Limited data exist to predict the severity of pancreatitis in cats. In this retrospective case series, we reviewed the medical records of 45 cats with SP from June 2014 to June 2019. Case definition was based on an internist’s review of clinopathologic data, Spec fPL concentration, and AUS findings. Information extracted from the medical records included signalment, history, physical examination findings, selected clinicopathological data (total bilirubin, glucose, ALP, ALT, and total calcium), Spec fPL concentration, AUS images/clips, length of hospitalization, and survival data. Hazard ratios were used to evaluate the association between clinicopathological data, the Spec fPL assay, AUS findings, and the length of hospitalization. Clinicopathological abnormalities, the Spec fPL, and AUS abnormalities were not statistically associated with the length of hospitalization. Despite a lack of statistical significance, the hazard ratios suggest the potential that an elevated total bilirubin (hazard ratio (HR): 1.19), hypocalcemia (HR: 1.49), and an elevated Spec fPL concentration (HR: 1.54) could be associated with prolonged hospitalization, although additional studies would be needed to verify this. Additionally, hazard ratios suggest that AUS evidence of concurrent gallbladder (HR: 1.61) and gastric abnormalities (HR: 1.36) could be associated with prolonged hospitalization. Full article

Overweight affects nearly 40% of dogs. The objective of this study was to explore the hypothesis of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease through the association between birth weight and adiposity in adult dogs. The association between body condition score (BCS) and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), measured in the flanks, abdomen and lumbar regions, was assessed in a population 88 adult Labradors (>1 year). Significant positive moderate correlations between BCS and SFT were described. A linear mixed-effects model was used to investigate the association between birth weight and SFT by adjusting for sex, age, neuter status and the anatomical site of the measurement. The results showed that SFT values increased with age and were higher in sterilized than in entire dogs. In addition, SFT values were higher in the lumbar region compared to the other anatomical sites. Finally, the model revealed a significant association between SFT and birth weight, suggesting that, as in other species, dogs with the lowest birth weights have thicker subcutaneous fat at adulthood than the others. The assessment of visceral adipose tissue and the relative importance of birth weight among the numerous risk factors of overweight remains to be explored in dogs. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) on endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in rats. EIU was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by the subcutaneous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). During LPS injection, 5-ALA diluted with saline was administered via gastric gavage. After 24 h, clinical scores were assessed after which aqueous humor (AqH) samples were obtained. The number of infiltrating cells, protein concentration, and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in AqH were measured. For histological examination, both eyes of some rats were enucleated. In vitro, a mouse macrophage cell line (RAW264.7 cells) was stimulated by LPS with or without 5-ALA. Western blot was used to analyze the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2. 5-ALA suppressed the EIU clinical scores, infiltrating cell number, and protein concentration while improving the histopathologic scores. In particular, 100 mg/kg 5-ALA reduced the concentrations of NO, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 in AqH, similar to 1 mg/kg prednisolone. In addition, 5-ALA suppressed iNOS upregulation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, 5-ALA has an anti-inflammatory effect on EIU through the inhibition of the upregulation of inflammatory mediators. Full article

Trichinella is a foodborne parasite whose wildlife reservoirs are represented by carnivores and omnivores with predatory and scavenger behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of Trichinella infection in grey wolves (Canis lupus) that recolonized the Western Alps from the end of the past century, and discuss the epidemiological role played by this apex predator in the early phases of its return. During the period 2017–2022, diaphragm samples were obtained from 130 individuals collected in the frame of a wolf mortality survey. Trichinella larvae were found in 15 wolves (11.53%) with a parasite intensity of 11.74 larvae per gram. Trichinella britovi was the only species identified. This is the first prevalence survey of Trichinella in wolves recolonizing the Alps. Results suggest that, in this particular biotope, the wolf has rejoined the Trichinella cycle and has the potential to play an increasingly important role as maintenance host. Arguments in favor and against this perspective are discussed and knowledge gaps highlighted. The calculated Trichinella larval biomass in the estimated wolf population roaming in Northwest Italy will serve as baseline value to explore possible shifts in the relative importance of wolves as Trichinella reservoir within the regional carnivore community. Finally, wolves re-colonizing the Alps already appear as sensitive sentinels to monitor the risk of Trichinella zoonotic transmission by infected wild boar meat. Full article

A 3-year-old male northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) used in falconry for hunting was diagnosed with a craniodorsal coxofemoral luxation of the left leg after an unsuccessful hunting flight. Closed reduction in the dislocation was unsuccessful and the hip joint reluxed again with slight abduction of the limb. An open surgical reduction with a transarticular stabilization using a normogradely inserted Kirschner wire was performed. The implant was removed surgically after five weeks. After about seven weeks, the owner saw no abnormalities in the loading of the limbs, and the goshawk was successfully used for hunting after nine months in the next hunting season. Full article

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a frequent beef cattle syndrome. Improved understanding of the timing of BRD events, including subsequent deleterious outcomes, promotes efficient resource allocation. This study’s objective was to determine differences in timing distributions of initial BRD treatments (Tx1), days to death after initial treatment (DTD), and days after arrival to fatal disease onset (FDO). Individual animal records for the first BRD treatment (n = 301,721) or BRD mortality (n = 19,332) were received from 25 feed yards. A subset of data (318–363 kg; steers/heifers) was created and Wasserstein distances were used to compare temporal distributions of Tx1, FDO, and DTD across genders (steers/heifers) and the quarter of arrival. Disease frequency varied by quarter with the greatest Wasserstein distances observed between Q2 and Q3 and between Q2 and Q4. Cattle arriving in Q3 and Q4 had earlier Tx1 events than in Q2. Evaluating FDO and DTD revealed the greatest Wasserstein distance between cattle arriving in Q2 and Q4, with cattle arriving in Q2 having later events. Distributions of FDO varied by gender and quarter and typically had wide distributions with the largest 25–75% quartiles ranging from 20 to 80 days (heifers arriving in Q2). The DTD had right-skewed distributions with 25% of cases occurring by days 3–4 post-treatment. Results illustrate temporal disease and outcome patterns are largely right-skewed and may not be well represented by simple arithmetic means. Knowledge of typical temporal patterns allows cattle health managers to focus disease control efforts on the correct groups of cattle at the appropriate time. Full article

The flash glucose monitoring system (FGMS) has recently become one of the most common monitoring methods in dogs and cats with diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of FGMS on the quality of life of diabetic pet owners (DPOs). Fifty DPOs were asked to answer a 30-question survey. More than 80% of DPOs considered FGMS easier to use and less stressful and painful for the animal compared to blood glucose curves (BGCs). Overall, 92% of DPOs reported that their pet had better diabetes control since using FGMS. The most challenging aspects of using the FGMS were ensuring proper sensor fixation during the wearing period (47%), preventing premature detachment (40%), and purchasing the sensor (34%). Moreover, 36% of DPOs reported that the device cost was difficult to afford in the long term. Comparing dogs and cats, a significantly higher number of dogs’ owners found the FGMS to be well-tolerated (79% vs. 40%), less invasive than BGCs (79% vs. 43%), and easier to maintain in situ (76% vs. 43%). In conclusion, FGMS is considered by DPOs to be easy to use and less stressful compared to BGCs, while enabling better glycemic control. Nevertheless, the costs related to its long-term use might be difficult to sustain. Full article

A longitudinal study was conducted in five randomly selected farms in Kelantan, Malaysia to determine the seasonal occurrence of cattle fascioliasis and its association with climatic factors. A total of 480 faecal samples were collected by a random purposive sampling method from July 2018 to June 2019. The faecal samples were examined for the presence of Fasciola eggs using a formalin ether sedimentation technique. Meteorological data including temperature, humidity, rainfall, and pan evaporation were obtained from a local meteorological station. The overall prevalence of cattle fascioliasis in Kelantan was 45.8%. The prevalence was observed to be slightly higher during the wet season from August to December (50–58%) than during the dry season from January to June (30–45%). Meanwhile, the mean eggs per gram (EPG) were highest in June (191.1 ± 0.48) and lowest in October (77.62 ± 95.5). However, there were no significant differences in the mean of EPG between the monthly prevalence, tested using one-way ANOVA (p = 0.1828). A statistically significant association (p = 0.014) was observed between the disease and cattle breeds, with Charolais and Brahman showing lower odds of having the disease. There were significant moderate-to-strong positive correlations between cattle fascioliasis and rainfall (r = 0.666; p = 0.018) and humidity (r = 0.808; p = 0.001), as well as strong negative correlations with evaporation (r = −0.829; p = 0.001). The results indicated that the higher prevalence of cattle fascioliasis in Kelantan was correlated with the climatic factors, which include higher rainfall and humidity and lower evaporation. Full article

N-hexane, a common industrial organic solvent, causes multiple organ damage owing to its metabolite, 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD). To identify and evaluate the effects of 2,5-HD on sows’ reproductive performance, we used porcine ovarian granulosa cells (pGCs) as a vehicle and carried out cell morphology and transcriptome analyses. 2,5-HD has the potential to inhibit the proliferation of pGCs and induce morphological changes and apoptosis depending on the dose. RNA-seq analyses identified 4817 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 2394 down-regulated and 2423 up-regulated following 2,5-HD exposure treatment. The DEG, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A), according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, was significantly enriched in the p53 signaling pathway. Thus, we evaluated its function in pGC apoptosis in vitro. Then, we knocked down the CDKN1A gene in the pGCs to identify its effects on pGCs. Its knockdown decreased pGC apoptosis, with significantly fewer cells in the G1 phase (p < 0.05) and very significantly more cells in the S phase (p < 0.01). Herein, we revealed novel candidate genes that influence pGCs apoptosis and cell cycle and provided new insights into the role of CDKN1A in pGCs during apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Full article

This study compared the risk perceptions of medical disputes among veterinarians and veterinary students in Taiwan between 2014 and 2022. Online validity-tested questionnaires were used to collect data, with 106 (73 veterinarians and 33 students) and 157 (126 veterinarians and 31 students) surveys collected in 2014 and 2022, respectively. Respondents would be asked to rate their perceptions on how likely each risk factor constitutes a medical dispute according to their past experiences on a five-point Likert scale from 1 to 5: “Very unlikely, unlikely, neutral, likely, very likely.” The results showed that overall risk perceptions increased significantly in 2022 compared to 2014, with the top risk factors being attitudes during interactions and complaint management among experienced veterinarians. In contrast, students considered medical skills and clients’ perspectives as the top two risk factors, with complaints management ranking as the least significant factor. The findings suggest that effective communication and complaint management are crucial in preventing medical disputes, highlighting the importance of developing these skills in young veterinarians and veterinary students to reduce medical disputes. The study also recommends increasing practical experiences of medical disputes and complaint management in veterinary education to bridge the gap between the perceptions of experienced veterinarians and students. Full article

Feet infrared temperature is associated with feet health and may affect the reproductive performance of sows. In total, 137, 98 and 114 replacement gilts were selected at the age of weaning from 3 herds—A, B and C—with different genetic lines. Dorsal claw length was measured, and anisodactylia was measured in all four feet, at weaning age, and at those gilts that completed their first and second farrowing. At the first and second farrowing stage, the infrared temperature distribution, dew/claw length and backfat thickness were measured concurrently with claw lesion and mobility score evaluation. The maximum temperature significantly differed (p < 0.01) among herds, in the rear feet and in all four feet at the first and second farrowing respectively. Claw lengths statistically differed among herds at all stages (p < 0.05). Anisodactylia in rear feet was lower in herd A (p < 0.05) at weaning, and in herd C at the first and second farrowing (p < 0.05). In addition, the claw lesion score, mobility, backfat thickness and reproductive performance statistically differed among herds (p < 0.05). It is shown that even at an early stage of their reproductive life, claw length differences exist in replacement gilts of different genetic lines. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister’s decree issued by the Italian government on 9 March 2020, known as “#Iorestoacasa” (I stay at home), required everyone to stay indoors, with a few exceptions, from 11 March to 3 May 2020. This decree had a substantial impact on the mental health of both people and dogs. We carried out a national survey to compare the personalities of adult dogs who were puppies in lockdown (from March to May 2020) with those of adult dogs born after that time (from June 2020 to February 2021). Our results highlighted a significant increase in personality traits related to fear and aggression in dogs who experienced lockdown restrictions during their socialization period, further confirming that the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the behavioral development of dogs. Therefore, it may be advantageous for these dogs to be closely monitored by veterinary behaviorists and receive specialized behavioral rehabilitation therapy to lower the risk of episodes of aggression and fearfulness as well as to increase the wellbeing of dogs raised under social restrictions. Full article

Flow cytometry (FC) is widely used in microbiology, immunology, hematology, and oncology. In the veterinary field, FC enabled the study of the immune response in cattle infected with different pathogens, as well as vaccine testing. However, few fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies recognize bovine antigens, limiting the possible benefits of FC and the implementation of multiparametric analysis for more complex studies. Two cytometry panels with five colors each were designed and implemented for the study and identification of populations and subpopulations of T cells derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of dairy heifers. Both panels detected differences in T cell subpopulations between heifers positively and negatively tested for tuberculin; they detected overexpression of CD25⁺ and CD45RO⁺ in tuberculin-positive heifers after stimulation with a culture filtrate protein extract (CFPE) from Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). We identified subpopulations of T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using two multicolor panels. These panels could be used to analyze total bovine blood in immunopathogenic studies and vaccine development. The same strategy could be implemented in other species of veterinary interest. Full article

Critical-size bone defect models are the standard in studies of the osteogenic potential of biomaterials. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the ability of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) to induce trabecular bone healing either alone or combined with a xenograft in a rat femoral critical-size defect model. Five-mm bone defects were created in the femoral diaphysis of fifty-six skeletally mature male Wistar albino rats. The animals were divided into six groups: one control group and five experimental groups. The defects in the control group were left empty, whereas an absorbable collagen cone soaked either with saline or erythropoietin (alone or in combination with xenograft) was placed in locally treated groups. The systemic treatment group received EPO subcutaneously. Bone formation was objectively evaluated through radiography, osteodensitometry and histological examination on post-operative days 30 and 90. The results demonstrate that EPO, locally applied on a collagen scaffold, was capable of inducing bone healing, whereas the single systemically administered high EPO dose had only an insignificant effect on bone formation. The combination of EPO with a bone substitute under the form of cancellous granules resulted in more rapid integration between the xenograft and host bone. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns provided an opportunity to assess what factors, including changes in an owner’s routine and time spent at home, were associated with changes in dog behaviour. We undertook a longitudinal survey over a period of 8 months during which we asked about people’s work patterns, dog management, and their dogs’ behaviour. Generalized linear models revealed that the pre-existence of signs of potential separation-related problems, and especially vocalisation, self-injury, and chewing to escape confinement, was associated with an increase in a range of separation issues. Dogs showing separation-related signs prior to COVID were also more likely to develop more problems during lockdown. Management changes tended to result in increased physical and social stress, with a range of potential compensatory actions taken by the dog, however these signs of stress did not generally appear to be connected to separation-related issues. Survival analysis was used to investigate the emergence of specific issues over time. This indicated that a change to working from home was related initially to a decreased risk of aggression towards the owner, but over time, those who continued to work from the home were at an increased risk of this problem. No other significant time-related relationships were found. Full article