• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.181-192
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• 2023

Cystatin C, a low-molecular-weight protein synthesized by cells, is being explored as a valuable biomarker for assessing renal function in veterinary medicine. Although the relationship between cystatin C and heart disease remains unclear, some studies suggest a possible association. This retrospective case-control study aimed to investigate the role of cystatin C as a biomarker for heart disease and its correlation with diuretic use in veterinary clinical practice. A total of 39 dogs were included in this study, comprising 9 control dogs without a predisposition to heart disease and 30 dogs in the study group diagnosed with heart disease. Among the 30 dogs with heart disease, 18 exhibited symptoms indicative of heart failure. Results showed significantly higher cystatin C levels in the heart disease group compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed among different stages of heart disease severity in the control group. Furthermore, cystatin-C showed statistically positive correlations with BUN (r=0.478, P<0.01), creatinine (r=0.506, P<0.01), and furosemide (r=0.338, P<0.05). Diuretics are essential for managing congestive heart failure, and the observed associations between cystatin C and furosemide suggest potential impacts of diuretic use on renal function in dogs with heart failure. Monitoring renal function markers, such as cystatin C, can aid in predicting and managing potential renal complications, ultimately improving the overall health and quality of life of dogs with heart disease.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.287-293
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• 2022

Radiographic left atrial dimension (RLAD) is a useful measurement to assess left atrial enlargement in dogs. There are studies on the use of RLAD on various breeds of dogs, but no study on a specific breed with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). This study was conducted to compare RLAD measurements in Maltese dogs with MMVD ACVIM stage B1 and B2, and also to investigate the correlation of RLAD with the LA:Ao ratio. A total of 29 Maltese dogs were the subjects of this study. Each dog was diagnosed with MMVD ACVIM stage B1 or B2 based on physical examination, thoracic radiography, and echocardiography. The vertebral heart size (VHS), RLAD, LVIDDn, and LA:Ao ratio were measured and compared to evaluate the differences. There were significant differences in the RLAD, LVIDDn, and LA:Ao ratio between dogs with MMVD ACVIM stage B1 and those with stage B2. There was a significant correlation between the LA:Ao ratio and both the RLAD and VHS measurements, but the correlation coefficient was higher for RLAD. The RLAD scores exhibited a significant difference between dogs with ACVIM Stage B1 and with those with B2, and these scores had a higher correlation with the LA:Ao ratio measured by echocardiography than with VHS.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2020

The outbreak of human toxoplasmosis can be attributed to ingestion of food contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasmosis recently increased in domestic and stray dogs and cats. It prompted studies on the zoonotic infectious diseases transmitted via these animals. Sero- and antigen prevalences of T. gondii in dogs and cats were surveyed using ELISA and PCR, and B1 gene phylogeny was analyzed in this study. Toxoplasmosis antibodies were measured on sera of 403 stray cats, 947 stray dogs, 909 domestic cats, and 2,412 domestic dogs collected at nationwide regions, Korea from 2017 to 2019. In addition, whole blood, feces, and tissue samples were also collected from stray cats (1,392), stray dogs (686), domestic cats (3,040), and domestic dogs (1,974), and T. gondii-specific B1 gene PCR was performed. Antibody prevalence of stray cats, stray dogs, domestic cats, and domestic dogs were 14.1%, 5.6%, 2.3%, and 0.04%, respectively. Antigen prevalence of these animals was 0.5%, 0.2%, 0.1%, and 0.4%, respectively. Stray cats revealed the highest infection rate of toxoplasmosis, followed by stray dogs, domestic cats, and domestic dogs. B1 gene positives were 5 of stray cats, and identified to high/moderate pathogenic Type I/III group. These findings enforce that preventive hygienic measure should be strengthened at One Health level in dogs and cats, domestic and stray, to minimize human toxoplasmosis infections.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.883-897
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• 1997

Present study was undertaken in order to find out the most significant laboratory test for the early diagnosis of ethylene glycol poisoning in dogs. Seven dogs weighing from 5.0kg to 19.3kg were administered orally 6ml or l0ml of ethylene glycol per kilogram of body weight. In addition to clinical observations, blood samples were taken from the jugular vein on 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours or until death after the adminisration and examined for the hematological, blood chemical, venous blood gas and electrolyte changes. Urine samples were simultaneously taken and examined for pH, protein, glucose and calcium oxalate crystals in the sediments. The results were as follows : 1. All dogs showed marked hypothermia in addition to the characteristic signs of ethylene glycol poisoning until death. 2. No significant hematological changes were observable after the administration of ethylene glycol except the secondary dehydration and stress leukogram. 3. Chemical values related to the liver function(serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, total serum protein, serum albumin, serum total bilirubin) showed no significant changes during the experimental period in all dogs. 4. Chemical values related to the renal function(BUN and creatinine) showed significant(p<0.0l, p<0.001) increase from 24 hours to death in all dogs. 5. All dogs showed significant(p<0.01, p<0.001) decrease in blood pH from 3 hours to death after the ethylene glycol administration. 6. All dogs showed significant(p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001) increaes in anion gap from 1 hour to death after the ethylene glycol administration. 7. All dogs showed significant(p<0.05, p<0.01) decrease in urine pH from 1 hour to 6 hours after the administration of ethylene glycol. 8. Characteristic envelope form of calcium oxalate crystals were found in the urinary sediment from 6 hours after the administration of ethylene glycol in all dogs. 9. Histologically calcium oxalate crystals were found in the renal rubles in all dogs. 10. From these results, it may be concluded that the examinations of urinary sediments for the calcium oxalate crystals, blood or urinary pH and blood anion gap are most reliable tests for the early diagnosis of ethylene glycol poisoning in dogs.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2005

This study was performed to assess therapeutic effect of the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs with experimentally transected cranial cruciate ligaments (CrCL). Nine healthy adult Beagle dogs were transected left CrCL under general anesthesia. The dogs were assigned to TPLO and non-TPLO control groups. The TPLO procedures for correcting the CrCL rupture in the left stifle of dogs were performed under sterile conditions. Before TPLO procedures, all dogs were screened by orthopedic and radiographic examinations. Dogs were lameness free for the previous three months, and when examined at the walk and trot on a hard surface, in a straight line and on a circle. Lateral and craniocaudal radiographs were done to confirm the soundness of the both knee joint in dogs and not detectable lesions were diagnosed. The dogs were intravenously injected with a 10 mci/kg of 99mTechnetium-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) under general anesthesia. Scintigraphs were obtained using a large field of view gamma camera equipped a parallel-hole, low-energy about 3 hours after intravenous injection of 99mTc-MDP. Before CrCL transection and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the procedures, scintigraphy were conducted. Bone uptake of the left stifle joint increased after the procedures in all dogs. When the bone uptake from the TPLO procedure was compared with that of the control, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05). At 12 weeks after the TPLO procedure, the dogs showed normal anatomical posture and gait. It is concluded that TPLO procedure was effective in reconstruct of the stifle joint in dogs with CrCL rupture.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2017

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of canine influenza (CI) infection in pet dogs and canine parvovirus (CPV) infection in street dogs of different age and sex by collecting rectal and nasal swab samples from three districts, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sirajgonj, in Bangladesh using a RapiGEN$^{(R)}$ Canine Influenza Virus Ag Test kit and RapiGEN$^{(R)}$ Canine Parvovirus Ag Test Kit. Out of 114 rectal swabs and 115 nasal swab samples, the overall prevalence of CI and CPV was found to be 11.30% and 32.45%, respectively. The prevalence of parvovirus infection was found to be significantly higher in puppies and dogs 6 months of age (50.0%) than those > 24 months of age (p = 0.005). The prevalence was also higher in males (34.42%) than females (30.18%). The prevalence of CI was higher (30.43%) in dogs up to 6 months of age (p = 0.011) than 6-12 month (7.93%) and 12-18 month (6.66%) old dogs. Moreover, the prevalence of CI was found to be higher in males (16.10%) than females (5.66%). The prevalence of CPV infection also varied significantly in different study areas (p = 0.0029), with 12.72%, 12.5% and 7.14% of dogs found to be CI positive in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sirajgonj, respectively. Overall, the highest prevalence of CI was found in local breeds (6.08%) followed by German shepherds and Keeshonds (1.73%), and Bloodhounds and Terriers (0.86%). Additionally, there were more positive CI found in unvaccinated dogs (14.81%) than vaccinated (2.94%) dogs. Dogs with flu-like symptoms were more positive (19.23%) for CI relative to those without flu-like symptoms (4.76%) samples. Overall, the results of this study indicate that canine vaccination should be initiated to prevent the occurrence of diseases and that regular monitoring should be continued in Bangladesh.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.117-125
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• 1992

Dogs were divided into 3 groups of two each; Bacillie Calmette-Guerin(BCG) pretreatment, M bovis only treatment and uninfected control group. BCG were vaccinated intradermally with 0.2ml before 3weeks of M bovis intraperitoneal infection. Infection at necropsy 4months later was readily in the both treated dogs. Histopathologically, the BCG pretreated dogs produce the moderate accumulation of macrophages and focal granuloma formation in the lung, whereas the M bovis only treared dogs produce the accumulation of predominantly macrophages, occasionaly polymorphonuclear cells and the more larger granuloma Bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL) was obtained and total and differential cell counts were examined. Total number of BAL cells harvested from uninfected dogs is lower compared with those of the both treated groups. The total cell number of M bovis only treated dogs were singificantly higher 1.8 times than that of the BCG pretreated dogs. The Fe receptor activity and the growth of organism in alveolar macrophages obtained from BCG pretreated dogs were compared with that in macrophages from M bovis only treated dogs. BCG vaccination resulted in substantial macrophage activation, measured as increased Fc receptor mediated phagocytosis and rosette formation, as wells as the inhibition of intracellular mycobacteria multiplication. However, actibated macrophages taken from BCG pretreated dogs are incapable of killing the M bovis. Thus, these results suggest that BCG pretrearment in the dog may produce a protective effect against tuberculosis because active alveolar macrophages have acquired antituberculous immunity, although few mycobacteria within the lung remain in a metabolically active state.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs in more than 15% of the dogs over 10 years of age and causes irreversible renal function deterioration. Therefore, it is important to diagnose CKD early and treat the disease properly. The purpose of this study aimed to to evaluate the clinical utility of urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) using POC (point-of-care) device as an early detection urinary biomarker in CKD dogs and to confirm the correlation between ACR and other known CKD biomarkers. Urine and serum samples were obtained from 50 healthy dogs and 50 dogs with CKD. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations, and urine protein creatinine ratio (UPC) were measured. Urine specific gravity (USG) was evaluated using refractometer, and ACR was measured using an i-SENS A1Care analyzer. The ACR values of dogs with CKD were significantly different from those of healthy dogs (p < 0.001), as with other renal biomarkers. ACR showed significant differences between healthy dogs and dogs with CKD at every IRIS stage (p < 0.005), whereas no significant differences were observed between dogs with CKD IRIS stage I and healthy dogs with UPC. There are significant positive correlation between ACR and BUN (r = 0.611, p < 0.001), creatinine (r = 0.788, p < 0.001), SDMA (r = 0.747, p < 0.001), and UPC (r = 0.784, p < 0.001), and significant negative correlation between ACR and USG (r = -0.700, p < 0.001). In receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.982 (95% CI 0.963-1.000, p < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off value of 64.20 mg/g (94% sensitivity and 94% specificity). Thus, ACR is a useful urinary biomarker for the early diagnosis of proteinuria in CKD and combined use of ACR and other renal biomarkers may be helpful for early diagnosis and prevention of CKD in dogs.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.81-84
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• 1982

Renal dysfunction was experimentally induced with reductions in renal mass in dogs and then the remaining kidney function was estimated by blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine concentrations. During experimental period, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine concentrations showed no variance in dogs with 50% reductions in renal mass, but these values were remarkably increased in dogs with 75% reductions in renal mass. It was considered that 75% reductions in renal mass was applicable as experimental models for renal dysfunction.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.136-139
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• 1997

A retrospective study on 72 dogs with demodicosis, presented to Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Chonnam National University between 1987 and 1996, is reported. About 18% of the dogs with skin disease had demodicosis. About 75% of the patients with demodicosis were purebred dogs, and the short-haired breeds had a much higher incidence than do long-haired breeds. The age of the patient ranged from 1 month to 3 years, and about 63% of the patients were less than a year of age. Sex and seasons have been shown to have no effect on the development of demodicosis. A hereditary predisposition of generalized demodicosis has been observed from an affected litter.