Disease | Condition-Specific Articles

Jerold S Bell DVM, Dept. of Clinical Sciences, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, N. Grafton, MA USA jerold.bell@tufts.edu (Lecture presented at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2021 Virtual World Congress 13 Nov. 2021) This WSAVA Lecture is also available as a PDF. WSAVA21 Degenerative Myelopathy.pdf    

AKC Article... Early Detection of Bladder Cancer Possible With New Screening Tool

• http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/early-detection-of-bladder-cancer-possible/

Canine TCC/UC/bladder cancer -- Breen Lab @ NCSU

• Canine Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) /Urothelial Carcinoma (UC)/bladder cancer in dogs – New research provides an opportunity for early detection.

Matthew Breen PhD CBiol FRSB
Oscar J. Fletcher Distinguished Professor of
Comparative Oncology Genetics   and Shelly Vaden, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Professor of Internal Medicine
President of the American Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology North Carolina State University,
College of Veterinary Medicine,
Raleigh, NC 27607  

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Canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), also known as urothelial carcinoma (UC), is the most common cancer of the canine urinary tract (1). Across all breeds the cancer represents an estimated 1-2% of all canine cancer, and with over 4-6 million cancers diagnosed in pet dogs each year in the US, the number of canine TCCs/UCs is estimated to exceed 50,000. However a group of 13 breeds, including the Beagle, has a much higher chance of developing the cancer. The cancer is generally a disease of mid to late life, with over 95% of cases occurring in dogs age 6 years and older. TCC/UC affects the bladder, urethra, and kidneys of male and female dogs and also the prostate of males. Clinical presentation of advancing TCC/UC is shared with other much more common urinary tract disorders, including cystitis and prostatitis. These may include one or more of the following: straining to urinate; repeated frequent attempts to urinate; blood in the urine; and bacterial infection.

      Go to Sentinel Biomedical to GET More Information on THE TEST... The CADETSM BRAF Assay for Diagnosis & Monitoring of Canine TCC/UC https://www.sentinelbiomedical.com/shop/cadetsm-braf-diagnosis-monitoring/     The science...

BRAF Mutations in Canine Cancers
Hiroyuki Mochizuki, Katherine Kennedy, Susan G. Shapiro, Matthew Breen
Detection of BRAF Mutation in Urine DNA as a Molecular Diagnostic for Canine Urothelial and Prostatic Carcinoma
Hiroyuki Mochizuki, Susan G. Shapiro, Matthew Breen
Homologous Mutation to Human BRAF V600E Is Common in Naturally Occurring Canine Bladder Cancer—Evidence for a Relevant Model System and Urine-Based Diagnostic Test
Brennan Decker, Heidi G. Parker, Deepika Dhawan, Erika M. Kwon, Eric Karlins, Brian W. Davis, José A. Ramos-Vara, Patty L. Bonney, Elizabeth A. McNiel, Deborah W. Knapp and Elaine A. Ostrander   Learn about Sentinel Biomedical's newest product: CADET BRAF Mutation Detection Assay, designed for the early detection and monitoring of canine bladder cancer or canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC)/urothelial carcinoma (UC). Review the research, findings and how the test works. (33:15) with lead researcher Dr. Matthew Breen, PhD CBiol FRSB  

Epidemiological associations between brachycephaly and upper respiratory tract disorders in dogs attending veterinary practices in England  

• https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40575-015-0023-8?site=cgejournal.biomedcentral.com

Conclusions
 

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  This study reports that URT disorders are relatively commonly diagnosed across Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Border Terrier, WHWT and Yorkshire Terrier dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England.   The three evaluated breed types of extreme brachycephalic conformation (Bulldog, French Bulldog and Pug) were relatively short-lived and predisposed to URT disorders compared with three other small-to-medium sized breed types that are commonly owned (moderate brachycephalic: Yorkshire Terrier and non-brachycephalic: Border Terrier and WHWT). These findings expand the evidence base available to practitioners to aid clinical decision-making and should assist reforms to improve canine breed welfare.
 

 

Corneal ulcerative disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in England: epidemiology and clinical management

    Dan G. O’Neill, Monica M. Lee, Dave C. Brodbelt, David B. Church and Rick F. Sanchez

• https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-017-0045-5
• https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40575-017-0045-5?site=cgejournal.biomedcentral.com

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Conclusions Breeds such as the Pug and Boxer, and conformational types such as brachycephalic and spaniels, demonstrated predisposition to CUD in the general canine population. These results suggest that breeding focus on periocular conformation in predisposed breeds should be considered in order to reduce corneal disease.

       

Canine patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopaedic disorders of dogs and can lead to lameness, osteoarthritis and pain. This study using the VetCompass Programme reports on the prevalence, risk factors and clinical management of diagnosed patellar luxation cases in dogs in the UK.   The full article is freely available Open Access at Canine Genetics and Epidemiology.

The first Canine Behavior and Genetics Conference was set in London in June 2015 and had 91 attendees from 10 countries. This paper is a review of the 17 oral presentations by two rapporteurs were invited to attend the conference who also give their own personal conclusions on routes forward for Canine Behavioral Science.    The full version of this paper is available at Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. Editor's Note: The link provided above points to The Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research website. The referenced paper entitled, "The First Canine Behavior and Genetics Conference: Summary and recommendations for future directions in canine behavioral science" is listed as Temporarily Unavailable. We at DogWellNet hope to be able to present content at a later date -- please check back for updates.

Hyperadrenocorticism results from chronic overproduction of cortisol and the welfare of affected dogs can be severely impacted, often showing polyuria, polydipsia,polyphagia, muscle atrophy and dermatological changes. This study within the VetCompass Programme aimed to estimate prevalence and risk factors for diagnosis with hyperadrenocorticism in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK. The estimated prevalence for hyperadrenocorticism diagnosis in dogs was 0·28% (95% confidence interval: 0·25 to 0·31). Associated risk factors included breed, breed-relative bodyweight, age and insurance status. The bichon frise had 6·5 times the odds of hyperadrenocorticism compared with crossbreds.   The full publication of 'Epidemiology of hyperadrenocorticism among 210,824 dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in the UK from 2009 to 2014' is available on the JSAP site.

Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in humans, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 0.4–1.-% per cent. Epilepsy has also been suggested to be the most common chronic neurological condition in dogs, affecting an estimated prevalence of 1.0–2.0%  in referral hospital populations. But, prior to this paper, the  prevalence of epilepsy in the general dog population, was unknown. The full publication of Prevalence and risk factors for canine epilepsy of unknown origin in the UK is available on the VetCompass website. 

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/learn-zone#tab-audio-visual-library

http://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/learn-zone#tab-audio-visual-library  

Purebred dog health is thought to be compromised by an increasing occurence of inherited diseases but inadequate prevalence data on common disorders have hampered efforts to prioritise health reforms. Analysis of primary veterinary practice clinical data has been proposed for reliable estimation of disorder prevalence in dogs. Electronic patient record (EPR) data were collected on 148,741 dogs attending 93 clinics across central and south-eastern England. The results suggest that, for maximal impact, breeding reforms should target commonly-diagnosed complex disorders that are amenable to genetic improvement and should place special focus on at-risk breeds. See the following article in the DogWellNet.com section: Data from Veterinarians / Insurance Databases  or see links below,  

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Mast cell tumour (MCT) appears to be a frequent tumour type in dogs, though there is little published in relation to its frequency in dogs in the UK. The current study aimed to investigate prevalence and risk factors for MCTs in dogs attending English primary-care veterinary practices.Electronic patient records from practices participating in the VetCompass animal surveillance project between July 2007 and June 2013 were searched for MCT diagnosis.
Within a population of 168,636 dogs, 453 had MCT, yielding a prevalence of 0.27% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24% - 0.29%). The highest breed type specific prevalences were for the Boxer at 1.95% (95% CI 1.40% - 2.51%), Golden Retriever at 1.39% (0.98% - 1.81%) and Weimaraner at 0.85% (95% CI 0.17% to 1.53%). Age, insurance status, neuter status, weight and breed type were associated with MCT diagnosis. Of dogs of specific breed type, the Boxer, Pug and Staffordshire Bull Terrier showed greater odds of MCT diagnosis compared with crossbred dogs. Conversely, the German Shepherd Dog, Border Collie, West Highland White Terrier, Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel had reduced odds of MCT diagnosis compared with crossbred dogs. No association was found between MCT diagnosis and sex.
This study highlights a clinically significant prevalence of MCT and identifies specific breed types with predisposition to MCT, potentially aiding veterinarian awareness and facilitating diagnosis.