A current life table and causes of death for insured dogs in Japan

Demography and Causes of Mortality of Pugs Under Primary Veterinary Care in Australia

Pugs are a popular brachycephalic breed that suffer from multiple chronic disorders linked to their exaggerated phenotypic traits. The contribution of these disorders to early death and euthanasia have not been described and would add urgency to addressing these issues. This study used electronic patient records (EPR) from the Australian VetCompass programme to describe the demography, common causes and risk factors for Pug mortality. The EPR from 691 Pugs which died in a population of 7909 Pugs that received veterinary care over a 10-year period were analysed to determine the cause of death. The median age at death was 10 years. Male Pugs had lower probability of surviving than females (p = 0.02) and entire Pugs died earlier than neutered dogs. The top causes of mortality were Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (8.2%), seizures (6.7%) and degenerative spinal cord disorder (4.7%). Neurological causes (29.6%) were the most common cause of euthanasia whilst amongst non-assisted deaths, respiratory causes were most common (25%). Death from respiratory disorders was found across all age groups. These neurological and respiratory causes of death are linked to brachycephalic conformation and provide evidence for reform of showing and breeding standards to improve Pug welfare and longevity.

Investigating the Life Expectancy at Birth of Companion Dogs in Portugal Using Official National Registry Data

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the life expectancy of dogs in Portugal, focusing on the impact of diverse factors including breed, sex, size, and skull shape. The final dataset, gathering data from the national registry database, consisted of 278,116 dogs with confirmed deaths. The mean lifespan at birth for all the dogs was around 8.91 years, with the female dogs tended to have a similar lifespan to male dogs. The analysis of life expectancy at birth for the 20 most common non-Portuguese breeds and 10 Portuguese breeds revealed that Yorkshire Terriers had the highest life expectancy (10.89 years) and French Bulldogs the lowest (6.27 years). Size and cephalic index were found to be influential factors, with large brachycephalic breeds exhibiting shorter life expectancies and smaller, mesocephalic breeds experiencing longer lifespans. Additionally, the cephalic index had a more substantial impact on life expectancy compared to body size. These findings enhance the understanding of the factors influencing canine longevity and aid in developing strategies to improve the health and lifespan of companion dogs.

Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the present study were to generate the first life tables for the UK companion cat population overall as well as broken down by sex and breed status, and to quantify associations between mortality and traits such as sex, neuter status, breed status and body weight in relation to mortality.

METHODS

Life table construction and modelling included data on 7936 confirmed deaths in cats under primary veterinary care at clinics participating in the VetCompass Programme in 2019. The life tables were built for cats overall, female and male cats, and crossbred and purebred cats. Multivariable generalised linear regression models were generated to explore the risk factors for a shortened lifespan.

RESULTS

Life expectancy at age 0 for UK companion cats overall was 11.74 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.61-11.87). The probability of death at each year interval increased with age from year interval 3-4, with the probability value not exceeding 0.05 before year 9. Female cats (12.51 years; 95% CI 12.32-12.69) had a 1.33-year longer life expectancy than male cats (11.18 years; 95% CI 11.01-11.38) at age 0. Among the 12 breeds (including crossbred) analysed, Burmese and Birman had the longest life expectancy at year 0, showing 14.42 years (95% CI 12.91-15.93) and 14.39 years (95% CI 12.87-15.91), respectively. Sphynx had the shortest life expectancy at year 0 among the analysed breeds at 6.68 years (95% CI 4.53-8.83). Being entire, purebred and with a non-ideal body weight were significantly linked to a decreased lifespan.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The life tables presented here for companion cats in the UK overall, by sex, and by crossbred and purebred cats can contribute to a better understanding of the life trajectory of cats, helping with evidence-based decision-making for cat owners and the veterinary profession. We have also provided an updated life expectancy at age 0 for various cat breeds for 2019 and showed evidence of the association between non-ideal weight and a decreased lifespan.

Factors related to longevity and mortality of dogs in Italy

Besides its translational value, an improved understanding of dog longevity and mortality is necessary to guide health management decisions, breed selection, and improve dog welfare. In order to analyse the lifespan of dogs in Italy, identify the most common causes of death, and evaluate possible risk factors, anonymised medical records were collected from 9 veterinary teaching hospitals and 2 public health institutions. Data regarding breed, sex, neuter status, age, diagnosis, and mechanism of death were retrieved. Cause of death (COD) was classified by pathophysiologic process (PP) and organ system (OS). Of the 4957 dogs that died between 2004 and 2020 included in the study, 2920 (59.0%) were purebred, 2293 (46.2%) were female, 3005 (60.6%) were intact, 2883 (58.2%) were euthanised. Overall median longevity was 10.0 years. Median longevity was significantly longer for crossbreds, females, neutered dogs, and small-sized breeds. The breeds with the highest median age at death were the Yorkshire terrier, English cocker spaniel, West Highland white terrier, Italian volpino, and Shih Tzu, whilst the American bulldog, English bulldog, American pit bull terrier, Bernese mountain dog and the Maremma and the Abruzzes sheepdog had the lowest median age at death. The most frequent COD by PP was neoplasia (34.0%), which occurred more frequently in large breeds, namely German shepherd, Labrador retriever and Boxer. Degenerative diseases mostly affected small-sized dogs like Miniature pinscher and Dachshund. Regarding the OS involved, diseases of the renal/urinary system were most frequently responsible for COD (15.0%), prevalently degenerative and inflammatory/infectious. Substantial variation in median longevity according to causes of death by PP and OS was observed. These data are relevant for breeders, veterinary practitioners, and owners, to assist breed selection, facilitate early diagnosis, guide choice when purchasing a purebred dog and making health management decisions, and ultimately improve dog welfare.

Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death

The companion dog is one of the most phenotypically diverse species. Variability between breeds extends not only to morphology and aspects of behaviour, but also to longevity. Despite this fact, little research has been devoted to assessing variation in life expectancy between breeds or evaluating the potential for phylogenetic characterisation of longevity. Using a dataset of 584,734 unique dogs located within the UK, including 284,734 deceased, we present variation in longevity estimates within the following: parental lineage (purebred = 1 breed, crossbred ≥ 2 breeds), breed (n = 155), body size (large, medium, small), sex (male, female) and cephalic index (brachycephalic, mesocephalic, dolichocephalic). Survival estimates were then partitioned amongst phylogenetic clades: providing evidence that canine evolutionary history (via domestication and associated artificial selection) is associated with breed lifespan. This information provides evidence to inform discussions regarding pedigree health, whilst helping current/prospective owners, breeders, policy makers, funding bodies and welfare organisations improve decision making regarding canine welfare.

Safety and clinical efficacy of an anti-PD-L1 antibody (c4G12) in dogs with advanced malignant tumours

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been developed for canine tumour treatment, and pilot clinical studies have demonstrated their antitumour efficacy in dogs with oral malignant melanoma (OMM). Although ICIs have been approved for various human malignancies, their clinical benefits in other tumour types remain to be elucidated in dogs. Here, we conducted a clinical study of c4G12, a canine chimeric anti-PD-L1 antibody, to assess its safety and efficacy in dogs with various advanced malignant tumours (n = 12) at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Hokkaido University from 2018 to 2023. Dogs with digit or foot pad malignant melanoma (n = 4), osteosarcoma (n = 2), hemangiosarcoma (n = 1), transitional cell carcinoma (n = 1), nasal adenocarcinoma (n = 1), B-cell lymphoma (n = 1), or undifferentiated sarcoma (n = 2) were treated with 2 or 5 mg/kg c4G12 every 2 weeks. Treatment-related adverse events of any grade were observed in eight dogs (66.7%), including elevated aspartate aminotransferase (grade 3) in one dog (8.3%) and thrombocytopenia (grade 4) in another dog (8.3%). Among dogs with target disease at baseline (n = 8), as defined by the response evaluation criteria for solid tumours in dogs (cRECIST), one dog with nasal adenocarcinoma and another with osteosarcoma experienced a partial response (PR), with an objective response rate of 25.0% (2 PR out of 8 dogs; 95% confidence interval: 3.2-65.1%). These results suggest that c4G12 is safe and tolerable and shows antitumor effects in dogs with malignant tumours other than OMM. Further clinical studies are warranted to identify the tumour types that are most likely to benefit from c4G12 treatment.

Comprehensive analysis of geographic and breed-purpose influences on genetic diversity and inherited disease risk in the Doberman dog breed

BACKGROUND

Publicly available phenotype data and genotyping array data from two citizen science projects: "Doberman Health Surveys" and "The Doberman Diversity Project" were analyzed to explore relative homozygosity, diversity, and disorder risk according to geographical locale and breeding purpose in the Doberman.

RESULTS

From the phenotypic data cohort, life expectancy of a Doberman at birth is 9.1 years. The leading causes of death were heart disease (accounting for 28% of deaths) and cancers (collectively accounting for 14% of deaths). By genotyping, the world Doberman population exists as four major cohorts (European exhibition-bred, Americas exhibition-bred, European work, Americas pet/informal). Considering the entire Doberman population, four genomic regions longer than 500 Kb are fixed in 90% or more of 3,226 dogs included in this study. The four fixed regions reside on two autosomal chromosomes: CFA3:0.8-2.3 Mb (1.55 Mb); CFA3: 57.9-59.8 Mb (1.8 Mb); CFA31:0-1.2 Mb (1.2 Mb); and CFA31:4.80-6.47 Mb (1.67 Mb). Using public variant call files including variants for eight Doberman pinschers, we observed 30 potentially functional alternate variants that were evolutionarily diverged relative to the wider sequenced dog population within the four strongly homozygous chromosomal regions. Effective population size (Ne) is a statistical measure of breed diversity at the time of sampling that approximates the number of unique individuals. The major identified sub-populations of Dobermans demonstrated Ne in the range 70-236. The mean level of inbreeding in the Doberman breed is 40% as calculated by the number of array variants in runs of homozygosity divided by the assayed genome size (excluding the X chromosome). The lowest observed level of inbreeding in the Dobermans assayed was 15% in animals that were first generation mixes of European and USA bred Dobermans. Array variant analysis shows that inter-crossing between European and USA-bred Dobermans has capacity to re-introduce variation at many loci that are strongly homozygous.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that efforts to improve breed diversity first should focus on regions with the highest fixation levels, but managers must ensure that mutation loads are not worsened by increasing the frequencies of rarer haplotypes in the identified regions. The analysis of global data identified regions of strong fixation that might impact known disorder risks in the breed. Plausible gene candidates for future analysis of the genetic basis of cardiac disease and cancer were identified in the analysis.

Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy or Animal Chiropractic in Veterinary Rehabilitation

Veterinary rehabilitation is a multimodal diagnostic and treatment approach that is recommended and provided to patients daily. One therapeutic modality that may be beneficial (diagnostically and therapeutically) is veterinary spinal manipulative therapy or animal chiropractic (AC). AC is a receptor-based health-care modality being provided more frequently in veterinary practices. All clinicians should strive to understand the mode of action, indications, contraindications, how it affects the patient from the neuro-anatomical and biomechanical point of view, and most importantly, when not to provide the requested modality, as further diagnostics may be indicated.

Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data

There are few recent and methodologically robust life expectancy (LE) tables for dogs or cats. This study aimed to generate LE tables for these species with clinical records from >1,000 Banfield Pet hospitals in the USA. Using Sullivan's method, LE tables were generated across survey years 2013-2019, by survey year, and for subpopulations defined by sex, adult body size group (purebred dogs only: toy, small, medium, large and giant), and median body condition score (BCS) over life. The deceased population for each survey year comprised animals with a recorded date of death in that year; survivors had no death date in that year and were confirmed living by a veterinary visit in a subsequent year. The dataset totaled 13,292,929 unique dogs and 2,390,078 unique cats. LE at birth (LE_birth) was 12.69 years (95% CI: 12.68-12.70) for all dogs, 12.71 years (12.67-12.76) for mixed-breed dogs, 11.18 years (11.16-11.20) for cats, and 11.12 (11.09-11.14) for mixed-breed cats. LE_birth increased with decreasing dog size group and increasing survey year 2013 to 2018 for all dog size groups and cats. Female dogs and cats had significantly higher LE_birth than males: 12.76 years (12.75-12.77) vs. 12.63 years (12.62-12.64), and 11.68 years (11.65-11.71) vs. 10.72 years (10.68-10.75), respectively. Obese dogs (BCS 5/5) had a significantly lower LE_birth [11.71 years (11.66-11.77)] than overweight dogs (BCS 4/5) [13.14 years (13.12-13.16)] and dogs with ideal BCS 3/5 [13.18 years (13.16-13.19)]. The LE_birth of cats with BCS 4/5 [13.67 years (13.62-13.71)] was significantly higher than cats with BCS 5/5 [12.56 years (12.45-12.66)] or BCS 3/5 [12.18 years (12.14-12.21)]. These LE tables provide valuable information for veterinarians and pet owners and a foundation for research hypotheses, as well as being a stepping-stone to disease-associated LE tables.

Risk Factors Regarding Dog Euthanasia and Causes of Death at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Italy: Preliminary Results

The decision to request and proceed with euthanasia in a dog is complex and predictors of such decisions are important. This study investigates the risk factors (demographic and clinical) associated with the main clinical causes and methods of death (euthanasia or unassisted death) in a population of dogs. By comparing euthanasia to unassisted deaths, the authors assess causes of death to evaluate their relative impacts on decision-making to choose euthanasia compared with an unassisted death. For this, goal data from electronic medical records of dogs who had died (unassisted death and euthanasia), obtained from an Italian referral veterinary teaching hospital from 2010 to 2020, were analyzed. The causes of death were categorized by pathophysiological process and the organ system. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors that significantly affect the probability of undergoing euthanasia and to individuate independent significant predictors of euthanasia and unassisted death, respectively. Death rate by euthanasia was 40.7% (125/307), by died unassisted 50.8% (156/307), whilst only 8.5% of dogs (26/307) died accidentally. The main causes of death for euthanasia were due to neoplastic (75.6%), degenerative (64.3%), and congenital (60%) diseases. Furthermore, the findings reveal that in deaths by euthanasia, the significant risk predictors were female gender, age, and neoplastic and degenerative processes; while in unassisted deaths, the significant risk predictors were male gender, age, and infection/inflammatory conditions. These preliminary outcomes highlight the information of this study which may be used to evaluate strategic interventions and health promotion strategies to be implemented, with consequent welfare gains for the canine population.

Clinical characteristics of dogs presenting with vomiting as a gastrointestinal sign of chronic enteropathy

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Some dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE) presented with vomiting without diarrhea.

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Vomiting was significantly associated with food-responsive enteropathy.

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Vomiting was significantly associated with higher duodenal eosinophil scores.

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The survival time was the longest in the vomiting group among dogs with CE.

Vomiting is a major gastrointestinal (GI) sign of chronic enteropathy (CE) in dogs. Previous studies have reported clinical characteristics of dogs with CE, who developed diarrhea with or without vomiting as GI signs. However, to characterize clinical features of dogs with CE appropriately, dogs presenting with vomiting without diarrhea should be included in the analysis. Thus, this study aimed to characterize clinical features and outcomes of dogs that presented with vomiting without diarrhea. Based on their presenting GI signs, we retrospectively classified 66 dogs with CE into “Vomiting”, “Diarrhea”, or “Vomiting and diarrhea” groups and compared clinical and histological characteristics of each group. We found that 18 of the 66 dogs with CE (27%) presented with vomiting without diarrhea as a GI sign. Compared to the other 2 groups, the Vomiting group was significantly associated with food-responsive enteropathy (FRE), Beagle, lower clinical severity scores, higher plasma albumin levels, and higher histological scores for eosinophils in the duodenal lamina propria according to the univariate analysis. The multivariate analysis revealed that FRE and higher histological scores for eosinophils in the duodenal lamina propria were significant variables in the Vomiting group. Moreover, the survival time was the longest in the Vomiting group among dogs with CE. These findings are of clinical significance as they indicate that presenting with vomiting without diarrhea may not only be helpful in differentiating FRE from the other types of CE, but also in predicting the prognosis.

Application of Bayesian Regression for the Identification of a Catchment Area for Cancer Cases in Dogs and Cats

Research on cancer in dogs and cats, among other diseases, finds an important source of information in registry data collected from hospitals. These sources have proved to be decisive in establishing incidences and identifying temporal patterns and risk factors. However, the attendance of patients is not random, so the correct delimitation of the hospital catchment area (CA) as well as the identification of the factors influencing its shape is relevant to prevent possible biases in posterior inferences. Despite this, there is a lack of data-driven approaches in veterinary epidemiology to establish CA. Therefore, our aim here was to apply a Bayesian method to estimate the CA of a hospital. We obtained cancer (n = 27,390) and visit (n = 232,014) registries of dogs and cats attending the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California, Davis from 2000 to 2019 with 2,707 census tracts (CTs) of 40 neighboring counties. We ran hierarchical Bayesian models with different likelihood distributions to define CA for cancer cases and visits based on the exceedance probabilities for CT random effects, adjusting for species and period (2000-2004, 2005-2009, 2010-2014, and 2015-2019). The identified CAs of cancer cases and visits represented 75.4 and 83.1% of the records, respectively, including only 34.6 and 39.3% of the CT in the study area. The models detected variation by species (higher number of records in dogs) and period. We also found that distance to hospital and average household income were important predictors of the inclusion of a CT in the CA. Our results show that the application of this methodology is useful for obtaining data-driven CA and evaluating the factors that influence and predict data collection. Therefore, this could be useful to improve the accuracy of analysis and inferences based on registry data.

Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom

A life table is a tabulated expression of life expectancy and mortality-related information at specified ages in a given population. This study utilised VetCompass data to develop life tables for the UK companion dog population and broken down by sex, Kennel Club breed group, and common breeds. Among 30,563 dogs that died between 1st January 2016 and 31st July 2020, life expectancy at age 0 was 11.23 [95% confidence interval (CI): 11.19-11.27] years. Female dogs (11.41 years; 95% CI: 11.35-11.47) had a greater life expectancy than males (11.07 years; 95% CI: 11.01-11.13) at age 0. Life tables varied widely between breeds. Jack Russell Terrier (12.72 years; 95% CI: 12.53-12.90) and French Bulldog (4.53 years; 95% CI: 4.14-5.01) had the longest and shortest life expectancy at age 0, respectively. Life tables generated by the current study allow a deeper understanding of the varied life trajectory across many types of dogs and offer novel insights and applications to improve canine health and welfare. The current study helps promote further understanding of life expectancy, which will benefit pet owners and the veterinary profession, along with many other sectors.

The phenotype of aging in the dog: how aging impacts the health and well-being of dogs and their caregivers

Aging is the single most important cause of disease, disability, and death in adult dogs. Contrary to the common view of aging as a mysterious and inevitable natural event, it is more usefully understood as a set of complex but comprehensible biological processes that are highly conserved across species. Although the phenotypic expression of these processes is variable, there are consistent patterns both within and between species.

The purpose of this feature is to describe the patterns currently recognized in the physical and behavioral manifestations of aging in the dog and how these impact the health and welfare of companion dogs and their human caregivers. Important gaps in our knowledge of the canine aging phenotype will be identified, and current research efforts to better characterize aging in the dog will be discussed. This will help set the context for future efforts to develop clinical assessments and treatments to mitigate the negative impact of aging on dogs and humans.

Early immunohistochemical detection of pulmonary micrometastases in dogs with osteosarcoma

Background

Despite decades of research, the early phases of metastatic development are still not fully understood. Canine osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive cancer, with a high metastatic rate (> 90%), despite a low overt metastatic prevalence at initial diagnosis (< 15%). Canine OS is generally regarded as a good clinically relevant model for human OS. The aim of this hypothesis-generating study was to evaluate a method to detect pulmonary micrometastases and study their prevalence in dogs with OS without macroscopic metastases. We prospectively enrolled dogs with OS that received no cancer-specific treatment (n = 12) and control dogs without cancer (n = 2). Dogs were necropsied and sampled immediately after euthanasia. The OS dogs were classified as having macroscopic metastases (n = 2) or not (n = 10). We immunohistochemically stained one tissue sample from each of the seven lung lobes from each dog with a monoclonal antibody (TP-3) to identify micrometastases (defined as clusters of 5–50 tumour cells), microscopic metastases (> 50 tumour cells) and TP-3 positive single cells (< 5 tumour cells).

Results

We showed that pulmonary micrometastases easily overseen on routine histology could be detected with TP-3. Pulmonary micrometastases and microscopic metastases were present in two dogs with OS without macroscopic metastases (20%). Micrometastases were visualised in three (43%) and four (57%) of seven samples from these two dogs, with a mean of 0.6 and 1.7 micrometastases per sample. Microscopic metastases were present in one (14%) and four (57%) of seven samples from the same two dogs, with a mean of 0.14 and 1.0 microscopic metastases per sample. There were four (57%) and two (29%) samples with neither microscopic metastases nor micrometastases for each of these two dogs. The prevalence of pulmonary micrometastases (20%) was significantly lower than expected (> 90%) based on commonly expected metastatic rates after amputation (P < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of TP-3 positive single cells in between groups (P = 0.85).

Conclusions

Pulmonary micrometastases could be detected with TP-3 immunohistochemistry in a subset of dogs with OS before macroscopic metastases had developed. We propose that dogs with spontaneous OS represent clinically relevant models to study early micrometastatic disease.

A potential bat adenovirus-based oncolytic virus targeting canine cancers

Although a canine adenovirus (CAdV)-based oncolytic virus (OV) candidate targeting canine tumors has been reported, its oncolytic effect could be attenuated by CAdV vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies in dog patients. To circumvent this issue, we focused on the bat adenovirus (BtAdV) strain, which was previously isolated from healthy microbats. We previously showed that this virus replicated efficiently in canine cell lines and did not serologically cross-react with CAdVs, suggesting that it may offer the possibility of an OV candidate for canine tumors. Here, we tested the growth properties and cytotoxicity of the BtAdV Mm32 strain in a panel of canine tumor cells and found that its characteristics were equivalent to those of CAdVs. To produce an Mm32 construct with enhanced tumor specificity, we established a novel reverse genetics system for BtAdV based on bacterial artificial chromosomes, and generated a recombinant virus, Mm32-E1Ap + cTERTp, by inserting a tumor-specific canine telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter into its E1A regulatory region. The growth and cytotoxicity of this recombinant were superior to those of wild-type Mm32 in canine tumor cells, unlike in normal canine cells. These data suggest that Mm32-E1Ap + cTERTp could be a promising OV for alternative canine cancer therapies.

Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK

The loss of a pet can be particularly distressing for owners, whether the method of death is euthanasia or is unassisted. Using primary-care clinical data, this study aimed to report the demographic and clinical factors associated with euthanasia, relative to unassisted death, in dogs. Method of death (euthanasia or unassisted) and clinical cause of death were extracted from a random sample of 29,865 dogs within the VetCompass Programme from a sampling frame of 905,544 dogs under UK veterinary care in 2016. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to evaluate associations between risk factors and method of death. Of the confirmed deaths, 26,676 (89.3%) were euthanased and 2,487 (8.3%) died unassisted. After accounting for confounding factors, 6 grouped-level disorders had higher odds in euthanased dogs (than dogs that died unassisted), using neoplasia as the baseline. The disorders with greatest odds included: poor quality of life (OR 16.28), undesirable behaviour (OR 11.36) and spinal cord disorder (OR 6.00). Breed, larger bodyweight and increasing age were additional risk factors for euthanasia. The results highlight that a large majority of owners will face euthanasia decisions and these findings can support veterinarians and owners to better prepare for such an eventuality.

Causes of spontaneous death and euthanasia in dogs: A background study in Bahia, Brazil

Understanding the causes of death in dogs enhances the diagnostic capabilities of veterinarians, as well as reduces animal mortality. Studies on this topic assist in the control and prophylaxis of epidemics and in structuring public health programmes. In total, 1 355 necropsy reports of dogs filed at the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory of the Federal University of Bahia, Northeast, Brazil (2005-2017) were analysed. The epidemiological information and anatomopathological diagnoses were obtained. The diagnosed diseases were classified into 10 categories. The frequency of the zoonoses, the overall age of the death (AD) of the dogs, and the AD of the dogs for each disease category were determined. Infectious and parasitic diseases were the most frequent primary causes of death in puppies (44.62%) and adult dogs (26.52%). In elderly dogs, most deaths occurred due to neoplasms (42.37%). Distemper (10.46%) was the most prevalent condition. A high frequency of zoonoses (6.12%) and a high death rate caused by diseases that could have been prevented (15.06%), such as distemper, parvovirus and canine visceral leishmaniasis, were reported. The AD in the population studied was eight years. The results confirmed the hypothesis of a high death rate in dogs in the state of Bahia, Northeast, Brazil, because of preventable infectious diseases.

Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with exposure to Leishmania infantum in dogs, in an endemic Mediterranean region

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean area and transmitted by phlebotomine sand fly vectors. The domestic dog is the main reservoir host. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of different individual, environmental and spatial risk factors on the dog exposure to L. infantum and to estimate the seroprevalence among owned and kennel dogs, in the Lazio region (central Italy), where canine leishmaniasis is endemic. In the period 2010-2014, 13,292 sera from kennel and owned dogs were collected by official and private veterinarians. The presence of anti-Leishmania IgG was analysed by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), using a 1:80 titre cut-off. At the univariable analysis, CanL seropositivity was associated with sex, size, breed, coat length, living with other dogs and forest/semi-natural land cover. At the multivariable analysis, age, ownership and attitude were confirmed as risk factors, being more than 2 years old, owned, and hunting dogs at higher risk. Being a Maremma sheepdog was a protective factor. A true overall seroprevalence of 6.7% (95% CI: 6.2-7.2) was estimated in the whole population while 7.3% (95% CI: 6.8-7.8) was estimated in kennel dogs and 74.3% (95% CI: 70.8-77.6) in owned dogs. The role of kennels as a key component for CanL active and passive surveillance was also highlighted. This study confirmed the endemicity of CanL in the Lazio region and focused some factors that can influence the seropositivity of dogs in a Mediterranean region.

Enhanced risk of cancer in companion animals as a response to the longevity

Cancer is caused by the lifetime accumulation of multiple somatic deformations of the genome and epigenome. At a very low rate, mistakes occur during genomic replication (e.g., mutations or modified epigenetic marks). Long-lived species, such as elephants, are suggested to have evolved mechanisms to slow down the cancer progression. Recently, the life span of companion dogs has increased considerably than before, owing to the improvement of their environment, which has led to an increase in the fraction of companion dogs developing cancer. These findings suggest that short-term responses of cancer risk to longevity differ from long-term responses. In this study, to clarify the situation, we used a simple multi-step model for cancer. The rates of events leading to malignant cancer are assumed to be proportional to those of genomic replication error. Perfect removal of replication error requires a large cost, resulting in the evolution of a positive rate of genomic replication error. The analysis of the model revealed: that, when the environment suddenly becomes benign, the relative importance of cancer enhances, although the age-dependent cancer risk remains unchanged. However, in the long run, the genomic error rate evolves to become smaller and mitigates the cancer risk.

Epigenetic Mechanisms in Canine Cancer

A plethora of data has highlighted the role of epigenetics in the development of cancer. Initiation and progression of different cancer types are associated with a variety of changes of epigenetic mechanisms, including aberrant DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNA expression. At the same time, advances in the available epigenetic tools allow to investigate and reverse these epigenetic changes and form the basis for the development of anticancer drugs in human oncology. Although human and canine cancer shares several common features, only recently that studies emerged investigating the epigenetic landscape in canine cancer and applying epigenetic modulators to canine cancer. This review focuses on the existing studies involving epigenetic changes in different types of canine cancer and the use of small-molecule inhibitors in canine cancer cells.

Quantitative Translation of Dog-to-Human Aging by Conserved Remodeling of the DNA Methylome

All mammals progress through similar physiological stages throughout life, from early development to puberty, aging, and death. Yet, the extent to which this conserved physiology reflects underlying genomic events is unclear. Here, we map the common methylation changes experienced by mammalian genomes as they age, focusing on comparison of humans with dogs, an emerging model of aging. Using oligo-capture sequencing, we characterize methylomes of 104 Labrador retrievers spanning a 16-year age range, achieving >150× coverage within mammalian syntenic blocks. Comparison with human methylomes reveals a nonlinear relationship that translates dog-to-human years and aligns the timing of major physiological milestones between the two species, with extension to mice. Conserved changes center on developmental gene networks, which are sufficient to translate age and the effects of anti-aging interventions across multiple mammals. These results establish methylation not only as a diagnostic age readout but also as a cross-species translator of physiological aging milestones.

The inhibitory effect of canine interferon gamma on the growth of canine tumors

Recombinant canine interferon-γ (rc-IFNγ; Interdog^Ⓡ) was exclusively approved as a therapeutic for canine atopic dermatitis. However, it has been used off-label for the treatment of canine cancer. We examined the inhibitory effect of rc-IFNγ on the growth of canine tumor cell lines and analyzed its mechanism of action. Three (CTB-p, CTB-m, and CNM-m) out of seven mammary gland tumor cell lines and two (VIMC and CoMS) out of four mast cell tumor cell lines showed remarkable growth inhibition after treatment with rc-IFNγ. However, one (CLBL-1) out of nine lymphoma cell lines showed a significant amount of cell death. Using CTB-p and CTB-m cell lines, we showed that STAT1 was essential for inducing the growth inhibitory effect of rc-IFNγ. Although rc-IFNγ induced G1 growth arrest in CTB-p cell line, treatment with rc-IFNγ did not alter the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins. In this study, we observed direct cytotoxicity or cytostatic effects of rc-IFNγ in canine tumor cell lines. However, the detailed mechanisms responsible for these effects need to be elucidated in the future.

Use of deep learning to detect cardiomegaly on thoracic radiographs in dogs

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-aided detection (CAD) device based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to detect cardiomegaly from plain radiographs in dogs. Right lateral chest radiographs (n = 1465) were retrospectively selected from archives. The radiographs were classified as having a normal cardiac silhouette (No-vertebral heart scale [VHS]-Cardiomegaly) or an enlarged cardiac silhouette (VHS-Cardiomegaly) based on the breed-specific VHS. The database was divided into a training set (1153 images) and a test set (315 images). The diagnostic accuracy of four different CNN models in the detection of cardiomegaly was calculated using the test set. All tested models had an area under the curve >0.9, demonstrating high diagnostic accuracy. There was a statistically significant difference between Model C and the remainder models (Model A vs. Model C, P = 0.0298; Model B vs. Model C, P = 0.003; Model C vs. Model D, P = 0.0018), but there were no significant differences between other combinations of models (Model A vs. Model B, P = 0.395; Model A vs. Model D, P = 0.128; Model B vs. Model D, P = 0.373). Convolutional neural networks could therefore assist veterinarians in detecting cardiomegaly in dogs from plain radiographs.

Factors Contributing to the Decision to Euthanize: Diagnosis, Clinical Signs, and Triggers

This article reviews factors contributing to the decision to euthanize a patient by exploring the diagnosis, clinical signs, and triggers behind the choice. By investigating these triggers, the article helps guide practitioners to proactively manage areas of concern that lead to the decision of euthanasia. Included in this article is a benchmark comprehensive survey for pet families that standardizes documentation of family decision making surrounding end of life and euthanasia. Increased knowledge about diagnosis, clinical signs, and triggers may improve the technical and communication skills of professionals about specific conditions that are encountered at the end of life.

Sobre a relação humano-cão

Resumo Neste artigo são discutidos aspectos concernentes ao início do convívio entre cães e humanos e às diferenças culturais que afetam as relações entre as duas espécies. O estudo das interações entre humanos e cães precisa trazer à tona a pluralidade de fenômenos interconectados: o processo de domesticação iniciado há milhares de anos, os efeitos evolutivos da relação entre as duas espécies e os aspectos culturais que influenciam a convivência entre nós. Considerando essa visão holística, enxergamos de maneira ampla o cenário interacionista, estabelecendo paralelos muitas vezes ignorados por estudos pontuais e/ou enviesados por paradigmas experimentais de baixa relevância ecológica para os animais.

Chronic Enteropathy In Canines: Prevalence, Impact And Management Strategies

In this article, the studies about the prevalence of chronic enteropathy are reviewed as well as the information regarding short- and long-term prognosis for dogs treated with the three most common therapies; these include dietary modification, antibiotics, and immunosuppressants. Although the data available are limited, most studies support a good to excellent long-term response in dogs that have a successful food trial, whereas the response is poor with antibiotics or on-going treatment is required to retain remission. There is a risk of antimicrobial resistance developing with inappropriate use of antimicrobials such as in these situations. The published information highlights the need for alternative strategies to antibiotic treatment to manipulate the GI microbiome, and in the final part of this article studies on the use of probiotic for the treatment of chronic enteropathy are reviewed.

Pilot prescription survey of antineoplastic agents: real-world data from veterinary teaching hospitals in Japan

The collection of real clinical records from veterinary practices and analysis of these records helps to establish evidence‐based veterinary medicine and further improves animal health and welfare. Prior to the collection of nationwide clinical records, we downloaded the data from the digital accounting systems of two veterinary teaching hospitals in Japan, and the prescriptions of antineoplastic agents were surveyed for a 5‐year period from 2009 to 2013. The ratio of the number of patients prescribed antineoplastic agents to the total number of prescriptions was <5% at both hospitals, and >80% of those patients were dogs. The overall number of prescriptions included more oral rather than injectable formations, whereas among antineoplastic agents, injectable formulations were prescribed more frequently at both hospitals. The most frequently prescribed agents were almost identical at both hospitals: platinum compounds, such as carboplatin and cisplatin (CDDP), vincristine and doxorubicin. The most frequently prescribed product combined with CDDP was doxorubicin at Hospital A. Antiemetic agents combined with CDDP included dexamethasone, ondansetron and metoclopramide, but these antiemetic agents were combined fewer than 10 times among 197 CDDP prescriptions. The prescription history, including the number of prescriptions, dosing intervals and combined medications, was provided by the survey. Although the present database consisted of data from two hospitals, our results indicate that a broad analysis can be conducted using integrated data from multiple hospitals and practices for further cohort studies.

Functional comparison of the human epidermal growth factor receptor and telomerase reverse transcriptase promoters in canine tumor cells

We previously showed that the promoter region of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (hEGFR) gene elicits high transduction efficiency, with transgene expression restricted to canine breast tumor cells. However, it was unclear whether this promoter induces tumor cell-specific transgene expression in canine urothelial carcinoma cells. Furthermore, compared with studies in human cancer cells, the utility of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene promoter for therapeutic transgene expression in canine cancer cells has not been evaluated thus far. Here, we compared the activity of these promoters in canine mammary tumor and urothelial carcinoma cells. Our results showed that compared with the TERT promoter, the hEGFR promoter was more useful as a tumor-specific promoter to induce efficient transgene expression in canine tumor cells.

Paving the Path Toward Retirement for Assistance Animals: Transitioning Lives

Assistance animals play significant roles in human therapy and well-being and represent a rapidly growing demographic of animals in society. Most research in the field of assistance animals has been focused on the effect of these animals on people. Only recently has there been a growing interest in the welfare and well-being of these animals and the effect of the work on the animals themselves. The concept of retirement, or withdrawing the animal from its working life, is an important welfare consideration that has received minimal discussion in the scientific literature. The notion of retirement is typically regarded as a reward earned after a lifetime of work, but this inevitable phase of an animal's working life has positive and negative implications for both animal and handler. Some of these implications include recognizing the emotional impact of this life-altering event on both animal and handler. The decisions of when and how to appropriately retire an animal are typically made at the discretion of the assistance animal agencies and handlers, but standard evidence-based guidelines for the proper retirement of assistance animals are currently unavailable. This review will provide considerations and recommendations for the retirement that assistance animals deserve.

Depression and anxiety in pet owners after a diagnosis of cancer in their pets: a cross-sectional study in Japan

OBJECTIVE

To determine the presence and predictors of depression and anxiety in pet owners after a diagnosis of cancer in their pets.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

A veterinary medical centre specialised in oncology for dogs and cats and two primary veterinary clinics in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants for analysis were 99 owners of a pet with cancer diagnosis received in the past 1-3 weeks and 94 owners of a healthy pet.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess depression and anxiety. Depression was assessed using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and anxiety was measured by using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form JYZ.

RESULTS

Depression scores were significantly higher in owners of a pet with cancer than owners of a healthy pet, even after adjustment for potential confounders (p<0.001). Within the owners of a pet with cancer, depression was significantly more common in those who were employed than those who were unemployed (p=0.048). State anxiety scores were significantly higher in owners of a pet with cancer than owners of a healthy pet, even after adjustment for potential confounders, including trait-anxiety scores (p<0.001). Furthermore, in owners of a pet with cancer, state anxiety was higher in owners with high trait anxiety (p<0.001) and in owners whose pets had a poor prognosis (p=0.027).

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that some owners tended to become depressed and anxious after their pets had received a diagnosis of cancer. Employment may be a predictor of depression. High trait anxiety and a pet with a poor prognosis may increase owners' state anxiety. Including the pet in a family genogram and attention to the pet's health condition may be important considerations for family practice.

Welfare-Adjusted Life Years (WALY): A novel metric of animal welfare that combines the impacts of impaired welfare and abbreviated lifespan

Currently, separate measures are used to estimate the impact of animal diseases on mortality and animal welfare. This article introduces a novel metric, the Welfare-Adjusted Life Year (WALY), to estimate disease impact by combining welfare compromise and premature death components. Adapting the Disability-Adjusted Life Year approach used in human health audits, we propose WALY as the sum of a) the years lived with impaired welfare due to a particular cause and b) the years of life lost due to the premature death from the same cause. The years lived with impaired welfare are the product of the average duration of each welfare impediment, reflecting the actual condition that compromises animal welfare, the probability of an incident case developing and impaired welfare weights, representing the degree of impaired welfare. The years of life lost are calculated using the standard expected lifespan at the time of premature death. To demonstrate the concept, we estimated WALYs for 10 common canine diseases, namely mitral valve disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, atopic dermatitis, splenic haemangiosarcoma, appendicular osteosarcoma, cranial cruciate ligament disease, thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease and cervical spondylomyelopathy. A survey of veterinarians (n = 61) was conducted to elicit impaired welfare weights for 35 welfare impediments. Paired comparison was the primary method to elicit weights, whereas visual analogue scale and time trade-off approaches rescaled these weights onto the desired scale, from 0 (the optimal welfare imaginable) to 1 (the worst welfare imaginable). WALYs for the 10 diseases were then estimated using the impaired welfare weights and published epidemiological data on disease impacts. Welfare impediment “amputation: one limb” and “respiratory distress” had the lowest and highest impaired welfare weights at 0.134 and 0.796, rescaled with a visual analogue scale, and 0.117 and 0.857, rescaled with time trade-off. Among the 10 diseases, thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease and atopic dermatitis had the smallest and greatest adverse impact on dogs with WALYs at 2.83 (95% UI: 1.54–3.94) and 9.73 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 7.17–11.8), respectively. This study developed the WALY metric and demonstrated that it summarises welfare compromise as perceived by humans and total impact of diseases in individual animals. The WALY can potentially be used for prioritisation of disease eradication and control programs, quantification of population welfare and longitudinal surveillance of animal welfare in companion animals and may possibly be extended to production animals.

Estimating the life expectancy of companion dogs in Japan using pet cemetery data

The life expectancy provides valuable information about population health. The life expectancies were evaluated in 12,039 dogs which were buried or cremated during January 2012 to March 2015. The data of dogs were collected at the eight animal cemeteries in Tokyo. The overall life expectancy of dogs was 13.7 (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.7-13.8) years. The probability of death was high in the first year of life, lowest in the fourth year, and increased exponentially after four years of age like Gompertz curve in semilog graph. The life expectancy of companion dogs in Tokyo has increased 1.67 fold from 8.6 years to 13.7 years over the past three decades. Canine crossbreed life expectancy (15.1 years, 95% CI 14.9-15.3) was significantly greater than pure breed life expectancy (13.6 years, 95%CI 13.5-13.7, P-value <0.001). The life expectancy for male and for female dogs were 13.6 (95% CI: 13.5-13.7) and 13.5 (95% CI: 13.4-13.6) years, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.097). In terms of the median age of death and life expectancy for major breeds, Shiba had the highest median age of death (15.7 years), life expectancy (15.5 years) and French Bulldog had the lowest median age of death (10.2 years), life expectancy (10.2 years). When considering life expectancy alone, these results suggest that the health of companion dogs in Japan has significantly improved over the past 30 years.

Doenças do sistema nervoso central em cães

RESUMO: São descritas doenças do sistema nervoso central (SNC) em cães diagnosticadas no sertão da Paraíba. Os registros de necropsia de 1.205 cães foram revisados. Em 354 casos (29,38%) foram registrados história clínica de alterações do sistema nervoso. Duzentos e noventa e seis casos tiveram diagnóstico definitivo e 58 foram inconclusivos. As doenças infecciosas foram observadas em 59,60% (211/354) de casos que representam a principal causa de distúrbios neurológicos; 53% dos casos (186/354) foram representadas por doenças virais; 3,11% (11/354) foram de etiologia parasitária, 2,54% (9/354) foram causadas por bactérias e 1,41% (5/354) por fungos. Os agentes físicos representaram a segunda causa mais importante de transtornos do SNC com 9,89% (35/354) e os tumores a terceira causa com 5,93% (21/354). Outras alterações pouco frequentes foram alterações metabólicas secundárias a insuficiência hepática ou renal, representando 2,54% (9/354). Casos raros de hidrocefalia congênita foram observados, 1,41% (5/354). Os casos de manifestações neurológicas associadas a alterações vasculares, degenerativas e inflamatórias não infecciosas, muitas das quais uma causa específica não foi estabelecida representaram 4,24% (15/354); Estavam dentro das seguintes categorias de doenças: Infartos isquêmicos e hemorrágicos (6/15), necrose vascular fibrinoide (5/15), doença do disco intervertebral (2/15), meningoencefalite granulomatosa (1/15) e granuloma de colesterol (1/15). Os distúrbios do sistema nervoso central representam uma importante causa de morte ou eutanásia em cães na região semiárida da Paraíba. Os sinais clínicos variaram de acordo com o agente envolvido, localização e distribuição das lesões. O conhecimento dos principais agentes que pode afetar o SNC canino é importante ao fazer uma lista de diagnóstico diferencial.

Association of cancer-related mortality, age and gonadectomy in golden retriever dogs at a veterinary academic center (1989-2016)

Golden retriever dogs have been reported to have an increased prevalence of cancer compared to other breeds. There is also controversy over the effect spay or neuter status might have on longevity and the risk for developing cancer. The electronic medical records system at an academic center was searched for all dogs who had a necropsy exam from 1989–2016. 9,677 canine necropsy examinations were completed of which 655 were golden retrievers. Age was known for 652 with a median age of death 9.15 years. 424 of the 652 (65.0%) were determined to have died because of cancer. The median age for dying of a cause other than cancer was 6.93 years while those dying of cancer had a median age of 9.83 years (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in the proportion of intact males and castrated males dying of cancer (p = 0.43) but a greater proportion of spayed females died of cancer compared to intact females (p = 0.001). Intact female dogs had shorter life spans than spayed female dogs (p<0.0001), but there were no differences between intact and castrated males. Intriguingly, being spayed or neutered did not affect the risk of a cancer related death but increasing age did. The most common histologic diagnosis found in golden retrievers dying of cancer was hemangiosarcoma (22.64%) followed by lymphoid neoplasia (18.40%). Overall golden retriever dogs have a substantial risk of cancer related mortality in a referral population and age appears to have a larger effect on cancer related mortality than reproductive status.

A 3-year surveillance on causes of death or reasons for euthanasia of domesticated dogs in Taiwan

Over the last 2 decades, there has been growing interest in research on the mortality of domesticated pets. These studies relied on an effective data-collecting system. During 2012-2014, a real-time reporting system was designed for mortality data in owned dogs and cats. The present retrospective study aimed to report on the causes of death (CODs) or reasons for euthanasia (RFEs) in domesticated dogs in Taiwan, and to investigate CODs/RFEs segregated by demographic variables. Data from 2306 domesticated dogs were acquired during the 3-year period in the present study. The median age at death of the study population was 10.2 years (median interquartile range 7.0-14.0; range 0.0-25.0). Crossbred, female, and neutered dogs showed greater ages at death than other groups. The most common COD/RFE was neoplasia, followed by multiple organ involvement (MOI) and cardiovascular diseases. Segregated by cut-off ages, the most common COD/RFE was infection among dogs younger than 3 years or 1year, and neoplasia among dogs at or older than 3 years or 1year of age; the most common COD/RFE was neoplasia among dogs younger than median age, and MOI among dogs at or older than median age. Segregated by geographic variables, the ranking and frequency of CODs/RFEs displayed different patterns between the capital city/non-capital areas, and among areas stratified by human population densities. The study provides various insights into age at death and CODs/RFEs in owned-dog population in Taiwan, and provides new directions for future research.

A real-time reporting system of causes of death or reasons for euthanasia: A model for monitoring mortality in domesticated cats in Taiwan

A novel, real-time mortality recording system was designed to collect mortality data in companion animals from veterinary hospitals in Taiwan. This retrospective study aims to introduce the system, and to utilize the data collected for further investigation of the lifespan and mortality of the domesticated cat population stratified by demographic variables. Our data revealed that 1325 domesticated cats were acquired between 2012 and 2014. The median age of the study population was 8.0 years (IQR 3.0–13.0; range 0.0–22.7). Neutered and purebred cats lived longer. The most common causes of death were renal and urologic disorders, followed by neoplasia, infection, cardiovascular disorders, and trauma. Independent factors for common causes were surveyed. Advanced age and neutering was found to be associated with death due to renal and urologic disorders as well as with neoplasia. In contrast, younger age was found to be associated with death due to trauma and infection; being unneutered and living in the capital city were found to be associated with death due to trauma. Being male or purebred was found to be associated with death due to cardiovascular disorders.

Morbidity pattern by age, sex and breed in insured cats in Japan (2008-2013)

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to describe the morbidity pattern of different diagnostic categories in insured cats in Japan by age, sex and breed.

METHODS

The annual incidence rates of having at least one insurance claim were calculated overall and stratified by diagnosis, age, sex and breed using data from insured cats in the period April 2008 to March 2013.

RESULTS

The overall annual incidence rate of having at least one insurance claim was 4632 (95% confidence interval 4608-4656) cats per 10,000 cat-years at risk. The highest annual incidence rate was obtained for digestive system disorders, followed by urinary tract disorders and dermatological disorders. The incidence rates varied between breeds for most diagnostic categories: for cardiovascular system disorders, Scottish Fold, American Shorthair, Persian, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Ragdoll and Bengal had a higher annual incidence rate than crossbreeds.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study provides comparative and quantitative estimates of morbidity pattern in insured Japanese cats. These estimates can be utilised by veterinary practitioners, breeders and owners in diagnostic decision-making, breeding and when selecting a new pet, respectively.

Retrospective epidemiological study of canine epilepsy in Japan using the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force classification 2015 (2003-2013): etiological distribution, risk factors, survival time, and lifespan

Background

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease in veterinary practice. However, contrary to human medicine, epilepsy classification in veterinary medicine had not been clearly defined until recently. A number of reports on canine epilepsy have been published, reflecting in part updated proposals from the human epilepsy organization, the International League Against Epilepsy. In 2015, the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF) published a consensus report on the classification and definition of canine epilepsy. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the etiological distribution, survival time of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IdE) and structural epilepsy (StE), and risk factors for survival time, according to the recently published IVETF classification. We investigated canine cases with epilepsy that were referred to our teaching hospital in Japan during the past 10 years, and which encompassed a different breed population from Western countries.

Results

A total of 358 dogs with epilepsy satisfied our etiological study criteria. Of these, 172 dogs (48 %) were classified as IdE and 76 dogs (21 %) as StE. Of these dogs, 100 dogs (consisting of 65 with IdE and 35 with StE) were included in our survival study. Median survival time from the initial epileptic seizure in dogs with IdE and StE was 10.4 and 4.5 years, respectively. Median lifespan of dogs with IdE and StE was 13.5 and 10.9 years, respectively. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that risk factors for survival time in IdE were high seizure frequency (≥0.3 seizures/month) and focal epileptic seizures.

Conclusions

Focal epileptic seizures were identified as a risk factor for survival time in IdE. Clinicians should carefully differentiate seizure type as it is difficult to identify focal epileptic seizures. With good seizure control, dogs with IdE can survive for nearly the same lifespan as the general dog population. Our results using the IVETF classification are similar to previous studies, although some features were noted in our Japanese canine population (which was composed of mainly small-breed dogs), including a longer lifespan in dogs with epilepsy and a larger percentage of meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin in dogs with StE.

Expression of HIF-1α ODD domain fused canine caspase 3 by EGFR promoter-driven adenovirus vector induces cytotoxicity in canine breast tumor cells under hypoxia

Adenovirus (Ad) vectors are widely used in cancer gene therapies. However, compared to human patients, relatively limited information is available on gene transduction efficiency or cell-specific cytotoxicity in canine tumor cells transduced with Ad vectors. Since epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highly expressed on canine breast tumor cells, we sought to develop an Ad vector based on the RGD fiber-mutant adenovirus vector (AdRGD) that expresses canine caspase 3 under the control of EGFR promoter. The aims of this study were to achieve high transduction efficiency with transgene expression restricted to canine breast tumor cells. Using EGFR promoter-driven AdRGD, we were able to restrict transgene expression to canine breast tumor cells with no evidence of expression in normal cells. Canine breast tumor cells transduced with EGFR promoter-driven AdRGD carrying canine caspase 3 gene showed cytotoxic activity. We constructed a second AdRGD vector that expressed oxygen-dependent degradation (ODD)-caspase 3 under the control of the EGFR promoter; the fusion protein contains a core part of the ODD domain of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) fused to caspase 3. Transduction of canine breast tumor cells with EGFR promoter-driven AdRGD expressing ODD-caspase 3 induced a higher rate of cell death under hypoxic conditions compared with under normoxia. The results indicate that the EGFR promoter-driven AdRGD vectors will be of value for tumor-specific transgene expression and safe cancer gene therapy in dogs.

Investigation of risk factors for mortality in aged guide dogs: A retrospective cohort study

The overall median lifespan of domestic dogs has been estimated to 9-12 years, but little is known about risk factors for mortality in aged and a priori healthy dogs. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine which characteristics are associated with mortality in aged and a priori healthy guide dogs, in a retrospective cohort study of 116 guide dogs followed from a systematic geriatric examination at the age of 8-10 years old. A geriatric grid collected the clinical data and usual biological parameters were measured at the time of examination. Univariate (Kaplan-Meier estimates) and multivariable (Cox proportional hazard model) survival analyses were used to assess the associations with time to all-cause death. The majority of dogs were Golden Retrievers (n=48) and Labrador Retrievers (n=27). Median age at geriatric examination was 8.9 years. A total of 76 dogs died during follow-up, leading to a median survival time from geriatric examination of 4.4 years. After adjustment for demographic and biological variables, an increased alanine amionotransferase level (adjusted Hazard Ratio (adjusted HR), 6.2; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 2.0-19.0; P<0.01), presenting skin nodules (adjusted HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.4; P=0.04), and not being a Labrador Retriever (adjusted HR, 3.3; 95%CI, 1.4-10; P<0.01) were independently associated with a shorter time to death. This study documents independent associations of alanine aminotransferase level, skin nodules and breed with mortality in aged guide dogs. These results may be useful for preventive medical care when conducting a geriatric examination in working dogs.

Clinical Outcomes of Surgically Managed Spontaneous Tumors in 114 Client-owned Dogs

Medical records of 139 tumors from 114 dogs that underwent surgery from May 2010 through March 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Among 114 dogs, females (64.9%) were significantly more common than males (35.1%) (p<0.05). Dogs aged 6 to 10 years were more presented than non-tumor patients, however, there was no significant difference. The mean age (±SD) was 10.3±3.0 years. Although we found no significant difference of breed predisposition, the most common breed was Maltese (19.3%), followed by Shih-Tzu (14.0%), and Yorkshire terrier (13.2%). Proportional morbidity ratios (PMRs) of mammary gland, oral cavity, and skin tumors were high in Poodles, Yorkshire terriers, and Golden retrievers, respectively. Mammary gland (36.0%) was the most common site, followed by skin and soft tissues (12.2%), oral cavity (10.8%), and digestive organs (8.6%), but there was no significant difference. The objectives of surgery were curative surgery (86.2%), biopsy (4.9%), and palliative surgery (6.5%). In this study, 123 of 139 tumors had histopathological diagnoses. Adenocarcinoma was the most common type (n=24), followed by adenoma (n=17), soft tissue sarcoma (n=13), benign mixed tumor (n=5), and others (n=64). Recurrence or suspected metastasis was identified in 26 dogs. Median survival times of malignant mammary gland tumors, skin and subcutaneous tumors, and splenic tumors were 1,563.0±1,201.7, 469, and 128 days, respectively.

Quantitative risk assessment of the introduction of rabies into Japan through the illegal landing of dogs from Russian fishing boats in the ports of Hokkaido, Japan

Japan has been free from rabies since 1958 and various preventive measures are in place protecting the country from the introduction of the disease. Historical reviews indicate that the illegal landing of dogs from Russian fishing boats in the ports of Hokkaido occurred frequently especially in the early 2000s and this could potentially be a source of introduction of rabies into Japan. The method of scenario tree modelling was used and the following entry and exposure pathway was considered the most likely route of rabies entry: a rabies-infected dog arriving on a Russian fishing boat lands in a port of Hokkaido in Japan, it becomes infectious, contacts and infects a susceptible domestic animal (companion dog, stray dog or wildlife). Input parameter values were based on surveys of Russian fishermen, expert opinion and scientific data from the literature. At present (2006-2015), the probability of the introduction of rabies as a result of one Russian fishing boat arriving at a port of Hokkaido is 8.33×10(-10) (90% Prediction Interval (PI): 7.15×10(-11)-5.34×10(-9)), while this probability would have been 7.70×10(-9) (90% PI: 6.40×10(-10)-4.81×10(-8)) in the past (1998-2005). Under the current situation (average annual number of boat arrivals is 1106), rabies would enter Japan every 1,084,849 (90% PI: 169,215-20,188,348) years, while the disease would have been introduced every 18,309 (90% PI: 2929-220,048) years in the past (average annual number of boat arrivals is 7092). The risk of rabies introduction has decreased 59 fold due to both the effective control of the issue of illegal landing of dogs and the decline in the number of Russian boat arrivals. Control efforts include education of Russian fishermen, establishment of warning signs, daily patrols and regular port surveillance of potential dog landing activity. Furthermore, scenario analysis revealed that the policy of mandatory domestic dog vaccination does not contribute effectively to Japan's rabies prevention system under rabies-free situation. Although the current risk of rabies introduction is minimal, control measures against the illegal landing of dogs must be maintained. Further risk management measures, such as the removal of wildlife from the port area and regular monitoring of the rabies situation in Russia (particularly the easternmost regions), can be established to strengthen the current rabies prevention system in Hokkaido.