Browsing by Subject "cat"
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(University of HelsinkiHelsingin yliopistoHelsingfors universitet, 1999)Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli saada selville herpesviruksen, caliciviruksen ja klamydian yleisyys Suomen kissapopulaatiossa, oireisten ja kroonisten kantajien yleisyys, erot rotu- ja kotikissojen tartuntojen yleisyydessä, rokotusten vaikutukset ja eri tutkimusmenetelmien käyttökelpoisuus diagnostiikassa. Näiden infektioiden esiintymistä Suomessa ei ole tutkittu aikaisemmin ja erityisesti klamydian merkitystä kissojen sairastumisiin on vähätelty. Tutkimus tehtiin vuosina 1995-1997 EELA:n virologian osastolla. Tutkimuksiin osallistui 377 kissaa, 225 rotukissaa ja 152 kotikissaa. Rotukissat olivat 20 rodun edustajia. 185 kissaa saatiin kissalehdissä ilmestyneiden artikkelien perusteella vuosina 1995 ja 1996, ja näille tehtiin myös kliininen tutkimus. Näistä 70% oli alle 2-vuotiaita. 45 kissalla todettiin kliinisiä oireita. Tutkittiin yhteensä 370 seeruminäytettä ja 185 silmä- ja nielunäytettä. Tutkittaville kissoille ei asetettu muita vaatimuksia kuin se, ettei niitä oltu viimeisen kuukauden aikana hoidettu antibiooteilla. Tutkimusmenetelmiksi valittiin virusten ja klamydian eristys soluviljelmissä ja vasta-aineiden osoitus virusneutralisaatio- ja komplementtisitoutumistestillä. Tutkimuksesta tuli esille, että Chlamydia psittaci on pääsyynä kronisiin silmäoireisiin 20 %:lla ja herpesvirus 6.6 %:lla silmäoireilevista kissoista. Herpesviruskantajuus rotukisoilla on 33.9 % ja kotikissoilla 6.6 %. Caliciviruskantajuus rotukissoilla on 71 % ja kotikissoilla 27 %. 16 % kissoista on sekäherpes- että caliciviruskantajia. Rokotuksista ei ole mitään apua kantajille ja on epätodennäköistä että kantajamuoto häviää niiden seurauksena. Vaikka terveet kissat olisivat säännöllisesti rokotettuja, ne voivat silti saada tartunnan ja levittää virusta eteenpäin. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa käsitellään kissojen klamydia, herpesvirus ja calicivirus infektiot.
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(University of HelsinkiHelsingin yliopistoHelsingfors universitet, 2014)The morphology of a normal feline cornea and two sequestra were characterised using light microscopy (LM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A modern technique, serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SB-EM), was used to reconstruct a three-dimensional model of a feline corneal squamous epithelial cell and the apical corneal surface. Feline corneal sequestra are demarcated, pigmented plaques affecting the corneal stroma. The aetiology, pathogenesis and cause of the pigmentation remain elusive despite previous studies. TEM analysis has been applied in the study of sequestra, but further studies on sequestrum ultrastructure are needed to identify the cause of the pigmentation and reveal the role of keratocytes in the pathogenesis of the lesion. Three-dimensional techniques have not been used before in the study of feline corneal sequestra, so this served as a pilot study with the aim to modify a suitable protocol for preparing corneal specimens for SB-EM imaging. LM and TEM analysis of the control specimen concurred with previous findings of normal feline corneal anatomy. Normal stroma displayed organised lamellae, and keratocytes contained abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum associated with secretion of collagen filaments. The mild sequestrum illustrated detached stromal lamellae and apoptotic or necrotic keratocytes. The severe sequestrum depicted the regular appearance of stromal lamellae. Intact, though abnormal, keratocytes contained and were surrounded by numerous electron lucent profiles. The structures may have been pigment granules that washed away during specimen preparation. SB-EM analysis of feline corneal epithelial cell ultrastructure revealed intricate finger like protrusions which adjacent cells use to interlock with each other. The nucleus was discoid with a flat apical and a slightly convex posterior surface. Three different surface structures of apical squamous epithelial cells were identified: microvilli, labyrinthine microplicae, and a combination of these. A suitable protocol for the preparation of corneal specimens for SB-EM was achieved. This study can be continued in attempt to image corneal stroma and keratocytes. With additional control and sequestrum specimens the morphology of keratocytes in the normal feline cornea and corneal sequestra could be compared. Differences may indicate that keratocytes play a role in the pathogenesis of corneal sequestra.
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(2019)This licentiate thesis consists of a literature review and a retrospective study. Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrinopathy in cats. It mainly resembles type II diabetes mellitus of humans, where the dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells together with peripheral insulin resistance causes increased blood glucose concentrations. Along with other risk factors such as breed and neuter status, obesity is closely related to the development of feline diabetes mellitus. The aim of the retrospective study was to assess risk factors and treatment protocols of diabetes mellitus. Factors influencing treatment outcome were also investigated. The results were compared with current scientific evidence. The hypotheses were that diabetic cats with an optimal body condition score (BCS) are more likely to achieve stable disease requiring administration of exogenous insulin and are more likely to achieve remission, where administration of exogenous insulin is no longer needed. The veterinary patient database ProvetNet was used to search for cats with diabetes mellitus presented to the University of Helsinki, Small Animal Teaching Hospital and the Saari Small Animal Clinic between March 2006 and March 2016. Data such as breed, gender, BCS and concurrent diseases were recorded for 123 cats. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism. Neutered male cats had 2.8 times the risk of developing diabetes mellitus when compared to intact cats and neutered females. Domestic shorthair cats had 1.7 times the risk of developing diabetes mellitus when compared to other breeds. Remission rates were substantially lower than what has been reported in literature. The results did not support the hypotheses. Cats with an optimal BCS were not more likely to achieve stable disease or remission. However, the small sample size should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results. Investigating the relationship between BCS and diabetes mellitus was difficult due to incomplete documentation of BCS values and limitations of the veterinary patient database. Measures should be taken to develop the database so the evaluation and recording of BCS is a convenient routine. Further research into risk factors for both diabetes mellitus and obesity as well as treatment protocols resulting in remission is needed, so evidence-based data can be used for prevention and remission of the disease.
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(University of HelsinkiHelsingin yliopistoHelsingfors universitet, 2013)This retrospective study was done to find out the prevalence of different liver diseases in dogs and cats in the Small Animal University hospital during a four year period 2007-10. This information is needed to plan further research on liver diseases, and the main source of interest for this are canine familial liver diseases associated with certain breeds. Therefore, the study looked for breeds that might be overrepresented with liver diseases. Breeds often described with familial liver diseases are e.g. Doberman, Dalmatian, cocker spaniel, Bedlington terrier and West Highland white terrier. Finally, this study looks into the diagnostic procedures for liver diseases in the hospital to compare them with current recommendations. The patients' information was searched by different criteria from the hospitals' patient database (Provet). The initially found patients were included if they had been diagnosed or suspected with a liver disease, which also includes diseases of biliary tract or hepatic vasculature. Of these patients, basic information, possible diagnosis, relevant laboratory findings, ultrasound findings and biopsy results were collected. The data was collected in a worksheet in MS Excel and further analysed there and in PASW Statistics 18.0. 337 dogs and 36 cats were eventually included in the study, resulting in 1.24 % and 0.41 % prevalence of all liver diseases in the hospital population in dogs and cats respectively. 55 patients (15 %) did not get a certain diagnosis, although they were definitely found to have had some kind of liver disease. Primary diagnosis of 28 patients was something other than liver diseases, though liver was also affected to some extent. The most common hepatobiliary diseases in dogs were vascular disorders (80 patients and in cats cholangitis and cholangiohepatitis (11 patients). As for breed distribution, in dogs with vascular disorders miniature breeds stood out with extrahepatic portosystemic shunts, especially miniature schnauzers (2.13 % prevalence within breed). Shetland sheepdogs stood out with liver diseases in general (3.65 % prevalence within breed) and especially with the diseases of the biliary tract (4 dogs). There were not as many dogs of known risk breed f chronic hepatitis as one would have expected, no breed was represented by over 5 dogs with chronic liver diseases. Copper accumulation was found in only 6 dogs, all of different breeds. Serum ALP, ALT, total protein, albumin, urea and bilirubin had been measured from nearly all of the patients in this study. Bile acids were measured from 66 % (fasting sample) and 27 % (post prandial sample) and ammonia from 60 % of the patients. Laboratory findings and their usefulness in diagnostics of different hepatobiliary diseases in dogs and cats were in agreement with what is described by scientific reports. 86.3 % of the patients had been studied with ultrasound, which was often useful, especially as a way to support the diagnosis. The most used biopsy method was fine-needle cytology which was taken from 93 patients, laparotomy with biopsy was done to 42 patients and laparoscopy to 8 patients. This study showed that hepatobiliary diseases were relatively common in dogs in our hospital, and vascular disorders are the most common of those. In cats hepatobiliary diseases are quite rare. There was not a high number of dogs of the breeds that are described to have increased tendency of developing chronic hepatitis presented to the hospital. Considering further studies on breed-associated hepatobiliary diseases, this study can perhaps suggest miniature schnauzers with extrahepatic portosystemic shunts, Shetland sheepdogs with biliary tract diseases or cocker spaniels with chronic or chronic active hepatitis. The study also showed that, as could be expected, liver diseases often require a lot, usually a biopsy, to be properly diagnosed, and thus many patients' diagnosis remains incomplete. In this hospital diagnosis is often thorough, when it is needed. The use of laparoscopy as a method to take a liver biopsy had not yet been that popular, but it may become more so in the future.
Now showing items 1-4 of 4