Articles

Despite being one of the most popular mammalian pets worldwide, relatively little research has been conducted into the management, feeding and welfare of pet rabbits. Lack of knowledge about dietary, housing, and social needs, is commonly reported among pet owners. In fact, according to the Rabbits Welfare Association, only 5% of pet rabbit diet should […]

Pet´s adoption rate is increasing but the number of animals returned to shelters post-adoption is considerable. This study was conducted in the US to determine the animal characteristics associated with the likelihood of return, key reasons, and post-return outcomes for dogs and cats. From the 23,932 accessed animal records, 9.2% were returned to the shelter […]

Older cats are at increased risk of several age-related disorders and their nutritional requirements must be considered. In fact, a complete and balanced diet may slow down or prevent the progression of negative metabolic changes associated with aging, improving the cat’s health and longevity. At the moment there are no established guidelines or requirements available […]

Hypersomatotropism is a condition increasingly seen in cats and it is caused by a growth hormone (GH) secreting pituitary adenoma. There are several treatment options- medical treatment, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, and surgery. The latter is the treatment of choice for humans. This investigation considered twenty-five cats with spontaneous hypersomatotropism that underwent transsphenoidal hypophysectomy between 2008 […]

Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) are becoming increasingly popular among pet owners. However, their real advantages have not yet been clearly proven and some undesired consequences of these diets have already been well documented, both in dogs and cats. The risk of pets consuming an incomplete and unbalanced daily meal is high and literature has shown […]

In addition to being underdiagnosed, primary hyperaldosteronism is the most common adrenocortical disorder in cats. It mainly occurs in middle-aged and older cats and has been reported as a mediator of progressive renal disease. This disease may occur due to tumorous or nontumorous mineralocorticoid excess. It is associated with cardiovascular and renal complications both in […]

The size or weight of puppies at birth is an important parameter, which influences neonatal mortality and morbidity. It is also a predictor of puppy survival. Puppies should be weighed daily for at least the first three weeks to control weight gain, allowing an early detection of potential problems. Both offspring and maternal genetic and […]

Pathological increases in blood pressure may lead to ophthalmic, cardiovascular and neurological injuries and, in old cats, systemic arterial hypertension is indeed an important cause of morbidity. Drugs like telmisartan, a nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor blockers, are used in human medicine due to their antihypertensive and cardiovascular protection effects. The investigation aimed to evaluate the […]

Solar radiation may damage skin either directly or due to thermal injury (via thermal necrosis). The most affected areas are non-pigmented or sparsely haired zones, but dark skin should not be forgotten. In fact, it is important to consider that black skin absorbs way more solar energy than unpigmented skin and cases of “dorsal thermal […]

Afloqualone is used in humans to relieve back pain and neuromuscular disorder as it has muscle-relaxant and sedative effects. Although there are no published reports of afloqualone intoxication in dogs, cases of intoxication by drugs that act similarly on GABA, like baclofen or benzodiazepines, have been described. In two particular cases of accidental afloqualone intoxication […]

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) includes various components that can be alleviated with surgical treatment. Nevertheless, there are secondary complications, like inflammation and edema that can lead to the need for further proceedings. Nebulized epinephrine has been used in human medicine to improve respiratory function as it seems to cause vasoconstriction of vessels within the […]

The Zygomatic gland is the least frequently salivary gland involved in glandular diseases. When affected, the clinical signs are variable due to its ventral location within the orbit. In most conditions, the treatment of choice is removing the zygomatic gland. To remove this gland, various surgical techniques have been described, all including a lateral approach […]

After the promising results of adenosine nucleoside monophosphate prodrug GS-5734 usage to prevent some RNA viruses, the efficacy of its parent nucleoside GS-441524 against FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) started to be evaluated. This small molecule interferes directly with replicative processes encoded by the virus. This investigation included 31 cats diagnosed with FIP and without obvious […]

Vestibular dysfunction can be central or peripheral. It is relatively common in dogs and there are multiple causes. This retrospective study aimed to assess the frequency of the different etiologies of Peripheral Vestibular Syndrome (PVS) in dogs and collect data about the long-term outcome of these patients. The sample in this investigation consisted of 188 […]

In the recent years, having parrots, reptiles, amphibians, rabbits, and small rodents as pets, became a popular trend. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that these non-domesticated animals, have special needs in captivity that many pet owners cannot provide, putting their welfare at risk. Furthermore, the behavior of these new companion animals may not correspond […]

Parenting styles are helpful to assess long-term social interaction patterns, not only between parents and children but also within the owner-dog dyad. Dog-directed parenting plays an important role in preventing undesired dog behaviors, being described as the main emotional sphere in which the dog is guided and trained. A previous study, based on a Parenting […]