Nodular dermatitis as an atypical form of canine demodicosis in an English bulldog

This case report describes the unusual clinical findings in a 2-year-old English bulldog with generalized demodicosis. The dog was referred with a 2-month history of generalized pruritus, alopecia, lichenification, and nodular lesions. A complete series of dermatologic tests such as Wood's light examination, direct microscopic examination, and fungal culture were performed. In the deep skin scrapings Demodex canis was identified by microscopic examination. A punch biopsy was taken from nodules and histological examination revealed that the large numbers of mites were located both in the lumen of hair follicles and sebaceous glands which provoked granulomatous responses in the dermis. The dog was treated topically every 7 days for a total of eight treatments with an amitraz solution. The treatment resulted in a marked decrease in the number of skin nodules. Complete clinical cure was achieved following 2 months of treatment. Although generalized demodicosis is a well-known parasitic skin disease in dogs, the present clinical case represents an alert to practitioners about the atypical clinical form of demodicosis in dogs.     

Disseminated Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania tropica in a Puppy from Karaj,Central Iran

A 5-month old puppy with muco-cutaneous lesions in the chin, around lips and eyes was examined physically and microscopically for leishmaniasis. Muco-cutaneous lesions containing a large number of amastigotes of Leishmania spp. were observed. Amastigotes were also detected in liver and spleen of the puppy. The animal was positive with Dipstick rK39 kit and high level of anti-Leishmania antibodies was detected by direct agglutination test (DAT). DNA, Using PCR-RFLP technique extracted from cultured Leishmania promastigotes and L. tropica was identified. This is the first report of concurrent mucosal and visceral involvement of L. tropica in a puppy from Iran.     

Clinical neosporosis in three dogs in Shahrekord, Iran

Three crossbreed male dogs were referred from the veterinary administration of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province in Iran with clinical signs of acute hind limbs ataxia and rigid hyperextension. Serum samples and cerebrospinal fluid were collected for serologic investigations. Evaluated samples had no detectable antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, but all three dogs had high titers of IgG antibodies to Neospora caninum; two cases were sero-positive with titers of 1:3,200 and one with a titer of 1:6,400. Evaluated cerebrospinal fluid samples showed detectable anti-N. caninum IgG antibodies. The dogs were treated with clindamycin hydrochloride, and recovery was seen within 2 weeks.