Application of polymerase chain reaction for the correlation of Salmonella serovars recovered from greyhound feces with their diet

The polymerase chain reaction was employed to correlate Salmonella serovars isolated from fecal material of greyhounds suffering from gastroenteritis with those isolated from the diet fed to the greyhounds prior to onset of diarrhea. Kennels around the Abilene, Kansas, area were contacted and supplied with materials needed to collect a portion of the diet each day. With the onset of diarrhea, the kennels were instructed to ship the fecal material and diet from the previous 10 days to the laboratory for testing. Forty-one fecal samples and corresponding diets were screened for Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus intermedius, and pathogenic (piliated) Escherichia coli by direct culture using standard procedures. The fecal material was also screened for coronavirus and parvovirus using electron microscopy. Thirty-five "normal" fecal samples were screened for all of the above mentioned microorganisms as a control. In addition, the fecal material was screened for E. coli verotoxins I and II and clostridial enterotoxins. A total of 61 Salmonella isolates were recovered from the 41 samples of feces and diet submitted for testing; 31 were recovered from the feces and 30 from the diet. Four Salmonella isolates were recovered from the normal fecal samples. Results obtained by PCR, plasmid profiles, antigenic analysis, and antibiogram profiles indicated that 16 of the 31 isolates recovered from the fecal material were the same strain as that recovered from the diet.

Identification of a nasal nematode (Eucoleus boehmi) in greyhounds

Eggs of Eucoleus boehmi were recovered from the faeces of greyhounds from three breeding farms and four racetrack kennels and from those of four greyhounds submitted for necropsy. Diagnosis was dependent on differentiation of the eggs of E. boehmi, E. aerophilus and Trichuris vulpis. Quantitative fecal examinations conducted weekly for 24 weeks in one greyhound suggested that the egg shedding pattern of E. boehmi is cyclical. Nasal swabs failed to reveal eggs of E. boehmi, but nasal washings gave positive results. Because of its small size (15-40 mm) its location within the epithelial lining of the nasal mucosa, turbinates, and sinuses, and difficulty in differentiating the bipolar plugged eggs, E. boehmi probably occurs more often than is currently diagnosed.

Prevalence of Salmonella in raw meat used in diets of racing greyhounds

One hundred twelve samples of commercial raw meat used in greyhound diets were collected and cultured for Salmonella using standard procedures. Fifty (44.64%) of these samples were positive for Salmonella. Salmonella typhimurium was the most frequently isolated serovar (48%), followed by S. newport (12.76%), S. agona (8.51%), and S. muenster (6.38%). The remaining 10 serovars recovered in this study represented 27.59% of the total Salmonella isolates. In addition, the meat samples were screened for Salmonella using a commercial DNA probe. Of the 106 samples tested, 70 (66.03%) were positive for Salmonella, which indicated that the DNA probe assay was more sensitive than the culture method for screening of Salmonella in raw meat. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that most of the Salmonella isolates were sensitive to a variety of antimicrobials, particularly amikacin and apramycin, and resistant to some others, such as clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, and sulfadimethoxine. The cumulative percentages of susceptibility (MIC50 and MIC90) of the Salmonella isolates were also determined. Most isolates were susceptible (MIC90) to low concentrations of gentamicin (2.0 micrograms/ml), imipenem (< or = 0.25 microgram/ml), and ciprofloxacin (< or = 0.5 microgram/ml). Marked resistance was found with the other antimicrobial agents. However, the high MIC values found for these isolates would not be achievable in vivo with the normal recommended doses of antimicrobial agents, so their use would not be beneficial. Numerous plasmid patterns were found in 17 randomly selected Salmonella isolates. Eight of the 17 isolates had 2-7 plasmids ranging from 2.4 to 15 kilobases in size. Eight isolates also exhibited large plasmids in the range of 50-60 and 95-105 kilobases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Serum immunoreactive gastrin concentrations in the dog: basal and postprandial values measured by radioimmunoassay

A commercially available radioimmunoassay designed for quantitating human gastrin was evaluated for use in quantitating dog gastrin. Because of the similarities in molecular structures of the two, the assay appears to be useful for dogs. Serum gastrin concentration in 12 fasting dogs averaged 64.8 pg/ml. After dogs were fed, the concentration increased to 117.8 pg/ml within 30 minutes and returned to base line by 90 minutes. A standard feeding procedure may be useful in evaluating dogs with gastrinoma.