Animals | Editor’s Choice Papers in the Section “Companion Animals”
Editor’s Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Animals’ Academic Editors worldwide. The journal’s Academic Editors select a small number of published articles that they consider will be of particular interest to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. We welcome you to read the Editor’s Choice Papers in the Section “Companion Animals”, a curated list of high-quality articles from 2022 to 2023 in this Section. The list of selected papers can be viewed below.
1. “Nutritional Composition and Untargeted Metabolomics Reveal the Potential of Tetradesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis oceanica as Valuable Nutrient Sources for Dogs”
by Ana R. J. Cabrita, Joana Guilherme-Fernandes, Inês M. Valente, Agostinho Almeida, Sofia A. C. Lima, António J. M. Fonseca and Margarida R. G. Maia
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2643; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192643
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/19/2643
Editor’s Comments:
Food security is an increasing concern, and the environmental impact of pet food production is widely debated. The authors of the above study identified a novel, nutritionally balanced food suitable for dogs that can be made from microalgae.
2. “Babesia gibsoni Infection in Dogs—A European Perspective”
by Oliwier Teodorowski, Marcin Kalinowski, Dagmara Winiarczyk, Banu Dokuzeylül, Stanisław Winiarczyk and Łukasz Adaszek
Animals 2022, 12(6), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060730
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/730
Editor’s Comments:
The authors of the above review report confirmed cases of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs in Europe. Most of these cases occurred in dog fighting breeds, especially American Pit Bull Terriers or related breeds, suggesting a breed-specific predisposition. Furthermore, rather than a tick bite, the main transmission route could be via wound contact with infected blood. The course of the disease is severe, and diagnosis and treatment are a challenge. The authors point out that B. gibsoni should be considered a possible emerging parasite in Europe.
3. “Expansion of Canine Heartworm in Spain”
by José Alberto Montoya-Alonso, Rodrigo Morchón, Sara Nieves García-Rodríguez, Yaiza Falcón-Cordón, Noelia Costa-Rodríguez, Jorge Isidoro Matos, Iván Rodríguez Escolar and Elena Carretón
Animals 2022, 12(10), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12101268
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/10/1268
Editor’s Comments:
Global warming favors the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as canine heartworm. The above study focuses on the epidemiology of heartworm in dogs and the impact of climate change in Spain. The study results show the expansion of canine heartworm in Spain, especially in northern regions where it has not been previously reported, such as the Basque Country. In some regions where the presence of Dirofilaria immitis has already been observed, its prevalence was not notable, probably because of the implementation of preventive measures in the dog population. The authors suggest that global warming, the mobility of animal reservoirs, and the modification of the landscape with high edaphic availability of water or stagnant water that provides suitable conditions for the presence of the culicid vectors have an impact on the expansion of D. immitis in Spain. The study results evidence the importance of the implementation of prophylactic programs in the canine population to control infection.
4. “Characterization of the Fecal and Mucosa-Associated Microbiota in Dogs with Chronic Inflammatory Enteropathy”
by David Díaz-Regañón, Mercedes García-Sancho, Alejandra Villaescusa, Ángel Sainz, Beatriz Agulla, Mariana Reyes-Prieto, Antonio Rodríguez-Bertos and Fernando Rodríguez-Franco
Animals 2023, 13(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030326
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/326
Editor’s Comments:
Disturbance of the intestinal microbiome (dysbiosis) is important in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation in dogs (and other species). However, most studies have only studied dysbiosis in fecal samples, which may not reflect what is happening in the small intestine where inflammation predominates. The authors of the above study compared the microbiota in the feces and duodenal biopsies of dogs with intestinal inflammation. The results showed dysbiosis in both areas compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, the results demonstrated greater changes in fecal samples compared to duodenal biopsies. These findings suggest that analysis of the fecal microbiota, which is much more accessible, can reflect dysbiosis within the small intestine.
5. “When and Why Cats Are Returned to Shelters”
by Vivian Mundschau and Malini Suchak
Animals 2023, 13(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020243
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/243
Editor’s Comments:
The authors of the above study report the return-to-shelter rate of adopted cats of just under 12% within 4 years of adoption with approximately half being returned within the first month. The risk of being returned was found to increase with the age of the cat at the time of adoption and if there was a history of biting and decrease if the cats had spent time in foster care. Short-term returns were mainly due to unacceptable cat behaviour, but the reason for cats being returned after more than 30 days was mainly due to the owner’s personal reasons. An increased in-depth understanding of these reasons and the timing of returns can increase the likelihood of developing strategies to keep cats in their new homes.
6. “Understanding the Factors Influencing Cat Containment: Identifying Opportunities for Behaviour Change”
by Gemma C. Ma and Lynette J. McLeod
Animals 2023, 13(10), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101630
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/10/1630
Ma and McLeod’s interesting study into cat containment practices in New South Wales, Australia, adopted the Capability–Opportunity–Motivation (COM) Behavioural Model to determine the importance of these COM factors along with other situational factors in explaining the cat containment behaviours of cat owners. Owners not currently containing their pet cats can be divided into six profiles according to the COM themes, and this knowledge can be used to design specific strategies to encourage behaviour change and increase cat containment. The authors identified that encouraging a night curfew would be a useful first step towards 24-hour containment.