Natural infections with Borrelia spirochetes in two dogs from Florida.

Spirochetemia is a rarely reported observation in dogs. We describe the clinical, hematologic, and immunodiagnostic features of two spirochetemic dogs from northern Florida and the subsequent isolation and preliminary characterization of a Borrelia species from one dog in which culture of a sample for spirochetes was attempted. Results of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, monoclonal antibody testing, and PCR analysis indicate that the Florida isolate is not Borrelia burgdorferi, the only other member of the genus that has been isolated in Florida. Our findings also indicate that a member of the genus Borrelia potentially causes disease in dogs in Florida and that serologic cross-reactivity of the Florida canine Borrelia isolate with B. burgdorferi probably contributes to the inaccurate diagnosis of canine Lyme disease in the region.

A study of manatee leukocytes using peroxidase stain.

Leukocytes of the manatee, dog, cat, horse, rabbit, bird, and human were stained with modified Wright-Giemsa stain and myeloperoxidase stain. The predominant segmented leukocyte of the manatee stained positive for myeloperoxidase in a manner similar to the human, dog, cat, and horse neutrophil. Rabbit and bird heterophils stained unlike the manatee predominant leukocyte with myeloperoxidase stain. Eosinophils of all species examined also stained differently from the predominant manatee leukocyte. We conclude that the predominant segmented cell type of the manatee is not biochemically similar to the heterophil of the bird and rabbit or to the eosinophil of the human, dog, cat, horse, bird, and rabbit.

Effects of feline leukemia virus infection on neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro.

A procedure for measuring in vitro feline neutrophil chemotaxis was developed, using a modified Boyden chamber apparatus and 3-microns-pore polycarbonate filters. A pooled feline serum sample was used as the chemoattractant. Chemotaxis was evaluated in 5 groups of cats: group 1-specific-pathogen-free cats that had not been exposed to feline leukemia virus (FeLV); group 2-previremic, FeLV-infected, specific-pathogen-free cats; group 3-FeLV-viremic, subclinically affected cats; group 4-FeLV-viremic, clinically affected cats; and group 5-sick cats that were not infected with FeLV. Neutrophils from the viremic, clinically affected cats had significantly lower (P less than 0.025) chemotactic responses than did those from subclinically affected, viremic cats. Conversely, neutrophils from cats that were ill due to causes other than FeLV had the highest mean chemotactic values. Among the viremic, subclinically affected cats, a linear relationship was found between age and chemotaxis, indicating that impairment of neutrophil function may be greater in younger viremic cats. However, FeLV-infected cats can not be identified on the basis of neutrophil chemotaxis.

Metabolic changes due to experimentally induced rupture of the bovine urinary bladder.

Metabolic changes were studied in the serum, saliva and peritoneal fluid of 5 healthy yearling feedlot steers after experimentally induced urinary bladder rupture. There were statistically significant decreases in serum, saliva and peritoneal fluid sodium and chloride values and significant increases in serum, saliva and peritoneal fluid urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus values. Serum calcium, pH, bicarbonate, and base excess decreased significantly. Potassium did not change significantly in serum but did increase significantly in the saliva. The hemogram and peritoneal fluid analysis failed to provide clinicopathologic evidence of peritonitis. The average time of death or euthanasia after bladder rupture was 13.6 days with a range of 8-21 days. No single biochemical parameter could be identified which would allow prediction of the approaching time of death or duration of the disease process. There was no peritonitis at necropsy indicating that urine was not irritating to the bovine peritoneal cavity. Extracellular replacement fluid with or without sodium bicarbonate supplementation appeared to be the fluid of choice for correction of fluid and electrolyte imbalances in steers with ruptured urinary bladders. The ratio between serum and peritoneal fluid creatinine concentrations appears to be valuable for the clinical diagnosis of ruptured urinary bladders in steers.