Pets

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders in which protein loss occurs through the gastrointestinal tract. One of the underlying causes is chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE). Conventional therapies for CIE often include diet, immunosuppressives, anti-microbials, probiotics, and, recently, fecal microbial transplantation (FMT). This case report highlights the use of lyophilized material-based FMT through oral capsules and enema in a dog with PLE and concurrent protein-losing nephropathy (PLN). The patient initially had a significantly increased dysbiosis index (DI) and required repeated FMT treatments, resulting in a positive clinical response through improvement in body weight, serum albumin concentrations, fecal scores, and normalization of the DI over time. To maintain clinical responses, FMT had to be performed monthly. Approximately 1 year after starting FMT therapy, the patient then developed an episode of acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS) associated with netF-gene-encoding Clostridium perfringens strains, after which the DI became abnormal again. The patient responded clinically well to monthly FMT treatments again, but it took several months for normalization of the DI after the AHDS episode. In summary, this case report highlights the continued use of adjunct lyophilized FMT in a dog with PLE resulting in improved clinical control over time.

This retrospective study provides an extensive evaluation of feline squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), comparing oral and cutaneous SCC, as well as different oral/cutaneous sites, with respect to sex, age, breed, and coat length. It was based on 4300 SCCs submitted to LABOKLIN GmbH & Co. KG from 2017 to 2023. No sex predisposition was identified. Affected cats were predominantly older (median age 13 years). SCC risk increased with age, although cats of very young age were also affected. Breed predispositions were not found. However, compared to non-pedigree cats, Persians, Norwegian Forest Cats, British Shorthairs (BSH), Chartreux, and Siamese cats showed a reduced risk, as did longhaired cats. The predominant sites were the oral cavity (41.0%, 1762/4300) and skin (35.8%, 1540/4300). Maine Coons, BSHs, Persians, and Norwegian Forest Cats, as well as longhaired cats, developed oral SCC more frequently. Intraoral, gingival (36.2%, 637/1762) and lingual (19.0%, 334/1762) SCC predominated. Common cutaneous sites included the pinnae (35.0%, 539/1540), unspecified head/neck regions (8.8%, 135/1540), and the nose (8.7%, 134/1540). Maine Coons and BSHs showed less auricular SCC; Sphynx had more on the trunk. These findings emphasise SCC as a crucial differential diagnosis for oral and cutaneous lesions, even in young cats.

Research suggests that older adults might obtain health benefits from pet ownership; however, results are mixed. Pet attachment is suggested as both a mechanism for the relationship and a reason for differences in the association of pet ownership with health outcomes. This systematic review examines evidence for the relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes among older adults. The Open Science Foundation-registered review began with 20,795 candidate articles. We limited our review to the 58 articles that consisted of original research, published in peer-reviewed journals between 1965 and June 2025, written in English, included older adults (age ≥ 50 years) or were limited to only older adults, and examined the relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes. The articles included analyses of psychological (n = 53), social (n = 27), or physical (n = 2) health outcomes. Pet attachment was assessed with 19 tools; most frequently the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (n = 21) and the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (n = 8). The studies were not consistently of high quality according to OCEBM criteria. Except for grief, which was consistently related to pet attachment, the findings do not support a clear relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes in older adults. Findings suggest that the relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes may be more pronounced in younger than in older adults.