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OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) among elite endurance horses after competition in a long-distance race. ANIMALS 20 endurance horses and 12 nonexercised or minimally exercised age-, breed-, and trainer-matched horses from the same environment (control horses). PROCEDURES Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples collected from endurance horses at 3 to 8 days (sample A) and 36 to 38 days (sample B) after the race (100 km in 1 day [n = 3], 70 km/d for 2 days [12], or 100 km/d for 2 days [5]) were cytologically examined for the presence of hemosiderophages. Samples from control horses were collected at the same time as sample B was obtained from respective matched endurance horses and similarly examined. Horses with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples in which > 1% of identified cells were hemosiderophages were considered to have evidence of EIPH. RESULTS Of 20 endurance horses, 9 (45%; 95% confidence interval, 25% to 66%) and 10 (50%; 95% confidence interval, 29% to 71%) had cytologic evidence of EIPH in samples A and B, respectively. Evidence of EIPH was present in 6 of 20 (30%) horses at both sample collection times, 3 (15%) at the first sample time only, and 4 (20%) at the second sample time only. In contrast, 1 of 12 control horses had cytologic evidence of EIPH. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The prevalence of EIPH in these elite endurance horses (45% to 50%) was higher than previously reported estimates for poor-performing endurance horses; however, differences in criteria for identification of EIPH should be considered when comparing findings between studies.

COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Infections of animals with SARS-CoV-2 have recently been reported, and an increase of severe lung pathologies in domestic dogs has also been detected by veterinarians in Spain. Therefore, further descriptions of the pathological processes in those animals that show symptoms similar to those described in humans affected by COVID-19 would be highly valuable. The potential for companion animals to contribute to the continued transmission and community spread of this known human-to-human disease is an urgent issue to be considered. Forty animals with pulmonary pathologies were studied by chest X-ray, ultrasound analysis, and computed tomography. Nasopharyngeal and rectal swabs were analyzed to detect canine pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. An additional twenty healthy dogs living in SARS-CoV-2-positive households were included. Immunoglobulin detection by several immunoassays was performed. Our findings show that sick dogs presented severe alveolar or interstitial patterns with pulmonary opacity, parenchymal abnormalities, and bilateral lesions. The forty sick dogs were negative for SARS-CoV-2 but Mycoplasma spp. was detected in 26 of 33 dogs. Five healthy and one pathological dog presented IgG against SARS-CoV-2. Here we report that despite detecting dogs with α-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, we never obtained a positive RT-qPCR for SARS-SoV-2, not even in dogs with severe pulmonary disease; suggesting that even in the case of canine infection, transmission would be unlikely. Moreover, dogs living in COVID-19-positive households could have been more highly exposed to infection with SARS-CoV-2. Study funded by Fundación Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (1.011.115 grant to A.J.P-B.; 1.011.101 to A.B-F.) and Comunidad de Madrid (COV20/01398 grant to A.J.P-B. and A.B-F.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Sí

A wide spectrum of clinical and clinicopathological findings in dogs with canine leishmaniosis (CanL) due to Leishmania infantum exists. However, the majority of clinical descriptions have been published a long time ago and recent studies in Europe are almost lacking. In addition, clinical classification of sick dogs is not well-standardized, with different classification systems used by clinical and epidemiological studies, making comparison of studies a difficult task. The aims of the study were to describe the clinicopathological findings of dogs naturally infected with L. infantum at the time of diagnosis and to review and compare the various clinical classification systems for CanL available in the literature. Eighty-one healthy dogs and fifty-one dogs with CanL were studied and clinical and clinicopathological data were recorded. The most common clinical findings at diagnosis were skin lesions (78.4%), lymphadenomegaly (64.7%) and weight loss (47.1%). The most frequent clinicopathological abnormalities included mild to moderate non-regenerative anemia (62.7%), lymphopenia (25.5%), hyperproteinemia (52.9%) dysproteinemia (78.4%). and proteinuria (47.8%). Renal azotemia was rare (5.9%). Only 5.9% of the patients studied were classified in similar categories (mild, moderate and severe disease) when five clinical classifications systems were compared, while 11.8% of cases were classified in similar categories when only two clinical classification systems were considered based on the fact that they included therapeutic and prognosis recommendations. In conclusion, anemia and protein-related alterations are common in dogs with CanL. In contrast, renal azotemia is infrequent despite the high percentage of diseased dogs with proteinuria, indicating kidney involvement. Adequate clinical staging system is desirable in order to establish proper management, treatment and prognosis in dogs with CanL and to facilitate the comparison of clinical and epidemiological studies.

The purpose of this report is to describe 2 cases of chylous ascites (CA) in ferrets. In the first patient, CA was likely secondary to an obstruction of lymphatic drainage due to lymphoma; and in the second patient, CA developed as a postoperative complication of adrenal carcinoma with multiple metastases. In both cases, CA was diagnosed based on the concentration of triglycerides and cholesterol in the abdominal fluid. Medical treatment resulted in partial remission of the CA in the first case; however, the patient suffered an acute death approximately 3 weeks following its initial presenation. In the second patient, multiple abdominocenteses were required to relieve abdominal discomfort and dyspnea. Five days after the adrenal surgery the ferret developed chylothorax and septic peritonitis, and due to its deteriorating condition was humanely euthanatized. Although the final outcomes in the 2 ferret cases were disappointing, advanced neoplastic disease, usually associated with a poor prognosis, was considered the underlying cause of CA in both patients. More studies are required in ferrets diagnosed with CA to determine proper nutritional and medical management, diagnostic tests, and surgical options. Unfortunately, there is little information describing CA in ferrets and the veterinary medical literature as a whole.

An 8-year-old spayed female domestic ferret ( Mustela putorius furo ) was presented for evaluation of anal prolapse and bilateral enlarged anal sacs. A lobulated mass in the right perianal area was detected during the physical examination. Results of diagnostic blood testing confirmed decreased glucose, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations, and increased total and ionized calcium concentrations. Complete resection of the mass was not possible owing to its nearness to the rectum and the ventral aspect of the tail. Imprint cytological preparations obtained intraoperatively were compatible with anal sac adenocarcinoma, which was confirmed by histopathologic evaluation of submitted tissue samples of the mass. Routine staging showed iliac lymph node and presumptive lung metastases; therefore, chemotherapy was initiated. This report describes a confirmed case of anal sac adenocarcinoma with metastases and hypercalcemia, managed with surgery and chemotherapy for 13 months after the patient׳s initial presentation and diagnosis.

Background: COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease originated by SARS-CoV-2. Infection of animals with SARS-CoV-2 are being reported during last months, and also an increase of severe lung pathologies in domestic dogs has been detected by veterinarians in Spain. Therefore it is necessary to describe the pathological processes in those animals that show symptoms similar to those described in humans affected by COVID-19. The potential for companion animals contributing to the continued human-to-human disease, infectivity, and community spread is an urgent issue to be considered. Methods: Forty animals with pulmonary pathologies were studied by chest X-ray, ultrasound study, and computed tomography. Nasopharyngeal and rectal swab were analyzed to detect canine pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. Twenty healthy dogs living in SARS-CoV-2 positive households were included. Immunoglobulin detection by different immunoassays was performed. Findings: Sick dogs presented severe alveolar or interstitial pattern, with pulmonary opacity, parenchymal abnormalities, and bilateral lesions. Forty dogs were negative for SARS-CoV-2 but Mycoplasma spp. was detected in 26 of 33 dogs. Five healthy and one pathological dog presented IgG against SARS-CoV-2. Interpretation: Despite detecting dogs with IgG α-SARS-CoV-2, we never obtained a positive RT-qPCR, not even in dogs with severe pulmonary disease; suggesting that even in the case of a canine infection transmission would be unlikely. Moreover, dogs living in COVID-19 positive households could have been more exposed to be infected during outbreaks. Funding: Study funded by Fundacion Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio, 1.011.115 grant to A.J.P-B.; 1.011.101 grant to A.B-F. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Alfonso X el Sabio University and all dog owners gave written informed consent.

Cutaneous mast cell tumours (cMCTs) are one of the most common cutaneous tumours in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). However, limited information is available regarding cytological and histological features of these tumours and studies evaluating KIT expression are lacking in this species. The aims of this prospective study were to describe the most common clinical, cytological and histological features of cMCTs in ferrets and to compare the usefulness of different staining techniques in the diagnosis of these tumours in ferrets as well as evaluating KIT expression in neoplastic mast cells (MCs) by immunohistochemistry. Macroscopically, the tumours were small, round to plaque-like and frequently associated with surface crusting. The most common locations were the extremities and the trunk. MC granules were stained in all cases using toluidine blue (TB) and Wright-Giemsa stains in cytological specimens, but none stained with modified Wright's stain. Haematoxylin and eosin and TB on histological sections failed to stain MC granules in all the cases. Cytological and histological examination revealed low to moderate anisocytosis and anisokaryosis. An infiltrative rather than a delineated or encapsulated growth pattern was noted histologically in all cases. Eosinophilic infiltration was not uncommon and 'collagenolysis' was detected on cytological and histological examination. KIT expression was detected in all cases evaluated. In approximately one third of the cases the MCs exhibited KIT labelling pattern I and in the remaining ferrets, KIT pattern III. No correlation was found between KIT expression pattern and biological behaviour.

Animals treated with anticonvulsant drugs may have increased canine pancreas-specific lipase (cPLI) values. Inflammatory conditions and specifically acute pancreatitis are of major concern in these animals. Elevation in C-reactive protein is being associated with inflammatory status in dogs and it has been correlated with the clinical severity of pancreatitis. In the present study, we investigated if there is a correlation between the cPLI increase, changes in C-reactive protein and hepatic enzymes, as well as the incidence of severe acute pancreatitis (AP) in dogs with anticonvulsant treatment (phenobarbital, or potassium bromide or both). Increased values of pancreas-specific lipase were found in 6.8% of the animals in treatment with anticonvulsants, and this increase is correlated with the increase in triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine aminotransferase but not with C-reactive protein levels, which suggests a possible induction or release phenomenon rather than a clear severe AP. C-reactive protein levels did not affect cPLI values on the population studied. Only 2 animals had clinical and analytical data suggestive of AP, indicating a low prevalence (0.6%). In conclusion, cPLI may be increased in a low percentage of animals with anticonvulsants treatment and its increase may not be associated with severe AP. It may be induced by the anticonvulsants drugs; however, further studies are advised to rule out other possible causes that increased cPLI.

Cell cannibalism refers to the engulfment of cells by nonprofessional phagocytic cells. Studies in human medicine have demonstrated a relationship between the presence of cell cannibalism by neoplastic cells and a poor outcome, and have shown a positive correlation with the presence of metastasis at the time of diagnosis. The biologic significance of cell cannibalism is unknown, but it is proposed that it may represent a novel mechanism of tumor immune evasion as a survival strategy in cases of unfavorable microenvironmental conditions. This report describes clinical and morphologic features of 3 cases of dogs with malignant neoplasia in which the presence of cellular cannibalism was observed in cytologic and histologic specimens. In the 1(st) case, a dog with a primary tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma with metastasis to retropharyngeal lymph nodes had neoplastic epithelial cells engulfing neutrophils noted in cytologic examination of the lymph nodes. In the 2(nd) case, neoplastic epithelial cells were seen engulfing each other in fine-needle aspirates from a primary mammary carcinoma with lung metastasis. In the 3(rd) case, poorly differentiated neoplastic mast cells from a recurrent, metastatic grade III mast cell tumor were observed cannibalizing eosinophils. A brief review of the literature describing known cell-into-cell relationships and the possible biologic significance and mechanisms involved in this phenomenon is provided. The relationship between cell cannibalism and distant metastasis should be explored in further studies, as it may prove to be a criterion of malignancy, as it is proposed in human medicine.

Background Quality control procedures are an important part of the overall quality assurance for production of accurate and reliable hematologic results. Objectives This study aimed to validate a quality control material-based procedure and assess two patient-based quality control procedures (repeat patient testing [RPT] and average of normals [AoN]) with the ADVIA 120 Hematology System. Methods Requirements for quality control procedures were obtained with the computerized statistical and quality program, EZRules3. The procedures were evaluated comparing the probability of error detection (Ped), probability of false rejection (Pfr), and sigma metrics. Results All three of the quality control procedures could be applied with 1-3s control rules, achieving the desired quality requirements. Validation of the quality control materials achieved values for Ped and Pfr of ≥90% and 0%, respectively. Patient-based procedures obtained a ≥85% Ped and a 0% Pfr, except for platelets in the AoN procedure, which achieved a 77% Ped. The RPT achievable total errors were similar to those of the traditional quality control materials and the AoN procedures, except for platelets, which had an achievable total error of 75%. Conclusions Patient-based procedures are suitable for veterinary laboratories. The RPT approach may benefit laboratories with limited budgets and low hematology caseloads. The AoN procedure may benefit laboratories with higher hematology caseloads.

Anaemia secondary to inflammatory disease is one of the main causes of anaemia in veterinary and human medicine and impairment of iron homeostasis due to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines is one of the aetiological mechanisms involved. Because reticulocytes are recently produced cells, reticulocyte indices are early indicators of iron deficiency anaemia in man and dogs and reticulocyte indices may be affected during the course of inflammatory processes earlier than indices related to mature red blood cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible influence of inflammation on reticulocyte parameters including concentration, mean reticulocyte volume, volume distribution width, percentage of microcytic reticulocytes, percentage of macrocytic reticulocytes, mean reticulocyte haemoglobin content (CHr), haemoglobin distribution width, cell haemoglobin concentration, mean percentage of hypochromic reticulocytes, percentage of reticulocytes with low CHr and immature reticulocyte factor medium and high, and on white blood cell concentration by using C-reactive protein (CRP) as an inflammatory biomarker. Samples from 175 diseased dogs and 16 healthy dogs were included in the study. The diseased dogs were grouped according to plasma CRP and ferritin concentrations, the presence and type of anaemia and different aetiopathological categories. Dogs with high plasma CRP concentrations had lower CHr (median 23.3 pg) and percentage of reticulocytes with high CHr (median 35.5%) and higher percentage of reticulocytes with low CHr (median 14.6%) compared with dogs without inflammation (median 24.9 pg, median 50.9% and median 7.8%, respectively) and healthy dogs (median 25.1 pg, median 50.0% and median 6.1%, respectively), with no differences between the last two groups. Reticulocyte parameters, particularly those related to haemoglobin concentration, are therefore affected by inflammatory conditions in anaemic and in non-anaemic dogs.

Keywords: Canine immune-mediated polyarthritis; lupus erythematosus cells; ragocytes; systemic lupus erythematosus