Search Results (646)

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are locally invasive and aggressive tumors that occur spontaneously in humans, dogs, and cats. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive ablation technology that has been explored in canine but not feline STS. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the in vivo safety and feasibility of HIFU ablation for feline STS and to investigate the impact of HIFU on the acute immunological response. Client-owned cats diagnosed with spontaneous STS were recruited. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, abdomen, and tumor were performed prior to treatment for staging and treatment planning. A commercially available HIFU unit (Echopulse, Theraclion, Malakoff, France) was used to target portions of solid tumors before standard-of-care surgical resection. Ablation efficacy and local immunological response were characterized using histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments. Acute safety was monitored with physical examinations, owner reports, and CBC/serum biochemistry. Multiplex serum cytokine levels were used to evaluate the systemic immune response. A total of three cats diagnosed with STS were recruited and treated. No significant adverse events attributed to HIFU treatment were noted in this pilot study. In treated areas, hemorrhage as well as coagulative and lytic necrosis were observed microscopically and were more extensive than in untreated tissues. There was a statistically significant difference in the level of serum MCP-1 after HIFU treatment, but no significant changes in any other analytes. No differences in the infiltration of CD3-, CD79a-, or IBA1-positive cells were noted between treated and untreated samples. Overall, findings suggested that HIFU may offer a viable alternative to conventional therapies for feline STS, with pilot results showing effective tumor ablation in cats with STS without significant adverse events. Some preliminary evidence of immunomodulation following treatment was observed, but HIFU as an immunotherapeutic treatment option needs to be further investigated. Full article

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) may lead to detrusor decompensation through progressive bladder remodeling. Most experimental studies rely on acutely induced BOO in rodents. Since progressive obstruction better reflects the condition, non-lethal models are needed to investigate chronic obstruction pathophysiology and evaluate regenerative therapies. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate (1) a progressive BOO model induced by an artificial urethral sphincter (AUS) in 2 dogs and (2) the systemic administration of autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) after obstruction release. Two intact male dogs underwent progressive BOO through gradual AUS inflation. Longitudinal assessment included telemetric urodynamic monitoring, urethral pressure profilometry, ultrasonography, post-void residual measurement, oxidative stress markers in serial blood samples and serial bladder biopsies for histology, transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR and RNA sequencing (CCL2, CCR2, GFAP, VEGF, HGF). After AUS removal, one dog received three intravenous injections of 20 × 10⁶ PKH26-labelled autologous ADMSCs. BOO induced functional changes (increased detrusor pressure and urethral resistance, decreased urinary flow, prolonged voiding). No detrusor decompensation or fibrosis comparable to the human condition developed, encouraging refinement of this model. ADMSCs appeared to reach the bladder wall safely, but any influence on the glutathione redox system and CCL2 protein expression needs to be confirmed. Full article

In dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy for acute intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE), adjunctive nonpharmacologic therapies may help provide postoperative analgesia while reducing reliance on opioids and their associated adverse effects. This prospective, randomized, blinded, controlled trial evaluated the short-term analgesic effects of interferential current electrotherapy (IFC) in dogs following thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy for acute IVDE. Twenty dogs were randomly assigned to receive conventional analgesia alone (control, n = 10) or conventional analgesia plus IFC (n = 10). The IFC group received three IFC sessions administered within the first 24 h postoperatively. Outcome measures were collected at three predefined postoperative time points corresponding to IFC treatment sessions: T1 (2–4 h), T2 (8–18 h), and T3 (20–24 h postoperatively). Outcome measures included Modified Glasgow Composite Pain Scale–Short Form (CMPS-SF) scores, total postoperative opioid consumption, and peri-incisional mechanical sensory thresholds. Dogs treated with IFC demonstrated significantly lower CMPS-SF pain scores at the T2 time point compared with controls (p = 0.03); however, no differences were observed at T1 or T3 time points. Total opioid consumption and mechanical sensory thresholds did not differ significantly between groups at any time point. These findings suggest that IFC may provide transient postoperative analgesic benefit but does not appear to reduce opioid requirements or mechanical sensory thresholds within the first 24 h following hemilaminectomy. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to better define the role of IFC in multimodal postoperative pain management and to explore optimal treatment protocols. Full article

Although recent studies report elevated rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Ukrainian refugees, data from military hospitals and rehabilitation centers within Ukraine remain scarce. Numerous studies have described that interactions with therapy dogs help mitigate PTSD symptoms by providing emotional support, reducing hypervigilance, encouraging social engagement, and facilitating physiological de-arousal. However, the potential role of dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) in therapeutic settings during ongoing conflict has not yet been investigated. In this study, saliva samples pre- and post- a 20 min DAI were gathered from soldiers and other military service personnel with diagnosed PTSD in Kyiv, Ukraine. Salivary cortisol was assessed as a biomarker to parallel acute physiological strain. The findings revealed a decrease in salivary cortisol from pre- to post-DAIs in both men and women. Of note, men exhibited higher salivary cortisol levels than women both pre- and post-DAIs. The present findings suggest that people with PTSD benefit from canine support due to reduced acute arousal in a war environment. Limitations include the small sample size and the lack of a control group. In order to mitigate against the high prevalence of psychophysiological distress in at-risk populations such as military personnel, further research is warranted. Full article

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 2% chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) as an irrigating solution during pulp revascularization of immature dog teeth using histological and histomorphometric analyses. Materials and Methods: Pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis were induced in 52 incompletely formed roots in four dogs (6–8 months age). These teeth were randomly allocated to Group I (n = 20; irrigation with NaOCl + EDTA) and Group II (n = 20; irrigation with NaOCl + chitosan NPs); DAP was used as a medication in both groups. Positive control (6 roots): teeth with induced periapical infections, no treatment procedure, and left open. Negative control (6 roots): teeth that were left untreated for the normal maturation process. Each experimental group was subdivided into two subdivisions in accordance with the post-treatment evaluation periods (1–3 months). The experimental teeth were re-entered following the infection period and disinfected using the assigned irrigation and medication protocol, and the access cavities were sealed. After the evaluation period, medication was removed, and blood clot formation was created through over-instrumentation. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) was applied, followed by glass ionomer restoration (GIC). Results: At both 1 and 3 months, Group II demonstrated significantly superior histological organization and higher collagen-positive area percentages compared with Group I (p < 0.01), while the negative control showed the highest values and the positive control the lowest. Conclusions: Irrigation with 2% chitosan NPs significantly improved regenerative outcomes compared with the conventional NaOCl/EDTA protocol in immature canine teeth. Full article

A male castrated Shih Tzu was evaluated for recurrent nocturnal episodes of acute respiratory distress accompanied by hemoptysis and transient erythrocytosis. The dog was clinically normal between episodes, but each nighttime event was severe and prompted repeated emergency visits. During each emergency presentation, thoracic radiographs revealed severe diffuse interstitial-to-alveolar pulmonary infiltrates, and packed cell volume showed marked but reversible increases. A stepwise diagnostic evaluation, including serial indirect blood pressure measurement, coagulation assessment, echocardiography, and bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, progressively excluded typical infectious, cardiac, structural, and coagulopathic causes of hemoptysis and acute respiratory distress. Given the stereotyped pattern of near-acute crises with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and hemoptysis, mechanisms analogous to noncardiogenic pulmonary edema or exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage were considered. Therapeutic trials with sildenafil and furosemide failed to prevent further nocturnal recurrences. Considering concurrent transient PCV surges and the proposed role of catecholamine-driven splenic contraction as a rapidly mobilizable erythrocyte reservoir, a sympathetically mediated process was suspected, and α₁-adrenergic blockade with prazosin was initiated. Following prazosin therapy, sustained clinical remission was achieved, with no further emergency episodes over a 17.5-month follow-up period. The response may have reflected multiple pharmacological effects of prazosin, including attenuation of sympathetically mediated splenic α₁-adrenergic activity, systemic vasodilation, and reduction in venous return. This unique case suggests that dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system may have contributed to the recurrent hemoptysis and acute respiratory distress and highlights adrenergic modulation as a potential therapeutic consideration in similar cases. Full article

Cancer remains the leading cause of death in domestic dogs. Conventional therapeutic approaches, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, frequently fail to achieve sustained remission or stabilization. Oncolytic virotherapy, a rapidly advancing therapeutic modality in human oncology, is emerging as a novel strategy in veterinary medicine. This systematic review summarizes current knowledge on the application of oncolytic viruses (OVs) in canine cancer treatment, focusing on their mechanisms of action, safety profiles, and clinical efficacy. We evaluate diverse OV platforms, including myxoma virus, reovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus, canine adenoviruses, vaccinia virus, Sendai virus, and Newcastle disease virus, across preclinical and clinical studies in dogs with various malignancies. While several OVs have demonstrated favorable tolerability and modest antitumor activity, key challenges such as pre-existing immunity, optimization of dosing regimens, and rational combination strategies remain to be addressed. This review emphasizes the translational significance of canine studies for both veterinary and human oncology, underscoring the critical need for rigorously designed clinical trials to refine virotherapy protocols and expand therapeutic options for canine cancer patients. Full article

Intravenous lipid therapy (ILE) is used to treat neurotoxicosis in companion animals, but clinical evidence for in vivo xenobiotic partitioning and benefit remains limited. This study evaluated associations between the log n-octanol/water partition coefficient (log P), in vivo plasma partitioning, and early neurological outcome. In this case series from eight veterinary hospitals, dogs and cats with suspected neurotoxicosis received ILE. Blood collected before and at the end of infusion was separated into lipid and aqueous fractions and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Log P values were retrieved from PubChem. Outcome (improvement vs. no-improvement) was the change from ILE-start to 4–6 h later. Thirty-four cases were analyzed (27 dogs and seven cats; 17 different xenobiotics were identified). At the end of infusion, xenobiotic lipid fraction concentrations exceeded aqueous concentrations in 28/34 cases, and log P did not correlate with the lipid-to-aqueous ratio. Improvement occurred in 14/34 animals and was associated with higher lipid-to-aqueous xenobiotic ratios (geometric mean ratio 5.7; 95% CI 1.73–19.05; p = 0.007). Overall, in vivo lipid sequestration was frequent and was associated with early neurological improvement, whereas log P alone did not predict partitioning or outcome. Full article

Although internal fixation and surgical approaches promote fracture healing, some outcomes remain unsatisfactory. Advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) has been shown to provide more growth factors, and in vitro cell proliferation has not been evaluated for treating bone fractures in veterinary medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bone-healing activity of A-PRF in traumatic canine fractures. Twelve dogs with single radius–ulna or tibia–fibula fractures were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group and an A-PRF group. Both groups were treated with a locking compression plate and screws and received pain control. Post-operatively, dogs were evaluated for serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and post-operative pain scores on days 1, 3, and 7. Lameness and weight-bearing scores were evaluated on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, and 60. Bone healing was assessed at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months using calculated relative bone density (%). Compared with the control, the A-PRF group showed higher bone density at 2 months and lower lameness at 14 days post-operatively. Although the CRP level, an inflammation response marker, was higher in the A-PRF group within one day. No significant difference in pain score was observed. In conclusion, A-PRF serves as an effective adjunctive therapy for promoting bone healing when treating canine appendicular fractures with surgical internal fixation. Full article

Canine atopic dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritus and recurrent erythema, yet objective blood biomarkers for monitoring disease activity remain limited. In this study, we evaluated serum cytokine profiles and their associations with clinical severity in client-owned dogs with atopic dermatitis. A total of 143 dogs were enrolled, including 28 healthy and 115 dogs with atopic dermatitis. The atopic dermatitis group was further categorized into untreated dogs (n = 27; no systemic therapy for ≥4 weeks) and systemically treated dogs (n = 88). Serum concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-13, IL-31, and TGF-β1 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Group differences were assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis test with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons, and correlations with the pruritus visual analog scale (pVAS) and the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index-04 (CADESI-04) were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Serum IFN-γ, IL-13, and IL-31 concentrations differed significantly among groups (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.004, respectively). IFN-γ and IL-13 concentrations were lower in treated dogs than in healthy dogs and untreated dogs, whereas IL-31 concentrations were higher in dogs with atopic dermatitis than in healthy dogs, regardless of treatment status. In correlation analyses, the pVAS showed a negative correlation with IFN-γ (r = −0.239, p = 0.004) and a positive correlation with IL-31 (r = 0.173, p = 0.039), while CADESI-04 showed a negative correlation with IFN-γ (r = −0.252, p = 0.002). IL-10 and TGF-β1 did not show significant differences among groups or correlations with clinical indices. These findings suggest that serum IL-31 may reflect pruritus-related immune signaling that can persist despite clinical improvement. While IFN-γ may show a weak negative correlation with clinical severity indices, its potential association with chronic dermatologic changes, such as lichenification, requires further investigation in relation to disease chronicity. Together, these results indicate that circulating cytokine profiles and clinical indices do not necessarily change in parallel and that selected cytokines may provide complementary information when interpreting disease activity in canine atopic dermatitis. These profiles should be interpreted while considering the diverse immunomodulatory mechanisms of the systemic therapy administered. Full article

Human breast cancer (HBC) is the most common and often lethal malignancy in women. Canine mammary tumors (CMTs) share significant molecular and clinical characteristics with HBC, which makes dogs a valuable spontaneous model for the study of HBC. HBC chemotherapy treatment relies mainly on carboplatin, which is effective but, in turn, highly toxic. Here we tested enrofloxacin, a Minichromosomal Maintenance Complex Component (MCM2) inhibitor, for its ability to increase tumor cell sensitivity to platinum-based drugs, thus suggesting a potential synergistic therapeutic strategy. CMT samples were used to establish primary cell cultures. Cells were treated with carboplatin, enrofloxacin, and their combination at different concentrations. Cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects were assessed using xCELLigence and MTT assays. Single-drug treatments exert limited effects on cell proliferation, while enrofloxacin significantly enhances carboplatin efficacy, leading to a complete growth arrest within 48 h. The MTT assay confirms a strong synergistic effect of the two drugs, whereas the Dose Reduction Index analysis indicates that carboplatin could be decreased without losing effectiveness. These findings suggest that combined therapy could represent a more effective and less toxic option for HBC and CMTs. This work also strengthens the possible use of the canine model for cancer studies within a One Health framework. Full article

Ionizing radiation therapy has undergone a clear paradigm shift in veterinary oncology and inflammatory disease management, moving from mainly palliative use toward structured, curative treatment programs. This review synthesizes current evidence on key modalities used in veterinary practice, including external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, systemic targeted radionuclide therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, radiosynoviorthesis, and low-dose radiotherapy. Each modality is discussed in relation to its physical and biological basis, major isotopes or beam types, routes of delivery, target species such as dogs, cats, and horses, clinical indications, and global availability. Comparative analysis highlights differences in clinical acceptance, evidence strength, access, and cost. External beam radiotherapy and stereotactic techniques support curative tumor management, whereas radiosynoviorthesis and low-dose radiotherapy are effective for inflammatory and degenerative disorders. Despite ongoing progress, challenges remain in access, dosimetry standardization, and prospective evidence. Companion animals are also emphasized as valuable translational models, guiding future innovation and collaboration internationally. Full article

This manuscript shows a clinical case of interest that was brought to the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Based on the clinical findings, infection with canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) was a first-line diagnosis and later confirmed by a rapid antigen detection kit. Disease prognosis is influenced by viral virulence and host response, with early therapeutic intervention being critical for survival. The dog was given intensive supportive management including fluid therapy, antibiotics, antiemetics, antidiarrheals, antacids, and vitamin supplementation for six days. The dog became progressively better clinically, the gastrointestinal signs resolved completely, and the dog recovered fully. Full article

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CCDS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting older dogs that shares many pathological mechanisms with human Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although it is common in geriatric dogs, CCDS is often underdiagnosed in veterinary medicine. Both CCDS and AD involve a gradual decline in cognitive functions such as memory, learning and executive abilities. From a pathological perspective, dogs with CCDS show brain changes similar to those seen in AD, including cerebral atrophy, loss of neurons and accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques. CCDS is diagnosed by exclusion, meaning that other medical or neurological conditions that could cause similar behavioural signs must first be ruled out. Clinical evaluation mainly relies on structured questionnaires completed by owners. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to confirm cerebral atrophy and, at the same time, to exclude other brain disorders, such as cerebrovascular accidents and neoplasia. Current research focuses on identifying fluid biomarkers, such as amyloid-beta, neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein, to support an early and objective diagnosis. The most effective management combines pharmacological therapy, targeted nutrition and non-pharmacological strategies, including environmental enrichment and behavioural support. Early intervention, ideally during mild cognitive impairment, is crucial to slow disease progression and maintain quality of life. Full article

Animal-assisted services (AASs) are increasingly integrated into healthcare, education, and social support settings. However, empirical evidence on the emotional well-being of participating dogs remains limited. This study investigates how dog, session, handler, and client factors influence dogs’ affective states during animal-assisted activities (AAAs), education (AAE), coaching (AAC), and therapy (AAT). A total of 837 sessions involving 63 dogs and 30 handlers were observed, with behavioural scoring and statistical analyses used to analyse the data. Principal Component Analysis then identified key affective components, including playfulness, comfort, anxiety, and uncertainty, which explained 45–61% of the variance. Session circumstances, as well as the characteristics of handlers, clients, and individual dogs—including age, experience, and gender—significantly influenced dogs’ responses. Specifically, older dogs were less playful but more settled, while experience was linked to positive affect in AAAs and AAT, but not in AAC. Female dogs demonstrated increased uncertainty and arousal in AAAs and AAE. The impact of session length varied by context. In AAC, unfamiliar handlers increased tension. Additionally, younger clients were associated with heightened uncertainty or tension in dogs across AAAs, AAC, and AAE. In light of these findings, optimising dog welfare requires matching dogs to suitable roles, attentive session planning, and managing workload. Full article