ABSTRACT.-Fernandes C.P.M., Hijano A., Lima C.S., Fontoura E.G., Schramm R.C., Félix S.R. & Nobre M.O. 2017. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of an aqueous extract of Triticum aestivum on canine outer ear inflammation. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 37 (11) Outer ear otitis is a multifactorial acute or chronic inflammation of the ear canal, and treatment is often hampered by growing antibiotic resistance. Pre-clinical assessments have shown that an aqueous extract of Triticum aestiveum (wheat) can effectively reduce the symptoms associated with the disease. The purpose of this study was to assess, through a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the use of T. aestivum extract on canine external otitis. Thirty dogs (60 ears) met the criteria to be included in this study, and were randomly assigned a treatment group: placebo, extract, or positive control (C+). Ears were treated every day for seven days, and assessed before treatment (day zero), after treatment (day 7), and again on reassessment (day 14). Clinical assessment included: type of otitis; pinna conformation; presence or absence of itchiness, foul odor, and pain; presence of stenosis, erythema and cerumen. Furthermore, the evaluators assessed the temperature in each ear and the pH of the cerumen, and swabs were collected for bacterial and fungal isolation. All veterinarians treating and assessing the animals were blinded regarding the treatment groups. Results showed little difference in the treatment groups regarding clinical parameters. By day 7 ears treated with the C+ had elevated temperatures, when compared to the others (P<0.05), this was still true on day 14. Bacterial isolation had completely died out by day 7, however, on day fourteen the placebo group had six ears with bacterial infections, unlike the other two groups (P<0.05). The results generated herein show that a 25% wheat extract solution is effective in the reduction of clinical and microbiological parameters of external otitis, with better results when compared to a placebo, and similar results to the traditional, antibiotic/anti-inflammatory treatment.

Nobre¹ ___________________________________________________________________________ Resumo: Os animais de companhia, particularmente os cães, têm apresentado um importante papel na sociedade, oferecendo companhia e contribuindo para o desenvolvimento físico, social e emocional dos proprietários. Os cães são hospedeiros definitivos de alguns parasitas zoonóticos e muitos proprietários desconhecem a necessidade da vermifugação. A contaminação do solo por fezes de cães em locais como praias e praças públicas tem sido alvo de pesquisas, demonstrando a importância desses locais como ambientes propícios à transmissão de agentes parasitários. Objetivou-se neste trabalho avaliar a ocorrência de ovos de parasitas zoonóticos em fezes de cães oriundas de praças públicas das cidades de Capão do Leão, Pelotas, Pinheiro Machado e Santana do Livramento, localizadas na região sul do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Foram coletadas 30 amostras de fezes de cada cidade. Logo após, foram processadas e analisadas através da técnica de Willis-Mollay. Do total das amostras analisadas, 32,51% apresentaram positividade para ovos de Ancylostoma sp. e 46,66% para ovos de Toxocara sp. As cidades de Pelotas e Pinheiro Machado apresentaram maior contaminação em relação às demais. Conclui-se que as praças públicas de todas as cidades estudadas apresentam contaminação parasitária por Toxocara spp. e Ancylostoma sp. e oferecem risco a outros animais e a população. Palavras-chave: Ancylostoma sp. Toxocara sp. Vermifugo Zoonotic parasites in dog faeces from public parks in cities of southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Abstract: Companion animals, particularly dogs, have shown an important role in society, providing company and contributing to the physical, social and emotional development of occurrence of zoonotic parasite eggs in dog faeces from public parks in the cities of Capão do Leão, Pelotas , Pinheiro Machado, and Santana do Livramento, all located in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Thirty samples were collected from each city. Then, they were processed and analyzed using the Willis-Mollay method. From the total samples, 32.51% were positive for eggs of Ancylostoma sp. and 46.66% for Toxocara sp. The cities of Pelotas and Pinheiro Machado were more contaminated than the other cities. We conclude that the public squares of all the cities studied presented parasitic contamination by Toxocara sp. and Ancylostoma sp., offering risk to other dogs and the local population, even though this contamination is lower than what has been found in other cities in Brazil.