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Heart disease is a major contributor to mortality and disability on a global scale. Hence, there is a need for research to improve non-invasive diagnostic techniques. Diseases in dogs with characteristics very similar to those of human pathologies hold promise as a source of data for evaluating and developing echocardiographic techniques and devices. Methods: We conducted a structured literature search from June 2022 to January 2023 to evaluate the relevance of dogs as a translational model for echocardiographic clinical research. We searched various academic databases, including PubMed Central (PMC), Core, DIGITAL.CSIC, DOAB, DOAJ, EBSCO host, Elsevier B.V, Redib, Scopus, and Web of Science, available through the Academic Information System of the Autonomous University of Baja California. Results: Out of the 243 articles initially screened, we identified 119 relevant articles that met our inclusion criteria for further analysis. This review is an introduction to the canine model by analyzing the cardiovascular anatomical similarities between the two species, the pathophysiological overlaps in some diseases, the parallels in echocardiographic techniques in dogs compared to humans, and the suitability of dogs with a naturally occurring cardiac disease as a model for translational clinical research compared to other animal species. Conclusions: This review emphasizes the importance of canine patients as an ideal cardiac disease symmetrical clinical model since they share common heart diseases with humans. Furthermore, dogs have a shorter lifespan, leading to the relatively rapid evolution of these diseases, which makes studying these pathologies and developing echocardiographic techniques more feasible. The results strongly indicate the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and translational medical research to create innovative echocardiographic technologies and improve the connection between veterinary and human cardiac imaging research.

Background Peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) is increasingly considered as an alternative to central parenteral nutrition (CPN) given the higher cost and more frequent clinical complications associated with the latter. However, the assessment of potential risks and benefits of PPN in critically ill pediatric canine patients has not been extensively performed. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of short-term, hypocaloric PPN on weight loss, length of hospital stay, the incidence of complications, adverse effects, and mortality in critically ill pediatric canine patients. Results Between August 2015 and August 2018, a total of 59 critically ill pediatric canine patients aged from 1 to 6 months admitted at the Veterinary Sciences Research Institute of the Autonomous University of Baja California were included in this non-randomized clinical trial. Canine pediatric patients were initially allocated to 3 groups: 11 in group 1 receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) supplementation equivalent to 40% of the resting energy requirement (RER), 12 in group 2 receiving supplementation of 50% of the RER, and 36 in group 3 receiving no PN supplementation. After establishing that there was no significant difference between 40 and 50% of PN supplementation, these groups were not separated for downstream analysis. Similar lengths of hospital stays were noted among study subjects who received PN supplementation and those who did not (4.3 ± 1.5 vs. 5.0 ± 1.5, days, p = 0.097). No metabolic-, sepsis- or phlebitis-related complications were observed in any animal in the PPN supplemented group. Higher mortality (19.4% vs. 0%, p = 0.036), and a greater percentage of weight loss (9.24% vs. 0%, p <  0.001) were observed in patients who received no supplementation. Conclusion Even though short-term, hypocaloric PPN did not reduce the length of hospital stay, it was associated with lower mortality and resulted in mitigation of weight loss. In contrast to previous studies evaluating central and peripheral parenteral nutrition protocols, we observed a lower frequency of metabolic, septic, and phlebitis complications using a 40–50% parenteral nutrition treatment. The parenteral nutrition therapeutic intervention used in our study may reduce PN-related adverse effects and promote a favorable disease outcome in critically ill canine patients. Larger studies will be needed to confirm these observations.

Distance learning is a rapidly spreading form of education worldwide and it plays a crucial role to provide access to millions of people in developing countries. However, the benefits of online learning extend far beyond and became increasingly popular also in medical schools, including veterinary medicine [1 , 2] . In these new teaching settings, high-quality, validated and easily accessible multimedia materials are of great importance, especially in specific fields, such as radiology, where graphic resources can greatly support learning [3] . The dataset presented along with this article reviews examples of 153 canine latero-lateral thoracic radiographic medical images taken and collected at the Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Veterinary Sciences Research Institute, Autonomous University of Baja California. serves as a basis for teaching VHS calculation. Images on this dataset contain all relevant anatomical structures in the determination of VHS, which makes them optimal images for practice in calculating VHS and teaching this procedure. The number of cardiothoracic radiographic images presented here can be a great support in learning the calculation of VHS, especially when combined with distance competency-based educators' support. Acquired heart diseases in the dog are very common, clinical evidence of degenerative valvular disease is detected in approximately 30% of dogs aged 13 years and older [4] . The prevalence of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is remarkably high in certain breeds, approximately 25% of Irish Wolfhounds, 33% of female Doberman Pinschers, and 50% of male Doberman Pinschers are diagnosed with DCM [5] . Thoracic radiography is a key component in cardiovascular evaluation, which is used to calculate the vertebral heart score (VHS). VHS measurement has been described as one of the most objective methods for assessing cardiomegaly in dogs. VHS, in addition to thorough patient history and physical examination, can be very efficient to raise clinical suspicion of underlying heart disease. The measurement is based on cardiac height and width and is normalized to overall body size by comparison to vertebral body length. ln addition to the initial assessment of heart size, the VHS method is also useful for monitoring changes in heart size in response to treatment or to assess the progression of cardiomegaly over time in canine patients [6] Fig. 1 . Importantly, considerable breed and individual variation exist with VHS and dogs can have values that fall outside of the normal range even without any cardiac disease. Thus, while the VHS method is a very informative tool, it should not be used as the only means of diagnosing cardiac disease in any given patient [7] .

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Mechanical maceration enhances site and extent of digestion of low-moisture, low-quality forages. Four Holstein steers (172 ± 8 kg) with cannulas in rumen and proximal duodenum were used in 4x4 Latin square design to evaluate the process of mechanical maceration of sudangrass hay on the characteristics of ruminal and total tract digestion. Treatments consisted of a steam-flaked corn-based growing diet supplemented with 21 % forage (DM basis) as: i) wheat straw (Triticum aestivum, STRW), ii) sudangrass hay (Sorghum sudanense, SG), iii) macerated SG at intensity of 4,134 kPa (MAC600) and 4) macerated SG at intensity of 6,200 kPa (MAC900). All forages were ground to pass through a 3.8 cm screen before incorporation into complete mixed diets (21:79 forage to concentrate ratio). Maceration did not affect (p ≥ 0.17) on site and extent of OM, N and ADF, and DE of sudangrass supplemented diets. Characteristics of ruminal digestion of OM, ADF, starch, as well as, microbial efficiency (microbial N, g kg -1 of OM fermentad) and protein efficiency (nonammonia N, g g -1 of N intake) were not different (p ≥ 0.11) for wheat straw versus sudangrass supplemented diets. However, total tract digestion of OM, ADF, N, and DE diet were greater (p ≤ 0.05) for sudangrass than for wheat straw supplemented diets. Using the replacement technique, DE value of SG averaged 9.59 MJ kg , very close to the expected value given its chemical composition. Mechanical maceration did not enhance the feeding value of sudangrass hay. Increase the intensity of maceration from 4,134 to 6,200 kPa did not altered ruminal or total tract digestion of OM, NDF or energy value of processed hay.