Chapter 12. Biology and Diseases of Dogs Flashcards
Dog taxonomy
Order Carnivora
Suborder Caniformia
Superfamily Canoidea
Family Canidae
Domestic dog = subsp. Canis lupus familiaris
-Domestic dog may have descended from prehistoric canids in Europe ~ 18,000-32,000 years ago; East Asian origin also possible
Other members of genus Canis
4 species of jackal and coyote (C. latrans)
William Harvey
Used dogs to study cardiac movement
Marcello Malpighi
Used dogs to study basic lung anatomy & function
Sir Christopher Wren
Used dogs to demonstrate feasibility or IV delivery or medications
Banting & Best
Used dogs to identify the role of insulin in diabetes
Dog breed most commonly bred for use in biomedical research
Beagle
Spontaneous conditions studied in dogs
- Grey collie colony: cyclic hematopoiesis = periodic fluctuations of the cellular components of the blood, esp neutrophils
- Golden retrievers: Duchenne muscular dystrophy = absence of muscle protein dystrophin, inherited in an X-linked recessive manner
- Doberman pinscher: Hereditary canine spinal muscle atrophy & Narcolepsy
- Bedlington terrier: copper storage diseases (such as Wison’s disease)
- Spontaneous diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism
Conditioned dogs
Random source dogs that have been treated and vaccinated in preparation for use in research
-These dogs are then suitable for long-term studies
Non-conditioned random source dogs
Useful only in a limited number of research studies, such as nonsurvival surgical training & tissue/organ harvest
Class A licensed dealers
Raise all animals on their premises from a closed colony
Class B licensed dealers
Purchase the dogs from other individuals (including unadopted dogs from municipal pounds) & resell to research facilities
NIH NOT-OD-14-032 Notice regarding NIH plan to transition from use of USDA Class B dogs to other legal sources
- Began in fiscal year 2015
- Prohibits procurement of dogs from Class B dealers using NIH grant funds
Federal regulations promulgated by APHIS, USDA in response to the AWA (7 CFR 2.17, 2.51, 371.5)
Described in 9 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Animal Welfare
-Information on care and use of dogs in research: Subpart A, Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, Transportation of Dogs and Cats of Part 3 (Standards) to Subchapter A
8th edition of The Guide
“Enclosures that allow greater freedom of movement and unrestricted height (i.e. pens, runs, or kennels) are preferable”
Dog normal vital signs
- Temp: 37.9-39.9 C (100.2-103.8 F)
- HR: 70-120 bpm
- RR: 18-34 bpm
- CRT <2 sec
Leading provider of nutrient recommendations for dogs?
NRC of the United State National Academy of Sciences
NRC publications form the basis for what dog nutrient profiles?
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
- AAFCO is an advisory body comprising state representatives
- Provides a mechanism for developing and implementing uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards, and enforcement polices & establishes nutrient profiles for cat and dog foods
Maintenance energy requirement (MER)
- The amount of energy used by a moderately active adult animal in a thermoneutral environment
- MER = BW x 0.75 x 550 kJ DE (digestible energy)
Open formula diets
- Have defined concentrations of all ingredients and the information is publicly available
- Occasionally may require changes in formulation to maintain nutrient composition or meet changing nutrient requirements - changes are made public
Closed formula diets
- Commercially available, balanced diets that meet and label the minimum requirements for protein & fat, and maximum values for ash & fiber
- Exact composition of ingredients may vary from batch to batch based on a least cost strategy
- Types of closed diets include ‘fixed formula’, ‘constant nutrition’
Fixed formula diets
- Type of closed diet
- Quantitative ingredient formulation does not changes
- However, this information is proprietary & not disclosed publically
Semi-purified & purified diets
- Provide strictest control of ingredients
- Formulated from purified components: amino acid, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals
- Generally open formulas
As a general rule, diets are safe for consumption for how long after the manufacture date?
6 months (when stored at room temp; refrigeration may prolong)
Age range for best conception rates in beagles
- 2 to 3.5 years old
- Also have best litter size with the lowest neonatal mortality
- After 5 years of age, conception rates and litter size decline & neonatal mortality increases
Female reproductive anatomy of the dog
- Deep ventral clitoral fossa in vagina
- Uterus consists of cervix, uterine body, and uterine horns
- Cervix is an abdominal organ, located ~halfway between ovaries and vulva; cervix is enlarged and turgid during proestrus and estrus
Estrous cycle in dogs
- Monoestrous, typically nonseasonal spontaneous ovulators
- Have a spontaneous luteal phase ~5 days longer than the days of pregnancy followed by obligate anestrus
- Proestrus lasts 5-20 days (avg 9) - serosanguinous vaginal discharge; follicular phase increase in estrogen
- Estrus lasts 5-15 days (avg 9); first abrupt increase in progesterone (>5 ng/mL) + LH surge - ovulation follows within 24-72 hr; vulva softer and smaller than in proestrus; serosanguinous or straw colored vaginal discharge
- Diestrus: begins ~9 days after onset of standing heat & ends 60 days later (whelping if pregnancy) & has progesterone peak
- Anestrus: 80-240 days; progesterone <1 ng/mL
- To maximise conception rate and litter size, recommended to breed bitch on days 1, 3, and 5 of standing heat
- D/t long lifespan of canine sperm, fertilization occurs in the oviduct up to 8 days after coitus
Gestation length in dogs
65 +/- 1 days
Puberty in female dogs
Occurs between 6-14 months of age
-Time of onset possibly correlates with body size
Onset of puberty in male dogs
- 5-12 months of age
- Initiated by secretion of LH from anterior pituitary - stimulates production of testosterone by interstitial or Leydig’s cells - testicular growth is rapid & seminiferous tubules begin to differentiate & Sertoli cells form blood-testis barrier
- Secretion of FSH by anterior pituitary stimulates production of hormones by Sertoli cells, including inhibin, androgen binding protein, & estrogen
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in male dogs
-Stimulates spermatogenesis in the presence of testosterone
Inhibin & estrogen in male dogs
-Provide negative feedback to the pituitary gland to decrease FSH production
Spermatogenesis in dogs
-Completed in 45 days, with subsequent maturation of sperm in the epididymis for ~15 days = entire process is 60 days
Factors impacting male dog fertility
Libido, ability to copulate, testicular size, quality of semen
- Suppression of sexual behavior & libido may occur in dogs d/t early weaning, isolation, inherited abnormalities
- Poor hind limb conformation or back trauma may affect ability to mount female
- Positive correlation between scrotal circumference and number of sperm produced
- Quality of sperm assessed by motility, morphology, volume, concentration - ejaculate (5 mL) containings ~500 million progressively motile sperm = indicator of normal fertility
Detection of estrus
- Cornification of vaginal epithelial cells occurs ~2 days prior to estrogen peak & 4 days prior to standing heat
- Cytology smear changes from predominantly cornified to noncornified 6 days after ovulation = the day of this change is the first day of diestrus
- Cell types on vaginal cytology: cornified epithelial cells, superficial cells (large angular w/ small nuclei), intermediate cells (round or oval w/ abundant cytoplasm & large vesicular nuclei), parabasal (small round or elongated with large well-stained nuclei, high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio)
Vaginal cytology for estrus detection
Proestrus, early: intermediate and superficial cells, red blood cells, and neutrophils
Proestrus, late: superficial cells, anuclear squames,
and red blood cells
Estrus: more than 50% anuclear squames, superficial cells, ± red blood cells
Diestrus: more than 50% intermediate cells,
superficial cells, and squames early, but becoming completely noncornified with neutrophils present as diestrus proceeds
Anestrus: small numbers of parabasal cells and
intermediate cells, ± neutrophils
Oocyst maturation in dogs
- The ovulated oocyte is a primary oocyte that must undergo two meiotic divisions before fertilization can occur - overall maturation takes ~2 days
- After maturation, the oocyte remains viable for 4-5 days
- Optimal conception rates when bitch is bred from 4 days before to 3 days after ovulation
- Best litter size achieved when bitch is bred 2 days after ovulation
Placentation in dogs
Endotheliochorial placentation; Zonary; Deciduate
- Endothelium of uterine vessels lies adjacent to fetal chorion, mesenchymal, and endothelial tissues
- Maternal & fetal blood separated by 4 layers
- Zonary = placental villi arranged in a belt
- Deciduate = maternal decicidual cells are shed with fetal placentas at parturition
Gestation length in dogs
59-63 days
Implantation in dogs
- Evident by local endometrial edema 17-18 days after breeding
- No correlation between number of corpora lutea & number of fetuses in corresponding uterine horn - suggests transuterine migration of embryos
Pregnancy in dogs
- Luteal progesterone maintains pregnancy
- Corpora lutea retain their structural development throughout gestation
- Progesterone essential for endometrial gland growth, secretion of uterine milk, attachment of placentas, inhibition of uterine motility
- Late proestrus progesterone = 1 ng/mL
- Progesterone peaks at 30-60 ng/mL during gestation
- Progesterone falls to 4-5 ng/mL just prior to parturition
Pregnancy detection in dogs
- Abdominal palpation: 28-30 days after breeding = embryos and chorioallantoic vesicles form series of ovoid swellins ~2 inches in length; by day 35 uterus enlarges and difficult to palpate vesicles
- Radiology: 45 days after LH surge can confirm pregnancy & fetal age
- Ultrasound: beginning 18-22 days- gestational sacs will be ~1 cm diameter; 23-25: fetal heartbeats; 35: fetal movement
Gestational age on ultrasound
- Measure inner diameter of the chorionic cavity in early pregnancy
- Measure biparietal diameter in late pregnancy
- Most accurate at day 30 of pregnancy
Stages of parturition in dogs
-Abrupt temp drop to less than 100 F = parturition in 18-24 hr
-3 Stages
Stage 1 = 6-12 hr; uterine contractions and cervical dilation; bitch is restless, nervous, anorexic w/ panting, increased pulse
Stage 2 = 3-6 hr; fetal expulstion; release of oxytocin, Ferguson reflex; vet assistance needed if in Stage 2 for more than 5 hr without producing 1st pup, or more than 2 hr between ups
Stage 3 = placental expulsion - either immediately or within 15 min of each pup; bitch licks newborns to promote respiration, severe umbilical cords, may ingest placentas
Oxytocin in dog parturition
- Administered for uterine inertia, stillbirths, agalactia
- In some cases, may also administer calcium gluconate
Uterine involution in dogs
- Occurs during anestrus within 4-5 weeks of parturition
- Greenish to red-brown vaginal discharge normal during this time
- Desquamation of the endometrium begins by the 6th postpartum week, with complete repair by 3 months
Newborn development in dogs
- 12 days: eye open
- 12-20 days: ears open
- 4.5-6 wks: start eating solid food
- 6-8 wks: weaned
Artifical insemination in dogs
- Using an AI catheter for intrauterine insemination results in significantly higher whelping rates than intravaginal insemination
- AI with freshly collected sperm can be done on days 1, 3, and 5 of standing heat or on days of maximum vaginal cornification
- Fresh sperm may live up to 5-6 days in reproductive tract, frozen-thawed sperm live only a few hours - therefore, ova must be mature and frozen-thawed sperm introduced 2-3 days after ovulation
False pregnancy (pseudocyesis) in dogs
- Common in the bitch
- Mammary gland development and lactation assoc w/ nesting or mothering behavior
- No age or breed disposition
- Occurs after the decline of serum progesterone toward end of diestrus
Reproductive lifespan in dogs
- Performance optimal in the bitch prior to 4 years of age
- Cycling does not cease, but after 5-8 years of age, bitches have significant decreases in conception rate & number of live pups whelped
- By 8-9 years of age, uterine pathology - cysts, hyperplasia, atrophy, neoplasia - extremely common
Social maturation in dogs`
18-36 months of age
- From 3-8 weeks of age, puppies most capable of learning how to interact with other dogs
- From 5-12 weeks of age, puppies most capable of learning how to interact with people
- By 10-12 weeks of age, dogs voluntarily wander and explore new environments
Canine infectious respiratory complex - etiology
Bordetella bronciseptica, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), canine influenza virus (CIV), canine respiratory coronavirus, canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), canine herpesvirus, canine reovirus types 1, 2, and 3, mycoplasma, ureaplasma
Canine infectious respiratory complex - signs, transmission
- Mild form: loud, dry cough; sometimes productive cough with mucus; mild tracheobronchitis for 7-14 days
- Severe form: secondary bronchopneumonia; febrile, anorexic, depressed; productive cough & mucopurulent naso-ocular discharge
- Transmission: B. bronchiseptica = aerosol and direct contact; incubation period of 3-10 days
Canine infectious respiratory complex - pathogenesis
- Most common isolates: CPIV & B. bronchiseptica
- B. bronchiseptica attaches to cilia of upper airway epithelium, causing suppurative tracheobronchitis & bronchiolitis
- CPIV & CAV-2 usually subclinical but can cause necrotizing tracheobronchiolitis