Glutamine has been used to treat canine patients with parvoviral enteritis. However, little is known about the effect of L-alanyl-L-glutamine (Ala-Gln) supplementation in dogs with parvoviral enteritis. The objective of this study was to determine whether Ala-Gln supplementation can improve dog survival and ameliorate clinical signs without adverse effects. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 39 client-owned dogs. The dogs were randomly assigned to two groups and administered either an Ala-Gln solution (Dipeptiven, 0.4 g/kg, n = 20) or an equivalent volume of placebo (n = 19) orally twice daily. Of the 39 dogs, 17 were vaccinated (n = 9 in the Ala-Gln-treated group and n – 9 in the placebo group). All dogs received standard treatment while hospitalized. The dogs were monitored according to a clinical scoring system and evaluated diagnostically daily for 11 days. Survival rates in both groups were quantified using Kaplan‒Meier survival curves and statistically compared using the log-rank test. The total score for clinical signs did not differ between the groups, except on day 2. The survival rates differed significantly (p=0.038). Three Ala-Gln-treated dogs (15.0%) died during the study, whereas eight dogs in the placebo group died (42.1%). No adverse effects were found to be associated with Ala-Gln treatment. Oral administration of Ala-Gln improves survival in dogs with parvoviral enteritis without causing adverse effects.

This study aimed to identify prognostic factors and describe the treatment outcomes of multidrug therapy in dogs with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology (MUE). A total of 23 dogs diagnosed with MUE were treated with prednisolone in combination with cyclosporine, cytosine arabinoside (CA), leflunomide, and mycophenolate mofetil. Based on the survival time, these dogs were divided into two groups: group A (n = 10), surviving for < 100 days, and group B (n = 13), surviving for > 100 days. Signalment, seizure activity, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis results, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings were reviewed. Survival studies were conducted to investigate the association of each prognostic factor and treatment with the clinical outcome. There were no significant differences in age, sex, body weight, occurrence of seizures, cell number and protein concentration in the CSF, or location of lesions between groups A and B. Abnormal MR features were more frequently observed in group A than in group B. It was identified that the longest median survival time was administration of multi-drug therapy including CA. In conclusion, abnormal MR features were associated with poor prognosis in dogs with MUE and CA-based multi-drug therapy could be considered the most effective treatment of MUE.

Vitamin K1 (VK1) has been widely used as a coumarin antagonist and for the treatment of hemorrhagic disease in veterinary practice. However, the potential mechanism of adverse reaction after VK1 injection has been not fully elucidated. In this study, two cases of anaphylactic reactions after subcutaneous VK1 injection were presented, and then an experimental study was performed to further characterize the anaphylactic reactions. Two dogs developed anaphylactic reactions after subcutaneous VK1 injections and were promptly treated with antihistamines and glucocorticoids, after which abnormal signs related to anaphylaxis disappeared. Subsequently, a study was undertaken to ascertain the nature of the adverse reactions to subcutaneous VK1 injection. Six healthy laboratory beagle dogs received subcutaneous VK1 administrations once daily for eight days. They were monitored for clinical signs after each injection, and blood samples were collected for the measurement of plasma histamine and immunoglobulin E concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All six dogs showed mild angioedema after the VK1 injections. The dogs also displayed clinical signs including sneezing, coughing, skin reddening, excess salivation, pawing the ground, and somnolence on days 4, 6, and 8. Plasma histamine and immunoglobulin E concentrations were significantly increased by the repeated injections. In summary, this study describes anaphylactic reactions resulting from subcutaneous VK1 administration in dogs. Clinicians should be aware that the repeated subcutaneous injection of VK1 can trigger an anaphylactic reaction in dogs.

A one-year-old, intact male Maltese was referred with dehydration, anorexia, and marked hyperglycemia. The dog had been managed due to meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (MUE) for three months. The dog had been treated with long-term prednisolone administration. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was identified based on the blood chemistry and venous gas analyses, and intensive treatments including insulin administration were initiated. On further examinations, there was no any other disease that contributed to the occurrence of DKA. Insulin resistance resulted from the administration of prednisolone was highly suspected, but the agent could not be tapered due to managing MUE. Following resolution of DKA, the dog was discharged with life-long insulin and prednisolone therapy. Over the next two years, the dog continued to be routinely re-evaluated and was managed with permanent insulin therapy (0.8–1.4 units/kg SC 12 hourly) and medications including prednisolone (0.4–1.1 mg/kg PO 12 hourly). Because MUE severely progressed, the dog was euthanized by owner’s request. Histopathologic examination of pancreas obtained by post-mortem revealed that both endo- and exocrine pancreas was within normal limit. The case described herein showed the risk of ketoacidosis as well as hyperglycemia after long-term prednisolone administration in a dog without pancreatic islet pathology.

A one-year-old, intact female, Maltese dog was presented with a history of anorexia and regurgitation. Thoracic radiographs and ultrasonography scans suggested an abnormal mass in the cranial mediastinal region, and computed tomography confirmed the origin of this mass. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology showed the presence of intermediate to large lymphoid cells showing mitotic figures. B-cell lymphoma was confirmed by the result of a polymerase chain reaction assay for antigen receptor rearrangement, therefore the patient was diagnosed with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBL). The patient underwent L-CHOP (L-asparaginase, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone)-based chemotherapy, and showed complete tumoral remission from the beginning of chemotherapy. Seventytwo weeks after the completion of chemotherapy, the patient is still alive without any evidence of metastasis or relapse. A standardized treatment protocol has yet to be established for primary mediastinal lymphoma in dogs. This case report describes the complete remission of PMBL by an L-CHOP-based chemotherapy protocol in a young Maltese. Clinicians should consider that L-CHOP based chemotherapy may be useful against PMBL in dogs.

Successful pregnancy requires well-coordinated interactions between the maternal uterus and the developing embryo in pigs. In pigs, implantation begins around Day 12 of pregnancy. During this period, conceptus undergoes a dramatic morphological change and secretes various factors such as estrogens, interleukin-1 beta (IL1B), and interferons. Estrogens produced by conceptuses act as the signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy, and the mechanism of estrogen action is explained by the endocrine and exocrine theory. The uterine endometrium becomes receptive to the conceptus by changing cell adhesion molecules, polarizing epithelial cells and increasing secretory activity. Some changes of uterine activity are affected by the ovarian hormone, progesterone, but the presence of conceptus in the uterus also induces changes of endometrial functions, including most importantly maternal recognition of pregnancy. Many factors, such as hormones, cytokines, enzymes, extracellular matrix proteins, and transport proteins are reported to be present at the maternal-fetal interface and function in the establishment of pregnancy in pigs. However, understanding of the cellular and molecular events occurring in the endometrium is not complete. In recent studies we made some progress on understanding of expression and function of genes involved in maternal-fetal interaction for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in the uterine endometrium in pigs. Firstly, we found that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) was present at the maternal-and fetal interface at the time of implantation and LPA receptor 3 was uniquely expressed in the endometrium during early pregnancy. Secondly, we observed that salivary lipocalin (SAL1), a lipid-binding protein, was uniquely expressed in the uterine endometrium at the time of embryo implantation, and its expression was regulated by IL1B. Furthermore, expression of IL1B receptors are regulated by estrogen and IL1B, and IL1B functions in expression of genes related to prostaglandin synthesis and transport. Thirdly, we found that calcium regulatory molecules TRPV6 and S100G were dynamically regulated in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy, suggesting that regulation of calcium ion concentration may important for the embryo implantation and the maintenance of pregnancy. Finally, we observed that an MHC class II molecule, SLA-DQ, is expressed in the uterine endometrium at the time of conceptus implantation and its expression is essential for successful pregnancy, indicating that appropriate maternal-fetal immune interaction is required for the maintenance of pregnancy. Further analysis of these molecules will provide insights into the cellular and molecular basis of maternal-and fetal interaction during pregnancy in pigs.