Pets have a crucial role in cancer research. Specifically, dogs and cats share the same environment as their owners and thus may serve as sentinels of naturally occurring tumors that are linked to the exposure to environmental hazards. Quantitative comparison of tumor types may reveal unusual cancer frequencies, providing directions for research and generation of hypotheses of cancer causation in a specific area and identification of risk factors. The aim of this study was to describe the data collected by the pathology-based animal cancer registry, managed by Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), during 10 years of activity (2014–2023) and to assess its potential epidemiological relevance. Frequencies of tumor topography and morphology in dogs and cats were described, analyzed and compared. Proportional morbidity ratios (PMRs) were calculated, taking into consideration some potential risk factors such as species, breed, sex, diet and living environment. The database comprises 5311 tumors (n = 4719 in dogs and n = 592 in cats), with a higher prevalence in females (67.3% in dogs and 61.2% in cats). The mean age at the first diagnosis of tumors was similar between sexes and slightly lower in dogs compared to cats. PMRs highlighted certain risk and “protective” factors for the development of tumors in specific topography. The risk of developing tumors of the blood and hematopoietic system (PMR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.21–0.94), skin and subcutaneous tissues (PMR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.61–0.80), oral cavity and pharynx (PMR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.24–0.89), urinary organs (PMR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.11–0.99) and bones, joints and cartilage (PMR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.22–0.98) was lower in non-neutered male dogs than in neutered male dogs. Non-spayed female dogs had a greater risk of developing tumors of the mammary gland (PMR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.57–1.96), female sexual organs (PMR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.01–4.36) and respiratory system (PMR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.55–6.74) but less risk for cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue tumors (PMR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.38–0.51) and blood/hematopoietic system tumors (PMR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.26–0.85) compared to spayed female dogs. Compared with mixed breed, purebred dogs had a significantly greater risk of developing mammary gland tumors (PMR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.20–1.54) and lower risk for respiratory (PMR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.07–0.32), gastrointestinal (PMR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.34–0.94) and oral (PMR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36–0.96) neoplasia. Non-neutered male cats had a lower risk of developing skin and subcutaneous tumors (PMR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.50–0.92) compared with neutered cats. The risk of developing skin and subcutaneous tissues tumors was higher for dogs and cats that lived mostly outdoor (PMR dogs = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.10–1.33; PMR cats = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.08–1.47), while dogs that live mainly indoor had a greater risk to develop mammary gland tumors (PMR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.68–0.89). Results described herein highlight the fundamental role of animal cancer registration initiatives. These efforts would contribute to the possibility of conducting multicentric collaborative studies to deepen the knowledge of the epidemiology of tumors in dogs and cats from a comparative perspective, thus fulfilling the One Health approach.

Although there are increasing reports on the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in wild species, this is the first case of listeriosis in sea turtle. An adult female Caretta caretta was rescued after being stranded alive along the coast of the Abruzzo region (Italy) in summer 2021. The turtle died in 6 days due to respiratory failure. The necropsy showed widespread organ lesions, such as yellow foci of necrosis in many organs, gastrointestinal erosions, pericarditis, and granulomatous pneumonia. Microbiological and histological analyses were performed on several organs. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from multiple organs, indicating a case of septicaemic listeriosis, and the genome was sequenced and characterized. All the colonies analysed belonged to the same strain serogroup IVb, ST388, and CC388.

Mammary carcinomas are the most common neoplasms observed in women and in female dogs. Canine mammary tumors show epidemiological, clinical, genetic, and prognostic characteristics comparable to human breast cancers. The recent introduction of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has greatly improved research and diagnostics for humans, while these new tools still need to be implemented in animal models. In this study we developed and validated an AmpliSeq Panel assay for the identification of BRCA variants in twenty-two different dogs. The amplicon mean coverage was 5499× and uniformity was higher than 98% in all samples. The results of germline single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/deletions (INDELs) were fully concordant regardless of the types of samples considered (blood, fresh and FFPE tissues). Moreover, despite the high DNA degradation observed in older FFPE blocks (>5 years), the assay allowed full coverage of all amplicons for downstream analyses. We consider the NGS panel developed in this study as a useful tool for expanding information on BRCA genes in the veterinary field and for human health from a comparative oncology perspective.

A 6-month-old female pet rabbit was presented for routine ovariectomy. The pre-anaesthetic evaluation was unremarkable and no anaesthetic complications occurred during the procedure. However, at the end of the surgery, the rabbit suddenly showed acute bradycardia and cardiac death. Necropsy examination revealed marked dilation of the right ventricle, associated with diffuse thinning of the right ventricular free wall. Gross and histopathological findings were suggestive of a congenital dilated cardiomyopathy characterized by fibro-fatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium. Similar myocardial lesions have not been previously described in rabbits, although they have been documented in myocardial diseases of man, dogs, cats, cattle, horses and chimpanzees.

The Eurasian Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) is a colonial bird that nests on cliffs and is specialized in feeding on the softer parts of mammal carcasses, making it an obligate scavenger. Griffon vultures have been widely used as sentinel species worldwide to monitor both emerging and well-established environmental contaminants, including inorganic elements. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of non-essential metals (barium (Ba), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd)) in the tissues of Gyps fulvus living in Central Italy. 78 tissue samples, including liver, kidney, femur, humerus, and rib, were collected from 19 Griffon vultures through passive monitoring. The concentrations of inorganic elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Ba and Pb concentrations were higher in bones than in soft tissues, whereas Cd levels were higher in soft tissues than in bones. The concentrations of Cd and Pb were below the clinical toxicity threshold. Additionally, liver Cd concentrations showed a positive correlation with body weight. The results of this study indicate the exposure of Gyps fulvus in Central Italy to inorganic elements, underscoring the bird's potential as a valuable species for monitoring environmental contaminants.