Stray dogs are one of the main reservoirs of intestinal parasitic infections and some have zoonotic potential. An epidemiological survey was carried out between September 2017 and May 2018 in Mexicali Valley, this area sacrifices around 92,470 head of cattle monthly, which represents 27% of the national slaughter and has 71,307 hectares for crops. In this period the Municipal Animal Control Center during their routine visits to the Mexicali Valley captured 103 dogs. All the dogs were evaluated using copromicroscopic techniques to detect intestinal parasites. The general frequency of parasitic infections was 28.15% (29/103), the most frequent parasite being Dipylidium caninum 16.50% (17/103), followed by Taenia spp. 6.79% (7/103), Taenia hydatigena 2.91% (3/103), Taenia serialis 0.97% (1/103), Taenia pisiformis (0.97%), Toxocara canis 3.88% (4/103), Toxascaris leonina 1.94% (2/103), and Cystoisospora spp. 1.94% (2/103). No significant statistical associations were found between parasitic infections and the studied variables (sex, age, and size) however; there was a significant statistical association with the capture area. Most of the parasites found in this survey have potential to affect the human population and animal production.

Heart disease is a major contributor to mortality and disability on a global scale. Hence, there is a need for research to improve non-invasive diagnostic techniques. Diseases in dogs with characteristics very similar to those of human pathologies hold promise as a source of data for evaluating and developing echocardiographic techniques and devices. Methods: We conducted a structured literature search from June 2022 to January 2023 to evaluate the relevance of dogs as a translational model for echocardiographic clinical research. We searched various academic databases, including PubMed Central (PMC), Core, DIGITAL.CSIC, DOAB, DOAJ, EBSCO host, Elsevier B.V, Redib, Scopus, and Web of Science, available through the Academic Information System of the Autonomous University of Baja California. Results: Out of the 243 articles initially screened, we identified 119 relevant articles that met our inclusion criteria for further analysis. This review is an introduction to the canine model by analyzing the cardiovascular anatomical similarities between the two species, the pathophysiological overlaps in some diseases, the parallels in echocardiographic techniques in dogs compared to humans, and the suitability of dogs with a naturally occurring cardiac disease as a model for translational clinical research compared to other animal species. Conclusions: This review emphasizes the importance of canine patients as an ideal cardiac disease symmetrical clinical model since they share common heart diseases with humans. Furthermore, dogs have a shorter lifespan, leading to the relatively rapid evolution of these diseases, which makes studying these pathologies and developing echocardiographic techniques more feasible. The results strongly indicate the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and translational medical research to create innovative echocardiographic technologies and improve the connection between veterinary and human cardiac imaging research.

Studies worldwide report cutaneous neoplasms in dogs; however, data in the arid regions of Mexico remain scarce. Here we report the main malignant cutaneous neoplasms diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and describe the associations with age, sex and breed in Mexicali. Neoplastic lesions accounted for 25.52% (698/2735) of the cases, of which 56.59% (395/698) were malignant. The highest prevalence was observed in dogs aged 9–12 years (n = 193), intact males (n = 162), and mixed-breed dogs (n = 247). Round cell neoplasms (n = 309), including lymphoma, transmissible venereal tumors (TVT), and mast cell tumors (MCT), were the most common cell lineage. Using dogs aged 0–4 years as the reference group, dogs aged 9–12 years had 0.241 times the odds of developing malignant neoplasms (95% CI: 0.141–0.415, p = 0.0025). Using neutered males as the reference group, intact females showed 2.499 times the odds of developing malignant neoplasms (95% CI: 1.462–4.271, p = 0.0042). Compared to mixed-breed dogs, Schnauzers (OR = 0.161) showed significantly lower odds of malignancy (95% CI: 0.082–0.317, p = 0.0004), while Pitbull Terriers had 1.748 times more chance of present malignant neoplasia (95% CI: 1.014–3.013, p < 0.0001). This study provides significant epidemiological evidence on canine cutaneous neoplasms in an arid region of Mexico, identifying key risk factors and distribution patterns that can guide preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies tailored to regional characteristics.