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Background: Precursor-targeted immune-mediated anemia (PIMA) has been described in dogs presenting with nonregenerative anemia and evidence of ineffective erythropoiesis. Although it has been suggested that its occurrence may be related to the immune targeting of erythroid precursors, this pathogenesis has not been established. PIMA is mainly treated with glucocorticoids, and in cases where glucocorticoids alone are not effective, immunosuppressants are also used as combination therapy. However, not all cases of PIMA go into remission after these treatments. Case Description: Two dogs with severe nonregenerative anemia diagnosed as PIMA based on the results of clinical pathological examinations, including bone marrow examination, were treated with whole-blood transfusion and immunosuppressive doses of prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclosporine. However, these treatments failed to achieve remission of PIMA. Therefore, concomitant administration of oclacitinib, which is a Janus kinase-1 inhibitor that has been applied recently to the treatment of immune-mediated diseases, was performed; this combined regimen improved the anemia and achieved complete remission of PIMA. Conclusion: Oclacitinib may be an option for the treatment of PIMA in dogs failing to achieve remission with conventional immunosuppressive therapy. [Open Vet J 2023; 13(9.000): 1205-1211]

Oral praziquantel, pyrantel pamoate, and febantel combination (PPFC) is a highly safe anthelmintic treatment commonly administered for the purpose of canine gastrointestinal parasites with mild adverse effects such as anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, or diarrhea. A 12-year-old castrated Chihuahua was brought to our hospital for a periodic health examination. Although his general physical examination showed no abnormalities, blood test results showed increase in the liver enzyme, lipase activity, total bile acid, total cholesterol, and triglyceride concentration. Moreover, the dog had underlying tricuspid regurgitation that was not treated. PPFC was prescribed on the suspicion of gastrointestinal tract parasites. Following the oral administration of PPFC at home, anorexia and lethargy were found, and vomiting and diarrhea were noted after 30 h. The dog was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis based on clinical course of the disease and subsequent pathology results. Although intravenous drip was initiated upon hospitalization, the treatment was discontinued owing to financial reasons. The onset of acute pancreatitis can be considered an adverse effect of PPFC. Although the association between PPFC administration and the onset of acute pancreatitis could not be clarified in this case, the onset of acute pancreatitis may have been associated with a decrease in liver function and/or increase in the false activity of lipase. PPFC has been considered highly safe in dogs, although care should be taken when administering medications to dogs suspected of having an underlying disorder.

OBJECTIVE Comparing the utility of the anti-human serum amyloid A (SAA)-specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies assays (LZ-SAA) with the pure monoclonal anti-human antibody assays (VET-SAA) during clinical practice in primary care hospital populations by measuring SAA measurement in healthy and diseased domestic cats. ANIMALS 52 healthy and 185 diseased client-owned cats. METHODS SAA concentration was measured using different LZ-SAA and VET-SAA measurements for healthy and various diseased cats. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for each disease. RESULTS VET-SAA has higher sensitivity than LZ-SAA for the most common diseases presenting to primary care veterinary hospitals, including chronic kidney disease, tumors, and gingivostomatitis. Our results reveal the capability of detecting low SAA concentrations in healthy and diseased cats using VET-SAA in contrast to LZ-SAA, which found elevations of SAA concentrations only in diseased cats. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Our findings indicate that switching to the new VET-SAA instead of the conventional LZ-SAA will likely enhance the diagnostic performance in primary care veterinary hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE We identified the associated factors arid compared the survival times of feline hyperthyroidism (FHT) between thyroidectomy and methimazole alone. METHODS The medical records of 41 cats diagnosed with new-onset hyperthyroidism were retrospectively reviewed. The cats were categorized into the thyroidectomy (n = 15) and methimazole (26) treatment groups. Survival analyses using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to compare the time to the selected outcomes. RESULTS Univariate analysis revealed that survival time was significantly longer with thyroidectomy than with methimazole (P < .001). Multivariate analyses revealed thyroidectomy as an independent prognostic factor for good outcomes (hazard ratio, 0.209; 95% CI, 0.073 to 0.601; P = .004). The recurrence rate was significantly lower in cats that underwent thyroidectomy than in those that received methimazole alone (P = .011). CLINICAL RELEVANCE Compared with methimazole alone, thyroidectomy was associated with a longer survival time in FHT and can be considered an irreversible treatment modality in settings where radioisotopes are not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]