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To assess the efficacy of compounded cidofovir, famciclovir, and ganciclovir for the treatment of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) ocular surface disease.132 shelter-housed cats qPCR positive for FHV-1.A masked placebo-controlled study design was utilized. Animals were enrolled in one of four treatment groups: topical ocular placebo + oral placebo (n = 32), compounded cidofovir 0.5% ophthalmic solution + oral placebo (n = 32), compounded famciclovir oral solution (90 mg/kg) + topical ocular placebo (n = 32), and compounded ganciclovir 0.15% ophthalmic solution + oral placebo (n = 36). Cats were treated with each medication twice daily for 7 days and were evaluated on Day 1 and Day 8 using an ocular scoring system, body weight, and qPCR for FHV-1 viral load.Cidofovir significantly decreased viral load from Day 1 to Day 8 compared with placebo (p = .024). Neither famciclovir nor ganciclovir decreased viral load compared with placebo (p = .14, p = .41). There was no significant improvement of ocular scores for any drug group compared with placebo (p = .62). In all groups, 65%-75% of cats improved from Day 1 to Day 8. Juvenile cats had a significant increase in weight gain compared with placebo for cidofovir (p = .025) and ganciclovir (p = .023). All corneal ulcers in placebo animals failed to heal whereas 77% of ulcers in antiviral group animals healed.Topical ophthalmic cidofovir significantly decreased ocular FHV-1 viral shedding and increased weight gain in juvenile cats. Ganciclovir increased weight gain in juvenile cats. Compounded famciclovir demonstrated limited efficacy for the treatment of FHV-1 ocular surface disease in shelter-housed cats.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether wetting length of Schirmer tear test (STT) strips varies by commercial manufacturer of test. ANIMALS STUDIED Ten normal female beagle cross-breed dogs. PROCEDURES Schirmer tear test strips from four commercial manufacturers were used to assess wetting lengths in-vitro when exposed to a set volume of water over 1 minute. Digital photography was used to assess the total surface area of Schirmer strips from each manufacturer. Schirmer tear test type 1 was performed on normal dogs over 1 minute with STT strips from the same four commercial manufacturers in a randomized crossover design. ANOVA was used to detect differences between strips from different manufacturers. RESULTS Significant differences in wetting length were found between STT strips from different manufacturers in-vitro (P

Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) is endemic in captive cheetahs and sporadically causes devastating disease. Modified live vaccines (MLV), intended for use in domestic cats, are used in some captive cheetah populations and have been anecdotally linked to disease in certain subpopulations. Ten FHV-1 isolates from ten captive cheetahs and one isolate from an MLV used to inoculate four of the host animals were analyzed. Viral DNA was extracted for full-genome sequencing by Illumina MiSeq with viral genomes then used for phylogenomic and recombinational analyses. The FHV-1 shed by vaccinated cheetahs were almost identical to the MLV, with few variants among viral genomes. Eight cheetah FHV-1 isolates and the MLV were grouped in a clade along with FHV-1 isolates from domestic cats in the USA. The remaining two cheetah FHV-1 isolates (unknown host vaccine status) were not associated with a clade. The likely ancestral origin of these two isolates involves recombination events between Australian domestic cat and cheetah FHV-1 isolates. Collectively, these data suggest that the MLV is capable of causing clinical disease and viral shedding in some cheetahs and represents evidence of interspecies transmission of virus between domestic and wild cats.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether tropicamide, fluorescein, and proparacaine applied topically before sample collection affect the quantity or species of bacteria isolated via aerobic culture. ANIMALS STUDIED 12 female adult research beagle cross-breed dogs. PROCEDURES A conjunctival swab was taken before and after the sequential application of proparacaine, tropicamide, and fluorescein to the same eye (P/T/F) with a five-minute gap between medications. Paired swabs were submitted for aerobic culture. Bacterial enumeration was performed using the spread plate method. Following a one-week washout period, the procedure was repeated using balanced salt solution (BSS). Following a second one-week washout period, the experiment was repeated using ofloxacin 0.3% solution. Colony counts were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc comparison. Bacterial species reduction was compared using a Friedman rank test and Dunn's method. RESULTS The bacterial colony count for P/T/F and BSS was significantly higher than the ofloxacin group (p = 0.0052, p = 0.0022). There was no significant difference for colony counts between P/T/F and BSS (p = 0.9295). The most frequently isolated bacteria included: Psychrobacter spp., Staphylococcus spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Streptococcus spp. The bacterial species reduction for P/T/F and BSS was significantly lower than for ofloxacin (p

Canid alphaherpesvirus 1 (CHV-1) is a widespread pathogen of dogs with multiple associated clinical signs. There has been limited prior investigation into the genomics and phylogeny of this virus using whole viral genome analysis. Fifteen CHV-1 isolates were collected from animals with ocular disease based in the USA. Viral DNA was extracted for Illumina MiSeq full genome sequencing from each isolate. These data were combined with genomes of previously sequenced CHV-1 isolates obtained from hosts in the UK, Australia and Brazil. Genomic, recombinational and phylogenetic analysis were performed using multiple programs. Two isolates were separated into a clade apart from the remaining isolates and accounted for the majority of genomic distance (0.09%): one was obtained in 2019 from a USA-based host (ELAL-1) and the other in 2012 from a host in Brazil (BTU-1). ELAL-1 was found to contain variants previously reported in BTU-1 but also novel variants in the V57 gene region. Multiple non-synonymous variants were found in USA-based isolates in regions associated with antiviral resistance. Evidence of recombination was detected between ELAL-1 and BTU-1. Collectively, this represents evidence of trans-boundary transmission of a novel form of CHV-1, which highlights the importance of surveillance for this pathogen in domestic dog populations.