2016 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

As Bartonella spp. have an intra-erythrocytic phase, we speculate that minimal peripheral RBC contamination in the CSF of dogs with systemic Bartonella spp. infection may lead to positive Bartonella PCR assay results in the absence of a CNS disease association. Thus, positive PCR for Bartonella spp. DNA in the CSF of dogs must be interpreted in light of number of RBCs within the sample as well as the presence of inflammation or systemic infection. Failure to amplify Bartonella spp. DNA from the CSF of the 67 dogs with inflammatory disease studied suggests the organism was not involved, the organism was in CNS tissues but not in the CSF, or the organism was present but in quantities undetectable by this PCR assay. The combination of PCR and culture has been found to be the most sensitive way to detect Bartonella spp. in samples from dogs and humans and the use of that technique should be considered in future studies. While anxiety related behaviors have been reported in humans diagnosed with epilepsy, only one veterinary study has shown an increased frequency of anxiety behaviors in epileptic dogs compared to other medical populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence and severity of anxiety related behaviors in dogs with genetic epilepsy when compared to control patients. The study's other aims were to investigate if an association exists between increased anxiety related behaviors in the preictal and postictal phases of a seizure episode compared to the interictal period and whether dogs with refractory epilepsy have more severe seizures, which could account for the increased anxiety related behavioral side effects as reported in humans and dogs.