Faculty of Veterinary Science
Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
The pathophysiology of canine babesiosis, a common and often fatal disease of dogs, has many similarities to human malaria. Research undertaken by the Department focused on the effect of experimental anaemia on body function and compared it to the pathophysiological processes of babesia and malaria anaemia.
In one study the haemodynamics of the left renal artery and interlobar artery were evaluated in beagles with severe acute, moderate chronic and mild chronic normovolaemic anaemia using Doppler ultrasound.
The researcher recorded the heart rate, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), time-averaged mean velocity (TMV), pulsatility index (PI) and resistive index (RI). He then compared these values in the dogs following the induction of anaemia to corresponding values in the same dogs prior to the induction of anaemia.
He found that the left renal artery’s mean PSV, mean PI and mean RI were significantly higher and the mean EDV significantly lower in severe acute anaemia. Knowing these changes occur in acutely anaemic patients will prevent attributing these changes to other disease conditions and thus help to prevent misdiagnoses.
No significant change in mean values of the same parameters in moderate or mild chronic anaemia was found. In addition there was also no significant change in TAV
mean of the LRA or mean PI and mean RI of the ILA in any grade of anaemia implying that if changes occur in these parameters in moderately anaemic patients another cause must be found for the abnormal values.
The researcher also found that acute, severe normovolaemic anaemia significantly altered LRA Doppler parameters in resting dogs without influencing those of the ILA emphasizing the differences that occur in different kidney vessels.
Contact person: Prof RM Kirberger.
The economic value of wild large cats in their natural habitat or in conservation breeding programmes is considerable, particularly if they are an endangered species such as the cheetah.
These large cats are occasionally presented to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital with clinical problems. Researchers in the Department focused their research on determining the normal imaging anatomy of the animals in an effort to gain a greater understanding of the disease processes that affect these unique patients.
In one of the projects, researchers focussed on the cheetah abdomen using ultrasonography. They found that there were several differences when compared to the abdomen of domestic cats.
The cheetah’s gall bladder is often bilobed with an enlarged tortuous common bile duct which in a domestic cat would be indicative of bile duct obstruction. The descripton of the normal ultrasonographic anatomy will allow the researchers to be able to better interpret the changes seen in the important diseases of captive cheetahs such as gastritis, glomerulosclerosis (chronic kidney disease) and hepatic veno-occlusive disease.
Contact person: Prof RM Kirberger.
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