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CASE DESCRIPTION A 12-year-old spayed female Chinese Crested was referred because of a mass detected in the gallbladder during ultrasonographic evaluation of the abdomen, which had been prompted by a history of high serum liver enzyme activities. CLINICAL FINDINGS Serum biochemical analysis revealed mild hypoglobulinemia and high alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyltransferase, and alanine aminotransferase activities. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed diffuse hepatopathy and multiple pedunculated mucosal structures within the gallbladder. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Following initial treatment with ursodiol (11.4 mg/kg [5.18 mg/lb], PO, q 12 h) and S-adenosylmethionine (30 mg/kg [13.6 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h) for 1 month to address possible cholestasis, no change was noted in ultrasonographic or serum biochemical findings. Consequently, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed concurrently with laparoscopic liver biopsy. Histologic evaluation of resected gallbladder tissue and the liver biopsy specimen revealed evidence of multifocal to coalescing leiomyomas of the gallbladder and multifocal lipogranulomas of the liver. Eleven days after the dog was discharged from the hospital, it was taken to an emergency clinic because of anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea. Mild pancreatitis or gastroenteritis was suspected, supportive treatment was provided, and ursodiol and S-adenosylmethionine administration was reinitiated. At the time of follow-up telephone contact with the owner 234 days after surgery, the dog continued to receive ursodiol and S-adenosylmethionine and had no clinical signs associated with hepatobiliary disease. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Leiomyomas, although rare, can develop in dogs and should be considered as a differential diagnosis for intramural gallbladder lesions. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy served as a minimally invasive surgical treatment for this benign neoplasia.

Background: Opioids are widely used for perioperative pain control in dogs undergoing spinal surgery, but alternatives may be required because data suggest that opioids exacerbate inflammation in the injured spinal cord and veterinary access to opioids may become more restricted in the future.Objectives: To compare recovery of ambulation and other functions between spinal cord-injured dogs receiving peri-operative fentanyl and those receiving a ketaminedexmedetomidine combination. Animals: A total of 102 client-owned dogs undergoing decompressive surgery for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Dogs were randomized 1:1 to fentanyl or a ketamine-dexmedetomidine combination for intra and postoperative analgesia. Primary outcome was time to recovery of ambulation; secondary outcomes were the postoperative Colorado Acute Pain Scale, the short-form Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale, time to recovery of voluntary urination and time to unassisted eating. Results: No difference was found in time to recovery of ambulation between groups

Talaromyces spp. are soil-dwelling fungi sporadically reported to cause disease in humans and dogs. This study summarized the clinical presentations, histologic findings, and Talaromyces sp. involved in 5 dogs diagnosed through the panfungal polymerase chain reaction service (PCR) at Texas A&M University, with a review of previously reported cases. Of the 5 cases, 3 were Labrador Retrievers, 2 were male, and 3 were female. Three of 5 involved the musculoskeletal or lymphatic systems, and 2 of 5 dogs presented with meningoencephalitis. Talaromyces helicus, Talaromyces aurantiacus, and Talaromyces boninensis were identified based on panfungal PCR, showing 99% to 100% sequence matches in combination with morphologic features. Three of 5 dogs had static disease at the time of publication, 1 was euthanized, and 1 was lost to follow-up. This study describes Talaromyces spp. as a cause of meningoencephalitis in dogs, identifies 2 novel Talaromyces spp. involved in infections, and adds to the existing knowledge of clinical presentations and outcomes.

A 3-year-old castrated male, American Pit Bull Terrier presented to Texas A&M University due to a 3-week mixed cerebellar and general proprioceptive ataxia, circling, head tilt, and dull mentation. Neurologic examination revealed signs of vestibular and mesencephalic dysfunction. Postmortem examination revealed a 1.1 × 1 × 0.8-cm, soft, dark red, well-circumscribed, left-sided mass, extending from the crus cerebri of the midbrain caudally to the pons. Microscopically, the neoplasm was composed of a spindle-shaped interstitial population of cells interspersed between a prominent capillary network, consistent with the reticular pattern of hemangioblastoma. Interstitial cells had strong, diffuse, intracytoplasmic immunolabeling for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and were variably positive for intracytoplasmic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Vascular endothelial cells had strong diffuse, intracytoplasmic immunolabeling for von Willebrand factor (VWF) glycoprotein. To date, only six cases of hemangioblastoma have been reported in canines, five in the spinal cord, and one in the rostral cerebrum. Our case may represent the first canine hemangioblastoma localized to the brainstem.