Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common diagnosis in older cats, and its prevalence increases with age. Conventional indirect biomarkers of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) have their limitations, and are not efficient in detecting early decreases in glomerular filtration rate. Recently, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations have been proposed as a novel biomarker of GFR for the early detection of CKD. This study discusses the relationship between SDMA, FGF 23 and previously used indicators of kidney function, mainly creatinine, urea and phosphate. Ninety-nine cats were included in this study. Based on their SDMA values, 48 cats had CKD and the remaining 51 cats were used as a healthy control group. Serum of these cats was assayed for creatinine, urea and phosphate concentrations as well as FGF 23 values, and correlations between them were evaluated. Cats with CKD had higher FGF 23 concentrations than healthy cats, and no correlation was found between FGF 23 and SDMA, nor between FGF 23 and phosphate. On the other hand, phosphate strongly correlated with SDMA, urea and creatinine, making it a possible independent factor of CKD progression.
The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of seasonal ambient temperature on the thyroid gland function in terms of serum total thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine (fT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), and canine thyroid stimulating hormone (cTSH) concentrations in healthy dogs of various breeds living outdoors and to compare them with those living indoors in flats and houses. The monitoring was conducted for 5 years and our study included 162 indoor dogs and 148 outdoor dogs of both sexes from 2 to 12 years of age, categorised into 3 groups according to their body weight: large (n = 17), medium (n = 16) and small (n = 17) breeds.Comparison of the seasonal serum TT4 and fT4 concentrations in both the indoor and outdoor dogs confirmed their fluctuation in relation to the ambient temperature in all weight groups with the lowest average of TT4 and fT4 concentrations recorded in summer and the highest ones in winter. In dogs kept outdoors, the fluctuation of hormone values was significant (P < 0.05). Seasonal serum cTSH fluctuation was found to be significant (P < 0.05) only in the medium breeds living outdoors, but their concentrations did not exceed the reference ranges. The 5-year monitoring of serum TT3 in indoor and outdoor dogs of large, medium, and small breeds clearly showed that its concentrations were not influenced by varying ambient temperature. The study provides for the first time evidence that serum TT4 and fT4 concentrations in dogs kept outdoors directly depend on ambient temperature. This correlation was also expressed by mathematical equations. Dog, ambient temperature, thyroxine, thyreotropineThyroid hormones influence numerous physiological and biochemical events in cells, and are essential for healthy growth and development of neurological and skeletal systems. They have catabolic effects on muscle and adipose tissue and regulate cholesterol synthesis and degradation. Thyroid hormones have positive ionotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart (Scott-Moncrieff 2007). Thyroid hormones markedly stimulate Na + K + ATPase activity, which is connected to Na + and K + transport through the plasma membrane (Schaafsma et al. 2002;Slob et al. 2004). This process increases ATP utilisation. As a great part of oxygen consumption in the whole organism maintaining this transport system, the principal effect of the thyroid gland on the basal metabolism is expected to be correlated exactly with this effect. Thyroid hormones increase the metabolic rate and oxygen consumption of most tissues, with the exception of the adult brain, testes, uterus, lymph nodes, spleen and anterior pituitary (Ferguson 1988; Freake and Oppenheimer 1995). They increase the 2,3-diphosphoglycerate production in erythrocytes, which facilitates oxygen release from haemoglobin and they stimulate the generation of heat. This supports the hypothesis that total thyroxine concentrations should vary in relation to ambient temperature and should reflect seasonal variation, too (Freake and Oppenheimer 1995).
Babesia gibsoni is one of the small Babesia species and the infection this pathogen causes is usually asymptomatic, which complicates the capture of potential parasite carriers. In endemic areas, especially in Asia, B. gibsoni occurs quite often due to direct transmission by way of a tick vector. Due to the absence of vectors, its occurrence is described only sporadically in Europe; but, it is increasingly occurring in predisposed, so-called fighting breeds, especially the American pit bull terrier. This review describes the etiology, incidence, clinical signs, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and treatment of B. gibsoni infection, with an emphasis on the clinical and laboratory peculiarities of the disease. As the treated dogs do not eliminate the parasite from the body—only reducing parasitemia and improving clinical signs—the treatment of B. gibsoni infection is a challenge in many cases, and its study therefore deserves great attention.
Remission of diabetes mellitus in dogs is a very rare condition. In our case, the clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in the nine-year-old Yorkshire terrier bitch disappeared three months after a therapeutic ovariohysterectomy. The diagnosis of diestrous diabetes mellitus, requiring insulin supplementation, was confirmed on the basis of anamnesis, symptomatology, clinical examination and specific laboratory tests. The chosen therapy and a change in diet led to the stabilization of the patient and its preparation for surgery. Repeated follow-ups, consisting of control blood samplings for glucose and progesterone levels and urinanalysis, has ensured control of insulin therapy and proper insulin dosing. Three weeks after ovariohysterectomy, normoglycaemia, confirmed by control trials, resulted in gradual discontinuation of insulin administration. The stable health status of the patient two months after the performance of therapeutic ovariohysterectomy confirmed the remission of the disease without the need for further insulin supplementation and regular monitoring.
Canine babesiosis may cause several hematological and biochemical changes, but only limited studies are available regarding the possible differences of changes in animals infected by different Babesia parasites. The study focused on the evaluation of the differences in serum protein electrophoretic pattern between dogs naturally infected with B. gibsoni (17 dogs) and B. canis (40 dogs). The mean values of total proteins, β1-, β2- and γ-globulins were in dogs infected with B. gibsoni significantly higher (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001) than in dogs infected with B. canis. The relative concentrations of albumin, α1-, α2-globulins and the A/G ratios were in the B. gibsoni infected dogs significantly lower (P < 0.001), no significant differences were found in the relative concentrations of β1- and β2-globulins. Significant differences were found in most of the evaluated parameters when comparing the results in relation to the form of B. canis infection to B. gibsoni infection. Hematological indices showed significant differences between dogs infected with B. gibsoni and the complicated form of B. canis infection. In conclusion, the obtained results suggest differences in the changes of serum protein electrophoretic pattern between dogs infected with both Babesia species and thus, in the response to the infection caused by various Babesia parasites.
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