Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Veterinarians, among other health professionals, are considered health professionals at high risk of exposure to and contraction of COVID-19. The main objective of this study is to assess changes in the clinical practices of veterinarians during the COVID-19 pandemic around prophylactic and biosafety measures, as well as to evaluate changes in workload and cost-benefit ratio. An online questionnaire was sent to veterinary professionals from July 2020 to July 2021 using Google Forms. A total of 1134 veterinarians answered the questionnaire on clinical experiences and biosafety practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Veterinarians changed their routine clinical practices, as there was a reduction in working hours, and applied new patient approaches and advice to their owners, as well as restricting the number of people allowed inside. Biosafety measures were added in their workplaces, with an increase in the use of personal protective equipment. COVID-19 tests were administered at least once in 19.0%, and more than once in 9.5% of the respondents. Flu symptoms were present in 23.8% of the respondents, and 31.0% of the veterinarians attended to COVID-19 positive pet owners. Therefore, most veterinarians altered their routine practices, and some were exposed to sources of COVID-19 infection.

Pulmonary atelectasis is a disease characterized by the collapse of the pulmonary alveoli, leading to partial or total loss of function in the affected lung, and is mostly described in older dogs. It occurs due to chronic inflammatory and obstructive processes such as pneumonia. In infants who do not feed directly from the mother, it is common to develop aspiration pneumonia due to inhalation of a milk replacer. Once aspirated, food generates an inflammatory process in the airway that alters the function of the pulmonary surfactant, increases mucus production, and causes consequent airway obstruction, which may progress to alveolar and bronchial collapse. The aim of the present study was to report a case of a 4-month-old canine with pulmonary atelectasis secondary to bronchopneumonia and the outcome of the clinical case. The patient presented with cough, exercise intolerance, tachypnea, and progressive weight loss. Thoracic radiographic examination was performed to identify displacement of the mediastinum and heart overlapping the collapsed lung, interstitial-alveolar pattern associated with atelectasis of the middle lobe of the right lung, and a diffuse interstitial bronchial pattern throughout the other lung fields. Pulmonary support treatment was administered with antibiotics, bronchodilators, mucolytics, and inhaled corticosteroids, with resolution of clinical and radiographic symptoms after 60 days of treatment. Therefore, adequate treatment of chronic bronchopneumonia is effective in resolving pulmonary atelectasis and its associated clinical complications.

The Military Police of Rio de Janeiro state use dogs as a decisive tool for patrol and detection of drugs, weapons, and explosives. Complementary tests, such as echocardiography, are essential to maintain the integrity of these animals. This study aimed to evaluate the echocardiographic parameters of the working dogs belonging to the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro and compare them with the available data. Echocardiographic evaluation was performed on 48 healthy adult dogs from the Canine Action Battalion of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sample consisted of 13 Labrador Retrievers, 12 Malinois Belgian Shepherds, 10 German Shepherds, 8 Dobermann Pinschers, and 5 Dutch Shepherds. Echocardiographic variables were correlated with body weight (BW). A positive correlation (P=0.0142, r=0.6837) between BW and the diameter of the left atrium was found in Malinois Belgian Shepherds. In German Shepherds, a positive correlation between BW and the internal diameter of the right ventricle during diastole (P=0.0320, r=0.6757) was observed; in addition, a positive correlation between BW and left ventricular internal diameter (P=0.0344, r=0.6689) during diastole was also found. Echocardiographic evaluations of these working dogs differed slightly from those previously established for similar-sized dog breeds.

Feline sporotrichosis is a major clinical problem among cats in Brazil and is also a neglected, but important, public health issue, due to its zoonotic potential. The nasal clinical form of the disease is particularly challenging, having treatment refractoriness and clinical signs relapse as common features. This case series study aimed to preliminarily describe the effects of the azolic antifungal drug, clotrimazole, as a topical 1% solution spray, together with per os itraconazole on inducing disease remission, as well as treatment tolerability and safety. Medical records of the Feline Medicine Service from the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro were reviewed, and 7 feline patients met the inclusion criteria (confirmatory diagnostic reached, available follow-up records, and use of intranasal clotrimazole 1% solution –1 spray per nostril every 24 hours– as adjunctive therapy to itraconazole – 100 mg/cat per os every 24 hours). Among these, 4 had a history of treatment refractoriness done until then. Follow-up records included clinical evaluation, along with complementary tests and owner reports on tolerability and occurrence of adverse reactions. All patients have undergone clinical remission within 60 days. Tolerability were satisfactory, and adverse reactions were only found on complementary tests (hepatic enzyme elevation), without clinical repercussion. The intranasal use of 1% clotrimazole solution has shown as a promising adjunctive therapy to itraconazole for feline nasal sporotrichosis, even in previous refractory cases.

Parasitic infections are common in sheep farming worldwide. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors among gastrointestinal parasites and sheep herds from the Brazilian Pampa biome, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Twenty-one farms were visited, where rectal faecal samples were individually collected from 309 animals. The sheep industry on the studied farms was characterised by small farms with a low level of technification, an extensive grazing system and meat production. Of all samples analysed, strongyle nematodes had the highest prevalence (77.02%), followed by Eimeria spp. (70.55%), Moniezia expansa (20.39%) and Strongyloides papillosus (17.48%). Mixed infection, between helminths and protozoans, was detected in 68.61% of samples. All herds were positive for strongyle and Eimeria spp. A predominance of Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. nematodes was observed in the herds. Younger animals were significantly more affected by Eimeria and M. expansa. In the semi-intensive and intensive systems, a higher frequency of Eimeria and strongyle infections was observed. Parasite infection was significantly reduced at low animal densities. The Brazilian Pampa region presents a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among sheep; age, breeding system and stocking density were factors associated with parasite infection.

Due to the scarcity of information on Breton horses, the objective was to study hematobiochemical values of this breed. Blood samples were collected from 29 Bretons, males and females, of different ages, in Brasília-DF, distributed into groups, according to age, without distinction of sex (G1): animals from 4 to 9 years old (n=16) and (G2): from 10 to 26 years old (n=13). The horses were also distributed into males and females for comparisons between the sexes. Values for red blood cells, hemoglobin, creatinine, and urea were statistically higher in females. Fibrinogen was higher in males. Lymphocyte values were higher in G1, but mean corpuscular volume, monocytes, neutrophils, and GGT in G2 were higher than G1. The hematocrit value differed between the ages of the females and was higher than that of the males, while the older male animals showed higher values than the young animals. Females presented lower platelet values than males, with older females having higher platelet values than younger females, in the same way as males. G1 females had the highest leukocyte values. The leukocyte values in males of G2 were higher than those of G1. This same behavior occurred for lymphocytes, eosinophils, and creatine kinase. Considering the albumin and aspartate aminotransferase variables, females had the highest values in the group of animals aged 4 to 9 years. Bretons are considered cold-blooded animals, which is consistent with the observed blood count values. However, it is concluded that these horses have biochemical values similar to warm-blooded breeds.

Congenital biliary tree malformations are rarely described in the veterinary field. A congenital umbilicobiliary fistula associated with gallbladder agenesis was reported here for the first time in a 1-year-old male French bulldog. After contrast study, abdominal ultrasound, and histopathology, we concluded that the umbilicobiliary fistula was an aberrant duct that originated directly from the expected location of the cystic duct and gallbladder. The clinical case was treated surgically through ligation and excision of the aberrant duct before entering the common bile duct. The recovery and long-term follow-up were uneventful. The pathophysiology of biliary congenital malformations is discussed, along with clinical considerations that should be considered in similar future cases.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is a neurological condition, that causes dogs to experience a wide variety of clinical signs. On rare occasions the symptoms may be unusual and severe, therefore they reminiscent of another disease. In this case report a 16 year and 8-month-old intact female poodle presented with circling, head pressing, and generalized ataxia. Prior clinical and neurologic examinations indicated the neurolocalisation to be forebrain. Morphometric brain parameters in MRI indicated otherwise. Quantitative MRI parameters such as the ventricle-brain index, interthalamic adhesion thickness, area, and the ratio of the interthalamic adhesion thickness to brain height may aid in the diagnosis of CCD.

Dextrocardia with situs solitus is a rare disorder caused by embryological malformation. It may be asymptomatic and overlooked when isolated, or when it presents with different symptoms and clinical signs associated with other cardiac and extracardiac malformations. The present article describes the radiologic, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic findings of a Pitbull dog with isolated dextrocardia and situs solitus.

This randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate different fluid therapy protocols associated with inhalational or total intravenous anesthesia in the cardiorespiratory stability of bitches with sepsis subjected to a surgical procedure to control the infectious focus. Thirty-two bitches diagnosed with pyometra and sepsis and treated at the University Veterinary Hospital between 2018 and 2019 were recruited. After admission, diagnosis, clinical, and laboratory evaluation, patients were randomly distributed into the following groups: propofol 5 (P[5]: preoperative restrictive fluid therapy–5mL/kg/h and intravenous general anesthesia); propofol 10 (P[10]: preoperative liberal fluid therapy–10mL/kg/h and intravenous general anesthesia); and isoflurane 5 (I[5]: preoperative restrictive fluid therapy–5mL/kg/h and inhalational general anesthesia). Lactate on admission (LAC1) and release (LAC2), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), rectal temperature (RT), oxygen saturation (SpO2 ), and carbon dioxide extraction rate (EtCO2 ) were analyzed at PRE, T10, T20, T30, T40, T50, TEXT, and TDIS. Clearance of 20% of lactate occurred in 18 dogs, with the P[10] group displaying the best performance. There was no statistical difference in vasopressor requirements among the groups. Liberal fluid therapy showed greater cardiovascular stability than restrictive therapy in the perioperative period. Regarding general anesthesia, isoflurane showed greater cardiorespiratory stability than propofol during anesthetic maintenance. In conclusion, although the three proposed protocols are safe and there is no difference in their superiority, some observed changes may be relevant and considered when it is possible to individualize the therapy for the patient.