In October 2019, 10 black Japanese breeding females at a beef cattle feeding facility presented with symptoms such as depression, poor appetite and diarrhea, and 9 of them died in approximately 3 weeks. Serum biochemical tests showed elevated levels of BUN and Cre. Acute tubular necrosis was found in all five cows for which the histopathological examination of the kidneys was carried out. The pericarp of the acorn of Quercus acutissima was detected in the feces gathered from the pasture and in the rumen contents of the dead cattle. The acorn contained a high concentration of total polyphenol, 6.08 dry matter % by the colorimetry method. Furthermore, polyphenols were also detected in all 4 dead cows whose ruminal contents were examined. Based on these results, we diagnosed this case as a mass acorn poisoning. A large number of acorns falling onto the pasture due to a large typhoon at a time when pasture grasses were scarce was assumed to be the cause of the event.

A retrospective study was conducted on 17 dogs with oral malignant melanoma treated with orthovoltage radiation therapy. The radiation therapy protocol was 8 Gy once a week for 4 weeks with a total dose of 32 Gy. Overall response rate to macroscopic lesions was 73.3%. The median progression free interval and median survival time for all dogs were 126 and 241 days, respectively. The median survival times for dogs with stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ were not reached, 258, 80.5, 115 days, respectively. Significant associations with survival time were found for presence of metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis (presence, 71 days vs. absence, 303 days), administration of surgical therapy (performed, 582 days vs. not performed, 164 days), therapeutic response (CR, 438 days vs. PR, SD, PD, 154.5 days). The side effects of the radiation therapy were observed in almost all cases, but most were mild. This study pointed out that our orthovoltage radiation therapy was an effective approach for canine oral malignant melanoma.

The safety of pet food concerns not only animal health but also human health. The Law for Ensuring the Safety of Pet Food was enacted in 2009, and a certain level of safety was assured for dog and cat foods, however, the safety of pet bird foods is not covered by the law. So, the microbial or chemical contamination of pet bird food has not been investigated. In this study, the isolation and identification of fungi was conducted in order to clarify the hygienic conditions of pet bird food. As a result, fungi were isolated from 58 of 72 samples of pet bird food (80.6%). Of the 182 fungal strains isolated, 157 were identified, with Aspergillus spp. being the most common (89 strains, 56.7%). Since pet bird food is often imported from overseas and many Aspergillus strains of subtropical and tropical origin may produce mycotoxin, especially aflatoxin, it is necessary to investigate the mycotoxin producing properties of the isolates in the future.