Fujita Animal Hospital

This report describes two dogs with high-grade multicentric B-cell lymphoma that relapsed 3 months after completing a 6-month-long chemotherapy regimen with L-asparaginase, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (L-CHOP). Both were re-treated with L-CHOP, achieving complete remission (CR) before undergoing sequential half-body irradiation (HBI; 6 Gy per fraction to cranial and caudal body, 2 weeks apart). Caudal HBI caused grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity in both dogs and grade 3 thrombocytopenia in one; however, both remain in CR at the time of writing this report (i.e., 483 and 490 days post-relapse). These findings suggest that combining HBI with chemotherapy may offer benefits in relapsed canine lymphoma, especially when dogs are in CR at the time of HBI.

We read with great interest the recent article by Treggiari et al., ‘Factors associated with the development of gastrointestinal adverse events in dogs with multicentric lymphoma treated with CHOP or CEOP-based protocols: a multi-institutional, retrospective study’. As veterinary oncologists, we greatly appreciate the valuable insights provided by the authors regarding the gastrointestinal adverse events of doxorubicin and epirubicin – topics of significant relevance to our daily practice. However, we would like to seek clarification regarding one critical point in the manuscript. According to the authors, gastrointestinal toxicity was observed in 36 of 64 dogs treated with doxorubicin and in 46 of 114 dogs treated with epirubicin. Despite these figures, the reported odds ratio for gastrointestinal toxicity in the univariate analysis is 0.53 for doxorubicin relative to epirubicin, suggesting that epirubicin is associated with a higher risk of toxicity. Based on our calculations, the odds ratio for gastrointestinal toxicity associated with doxorubicin compared to epirubicin is approximately 1.90 (95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 3.53; P = 0.0436), while the inverse – epirubicin to doxorubicin – yields an odds ratio of 0.53 (95% confidence interval, 0.28 to 0.98; P = 0.0436). This raises the possibility that the reported odds ratio in the manuscript might have been inadvertently presented in the inverse direction, which could significantly affect the interpretation of the findings and the overall conclusion. Alternatively, we noted the abstract states, “receiving epirubicin at a dosage of 1 mg/kg” was at higher risk of developing gastrointestinal adverse events. If this refers specifically to a subset of dogs receiving epirubicin at the particular dosage, it may explain the direction of the odds ratio. However, no explanation is provided regarding this point. We would greatly appreciate it if the authors could clarify this point or provide further explanation regarding the methodology used in calculating and interpreting the odds ratio. A. Ohmi: Conceptualization; methodology; formal analysis; writing – original draft. T. Motegi: Formal analysis; methodology; writing – review and editing. H. Tomiyasu: Writing – review and editing; formal analysis. M. Okuda: Supervision; writing – review and editing. None of the authors of this article has a financial or personal relationship with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper. Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

ABSTRACTBackgroundDiagnosing pituitary macrotumor in dogs with hypercortisolism requires advanced imaging, which is not feasible for every case. Identifying risk factors that can guide the decision to pursue imaging would be valuable.ObjectiveDetermine clinical and physical examination findings that are associated with an increased likelihood of pituitary macrotumors in dogs with hypercortisolism.AnimalsA total of 130 dogs diagnosed with hypercortisolism.MethodsRetrospective study to analyze medical records for data on age, sex, breed, clinical signs, physical findings, endocrine test results, imaging results, diagnosis, and treatment. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for pituitary macrotumor, defined by a pituitary height/brain area ratio ≥ 0.4.ResultsRisk factors for pituitary macrotumor included diagnosis of hypercortisolism at ≤ 10.9 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 0.718; p < 0.05), French Bulldog breed (OR, 21.0; p < 0.01), and presence of neurologic signs (OR, 10.9; p < 0.001).Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceAdvanced pituitary imaging should be recommended in dogs with hypercortisolism ≤ 10.9 years of age, French Bulldogs, and those presenting with neurological signs because these factors significantly increase the likelihood of pituitary macrotumor in dogs with hypercortisolism.

Abstract A 14‐year‐old male Yorkshire Terrier presented with vomiting, lethargy and anorexia. The dog had congenital absence of testicles in the scrotum and unilateral cryptorchidism in the right inguinal region. Physical examination revealed inguinal swelling and tenderness. Ultrasound showed an enlarged cryptorchid testis compressing small intestine within a hernial sac. Emergency surgery revealed necrotic small intestine and the cryptorchid testicle. Following intestinal resection and testicle removal, thorough abdominal exploration found only the left vas deferens without testicular tissue, suggesting concurrent monorchidism. Histopathology confirmed Sertoli cell tumour. Despite treatment, the patient developed renal failure and sepsis, leading to death. This case represents the first documented report of suspected concurrent cryptorchidism and monorchidism in a dog, highlighting the importance of early intervention to prevent serious complications.

A 5-year-old, 7.6-kg male miniature dachshund presented with right-sided congestive heartfailure and ascites. Echocardiography revealed a tricuspid valve tumor. Open-heart surgerywith cardiopulmonary bypass was performed via right atriotomy and the tumor was excisedfrom the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve. Histopathological findings confirmed thediagnosis of a myxoma. Postoperatively, the ascites resolved and no signs of right-sidedcongestive heart failure were observed. The dog remained clinically stable for 727 daysafter surgery. This conclusion reinforces the novelty of this report, as successfulresection of a tricuspid valve myxoma has not been reported in the veterinaryliterature.

Malakoplakia is a rare granulomatous inflammation that has mainly been reported in the urinary bladder of dogs. Only one case of canine colonic malakoplakia has been reported to date;however, successful treatment of this disease has not been reported. Here, we report a case of colonic malakoplakia in a 5-month-old spayed female French Bulldog. The dog was referred to aveterinarian because of chronic diarrhea and mucinous blood feces; empirical treatment did not improve its condition. Histologically, numerous macrophages containing periodicacid-Schiff-positive granules infiltrated the lamina propria of the large intestine. Furthermore, targetoid basophilic inclusion bodies (Michaelis-Gutmann bodies) were observed. Completeclinical remission was achieved after 8 months of enrofloxacin treatment and favorable progress after 2 months of medication.

BackgroundTo reduce heat loss underwater, marine mammals cover their bodies with insulation. Cetaceans in particular rely solely on blubber for insulation which has low conductivity. Blubber establishes a great thermal gradient between the warmer body core and cooler body surface, reducing heat transfer to the environment. A temperature gradient within the blubber determines the conductive heat transfer from the body trunk, where conduction and convection are the primary heat transfer mechanisms in cetaceans. Therefore, measuring the temperature at the innermost part of the blubber, i.e., the temperature at the muscle–blubber interface (Tmbi), can enhance our understanding of thermoregulatory mechanisms in cetaceans. In thermoregulation, activity-induced heat produced by increased muscle metabolism is another factor that plays an important role, however, the effects of activity on Tmbi have not been investigated in cetaceans. To assess this relationship in free-swimming cetaceans, we measured Tmbi and activity levels in a captive Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) using an implantable biologging device.ResultsTmbi and activity data were analyzed for 11 days. The average Tmbi was 35.1 ± 0.6 ºC and the temperature gradient between Tmbi and the water temperature was 13.0 ± 0.7 ºC. Tmbi was higher during the daytime and lower in the early morning. The variation in Tmbi was best explained by both the activity levels and time of day. Tmbi did not simply increase with activity levels; it appeared to remain relatively constant at most activity levels. However, Tmbi appeared to decrease when the animal was inactive and increase when it was intensely active.ConclusionOur results provide important insights into how a dolphin regulates its body temperature underwater. Thermal insulation by blubber and heat production by activity were suggested to play important roles in thermoregulation. Whole-body heat dissipation might be used to regulate temperature increases when heat production is excessive due to intense activity. During inactive periods, decreasing temperature gradient may help reduce heat loss from the body.

A 14-year-old spayed female mixed-breed cat weighing 3.4 kg was admitted to the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Animal Medical Center for syncope after vomiting. Echocardiography, electrocardiography, and thoracic radiography revealed no abnormalities. Holter electrocardiography showed a paroxysmal high-grade atrioventricular block coinciding with the vomiting. Based on these findings, the cat was diagnosed as having situational syncope with paroxysmal high-grade atrioventricular block triggered by vomiting, which improved with antiemetic treatment alone. The cat subsequently died of chronic kidney disease approximately 3 years and 4 months after the initial diagnosis. This is the first reported case of situational syncope triggered by vomiting in a cat.