Articles

Tracheobronchomalacia refers to an imperfection of the trachea, main bronchi and/or other smaller airways supported by hyaline cartilage. It’s often diagnosed with the help of CT scans and radiographs by measuring the luminal diameter of the bronchus. Bronchoscopy is the gold standard but is rarely performed. Knowing this, the authors aimed to find out how […]

Pruritus is common in many skin disorders and it manifests through several types of behaviors. Until now, research into objective identification systems has used wearable sensors with limited functionality that could only capture differences in activity.  More established methods for pruritus identification rely on subjective owner reports. However, for this study, using both video recordings […]

Demodex canis mites are normally found inside the hair follicles of healthy dogs and demodicosis results from an abnormal and excessive proliferation of these organisms. Young dogs affected by this disease tend to show a genetic predisposition linked to poor immune response, while predisposing factors in older dogs include the administration of immunomodulatory drugs and […]

Pyoderma is usually caused by bacteria that inhabit the dog’s skin ( (this sounds strange to me). The infection begins when the skin barrier becomes compromised, allowing an abnormal proliferation of these opportunistic agents. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is an organism commonly involved in these infections. A recent retrospective study looked into the frequency of the several […]

Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic skin disease characterized by cutaneous inflammation and pruritus. The condition is a diagnostic challenge: it has a wide range of clinical presentations, these are often similar to other skin conditions and it’s not uncommon for AD to be accompanied by concurrent skin diseases. This article provides practical tips […]

Fear-related behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, fear of confinement and noise aversion have a huge impact in the quality of life of dogs and their owners. These animals suffer high levels of stress which can lead to other injuries.. They are also at a higher risk of abandonment or even euthanasia. Dogs can struggle […]

As in humans and other species, anxiety is an important facet of canine behavior and affects welfare. To better characterize anxiety, the authors of this study created a validated survey for owners and collected data on 3264 dogs in Finland of various breeds and ages. The authors studied noise sensitivity, fearfulness and separation anxiety to […]

Behavior problems too often cause owners to relinquish or euthanize their pets.  Sometimes these behavior changes are the result of underlying disease so veterinarians play a key role in identifying and treating the disease and, in doing so, resolving the behavior problem. Frequent behavior problems in dogs include aggression directed at their owners, at strangers […]

Introducing new cats to a household can be cause moment of high stress and can lead to important behavioral problems, including aggression and house soiling. A recent study investigated whether long-acting pellets containing rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2M2B) if added to the litterbox could reduce inter-cat aggression and improve litterbox use when new cats are housed […]

While they are still rare, the most common heart tumors in dogs are hemangiosarcomas, chemodectomas, lymphomas and ectopic thyroid carcinomas. Samples for cytological or histopathological analysis are usually collected in masses with an extra-cardiac location but this procedure is not recommended for cardiac masses as it can cause complications. This retrospective study reviewed the clinical […]

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a semi-invasive technique that enables direct visualization of the heart and other anatomic structures through the esophagus. TEE provides better quality images than routine transthoracic echocardiography as there is less interference from surrounding structures. The procedure has several practical applications as it can be used not only as a diagnostic instrument […]

This article describes the clinical approach and treatment of an 8-year old female cat that presented at consultation with decreased appetite, weakness, weak femoral pulses, jugular venous distension, a grade III/VI continuous heart murmur and abdominal effusion. A PDA had been detected when she was 8 months old but no clinical manifestations had been spotted […]

This article describes the diagnostic approach of two conditions seen occasionally in dogs: septic pericarditis and a myocardial abscess. A 3-year-old female English springer spaniel presented with a three-month history of intermittent pyrexia and lethargy.  It has also suffered episodes of tachypnoea, inappetence and vomiting. The case was forwarded to a referral hospital when a […]

Performing blood transfusions between cats can save lives but we should always keep in mind that this procedure carries risks, not only for the cat receiving the transfusion but also for the donor cat. The donor is being subjected to an invasive procedure that involves sedation and the recipient can suffer from immune-mediated adverse reactions. […]

A pyometra is characterized by the proliferation of opportunistic bacteria leading to inflammation and to a gradual build-up of pus within the uterine lumen. This condition is commonly seen in adult, intact, female dogs, and can be a life-threatening disorder, since affected animals are at risk of sepsis. Pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines are molecules released […]

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cause of cardiac disease in both humans and dogs. Several studies have shown that a prolonged QRS complex duration is correlated to ventricular chamber enlargement, systolic dysfunction and higher chances of heart failure in humans. Keeping this in mind, the authors of this article decided to explore the prognostic […]