| dc.description.abstract | Animal shelters are private households that house abandoned cats, which are kept there for
indefinite periods of time. Such places are considered intensive rearing systems, where
exposure, susceptibility and infectious diseases transmission end up being amplified.
Among the diseases observed in shelter cats, those which affect the oral cavity, such as
periodontal disease (PD) and feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), may me cited.
Periodontal disease (PD) and feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCG) present multifactorial
etiology, and it is believed that retroviruses may be involved in the progression and severity
of these diseases. The first study aimed at identifying the chief inflammatory oral affections
in sheltered cats and verifying the results of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and
feline leukemia virus (FeLV) tests. Forty-three felines from private shelters in the Central
Region of Rio Grande do Sul which presented clinically evident oral lesions, regardless of
age, race, sex and reproductive status, were the subjects of this investigation. Serological
tests for FIV and FeLV were performed in all the cats, and data regarding the rearing
system were obtained. Sixteen cats (37.2%) were reared in a free system, while 27 (62.8%)
were kept in a restrict system. Of the 43 cats with oral lesions, 29 (67.44%) presented one
type of lesion only, characterized as periodontitis (n=22) (51.16%), followed by gingivitis
(n=06) (13.95%) and stomatitis (n=01) (2.32%). Concomitant stomatitis and periodontitis
lesions were found in the 14 remaining cats (100%). With respect to the retroviruses test
results, nine (20.93%) of the 43 felines were positive for FIV only. Co-infection with both
viruses was observed in seven cats (16.28%). No cat was seropositive for FeLV only. None
of the six cats which presented gingivitis was positive for FIV and FeLV; one cat which had
stomatitis was positive for FIV and FeLV; of the 22 cats with periodontitis, six (27.27%)
were FIV positive and two (9.09%) were FIV/FeLV positive; and of the 14 cats which
presented stomatitis and periodontitis, three (21.43%) were FIV positive and four (28.57%)
were FIV/FeLV positive. As for the diagnosis, 28 cats (65.1%) presented PD only, one cat
(2.32%) had FCG only, and 14 (32.5%) had both PD and FCG. In view of the results
attained, it may be concluded that the main oral lesions found in sheltered cats from the
Central Region of RS were gingivitis, stomatitis and periodontitis; the latter, in association
or not with stomatitis, was the most frequent oral lesion in FIV and/or FeLV-positive cats.
The second study which integrates this thesis refers to a report about acquired skin fragility
syndrome, which is considered a rare dermatological disease in cats. A 7 year-old male
mixed breed feline, which had been adopted from a cat shelter, was admitted to the
University Veterinary Hospital of an Institution with a history of polyphagia, polyuria and
polydipsia, and skin ulcers on the trunk and in the cervical region about 2 months after
onset and difficult to heal. The fasting plasma glucose level, the dexamethasone suppression
test and the bilateral adrenal gland enlargement, visualized by ultrasonography, revealed
diabetes mellitus and spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism, respectively. Histology evidenced
markedly thin epidermis and moderate dermal atrophy, with thin and disorganized collagen
fibers, suggestive of skin fragility syndrome. There was skin lesions relapse despite the
hyperadrenocorticism therapy, and improvement was observed only after 5 months of
treatment with trilostane. | |
