Introduction: Analysis of urine from dogs and cats are an important method for diagnosingkidney and urinary tract diseases. Earlier studies have suggested that urine needs to be acidifiedbefore analysis of calcium and phosphorus to obtain a more reliable result. The acidification ismeant to dissolve urinary crystals which could affect the analysis. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if acidification of dog and cat urinary samples isnecessary for reliable analysis of calcium and phosphorus. The study also aimed to investigate ifacidification is possible after the freezing of urine, and also evaluate the stability of acidifiedurine and supernatant in -80 °C freezer. Material and method: Forty-four urinary samples, of which 38 were from dogs and 6 from cats,were collected. Each sample was divided into three aliquots; one aliquot was acidified directly,one aliquot was acidified after storage in the freezer, and the last aliquot was centrifuged and thesupernatant was collected. Calcium and phosphorus were analyzed with an automatic chemistryinstrument in all aliquots before and after storage in -80 °C. The presence of urinary crystals wasinvestigated through a microscope. Results and conclusion: The calcium and phosphorus concentration were not higher in acidifiedurine, so acidification does not seem to be required for analysis of calcium and phosphorus indog and cat urine. Acidification after storage of urine in the freezer gave similar results asacidification of fresh urine. Both supernatant and acidified urine were stable in -80 °C for at least 3 days.

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Aus dem Patientengut einer Fachklinik für Klein- und Heimtiere wurden 11 nicht vorbehandelte Katzen zwischen einem und zwölf Jahren mit mittel- bis hochgradiger Gingivo-Stomatitis ausgewählt. Diese wurden für zwölf Wochen (84 Tage) stationär aufgenommen und nach einem standardisierten Therapiekonzept behandelt: Am ersten Tag erfolgte nach dentalem Röntgen eine umfassende Zahnsanierung. An den Tagen 0, 14, 28, 42 und 84 wurde Interferon (Virbagen Omega® des Herstellers Virbac S.A.®, Carros Cedex, Frankreich) unter Sedation lokal, d.h. submukosal mit 1 ME/kg KGW injiziert. An den Tagen 56, 58, 60 und 62 erfolgte die Interferongabe systemisch. Begleittherapien wurde nach Bedarf eingesetzt, jedoch ohne die Verwendung von Glukokortikoiden und Hormonpräparaten. Verfüttert wurde ausschließlich Futter des Herstellers Royal Canin®, Köln, in den ersten 14 Tagen das Feuchtfutter Royal Canin convalescence support®, ab Tag 15 Royal Canin intestinal® Feucht- und Trockenfutter. An allen Behandlungstagen wurden zur qualitativen Virusbestimmung Tupferproben der am stärksten entzündeten Bezirke entnommen, die Maulhöhle nach einem festen System abfotografiert und die Veränderungen in Formblättern (Stärke der Faucites, Gingivitis, Buccostomatitis, Größe der Fläche und Art der Veränderung) und Grafik-charts festgehalten. Am ersten und letzten Tag wurden außerdem Biopsien zur quantitativen Bestimmung der Viruslast entnommen. Die Entwicklungen in folgenden Bereichen wurden anhand fixer Kriterien 14-tägig festgehalten: Allgemeinzustand, Schmerzen bei der Maulöffnung, Halitosis/zäher Speichel, Größe der Mandibularlymphknoten, Appetit, Schmerzen bei Futter-aufnahme oder Gähnen, Hypersalivation, Aktivität, Putztrieb und Zugänglichkeit. Die klinischen Verbesserungen waren bei allen Tieren schon nach 14 Tagen augenfällig. Der Hauptvorstellungsgrund der Besitzer, Appetitlosigkeit und Schmerzen bei der Futteraufnahme waren einer fast ungestörten Futteraufnahme gewichen, diese konnte in den folgenden Wochen kaum noch optimiert werden. Die entzündlichen Ulzerationen und Proliferationen der Maulhöhle halbierten sich innerhalb der ersten 14 Tage, nach 84 Tagen war der Heilungsprozess bei acht der elf Katzen abgeschlossen. Die persistierenden Proliferationen der restlichen Katzen waren allerdings nicht entzündlich und beeinflussten die Futteraufnahme nicht. Allgemeinzustand, Aktivität, Putztrieb und Zugänglichkeit stiegen bei zehn von elf Katzen bis zum 42. Tag etwa linear auf artspezifisches Normalniveau an und blieben hier konstant. Hypersalivation und Schwellung der Mandibularlymphknoten legte sich, so vorhanden, bei allen Tieren bis auf zwei innerhalb von 28 Tagen, bei diesen beiden war bis zum 84. Tag nur eine geringgradige Verbesserung zu beobachten. Nach der systemischen Vier-Tages-Therapie wurde ein erneutes Aufflackern der Gingivo-Stomatitis etwa auf das Niveau des 56. Tages beobachtet, allerdings ohne Folgen für die Verhaltensparameter. Eine Reduktion der Viruslast konnte trotz der eindrucksvollen Verbesserungen im klinischen Bereich in keinem Fall festgestellt werden. Die FIV/FeLV-positiven Katzen sprachen langfristig wesentlich schlechter auf das Therapiekonzept an als die übrigen Probanden. Daher gilt es bei diesen Tieren vor Interferoneinsatz kritisch zwischen den nicht unerheblichen Kosten und der zweifelhaften Prognose abzuwägen. Generell kann das Therapiekonzept Zahnsanierung – Interferon – Begleittherapie nach erfolgtem FIV/FeLV-Test bei der felinen Gingivo-Stomatitis als klinisch erfolgreich betrachtet werden.

Giardia is a parasite that causes disease in both humans and animals all around the world. Approximately 200 million people are infected each year. The parasite is spread mainly through contact with contaminated feces but can also be spread through food and water contaminated with infectious cysts. Symptoms that may occur during infection could be diarrhea and abdominal pain. Not all host organisms get symptoms and there are lots of asymptomatic carriers. The aim of this report was to compare and evaluate the performance of three different methods used to detect Giardia in dogs and cats. Today the gold standard is detecting cysts with immunofluorescence, which was one of the methods evaluated. One cyst visible was enough to say the test was positive. The other two methods were an ELISA and a rapid test, and both detected soluble Giardia antigen. For both methods, color development occurred in case of positive results. The ELISA wells were read spectrophotometrically at 450 nm. During this project, 294 tests from randomly chosen dogs and cats were analyzed. Of all these tests, 103 were analyzed with all three methods, whereas 191 tests were only analyzed with immunofluorescence and ELISA. When analyzing the results, the number of positive test results was very similar between the three methods and there was no statistically significant difference between them. Therefore, when price, time and results were taken into consideration, the method recommended was ELISA.

Feline morbillivirus (FeMV) is a recently discovered virus belonging to the genus Morbillivirus of the virus family Paramyxoviridae. Often, the virus has been detected in urine of cats with a history of urinary disease and has a worldwide distribution. Currently, it is unclear which receptor the virus uses to enter the target cells. Furthermore, many aspects of FeMV biology in vivo, including tissue tropism, pathogenesis, and virus excretion in the natural host remain unclear. In this study we analyzed the replication of FeMV in various cell lines. Secondly, we tested if the presence of feline SLAMF1 (Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule family 1/CD150, principal entry receptor for other members of the Morbillivirus genus) improved FeMV replication efficiency in vitro. Finally, to elucidate in vivo biology in cats, as a natural host for FeMV, we experimentally infected a group of cats and monitored clinical symptoms, viremia, and excretion of the virus during the course of 56 days. Our study showed that FeMV shares some features with other morbilliviruses like the use of the SLAMF1 receptor. For the first time, experimental infection of SPF cats showed that FeMV does not induce an acute clinical disease like other morbilliviruses but can induce lesions in the kidneys, including tubulointerstitial nephritis. Further investigations are needed to confirm the site and dynamics of replication of FeMV in the urinary tract and the longer-term impact of FeMV-induced lesions on the renal function. Whether FeMV infection can result in chronic kidney disease will require the monitoring of cats over a longer period.

The family of paramyxoviruses has received growing attention as several new species have been identified recently, notably two different clusters in domestic cats, designated as feline morbillivirus (FeMV) and feline paramyxovirus (FPaV). Their phylogenetic origin and whether wild felids also harbor these viruses are currently unknown. Kidney samples from 35 guignas (Leopardus guigna), a wild felid from Chile, were investigated for paramyxoviruses using consensus-RT-PCR. In addition, thirteen serum samples of guignas were screened for the presence of FeMV-specific antibodies by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Viral RNA was detected in 31% of the kidney samples. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two well-supported clusters, related to isolates from domestic cats, rodents and bats. No significant histopathology changes were recorded in infected guignas. Serology identified two samples which were positive for FeMV-specific antibodies. Our study highlights the diversity of paramyxovirus infections in felids with special emphasis on guignas from Chile.

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