2008 - 77 (2)

Paper in Dutch

A 10-year-old female Belgian Malinois shepherd dog was presented because of an advanced recurrenceof an intra- and subcutaneous hemangiopericytoma on the cranial aspect of the stifle. Ultrasound examinationrevealed a multi-lobular well demarcated mass. The tumor was excised with wide margins and thedefect of around 300 degrees of circumference on the lateral, cranial, and medial part of the stifle andproximal tibial area was covered with a transposition skin flap, originating from the cranio-medial thighand inguinal region. Healing was uncomplicated and 13 months after surgery there was still no evidenceof recurrence of the tumor.To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report to describe this reconstructive surgical techniquearound the knee joint in a dog.

Eight emerging young bees with wing deformities were examined using existing RT -PCR tests for thepresence of viral agents. All samples tested positive for deformed wing virus and Varroa destructor virus 1.Sixout of eight bees also tested positive for black queen cell virus (BQCV). This is the first report that confirmsthe presence of honeybee viruses in Belgium by molecular means. The finding of BQCV is remarkable,as no typical signs of this disease have ever previously been reported in our country.

Capripoxvirus infections including sheeppox virus (SPPV), goatpox virus (GTPV) and lumpy skin diseasesvirus (LSDV), which are listed by the OIE, are malignant, severe and highly contagious diseases insheep, goats and cattle. This study reports the identification of a capripoxvirus in necropsy specimens,including skin and lung lesions, lymph nodes, spleen and cotyledon obtained from dead sheep suspectedof sheeppox infection. PCR was used to compare its genome with GPPV and SPPV isolates using sequenceanalysis. PCR demonstrated that all necropsy specimens were positive and nucleotide sequencing of PCRproducts indicated a close relationship to SPPV.

The presence of Campylobacter DNA was studied by means of PCR in fecal samples from 37 dogs sufferingfrom acute or chronic diarrhea and 50 dogs without clinical signs. In total, 47% of the fecal sampleswere positive for Campylobacter DNA, with C. upsaliensis being the predominant species, followed by C.coli, C. jejuni and C. mucosalis. C. helveticus, C. lari, C. hyointestinalis, C. sputorum, C. fetus and C. lanienaeDNAwas not detected in any of the samples. No significant difference was noted between the healthy dogsand the diarrheic dogs. Dogs younger than 12 months old were significantly more often infected withCampylobacter species than older dogs. Although a pathogenic role cannot be excluded, the detection ofthese organisms in fecal samples is not diagnostic for Campylobacter-associated disease in dogs. However,because of their frequent presence in dog feces, Campylobacter species may constitute a public healthhazard.

Paper in Dutch

Paper in Dutch

Honey is believed to have several positive effects on wound healing. In this case report the clinical outcome ofthe use of honey dressings is described in several clinical cases of dogs with skin wounds. The findings confirmthat wounds treated with honey heal quickly, that bacterial contamination is well controlled, debridement is effectiveand that the dressings are well tolerated in all patients.

Honey is one of the oldest medicines. Throughout history its use in wound management has been recorded inseveral cultures throughout the whole world. Up till now, in Western society nontraditional health care practiceshave been regarded with scepticism, viewing them at best as “useless, but not harmful”.The emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and chemofobia, has created a resurgence of interest in thetherapeutic use of honey. Honey of several floral sources has been studied in vitro to elucidate the scientific basisfor its effectiveness. Clinically, honey is particularly suitable for treating patients with large infected wounds.Honey has antibacterial properties, it enhances wound healing and there is minimal eschar formation when honeyis used. In contrast to many conventional drugs, no important adverse effects have been reported.

Treatment of sarcoids is often challenging, due to the variable clinical presentation of lesions and thefrequent local recurrences. In this article, both the surgical and the non-surgical treatment of equine sarcoidsare reviewed. It is generally accepted that the prognosis is worse if unsuccessful attempts have beenmade previously. Therefore, the best available treatment option should always be used at the first attemptof treatment. Different surgical approaches have been reported, including conventional excision, cryosurgeryand CO2 laser surgery. Success rates are high if a non-touch approach, wide surgical margins andgeneral anesthesia can be applied. Local chemotherapy is a valuable addition in the treatment of sarcoidsand can be combined with surgery. Radiotherapy is a very successful treatment, but safety precautionsprevent routine application. Local immunotherapy including Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination andimiquimod cream are commonly applied treatments which induce rather effective tumour regression.