The Veterinary Clinics of North America

Cardiopulmonary nematodes of dogs and cats cause parasitic diseases of central relevance in current veterinary practice. In the recent past the distribution of canine and feline heartworms and lungworms has increased in various geographical areas, including Europe. This is true especially for the metastrongyloids Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis, the filarioid Dirofilaria immitis and the trichuroid Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila). The reasons of this emergence are little known but many drivers such as global warming, changes in vector epidemiology and movements in animal populations, may be taken into account. The purpose of this article is to review the knowledge of the most important heartworm and lungworm infections of dogs and cats in Europe. In particular recent advances in epidemiology, clinical and control are described and discussed.

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Canine and feline cardiopulmonary parasitic nematodes in Europe: emerging and underestimated

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of myocardial disorders of mostly unknown etiology, and they occur commonly in cats. In some cats, they are well-tolerated and are associated with normal life expectancy, but in other cats they can result in congestive heart failure, arterial thromboembolism or sudden death. Cardiomyopathy classification in cats can be challenging, and in this consensus statement we outline a classification system based on cardiac structure and function (phenotype). We also introduce a staging system for cardiomyopathy that includes subdivision of cats with subclinical cardiomyopathy into those at low risk of life-threatening complications and those at higher risk. Based on the available literature, we offer recommendations for the approach to diagnosis and staging of cardiomyopathies, as well as for management at each stage.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jvim.15745

ACVIM consensus statement guidelines for the classification, diagnosis, and management of cardiomyopathies in cats

Objective – The aim of this article is to review Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in dogs, including the life cycle, signalment, clinical signs, diagnosis, and treatment. Apparent changes in the epidemiology of this unique parasite are considered, alongside information available regarding its recent geographic spread.

Etiology – A. vasorum is a metastrongyloid parasite capable of causing an array of clinical problems in dogs, including cardiorespiratory, coagulopathic, and neurologic signs. Currently, the parasite has a worldwide distribution; however, it usually arises in small pockets of enzootic foci. Recent reports suggest a changing distribution of this parasite, which has renewed interest in its epidemiology and in the risk of expansion to new areas including mainland North America.

Diagnosis – A definitive diagnosis of angiostrongylosis is usually made using the modified Baermann technique either using feces or tracheobronchial secretions; however, this review also discusses novel methods such as serologic and molecular techniques.

Therapy – Once a diagnosis of angiostrongylosis is made, prompt treatment should follow with anthelmintic drugs (such as moxidectin/imidacloprid, milbemycin oxime, or fenbendazole) and supportive care dependent upon the patient's clinical signs. Currently, there is no proven prophylactic regime.

Prognosis – The prognosis appears to be very dependent upon the severity of clinical signs at presentation. A. vasorum can be fatal and death may be sudden. However, if a prompt diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment is administered complete clinical resolution is possible.

Canine angiostrongylosis: an emerging disease in Europe

Since its clinical introduction, computed tomography (CT) has revolutionized veterinary medicine and is considered to be one of the most valuable tools for the imaging work-up of neurological, oncological and orthopaedic canine and feline patients. In small animals with acute trauma, particularly those involving complex anatomic areas such as the head, spine or pelvis, CT has been established as a standard imaging method. With the increasing availability of radiation therapy in veterinary medicine, CT has also become the principal tool to stage a tumour, assess response, and guide radiation therapy. The increasing availability of helical CT in veterinary medicine has allowed novel techniques such as spiral CT angiography and high-resolution CT. This review provides a brief overview of the historical and technical development of CT and literature reviews of the major clinical CT applications in small animals such as intracranial and extracranial lesions, the spine, the appendicular skeleton, and abdominal and thoracic diseases.

Computed tomography in small animals--basic principles and state of the art applications.

Objectives: To identify features of canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and to correlate these features with clinical stages of the disease.

Methods: Ten dogs with signalment, history and clinical signs highly suggestive of CIPF were investigated. Thoracic radiography, haematology and biochemistry profiles, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage and HRCT were performed in each case. The dogs were classified as having mild, moderate or severe stages of the disease based on their clinical presentation and radiographic signs. Features identified by HRCT were correlated with these disease stages.

Results: HRCT showed a spectrum of pulmonary changes and it was possible to match some of these to the stage of CIPF.

Clinical Significance: HRCT is used extensively in humans in the diagnosis and treatment planning of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This preliminary study identifies the high-resolution computed tomographic features of CIPF in a small group of dogs. With further work it may be possible to use HRCT as a non-invasive tool for diagnosing, staging and therapeutically monitoring CIPF.

Thoracic high-resolution computed tomographic findings in dogs with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The objective of this paper was to investigate by pedigree-based genetic means the origins and inheritance of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in UK Boxers and assess the role of the proposed causal mutation in the gene, Striatin (STRN). All ARVC cases traced back to a small number of imported American dogs deriving from the group of Boxers studied by Harpster (1983) to define the disease, strongly suggesting that the disease is the same in the two countries. Dogs with and without the STRN mutation were found in both ARVC affected and normal Boxers showing that the mutation is not responsible for the disease. Evidence was found that the STRN mutation is, however, genetically linked with the gene responsible on the same chromosome. The linkage implies that the two genes can separate by meiotic recombination such that both ARVC-affected and ARVC-unaffected lines of dogs may carry either the STRN mutation or its wild-type allele. These have been found. Homozygotes for the STRN mutation tended to be severely affected at early ages, suggesting that there is an interaction between the known effects of the STRN mutation on the cardiomyocyte and ARVC.

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A pedigree-based genetic appraisal of Boxer ARVC and the role of the striatin mutation

Hemolysis Associated with Patent Ductus Arteriosus Coil Embolization in a Dog

A seven-year-old male domestic shorthaired cat was presented with persistent dyspnoea. Thoracic radiography and echocardiography revealed pulmonary oedema and a mass at the base of the heart. At necropsy the mass was found to be an aortic body chemodectoma that had metastasised to the sternal lymph node. This is a rare tumour in the cat, the third reported case where there was evidence of metastasis, and only the second reported case where there was evidence of lymphocytic infiltration of the primary tumour. Pulmonary oedema is an unusual presentation of this tumour in the cat.

P. R. Wotton

Papers

Canine angiostrongylosis: an emerging disease in Europe

Thoracic high-resolution computed tomographic findings in dogs with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

A pedigree-based genetic appraisal of Boxer ARVC and the role of the striatin mutation

Hemolysis Associated with Patent Ductus Arteriosus Coil Embolization in a Dog

Aortic body chemodectoma causing pulmonary oedema in a cat.