Bacterial infections of dogs

Question 1

Bacterial infections are often secondary and have carriers. What 2 things make treating bacterial infections difficult in a particular animal?

Answer 1

Antibacterial resistance

Often zoonotic

Question 2

Is salmonella gram negative or positive? It affects many animals including birds and reptile, but what does it cause in humans?

Answer 2

Gram negative

Gastroenteritis

Question 3

What is the name for infection caused by salmonella? What could be the possible cause of in puppies and kittens?

Answer 3

Salmonellosis

Garbage gut syndrome

Question 4

There are a wide range of serovars (variations of salmonella). What species do most serovars belong to?

Answer 4

Salmonella enterica

Question 5

How is salmonella transmitted?

Answer 5

Ingesting contaminated food
Water
Fomites (contaminated by infected faeces)
Direct contact

Question 6

Salmonella infection can often be subclinical. What are the clinical signs of salmonellosis?

Answer 6

Pyrexia
Anorexia
V+
D+
Abdominal pain 
Bacteraemia
Abortion

Question 7

Some infected dogs become carriers of salmonella. How long do they shed for?

Answer 7

4-6 weeks

Question 8

How is salmonella diagnosed?

Answer 8

Salmonella isolation in faeces

Question 9

Why should antibacterials not be used for local GI disease? What is the treatment for bacteraemia?

Answer 9

AMR resistance and prolonged shedding

Antibacterials e.g. amoxycillin

Question 10

Is campylobacter gram positive or gram negative? what is the most common campylobacter species in dogs?

Answer 10

Gram negative

Campylobacter upsaliensis

Question 11

Campylobacter is often subclinical. What is the best treatment?

Answer 11

Supportive (fluid replacement)

Question 12

Can campylobacter be zoonotic?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

Is Escherichia coli gram negative or positive? What oxygen does it require? What shape is it?

Answer 13

Gram negative
Facultative anaerobe
Rod shaped

Question 14

E.coli is part of the normal gut flora. What is the name of the type of E.coli that is pathogenic and how does it cause damage?

Answer 14

Enteropathogenic E. coli

Produces toxins

Question 15

How can the significance of E.coli (whether normal flora or pathogenic) be measured?

Answer 15

Number of haemolysins present

Question 16

What type of bacteria is leptospirosis?

Answer 16

Mobile spirochaete (coiled)

Question 17

Leptospirosis can affect a wide range of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. It rarely affects humans. Which humans may be affected?

Answer 17

Ones exposed to contaminated water/soil or urine

Abbatoir workers, vets etc

Question 18

How is leptospirosis transmitted?

Answer 18

Through urine directly or indirectly (contaminated water/soil)

Question 19

What is the pathogenesis of leptospirosis?

Answer 19

Infected from urine
Penetrates through mucous membranes and multiples in blood
Spreads to kidneys, liver, spleen etc

Question 20

Leptospirosis clears from most tissues. Which organ does leptospirosis persist in? What does this mean for carriers?

Answer 20

Persists in kidneys

Carriers = renal excretion for weeks or months

Question 21

What do the clinical signs of leptospirosis depend on?

Answer 21

Serovar
Age
Immune status

Question 22

Leptospirosis can be acute or sub-acute. What are the symptoms?

Answer 22

Acute - pyrexia, V+, shock, haemorrhage, jaundice, renal failure
Sub-acute - pyrexia, PUPD, petechia, jaundice

Question 23

How can leptospirosis infection be diagnosed?

Answer 23

Clinical signs
Serology
Spirochaete detection in urine

Question 24

What is the treatment for leptospirosis?

Answer 24

Supportive
Penicillin to clear bacteraemia
Doxycycline/tetracycline to eliminate from carriers

Question 25

How can leptospirosis be prevented?

Answer 25

Vaccination (not against all serovars) Eliminate from carriers with antibiotics Prevent contact with reservoir hosts

Question 26

What is the name for Lyme disease?

Answer 26

Borrelia burgdorferi

Question 27

Is lyme disease zoonotic? How is it transmitted?

Answer 27

``` Yes By ticks (Ixodes) ```

Question 28

What are the symptoms of Borrelia Burgdorferi (Lyme disease)?

Answer 28

Lameness | Lymphadenopathy

Question 29

Is staphylococcus gram positive or gram negative? | Is staph always pathogenic or commensal?

Answer 29

Gram positive | Commensal - part of normal flora of skin

Question 30

What is staph pseudintermedius often associated with in dogs?

Answer 30

Canine pyoderma

Question 31

MRSP often shows multi drug resistance. What is MRSP/MRSA?

Answer 31

Methicillin resistant staph pseudintermedius/ aureus

Question 32

Is staph. pseudintermedius zoonotic?

Answer 32

Only in immunocompromised (rare)

Question 33

How is staph. pseudintermeidus diagnosed?

Answer 33

Cytology (pyoderma) | Culture and susceptibility testing

Question 34

How is staphylococcus best controlled?

Answer 34

``` Hand hygiene Simple uniforms - gloves, aprons Isolation Aseptic technique Sterilisation ```

Question 35

What does staph aureus cause in humans?

Answer 35

Food poisoning Pneumonia Skin and wound infections

Question 36

What does staph aureus cause in cattle?

Answer 36

Mastitis

Question 37

What does staph aureus cause in dogs and cats?

Answer 37

Skin infections

Question 38

What does staph aureus cause in horses?

Answer 38

Pneumonia

Question 39

MRSA is commensal and potentially zoonotic (if immunocompromised). Where is it found?

Answer 39

Skin | Nasal passages

Question 40

What is EMRSA?

Answer 40

Epidemic strain of methicillin resistant staph aureus

Question 41

What is the common intracellular species of Ehrlichia

Answer 41

Ehrlichia canis

Question 42

Ehrlichiosis is only found in which dogs? How is it transmitted?

Answer 42

Travelled dogs | Rhicephalus sanguineus ticks

Question 43

Ehrlichia commonly causes coinfection with which other bacteria?

Answer 43

Babesia

Question 44

What is the treatment for Ehrlichiosis?

Answer 44

Doxycycline