Introduction: Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Malassezia pachydermatis often cause skin diseases in dogs. Material and Methods: An online survey was e-mailed to veterinary practices nationwide covering demographics, diagnosis methods, and oral and topical treatment options. Of the 740 surveys sent, 100 complete replies were obtained. Results: The majority of clinicians were unaware of the existence of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases guidelines or did not follow them (53%). Oral antibiotics were used universally for superficial bacterial folliculitis treatment, particularly amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (100%), cephalexin (94%), enrofloxacin (67%), or marbofloxacin (60%). For fold dermatitis (FD) and otitis externa (OE), oral antibiotics were also given as treatment in 88% and 82% of cases, respectively. Oral antifungals were often prescribed for generalised Malassezia dermatitis (85%), FD (70%), and OE (59%). S. pseudintermedius and M. pachydermatis were frequently treated topically, particularly with antibacterials or antifungals only, or a combination of antibacterials, antifungals, and glucocorticoids. Alternative options such as honey-based products were not frequently used. Conclusion: Our survey suggests that oral antibiotics are overused by Portuguese clinicians despite the spread of antibiotic resistant S. pseudintermedius. Oral antibiotics and antifungals are commonly prescribed for skin conditions manageable with topical treatments.

Dermatophytosis is a common skin disease in cats and dogs caused by Microsporum and Trichophyton fungi. Species identification and knowledge of their antifungal susceptibility are therapeutically and epidemiologically important. This study assessed the prevalence of feline and canine dermatophytosis in Iran, identified the aetiological agents molecularly and tested their antifungal susceptibility. A total of 308 companion animals (134 dogs and 174 cats) with skin lesions were examined from March 2015 to March 2018. Hair and skin samples were examined by microscopy with 20% KOH and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar with cycloheximide and chloramphenicol. Fungal isolates were confirmed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) r-DNA region. The antifungal susceptibility of dermatophytes was tested by broth microdilution assay using standard drugs. Dermatophytes were found in 130 (42.2%) samples, 62 of them feline and 68 canine. Based on sequencing of all strains, M. canis (78.5%, P<0.05), M. gypseum (10.7%), and T. mentagrophytes (10.7%) were the dermatophytes isolated. The non-dermatophyte species Nannizziopsis vriesii was also isolated from two feline dermatomycosis cases. Dogs and cats younger than one year (61.5%) showed a statistically significantly higher prevalence of infection (P<0.05). Caspofungin produced the lowest geometric mean MIC at 0.0018 μg/mL, followed by ketoconazole, terbinafine, itraconazole, miconazole, griseofulvin, clotrimazole and fluconazole, in a 0.038–1.53 μg/mL range. This is the first molecular study to identify the causes of pet dermatophytosis in north-western Iran. ITS-PCR was shown to be a useful and reliable method for the identification of closely related species of dermatophytes in clinical and epidemiological settings. The lowest MIC of caspofungin indicated that this drug was the most potent in vitro.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large group of enveloped viruses with a single-strand RNA genome, which continuously circulate in mammals and birds and pose a threat to livestock, companion animals, and humans. CoVs harboured by avian species are classified to the genera gamma- and deltacoronaviruses. Within the gamma-CoVs the main representative is avian coronavirus, a taxonomic name which includes the highly contagious infectious bronchitis viruses (IBVs) in chickens and similar viruses infecting other domestic birds such as turkeys, guinea fowls, or quails. Additionally, IBVs have been detected in healthy wild birds, demonstrating that they may act as the vector between domestic and free-living birds. Moreover, CoVs other than IBVs, are identified in wild birds, which suggests that wild birds play a key role in the epidemiology of other gammaCoVs and deltaCoVs. Development of molecular techniques has significantly improved knowledge of the prevalence of CoVs in avian species. The methods adopted in monitoring studies of CoVs in different avian species are mainly based on detection of conservative regions within the viral replicase, nucleocapsid genes, and 3’UTR or 5’UTR. The purpose of this review is to summarise recent discoveries in the areas of epidemiology and diagnosis of CoVs in avian species and to understand the role of wild birds in the virus distribution.

Benzophenones (BPs) are used in various branches of industry as ultraviolet radiation filters, but they pollute the natural environment, penetrate living organisms, and disrupt endocrine balance. Knowledge of the exposure of domestic animals to these substances is extremely scant. The aim of the study was to investigate long-term exposure of companion dogs to BPs and relate this to environmental factors.

Salmonellosis is a zoonotic disease, and Salmonella spp. can sometimes be found in dogs and cats, posing a risk to human health. In this study, the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of faecal Salmonella were investigated in pet dogs and cats in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Faecal samples from 243 dogs and 113 cats, at seven pet clinics, were tested between March 2018 and May 2019. Each Salmonella isolate was characterised using serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. The prevalence of Salmonella was 9.47% in dogs and 1.77% in cats. Among the 25 isolates, eight serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica were detected, S. Kentucky (n = 11), S. Indiana (n = 5), and S. Typhimurium (n = 4) predominating. S. Derby, S. Toucra, S. Sandiego, S. Newport, and S. Saintpaul all occurred singly. The 23 Salmonella strains found in dogs were from seven different serovars, while the two strains in cats were from two. The highest resistance rates were found for tetracycline (92%), azithromycin (88%), cefazolin (84%), nalidixic acid (80%), ampicillin (80%), ceftriaxone (80%), and streptomycin (76%). Resistance to three or more antimicrobial agents was detected in 24 (96%) isolates. Most of the S. Kentucky and S. Indiana isolates were multi-drug resistant to more than 11 agents. The carriage rate was far higher in dogs than in cats from Xuzhou. Some isolated strains were highly resistant to antimicrobials used to treat infections in humans and pets, which may raise the risk of humans being infected with multi-drug resistant Salmonella via close contact with pets.

Introduction: Ornamental fish can suffer from different bacterial diseases. Among them the most prevalent are infections caused by Aeromonas, Shewanella, Citrobacter, Plesiomonas, Edwardsiella, and Pseudomonas. But there is a broad spectrum of rarely identified bacteria which may be causative agents of diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the species of bacteria pathogenic for fish which are prevalent in aquariums. Material and Methods: Bacteria were isolated from infected ornamental fish from pet shops and private aquariums in the Lublin region in 2015 and classified to species using MALDI-TOF MS. Results: A total of 182 isolates from ornamental fish were identified. The most frequent bacteria found in diseased fish were Aeromonas veronii (30.8% of total number of strains), A. hydrophila (18.7%), Shewanella putrefaciens (7.1%), Citrobacter freundii (7.1%), Pseudomonas spp. (7.1%), Shewanella baltica (4.9%), and Plesiomonas shigelloides (3.3%). Conclusion: Isolated bacterial species are facultative pathogens for fish and humans and may be isolated from fish without apparent symptoms of the disease.

Introduction: Intentional and accidental poisoning of animals is often caused by readily available commercial pesticides, such as the molluscicide metaldehyde. A retrospective analysis of suspected metaldehyde poisonings between 2014 and 2016 in Italy was conducted. Material and Methods: Biological matrices were collected for toxicological analyses in the course of routine Institute activity. A total of 183 organs from dogs and cats and 49 pieces of bait, here specificall y poisoned food used to lure animals, were analysed and the presence of metaldehyde was confirmed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Results: A high content of metaldehyde was demonstrated in the analysed samples from dogs and cats: 50 (27.3%) animals were found positive for metaldehyde intoxication together with 17 pieces of bait. Conclusion: The study emphasised the need for the control of metaldehyde use by the veterinary service.

The objective of this study was to assess veterinarians' understanding of nutraceutical use in humans and companion animals and their motivation and circumstances for recommending nutraceuticals to clients. We administered a cross-sectional survey to veterinarians attending continuing education sessions at the University of Georgia (USA) College of Veterinary Medicine from 2012 to 2015 (N = 126). Information regarding veterinarians' age, year of graduation, practice focus, and typical approaches to nutraceutical use was compiled from the returned surveys. The results indicated that veterinarians are more familiar with nutraceutical use in animals than in humans and primarily recommend nutraceuticals to their clients for preventative purposes and/or due to client interest. Veterinarians believed that nutraceuticals were most useful for osteoarthritis and therefore use omega-3 fatty acid and glucosamine/chondroitin products more often than other products for both their patients and their own pets. Safety and efficacy were the most important considerations when deciding which nutraceuticals to recommend to clients. The survey results show that veterinarians are familiar with nutraceuticals and open to their use in patients when they perceive these products to be safe and efficacious.

Increased emergence in microbial resistance to antibiotics is a growing problem globally. A retrospective investigation was made of antimicrobial resistance in a total of 2,345 Escherichia coli isolates from clinical cases submitted to Regional Veterinary Laboratory of Bukit Tengah, Penang, Malaysia between January 2000 and December 2015. Analysis using WHONET 5.6 revealed that resistance to ampicillin, norfloxacin and aminoglycosides was detected in isolates from poultry and pigs more often than ruminants. Resistant to colistin was higher in ruminants compared to other animal groups. Nor floxacin susceptibility was very high in isolates from ruminants, pet birds (82.2%) and zoo animals (88.6%). Isolates from pet birds had higher resistant rate to all of the antimicrobials tested compared to zoo and companion animals. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli isolates (29.25%, 684/2345) were detected in this study. Further efforts, for instance, national monitoring and surveillance, are required to quantify the exposure of animals to antimicrobial agents and resistant pathogenic or commensal bacteria in the animals and also its environment. Such useful information indeed will assist the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary practice; therefore, suppress the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in animals.

Objective-To determine whether cats exposed at a residence were infected with Mycobacterium bovis, whether the tuberculin skin test can identify cats infected with M bovis, and whether an ELISA could identify tuberculosis-infected cats. Animals-20 domestic cats exposed to a cat with laboratory-confirmed disseminated M bovis infection. Procedure-Cats were administered a tuberculin skin test and monitored for 72 hours. Blood and fecal samples were collected. Cats were then euthanatized, and postmortem examinations were performed. Tissues were examined grossly and histologically for signs of mycobacteriosis. Pooled tissue samples and fecal samples were submitted for mycobacterial culture. Blood samples were examined for evidence of tuberculosis by use of a comparative ELISA. Results-4 cats had positive responses for the ELISA, and 2 cats had suspicious responses. All tuberculin skin tests yielded negative results. No gross or histologic lesions of tuberculosis were detected in any tissues, and mycobacteria were not isolated from tissues or feces obtained from the 20 cats. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-All cats that had positive or suspicious responses for the ELISA were offspring of the cat with tuberculosis. Evidence of tuberculosis was not seen in other cats at the residence, the owner, or the attending veterinarian. The most likely source of tuberculosis for the infected cat was through the consumption of M bovis-infected wildlife carcasses or offal. Because M bovis is endemic in wildlife in northeastern Michigan, there is a risk of exposure to tuberculosis in companion animals, their owners, and attending veterinarians.