Feline panleukopenia is a severe disease of cats caused by feline parvovirus (FPV), and marginally canine parvovirus (CPV). Despite being less rapid than CPV, FPV evolution deserves attention, especially since outbreaks of particular severity are currently reported. This apparently different virulence needs monitoring from genetic and clinical points of view. This manuscript explored FPV molecular epidemiology at both Italian and international levels and the possible association between viral phylogeny and disease severity. Sequences from clinical cases of feline panleukopenia in Italy were obtained from 2011 to 2019, and the etiological agent was characterized, distinguishing FPV from CPV. Phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses were conducted on Italian and international sequences. Moreover, the association between the viral sequence and clinical variables was evaluated on a group of highly characterized patients. After its origin in the 1920s, FPV showed a constant population size until a more recent expansion since 2000. Few long-distance introduction events characterized FPV spreading, however, most of its evolution occurred locally. Although without a strong statistical association, several clinical variables appeared influenced by viral phylogeny, suggesting a differential virulence potentially characterizing FPV strains. These results stress the importance of the continuous study of viral evolution and its repercussions on the disease clinical aspects.

Background Feline parvovirus (FPV) is a common and potentially lethal infectious agent in cats. Objective To assess the prognostic value of age, neuter status, serum concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, cholesterol and total thyroxine (tT4), and the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in cats with panleukopenia. Animals Client‐owned cats with FPV infection diagnosed by a positive fecal ELISA test, positive PCR on feces or blood or both. Methods Retrospective cohort study. The electronic medical database was searched for cats with FPV infection presented between January 2010 and January 2018. Cats were divided into survivors and nonsurvivors according to their survival status 28 days after hospital admission. The prognostic importance of each variable was investigated univariately and by multivariable Cox's proportional‐hazards regression. Finally, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the best cutoff value for discriminating survivors from nonsurvivors for the statistically significant prognostic predictors identified by multivariable analysis. Results Seventy cats were enrolled in the study. Multivariable analysis determined that only serum tT4 concentration at hospital admission was significantly (P = .01) associated with survival. A cutoff value of 0.82 μg/dL was identified by ROC curve analysis for serum tT4 concentration in discriminating survivors from nonsurvivors. Sensitivity at this cutoff was 73.9% and specificity was 82.9% (area under the curve, 0.783; 95% confidence interval, 0.668‐0.873; P < .0001). Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Serum tT4 concentration at hospital admission has prognostic value in cats with FPV infection.

Pneumocystis is an atypical fungus that resides in the pulmonary parenchyma of many mammals, including humans and dogs. Immunocompetent human hosts are usually asymptomatically colonised or show subtle clinical signs, but some immunocompromised people can develop florid life-threatening Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Since much less is known concerning Pneumocystis in dogs, we posit the question: can Pneumocystis colonization be present in dogs with inflammatory airway or lung disease caused by other pathogens or disease processes? In this study, Pneumocystis DNA was detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 22/255 dogs (9%) with respiratory distress and/or chronic cough. Although young dogs (<1 year-of-age) and pedigree breeds were more often Pneumocystis-qPCR positive than older dogs and crossbreds, adult dogs with other infectious conditions and/or a history of therapy-resistant pulmonary disease could also be qPCR-positive, including two patients with suppression of the immune system. Absence of pathognomonic clinical or radiographic signs render it impossible to convincingly discriminate between overt PCP versus other lung/airway disease processes colonised by P. canis. It is possible that colonisation with P. canis might play a certain role as a co-pathogen in some canine patients with lower respiratory disease.

A 7-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel female was referred due to a chronic cough refractory to antibiotic treatments. Laboratory findings showed leukocytosis, increased serum C-reactive protein, hypogammaglobulinemia, and decreased total serum immunoglobulin G concentration. Thoracic radiographs showed a mild bronchial pattern. Cytology of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed a septic inflammation. Bordetella bronchiseptica, Mycoplasma spp., and Pneumocystis carinii were identified by polymerase chain reaction testing, and Klebsiella pneumonia was cultured from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, Escherichia coli was also cultured from urine. Pneumocystis spp. identification was done by sequencing of genetic amplicons. The dog died due to cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to a spontaneous pneumothorax on the day following the procedure. This report documents the detection of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. canis in a suspected immunocompromised Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with concurrent pulmonary and urinary tract infections involving four different pathogens, and highlights the importance of the use of polymerase chain reaction testing to detect canine Pneumocystis spp. in cases with negative bronchoalveolar lavage cytology.

Pheochromocytomas (PHEO) are rare adrenal medullary tumours characterised by catecholamine secretion. Accurate diagnosis relies on the sensitive measurement of metanephrine (MN) and normetanephrine (NMN); however, the application of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in veterinary medicine remains limited. This study aimed to develop and analytically validate an LC–MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of urinary MN and NMN in dogs, establish reference intervals (RIs) for MN- and NMN-to-creatinine ratios (uMN:CR and uNMN:CR), and preliminarily assess the diagnostic utility of uNMN:CR for PHEO detection. The RIs were 2.2–78.9 nmol/mmol for uMN:CR and 4.4–77.4 nmol/mmol for uNMN:CR. Dogs with PHEO showed significantly higher uNMN:CR values compared with dogs with other adrenal masses, non-adrenal disease, or healthy controls. Using the upper RI limit as a threshold, sensitivity and specificity were 91.7% and 35.7%, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified an optimal uNMN:CR cut-off of 203.7 nmol/mmol, yielding 78.6% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 85% (95% CI: 0.68–1.00). These findings support LC–MS/MS as a reliable approach for urinary metanephrine analysis and uNMN:CR as a valuable biochemical tool for PHEO identification in dogs.