Patients were treated with a variable combination of cytoreduction (debulking and biopsy, to complete surgical resection), immunosuppressive therapy and antimicrobial agents. Many cats had a poor outcome, which was attributable to late diagnosis combined with suboptimal management. It is hoped that suggestions outlined in the discussion may improve clinical outcomes and long-term survival in future cases.

Results of this study indicated second intention healing of large wounds in the distal aspects of the limbs was complete and typically without complications for dogs that underwent wide excision of soft tissue sarcomas. Wide local excision of soft tissue sarcomas in the distal aspects of the limbs with 2-cm lateral margins and margins 1 fascial plane deep to the tumors provided excellent long-term local tumor control.

A 4-month-old female kitten presented with chronic lower urinary tract signs and Escherichia coli cystitis, and was diagnosed with urinary bladder malakoplakia based upon histopathology. The kitten was treated with a prolonged antibiotic course and the malakoplakia resolved. Malakoplakia is a chronic granulomatous reaction characterized by the formation of Michaelis-Gutman bodies within von Hansemann macrophages. It is well described in humans, but has never been documented in a living veterinary patient. This case report describes the first successful treatment of malakoplakia in veterinary medicine.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant primary bone tumour in humans and dogs. Several studies have established the vital role of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and its receptor (PTHR1) in bone formation and remodeling. In addition, these molecules play a role in the progression and metastasis of many human tumour types. This study investigated the expression of PTHR1 and PTHrP in canine OS tissues and assessed their prognostic value. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 50 dogs diagnosed with primary OS were immunolabeled with antibodies specific for PTHR1 and PTHrP. The immunostaining intensity of tumours from patients with OS was correlated with survival time. Both PTHR1 and PTHrP were detected in all OS samples (n = 50). Dogs with OS tumours showing high immunostaining intensity for PTHR1 (n = 36) had significantly shorter survival times (p = 0.028, Log Rank; p = 0.04, Cox regression) when compared with OS that had low immunostaining intensity for PTHR1 (n = 14).PTHrP immunostaining intensity did not correlate with survival time (p > 0.05). The results of this study indicate that increased expression of PTHR1 antigen in canine OS is associated with poor prognosis. This suggests that PTHR1 may be useful as a prognostic indicator in canine oS.Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignancy that originates from bone-forming mesenchymal cells 1 . It is the most prevalent type of primary bone cancer in both humans and dogs 2-5 . Canine OS represents 85-98% of all canine primary bone cancers and occurs more commonly in appendicular skeleton (75%) 6 . In the USA, more than 10,000 cases of canine OS are reported every year 7 .In the last 35 years, there has been little improvement in the treatment of human OS or its prognosis after treatment with surgery and chemotherapy, especially for patients with metastatic OS 8 . It has been found that the median survival times of dogs suffering from OS and receiving standard care (surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy) is from three months to one year and that less than 20% will be alive more than two years after diagnosis 9 . So, there is a need to identify indicators for early diagnosis and prediction of prognosis in OS which may assist in improvement of patient survival.Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) was discovered as the factor responsible for causing hypercalcemia of malignancy in some tumours 10 . Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTHrP share a similar amino acid sequence in the N-terminal region 10 . That allows the two to activate a common G-protein coupled receptor known as PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTHR1) 11 . PTHrP and its receptor are highly conserved amongst all vertebrates 12 .PTHrP is produced in many normal tissues where it acts as an autocrine/paracrine regulator of cell growth, development and differentiation 13 . In addition, PTHrP has been localised in numerous human cancers including breast cancers 14 , neuroendocrine cancers 15 , prostate cancers 16 , squamous cell carcinoma of skin 17 , pancreatic adenocarcinoma 18 , intrahepatic ch...

Carotid body tumours were diagnosed in two British Bulldogs that each had a history of syncopal episodes induced by eating, drinking or pulling on the leash. In both dogs, a cervical mass was identified using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging, with carotid body tumour (CBT) being the histopathological diagnosis. A heart base mass was also identified in one dog by both CT and echocardiography. Swallowing syncope has been reported in the human literature in association with cervical mass lesions, but this is the first report in dogs. The present cases emphasise the value of advanced imaging of the head and neck in dogs presenting with clinical signs of syncope associated with swallowing and the importance of careful manipulation of the neck in patients with CBTs.