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Background: Rabies remains a significant public health issue in Ghana, predominantly affecting rural communities with limited access to health care and veterinary services. The disease is primarily transmitted through bites from infected domestic dogs and leads to many deaths worldwide each year. Despite various interventions, Ghana continues to struggle with rabies control and prevention. This narrative paper focuses on rabies control in Ghana, examining stakeholders' interventions, challenges faced, and opportunities available. Methods: The paper reviews existing rabies control measures in Ghana, including dog vaccination efforts and One Health strategies. It also discusses the limitations of these interventions, such as minimal vaccination coverage, weak surveillance, and inadequate intersectoral coordination. Results: Ghana has implemented dog vaccination campaigns, but coverage remains minimal. Additionally, weak disease surveillance, cultural perceptions, and inadequate coordination across sectors have hampered the country's ability to control rabies effectively. Conclusion: Adopting One Health principles, which integrate human, animal, and environmental health efforts, is emphasized as a critical strategy to eliminate rabies in Ghana by 2030. By addressing these challenges and leveraging available opportunities, Ghana can strengthen its rabies control programs and work toward a rabies‐free future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing interest in the incorporation of animal‐assisted services (AAS) in therapy for adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. AAS have the potential to enhance speech and language therapy engagement and outcomes. However, a greater understanding of the nature and potential benefits of these interventions is needed. Aims: To describe the existing evidence for the incorporation of AAS in therapy with adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders and to identify areas for future research. Methods & Procedures: A scoping review was conducted and reported in alignment with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses checklist extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA‐ScR). Seven databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science) and grey literature (Google) were searched. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts against eligibility criteria using Covidence software. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist guided extraction of intervention data. Main Contributions: A total of 17 studies with adults with aphasia, apraxia of speech and cognitive–communication disorders were included. While terminology varied, most interventions met the definition of animal‐assisted therapy or animal‐assisted activity and used therapy dogs. Across studies, a range of outcomes were targeted, and positive benefits were reported for participant mood, emotions, motivation and satisfaction. There were mixed, but mostly positive, benefits on social behaviour, communication and participation. Conclusions & Implications: AAS has been incorporated in therapy for adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders, predominately with people with dementia. Across studies, communication impairments and AAS interventions were insufficiently or inconsistently described. Improved reporting would assist understanding of the potential benefits of AAS as an adjunct therapy. A quality appraisal of existing studies, and meta‐analysis of findings, is needed to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of AAS as a complementary therapy for people with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: There is increasing interest and research in AAS as an adjunct to traditional speech and language therapy. Several clinical populations have been shown to benefit from the incorporation of AAS as a complementary therapy approach, including adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. To date there has not been a comprehensive review of literature in the area. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: This review aimed to describe what is known about AAS as an adjunct intervention for adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. A total of 17 studies were identified, the majority conducted with people living with dementia. Overall, consistent positive benefits of AAS were reported on participant mood, positive emotions, motivation, and satisfaction. There were mixed, but mostly positive, benefits of AAS on social behaviour, including both verbal and non‐verbal communication outcomes, and participation. What are the practical and clinical implications of this work?: These results suggest a potential therapeutic benefit for the inclusion of AAS into traditional modalities used by speech–language therapists with people with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. However, clinicians should view these findings with caution. Studies were often insufficiently or inconsistently reported, and a quality appraisal and meta‐analysis of existing studies would be needed to draw clear conclusions on the effectiveness of AAS as a complementary approach for people with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the physical activity levels of students enrolled in a standard fitness walking class versus a service-learning dog walking class. Participants: College students (N = 65) from a university in the Southeastern United States (71% female; 85% White; 72% seniors). Methods: Students wore NL-1000 pedometers twice a week for 50 minutes for a full academic year. Service-learning students also completed reflection papers. Pedometer data was analyzed using SPSS and papers were analyzed through inductive coding. Results: Significant differences were found in each quantitative measure collected between classes. Students in the service-learning fitness walking class took more steps, walked further, and obtained more minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity than the students in the standard fitness walking class. Results from student reflections provided insight into why these differences occurred as well as additional student experiences. Conclusions: Incorporating a service component into a physical activity course can be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disabled individuals can and do lead successful careers as assistance dog instructors. However, the international percentage of professional disabled instructors is significantly lower than their able-bodied colleagues. This paper takes an initial step in questioning the benefits and challenges of creating more accessible and inclusive career paths for disabled assistance dog instructors, hopefully acting as a springboard for future research, and initiating conversation within the assistance dog sector itself, as well. Some disabled individuals may have a disability, or combinations of more than one, which could challenge the welfare and wellbeing of the dogs they educate. Others may have a greater aptitude for educating assistance dogs and offering deeper empathy at times. This paper was inspired by the author's six years working as a guide dog instructor. It questions what the implications of a disabled trainer's career might be for the disabled individual, assistance dog, employer, and client. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Over the course of the past six decades, liver transplantation has evolved to become the treatment of choice for chronic end-stage liver disease and some cases of acute hepatic failure. Currently, more than 34,000 liver transplants are conducted worldwide per annum, and overall one year survival rates exceed 90%. However, the early years of human liver transplantation were beset by failure. Eyewitness reports from this period make for tragic, yet compelling reading. Volume 12 of The History of Anaesthesia Society Proceedings contains one such account, written by Dr Elizabeth Gibbs. This outlined the experience of single-handedly anaesthetising the recipient of the first liver transplant to be undertaken at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK, in June 1967. Despite the best efforts of the team, the patient died from uncontrollable haemorrhage 19 hours after the start of the procedure. While this tragic outcome might have been expected in the early days of liver transplantation, Gibbs included an unsettling postscript in her paper. This stated that all of the patient's records had apparently been 'lost', and the date of the first Cambridge liver transplant was publicly reported as 2 May 1968, some 11 months after the events described. This article outlines the results of research aimed at critically appraising this postscript. In doing so a number of unexpected discoveries were made. These highlight some important lessons for medical historians and demonstrate that if you look hard enough, there really are two sides to every story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent remarkable success of generative AI models to create text and images has already started altering our perspective of intelligence and the "uniqueness" of humanity in this world. Simultaneously, arguments on why AI will never exceed human intelligence are ever-present as seen in Landgrebe and Smith (2022). To address whether machines may rule the world after all, this paper zooms in on one of the aspects of intelligence Landgrebe and Smith (2022) neglected to consider: creativity. Using Rhodes four Ps of creativity as a starting point, this paper evaluates the creative ability in visual generative AI models with respect to the state of the art in creativity theory. The most part of the reflective evaluation is performed through a case study in generating illustrations of dogs using the generative AI tool Midjourney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforcement, extinction, generalization and differentiation are all basic principles of Pavlov associative memory. Most memristive neural networks that simulate associative memory only consider reinforcement and extinction, while ignoring differentiation and generalization. In this paper, a memristive circuit of associative memory with generalization and differentiation is proposed to solve the above problem. It implements the functions of learning, forgetting, long-term memory, generalization and differentiation. Learning and forgetting correspond to reinforcement and extinction in associative memory respectively. Spontaneous recovery, in which forgotten reflexes can reappear in the absence of an unconditional stimulus, is also discussed here. Besides, a special differentiation method that takes into account the time delay is designed and demonstrated. The proposed memristive circuit of associative memory provides a reference for the theoretical research and application of artificial neural networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many have argued that discrimination against pit bulls is rooted in the breed's association with Black owners and culture. We theoretically and empirically interrogate that argument in a variety of ways and uncover striking similarities between the racialization of pit bulls and other racialized issues (e.g., poverty and crime) in public opinion and policy implementation. After detailing the reasons to expect pit bulls to be racialized as Black despite dog ownership in the U.S. generally being raced as white, the article shows: (1) Most Americans associate pit bulls with Black people. (2) Anti-Black attitudes, in general, are significant, independent, predictors of both anti-pit views and of preferring other breeds over them; (3) stereotypes of Black men as violent, in particular, are significant, independent, predictors of both anti-pit views and of preferring other breeds over them. (4) Implicit racialization through a national survey experiment further eroded support for legalizing pits, with the treatment effect significantly conditioned by respondent's race. And (5) state-level racial prejudice is a significant negative predictor of enacting legislation to preempt breed-specific bans. We conclude with our findings' broader insights into the nature of U.S. racial politics. Michael Tesler, mtesler@uci.edu, corresponding author, is Professor of Political Science at UC Irvine; Mary McThomas, mary.mcthomas@uci.edu, is Associate Professor of Political Science at UC Irvine. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the American Political Science Association's annual meeting. We thank Maneesh Arora, Rachel Bernhard, Nathan Chan, Louis Pickett, David Sears, DeSipio, Adam Duberstein, Jane Junn, Claire Kim, Jessica Manforti, J. Scott Matthews, Justin., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Tesler, McThomas. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Most existing studies on pet breeds classification focus on images with simple backgrounds, leading to the unsatisfactory performance of models in practical applications. This paper investigates training pet breeds classification models using complex images and constructs a dataset for identifying breeds of pet cats and dogs. We use this dataset to fine-tune three SOTA models: ResNet34, DenseNet121, and Swin Transformer. Specifically, in terms of top-1 accuracy, the performance of DenseNet is improved from 89.10% to 89.19%, while that of the Swin Transformer is increased by 1.26%, marking the most significant enhancement. The results show that training with our dataset significantly enhances the models' classification capabilities in complex environments. Additionally, we offer a lightweight pet breeds identification model based on PBI-EdgeNeXt (Pet Breeds Identification EdgeNeXt). We utilizes the PolyLoss function and Sophia optimizer for model training. Furthermore, we compare our model with five commonly used lightweight models and find that the proposed model achieves the highest top-1 accuracy of 87.12%. These results demonstrate that the model achieves high accuracy, reaching the SOTA level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current high demand for effective odor detection dogs calls for the development of reliable methods for measuring performance-related behavioral phenotypes in these highly specialized working animals. The Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) is a widely used behavioral assessment tool among working dog organizations with a demonstrated ability to predict success/failure of dogs in training. However, this instrument was developed originally to study the prevalence of behavior problems in the pet dog population, and it therefore lacks the capacity to measure specific behavioral propensities that may also be important predictors of working dog success. The current paper examines the factor structure, internal reliability, and content validity of a modified version of the C-BARQ designed to evaluate four new domains of canine behavior in addition to those encompassed by the original C-BARQ. These domains, labeled Playfulness, Impulsivity, Distractibility, and Basophobia (fear of falling), respectively, describe aspects of canine behavior or temperament which are believed to contribute substantially to working dog performance. Methods: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of owner/handler questionnaire responses based on a sample of 1,117 working odor detection dogs. Results: A total of 15 factors were extracted by EFA, 10 of which correspond to original C-BARQ factors. The remaining 5 comprise the four new domains-Playfulness, Impulsivity, Distractibility, and Basophobia- as well as a fifth new factor labeled Food focus. Discussion: The resulting Working Dog Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (WDC-BARQ) successfully expands the measurement capacities of the original C-BARQ to include dimensions of behavior/temperament of particular relevance to many working dog populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal behavior research in laboratory rats has revealed important behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms governing the onset, maintenance and decline of maternal behavior. However, the extent to which these mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved across species is less clear. This manuscript proposes that examining these mechanisms in dogs may be a viable approach to test their generality and help bridge the gap between rodent and human research, as domestic dogs show greater individual differences and exhibit more human-like maternal characteristics than rodents. These aspects represent advantages over rodent models, which in turn allow systems biological approaches not available in rodents. Additionally, domestic dogs share similar social environments with humans, suffer from the same mental disorders as humans, and can be treated with the same medications. This paper begins with a summary of key findings and theoretical developments from decades of rat maternal behavior research, followed by a literature review of the extant maternal behavior research on dogs and related methodology, highlighting the unique behavioral characteristics of dog maternal behavior and similarities and differences from rat maternal behavior. Finally, several knowledge gaps in dog maternal behavior research, as well as the future research in this area is discussed. It concludes that research on dog maternal behavior will not only advance our understanding of the universality of the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms in maternal behavior, but also improve our understanding of risk factors associated with postpartum mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV‐2) is the most common enteric virus that infects canids. CPV is the causative agent of a contagious disease defined mostly by clinical gastrointestinal signs in dogs. During the late 1970s, CPV‐2 emerged as a new virus capable of infecting domestic dogs and growing across the world. The VP2 gene stands out as a key determinant in the pathogenicity, antigenicity, and host interactions of CPV‐2. Aims: The molecular characterization of the VP2 gene is crucial for understanding CPV evolution and epidemiology. Materials & Methods: Genes encoding the VP2 protein were sequenced and compared to reference strains worldwide. The maximum likelihood method was used to build a phylogenetic tree using CPV VP2 gene nucleotide sequences. Results: Our phylogenetic analysis of the VP2 gene revealed that five strains were very similar and clustered together, and three strains were in the 2b clade, whereas the other two were in the 2a/2b clade. Discussion: This paper reports the molecular characterization of two novel CPV‐2a/2b subtypes in dogs with gastrointestinal symptoms. Genetic analysis was conducted on a CPV genomic region encompassing one of the open reading frames (ORFs) encoding the structural protein VP2. Sequence analysis indicates new and unreported sequence changes, mainly affecting the VP2 gene, which includes the mutations Ser297Ala and Leu87Met. This study represents the first evidence of a new CPV‐2a/2b subtype in Türkiye. Due to VP2's crucial role in encoding the capsid protein of CPV‐2 and its significant involvement in the host‐virus interaction, it is critical to closely monitor its evolutionary changes and be cautious while searching for novel or pre‐existing subtypes. Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of continuous molecular research for acquiring more insights on the circulation of novel CPV mutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-year-old castrated male teddy bear dog presented to our clinic with a persistent cough. The sick dog suffered from vehicular trauma 6 months prior to the visit and had imaging and exploratory laparotomy. Imaging and exploratory laparotomy at the time showed no significant damage. We performed contrast radiography (barium gavage) on the sick dog. Based on the results of a complete contrast radiography (barium gavage), tubular shadows in the thoracic cavity were identified as the small intestine and cecum, and delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with hepatothorax and enterothorax was confirmed with radiographs. Accordingly, the sick dog underwent general anesthesia, manual ventilation and diaphragmatic herniorrhaphy by standard ventral midline abdominal approach. Postoperatively, the dog was given analgesia and antibacterial treatment, and the liver biochemical indexes were monitored to prevent endotoxin. Postoperative radiographs revealed clear contours of thoracic and abdominal organs. The dog moved, ate, and urinated normally within 10 days of the surgery. This case provides a reference for a complete barium meal imaging procedure that clearly shows the position of the organs in the thoracoabdominal cavity after the occurrence of a delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. This paper provides a practical reference for the diagnosis of delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with hepatothorax and enterothorax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the topic of student wellbeing using the lens of a different type of support mechanism – 'dog borrowing' – which builds on prior research about emotion work and human-animal interactions but in the context of student transitions and pastoral care in higher education. This novel study was about the experiences of students settling into their university life and how, through a facilitated opportunity for students to connect to a dog and community partners, universities can meet mental health standards for wellbeing support. The findings outlined in this paper provide new insight into; how the university ethos and environment can be viewed as more personalised and emotionally supportive, how different kinds of relationships can support emotion state regulation conducive to wellbeing and effective learning and the ways that a human-animal bond can enhance connection with the community and provide social support for university students who have moved away from home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Vector-borne infectious zoonotic diseases are a relevant problem, not only in veterinary medicine, but also in human medicine. Dogs are considered the main reservoir of these zoonoses and sentinels for the control of these diseases that, due to the increase in temperatures due to climate change, are becoming more and more frequent. Most of these zoonotic diseases are endemic to the Mediterranean Basin, and knowing their prevalence in different canine breeds and other related factors could contribute to controlling these diseases. This paper analyzes the prevalence of different infections and coinfections of zoonotic disease in four different canine breeds, and the results obtained indicate that the most frequent infections was Leishmania infantum, followed by Ricketsia rickesii. Changes in the hematological and biochemical values in infected dogs of different breeds could suggest a certain resistance against L. infantum infection in the Cirneco dell'Etna canine breed, autochthonous of Sicily. Dogs are considered the main reservoir of several zoonoses endemic to the Mediterranean Basin. In this study, a prevalence of infections and coinfections of canine vector-borne diseases was analyzed in apparently healthy dogs of different canine pure breeds in Sicily (Italy), where these diseases are endemic. The seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum, Ricketsia ricketsii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Erlichia canis was assessed, as single and coinfections. Biochemical and hematological parameters were evaluated, and epidemiological factors, including sex, age, and canine breed, were recovered. The most frequent infection was L. infantum (45.61%), following R. ricketsii (36.84%), both as single, double, or triple coinfections. Coinfections change the biochemical and hematological parameters of the host, and canine breeds are related to the infection frequency and the parameters observed during infections. Changes in the complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical values also differ between canine breeds, with the Cirneco dell'Etna dogs infected with L. infantum being the animals presenting the most interesting results in our study. High values of RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, and albumin and low levels of β-2 globulin and γ-globulin were found only in this canine breed, suggesting some resistance to infection in these dogs. Future studies about the immune response of this canine breed could be interesting to determine their possible resistance to zoonotic pathogens, such as L. infantum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoglycemia is the most common metabolic alteration in the clinical routine of newborn dogs, acting as a predictor of mortality in these patients. The neonatal dog shows hepatic insufficiency and homeostatic mechanisms not yet fully developed, with limited glycogen reserves and limited capacity to perform glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. These physiological particularities make newborn dogs particularly susceptible to hypoglycemia when of fasting, even for short periods. Several maternal and neonatal factors may be related to a higher risk of developing hypoglycemia in neonates. This paper reviews glycemic homeostasis, the pathophysiology of neonatal hypoglycemia, the main causes involved and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When pet dogs demonstrate certain serious problem behaviors, this may lead owners to choose behavioral euthanasia. However, research on behavioral euthanasia of pet dogs is sparse and previously published papers have not specifically sampled owners who made the decision to euthanize for behavior. The Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs Questionnaire was created to collect a wide range of information from dog owners who made behavioral euthanasia decisions. Using this survey, we explored the types of behaviors associated with behavioral euthanasia. Human-directed aggression, especially toward adults living in the household, was the most frequently reported reason for choosing behavioral euthanasia; followed by aggression toward other animals, especially other dogs living in the same household. The majority of dogs displaying human-directed or other animal-directed aggression were reported to have bitten and broken skin, and many of these had bitten in multiple or severe incidents. Most dogs had lived in their homes and displayed problem behaviors for over a year prior to behavioral euthanasia, and the euthanasia occurred at a variety of ages, from less than 1 year old to 18 years old. Additional research is required to understand environmental or nonbehavioral factors contributing to the behavioral euthanasia of companion animals, as well as the psychosocial and emotional impact of behavioral euthanasia on the human experience. Understanding the behavioral factors associated with behavioral euthanasia can direct resources toward problem behavior interventions, improve public education about animal behavior, and strengthen the human-animal bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study examined patterns of dog ownership in three different states in India. The main aim was to understand who owns dogs, their reasons for owning them, and how these patterns vary in different areas. We conducted quantitative surveys to gather information on the number of people who own dogs, their backgrounds, and their attitudes towards their pets. Our findings show that there are significant differences in dog ownership depending on where people live and their economic status. In particular, we found settlements in Gujarat state to possess significantly fewer privately owned dogs that Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. These results are important because they help us understand the needs of dog owners and their pets in different parts of India. This information can be used by those making decisions about public health and animal welfare, such as how to manage stray dogs or prevent diseases that can spread from dogs to humans. This study is valuable as it provides a clearer picture of dog ownership in India, which can help improve the lives of both people and animals. This paper presents the demographics, dynamics, and attitudes of dog ownership across three states in India. The background of this research is set against the increasing significance of pet ownership in urban Indian contexts, with a particular focus on understanding the variations in dog-ownership patterns and their implications for public health and animal welfare. We employed a survey-based approach, gathering quantitative survey data from dog owners (n = 563) and non-dog-owners (n = 9282) across different socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds in seven Indian settlements. The results reveal notable differences in dog-ownership patterns, influenced by regional state. In particular, settlements in Gujarat were found to have significantly fewer dog-owning households than those in Tamil Nadu, with no differences found according to settlement size. Dog ownership was found to be more common in households of higher socioeconomic standing, and settlements in Uttarakhand were found more frequently to possess dogs for reasons other than companionship. Data from Ahmedabad and Vadodara, specifically, also indicate rapidly increasing rates of pet ownership. Sterilisation and rabies vaccination proportions were typically low and high, respectively, across all settlements, with few significant differences found among settlements. Confinement of owned dogs at night was significantly lower in Nainital than all other settlements. Differences in attitudes towards roaming dogs between dog owners and non-dog-owners were also examined, with the results indicating both positive and negative trends accordingly. Our results emphasise the need for region-specific strategies in public health and animal welfare policies, acknowledging the diverse nature of pet ownership in India. This research provides valuable insight for policymakers and animal welfare organisations, underlining the importance of tailored approaches to address the unique challenges and opportunities in the Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In spite of significant reductions in the numbers of animals entering shelters and being killed there over the last decades, the beliefs that companion animals must be under the direct control of a human guardian, and that capturing and often killing animals is morally justifiable and even necessary, continue to guide animal sheltering practices in the United States. Looking at the historical origins of animal control and sheltering in the US reveals a high level of consistency in ideologies and practices across almost 150 years. In this commentary, two scholars on animal sheltering in the US examine the historical legacies of animal control and sheltering in the US to show how they are problematic and dysfunctional and need to be abandoned to improve the lives of companion animals and the human communities of which they are a part. This paper examines the legacies of the emergence of the animal control and sheltering industry in the United States and their impact on contemporary public animal shelters. While decades of gradual reform have helped substantially reduce the number of animals entering shelters and being killed there, contemporary animal sheltering largely continues to follow the path set when animal sheltering developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Three key interrelated legacies of the pound model of early animal control and sheltering enduringly shape sheltering today: (1) the institutional culture of animal shelters grounded in the logics of caging and killing; (2) the lack of visibility and transparency, especially within government shelters; and (3) the economic logics of the pound model, including the disparities in sheltering resources across communities. Examining the origins of animal control and sheltering and identifying the specific legacies of this pound model within contemporary government-funded shelters improves understanding of why such shelters in the US have developed with a particular set of practices and ideologies, and thus provides an important footing for envisioning and enacting radical changes in animal sheltering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sparganosis is a rare zoonotic disease caused by plerocercoid larvae of the genera Spirometra or Sparganum (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae). The larvae of Spirometra generally do not undergo asexual reproduction, whereas those of Sparganum can induce proliferative lesions in infected tissues. This paper presents an unusual case of proliferative sparganosis due to infection with Spirometra mansoni in a cat, normally considered a definitive host of the species. Case presentation: A 9-year-old male domestic cat was presented with a mass on the right side of the face that underwent progressive enlargement for 1 month. The morphological and histopathological examinations revealed multiple asexual proliferative cestode larvae in the lesions, suggestive of proliferative sparganosis. Next-generation sequencing analysis of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of surgically excised tissue indicated that the worm was Spirometra mansoni. Conclusion: Although S. mansoni a common tapeworm species found in the small intestine of domestic cats and dogs in Japan, proliferative sparganosis is extremely rare. This is the first confirmed case of proliferative sparganosis due to infection with S. mansoni in cat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of research of diagnosis and stage determination peculiarities of cholecystitis in dogs. In general, the clinical, differential diagnostic and ultrasonographic stages of the course of cholecystitis were studied. An important clinical and diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of cholecystitis in dogs is the application of the ultrasonographic examination. The study included 64 dogs, which were examined to diagnose cholecystitis. Three groups of dogs were identified: 17 dogs (27% of cases) were affected with initial stage of cholecystitis, 26 dogs (40% of cases) were affected with intermediate and 21 dogs (33%) were affected with late stage. The main clinical symptoms of the first stage of the gallbladder inflammation consisted of anorexia, vomiting, abdominal wall pain. The ultrasonographic picture was characterized by the presence of a hyperechoic wall of the gallbladder, an increase in the thickness of its wall, and a thickening of the mucous layer. Following mentioned symptoms including anorexia, weight loss, the presence of vomiting, decreased skin turgor, icterus of the mucous membranes, and abdominal wall pain were chosen as the main clinical symptoms of the 2nd stage of the gallbladder inflammation. Morphological signs that were selected for the diagnosis of cholecystitis were investigated by ultrasonography, including the presence of the wall hyperechoicity, thickening of the gallbladder wall, thickening of the mucous membrane layer, the presence of a suspension (mucocele) in the gallbladder and hyperechoic calculi. Presence of anorexia, a decrease in body weight, the presence of vomiting, a decrease in skin turgor, icterus of the mucous membranes, tenderness of the abdominal wall during palpation were chosen as the main clinical symptoms of the 3rd stage of gallbladder inflammation. During the 3rd stage of cholecystitis in dogs, the following signs were determined by ultrasonography: hyperechogenicity and heteroechogenicity of the gallbladder wall, thickening of the mucous membrane of the gallbladder; the presence of erosions on the mucous membrane, the presence of mucocele and hyperechoic calculi up to 5-7 mm in the gallbladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Seventy-five dogs were subjected to the surgical procedures of scaling and dental extraction using conventional antibiotics and antiseptics preventive treatment or double-distilled ozonated water. Sampling by bacteriological buffer was carried out to evaluate the bacterial count in the oral cavity and evaluate the anti-bacterial efficacy of intra-operative ozone as an alternative to pre-surgical antibiotic treatment. This paper aims to assess the disinfecting capacity of a double-distilled ozonated water solution as an alternative to common antibiotic and antiseptic devices. Seventy-five dogs were subjected to the surgical procedures of scaling and dental extraction and included in three study groups: Group 1 subjected to antibiotic pre-treatment (association amoxicillin + clavulanic acid and ampicillin + metronidazole) and disinfection with chlorhexidine, and Group 2 and 3 devoid of preventive anti-microbial treatment in which disinfection was performed, respectively, with ozonated water and chlorhexidine. Sampling by bacteriological buffer was carried out to evaluate the bacterial count in the oral cavity. The analysis of the samples determined the total mesophilic bacterial count by seeding on the culture medium via the inclusion of PCA (Plate Count Agar). The results highlighted the anti-bacterial efficacy of intra-operative ozone as an alternative to pre-surgical antibiotic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic represented a huge obstacle for public health and demonstrated weaknesses in surveillance and health promotion systems around the world. Its etiological agent, SARS-CoV-2, of zoonotic origin, has been the target of several studies related to the control and prevention of outbreaks and epidemics of COVID-19 not only for humans but also for animals. Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, have extensive contact with humans and can acquire the infection both naturally and directly from humans. The objective of this article was to summarize the seroprevalence findings of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs and cats and correlate them with the strength of infection risk between each of them. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis following the recommendations of PRISMA 2020. The search and selection of papers was carried out using in vivo experimental works with animals using the descriptors (MeSH/DeCS) "Animal", "Public Health", "SARS-CoV-2" and "Pandemic" (together with AND) in English, Portuguese or Spanish for Science Direct, PUBMED, LILACS and SciELO databases. The ARRIVE checklist was used for methodological evaluation and the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis v2.2 software with the Difference Risk (RD) test to evaluate statistical inferences (with subgroups by continent). Cats showed greater susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 compared to dogs both in a joint analysis of studies (RD = 0.017; 95% CI = 0.008–0.025; p < 0.0001) and in the American subgroup (RD = 0.053; 95% CI = 0.032–0.073; p < 0.0001), unlike the lack of significant difference on the European continent (RD = 0.009; 95% CI = −0.001–0.018; p = 0.066). Therefore, it was observed that cats have a greater interest in health surveillance due to the set of biological and ecological aspects of these animals, but also that there are a set of factors that can influence the spread and possible spillover events of the virus thanks to the anthropozoonotic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Little is known about the information or advice that prospective owners seek prior to acquiring a dog. This paper reports findings from a mixed methods study into dog acquisition in the UK and focuses on a subset of owners who undertook research prior to acquiring their dog. Those who sought advice or information most often consulted websites, friends and family, and online forums. Topics researched included general information about dogs, information about breeds or types of dogs, owner requirements and dog suitability, aspects of dog ownership, and how to source a dog. Most prospective owners who conducted research reported finding all the information they wanted but some found conflicting advice and did not know which sources to trust. The findings will be of interest to those who provide advice related to dog acquisition and dog ownership, in order to improve the knowledge and decisions made by prospective owners. Dogs are the most common pet animal species in the UK. Little is known about information and advice gathering within the process of dog acquisition, nor what pre-acquisition research encompasses. This study aimed to better understand the preparatory research undertaken by prospective dog owners in the UK. A 2019 online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data about dog acquisition. Analyses within this study focused on a subset of these current (n = 4381) and potential (n = 2350) owners who had undertaken research, or who reported planning to do so, before acquiring a dog. Additional qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with current (n = 24) and potential (n = 8) dog owners. Among those current owners who had sought information or advice, websites were the most common source of information (76%), followed by family and friends (70%), and online forums (51%). Similar patterns were seen among potential owners. Qualitative data revealed that information was commonly sought on the following: general information about dogs; information about breeds or types of dogs; owner requirements and dog suitability; aspects of dog ownership; and how to source a dog. The majority of prospective owners stated that they had found all the information they wanted (96% of current owners and 90% of potential owners) but some respondents found conflicting advice from different sources and did not know which sources to trust. Our study shows that, for some prospective owners, research into various aspects of dog acquisition and ownership is important. Knowing where to look for correct and unbiased advice, particularly online, is particularly important. Understanding the pre-acquisition research that owners undertake, including the sources they use, information they are interested in finding, and the challenges they face, is of interest to animal welfare and veterinary organisations and those involved in rehoming and selling dogs. This information may help inform interventions aimed at improving the knowledge and decisions made by potential dog owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents selected non-infectious inflammatory diseases of the large intestine in dogs and cats. The review describes chronic inflammatory bowel disease, histiocytic colitis, and also disorders without visible, macroscopic changes in the mucosa of this section of the digestive tract: irritable bowel syndrome and membrane-sensitive diarrhea. Additionally, the discussion include chologenic diarrhea, the pathogenesis and symptoms of which is affecting both sections of the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companion dogs are at risk of tick infestations. This paper describes cases of transfer of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks by dogs to apartments in eastern Poland, tick development in household conditions, and potential consequences for the residents. For the first time, the preoviposition and oviposition of D. reticulatus females removed from dogs or spontaneously detached from these hosts were studied in household conditions. Similar analyses were performed simultaneously in laboratory settings (25 °C and 75% RH). In the household characterized by a temperature range of 18.5–21.3 °C and 46.9–56% humidity, the preoviposition and oviposition periods with the development of D. reticulatus larvae lasted 20.8 ± 3.1 days and 29.9 ± 1.4 days, respectively. Greater numbers of eggs (2415.8 ± 983.1) were laid by females in the household than laboratory conditions. There were no statistically significant differences in the hatching success between both experiments. The study also provides the first description of infestation of a human by a partially engorged D. reticulatus female that had detached from dog's skin. Ticks transferred by dogs can develop successfully in human homes. After feeding on dogs, females achieve high reproductive performance. This suggests that dogs may play an important role in the biology of this tick species in urbanized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancerous tumors are one of the main problems that cause deaths in pet animals. The objective of this paper was to describe the histopathological features of some neoplastic masses with confirmation using immunohistochemistry in pet animals. This study was done from May 2022 to August 2023 in Sharkia governorate, Egypt to correctly recognize 7 cases of pet animal neoplasms "5 cases of dogs and 2 queen case" based on the histopathological and immunohistochemical findings. The results revealed 2 cases of TVT in Penis with positive expressions for Iba2 and vimentin. 1 Case of sebaceous adenoma in Hock joint of male dog skin, 1 case of hepatoid carcinoma in perianal glands of male dog with positive immunolabelling for CK7. 1 case of chondroblastic osteosarcoma in 4 years old, male, Great Dane dog and 2 cases of queen with mammary gland adenocarcinoma with positive immunoreactivity for HER-2 and other mixed mammary neoplasm accompanied with sarcoma has positive staining for vimentin. Finally, we concluded that the histopathological evaluations by H&E stain is the backbone method for neoplasms diagnosis and using some biomarkers added a confirmatory tool for this diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: At present, local eye drops, subconjunctival injection, and systemic administration of corticosteroids are the most common methods to control complications in dogs after phacoemulsification. However, these methods are limited by a high frequency of administration, systemic drug reactions in dogs, poor compliance among owners, and high care requirements. In this study, triamcinolone acetonide was injected into the anterior chambers of dogs after phacoemulsification to observe and evaluate its effects on controlling postoperative complications. The intraocular pressure, corneal edema, aqueous flare, aqueous humor protein concentration, and prostaglandin E2 concentration in these dogs were measured and evaluated at different time points before and after surgery. The findings confirmed that the intracameral injection of triamcinolone acetonide achieved a favorable effect on controlling transient ocular hypertension and corneal edema after phacoemulsification in dogs. Moreover, the intracameral injection of 1.5 mg of triamcinolone acetonide decreased the protein and prostaglandin E2 concentrations in the aqueous humor of dogs after surgery. It was demonstrated that triamcinolone acetonide-based treatment can be safely employed to effectively control common complications after phacoemulsification in dogs. Therefore, this treatment method is worthy of clinical application. The intracameral injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) has achieved favorable clinical effects in controlling intraocular inflammatory reactions in humans after cataract surgery. However, the effect of this method remains unclear in veterinary practice. In this paper, 18 dogs with bilateral cataracts were randomly divided into three groups, with 6 dogs in each group. Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation were performed on the 36 eyes of these dogs. A total of 0.1 mL of TA solution was injected into the oculus dexter (OD) anterior chambers. All oculus sinister (OS) anterior chambers of these dogs were used as controls. The results demonstrated that the corneal edema severity scores of the OD (1.5 mg TA) were lower than those of the OS from the 1st to 7th day after surgery, with a significant difference on the 3rd day after surgery (p = 0.033). The corneal edema severity scores in the OD (1.5 mg TA) were significantly lower than those in the OD (0.5 mg TA) on the 3rd day after surgery (p = 0.036). The aqueous humor protein concentration of the OD (1.5 mg TA) had a lower concentration than the OS on the 1st day after surgery (p = 0.004). Furthermore, on the 5th and 10th days, the aqueous humor protein concentration of the OD (1.5 mg TA) was lower than that of the OS (p = 0.038 and p = 0.044, respectively). The aqueous humor PGE2 concentration of the OD (1.5 mg TA) had a lower concentration than the OS on the 1st day after surgery (p = 0.026). The aqueous humor PGE2 concentrations in the OD (1.0 mg TA) and OD (1.5 mg TA) were lower compared to that in the OD (0.5 mg TA) on the 1st day after surgery (p = 0.041 and p = 0.037, respectively). It was demonstrated that TA-based treatment can be safely employed to effectively control common complications after phacoemulsification in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the judicial ordeal was the subject of a lively debate in the ninth century. Research on the medieval ordeal has mainly focused on opposition to the practice in the twelfth century, attaching little significance to earlier controversy. When Carolingian-era opinions of the ordeal are discussed, they are usually seen in terms of the later ordeal debate. Using as a case study the anonymous mid ninth-century Bavarian poem, the Song of Count Timo, this paper argues that the ninth-century ordeal debate revolved around Carolingian-era concerns, rather than twelfth-century ones. Thus, the Song of Count Timo opposed the ordeal because it saw it as undermining royal control of justice in the context of the political turbulence of the 830s. Examining the Carolingian-era ordeal debate on its own terms allows us to better understand the medieval ordeal, and also the law, politics and religious thought of the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the shifting and contemporary manifestations of menstrual taboos in central Kerala, India, particularly through the evocation of zoomorphic language and symbolism. It specifically focuses on a seemingly commonplace metaphor, pattiyayi (has become a dog), and argues that its connotative and cultural meanings have negative consequences for the construction of gender in Keralan society. The metaphor likens a menstruating woman to a dog. Further correlations between dogs and rabies patients culturally place the three categories – the domesticated carnivore, the person with a stigmatized illness, and the menstruating woman – as liminal entities, equivalent by association. Additionally, examining dog idioms (patti) in Kottayam that refer to the Dalit castes, the paper elucidates how idiomatic expressions evince societal juxtapositions of menstruating women with socially disparaged castes. These allegorical concurrences also draw attention to how the body and its organic activities and the propensity of certain bodies to incur permanent and internal pollution are at the root of symbolic denigration and gender and caste hierarchies. Furthermore, through the Foucauldian perspective on language, the paper links the dog metaphor to a micro theory of power by signifying the role of gendered power relations and the coalescence of discursive and material processes in historically shaping it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach which has been utilised in human psychology for many years now. TIC considers how important early experience is in determining lifelong responses to challenging situations, how individuals respond to stress, how they overcome it, and their ability to develop and sustain resilience. There are a number of scientific publications which consider the importance of early experience in animals, both in utero and during their early development. This paper considers aspects of TIC approaches for humans which might be applied in dogs, focusing on both prevention of behavioural problems, by protecting puppies from adverse early experiences, and also, assessment of shelter dogs or those presented for problematic behaviours. A TIC approach for dogs would result in the following: the realisation that adverse early experience has significant consequences for canine welfare; recognising that where dogs respond in an apparently irrational or over the top manner, it may be the result of previous trauma; people involved in the care of these dogs must respond with empathy, understanding, and practical solutions to improve the welfare of the dog, while avoiding the need to re-traumatise them in as part of the diagnostic or treatment processes. Dog caregiver reporting on the spectrum of fearful–aggressive behaviours often describes 'unpredictable' or 'exaggerated' responses to a situation/animal/person. A possible explanation for these behavioural responses considers that the dog is reacting to triggered memories for which the dog has a negative association. For many dogs undergoing veterinary behavioural treatment or rehabilitation through a canine rescue organisation, the assessing clinician relies on "proxy" reporting of the history/background by a caregiver (dog owner, foster carer, or shelter personnel). Detailed information on the event or circumstances resulting in this negative association may be limited or absent altogether. Consideration of a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach, currently applied in a wide range of human psychology and social care fields, may be helpful in guiding the clinical approach taken. The literature relating to adverse early experience (AEE) and trauma-informed care (TIC) in puppies/dogs compared to children/adults was evaluated to identify common themes and conclusions identified across both species. In the absence of known/identifiable trauma, behavioural assessment and management should consider that a 'problem' dog may behave as it does, as the result of previous trauma. The dog can then be viewed through a lens of empathy and understanding, often lacking for dogs presenting with impulsive, reactive, or aggressive behaviours. Assessment must avoid re-traumatising the animal through exposure to triggering stimuli and, treatment options should include counselling of caregivers on the impact of adverse early experiences, consideration of the window of tolerance, and TIC behavioural modification techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the options available to human patients with cancer, treatment choices for dogs are often more limited. Chemotherapy is frequently the firstline treatment for many cancers. However, its efficacy can be limited, and its side effects can affect the quality of the remaining life. This paper briefly summarizes the experience with Viscum album L. (mistletoe) extract in human patients as a stipulation to consider treatment with mistletoe extract for canines with cancer. The mistletoe extract contains -among others - lectins and viscotoxins that have documented anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells as well as immunestimulatory function. Importantly, it also improves the well-being of patients with cancer due to its lectin ML-1 content, which can trigger the release of endorphins. Being cross-reactive with canine cells and having a relatively low side effect profile, it raises the question of whether mistletoe preparations might be considered as part of the treatment approach for dogs with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a solution to a scenario found in Tom Regan's Case for Animal Rights, offered by Daniel Kary. Regan considers a case where either one human or any number of dog's must be sacrificed. He chooses the human because they would be harmed more than any dog would be. This is initially puzzling since Regan claims that humans and dogs have equal inherent value (the objective value as an end that entities have). Kary's solution argues the human should be saved since their possible experiences have greater intrinsic value (the objective value as an end that experiences have) than those of any number of dogs'. The rationale is that dog experiences are too similar to be additive. The paper acknowledges that Kary's alternative solution is more plausible than Regan's, but it ultimately fails to be convincing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia in dogs and can lead to a severe decline in the cardiac function. In the last decade, an increased burden of clinical articles has been published that evaluated different aspects of AF in dogs with cardiac disease, particularly in animals affected by myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this study, we aimed to determine the risk factors for AF in the dog. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive systematic review and critical evaluation of the veterinary literature that reports the risk factors for the development of AF in the dog following the Prisma 2020 guidelines. High bodyweight and left atrial enlargement emerged as predominant risk factors for AF development in dogs with cardiac diseases. Importantly, distinct risk factors for AF were identified between dogs with MMVD and those with DCM (e.g., presence of congestive heart failure in dogs with MMVD but not in those with DCM), highlighting the nuanced nature of AF etiology in different canine cardiac conditions. Furthermore, significant differences in risk factors were observed between dogs and humans. In particular, advanced age and male sex are not reliable indicators of an increased risk of AF in dogs. Different risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) development have been identified in numerous studies on humans, but this information is less clearly available on the dog. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the risk factors for AF in the dog. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search using the Web of Science and Scopus databases for articles reporting on cases of spontaneously occurring AF in dogs. The level of evidence was assessed using the Evidence Quality Grading System of the National Institute of Health. One thousand forty-three studies were initially identified, and twenty of them were included in this systematic review involving 2,359,275 dogs, of which 4807 showed spontaneously occurring AF. Genetics, for the Irish Wolfhound, increased body weight, and left atrial enlargement were the main risk factors for the development of AF in dogs with different cardiac diseases, particularly myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, some differences were found between these two cardiac diseases regarding additional risk factors. In particular, the presence of congestive heart failure and echocardiographic evidence of increased left atrial pressure or the presence of right atrial enlargement emerged as risk factors in dogs with MMVD or DCM, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in risk factors were observed between dogs and humans. In particular, advanced age and male sex are not reliable indicators of an increased risk of AF in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mast cell tumors are a large group of diseases occurring in dogs, cats, mice, as well as in humans. Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a disease involving the accumulation of mast cells in organs. KIT gene mutations are very often seen in abnormal mast cells. In SM, high KIT/CD117 expression is observed; however, there are usually no KIT gene mutations present. Mastocytoma (MCT)—a form of cutaneous neoplasm—is common in animals but quite rare in humans. KIT/CD117 receptor mutations were studied as the typical changes for human mastocytosis. In 80% of human cases, the KIT gene substitution p.D816H was present. In about 25% of MCTs, metastasis was observed. Changes in the gene expression of certain genes, such as overexpression of the DNAJ3A3 gene, promote metastasis. In contrast, the SNORD93 gene blocks the expression of metastasis genes. The panel of miR-21-5p, miR-379, and miR-885 has a good efficiency in discriminating healthy and MCT-affected dogs, as well as MCT-affected dogs with and without nodal metastasis. Further studies on the pathobiology of mast cells can lead to clinical improvements, such as better MCT diagnosis and treatment. Our paper reviews studies on the topic of mast cells, which have been carried out over the past few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral malignant melanoma (OMM) is the most common malignant oral neoplasm in dogs. Tumor recurrence, progression, and regional and distant metastasis remain major obstacles despite advanced therapy. Tumor size has been a consistent, key independent prognostic factor; however, other clinical and histopathologic features impact prognosis and likely influence optimal treatment strategies. Adoption of a risk stratification scheme for canine OMM that stratifies groups of dogs on defined clinicopathologic features may improve reproducible and comparable studies by improving homogeneity within groups of dogs. Moreover, it would aid in the generation of multidisciplinary prospective studies that seek to define optimal treatment paradigms based on defined clinicopathologic features. Methods: To build a platform upon which to develop a risk stratification scheme, we performed a systematic review of clinicopathologic features of OMM, with particular attention to levels of evidence of published research and the quantitative prognostic effect of clinicopathologic features. Results: Tumor size and presence of bone lysis were repeatable features with the highest level of evidence for prognostic effects on survival. Overall, with strict inclusion criteria for paper review, the levels of evidence in support of other, previously proposed risk factors were low. Factors contributing to the challenge of defining clear prognostic features including inconsistencies in staging and reporting of prognostic variables, incomplete clinical outcome data, inhomogeneous treatment, and absence of randomized controlled studies. Discussion: To overcome this in the future, we propose a risk stratification scheme that expands the TNM system to incorporate specific designations that highlight possible prognostic variables. The ability to capture key data simply from an expanded TNM description will aid in future efforts to form strong conclusions regarding prognostic variables and their influence (or lack thereof) on therapeutic decision-making and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence, type, site and breed predisposition of thoracic congenital vertebral malformations (CVM) in neurologically normal brachycephalic 'screw‐tail' dog breeds. Study Design: Retrospective case series. Animals: Neurologically normal French Bulldogs (n = 63), British Bulldogs (n = 42), Boston Terriers (n = 4) and Pugs (n = 86) presenting for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome treatment. Methods: Either a plain computer tomography scan of the thorax or lateral and dorso‐ventral digital radiographs of the thoracic vertebral column of each dog were assessed for any vertebral malformations and classed according to the Modified McMaster vertebral abnormality classification scheme proposed by Guiterrez et al. Results: The prevalence of dogs with one or more abnormal vertebrae was 96.82% in French Bulldogs, 90.47% in British Bulldogs, and 76.74% in Pugs. Pugs had significantly lower instances of CVMs than French Bulldogs. The four Boston Terriers all had vertebral malformations, but the results were not considered to be statistically significant due to their small sample size. In French Bulldogs and British Bulldogs, ventral hypoplasia (Type 3) occurred at greater rates than all other types, followed by ventral and median hypoplasia (Types 7) and symmetrical hypoplasia (Type 8). In Pugs, symmetrical hypoplasia (Type 8) was the most common and then ventral hypoplasia (Type 3). The most affected vertebrae were T6–T9 in Pugs and T5–T10 in French Bulldogs and British Bulldogs. Conclusions: The majority of neurologically normal brachycephalic 'screw‐tail' dogs assessed in this paper possessed one or more congenital thoracic vertebral malformations. Dogs with vertebral malformations were found to be more likely to have more than one affected vertebra. Sex had no effect on the prevalence of CVM. Clinical Relevance: A substantial number of neurologically normal brachycephalic 'screw‐tail' dogs suffer from congenital vertebral malformations. Thus, the need for selective breeding programmes to eliminate this hereditary condition is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of pet companionship – and of dog walking in particular – has been long acknowledged across academic disciplines. Much of the research values – even romanticizes – it as mutually beneficial, catalysing both human sociability and canine well-being. However, walking a dog displaying aggressive or other unwanted behaviour – dogs that fall short of expectations – severely undermines the virtues of pet companionship, extracting a considerable social and emotional toll for those seeking greater inter-species commonality. Drawing on empirical work on walking practices and the author's autoethnographic account, the paper solicits interpretations more attuned to the complexities of our cohabited socio-spatial worlds, particularly against contexts of discordance. The research demonstrates how these circumstances influence relationships with humans, often forcing dogs and their owners into liminal and contested socio-spatial existences, though also occasionally revealing exploratory opportunities. The dog walk therefore emerges as an activity that is heavily negotiated and contingent. Ultimately, the quest to 'make space' for seemingly transgressive dogs demonstrates the necessity and potentiality for a trans-species co-habitation that is more sensitive to the spectrum of animals that share our more than human worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity is associated with kidney disease. In our study, we focused on evaluating the ratio of NAG to the urinary creatinine concentration (NAG/Cr) in the German Shepherd breed. Sixty-two healthy dogs and thirteen dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were examined. The healthy dogs were divided into groups based on their sex and age (puppies and adolescent dogs under 2 years, adult dogs from 2 to 6 years and seniors over 6 years), while the dogs with CKD were divided based on the disease stage (CKD stage 1 and 2). No significant difference was detected between the males and females. Regarding the age dependence, significantly higher values were found in dogs older than 6 years (P = 0.020 3) compared to dogs aged 2-6 years. When comparing the healthy dogs to the dogs with CKD, the lowest NAG/Cr ratio was observed in the dogs with CKD stage 2. The reference interval for NAG/Cr in the German Shepherd was established in the range of 0.78-7.86 U/gCr. We observed no correlations with the commonly used markers of kidney disease such as creatinine, urea, or symmetrical dimethylarginine. Nevertheless, we encourage the further investigation of NAG in relation to CKD, taking the breed, sex and age of the patients into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. It discusses the importance of mechanical ventilation in anesthesia and critical care for animal patients. The editorial highlights the advancements and challenges in this field and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of mechanical ventilation in order to provide high-quality care to animals. The document also mentions four new papers that focus on mechanical ventilation in horses and dogs, discussing issues such as alveolar recruitment maneuvers and the use of positive end-expiratory pressure. The studies emphasize the importance of monitoring and avoiding lung injuries and hemodynamic dysfunctions during mechanical ventilation. [Extracted from the article]