Objective: To describe the changes in plasma glucose concentration in severely injured, canine to canine bite wound cases admitted for veterinary treatment. The changes were measured over a period of 72 hours from the initiation of the trauma. Historical, signalment, clinical and haematological factors were investigated to determine their possible relationship to blood glucose concentration. Hypo- and hyperglycaemia have been associated with death from sepsis and acute injury. Method: Twenty dogs admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) with severe bite wounds were evaluated. The time of injury was established by questioning the dogs’ owners. Blood was taken on admission for haematology and plasma glucose concentration. Haematology was repeated every 24 hours and glucose every 8 hours, measured from the time the dogs were first bitten. Results: On admission, 5% (1/20) of the dogs were hypoglycaemic, 40% (8/20) were normoglycaemic and 55% (11/20) were hyperglycaemic. No other dogs showed hypoglycaemia during the study period. The median glucose at each of the ten collection points, prior to the 56-hour collection point and at the 72 hour collection point, was in the hyperglycaemic range (5.8mmol/l to 6.2mmol/l). Puppies and thin dogs had considerably higher median plasma glucose concentrations than adult and fat dogs at 0 and 16 hours respectively (P < 0.05 for both). A high incidence of SIRS was encountered (65% to 80%). Fifteen dogs were alive at 72-hours. Thirteen dogs (81.3%) eventually made a full recovery. Three out of four dogs (75%) that were recumbent on admission, died, whereas all dogs (12/12) admitted with either an alert or depressed mental status survived (P = 0. 004). Clinical significance: The high incidence of hyperglycaemia may be explained by the ‘diabetes of injury’ phenomenon. The role of insulin therapy in the treatment of severe injuries should be explored in future studies, as its use in the treatment of human ICU cases, has resulted in a substantial reduction of fatalities resulting from acute injury. The high incidence of death and initial hyperglycemia in the collapsed group and the higher plasma glucose concentrations found in puppies and thin dogs warrants further investigation with a larger group of animals. / Dissertation (MMedVet (Small Animal Surgery))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Companion Animal Clinical Studies / MMedVet / unrestricted

To investigate the bacterial composition of infected and non-infected dog bite wounds (DBW), a prospective study was performed on dogs with various grades of bite wounds presenting at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, and a nearby animal shelter. Fifty dogs with bite wounds inflicted within the previous 72 hours were selected. This represented 104 wounds. Wounds were clinically graded according to severity. Swabs were collected from all wounds for bacterial culture and cytology. Infection was diagnosed if 2 of the following 3 criteria were met: macroscopic purulence, microscopic presence of phagocytosed bacteria, or pyrexia. Non-infected wounds were either classed as sterile (established by culture) or contaminated (culture positive but bacteria not phagocytosed on cytology). To determine the origin of the bacteria, swabs were collected from the skin near the wounds and gingiva of 15 bite victims. All swabs were cultured aerobically and anaerobically and all aerobic cultures were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion test. The victims were predominately male, uncastrated, small-breed dogs. Of the 104 wounds studied, 21 were judged to be infected and 83 non-infected. Infected wounds were significantly more likely to culture positive (Fisher's exact test: p = 0.02). Sixteen per cent of wounds did not culture bacteria, 67% grew aerobes only, 1% anaerobes only and 67% a mixture of aerobes and anaerobes. A total of 213 isolates were cultured representing a mean of 2 isolates per wound. Of the aerobe species cultured, 22%, 19% and 17% belonged to the genera of Pasteurella, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus respectively. The species of Pasteurella multocida (66%) and Staphylococcus intermedius (70%) were predominant. Pasteurella canis and pyogenic streptococci were common in infected wounds, whereas Bacillus spp., Actinomyces spp. and oral streptococci were usually found in contaminated wounds. Three anaerobic genera were cultured, namely, Prevotella, Clostridium and Peptostreptococcus, and were usually associated with wounds with dead space. This study also describes the first documented case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus in an infected dog bite wound. Notably clinical and cytological assessment was capable of establishing whether antimicrobials were required or not. Although no single antimicrobials was considered to be effective against all the bacteria, amoxycillin plus clavulanic acid, 1st and 3rd generation cephalosporins, ampicillin or amoxycillin and potentiated sulphonamides gave the best in vitro sensitivity results. / Dissertation (MMedVet(Surgery) Small Animal Surgery)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Companion Animal Clinical Studies / unrestricted