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Background: Although persistent fontanelles (PFs) are common in adult Chihuahuas, their association with cranial morphology remains unknown., Objectives: To identify whether cranial morphology is associated with PFs in Chihuahuas and if bodyweight is associated with cranial morphology in this breed., Animals: Fifty client-owned Chihuahuas., Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study using computed tomography images, we measured two different cranial base lengths (1 and 2), cranial length, height, and width, and two craniofacial angles. We calculated the ratios of cranial height to cranial base lengths 1 and 2, cranial height to length, cranial height to width, and cranial width to length (cranial index [CrI]). We evaluated if total PF area and number of cranial sutures affected by PFs were associated with craniometric measurements and their ratios and craniofacial angles. Additionally, we evaluated if the craniometric ratios were associated with bodyweight., Results: Total PF area was larger and number of cranial sutures affected by PFs higher in dogs with higher cranial height to cranial base length ratios 1 (estimate, [95% confidence interval], p: 2.295, [1.204-4.377], p = 0.01 and 1.720, [1.212-2.442], p = 0.002, respectively) and 2 (1.203, [1.069-1.354], p = 0.003 and 1.087, [1.011-1.169], p = 0.02, respectively) and CrI (1.225, [1.079-1.391], p = 0.002, and 1.134, [1.057-1.215], p < 0.001, respectively). Higher CrI was associated with lower bodyweight (-2.600, [-4.102 to -1.098], p = 0.001)., Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Our results suggest that in Chihuahuas, lower bodyweight is associated with more extreme brachycephaly and extreme brachycephaly is associated with PFs., (© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Despite the increasing interest in cellulose-derived materials in biomedical research, there remains a significant gap in comprehensive in vivo analyses of cellulosic materials obtained from various sources and processing methods. To explore durable alternatives to synthetic medical meshes, we evaluated the in vivo biocompatibility of bacterial nanocellulose, regenerated cellulose, and cellulose nanofibrils in a subcutaneous transplantation model, alongside incumbent polypropylene and polydioxanone. Notably, this study demonstrates the in vivo biocompatibility of regenerated cellulose obtained through alkali dissolution and subsequent regeneration. All cellulose-derived implants triggered the expected foreign body response in the host tissue, characterized predominantly by macrophages and foreign body giant cells. Porous materials promoted cell ingrowth and biointegration. Our results highlight the potential of bacterial nanocellulose and regenerated cellulose as safe alternatives to commercial polypropylene meshes. However, the in vivo fragmentation observed for cellulose nanofibril meshes suggests the need for measures to optimize their processing and preparation.

Objective:  The aim of our study was to investigate a degradable polylactide-collagen scaffold (COPLA) in the treatment of shoulder osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in dogs., Study Design:  The study was a controlled, randomized, blinded clinical trial with a parallel group design with a 1.5-year follow-up. Twenty dogs with uni- or bilateral shoulder OCD (29 shoulders) were randomized to receive a COPLA or arthroscopic debridement only (Control). The outcome of treatment was assessed with gait and stance analysis, passive range of motion measurement, pain and lameness evaluation, Helsinki Chronic Pain Index, and computed tomography (CT)., Results:  Eighteen dogs (25 shoulders) completed the study. The clinical outcome variables improved significantly from baseline in COPLA and Control groups after treatment but no significant differences emerged between groups. Significantly fewer COPLA than Control shoulders had osteoarthritis (OA) in CT at 6 months ( p  = 0.019) but the difference was not significant at 1.5 years. At 1.5 years, all dogs were sound and pain-free in joint palpation, but OA was diagnosed in 13/18 dogs (18/25 shoulders) with CT., Conclusion:  The results suggest that COPLA scaffold slowed down the development of OA at 6 months but it did not improve the clinical recovery or prevent OA in dogs with shoulder OCD in long-term follow-up at 1.5 years compared with arthroscopic debridement only. Regardless of the treatment method, clinical recovery was good, but OA developed in the majority of dogs., Competing Interests: None declared., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Background: Stress, sleep deprivation, and infectious diseases are important seizure-precipitating factors in human epilepsy patients. However, these factors have not been thoroughly studied in epileptic dogs., Objective: Seizure-precipitating factors are common in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and the occurrence of these factors associate with the dogs' signalment, personality, and epilepsy-related factors., Animals: Fifty dogs with diagnosed idiopathic epilepsy from the hospital populations of University Veterinary Teaching Hospital of University of Helsinki and Referral Animal Hospital Aisti., Methods: In a retrospective cross-sectional observational study, owners were interviewed about their dogs' possible seizure-precipitating factors according to a predefined questionnaire. The dogs were identified and selected by searching the medical records of the participating animal hospitals., Results: The prevalence of seizure-precipitating factors in the study population was 74% (37/50). The most frequently reported factors included stress-related situations, sleep deprivation, weather, and hormonal factors. In dogs with focal onset seizures, the number of precipitating factors was 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.4) times higher compared to dogs with generalized seizures., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Seizure-precipitating factors are common in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy, and the nature of these factors is consistent with those of human patients. Aside from antiepileptic medication, acknowledging and avoiding seizure-precipitating factors could help veterinarians achieve better treatment outcomes., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Pain recognition in cats is difficult and requires a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosis. A total of 103 client-owned cats were enrolled in this prospective, blinded clinical trial. Cats were invited to the clinic, or presented for annual rechecks/vaccinations, or gastrointestinal, dental or locomotor problems. The cats were of different breeds; both shorthaired and longhaired cats were included. Those cats that tolerated it were palpated and all cats were examined with the non-invasive method of thermographic imaging. Owners filled out a questionnaire about their cat's behaviour and estimated whether the cat was in any pain. The agreement between a questionnaire and thermographic imaging or palpation was low. Also, the agreement between the owner's estimation of pain and thermographic imaging or palpation was low. The agreement between palpation and thermographic imaging was moderate, suggesting that thermographic imaging is a potential tool in clinical practice for detecting and screening cats that are, potentially, in pain.