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.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is mostly incurable and non-regenerative with long-term complications. Autologous conditioned serum (ACS), which is enriched in Interleukin 1 receptor antagonists (IL-1RA) and growth factors, could be an alternative treatment to accelerate the positive therapeutic effects. ACS is proposed to alleviate inflammation by blocking IL-1 receptors. However, to date, there is no report focusing on the cell-mediated anti-inflammation and regenerative effect caused by ACS, especially the ACS from patients. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the therapeutic potential of ACS generated from dogs with spontaneous OA, focusing on its promising anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties in vitro compared to the matched plasma. We found that ACS prepared from ten OA dogs contained significant concentrations of IL-1RA, vascular endothelial growth factor, and transforming growth factor beta, which are key cytokines in anti-inflammation and angiogenesis. Furthermore, we found that ACS suppressed T cell activity by reducing proliferation of effector T cells and simultaneously expanding numbers of immune suppressive FOXP3⁺ T cells. Lastly, we showed that ACS enhanced the proliferation of osteocytes and fibroblasts and promoted extracellular matrix gene expression in primary chondrocyte culture. Therefore, these studies indicate that ACS prepared from dogs with OA is active as an immunomodulatory and regenerative strategy for use in OA management.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic cannabinoid derived from Cannabis plants, is increasingly explored for its potential therapeutic applications in veterinary medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of CBD oil on the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane (MAC_iso) in cats. Sixteen healthy cats underwent isoflurane anesthesia, and the MAC_iso was determined using the tail-clamping technique both at baseline and 30 min after the administration of CBD oil (2 mg/kg) via a stomach tube. CBD administration resulted in a significant 11% reduction in the MAC_iso, from 1.77 ± 0.14% to 1.62 ± 0.21% (p < 0.001). Following CBD administration, heart and respiratory rates were elevated at the time of MAC_iso determination compared to baseline whereas other physiological parameters remained unchanged. Serum biochemical analysis conducted two weeks post administration revealed a significant decrease in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels while one cat exhibited a mild increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Proteomic analysis identified 12 CBD-associated proteins in feline serum 30 min post administration, with CBDA and THCA synthases demonstrating significant upregulation. These findings indicate that CBD oil reduces anesthetic requirements in cats without inducing significant physiological disturbances. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of CBD’s anesthetic-sparing effects and its implications in veterinary anesthesia.

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 primary hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrinopathy diseases in dogs affecting various body systems. In veterinary practice, the measurement of total thyroxine together with canine thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was suggested to have high accuracy for diagnosing this disease. However, the changes in these recommended diagnostic parameters can be distinguished only in a hypothyroid dog with progressive deterioration or later in the disease. This study investigated the relevant predicting factors of canine primary hypothyroidism from animal characteristics and blood chemistry. Among the 672 dogs that met the inclusion criteria, 77 dogs had hypothyroidism and 179 had non-hypothyroidism. Age at diagnosis was significantly lower in the hypothyroid group (P = 0.01). Packed cell volume and serum albumin were significantly lower, while serum cholesterol and serum creatinine were significantly higher in the hypothyroid group (P < 0.001). Thai Bangkaew dogs had the highest risk for hypothyroidism (31.2%). Multivariable logistic regression identified 5 risk factors. Dogs of the Thai Bangkaew breed with skin lesions, anemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia had 4,272 times greater risk of canine hypothyroidism. The potential association of risk factors, including anemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and skin lesions, suggests a strong diagnostic characteristic for canine hypothyroidism. Evaluation of serum cholesterol and triglyceride in health programs for Thai Bangkaew dogs would be advisable before investigating the thyroid profile, indicating that it is a common genetic risk factor (OR 8.21, [95% CI, 2.21-30.45]) in a variety of breeds.

Canine hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal disorder requiring mul-tidimensional assessment. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated 4-week treatment with meloxicam, two marine-based fatty acid com-pounds, combination treatment, or placebo in 203 client-owned dogs with naturally occurring hip OA. The principal outcome was peak vertical force (PVF) of the index hindlimb 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), adverse events, and laboratory safety variables. Baseline-adjusted mean PVF did not differ significantly among treatment groups, although within-group PVF increased in the meloxicam group be-tween weeks 2 and 4. Using a predefined >5% of body weight PVF responder thresh-old, meloxicam-treated dogs were more likely than placebo-treated dogs to respond at week 4 (relative risk = 4.000; 95% confidence interval, 1.223 to 13.079; p = 0.022). Combination treatment was associated with improvements in LOAD and CBPI pain interference, PCSO-524 showed within-group improvement mainly in LOAD score, and EAB-277 showed within-group improvement in CBPI pain interference. OAS did not change significantly, and no consistent group-level laboratory safety concern was detected. These findings support multidimensional assessment of short-term treat-ment response in canine hip OA.