Spinal cord injury (SCI) involves nerve damage and often leads to motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunctions. In the present study, we have designed a clinical protocol to assess the feasibility of systemic delivery of allogenic canine bone marrow tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium (BMMSC CM) to dogs with SCI. Four client-owned dogs with chronic SCI lasting more than six months underwent neurological and clinical evaluation, MRI imaging and blood tests before being enrolled in this study. All dogs received four intravenous infusions with canine allogenic BMMSC CM within one month. Between the infusions the dogs received comprehensive physiotherapy, which continued for three additional months. No adverse effects or complications were observed during the one, three and six months follow-up periods. Neither blood chemistry panel nor hematology profile showed any significant changes. All dogs were clinically improved as assessed using Olby locomotor scales after one, three and six months of BMMSC CM treatment. Furthermore, goniometric measurements revealed partial improvement in the range of joint motion. Bladder function improved in two disabled dogs. We conclude that multiple delivery of allogenic cell-derived conditioned medium to dogs with chronic SCI is feasible, and it might be clinically beneficial in combination with physiotherapy.

Practical use of electromyography in veterinary medicine – A review | J Fuchs, A Bockay, T Liptak, V Ledecky, M Kuricova | Agricultural Journals

The vertebral arteries, as the first branches from the subclavian arteries, normally enter into the transverse foramen of the sixth cervical vertebra in dogs. This case report presents the non‐standard course of the left vertebral artery and unilateral asymmetry of the sixth cervical vertebra in a 14‐year‐old female mixed breed dog. The anomaly was an incidental finding during the preparation of a corrosion cast prepared for educational and scientific purposes. The left sixth cervical vertebra transverse foramen and the ventral lamina were not developed. The left vertebral artery originated normally from the left subclavian artery, but atypically entered into the transverse foramen of the fifth cervical vertebra. On the right side, the anatomical structures of the sixth cervical vertebra and the course of the right vertebral artery were normally developed. To our knowledge, this is the first case of such an anomaly described in a dog.

The aim of this study was to detect vertebral malformations among French Bulldogs admitted between the years 2011 – 2016 due to the high popularity of the breed and the intentions to increase the breed welfare by reducing the occurrence of congenital anomalies. Besides, we aimed to look for gender predisposition, possible vertebral predisposition, occurrence of clinical symptoms and radiographic findings. A total of 73 French Bulldogs met the inclusion criteria (radiographs of the whole spine). In 67.12% (49) dogs we confirmed a vertebral anomaly and 32.88% (24) dogs were free of any vertebral anomaly. We identified a total of 67 abnormal vertebrae in 49 dogs, 13 cervical vertebrae (19.4%), 43 thoracic vertebrae (64.2%), and 11 abnormal lumbar vertebrae (16.4%). In this study, we found 44 hemivertebrae (65.7%) out of 67 abnormal vertebrae. We identified 64.4% (47/73) dogs with clinical signs (30 males, 17 females) and 36.6% (26/73) dogs without clinical signs (19 males, 7 females). Although the incidence of male dogs was higher in this study, the statistical evaluation did not confirm any predisposed gender, and we found no statistically significant predisposition for any particular abnormal vertebra.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between functional recovery and timing of surgery in dogs diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease treated surgically. Intervertebral disc disease is the most common spinal disease in dogs; it plays a significant role in the scientific field by its high prevalence. There is also an existing hypothesis that the faster the surgery is performed, the better the outcome will be. The data were collected during two years at one institution. The patients were neurologically assessed using the modified Frankel score when they were first diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease at the clinic and later after the surgery and during the following weeks. A total of 36 dogs were included in this study, represented by 13 different dog breeds and crossbreeds. In total 17 were females and 19 males. The mean age of the patients was 6.9 ± 2.97 years (range 2—15 years) and the mean body condition score was 3.5 within a scale of 1—5. Out of the 36 evaluated dogs, surgery was performed on 25 of them. The mean time of duration of clinical signs before surgery was 9 ± 13 days. The main limitation of this study was the small group of investigated dogs. Although the study was based on a small number of participants, the findings suggested that the timing of the surgery and recovery had a positive Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.39; implying that the timing of the surgery may have affected the recovery.

Precise knowledge of the species-/breed-specific anatomy is important for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Existing literature has also been increasing in accordance with the growing demands of biomedical research, wherein mammals, including cats, have been used worldwide. Based on a vascular corrosion cast, complete duplication of the caudal vena cava (dCVC) was accidentally found in a 10-year-old male cat. The two separate symmetric veins corresponding to two caudal venae cavae cranially directed on both sides of the aorta; their first tributaries were the duplicated right and left deep circumflex iliac veins, and the median sacral vein ended in the right common iliac vein. At the L4 vertebra level, the left caudal vena cava crossed the aorta ventrally. It united with the right CVC immediately above the renal veins at the level of the cranial mesenteric artery (L2–L3). Embryologic knowledge is essential to understand the differences between the CVC variants in domestic mammals and the inferior vena cava in humans. However, views regarding the post-hepatic segment of the CVC during development vary considerably. Therefore, our case report also includes a summary of the CVC developmental theories and their clinical impact. We believe that this case and literature review contribute to the knowledge regarding the deep abdominal veins’ variability, concomitant pathologies, and accurate diagnosis and surgery. Additionally, the latest robust studies demonstrating the exclusive participation of the caudal cardinal veins in the CVC development are discussed.