Practical use of electromyography in veterinary medicine – A review

Electromyography (EMG) is a sophisticated electrodiagnostic-neurophysiological method, which serves to diagnose neuromuscular system diseases. It is based on the measurement of the electrical potentials created by the skeletal muscle activity. For this technique, surface electrodes and needle electrodes can be used, which read the action potential of a large number of motor units and read a small number of motor units, respectively. The wide-spectrum application of this method extends our diagnostic possibilities of the clinical examination in veterinary practice. Together with a clinical neurological examination and imaging methods, EMG forms a part of the diagnosis of nervous system diseases and it is a useful diagnostic technique for differentiating neuropathies, junctionopathies, and myopathies. The results of the neurophysiological examination inform us about the functional state of the peripheral and central nervous system; it can demonstrate subclinical diseases and monitor the dynamics of changes in the functional state of individual nervous systems over time. In this article, we review the electromyographic method and its use in veterinary practice.

Clinical and necropsy evaluation of endocardial fibroelastosis in a mixed-breed cat with left side heart failure

A two-month-old, male intact, mixed-breed cat weighing 0.6 kg was presented with respiratory distress and anorexia. From the transthoracic echocardiographic, reduced fractional shortening (FS) and increased endocardial echogenicity were recognised with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). The kitten was administered an antibiotic and pimobendane under oxygen supplementation in an ICU cage. However, the respiratory condition worsened and the cat died the next day, and the subsequent necropsy and histopathology examinations confirmed endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE). There is a lack of information regarding the antemortem cardiac function evaluated by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in EFE cases. We report on the echocardiographic findings including the TDI in the EFE cat with a concomitant necropsy and histopathology confirmation in this paper. The echocardiographic findings showed presence of a ventricular false tendon within the left ventricle, a decrease in the left ventricular contractility (FS 11.1%, and a marked CHF). In this case, the echocardiographic findings were consistent with the human counterpart. However, these findings were like those of dilated cardiomyopathy and, hence, non-specific to EFE. As a result, veterinarians should keep in mind that endocardial fibroelastosis might be a possible reason for respiratory distress resulting from CHF with a low fractional shortening in young cats.

Detection and characterisation of porcine circoviruses in wild boars in northeastern Serbia

The objective was to expand and update the knowledge on the presence and genotype diversity of porcine circoviruses 2 and 3 (PCV2 and PCV3) in the wild boar populations from the hunting grounds in northeastern Serbia. The presence of PCV3 was not determined, and PCV2 was confirmed in 40.32% of the organ samples from 124 wild boars hunted from 2018 to 2019, indicating their significance in virus circulation since traditional pig farms with irregular PCV2 vaccination strategies are widespread in this region. The most prevalent genotype was PCV2d, followed by PCV2b and PCV2a in 55.6%, 38.9%, and 5.5% of the examined samples, respectively. Nucleotide sequences of the detected strains were homogenous within the genotype and clustered within the subgroups PCV2d-2, PCV2b-1A/B, and PCV2a-2D with high identity to European, Chinese, and Serbian domestic pig sequences suggesting their origin. Wild boars presented with no clinical or pathological signs of infection, implying that these animals might be less susceptible to disease, particularly since the cofactors present in pig farming systems that support the disease development are absent in the wild. The high PCV2 detection frequency demonstrates the importance of wildlife monitoring to track virus population dynamics, especially in regions with free-range pig farming in order to plan adequate disease control strategies.

Examination of white blood cell indicators for three different ploidy level sturgeon species reared in an indoor recirculation aquaculture system for one year

Functional diploid Acipenser ruthenus, functional tetraploid Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and functional hexaploid Acipenser brevirostrum juveniles were sampled monthly for one year, and the white blood cell indicators were determined. The total number of leukocytes (TL) was 40.93 ± 17.24 × 10⁹/l for the diploids, 20.63 ± 11.20 × 10⁹/l for the tetraploids, 14.13 ± 7.72 × 10⁹/l for the hexaploids. The TL decreased with an increasing ploidy level. The highest number of leukocytes was reached during September and October for A. ruthenus and A. brevirostrum, from October to January for A. gueldenstaedtii (a statistically significant finding). The lymphocytes dominated (76.89–80.14%) in the differential counts and were found to be reduced in June and July in each group. Granulocytes were represented by neutrophils and eosinophils. Counting from all the leukocytes, the neutrophils represented 13.0–18.7% and eosinophils represented 5.7–6.1%. Increasing number of nuclear segments in the granulocytes was dependent on the increasing ploidy level. Nuclear segmentation in the lymphocytes was a common finding in higher ploidy level groups. The data suggest a significant effect of ploidy level on the total number of leukocytes and morphological nuclear changes in the granulocytes and lymphocytes. The seasonal variation in the differential leukocyte counts depends on the species and the influence of various external conditions rather than the ploidy level.

Benign ovarian teratoma in the dog with predominantly nervous tissue: A case report

Ovarian teratomas are rare neoplasms in female dogs, and they are characterised by the proliferation of tissues of embryonic origin. Most teratomas are benign, but a histological diagnosis is important for clinicians. The objective of this article is to describe a benign ovarian teratoma in a dog, which was found on the street and was appearing like pregnant. A veterinary inspection by palpation documented an enlarged abdomen with a mass of tough matter located on the right side in the abdominal-pelvic part. An ultrasound examination presumed neoplastic mass in region of ovary. A bilateral ovariohysterectomy was performed and the subsequent histological evaluation revealed a benign ovarian teratoma with a histochemically and immunohistochemically verified nervous tissue. After one year, no distant metastases were found and the dog was recognised as being clinically healthy without problems. On the basis of the ultrasonography diagnostics and histopathological analyses, we have demonstrated the occurrence of a benign ovarian teratoma in a dog.

Comparative analysis of the exosomal contents of DF-1 cells infected by ALV-J

Exploration of the abnormal expression of exosomal molecules during the infection of avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) is essential to provide a deeper understanding of the exosome’s role in the viral pathogenesis involved. The study aimed to investigate the differentially expressed proteins and miRNAs of the exosomes derived from DF-1 cells infected by ALV-J, their gene function and involved signal pathways. We isolated exosomes from DF-1 cells infected by ALV-J. The differentially expressed proteins and miRNAs of the exosomes were determined by proteomics and transcription detection technology. A Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signal pathway analysis identified the miRNAs target genes and the signal pathways regulated by the different proteins or/and miRNAs. A total of 116 proteins (58 upregulated and 58 downregulated) and 3 miRNAs (all upregulated) were determined. These proteins were involved in 155 signal pathways, in which the highest number of proteins involved in the cancer pathway was (up to) seven. The target genes of the miRNAs were involved in 3 signal pathways. Both the proteins and target genes of the miRNAs were involved in the Ribosome pathway and ECM-receptor interaction pathway. The results suggested that the ALV-J infection changed the proteins and miRNAs of the exosomes significantly.

Clinical application of both amniotic membranes and adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells in a cat with a large skin defect

Surgical procedures on large skin defects can be challenging in the short term due to the size of the lesion, infection, and tissue defect. A regenerative therapy for skin wounds has been applied to promote the healing process. An 8-month-old, Korean domestic short-haired female cat, weighing 3 kg, was rescued with extensive defects on the right flank to right inguinal region caused by bite wounds. In this case, amniotic membranes and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were used as the regenerative therapy to treat the large skin defect rather than a surgical intervention alone. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a case with of a large skin defect treated by applying allogeneic amniotic membranes and allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells to a cat.

Frequency of endoscopic findings of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) in rural horses and its association with Helicobacter pylori virulence genes

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a multifactorial disorder and one of the most common diseases in horses. The objective of this research was to detect one of the potential risk factors of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD), the Helicobacter pylori specific gene, and tracing the presence of the duodenal ulcer-promoting gene (dupA) as a possible virulence marker. Gastric fluid together with faecal samples were collected from twenty rural horses from around Tabriz, Iran. Throughout the endoscopic examinations, the type, numbers, severity, and the location of the lesions were documented. Nine of twenty horses exhibited macroscopic lesions in the squamous mucosa that were later classified into grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. Only three of these horses exhibited H. pylori in their gastric fluid samples, whereas all faecal samples were H. pylori-negative. All the H. pylori-positive cases manifested severe forms of ESGD (grades 3–4). The age and sex were both unrelated to the lesion severity and ESGD status in this study. Research is required to further discuss the virulence aspects of dupA regarding ESGD.

Clinical and radiographic evaluation of subsidence in two femoral stem models for a total hip replacement in dogs

Canine cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a successful technique for the management of hip arthrosis; however, serious potential complications, such as femoral fractures and subsidence of the femoral stem, can occur. To evaluate the effect of two femoral stem designs in reducing subsidence in dogs, twenty-four hips from twenty-one dogs undergoing THA were assessed. The twenty-four arthroplasties were divided into two experimental groups: G1 with a first generation, and G2, which is the second generation, system were used. All the dogs were clinically and radiographically evaluated immediately post-operatively and at 30 (M1) and 120 days post-operatively (M2). Three of ten arthroplasties in the G1 system had subsidence and six of fourteen had subsidence in the G2 system. Both systems are effective for management of hip arthrosis. The varus positions with the sub-optimal filling were not related to the subsidence. The two stem designs both showed some resistance to subsidence, but clinical problems were not identified in any case.

Differences in the anatomy of the lower respiratory tract in selected species of the order Testudines

The lower airways of turtles consist of the larynx, trachea and bronchi. Due to incomplete information about the anatomical structure of the lower respiratory tract in turtles, we decided to explore this topic more deeply. The material for this study included 95 turtle cadavers. Terrestrial tortoises were represented by 63 individuals from 8 species, aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles by 32 individuals from 11 species. The sex ratio was 54 females to 41 males. In addition to the anatomical autopsies and assessments of the macroscopic structures, numerous measurements were performed. The length, width and height of the larynx and trachea, and the length of the bronchi were measured. We found clinical significance in two parameters. The first one is the formation of the rima glottidis, which is significantly shorter and narrower in the aquatic turtles than in the terrestrial tortoises. It follows that for these species, we should use a smaller diameter of endotracheal cannula for intubation. The second parameter is a very short trachea in tortoises of the genus Testudo. The length of the trachea is only a few centimetres, which significantly increases the risk of intubation into one bronchus only.