The major causes of the decline of the Dugong population along the urban coast of Mersing, Johor includes gill netting, subsistence hunting, habitat loss from extreme weather events that are likely to be exacerbated by climate change, humansettlement, breach of the bots and sea water pollution. In March 2017, a male Dugong dugon, estimated age of 10 to 20 years, wasincidentally found dead near Pulau Tinggi, Mersing, Johor by a fisherman. The entire body was found to have old and new scarsat the anterior part of the abdomen. The right eye was protruded out and bleeding which indicated that the eye was piercedby a sharp object. Necropsy revealed the upper small intestine and the stomach compartments were semi-impacted with a massive helminth burden (more than 1,000 nematodes). Paradujardinia halicoris worms were identified based on morphological characteristics. Zoonotic fungus named Madurella mycetomi were isolated from heart and lung after incubation for 14 days.Histologically, the lung was confirmed to have the presence of big mast cells which formed capsules, indicating presence offungal spores causing systemic mycoses where the macrophages invade and engulf the spores. The shrinkage of myocardium myocyte and myocardium necrosis with mild vasculitis indicates heart failure. Groucott’s stain confirmed Madurella mycetomi infection that induced systemic pulmonary and myocardium mycosis in Dugong dugon.

Genus Artemisia occurs as a hardy plant and has a wide range of culinary and medicinal features. In this study, we aimed to describe the melanin inhibitory activity of one Artemisia species, i.e., Artemisia capillaris Thunb. Ethanol extracts of fermented Artemisia capillaris (Art.EtOH.FT) and non-fermented Artemisia capillaris (Art.EtOH.CT) were tested for their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity and melanin pigmentation. Both extracts showed dose-dependent inhibition against alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone−stimulated melanin formation and tyrosinase activity, without cytotoxicity. At 100 ㎍/mL, both extracts showed greater inhibition than kojic acid, the positive control. Protein expressions of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2) at the transcriptional level were determined by using real-time and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. To complete the mechanistic study, presences of upstream elements of MITF, the phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), and phosphorylated−mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (p-MEK) were confirmed by using western blot analysis. Expressions of p-TYR, p-TRP-1 and p-TRP2, downstream factors for p-ERK and p-MITF, were translationally inhibited by both extracts. Art.EtOH.FT induced more potent effects than Art.EtOH.CT, especially signal transduction effects. In summary, Artemisia capillaris extracts appear to act as potent hypopigmentation agents.

Canine coronavirus is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes enteritis in dogs of any age. Coronaviral enteritis is seldom definitively diagnosed, since it is usually much less severe than many other types of enteritis and is self-limiting. Conventional diagnostics for the canine coronaviral enteritis such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), virus isolation, and electron microscopic examination are inappropriate for small animal clinics due to the complicated experimental processes involved. Therefore, a commercially available lateral flow test kit based on chromatographic immunoassay techniques was tested to evaluate its performance as a first-line diagnostic test kit that could be used in clinics. The coronavirus antigen test kit detected canine coronavirus-infected dogs with 93.1% sensitivity and 97.5% specificity. The detection limit of the test kit was between 1.97 × 104 /mL and 9.85 × 103 /mL for samples with a 2- fold serial dilution from 1.25 × 106 TCID50 (TCID50, 50% tissue culture infectious dose). Additionally, the test kit had no cross-reactivity with canine parvovirus, distemper virus, or Escherichia coli. Overall, the commercially available test kit showed good diagnostic performance in a clinical setting, with results similar to those from PCR, confirming their potential for convenient and accurate use in small animal clinics.

Various trials have been conducted to develop therapies for serious untreatable diseases. Among these, those using stem cells have shown great promise, and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) are easier to obtain than other types of stem cells. Prior to clinical trials, characterization of ADMSCs with monoclonal antibodies should be performed. However, it is difficult to use species-specific antibodies for veterinarians. This study was conducted to confirm the panel of human antibodies applicable for use in immunophenotypic characterization of canine adipose-derived stem cells and feline ADMSCs extracted from subcutaneous adipose tissue collected during ovariohysterectomy. For flow cytometric immunophenotyping, the third passages of canine ADMSC and feline ADMSC and human CD31, CD34, CD42, CD44, CD62 and CD133 antibodies were used. Of these, CD133 reacted with canine cells (3.74%) and feline cells (1.34%). CD133 is known as a marker related with more primitive stem cell phenotype than other CD series. Because this human CD133 was not a species-specific antibody, accurate percentages of immunoreactivity were not confirmed. Nevertheless, the results of this study confirmed human CD133 as a meaningful marker in canine and feline ADMSCs.

The helicase genes and hypervariable regions (HVRs) of three avian hepatitis E viruses (HEVs) detected at three different farms were sequenced and characterized. Two isolates (DW-L and GI-B2) were classified as genotype 2 and one isolate (GR-B) was classified as genotype 1. A phylogenetic tree, based on the helicase gene and HVR nucleotide sequences, revealed the newly detected viruses and other avian HEVs were classified similarly. Unlike previously reported avian HEVs, the DW-L isolate detected in broiler breeders with characteristic lesions of avian HEV had no prolinerich motif in its HVR, suggesting that the proline-rich motif is non-essential for viral replication and infection.

An 8-year-old, castrated, male Rottweiler was referred for evaluation of chronic right thoracic limb lameness and a progressively growing mass surrounding the right elbow joint. On admission, the dog’s general health was good, without abnormalities detected on physical examination. The dog was diagnosed with periarticular histiocytic sarcoma. Although draining lymph nodes and lung metastases were suspected, palliative amputation was performed. Localized histiocytic sarcomas, with destructive lesions involving multiple bones of a joint and periarticular soft-tissue masses, are uncommon in dogs. This case report presents clinical findings, imaging characteristics, and histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of a periarticular joint histiocytic sarcoma.

This study assessed the effects of Weissella cibaria (W. cibaria) CMU on oral health in male and female beagles (n = 18) by measuring oral malodor and periodontal disease-related parameters (calculus, plaque, and gingivitis indices). Oral malodor and indicators of periodontal disease were assessed in five treatment groups: negative control (scaling and 0.24 mg of maltodextrin, n = 3), positive control (0.24 mg of maltodextrin, n = 3), and W. cibaria CMU groups (each n = 4) at low (CMU-L, 2 × 107 colony forming unit [CFU]), medium (CMU-M, 2 × 108 CFU), and high (CMU-H, 2 × 109 CFU) concentrations. After feeding with W. cibaria CMU for 6 weeks, total volatile sulfur compound concentrations in the CMU-L (2.0 plus-minus 1.04 ng/10 mL), CMU-M (2.4 plus-minus 1.05 ng/10 mL), and CMU-H (2.6 plus-minus 1.33 ng/10 mL) groups were significantly lower than in the positive control group (3.2 plus-minus 1.65 ng/10 mL). Also, CMU-L (1.4 plus-minus 0.83 ng/ 10 mL) and CMU-H (1.9 plus-minus 1.14 ng/10 mL) groups had methyl mercaptan levels lower than that in the positive control group (2.4 plus-minus 1.21 ng/10 mL) at week 2. The plaque index was significantly lower in the CMU-H group (4.5 plus-minus 0.28) than in the positive control group (5.9 plus-minus 1.08) at week 6. W. cibaria CMU could be useful as a novel oral hygiene probiotics for reducing volatile sulfur compounds production and inhibiting plaque growth in companion animals.

A 5-year-old intact female Persian cat was referred with anorexia and vomiting. Physical examination revealed icterus in the pinna, oral mucosa, and sclera. Ultrasonography revealed several findings including uniformly hyperechoic hepatic parenchyma compared to adjacent falciform fat, increased attenuation of the ultrasound beam, and poor visualization of intrahepatic vessel borders. Computed tomography revealed hypoattenuation of the hepatic parenchyma with a radiodensity value of-60 Hounsfield units. The adjacent intrahepatic vessels appeared hyperattenuated relative to the hepatic parenchyma as if the vessels were contrast-enhanced. Based on ultrasonography and computed tomography results, the cat was tentatively diagnosed as feline hepatic lipidosis.

A 6-year-old female domestic short hair cat presented with acute onset of vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, and tachypnea. The cat was apparently healthy prior to presentation without history of trauma. On diagnostic imagings, the entire stomach and spleen were detected in the thoracic cavity. An emergent celiotomy was performed, and a type4 hiatal hernia was confirmed; the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and duodenum were herniated through the esophageal hiatus. It was corrected using phrenicoplasty, esophagopexy, and left-sided gastropexy and there was no recurrence 16 months after surgery. This is the first case report of an idiopathic type-4 hiatal hernia in a cat.

An 11-year-old, castrated male dog presented with a 3-month history of cough and depression. Auscultation revealed systolic murmur and thoracic radiographs showing enlargement of both the atrium and left ventricle. Echocardiography showed thickened mitral valve and moderate-to-severe left atrial enlargement. Additionally, M-mode echocardiography showed symmetric left ventricular wall thickening and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve, while Doppler imaging revealed high velocity turbulent flow through the left ventricular outflow tract. Based on echocardiography, this case was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. After 5 months, the dog was clinically static in radiography and echocardiography.