Veterinary Medicine - December 2008 - (Page 646)

Practical Matters What’s the significance of Mycoplasma species in the urogenital tract? ycoplasma species are bacteria that lack cell walls and are part of the normal ﬂora in dogs and many other species on mucosal surfaces, including the vagina and distal urethra. Mycoplasma species are difﬁcult to culture, so many laboratories are hesitant to provide information about the quantity grown from vaginal swabs or semen. While there is some evidence of Mycoplasma species infection associated with vaginitis and pregnancy loss in bitches and poor semen quality in male dogs, studies have demonstrated that Mycoplasma species are as likely to be cultured in samples from healthy animals as they are to be cultured in samples from animals with reproductive tract disease.1,2 It also has been demonstrated that indiscriminate use of antibiotics in bitches may increase the number of Mycoplasma species organisms present in the vagina. 3 Mycoplasma species are ubiquitous in the environment, so treated dogs will reestablish Mycoplasma species on mucosal surfaces with time. Thus, treating all dogs in a kennel or household from which a dog has had a positive Mycoplasma species culture result is inappropriate. PEER-RE VIE WED M 5. A dorsal acetabular rim position radiograph taken eight weeks after a DARthroplasty procedure in a dog showing positive graft formation (white arrows) and increased width of the dorsal acetabular rim (black arrows). The aftercare protocol is strict: Patients must have cage rest with short leash walks only for elimination for eight weeks. After this initial healing time, a dorsal acetabular rim position radiographic examination is done to verify the graft presence and position (Figure 5). A physical therapy regimen to rebuild muscle strength and agility can then begin and will continue for another eight weeks. If rehabilitation is successful, patients can resume normal activity. A comprehensive, proactive hip wellness program can be used to correct deﬁciencies of the canine hip in young, growing, dysplastic patients, resulting in diminished hip osteoarthritis and pain and better activity as adults. DARthroplasty may be especially useful in severely affected patients when hip dysplasia is diagnosed at an early age.8 REFERENCES 1. Dueland RT, Adams WM, Fialkowski JP, et al. Effects of pubic symphysiodesis in dysplastic puppies. Vet Surg 2001;30(3):201-217. 2. Patricelli AJ, Dueland RT, Adams WM, et al. Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis in dysplastic puppies at 15 and 20 weeks of age. Vet Surg 2002;31(5):435-444. 3. Dueland RT. Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) update, in Proceedings. Am Coll Vet Surg Summit 2007. 4. Fossum TW. Triple pelvic osteotomy. In: Small animal surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier, 2007;1238. 5. Luck DR. DARthroplasty: overlooked and underused (poster presentation). Veterinary Orthopedic Society Proceedings, Sun Valley, Idaho, 2007. 6. DARthroplasty. In: Bojrab MJ, ed. Current techniques in small animal surgery. 4th ed. Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins, 1998;1168-1170. 7. Slocum B, Slocum TD. DARthroplasty. Slocum Enterprises, Inc., Eugene, Ore. Available at: http://www.slocumenterprises.com/Articles/darthroplasty.htm. 8. Gahring DR. Long-term results with DARthroplasty. San Carlos Veterinary Hospital, San Diego, Calif. Available at: http://www.sancarlosvet.com/Other/Prof/DARthroplasty/DARthroplasty_ Long_Term_Followup.html. Culture for Mycoplasma species may be considered when there are clinical signs or changes in clinical pathology suggestive of infection and when regular aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures are negative. Treatment must always be undertaken with the understanding that there is no deﬁnitive way to determine whether Mycoplasma species cultures are pathogenic in that animal at that time. Most laboratories will not provide susceptibility testing to guide antibiotic therapy; tetracycline and ﬂuoroquinolones have been shown to be effective.4 Margaret V. Root Kustritz, DVM, PhD, DACT Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Minnesota St. Paul, MN 55108 REFERENCES 1. Doig PA, Ruhnke HL, Bosu WT. The genital Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma ora of healthy and diseased dogs. Can J Comp Med 1981;45(3):233-238. 2. Davidson AP. Frustrating case presentations in canine theriogenology. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2001;31(2):411-420. 3. Strom B, Linde-Forsberg C. Effects of ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole on the vaginal bacterial ora of bitches. Am J Vet Res 1993;54(6):891-896. 4. Greene CE. Mycoplasmal, ureaplasmal and L-form infections. In: Infectious diseases of the dog and cat. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders, 1998;174-178. 646 December 2008 VETERINARY MEDICINE http://www.slocumenterprises.com/Articles/darthroplasty.htm http://www.sancarlosvet.com/Other/Prof/DARthroplasty/DARthroplasty_Long_Term_Followup.html http://www.sancarlosvet.com/Other/Prof/DARthroplasty/DARthroplasty_Long_Term_Followup.html

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - December 2008

Veterinary Medicine - December 2008 Contents Letters Thanking Our Valued Reviewers Practical Matters Idea Exchange Why Do Dogs and Cats Eat Grass? Managing Atypical and Critical Cases of Primary Hypoadrenocorticism in Dogs Behaviors Suggestive of Postoperative Pain in Cats What to Consider When Considering Digital Radiography Avoid Common Bandaging Mistakes in Dogs and Cats IMHA: Diagnosing and Treating a Complex Disease CE Form/Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - December 2008

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