Dogs commonly present with uncomplicated acute diarrhoea (AD) to primary clinics, and although most cases are self-limiting, finding treatments that improve signs and reduce the length of illness is challenging.

Holz et al1 performed a prospective, randomised, double-blinded clinical trial to assess whether increasing dietary fibre using cellulose had an effect on dogs with uncomplicated AD. Nineteen dogs were included in the trial, and outcomes were evaluated using owner surveys and faecal scoring charts.

In addition, quantitative PCR was used to analyse the intestinal microbiota.

Some improvement in stool consistency was seen on the first day in dogs treated with cellulose compared to the control group. All dogs improved regardless of allocation, and median recovery times were roughly three days in both groups.

No significant difference was seen in the intestinal microbiota composition or Canine Acute Diarrhoea Severity index between the groups.

The authors conclude that, although all dogs in both groups showed rapid improvement, some dogs treated with cellulose had a quicker improvement in faecal consistency. The authors also emphasise that antibiotic treatment is not warranted for these cases.

Toxic lilies

Lilies can be highly toxic to cats, inducing acute kidney injury (AKI) that can be fatal. Lam et al2 performed a retrospective study of 112 cats to assess the prevalence of AKI in cats with lily exposure that were treated as inpatients or outpatients. Various measures were assessed, such as signalment, time from exposure to presentation, International Renal Interest Society AKI grade and treatment measures.

The prevalence of AKI in cats treated as inpatients and outpatients was similar at around 45%. Approximately 60% of in and outpatients that had AKI had an AKI grade that improved or remained static. However, cats treated as inpatients had a significantly higher survival rate (100%) compared to cats treated as outpatients (87%).

The authors note that cats exposed to lilies had a higher prevalence of AKI than had previously been noted, but they had an excellent overall survival, with cats treated as inpatients having higher survival rates.

Tremors

Tremors are relatively commonly observed in cats in practice, but there is a diverse range of conditions that can cause these signs, and only limited data on causes in the literature.

Liatis et al3 performed a retrospective study of 105 cats that had a tremor or a twitch and a definitive or presumed diagnosis. Seven different neurological diseases were associated with tremors. Around 18% of cases had degenerative encephalopathy, 17% had feline infectious peritonitis, 16% had a congenital portosystemic shunt (PSS), 15% had an intoxication and 8% had a polyneuropathy.

Most of the degenerative encephalopathies were thought to be lysosomal storage disease or cerebellar cortical degeneration, which manifested as intention head tremors. Intention head tremors were also seen in cats with PSS and thiamine deficiency. The most common intoxication associated with tremor was permethrin poisoning. A few cats had an idiopathic head tremor. The authors note that presentation can differ with different aetiologies, which can help in diagnosis.

Mammary tumours

Mammary tumours are frequently found in older bitches, but their epidemiology has never been reported in Japan. Hirano et al4 performed a retrospective cohort study of these tumours to assess prevalence and factors associated with them. In total, 6,197 cases with data from excisional biopsies were included in the study.

The prevalence ranged from 4.8 to 8.1 per 1,000 dogs, becoming more common over time. Neutered females had a lower risk, with a risk ratio of 0.57 compared to un-neutered females.

Older dogs had a greater risk of the disease, with malignant tumours more common in dogs aged above 14. Pomeranians and Maltese dogs had a higher risk ratio for the development of tumours, and cavalier King Charles spaniels, flat-coated retrievers, huskies and shepherd dogs had higher risk ratios for malignant tumours. The authors hope this study will aid in developing strategies to control and prevent these tumours.

Meningiomas

Intracranial and spinal cord meningiomas in dogs have been reported in numerous studies, but there is little information about the clinical features of meningiomas of the orbit and optic nerve.

Uno et al⁵ report a retrospective study of the outcome and prognoses of seven dogs with cytologically or histologically confirmed orbital or optic nerve meningiomas.

Four of these dogs underwent surgery as a primary intervention, with three of those having follow-up radiotherapy. The other three underwent radiotherapy as the primary intervention, one of which had surgery approximately one year after radiotherapy. Five dogs died during the study with a median survival time of 943 days.

The other two dogs had follow-up periods of 119 and 1,083 days. The median progression-free survival was 569 days. The authors conclude that intraorbital meningioma treated with surgery and radiotherapy can lead to a favourable prognosis compared to intracranial meningioma.

Nasal carcinomas

Nasal carcinomas in dogs are hard to treat surgically because of their invasive nature and the difficulty of surgical access. Bottero et al⁶ report a retrospective study to investigate the ability of endoscopic diode laser and forceps debulking (EDLFD) to help palliate this form of neoplasia.

Thirty-five dogs with histopathologically confirmed nasal carcinoma were included in the study. A total of 51% of dogs had clinical signs for three months or more, and 80% failed to respond to previous medical treatment.

The  most common sign was unilateral nasal discharge. No major complications were associated with EDLFD treatment, and the median postoperative survival time was 336 days, with more than 50% exhibiting a clinical benefit three months after treatment. The authors conclude that EDLFD could be a useful approach for palliation of nasal carcinoma in dogs and could lead to an improvement in quality of life.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in pets can be affected by a number of different factors such as breed, sex and reproductive status. Mata⁷ performed a retrospective study to add to the data currently available about these factors in cats. In total, 7,708 cats were included in the study. The overall mean lifespan was 11.8 years. Male cats lived shorter than females, likely due to higher rates of trauma and other health issues. Neutered cats had longer lifespans than entire cats, with toms being the shortest lived.

Mixed-breed cats (“moggies”) had a higher life expectancy than pure or cross-breeds cats. The authors conclude that breeding, reproductive status and sex all play a role in life expectancy in cats, but that there is also a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors that affect cat health.