Research of subclinical mastitis in dogs

Mastitis is the inflammatory response of the breast tissue to microorganisms and traumas that enter the breast tissue as a result of the interaction of care and feeding conditions, environment, microorganisms, animal and human factors. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis cases, and to isolate and identify the causative agents of mastitis in lactating female dogs that living in shelters temporarily in Hatay, Adana, Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep. For this purpose, 179 milk samples were collected from 29 dogs in 4 shelters. Clinical mastitis was found in 8 out of 29 dogs and in 16 out of 179 mammary lobes. After the specimens isolated in the laboratory under aerobic conditions with the classical method were identified at the genus level, they were stored in tryptic soy broth with 15% glycerine at -20 oC. For identification with MALDI-TOF, the strains stored at -20 o C were passaged onto blood agar. Identifying at the species level with MALDI-TOF, mixed growth was recorded in 19 isolates (10.61%). Based on the MALDI-TOF results, the most common isolates were determined as 69 S pseudointermedius, 28 S simulans, and 25 S canis. After these species, other microorganisms were determined as 7 S thoraltensis, 5 S felis, 2 S aureus and 1 S equorum, 1 Corynebacterium mastiditis and 1 Pasteurella canis. No data could be found on the prevalence of canine mastitis, or a publication containing the prevalence and causative agents list obtained from samples collected from the lactating bitches. This study was presented for the first time in Turkey and probably for the first time in the world with this with and isolate diversity. We believe that the results of the study, which are hoped to guide and pioneer future studies, will also be useful for dogs kept at home.