16Strongyloides stercoralis is a worldwide distributed intestinal nematode affecting mainly humans and 17 dogs. Canine strongyloidosis is generally characterized by diarrhoea, malabsorption and 18 bronchopneumonia, and may be fatal in cases of impaired immunity. In recent years, molecular and 19 epidemiological studies suggested that host-adapted populations of S. stercoralis with different 20 zoonotic potential may exist. Clinical and subclinical cases of S. stercoralis infection have been 21 increasingly diagnosed in imported (France, Belgium, Bulgaria) and locally born dogs in Switzerland, 22showing that this parasite is currently circulating in Europe. Three of these clinical cases will be 23 described here. All three dogs presented severe disease, characterised by harsh diarrhoea, 24 dehydration, vomiting, respiratory and/or neurologic signs, and needed intensive care and 25 hospitalisation. One of these dogs was related to a Swiss breeding kennel, in which the infection was 26 subsequently diagnosed in several other dogs. Faeces were analysed by three coproscopical methods 27 including (i) the Baermann technique, which consistently identified the typical S. stercoralis first-stage 28 larvae in both clinical and subclinical infections, (ii) the sedimentation-zinc chloride flotation and (iii) 29 sodium acetate -acetic acid -formalin concentration (SAFC) methods, which allowed the additional 30 identification of parasitic females and/or eggs in two of the clinical cases. Interestingly, S. stercoralis 31 source: https://doi.org/10.7892/boris.122740 | downloaded: 9.8.2020 isolated from all three independent clinical cases exhibited an identical genetic background on the 32 nuclear 18S rDNA (fragment involving hypervariable regions I and IV) and the mitochondrial 33 cytochrome oxidase subunit I (cox1) loci, similar to that of zoonotic isolates from other geographical 34 regions, and not to that of dog-adapted variants. Due to the clinical relevance and zoonotic potential of 35 this parasite, the awareness of both diagnosticians and clinicians is strongly required. 36 37 38 Introduction 39 40 Strongyloides stercoralis is a worldwide distributed intestinal nematode that affects mainly humans 41 and dogs. Higher prevalences are generally observed in tropical and subtropical regions (Thamsborg 42 et al. 2017). S. stercoralis undergoes a complex life cycle involving both parasitic and free-living 43 generations. Parasitic females are located in the small intestine mucosa and produce eggs containing 44 first-stage rhabditoid larvae (L1) by parthenogenesis, which hatch in the intestine and are shed with 45 the faeces. In the environment, they develop either directly through second-stage rhabditoid larvae 46 (L2) into infective third-stage filariform larvae (L3) (homogonic development) or alternatively, through 47 several stages and moultings into free-living female and male worms that mate and produce a

Case summaryA 10-year-old male neutered British Shorthair cat was presented with a 6 month history of lethargy, weight loss and alopecia. Clinical examination revealed widespread alopecia of the ventral abdomen and hindlimbs. The skin in these areas was smooth and shiny and hairs could be easily epilated. Spontaneous pruritus was observed. Cytological examination of superficial impression smears showed a severe Malassezia species dermatitis and pyoderma. Ectoparasites could not be detected and no sign of dermatophytosis was visible in trichograms and Wood’s lamp analysis. Abdominal ultrasound found a focally thickened wall of the large intestine and multiple nodules in the liver. Fine-needle aspirates from lymph nodes, liver and altered colonic wall were consistent with an undifferentiated malignant neoplasia. The cat was euthanased at the owners’ request, owing to potential neoplasia with metastatic spread. At necropsy a metastasising carcinoma of the colonic wall was found, as well as a paraneoplastic alopecia.Relevance and novel informationFeline paraneoplastic alopecia has been reported in association with pancreatic carcinoma, bile duct carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as with neuroendocrine pancreatic carcinoma and hepatosplenic plasma cell tumour. This is the first reported case of feline paraneoplastic alopecia associated with a colon carcinoma.

Glomerular diseases (GD) lead to a variety of disorders of the vascular and the total body water volumes. Various pathomechanisms, including vascular underfill and overfill, have been suggested to explain these disturbances. Accordingly, the circulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (cRAAS) is expected to be activated as either a cause or a result of these fluid disorders. The aim of this study was to characterize the activity of the cRAAS in dogs with GD and to evaluate its relationship with the vascular volume status. In a prospective study, we evaluated the plasma renin activity and the serum aldosterone concentration in 15 dogs with GD. Their fluid volume status was estimated with clinical variables reflecting volemia and hydration, echocardiographic volume assessment, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, blood urea nitrogen:creatinine ratio, and the urinary fractional excretion of sodium. Ten dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with matching degree of azotemia were recruited as controls. The activity of the cRAAS was low in 10 dogs, normal in 3 dogs, high in 1 dog and equivocal (high renin—low aldosterone) in 1 dog with GD. These dogs had a lower cRAAS activity than dogs with CKD (p = 0.01). The clinical evaluation showed 8 hypovolemic and 7 non-hypovolemic dogs; 3 dehydrated, 9 euhydrated and 3 overhydrated dogs. The cRAAS activity was not different between hypovolemic and non-hypovolemic dogs. The down-regulated cRAAS without obvious association with the clinical volume status of these dogs with GD, suggests different mechanisms of fluid volume dysregulation in dogs with GD than previously assumed. This finding however should be confirmed in a focused larger scale study, as it may influence the use of cRAAS blockers as part of the standard therapy of GD in dogs.