Objective—To compare the effects of an orally administered corticosteroid (prednisone), an inhaled corticosteroid (flunisolide), a leukotriene-receptor antagonist (zafirlukast), an antiserotonergic drug (cyproheptadine), and a control substance on the asthmatic phenotype in cats with experimentally induced asthma. Animals—6 cats with asthma experimentally induced by the use of Bermuda grass allergen (BGA). Procedures—A randomized, crossover design was used to assess changes in the percentage of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); airway hyperresponsiveness; blood lymphocyte phenotype determined by use of flow cytometry; and serum and BALF content of BGA-specific IgE, IgG, and IgA determined by use of ELISAs. Results—Mean ± SE eosinophil percentages in BALF when cats were administered prednisone (5.0 ± 2.3%) and flunisolide (2.5 ± 1.7%) were significantly lower than for the control treatment (33.7 ± 11.1%). We did not detect significant differences in airway hyperresponsiveness or lymphocyte surface markers among treatments. Content of BGA-specific IgE in serum was significantly lower when cats were treated with prednisone (25.5 ± 5.4%), compared with values for the control treatment (63.6 ± 12.9%); no other significant differences were observed in content of BGA-specific immunoglobulins among treatments. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Orally administered and inhaled corticosteroids decreased eosinophilic inflammation in airways of cats with experimentally induced asthma. Only oral administration of prednisone decreased the content of BGAspecific IgE in serum; no other significant local or systemic immunologic effects were detected among treatments. Inhaled corticosteroids can be considered as an alternate method for decreasing airway inflammation in cats with asthma. (Am J Vet Res 2005;66:1121–1127)

Background: Adult dogs with degenerative myelopathy (DM) have progressive ataxia and paresis of the pelvic limbs, leading to paraplegia and euthanasia. Although most commonly reported in German Shepherd dogs, high disease prevalence exists in other breeds.Objective: Our aim was the clinical and histopathologic characterization of familial degenerative myelopathy (FDM) in Pembroke Welsh Corgi (PWC) dogs.Animals: Twenty-one PWCs were prospectively studied from initial diagnosis until euthanasia. Methods: Neurologic examination, blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, electrodiagnostic testing, and spinal imaging were performed. Concentrations of 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2 a (8-isoprostane) were measured in CSF. Routine histochemistry was used for neuropathology. Deoxyribonucleic acid and pedigrees were collected from 110 dogs.Results: Median duration of clinical signs before euthanasia was 19 months. Median age at euthanasia was 13 years. All dogs were nonambulatory paraparetic or paraplegic, and 15 dogs had thoracic limb weakness at euthanasia. Electrodiagnostic testing and spinal imaging were consistent with noncompressive myelopathy. No significant difference was detected in 8-isoprostane concentrations between normal and FDM-affected dogs. Axonal and myelin degeneration of the spinal cord was most severe in the dorsal portion of the lateral funiculus. Pedigree analysis suggested a familial disease.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Clinical progression of FDM in PWC dogs was similar to that observed in other breeds but characterized by a longer duration. Spinal cord pathology predominates as noninflammatory axonal degeneration. Oxidative stress injury associated with 8-isoprostane production is not involved in the pathogenesis of FDM-affected PWC dogs. A familial disease is suspected.

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MICs of erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, rifampin, gentamicin, and doxycycline against 101 isolates of Rhodococcus equi were determined by broth macrodilution, disk diffusion, and Etest. Categorical agreement ranged between 85.1 and 100%. Overall, the agreement between Etest and disk diffusion was better than the agreement between broth macrodilution and the agar-based methods.

SC administration of an MLV vaccine to 70-day-old calves significantly increased BVDV1 antibody titers before weaning.