settings. Despite handler education and guidelines, adherence to infection control practices was lacking. Discussion: The results of this study support prior findings that animals participating in AAI can be asymptomatic carriers of zoonotic organisms. Compliance with infection control practices and hand hygiene are paramount to mitigate risk of zoonotic disease transmission, but was inconsistent among this group of handlers. Given the popularity of AAI programs in the U.S., similar studies should be performed on a larger scale to determine the level of adherence to currently recommended practices and potential need for improvement in infectious disease control education and/or policies.

Assessing Differences in Understanding of Companion-Animal Preventive Care between a Veterinary Health Care Team and Pet Owners in a Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Preventive health care visits to primary care veterinary practices in the United States have been on the decline over the past decade. One of the main factors that has been identified is a lack of understanding by pet owners regarding the importance of preventive care. The Partners for Healthy Pets Opportunity Survey was adapted for use in this study to determine whether there were differences in perceptions of a veterinary health care team between team members and clients, specifically regarding preventive care specifically within the Community Practice service of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Results of this cross-sectional study revealed that the clients and veterinary health care team tended to be aligned in most areas regarding companion-animal preventive care. There were some specific areas that differed, including a disconnect regarding components of feline wellness visits, reliable sources of medical information, and strength of recommendations from the veterinary health care team. The Partners for Healthy Pets Opportunity Survey could be adapted for use in other university-based companion-animal general-practice teaching environments to better understand differences between clients and the veterinary health care team regarding preventive care and thereby improve educational and service goals of primary care veterinary education. Efforts to better understand and mitigate potential communication gaps between pet owners and veterinary health care teams have the potential to improve preventive care not only in university-based practice but also in private clinical practice.

Dog Ownership, Physical Activity, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Veterinary Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between dog ownership and physical activity in veterinary students. The secondary objective was to gain an understanding of veterinary students' health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and whether dog ownership and/or physical activity were associated with HRQOL measures. Veterinary students were invited to complete surveys between September and November 2015. The primary outcome for multivariate analyses was self-reported physical activity. Bivariate analyses and descriptive statistics were performed to assess student HRQOL. The survey response rate was 33% (152/460). Self-efficacy to exercise (p<.001, OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.46-3.44) and dog ownership (p=.01, OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.31-8.71) independently predicted meeting physical activity guidelines when controlling for other variables. About two thirds of respondents met physical activity guidelines. Veterinary students had significantly worse self-reported mental health scores when compared to both national and state averages. Neither dog ownership nor meeting physical activity guidelines were significantly associated with measures of HRQOL. The poor mental health status of veterinary students remains a significant issue for the profession to address. Longitudinal studies are needed that examine the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in this population.

Evaluating Checklist Use in Companion Animal Wellness Visits in a Veterinary Teaching Hospital: A Preliminary Study.

The number of companion animal wellness visits in private practice has been decreasing, and one important factor cited is the lack of effective communication between veterinarians and pet owners regarding the importance of preventive care. Checklists have been widely used in many fields and are especially useful in areas where a complex task must be completed with multiple small steps, or when cognitive fatigue is evident. The use of checklists in veterinary medical education has not yet been thoroughly evaluated as a potential strategy to improve communication with pet owners regarding preventive care. The authors explored whether the use of a checklist based on the American Animal Hospital Association/American Veterinary Medical Association canine and feline preventive care guidelines would benefit senior veterinary students in accomplishing more complete canine and feline wellness visits. A group of students using provided checklists was compared to a control group of students who did not use checklists on the basis of their medical record notes from the visits. The students using the checklists were routinely more complete in several areas of a wellness visit vs. those who did not use the checklists. However, neither group of students routinely discussed follow-up care recommendations such as frequency or timing of follow-up visits. The study authors recommend considering checklist use for teaching and implementing wellness in companion animal primary care veterinary clinical teaching settings.