An open prospective pilot clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). Fifteen patients with canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) who tested positive for either the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Df) or Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) antigens by serum antigen-specific IgE testing (Heska Aracept, Fujifilm VET Systems) were included. The SLIT was divided into an induction phase and a weekly maintenance phase of 6 months. Changes in clinical symptoms were compared using the Canine Atopic Dermal Inflammation Scale Index (CADESI-4), with pre-treatment as baseline and post-treatment as post-treatment. The antigen solution was a domestic drug (therapeutic mite allergen extract 100,000 JAU/ml, Torii Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) of house dust mite antigen mixed with Df and Dp. As a result, 2 dogs dropped out and 13 dogs completed the trial. Of the 13 cases that completed the trial, the baseline CADESI-4 was shown to a mean ± SD of 40.3 ± 25.9. Six months after SLIT, the CADESI-4 was decreased to 22.5 ± 22.0. Of the 13 patients, 8 (62 %) had a marked improvement in CADESI-4 (> 30 %) and 2 (15 %) had a worsening of CADESI-4. No serious adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis were observed during the trial. This suggests that SLIT with a domestic drug, house dust mite antigen solution, for CAD is safe in dogs and effective for 6 months based on the decrease in CADESI-4.

Animals with portosystemic shunts have decreased liver function and thus reduced drug metabolism and excretion capacity, resulting in delayed recovery from general anesthesia. In this study, a balanced anesthesia protocol using isoflurane inhalation and constant rate infusion of remifentanil was investigated, as both these drugs do not depend on the liver for metabolization or excretion. The study included owner-owned 14 dogs diagnosed with congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts. During the surgeries, remifentanil infusion at 18-42 μg/kg/h and end - expiratory isoflurane concentrations with a range 0.77-1.19 % allowed smooth completions of surgical procedure for shunt ligations in all cases. The median concentrations of serum ammonia and total bile acid decreased significantly from preoperative values of 130 μg/dl (16-304) and 73.6 μmol/l (6.3-441.1) to postoperative values of 49 μg/dl (11-135) (p = 0.0295) and 24.4 μmol/l (2.6-97.9) (p = 0.0058), respectively. Complication incidence observed during general anesthesia were hypotension (86 %), hypothermia (57 %), tachycardia (36 %) and hypocapnia (7%). Postanesthetic complications observed within the first 48 hours were neurological symptoms (50 %), gastrointestinal symptoms (29%) and urinary tract symptoms (7 %). The mean duration of hospitalization after surgery was 7 days (4-14 days) with no obvious anesthesia-related complications. Our study showed that a balanced anesthesia protocol of isoflurane and remifentanil could be safely used in canine patients with reduced liver functionality without causing serious anesthesia-related complications.

A 3-year-old Toy Poodle was referred to our animal hospital because of a refractory mass and fistula in the left mandibular region. Although a mandibular mass had been resected by another veterinarian, it recurred one month later. Pasteurella multocida, a typical canine oral bacterium was identified on skin fistula specimen cultures. Oral examination under general anesthesia revealed abnormal grooves in the enamel of mandibular first molars bilaterally and mucogingival draining tracts associated with the left mandibular first molar. Radiography revealed mandibular first molar tooth malformations and periapical radiolucencies bilaterally. We extracted both teeth, achieving good progress. Tooth malformation (dens invaginatus) of the mandibular first molar in dogs is rare and can result in endodontic infections and periodontitis. A chronic inflammation eventually progresses to external or internal dental fistulas. If inflammatory lesions are associated with the mandibular skin, dental diseases should be considered, even in young dogs. Herein, we report a case of tooth malformation of the mandibular first molar complicated by internal and external dental fistulas in a young dog.