Taiwan Veterinary Journal

Two adult poodles were referred for severe corneal ulcers in both eyes (oculi uterque [OU]) for 1.5 months, and swollen eyelids for approximately 1 week. Ophthalmic examination revealed diffuse corneal edema with grayish deposit and ulcer, uveitis, glaucoma, grayish deposit and necrosis on the third eyelid and conjunctiva, eyelids necrosis, eyelid-eyeball adhesions, and blindness. Cytological examination of the conjunctiva and cornea revealed neutrophilic inflammation, and a bacterial culture revealed Staphylococcus aureus. An adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test was performed, strongly indicating iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism. No improvement was observed after 2 weeks of antibiotic treatment. Fungal cultures from the cornea and conjunctiva were positive for Candida spp. Specific antifungal treatment included topical 5% natamycin eye drops (OU six times daily) and oral itraconazole (5mg/kg q12h). The grayish deposits of the conjunctiva and cornea were sloughed off, thus facilitating the healing of corneal and eyelids ulcers, over the next 3–4 weeks. Phthisis bulbi and eyelid-eyeball adhesions developed in both dogs after 6 months of follow-up. Based on the fungal isolation by culture, clinical signs, and response to antifungal treatment, Candida spp. panophthalmitis was diagnosed. Fungi should be considered a potential organism in panophthalmitis, especially with a medical history of steroids and antibiotic use. This case report demonstrates the grayish deposits of the cornea, conjunctiva, and third eyelid as possible characteristics of Candida infection in the dogs. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Candida panophthalmitis with iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism in dogs.

Poultry and its products are often referred to as reservoirs of Salmonella to infect humans. Salmonella serovars were determined from samples of terminated eggs (early-terminated eggs, EEs, and late-terminated eggs, LEs) on farms YA (layers), YB (native hybrid broilers, NHCs), and YF (NHCs); one-day-old chicks (OCs) on farm YB; and shoe covers (SCs) on farms YB, YC (broilers), YD (broilers), YE (NHCs), and YF using multiplex PCR and agglutination methods. One hundred isolates were examined for susceptibility to 13 antimicrobials and profiles of pulsotypes and plasmids. Nine serovars were identified as serogroup B Agona and Schwarzengrund, serogroup C1 Montevideo and Mbandaka, serogroup C2 Albany, Kentucky and Newport, serogroup E Weltevreden, and serogroup G Kedougou. Different from those in 2003, Albany, Kentucky, Montevideo, and Mbandaka were the predominant serovars that differed in chromosomal and plasmid variations and antibiogram profiles. Albany and Kentucky isolates had higher resistance levels to the antimicrobials than the Montevideo and Mbandaka isolates. The antibiogram differences among the serovars may be related to the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella genomic island 1-F (SGI1-F) and plasmids in Albany isolates. Albany and Kentucky exhibited the largest chromosomal and plasmid variations, respectively. The main serovars associated with embryogenesis termination were Mbandaka and Montevideo in EEs and LEs, Newport in NHCs, and Kedougou in LEs from layers. Furthermore, Montevideo and Agona were the only serovars detected in OCs, and Albany and Kentucky were the main serovars on SCs. Farm management also affected the Salmonella prevalence and predominant serovars.

Over-mothering syndrome is common in intensive deer farming; the wound is usually deep and hard to take care of, and results in neonatal mortality increased by bacterial infection related to the wound. Regenerate therapy might be an option for treating severe wounds due to over-mothering syndrome. Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a widely used method to treat orthopedic issues in humans and animals. It contains several concentrated growth factors to promote tissue regeneration, without the complications of overreaction or of rejection issues. This report presents the successful treatment of autologous PRP in a fawn with a $7\mathrm{\text{cm}}\times 4$cm wound in the perineal area, caused by an over-mothering doe. Autologous PRP was injected on both sides of the proximal of the gluteobiceps muscle and applied 3 times over the 20-day treatment period. The wound displayed rapid tissue regeneration with no complications. This successful application of PRP is the first report to enhance the regeneration of the vulva and the anus in a large animal. The PRP was injected on the proximal of the wound rather than directly on the wound to reduce potential irritation from physical contact to the wound, and the regeneration process was nice and fast. This protocol could provide clinical veterinarians with an effective and low labor cost method to treat severe and contaminated wounds in the perineal area.

The severity of canine acute pancreatitis (AP) is highly variable. Clinically applicable severity scoring algorithms are limited. One-hundred-thirty-four dogs diagnosed with AP and hospitalized between 2009 and 2014 were selected for analysis to develop a severity scoring system. Eleven variables, i.e. age, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, albumin, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, phosphorus, potassium, presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and oliguria/anuria after rehydration (Day 2 to Day 4) were significantly abnormal and selected by logistic regression to predict the outcome. A scoring system was developed by incorporating weighting factors assigned to each quartile based on the odds ratio integer value. A predictive score is the sum of all weighting factors for each dog. Receiver-operating curve analyses were performed to assess the sensitivity, specificity and optimal cut-off point of the outcome predictions. The scores of 134 dogs after rehydration ranged from 11 to 78 points. The mean score was $32.9\pm 20.0$, and the median score was 23 points. The optimal cut-off point for outcome prediction of the scoring system was 35.5, with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 89.3%. The mortality was 85.5% with a score of $>36$, whereas 3.8% had a score of $\le 36$. Dogs with a score $<26$ all survived. The severity scoring system provides a reliable and clinically applicable method to assess disease severity in dogs with clinically AP at the time point after rehydration.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) was first reported in China in 2009. Recently, it has been identified as an emerging threat to shrimp aquaculture industries due to the significant economic losses. The causative agent of AHPND is Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP_AHPND). This study aimed to screen AHPND toxins in bacterial isolates from farmed Penaeus vannamei in Taiwan. In Southern Taiwan, sixty shrimp cases were collected. The prevalence of AHPND positive cases was 65% (39/60), with 4 severely infected cases and 35 moderately infected ones. Eighty-nine bacterial strains were also isolated from white-leg shrimp farms. All of the bacterial isolates were gram-negative, short-rod shaped, and motility-positive, with catalase, oxidase, indole, and glucose fermentation. Eighty-nine strains were identified as V. parahaemolyticus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifty-nine V. parahaemolyticus isolates tested positive for toxin genes (PirA and PirB) using nested PCR, among them four isolates showed positive in the first step nest PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of these four AHPND isolates revealed complete similarity with AHPND isolates from China, Malaysia, and Thailand. The challenge test showed that these strains produced mass death of up to 90–100% within 24 h after receiving 10⁷ CFU/shrimp intramuscular injection. Histopathological examination of the hepatopancreas revealed haemocyte infiltration and the presence of bacteria within hepatopancreatic lumen. Our findings show that V. parahaemolyticus is the causal agent of AHPND in Taiwanese shrimp farms.

Goats may suffer from rumen bloat for many reasons, e.g. improperly concentrated ratio or obstruction. The disease can be caused by eating undigested items, e.g. plastic rope or bags. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has often become mandatory for people to wear medical masks. People are generally unaware that masks left on the ground pose a risk to goats who may eat them. This case report describes the rumen bloat caused by medical masks in a male goat reared in an elementary school. After physical examination, the goat showed a bloated rumen, anorexia, depression, and weakness. The heart rate was normal, but respiratory patterns were fast and deep. Fewer defecated feces were noted by the owner. Furthermore, the owner’s complaints and ultrasound images revealed that undigested items in the rumen were the cause. After performing a standard rumenotomy, we scooped out four medical masks, one plastic bag, and one high-density nylon rope from the rumen. We believe this was the first report describing the risk of medical masks in goats. Promoting life and animal welfare education is essential to inform others of the harm medical masks pose to animals.

An 8-month-old intact female shorthair domestic cat was referred to the National Chung Hsing University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for uncontrolled chronic otitis in both ears. The affected ears revealed purulent discharge, erosion with bleeding and brownish-black proliferative tissue in the opening of both ear canals. Cytological examination of the discharge revealed the presence of gram-positive coccoid bacteria. We carried out histopathological examinations of biopsies obtained from friable and proliferative tissues of both ears. Based on the clinical and histopathological characteristics, proliferative and necrotizing otitis externa (PNOE) was diagnosed. Treatment was initiated with a combination of twice-daily application of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment and a once-daily otic lotion containing hydrocortisone aceponate, miconazole nitrate and gentamicin sulfate following the administration of once-daily anti-bacterial flush which contains tromethamine, edetate disodium dehydrate (EDTA) buffered to pH 8 with tromethamine hydrochloride and deionized water. The antibiotic ear lotion was withdrawn in the absence of purulent discharge in both ears after 11 weeks. Most proliferative lesions resolved after 17 weeks, and we tapered the dosage of 0.1% tacrolimus from once daily to once weekly during the year follow-up period. However, in our case, partial remission of PNOE was observed with the application of a combination of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment and a commercial ear lotion. The cat was healthy and had a good quality of life. To our knowledge, this is the first report of PNOE in a cat in Taiwan.