Biomedical subjects

Michal Mazaki-Tovi

Publications and source records attributed to Michal Mazaki-Tovi.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Spirocercosis-associated pyothorax in dogs.

The records of five dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis-associated pyothorax were retrospectively reviewed. On admission, the most common clinical findings were weakness, anorexia, depression, dyspnoea and fever. All dogs had typical oesophageal Spirocerca lupi granulomas. Contrast thoracic radiography revealed contrast material leakage from the oesophagus into the pleural cavity in two dogs only. All dogs were medically treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, repeated chest tube drainage and thoracic lavage, and four of the dogs were treated with doramectin. One dog was euthanased due to a concurrent non-related disease at the owners request while the remaining four survived. S. lupi infection should be included in the differential diagnoses of canine pyothorax in endemic areas. Conservative medical management of pyothorax with antihelmintic medication was shown to be effective in the treatment of S. lupi-associated pyothorax.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Central diabetes insipidus in five cats: clinical presentation, diagnosis and oral desmopressin therapy.

Five cases of central diabetes insipidus (CDI) in domestic shorthair cats are described. All cats were under 3 years of age at the onset of clinical signs, and outdoor or outdoor/indoor cats, in which a prior trauma was either present or possible. The history included polydipsia and polyuria, and physical examination abnormalities included urinary bladder distention and dehydration. All cats had hyposthenuria with a urine specific gravity between 1.003 and 1.006. The diagnosis was confirmed by an observed inability to concentrate urine during a water deprivation test or compatible serum osmolality, followed by an increase in urine concentration after desmopressin administration. All cats in this report were treated successfully with oral desmopressin. The dose (25-50 microg q8-12h) and the response to therapy were variable. Oral desmopressin administration may serve as an effective alternative route for cat owners who find the conjunctival or nasal application of the solution an inconvenient mode of therapy.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2002

Evaluation of doramectin for the treatment of experimental canine spirocercosis.

The nematode Spirocerca lupi is primarily a parasite of dogs, which causes typical lesions of esophageal nodular granulomas, aortic aneurysms and spondylitis. In order to evaluate the therapeutic effect of doramectin on experimental canine spirocercosis, seven beagle dogs experimentally infected with 40 infectious S. lupi larvae (L(3)) were treated with doramectin. Treatment was commenced following endoscopic visualization of esophageal granulomas, and typical S. lupi eggs were detected in the feces. The treatment protocol included six treatments of doramectin (400 microg/kg subcutaneously) at 2 weeks intervals, followed by monthly injections until the disappearance of the esophageal granulomas or the end of the study (768 days post-inoculation). Eggs could not be found on fecal examinations 3-10 days after the first or second doramectin treatment. In addition, a gradual decrease in size of granulomas was noticed in all seven dogs during the course of the study. Esophageal granulomas had completely resolved in six of the seven dogs between day 35 and day 544 post-initial doramectin treatment, by day 35 in one dog (after three treatments), by day 43 in two dogs (after four treatments), by day 98 in one dog (after seven treatments), by day 460 in one dog (after 18 treatments) and by day 544 in another dog (after 21 treatments). In one dog, remnants of S. lupi granulomas could still be seen 544 days post-initiation of treatment with doramectin. Multiple subcutaneous injections of doramectin (400 microg/kg) were shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of canine spirocercosis.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Canine spirocercosis: clinical, diagnostic, pathologic, and epidemiologic characteristics.

The nematode Spirocerca lupi is a parasite of dogs with beetles of several species serving as intermediate hosts. The medical records of 50 dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis at the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (HUVTH) in Israel during 1991-1999 were retrospectively reviewed and compared to a control group (n=100). There was a seven-fold increase in the annual number of dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis during these years while the hospital caseload increased by 80%, indicating an emerging outbreak of this infection. Dogs from the greater Tel Aviv area were at the highest risk of being diagnosed with spirocercosis with 74% of the cases originating from this region compared to only 17% of the controls. The disease appeared to have a primarily urban pattern of distribution with a significantly higher percentage (P=0.025) of dogs from cities versus rural areas, as compared to the control group. Sixty-two percent of the cases were diagnosed during the colder months of December through April. The median age of infected dogs was 5 years, with dogs 1 year old or younger at the lowest risk of being diagnosed with spirocercosis. Large breeds were at a higher risk of infection in comparison to small breeds and the Labrador Retriever was significantly over represented (P=0.027) in the study group compared to the control population. The most common signs were vomiting or regurgitation (60%), pyrexia (24%), weakness (22%), respiratory abnormalities (20%), anorexia (18%), melena (18%) and paraparesis (14%). A caudal esophageal mass was identified by radiography in 53% of the dogs and spondylitis of the thoracic vertebrae in 33%. Fecal flotation was positive for S. lupi eggs in 80% of the dogs, and endoscopy was found to be the most sensitive diagnostic procedure and allowed diagnosis in 100% of the examined dogs. Fifty-three percent of the dogs were anemic and creatine kinase (CK) activities were elevated in 54%. Necropsy of 14 dogs revealed esophageal or gastric granulomas in 13 dogs, and an esophageal osteosarcoma in a single animal. Aortic aneurysms were found in six (43%) dogs. Out of 24, 15 dogs (63%) for which follow-up information was available died or were euthanized within 1 month of admission. The case-fatality rate decreased toward the end of the study period when improved therapy with avermectins became available.

Animals↗