Vladimira Erjavec

Background: Limb exoprosthetics in veterinary medicine are less developed than in human medicine. This case study evaluates four custom‐made hindlimb exoprostheses for a 6‐year‐old dog following metatarsal amputation due to a train accident. Methods: After wound healing, four exoprostheses—differing in measurement methods and materials—were tested over 4 weeks, each for 1 week. Assessment tools included force plate measurements, accelerometer‐based activity tracking and owner feedback. Force plates evaluated load distribution across the exoprosthetic limb, healthy hindlimb and forelimbs. Results: The second exoprosthesis, made of polypropylene using a double‐mould method, had the highest user acceptance and activity levels. The PitPat tracker recorded an average of 41.4 min of walking per day, with 6.97% of bodyweight transferred to the exoprosthesis. The third and fourth exoprostheses caused skin abrasions and were discontinued after 3 days. Conclusion: Well‐designed exoprosthetics can improve limb use in dogs with partial amputation. Force plates, activity trackers and owner feedback are useful outcome measures for evaluating exoprosthesis performance and enhancing quality of life.

This review examines the effects of oxidative stress on the aging process in canines, focusing on the role of antioxidants in the prevention of age-related diseases. Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s antioxidant defenses, resulting in damage to cell structures. Dogs, especially older animals, are particularly susceptible to such damage, which contributes to the development of cognitive impairment, chronic disease and a reduced quality of life. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q₁₀ and polyphenols play an important role in neutralizing free radicals and mitigating oxidative damage. Various studies confirm that these antioxidants can improve overall health, slow cognitive decline and reduce the risk of diseases such as osteoarthritis, cancer and heart disease. The results suggest that an appropriate diet supplemented with antioxidants can significantly contribute to a better quality of life for dogs. However, given that some studies report limited or no effects, additional long-term clinical trials are warranted to validate the reproducibility and degree of presented benefits.

12th Socratic Lectures symposium took place online on January 11, 2025. It featured five plenary lectures, 12 scientific sessions, a poster session and a newly introduced session called “The student zone”. As we received more than 40 papers, The Proceedings of the 12th Socratic Lectures is organized in three parts. Part I contains mainly papers from the medical fields, Part II contains mainly papers from the natural and social sciences and Part III contains standard operating procedures of a pipeline for assessment of extracellular particles. The pipeline was designed within the project Nanostructurome. Socratic lectures thus present an important meeting point for the participants of various projects and for the publication of scientific results, opinions, repositories, and any kind of documents that are useful in the management of the projects. But in the first place, the 12th Socratic lectures were a meeting point for scientists, artists and friends from many different fields.

Brachycephaly, morphological trait characterised by a shortened skull relative to its width, is a prominent feature of certain feline breeds, including Persians, Exotic Shorthairs, Himalayans. British Shorthairs, British Longhairs, and Scottish Folds. While selective breeding has favoured this trait due to human preferences for neotenous appearances, severe brachycephaly is associated with a wide range of health complications. These include neurological, respiratory, ocular, dental, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and dermatological disorders. This literature review explores the systemic impact of brachycephaly on feline health, highlighting the need for ethical breeding practices and improved veterinary care to mitigate its negative effects.

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most prevalent orthopedic injuries in veterinary medicine, significantly impacting canine stifle joint stability and biomechanics, and subsequently, the animal’s quality of life. This study investigates the effectiveness of custom-made knee orthoses as a conservative treatment for recent cranial cruciate ligament ruptures in dogs. Two dogs with cranial cruciate ligament injuries were fitted with individualized orthoses, and their rehabilitation progress was monitored over 32 days. This study employed a four-scale method to measure body weight distribution across limbs and utilized owner questionnaires to evaluate lameness, gait, mobility, and physical activity. The results indicated substantial improvements in both dogs when they wore orthoses. Weight-bearing measurements demonstrated increased load on the injured limb by 0.97 kg and 2.23 kg for Dog 1 and Dog 2, respectively. Dog 2 achieved nearly symmetrical weight distribution by the end of the observation period. Shifts in body weight distribution between forelimbs and hindlimbs highlighted improved functionality; for instance, Dog 1 adjusted from 70% forelimb loading on day 1 to 62% on day 32, while Dog 2 improved from 60% to 55%. Similarly, shifts in lateral weight distribution showed notable reductions in asymmetry, especially in Dog 2, where contralateral load decreased from 59% to 52%. Owner-reported outcomes corroborated these findings, showing enhanced lameness scores, gait quality, and overall mobility. These results underline the potential of custom-manufactured orthoses as a valuable non-surgical approach for cranial cruciate ligament rehabilitation, emphasizing the need for further research in veterinary orthotics to optimize treatment strategies.

Extracellular nanoparticles (EPs) are a subject of increasing interest for their biological role as mediators in cell–cell communication; however, their harvesting and assessment from bodily fluids are challenging, as processing can significantly affect samples. With the aim of minimizing processing artifacts, we assessed the number density (n) and hydrodynamic diameter (D_h) of EPs directly in diluted plasma and blood using the following recently developed technique: interferometric light microscopy (ILM). We analyzed 613 blood and plasma samples from human patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), collected in trisodium citrate and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulants, and 163 blood and plasma samples from canine patients with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). We found a highly statistically significant correlation between n in the plasma and n in the blood only in the human (i.e., but not canine) blood samples, between the samples with trisodium citrate and EDTA, and between the respective D_h for both species (all p < 10⁻³). In the human plasma, the average <D_h> was 139 ± 31 nm; in the human blood, <D_h> was 158 ± 11 nm; in the canine plasma, <D_h> was 155 ± 32 nm; and in the canine blood, <D_h> was 171 ± 33 nm. The differences within species were statistically significant (p < 10⁻²), with sufficient statistical power (P > 0.8). For <n>, we found no statistically significant differences between the human plasma and blood samples or between the samples with trisodium citrate and EDTA. Our results prove that measuring n and D_h of EPs in minimally processed fresh blood and in diluted fresh plasma by means of ILM is feasible for large populations of samples.

This review aims to present current knowledge on the effects of honey bee products on animals based on in vivo studies, focusing on their application in clinical veterinary practice. Honey’s best-proven effectiveness is in treating wounds, including those infected with antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, as evidenced in horses, cats, dogs, mice, and rats. Propolis manifested a healing effect in numerous inflammatory and painful conditions in mice, rats, dogs, and pigs and also helped in oncological cases in mice and rats. Bee venom is best known for its effectiveness in treating neuropathy and arthritis, as shown in dogs, mice, and rats. Besides, bee venom improved reproductive performance, immune response, and general health in rabbits, chickens, and pigs. Pollen was effective in stimulating growth and improving intestinal microflora in chickens. Royal jelly might be used in the management of animal reproduction due to its efficiency in improving fertility, as shown in rats, rabbits, and mice. Drone larvae are primarily valued for their androgenic effects and stimulation of reproductive function, as evidenced in sheep, chickens, pigs, and rats. Further research is warranted to determine the dose and method of application of honey bee products in animals.

Recent feline behavioral research, spearheaded by Scott and Florkiewicz (2023), has made groundbreaking strides in decoding the complexity of cat communication. The study meticulously cataloged 276 facial expressions, each intricately linked to a broad spectrum of the cats’ emotional states and communicative intents. This extensive array of expressions, which includes a “play face” akin to those ob­served in other species, signifies a depth of social interac­tion previously unacknowledged in domestic cats. Ali nam ilustracija lahko pomaga bolje razumeti naše mačke? Nedavne raziskave mačjega vedenja, ki sta jih vodili Scott in Florkiewicz (2023), so naredile prebojne korake v dešifrira­nju kompleksnosti komunikacije mačk. Študija je natančno katalogizirala 276 izrazov obraza, vsak tesno povezan s ši­rokim spektrom čustvenih stanj in komunikacijskih name­nov mačk. Ta obsežen nabor izrazov, ki vključuje »igralni obraz«, podoben tistim, opaženim pri drugih vrstah, ozna­čuje globino socialne interakcije, ki prej ni bila priznana pri domačih mačkah.

The aim of our retrospective study was to observe the healing effect of medical honey on wounds in dogs. Honey debrides wounds, kills bacteria, lowers the pH value of wounds, reduces chronic inflammation, promotes the infiltration of fibroblasts and provides a moist environment, which is essential for wound healing. Twenty dogs with a total of 21 contaminated nonsurgical wounds were included. Wounds were treated with medical honey and left to heal by second intention. For the prevention of wound desiccation and bandage adherence, a low-adherent absorbent pad was used. The wounds smaller than 15 cm2 healed in 28 to 49 days (mean 36.4±7.9 days), and wounds larger than 15 cm2 healed in 35 to 77 days (mean 50.3±15.9 days). A low-adherent absorbent pad completely prevented adherence of the dressing to the wound bed, so that no pain or tissue damage occurred during dressing changing. The treatment of wounds with medical honey had a positive influence on wound healing, and all wounds in our study healed completely with minimal scarring and with regrowth of hair. Ten dogs received no antibiotic therapy and none of them developed wound infection. Medical honey therefore serves as a promising alternative antimicrobial chemotherapeutic. The use of honey is effective in tissue regeneration and wound healing in large wounds in dogs where surgery alone cannot guarantee satisfactory results.