Hepatocutaneous syndrome (HS) is an uncommon skin disorder that occurs in conjunction with liver disease and is diagnosed based on decreased plasma concentrations of amino acids and the histopathology of skin lesions. The survival period generally is <6 months. A 10-year-old castrated male Maltese dog was presented for evaluation of lethargy, polyuria, polydipsia, and skin lesions including alopecia, erythema, and crusts. Based on increased liver enzyme activity, low plasma amino acid concentrations, and findings from liver cytology and skin biopsy, the dog was diagnosed with HS. In addition to administration of antioxidants, hepatoprotective agents, and amino acids IV, allogenic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells were infused 46 times over a 30-month period: 8 times directly into the liver parenchyma guided by ultrasonography and the remainder of the times into peripheral veins. After commencing stem cell therapy, the dog's hair re-grew and the skin lesions disappeared or became smaller. During ongoing management, the patient suddenly presented with anorexia and uncontrolled vomiting, and severe azotemia was observed. The dog died despite intensive care. On necropsy, severe liver fibrosis and superficial necrolytic dermatitis were observed. The dog survived for 32 months after diagnosis. A combination of amino acid and stem cell therapy may be beneficial for patients with HS.

This study compared the pharmacokinetics of Prednisolone (PDS) in small- and large breed dogs with a dosing format based on body surface area (BSA) or body weight (BW). The maximum concentration and area under the curve in large-breed dogs orally administered 2 mg/kg PDS were significantly greater than those in small-breed dogs given 2 mg/kg and in large-breed dogs given 40 mg/m2. The higher blood concentrations that result from BW-based dosing of oral PDS in large-breed dogs can be more than required for effect. Meanwhile, BSA dosing at 40 mg/m may be suboptimal. These findings confirm important differences between standard PDS dosing schemes in dogs while highlighting the need to further optimize PDS dosing in large-breed dogs.

Lymphoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in dogs. Combination chemotherapy with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisolone (CHOP) is the most effective treatment for multicentric lymphoma. Previous studies have evaluated the response of large dogs to CHOP treatment and identified prognostic factors; however, studies on small dogs are lacking. In this study, we investigated the outcomes and prognostic factors for small dogs with multicentric lymphoma treated with CHOP. The responses of patients to CHOP treatment were assessed, and 54.3% were evaluated as being in complete remission (CR), 31.4% in partial remission (PR), and 14.3% in no remission (NR). The overall response rate was 85.7%. The median survival times for CR, PR, and NR patients were 683 days (85–1496 days), 241 days (15–777 days), and 119 days (61–308 days), respectively. Among the CR patients, survival was longer under the following conditions: age under 10 years (p = 0.011), no cardiovascular heart disease (p = 0.046), and no history of hospitalization due to side effects from chemotherapy (p = 0.002). These results might help clinicians build treatment plans for multicentric lymphoma in small breed dogs.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplanted via intravenous infusion in dogs and examine their safety. We performed a retrospective analysis of various clinical assessments, including physical examination, blood tests, and radiographs, and monitored the formation of neoplasms during a 6-month follow-up period in 40 client-owned dogs that received intravenous infusion of adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) for the treatment of various underlying diseases between 2012 and 2018. Results: No significant adverse effects of MSC therapy were detected by clinical assessment, blood tests, or radiographic examination in the 6-month follow-up period after the first MSC treatment. Additionally no new neoplasms were observed during this period. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the safety aspects (≥ 6 months) associated with intravenous allogeneic AT-MSC infusion. These results suggest that allogenic AT-MSC infusion could be a useful and relatively safe therapeutic approach in canines.

Inter-individual variations in drug responses are major concerns in cancer treatment in human and veterinary oncology. Consequently, preclinical models have been proposed to predict drug responses and determine optimal individualized therapy. We aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of in vitro drug sensitivity testing using a patient-derived cell culture model to select appropriate adjuvant therapies for dogs with solid tumors. We screened medical records of 126 dogs with suspected tumors, including 33 dogs with solid tumors (guided group, 16; empirical group, 17). Anticancer drugs used for adjuvant therapy were determined based on in vitro drug sensitivity testing (guided group) or histopathological examination (empirical group) results. Time to tumor progression (TTP) was compared between groups. The guided group had significantly longer TTP than the empirical group (949 vs. 109 days). Median TTPs were significantly longer in the guided group than in the empirical group for dogs with incomplete surgical margin (949 vs. 109 days), dogs with mitotic count < 20 per 10 high power fields (949 vs. 105 days), dogs with no evidence of metastatic disease at initial diagnosis (455 vs. 196 days), and dogs receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (949 vs. 109 days). Our study suggests that in vitro drug sensitivity testing may be a useful tool for optimizing adjuvant therapy in dogs with solid tumors.