Snake envenomation is a medical emergency capable of causing local and systemic complications. However, information on venomous snakebite in dogs in South Korea is scarce. In this study, fifty-nine dogs treated at a private veterinary clinic from 2004 to 2021 were retrospectively studied. The aim was to characterize the demographics, elapsed time between snakebite and veterinary clinic presentation, laboratory findings, clinical signs, treatments, adverse reactions to antivenom, and prognosis of venomous snakebite. Snakebite was mostly observed between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. from April to October. On the days of envenomation, the weather conditions were mostly cloudy, followed by rain/precipitation, and least frequently fair weather. Grassland was the most common incident location, and leashed dog walking was the most frequent activity when snakebite occurred. The main local symptoms were edema, hemorrhagic discharge, cutaneous erythema, ulceration, and necrosis. Major systemic clinical signs were tachypnea, tachycardia, altered mentation, ptyalism, and hypotension. Based on the time interval between snakebite and presentation at the veterinary clinic, two groups were defined: <4 h (Group 1, 49.2%) and ≥4 h (Group 2, 50.8%). Systemic inflammation was more frequently observed in Group 2. The level of C-reactive protein at presentation (p = 0.036) and the highest-level during hospitalization (p = 0.023) were significantly elevated in Group 2 (≥4 h). The dogs in Group 2 displayed more frequent muscle damage (increased creatine kinase) than the dogs in Group 1, and a higher level of creatine kinase was associated with delayed (≥4 h) presentation after snakebite (p = 0.003). All of the dogs were treated symptomatically, and 34 dogs (58%) received antivenom. Treatment with antivenom showed no adverse reactions in this study. All of the treated dogs recovered. One dog was euthanized without any treatment due to respiratory distress, hypotension, and cost constraints. In conclusion, this study provides baseline information on venomous snakebite in dogs in South Korea. The prognosis was excellent, especially when the dogs were treated within 4 h.

A 14-year-old neutered male British shorthair cat presented with a 21-day history of persistent erection and dysuria, along with overgrooming of the perineal region. Mild palpation induced pain and rigid corpora cavernosa with flaccid glans were observed during physical examination. Ultrasonography of the penis did not detect significant blood flow in the penile cavernosal artery. The drawing of aspirate blood from cavernosal bodies for gas analysis was impossible because of the anatomically small penis size of cats. Conservative management, including topical steroid ointment, lidocaine gel, gabapentin, and diazepam, was prescribed for supportive management. The clinical signs resolved, and ultrasonographic examination of the penis revealed no abnormalities. The cat remains clinically well without recurrence during the 6 months after treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of non-ischemic priapism in a cat.

A 5-month-old female domestic short-haired cat presented with a history of seizure episodes for two months following an animal bite injury to the head. There were no remarkable findings on physical and neurological examination or blood analysis. Computed tomography revealed a fracture of the left parietal bone with an inward displacement of the bone fragment while magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enlarged temporal horn of the left lateral ventricle and a pseudomeningocele compressing the adjacent cerebral parenchyma. Subsequently, cerebrospinal fluid analysis results were normal. The patient was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), with subsequent post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) and pseudomeningocele. Despite treatment with phenobarbital and levetiracetam, seizures were not sufficiently controlled. Craniectomy for bone fragment removal and duraplasty were performed after a week. The patient then returned to normal condition with no further seizure activity. On repeated MRI two months after discharge, the hydrocephalus of the lateral ventricle and pseudomeningocele were enlarged; however, the patient maintained a good clinical status without any neurological signs. To the best of our knowledge, PTH and intracranial pseudomeningoceles have not yet been reported in cats. PTH and pseudomeningocele are among the complications of TBI and may not have any significant relevance with the clinical signs in this case. Thus, to broaden our knowledge about PTH and pseudomeningocele in cats, we describe serial changes in the clinical findings of this cat over the treatment period.

Emphysematous cystitis is an extremely rare, complicated urinary tract infection with the presence of gas in the bladder wall and lumen caused by gas-producing bacterial infections. A 7-year-old spayed female pomeranian dog was presented with a 3-day history of hematuria and pollakiuria (case 1), and a 9-year-old spayed female jindo dog was presented with a 4-day history of intermittent hematuria (case 2). Imaging modalities, including radiography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography, and bacterial culture tests were used for the diagnosis. Emphysematous cystitis due to Escherichia coli infection with the extension of gas into multiple locations was identified in both cases. Based on the results of antibiotic susceptibility testing, systemic antibiotics were initiated. Both animals had an excellent response to antibiotic treatment, and the clinical signs of the gas collection were completely resolved within ~1 month after treatment initiation. This response was sustained without recurrence in the follow-up period. This case report describes clinical details of extremely rare canine cases of emphysematous cystitis with the extension of gas into multiple locations and evaluates the clinical efficacy of antibiotic therapy.

A 6-month-old female Border Collie presented with a history of collapse after strenuous exercise. The dog was normal between episodes but experienced loss of focus and ataxia after exercise. This is particularly noticeable under hot weather conditions. No remarkable findings were observed in the diagnostic tests. Based on these results, the patient was tentatively diagnosed with Border Collie collapse (BCC). After exercise restriction, the dog had no episode of collapse and remained clinically well with no signs until the follow-up period of 8 months was complete. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of BCC in South Korea.