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Simple Summary: Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis in human patients with chronic liver disease is known to influence disease progression. Several studies show benefits from administering probiotics/prebiotics. Similar intestinal dysbiosis was identified in dogs with chronic liver disease, but clinical trials evaluating the benefits of gut microbiome modulation in these patients are lacking. In the study, 32 dogs with chronic hepatobiliary disease were divided into two groups: one treated with a probiotics/prebiotics complex for 4–6 weeks and untreated control group. All dogs underwent clinical evaluation, complete anamnesis, bloodwork, abdominal ultrasound, fecal bile acids, and gut microbiome evaluation. Treated dogs showed a significant reduction in biochemical markers of liver injury and resolution of gastrointestinal signs compared to the control group. Some qualitative modifications of the gut microbiome were observed, but no significant changes in the fecal bile acids profile were detected in association with the probiotics/prebiotics administration. Alteration in the gut microbiome in human patients with chronic liver disease is a well-known pathophysiological mechanism. Therefore, it represents both a diagnostic and therapeutical target. Intestinal dysbiosis has also been identified in dogs with chronic liver disease, but clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of synbiotic administration are lacking. Thirty-two dogs with chronic hepatobiliary disease were equally randomized into two groups: one treated with a synbiotic complex for 4–6 weeks (TG) and one untreated control group (CG). All dogs underwent clinical evaluation, complete anamnesis, bloodwork, abdominal ultrasound, fecal bile acids, and gut microbiome evaluation at T0–T1 (after 4–6 weeks). Treated dogs showed a significant reduction in ALT activity (p = 0.007) and clinical resolution of gastrointestinal signs (p = 0.026) compared to control dogs. The synbiotic treatment resulted in a lower increase in Enterobacteriaceae and Lachnospiraceae compared to the control group but did not affect the overall richness and number of bacterial species. No significant changes in fecal bile acids profile were detected with synbiotic administration. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of synbiotic administration in these patients and the metabolic pathways involved in determining the clinical and biochemical improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juvenile urinary bladder rhabdomyosarcoma (ubRMS) is a known entity; however, literature regarding its clinical behavior and endoscopic features is scarce. The aim of this study was to describe clinical and endoscopic features, and outcomes of ubRMS in dogs. Case Description: Dogs undergoing transurethral endoscopy and with a histological diagnosis of ubRMS were retrospectively collected. Seven dogs with a median age of 18 months (range 6-32 months) were included in this retrospective, multicenter, and descriptive study. Median tumor size was 58 mm (range 30-65 mm), and tumor location was bladder neck in three cases, trigone in two cases, and bladder body in two cases. Two dogs had monolateral ureteral obstruction. Two dogs presented with regional lymphadenopathy and one dog had lung lesions suggestive of metastatic disease. A grape-like mass was reported in four cases and solid in two, with variable consistency (two friables, two firms, and two not reported). Tumor treatments included surgery in three cases, surgery, and adjuvant doxorubicin in one case, and palliative therapy in three cases. The overall median survival time (ST) was 45 days. STs were shorter (range 20-45 days) for dogs treated with palliative care than for dogs treated with curative-intent treatment (range 70-120 days). Conclusion: ubRMS should be considered as a differential diagnosis in young dogs presenting with bladder masses. In this study, ubRMS confirmed its aggressive clinical behavior. Surgery and chemotherapy seem to increase STs but the prognosis remains poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Linguatula serrata is a pentastomid zoonotic parasite with worldwide distribution. Although some cases of L. serrata infection have been reported in dogs, the epidemiology of this parasite remains largely unknown in developed countries. In recent years, canine linguatulosis has been repeatedly linked to cases of imported infections. This study aims to focus attention on this uncommon parasite through the presentation of a case report and an overview of the literature. Case Description: A 1-year-old intact female Borzoi imported from Romania to Italy sneezed spontaneously a worm-like parasite specimen. Morphological and molecular diagnosis identified the parasite as a female of the zoonotic pentastomid L. serrata (so-called European tongue worm) that lives in the nasopharyngeal tract of canids. Eggs of Linguatula were detected in the feces. Molecular identification (99%-100% homology) was based on DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction of a 700-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, and alignment with BLAST analysis. Due to the possibility of other adult or juvenile specimens of the parasite still occurring in the dog, a treatment attempt with a combination of febantel/pyrantel/praziquantel was made. No parasite eggs were detected in fecal samples after the drug was administered. Endoscopy confirmed the absence of adult parasites and slight pathological changes. A follow-up examination conducted 3 months after the treatment did not reveal any clinical and laboratory abnormalities. Conclusion: Linguatula serrata appears to be currently prevalent in some European countries, but there are no recent extensive studies on the prevalence of canine linguatulosis, so the parasite frequently remains undetected and unreported in dogs as the diagnosis is often overlooked. Parasites not commonly found such as L. serrata can become increasingly prevalent and may be detected in imported dogs. Therefore, veterinarians must be aware of the possible presence of uncommon and exotic pathogens in these dogs, be able to recognize the relevant clinical signs, and diagnose the infection quickly. This will improve the prognosis in individual dogs, reduces the risk of possible public health implications, and reduces the risk of uncommon and exotic pathogens establishing new endemic foci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence of mineralizations in the canine liver is usually considered an incidental finding of unclear clinical significance, frequently observed in small-size old dogs. Aim: To describe the ultrasound features of intrahepatic biliary tree foci of mineralization, to assess their clinical relevance and their possible relationship with other gastrointestinal pathological disorders. Methods: A retrospective analysis evaluating the database of canine patients admitted to two referral veterinary centers we carried out. All dogs under study underwent an abdominal ultrasound examination in which intrahepatic biliary tree mineralization was found. Clinical and anamnestic data of the included dogs were reviewed. Results: Approximatively 90% of the patients showed ultrasonographic abnormalities regarding the biliary system, and over 85% presented ultrasonographic abnormalities of the hepatic parenchyma. In 81.2% of dogs, ultrasonographic anomalies in the digestive tract were observed. In approximately half of our patients, we evidenced increased liver enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase). At the clinical evaluation, 84.4% (23 out of 32 dogs) of patients showed signs of gastrointestinal disease that persisted for over 3 months. Conclusion: The presence of intrahepatic biliary tree mineralizations is an unusual and frequently incidental finding that could be related to a bile stasis condition, a chronic inflammatory disease involving the biliary system and the hepatic parenchyma, and it could be associated with a liver-gut axis alteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]