ABSTRACT. Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by Leptospira interrogans sensu lato and is common in both humans and animals. In the present study, serum samples were collected from 801 dogs across all 47 prefectures in Japan, and evaluated with a microscopic agglutination test (MAT), using 5 major L. interrogans serovars (Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Autumnalis, Hebdomadis, and Australis) as antigens, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using recombinant OmpL1 protein as the antigen. Across all dogs tested, 217 (27.0%) and 29 (3.6%) were MAT-and ELISA-positive, respectively. However, evidence strongly suggests that MAT also detected antibodies produced by vaccination. Of 243 dogs never inoculated with any canine vaccine, 41 (16.9%) from 23 prefectures were MAT and/or ELISA positive. The most commonly detected serovar was Icterohaemorrhagiae (22 dogs, 19 prefectures). Our results suggest that there are dogs with subclinical Leptospira infection throughout Japan. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first nationwide survey of Leptospira infection in dogs, and the findings are relevant not only for clinical veterinary medicine but also for public health.

A 10-year-old intact male papillon with a difficult airway was referred for surgical repair of a perineal hernia. Endotracheal intubation was unsuccessfully attempted at the referring hospital. For surgery at our facility, we prepared a conventional endotracheal tube, a supraglottic airway device, and a tracheostomy. Conventional endotracheal intubation with a 3.5-mm endotracheal tube failed because of rigidity of the larynx. The supraglottic airway device, a size C3 V-gel ® , was placed successfully. A normal capnogram waveform was observed and general anesthesia was maintained without any complications throughout the surgery. The surgery was completed and the patient recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. A supraglottic airway device is useful in management of cases with difficult airway.

ABSTRACT. We performed continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on clinically healthy dogs to evaluate the effects of CRRT on hemodynamics. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and central venous pressure of the dogs (n=6) were recorded during the procedure, which was performed under general anesthesia. Throughout the CRRT, heart rate and arterial blood pressure were stable. Central venous pressure increased after CRRT termination but returned to the basal level within 30 min. In this study, hemodynamic alterations, including hypotension, hypertension, and arrhythmias, were not observed during CRRT. These observations suggest that the CRRT protocol used in the present study can be safely applied to clinical cases with acute renal failure.

In the present study, serum samples were collected from feral raccoons (n 186) captured in the southern part of Osaka Prefecture (A) and the eastern part of Hyogo Prefecture (B), as well as from pet dogs (n 52) in the same regions. Anti-Leptospira interrogans antibodies were evaluated with a microscopic agglutination test (MAT), using five major L. interrogans serovars as antigens. In both regions, the most frequently detected serovar was hebdomadis (A : 31.5% and B : 51.5%) in raccoons, but these serovars were not detected from the pet dogs. L. interrogans-specific PCR analysis revealed that eight out of 66 (12.1%) raccoons were infected with the pathogen. These observations revealed that a high percentage of feral raccoons are infected with Leptospira interrogans, but that transmission may not occur between the raccoons and dogs.