Background: NSAIDs are accepted as the most predictably efficacious medical treatment of the clinical signs of osteoarthritis (OA). The marine-based fatty-acid compound PCSO-524 has been proposed as an adjunctive treatment for canine OA, however benefits of this agent is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of PCSO-524 combined with the NSAID firocoxib using force plate gait analysis, orthopedic assessment score (OAS) and canine brief pain inventory score (CBPI) in dogs with OA.A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted. Seventy-nine dogs that had hip and/or stifle OA were assigned randomly into three treatment groups: firocoxib, PCSO-524 and combination of firocoxib and PCSO-524, orally for 4 weeks. Peak vertical force (PVF, expressed as a percentage of bodyweight), OAS, CBPI, serum prostaglandin E₂concentration, hematology and blood chemistry values were evaluated before treatment (Day0), as well as at the second (Day14) and fourth week (Day28) during treatment.Results: Within group analysis revealed significant increases in PVF over the 4-week treatment period for firocoxib, PCSO-524 and the combination (p < 0.05). Mean increases in PVF were 3.25 ± 4.13, 2.01 ± 3.86, 4.11 ± 4.69%BW (mean ± SD) respectively. The OAS showed non-significant change in all treatment groups. There were significant decreases in CBPI pain severity score (PSS) and CBPI pain interference scores (PIS) within some groups over time, however no significant differences were found between the groups. Significantly decreased serum PGE₂concentration (p < 0.05) was found in the combination group. Significant increases in BUN and creatinine (p < 0.05) compared to pre-treatment values were found in the firocoxib and combination groups but not in the PCSO-524 group at day28, but all values in all dogs remained within the normal ranges.Conclusions: The results of this study suggested combination of both PCSO-524 and firocoxib is more effective in alleviation of inflammation and improvement of weight bearing ability when compared to the uses of either PCSO-524 or firocoxib alone. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm this, and to determine if there is any benefit of PCSO-524 over placebo.

Trauma is a major cause of emergency presentation in small animal practice, and accurate early assessment is essential for prognosis. The Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) score is widely applied in Western veterinary settings but has been less frequently evaluated in Asian veterinary institutions. This prospective observational study assessed the prognostic value of the ATT score and of relevant clinical variables in 184 dogs and cats presenting with traumatic injuries to a university veterinary teaching hospital in Thailand. ATT scores, clinicopathological parameters, and management variables were analyzed in relation to survival outcome. The overall mortality rate was 35.3%. Higher ATT scores, lower blood pH, lower ionized calcium concentrations, and increasing age were independently associated with non-survival (p < 0.05). An ATT score ≥ 5 was associated with increased odds of non-survival (OR = 4.207, 95% CI: 1.903–9.301), yielding a sensitivity of 86.2% and specificity of 40.3% for identifying high-risk patients. Among animals with documented surgical indications, those that did not undergo surgery demonstrated higher mortality than those receiving surgical intervention; however, this finding should be interpreted cautiously because treatment allocation was influenced by clinical stability and owner-related factors. These results demonstrate the clinical usefulness of the ATT score as a triage instrument when interpreted in context with clinical laboratory parameters, age, and treatment responses.

Canine hip osteoarthritis (OA) requires multidimensional assessment. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated 4-week treatment with meloxicam, PCSO-524, EAB-277, meloxicam plus PCSO-524, or placebo in 203 client-owned dogs with naturally occurring hip OA. The principal outcome was index-hindlimb peak vertical force (PVF) measured by force-plate gait analysis. Secondary outcomes included PVF responder status, orthopedic assessment score (OAS), Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD), Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), and safety assessments. The primary baseline-adjusted mean PVF analysis did not demonstrate treatment superiority among groups. A secondary responder analysis using an analysis-stage >5%BW PVF threshold showed that meloxicam had a nominally higher Week 4 responder probability than placebo (relative risk = 4.000; 95% confidence interval, 1.223 to 13.079; p = 0.022), interpreted as supportive rather than confirmatory. Within-group score reductions were observed in LOAD and CBPI pain interference for the combination group, LOAD for PCSO-524, and CBPI pain interference for EAB-277. OAS did not change significantly within any group. Between-group differences in LOAD and CBPI changes were not significant. No consistent group-level laboratory safety concern was detected. These findings support multidimensional assessment while emphasizing that secondary results do not establish treatment superiority.

Pancreatitis in cats ranges from mild forms with low mortality to severe cases with poor prognosis, and early identification of high-risk patients remains a challenge. The prognostic significance of hyperlactatemia and metabolic acidosis in feline pancreatitis is not well established. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors in hospitalized cats with pancreatitis and assess the predictive value of hyperlactatemia and metabolic acidosis. A retrospective study of 142 cats diagnosed between January 2020 and December 2023 was conducted, analyzing signalment, clinical signs, and clinicopathological findings. Diagnosis was based on clinical signs, abnormal feline pancreatic lipase assay, and abdominal sonography. Multivariate analysis identified jaundice (OR, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.7–12.7), renal disease (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.05–5.40), hypoalbuminemia (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 1.70–9.01), increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR, 4.76; 95% CI, 1.96–11.53), and neutrophil cytoplasmic toxic change (OR, 10.54; 95% CI, 4.17–26.7) as independent prognostic indicators. The combination of renal disease and jaundice increased the mortality risk 12-fold, while hypoalbuminemia and neutrophil toxic changes increased it 120-fold. However, hyperlactatemia and metabolic acidosis upon admission were not predictive of outcomes. These findings suggest that jaundice, renal disease, hypoalbuminemia, increased BUN, and neutrophil toxic changes are significant prognostic indicators in feline pancreatitis, whereas hyperlactatemia and metabolic acidosis do not predict mortality.

Assessing disease severity and prognosis in canine acute pancreatitis (AP) remains a major clinical challenge. This study evaluated the clinical utility of the Adapted Modified Canine Activity Index (aMCAI), a clinical scoring system refined from the original MCAI. A prospective observational study was conducted on 42 dogs diagnosed with AP, with aMCAI scores assessed on Days 1, 3, and 5. A linear mixed model (LMM) was used to analyze score progression over time and differences between survivors and non-survivors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves evaluated the prognostic accuracy for 30 day survival. The LMM analysis revealed that non-survivors had significantly higher aMCAI scores than survivors (p = 0.035), and overall scores decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed poor discrimination on Days 1 and 3. However, on Day 5 the aMCAI demonstrated good prognostic performance (AUC = 0.813, p < 0.001). A cutoff value of ≥2.5 on Day 5 yielded 100% sensitivity, a negative likelihood ratio of 0.00 and a 100% negative predictive value, providing clinically relevant prognostic information. These findings suggest that the aMCAI is a practical tool for monitoring disease progression and may support the identification of dogs with a high likelihood of survival.

Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) contains anti-inflammatory mediators, whereas cannabidiol (CBD) may have analgesic and immunomodulatory effects. This exploratory randomized trial evaluated intra-articular ACS, alone or combined with oral CBD, after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy in dogs. Twenty-seven dogs were randomized to placebo, ACS, or ACS + CBD (n = 9/group). Outcomes included C-reactive protein (CRP), peak vertical force, orthopedic assessment scores (lameness, joint mobility, pain on palpation, weight-bearing, and overall clinical condition), Canine Brief Pain Inventory, radiographic outcomes, and safety. CRP peaked on Day 1. In the linear mixed model using a heterogeneous first-order autoregressive covariance structure, treatment-group (p = 0.001) and visit (p < 0.001) effects were significant, whereas the treatment-group × visit interaction did not reach significance (p = 0.053). Exploratory comparisons showed lower CRP in ACS + CBD than placebo on Days 3 (adjusted p = 0.007) and 5 (adjusted p = 0.001), with model-dependent sensitivity findings. No consistent treatment-group differences were identified in clinical or structural outcomes. One ACS-treated dog developed a surgical site infection, and alkaline phosphatase activity was higher in ACS + CBD on Day 28. The CRP findings remain hypothesis-generating, with uncertain clinical relevance.