This report presents the clinical features, clinicopathological changes, computed tomography images and response-to-treatment of a dog with calcium-laden subcutaneous fluid collections, resembling a rare form of calcinosis in humans termed 'milk of calcium'.

Canine cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma (CEL) is a rare neoplastic disease with poor prognosis. Oclacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor primarily used to treat allergic and atopic dermatitis in dogs, may also cause other skin diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oclacitinib in the treatment of canine cutaneous lymphoma. Eight client-owned dogs with CEL were included in the study. The dogs were administered oclacitinib. This study examined the immunological characteristics, time to treatment initiation, dosage, cutaneous lesions and pruritus, adverse events, survival time and prior oclacitinib use. Only one of the eight dogs (12.5%) showed symptomatic improvement after oclacitinib treatment, with no clinical improvement observed in the other cases. Improvement in pruritus was noted in only one dog. Adverse events included mild leucopenia in one dog, which did not significantly affect prognosis. The median survival time after diagnosis was 228.5 days. These results suggest that oral oclacitinib has limited efficacy in the treatment of canine CEL. Larger prospective studies are recommended to further investigate the optimal dose, treatment duration and potential combination therapies involving oclacitinib.

In bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), nannizziomycosis can cause skin lesions, ulceration and lethargy. Formally known as yellow fungal disease (YFD), nannizziomycosis has traditionally been attributed to various Nannizziopsis spp. identified via culture and referred to as Chrysosporium anamorph of Nannizziopsis (CANV). We hypothesized that the presence of Nannizziopsis does not always lead to nannizziomycosis, and that this disease may be caused by multiple pathogens or interactions between microbes (known as the cross-kingdom effect). Thirty-one bearded dragons with suspected nannizziomycosis (unhealthy group) and 20 healthy bearded dragons. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to explore the microbial interactions within the cutaneous microbiota of 51 bearded dragons. One unidentified species within the Nannizziopsis genus (Nannizziopsis sp.) was included in a co-occurrence analysis between 877 bacterial and 78 fungal species in the unhealthy group. Forty-one positive co-occurrences with Nannizziopsis spp. were seen, including Salmonella enterica (p = 0.001), an unidentified species within the Clostridiales order (p < 0.001) and a fungal species from the Cladosporium genus (p = 0.0261). Forty-nine negative interactions with Nannizziopsis spp. were seen, including Bifidobacterium adolescentis (p = 0.0478) and Corynebacterium durum (p = 0.0478). These findings suggest that commensal microbes may change in response to counteract Nannizziopsis, while pathogenic microbes may help facilitate it. Further research should clarify microbial interactions in bearded dragons with nannizziomycosis.

Perianal fistulae are a common, recurrent and painful disease in dogs, particularly in German shepherd dogs, and significantly affect the quality-of-life for both the animal and its owner. Management remains challenging and there is a lack of high-quality evidence for efficacy of the different medical treatment options. The aim of this article was to provide clinicians with a framework for decision-making. A literature review was conducted on medical treatment studies, utilising the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SoRT) for grading evidence quality. PubMed, Scopus and EBSCOhost Research Databases (CAB and Medline) databases were searched for relevant publications between 1980 and August 2024, using the keywords: dog and perianal or anal and fistula, ulcer or furunculosis. Recommendations were based on authors' consensus and organised around four relevant clinical questions. Twenty clinical treatment studies were included with evidence assessed and recommendations presented for ciclosporin (alone and in combination with ketoconazole), tacrolimus, prednisolone, azathioprine, photobiomodulation, stem cells, oclacitinib, mycophenolate mofetil, dietary modifications and for surgery following medical treatment. Ciclosporin is recommended as the first-line treatment option with clinical response likely to be dependent on time and dose. In cases where ciclosporin fails, alternatives include the combination of prednisolone and tacrolimus or surgical intervention following medical treatment. This is the first literature review using SoRT criteria for the treatment of canine perianal fistulae. High-quality studies with precise and detailed criteria are needed to improve treatment recommendations and outcomes.

BackgroundMalassezia pachydermatis (MP) is implicated in severe dermatitis and otitis externa (OE) of companion animals and recently gained attention for its increasing resistance to azole compounds. For this reason, developing novel therapeutic strategies is of great interest. In a previous work, we used reference yeast isolates to evaluate several compounds bearing acyl/selenoureido moieties and primary/secondary sulfonamide groups for antifungal activity through organic selenium and carbonic anhydrase inhibition.ObjectivesThis work aimed to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of eight selenoureido compounds on 36 clinical MP isolates from dogs, compared to selected azoles, notably ketoconazole (KCZ), miconazole (MCZ) and fluconazole (FCZ).Materials and MethodsMIC assays of 5g, 7a, 7c, 7k, 8c, 10c, 11b, 11f, KCZ, MCZ and FCZ were performed on 36 MP field isolates isolated from dogs affected by dermatitis and/or OE in which yeast aetiology was suspected. Minimum 50% and 90% inhibitory concentrations (MIC50 and MIC90) were calculated. MP identification was confirmed with a nested PCR for the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene.ResultsOverall, the MIC50 of the tested compounds on MP field isolates was higher than the MICs obtained on reference MP DSM 6172. Although KCZ showed the lowest MIC50 value, compounds 5g, 7a and 7k showed lower MIC50s than MCZ and FCZ. Five clinical isolates showed a MIC on azoles >MIC90. Compounds 7a (four of five), 10c (three of five) and 8c (three of five) showed lower MIC values on these isolates compared to the tested azoles, suggesting good activity in phenotypically azole‐resistant MP.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceConsidering the increasing azole resistance of the Malassezia genus, selenoureido compounds could represent a potential topical treatment for dog skin and ear mycotic infections.

Pyoderma caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius poses significant challenges to canine health. Successful therapy requires an integrated approach to prudent antimicrobial use. This report describes the successful treatment of a dog with generalised superficial pyoderma using a topical formulation of S. pseudintermedius phage applied once daily for a period of 30 days.

Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) varies in prevalence and lesion distribution across breeds. In contrast to Western countries, many Asian countries favour small-to-medium dog breeds. However, previous studies have focused primarily on medium-to-large dog breeds. To analyse the prevalence and lesion distribution of cAD in common breeds in Korea, focusing on breed-specific characteristics. Nine small-to-medium breeds (<25 kg body weight) were selected from 331 client-owned dogs with cAD, representing 77% of the total cAD group. Breeds selected included Maltese, miniature/toy poodle, shih tzu, bichon frise, cocker spaniel, Pomeranian, French bulldog, Yorkshire terrier and Dachshund. The prevalence of these breeds was compared to the registered dog population. Photographs of skin lesions from each dog were reviewed, and the lesion distribution was analysed by breed. Shih tzu, cocker spaniel and French bulldog had a higher prevalence of cAD compared to the registered dog population (p < 0.01). Lesions were most commonly present on the ventral aspects of the body in 51% of shih tzus; lip folds (64%), tail folds (27%) and paws (73%) in French bulldog; and 71% of Dachshunds had dorso-lumbar distribution. Of the small-to-medium breeds in this study, shih tzu, cocker spaniel and French bulldog had a higher prevalence of cAD compared to the registered dog population, while specific body sites were affected in shih tzu, French bulldog and Dachshund.

Alopecia X (AX) is a common noninflammatory alopecic condition of Pomeranian dogs with an unknown cause. While a genetic aetiology is suspected, no current tests can predict the development of this disorder or confirm the aetiology. Therefore, identifying potential risk indicators for the development of AX would be of value in this breed. This study aimed to identify risk indicators for AX in Pomeranians in the Netherlands and Belgium. A retrospective epidemiological study was conducted in the Netherlands and the Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium between March 2022 and August 2023, using an online survey of Pomeranian owners. Variables such as sex, birth season, neutering status, coat type, coat colour, grooming frequency and whether the dog experienced an 'ugly stage' of hair coat growth or not were recorded, along with the presence or absence of alopecia and the age of onset of the condition. Of 234 completed surveys, 211 were eligible for analysis. Statistical analysis with a Cox proportional-hazard model indicated that the risk of developing alopecia was greater for a woolly versus shiny coat and for males versus females. A woolly hair coat type and male sex were identified as risk indicators for developing AX in Pomeranian dogs in this study.

BackgroundItch is a common clinical sign in skin disorders. While the neural pathways of itch transmission from the skin to the brain are well understood in rodents, the same pathways in dogs remain unclear. The knowledge gap hinders the development of effective treatments for canine itch‐related disorders.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the differential gene expression in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) between healthy and atopic dogs to identify specific molecules potentially involved in itch signalling and neuroinflammation in canine atopic dermatitis (cAD).AnimalsTwo atopic and four healthy dogs.Materials and MethodsDRGs were collected from atopic and healthy dogs to compare their transcriptional profiles using RNA sequencing.ResultsPrincipal component and heatmap analyses revealed two distinct clusters separating atopic from healthy dogs. Consistent with this observation, we identified 627 (543 upregulated and 84 downregulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in atopic compared with healthy dogs. We further narrowed down our genes of interest to common DEGs in each atopic dog, which revealed 159 (132 upregulated and 27 downregulated) DEGs. Among these genes, when we focused on itch signalling–associated molecules, P2RY12, IL‐2RG, TLR1 and POSTN were significantly upregulated, while MRGPRD and LPAR3 were both significantly downregulated in atopic dogs compared with those in healthy dogs. Pathway analysis showed a significant upregulation of CREB signalling in neurons, myelination signalling and neuroinflammation signalling pathways in atopic dogs.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceOur study suggested that dysregulation of neuroinflammatory pathways might play a role in the pathomechanism of cAD as in humans.