Multifocal hepatic lesions in dogs arise from various benign and malignant liver diseases. Diagnosing these lesions is challenging because clinical signs, hematological data, and serum biochemistry are not definitive indicators. Ultrasound is utilized as a diagnostic imaging tool to evaluate liver parenchyma and detect hepatic lesions. This study aims to investigate the predictive factors that differentiate between benign and malignant multifocal hepatic lesions by examining ultrasound characteristics, blood tests, and serum biochemistry. In total, 43 dogs with multifocal hepatic lesions were included in this study. All dogs were classified into benign hepatic diseases (n = 32) and malignant haptic diseases (n = 11). For all dogs, their liver characteristics, lesion characteristics, and hepatobiliary ultrasound score by ultrasound were evaluated and we collected individual clinicopathological data for analysis. The findings of the univariate analysis revealed significant differences in four hematological and blood chemical parameters (hematocrit, white blood cell count, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)) and six ultrasonographic parameters (liver parenchymal echogenicity, lesion homogeneity, lesion echogenicity, maximum lesion dimension, average lesion dimension, and hepatobiliary ultrasound score). Using multivariate analysis, only two parameters, hepatobiliary ultrasound score and lesion homogeneity, showed significant differences (p-value < 0.001 and p-value = 0.011, respectively). Additionally, these parameters demonstrated high accuracy in predicting malignant multifocal liver lesions, with accuracy rates of 97.67% and 93.02%, respectively. Therefore, the hepatobiliary ultrasound score and lesion homogeneity are considered effective parameters for screening malignant multifocal liver lesions in dogs.

Background and Aim: Hepatoid gland neoplasms (HGNs) constitute one of the most common cutaneous tumors that arise from perianal glands in dogs and are clinically characterized by rapid growth. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the inducible form of the enzyme, is associated with several hallmarks of tumorigenesis. Its expression has been confirmed in several human and animal neoplastic tissues, but there are no reports in hepatoid gland tissues. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate COX-2 immunoexpression in canine HGNs, compare the expression among groups of normal hepatoid glands, hepatoid gland adenomas (HGAs), hepatoid gland epitheliomas (HGEs), and hepatoid gland carcinomas (HGCs), and assess the association of the COX-2 expression with clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded canine hepatoid gland tissues (20 samples of HGAs, 16 of HGEs, 15 of HGCs, and 10 of normal hepatoid glands) were analyzed for COX-2 expression using immunohistochemistry with scoring for percentage positivity and intensity. Multiple comparisons of COX-2 expression among normal and neoplastic hepatoid glands and the associations between COX-2 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed. Results: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression was not detected in 60% of normal hepatoid glands and 25% of HGAs. Seventy-five percent of HGAs had a weak expression, while 43.7% and 56.3% of HGEs showed weak and moderate expression, respectively. The expression of HGCs ranged from weak (13.3%) to moderate (33.3%) and strong (53.3%). The immunoreactivity score of COX-2 labeling was significantly different among the normal and neoplastic hepatoid glands (p < 0.0001). The highest score was observed in the HGCs. Only in HGCs, the strong COX-2 expression was significantly associated with some clinicopathological features, including tissue invasion (p = 0.007) and necrosis (p = 0.029). Conclusion: These results suggest that COX-2 may play a role in the modulation of neoplastic cell growth. These preliminary data lead to further investigation on the potential of COX-2 expression as a prognostic indicator and COX-2 inhibitors for canine HGCs treatment.

Platynosomum spp., a hepatic trematode, causes fatal hepatobiliary disease in cats. Feline platynosomiasis is often underestimated due to a lack of awareness and diagnostic challenges. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence, factors, and clinicopathological abnormalities associated with Platynosomum spp. infection in cats with elevated serum ALT levels. Platynosomum infection was determined using zinc sulfate flotation and formalin–ether sedimentation. DNA sequence analysis of PCR products from the Platynosomum internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region and cox1 gene was used to identify Platynosomum species. Of a total of 43 cat fecal samples, the proportion of Platynosomum spp. infection by microscopic examination was 11.63% (5/43). All PCR-positive samples were molecularly identified as Platynosomum illiciens. From the logistic regression analysis, the odds of Platynosomum infection in cats without a deworming program were 16 times higher than those of regularly dewormed cats. Demographic data, housing conditions, and predatory behavior were not significantly associated with the infection. Regarding blood profiles, infected cats had higher eosinophil counts (p = 0.014), with no significant differences in ALT (p = 0.791) or ALP (p = 0.970) levels compared to non-infected cats. Our findings demonstrate that eosinophilia in cats with increased serum ALT may suggest P. illiciens infection in endemic areas. We strongly recommend a regular deworming program to mitigate the risk of P. illiciens infection.

Background and Aim: Early identification of critically ill dogs and cats at high-risk of mortality is essential for timely intervention and improved clinical outcomes in veterinary emergency and critical-care practice. Several prognostic indicators, including the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA), blood lactate concentration, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), have been proposed for risk-stratification; however, comparative evidence in mixed populations of critically ill small animals remains limited. This study aimed to compare the prognostic performance of qSOFA, lactate, SIRS, and NLR for predicting mortality in critically ill dogs and cats admitted to a critical-care unit (CCU). Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 76 client-owned critically ill animals, including 39 dogs and 37 cats, admitted to the CCU of the Small Animal Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. Admission qSOFA scores, blood lactate concentrations, SIRS criteria, and NLR values were recorded. Survival status at 21 days post-admission was used as the primary outcome measure. Prognostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity at clinically relevant cut-offs. Results: The overall 21-day survival rate was 47.4%, with survival rates of 51.3% in dogs and 43.2% in cats. qSOFA demonstrated the best prognostic performance for mortality prediction, with an AUC of 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61–0.82). Animals with qSOFA scores ≥ 2 showed significantly higher mortality risk. The combined qSOFA+lactate model produced a slightly higher AUC of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.62–0.88), although the improvement was not statistically significant. Lactate thresholds showed high sensitivity but poor specificity, particularly at lower cut-offs. SIRS and NLR exhibited limited discriminative ability and poor overall predictive performance. Among evaluated triage rules, qSOFA ≥ 2 provided the most balanced sensitivity and specificity for identifying non-survivors. Conclusion: qSOFA was the most reliable and clinically practical prognostic indicator among the evaluated parameters in critically ill dogs and cats. Lactate may serve as an adjunctive escalation marker for closer monitoring, whereas SIRS and NLR showed limited prognostic utility. These findings support the integration of qSOFA into evidence-based triage and risk-stratification protocols in veterinary critical-care. Keywords: cats, critical-care, dogs, lactate, mortality prediction, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, qSOFA, systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Canine hepatoid gland neoplasms (HGNs) are significant clinical concerns due to their high prevalence and diverse biological behaviour. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), a tyrosine kinase receptor implicated in various aspects of tumorigenesis, has been extensively studied in human and animal neoplasms but remains unexplored in HGNs. This study aimed to assess HER2 immunoexpression in canine HGNs and its association with clinicopathological and morphological features. A total of 61 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, including normal hepatoid glands (n = 10), hepatoid gland adenomas (HGAs, n = 20), hepatoid gland epitheliomas (HGEs, n = 16), and hepatoid gland carcinomas (HGCs, n = 15), were analysed using immunohistochemistry. HER2 expression was scored based on percentage positivity and staining intensity. HER2-positive expression was detected in 50% of HGEs (score 2 + ) and 73.3% of HGCs, with 36.4% of cases scoring 3 + . In contrast, all HGAs and normal hepatoid tissues were HER2-immunonegative. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in HER2 expression among normal and neoplastic hepatoid glands (p < 0.001). Only in HGCs, HER2 expression was significantly associated with tissue invasion (p = 0.007), mitotic count (p = 0.033), and nuclear pleomorphism (p = 0.007). These findings suggest that HER2 may play a role in the progression of malignant HGNs, particularly HGCs. This preliminary study highlights the potential of HER2 as a diagnostic marker and emphasizes the need for further investigation into its prognostic value and role in HER2-targeted therapy for canine HGCs.