MVSc

The present study was conducted to assess the role of bacterial and certain viral etiology, to conduct antibiogram and to estimate the nonspecific factors associated with neonatal mortality in pups.The bacterial isolates from milk of bitches were identified as Staphylococcus aureus (29 per cent) Staphylococcus intermedius (six per cent), Klebsiella pneumoniae (47 per cent), Proteus vulgaris (12 per cent) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (six per cent). Antibiogram of the isolates showed that majority of the isolates from milk were sensitive to ciprofloxacin (71 per cent), followed by amoxycillin (65per cent), gentamicin (41per cent), enrofloxacin (59 per cent), norfloxacin (18 per cent) chloramphenicol (12 per cent) and amoxy-clav (6 per cent).Blood samples taken from two bitches yielded bacterial growth, which were identified as Staphylococcus aureus (50 per cent) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (50 per cent). The bacterial isolates from blood were 100per cent sensitive to ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol, 50 per cent to gentamicin, 50 per cent to amoxycillin and resistant to enrofloxacin and norfloxacin. The bacteria isolated from the vaginal samples were identified as Hafnia alvei (Enterobacter alvei)(six per cent), Klebsiella pneumoniae (35 per cent), Staphylococcus aureus (12 per cent), Escherichia coli (12 per cent), Proteus vulgaris (23 per cent), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (six per cent) and Staphylococcus intermedius (six per cent). The vaginal isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin (88 per cent), gentamicin (53 per cent), amoxycillin (59 per cent), enrofloxacin (71 per cent), chloramphenicol (59 per cent) and norfloxacin (35 per cent).

None of the milk, blood or vaginal swabs taken from the control group yielded any bacterial growth. Isolates were obtained from heart blood and from liver and lung of pups. These included Proteus vulgaris(20 per cent),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(40 per cent) and Klebsiella pneumoniae(40 per cent). Fourty per cent of the bacterial isolates from pups were sensitive to gentamicin and chloramphenicol, 80 per cent to ciprofloxacin, 60 per cent to amoxycillin and 20 per cent to norfloxacin and enrofloxacin.

The role of parvovirus as a causative agent for neonatal mortality was studied by subjecting the liver, lung,intestine spleen and kidney tissue of dead pups to AGID and HA for detection of parvoviral antigen and one sample was positive by HA. This was confirmed by haemagglutination inhibition test. None of the serum from the bitches gave positive result for antibodies against parvoviral antigen in agar gel immunodiffusion test.

The titre of antibodies of bitches were assessed by HI. HI titre of the vaccinated bitches ranged from eight to 64.Only one bitch was having the protective titre. All the unvaccinated bitches were not having any titre of antibodies against parvo by HI test.