Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) causes leukopenia and severe hemorrhagic diarrhea, killing 50% of naturally infected cats. Although intact FPV can serve as an antigen in the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, an accidental laboratory-mediated infection is concern. A non-infectious diagnostic reagent is required for the HI test. Here, we expressed the viral protein 2 (VP2) gene of the FPV strain currently prevalent in South Korea in a baculovirus expression system; VP2 protein was identified by an indirect immunofluorescence assay, electron microscopy (EM), Western blotting (WB), and a hemagglutination assay (HA). EM showed that the recombinant VP2 protein self-assembled to form virus-like particles. WB revealed that the recombinant VP2 was 65 kDa in size. The HA activity of the recombinant VP2 protein was very high at 1:2¹⁵. A total of 143 cat serum samples were tested using FPV (HI-FPV test) and the recombinant VP2 protein (HI-VP2 test) as HI antigens. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the HI-VP2 test were 99.3%, 88.9%, and 99.3%, respectively, compared to the HI-FPV test. The HI-VP2 and HI-FPV results correlated significantly (r = 0.978). Thus, recombinant VP2 can substitute for intact FPV as the serological diagnostic reagent of the HI test for FPV.

A seven-year-old, castrated male, Korean domestic shorthair cat was referred because of a kidney abnormality. Radiography revealed left renal agenesis and right kidney enlargement. Ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) showed amorphous calcified materials in a cyst-like lesion of the right kidney. In the excretory phase of the CT images, the lesion was opacified with contrast materials, indicating communication with the collecting system. Based on these findings, the cat was diagnosed with a calyceal diverticulum. A calyceal diverticulum may cause various clinical symptoms related to the urinary system. The excretory phase of CT is useful for diagnosing a calyceal diverticulum.

The small intestine of two rallid aquatic birds (Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 and Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Bahr Al-Najaf depression, southwest of Al-Najaf city, mid-Iraq), were infected with the nematode Amidostomum acutum Seurat, 1918 with a prevalence of 25% and 50%, respectively, and a mean intensity of 24.5 and 30, respectively. The infected birds showed several gross pathological and microscopic lesions in their small intestine due to the infection with this nematode. The gross lesions included hypertrophy in the anterior part of the duodenum and small rough nodules on the small intestine wall. Microscopic lesions included necrosis and shortening of villi with their fullness with inflammatory cells, degeneration of villi, and an increased number of acini at the base of the intestinal villi.

The axolotl has extraordinary regeneration capacity compared to other vertebrates. This remarkable potential has been attributed to its life-long neoteny, characterized by the exhibition of embryonic characteristics at the adult stage. A recent study provided a detailed morphological analysis of the sperm morphology of the Ambystoma mexicanum using routine and detailed histological techniques. The primary purpose of the present study is to describe a simple and inexpensive method for evaluating the morphology of axolotl sperm. In this study, spermatophore structures were collected and spread on slides and air-dried. The slides were stained with periodic acid Schiff, toluidine blue, Masson’s trichrome, Giemsa, Spermac, and Diff-Quik dye for a morphological examination. The slides were coated with gold/palladium for a scanning electron microscopy examination. The sperm of the axolotl consisted of an elongated head, a neck, and a flagellum covered with an undulating membrane. The lengths of the midpiece, tail, and head were 8.575 µm, 356.544 µm, and 103.661 µm, respectively. In the flagellum part, the wavy membrane structure, whose function has not been explained, surrounds the tail. The data obtained from this study will constitute an important step in designing future research on the reproductive and regeneration capacity of the axolotl.

This study is to develop a new scoring system for rating Hazard analysis and critical control points prerequisite evaluation items for meat shops to provide a more objective and accurate evaluation of food safety compliance. The importance of each item was measured by looking at the hazard severity level and the rate of non-compliance associated with it. It was found that the new scoring system is more stringent and gives a clearer picture of compliance with the most critical safety standards, and therefore is expected to have a positive effect on the hygiene and safety of livestock products.

A 4-year-old Holstein cow with progressive atrophy and ataxia was submitted for diagnosis. The postmortem examination revealed multifocal yellowish nodules in the pulmonary parenchyma and vegetative masses in the mitral and tricuspid valve of the heart. Both kidneys were severely enlarged, with multiple yellow nodules on the parenchyma. Histopathologically, pulmonary abscesses, vegetative endocarditis, suppurative glomerulonephritis, and fibrino-purulent arthritis were observed. The tiny β-hemolytic bacterial colonies were isolated from the lesions and identified as Arcanobacterium haemolyticum by the VITEK 2 system (bioMérieux, USA). This is the first documented report of an A. haemolyticum infection in a Holstein cow in Korea.

Canine T-zone lymphoma (TZL) is a mature T-cell lymphoma in dogs. The diagnosis and sub-classification are impossible without biopsy or immunophenotyping by flow cytometry. An 11-year-old, spayed, female Golden Retriever presented with lymph node enlargement. Clinical examination was consistent with canine multicentric lymphoma. However, immunophenotyping revealed positive for CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD21, TCRαβ, and MHCII but negative for CD34, CD45, CD79a, and TCRγδ. Histopathology revealed lymphocytes expanding to the cortex-preserving architecture and thinning of the nodal capsule, and CD3 positive but PAX-5 negative. Owing to the indolent nature of TZL, careful monitoring approach without clinical intervention was utilized.

A 13-year-old castrated male Maltese dog was presented to a local animal hospital with an oral hemorrhage. An intraoral examination revealed an irregular proliferated lobular mass at the right side of the maxillary gingiva and hard palate. A surgically excised mass was requested for a histopathology examination. Histopathologically, the neoplastic foci were composed of biphasic morphologic patterns, such as primitive mesenchymal tissue and mature or immature cartilage tissue. Immunohistochemically, most of the neoplastic cells forming cartilaginous islands tested positive for S-100; the surrounding mesenchymal cells tested positive for vimentin. This paper describes a rare case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in the maxillary gingiva of a Maltese dog.

A 1-year-old, castrated male mixed-breed dog presented with diffuse, purple lesions arranged in an irregular patchy pattern, with a slight elevation on the right hindlimb extending from the tarsus joint to the upper region of the thigh. Dermatological examinations and fungal and bacterial cultures revealed no infectious agents. The therapeutic response to antibiotics and antifungal agents was negative. A histopathology examination of the lesion revealed vascular proliferation with vasodilation and numerous varying-sized vessels. Mast-cell-dominated perivascular cuffing was also noted. The dog was diagnosed with cutaneous angiomatosis due to diffuse lesions and the histopathology findings of hemangioma.

Resveratrol (RSV, 3,5,4′-trihydroxytrans-stilbene) protects sperm from cryo-induced damage in various animal and human species. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of dog sperm cryoprotective extender containing RSV on the quality of post-thaw dog sperm. Sperm were collected from 4 Beagles and supplemented with different concentrations of RSV (0, 100, 200, and 400 µM). After thawing, apoptosis index, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed to determine post-thaw sperm quality. Dog sperm cryopreserved with 400 µM RSV showed significant improvement in post-thaw sperm quality with lower apoptosis index and ROS levels (p < 0.05). Our results showed that the supplementation of dog sperm cryoprotective extender with RSV at a concentration of 400 µM improved the post-thaw dog sperm quality in the term of sperm ROS production and apoptosis. In addition, we emphasize the necessity of testing the ROS levels and apoptosis index using flow cytometry to determine the quality of post-thaw semen.