Andrea Marchegiani

Research on the reproductive tract microbiology of broodmares has primarily focused on the uterus, with a limited set of tools for the rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria in the perineal region. Accurate, real-time identification of bacterial contamination could improve the diagnosis and management of post-breeding infectious endometritis. In this proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the ability of a portable MolecuLight i:X fluorescence imaging device for the rapid, non-invasive detection of potentially pathogenic perineal bacteria in healthy broodmares, comparing results with microbiological culture as the gold standard. Using ultraviolet-induced fluorescence imaging guided for swabbing and microbiological culture, the device demonstrated 80% sensitivity, 96% specificity, and 91% accuracy in differentiating potential pathogenic from commensal bacteria in clinically healthy broodmares. These preliminary findings may represent the basis for further assessment of the real-time, fluorescence-based technology in diseased or symptomatic broodmares, potentially aiding timely clinical decision-making. Further multicentred studies with larger inclusion of mares with confirmed endometritis are needed to strengthen the relevance of this technology and to expand the device’s application in equine reproductive health.

In recent years, donkey milk has gained growing interest for its nutritional and therapeutic properties, stimulating both research and commercial interest. Monitoring udder health is essential to reduce production losses and ensure animal welfare. Despite its importance, information about the ultrasonographic anatomy of teat structures in lactating jennies is limited, and normal reference values are not well established. This study aimed to describe the ultrasonographic appearance of the teat and provide reference measurements in healthy lactating standard dairy jennies. Twenty-eight subjects were examined using a 13 MHz linear transducer, and longitudinal and transverse scans were performed to assess teat canal length, teat canal diameter, and cranial and caudal teat wall thickness. All measurements were repeatable and showed high bilateral symmetry. Teat canal diameter was positively correlated with the month of lactation (p < 0.05), whereas no significant associations were found with age or body weight. These findings establish normative ultrasonographic parameters for teat structures in jennies and highlight the progressive adaptation of the teat canal during lactation. Standardized measurements can support early detection of mammary gland pathologies, guide preventive management of mastitis, and improve udder health monitoring in donkey dairy farming.

The analysis of proteins in stool samples can significantly enhance the study of mammalian physiology and disease. In this study, we investigated the fecal proteome of clinically healthy dogs (n = 26) by a label-free proteomics approach to evaluate the impact of breed differences. The dogs were divided into two groups (n = 13 each) based on their breed, specifically Weimaraner and Dalmatian, the former known for their possible susceptibility to gastrointestinal disease. Quantitative and qualitative differences between the two experimental groups were identified based on analyses performed on pooled biological samples. The overall fecal proteome profile comprised 58 proteins, of which 37 were common, while comparative proteomics analysis detected 15 proteins with different abundances. Notably, the fecal proteome of Weimaraners showed an over-representation of proteins such as pantetheinase, which promotes inflammatory reactions; ferritin heavy chain and hemoglobin, possibly associated with gut ulceration and/or rectal bleeding typical of IBD; and anionic trypsin, implicated in inflammatory bowel disease. Notably, in Dalmatians, despite the absence of specific predispositions, some proteins associated with chronic enteropathy (e.g., carboxypeptidase B and serine protease 1) were also over-represented. Additionally, some proteins linked to breed variation included enzymes associated with “protein digestion and absorption” and “glycolysis and gluconeogenesis”. These findings suggest, for the first time, that the variable breed is a factor that may potentially influence the fecal proteome in dogs.

Many recent progresses in the overall quality of life have allowed for an increase in life expectancy, both in humans and in dogs. In addition, long-lived individuals may develop neurodegenerative disorders, and one of the most important in human medicine is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In veterinary medicine, the AD counterpart is Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CCDS), which, generally, affects elderly dogs from 8 years of age. These cognitive disorders are becoming frequently encountered conditions and, despite researchers’ attention towards pathogenesis, treatment and diagnosis, more efforts are required to outline which clinical and laboratory evaluations must be carried out to reach a presumptive antemortem diagnosis of CCDS. The biggest need is the establishment of standardized protocols and guidelines for a correct clinical and diagnostic approach towards dogs with clinical signs referrable to CCDS. In this narrative review, we examined the up-to-date scientific literature on the topic, focusing our attention on sensitive and reliable markers for clinical antemortem CCDS diagnosis. Even if some parameters analyzed are interesting and promising, more investigations are needed to confirm the results obtained so far. This is crucial because a correct diagnosis is fundamental to determine the best treatment and, thus, to guarantee animals’ health and welfare.

Wound management is a fundamental skill for veterinarians, requiring a systematic approach to wound care and a deep understanding of the biological principles underlying healing. Sucralfate, widely known as a mucoprotective agent for gastroduodenal ulcers, has recently shown promising topical effects in human skin lesions by binding and protecting growth factors from proteolytic degradation, thereby enhancing their local availability. This action promotes angiogenesis, chemotaxis and cell proliferation, while reducing oxidative stress and exerting bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects against common pathogens. However, the veterinary-specific literature on topical sucralfate is extremely limited, with most available data derived from experimental studies in rodent and porcine models, rather than clinical studies in common veterinary species. Nonetheless, these preliminary studies suggest a potential role for sucralfate in accelerating the healing process through improved collagen synthesis, neovascularization and fibroblast activity. Given the species-specific challenges in veterinary wound healing—especially in horses and cats, prone to delayed healing and exuberant granulation tissue—sucralfate represents a promising, cost-effective and safe candidate for clinical use. This narrative review synthetizes current evidence on sucralfate’s mechanisms and therapeutic benefits across human and veterinary contexts, highlighting the need for controlled, multidisciplinary veterinary studies. Validating sucralfate’s efficacy in clinical settings could enable the growing owner demand for advanced care to be satisfied, shorten recovery times, reduce complications and improve animal welfare.

Background: Phytocannabinoids have the potential to lower intraocular pressure in both normal and glaucomatous eyes and they have been tested in different animal species, but not in the horse. The present paper describes the tonometric curve of healthy adult Italian Saddle horses after oral administration of cannabidiol oil (CBD). Methods: CBD 20% was administered orally (oily solution) at the dose of 1 mg/kg to 8 adult horses and intraocular pressure (IOP) was evaluated by tonometric curve. Data were then compared to those of the same horses obtained the day before (blank) CBD administration. Results: 15 minutes after CBD administration, IOP (time zero 27.3 ± 2.1 mmHg right eye; 24.6 ± 2.3 mmHg left eye) started to decrease (19.5 ± 5.2 mmHg right eye; 20.8 ± 2.4 mmHg left eye) and 1 hour later CBD it reached the minimum level in all horses (11.4 ± 7.5 mmHg right eye; 9.5 ± 5.8 mmHg left eye), remaining statistically significantly lower than normal values for the entire observation period (8 hours; 12.0 ± 7.9 mmHg right eye; 11.9 ± 7.8 mmHg left eye). Conclusions: CBD 20% was effective to significantly reduce IOP in healthy adult Italian Saddle horses and may be an effective hypotensive agent to be implemented in case of primary or secondary glaucoma.

Knowledge of the normal ultrasound anatomy in the donkey is essential to understand pathological changes and to reach an early diagnosis, considering the “dullness” and stoicism of these animals in pain manifestations. The aims of this study were to document which abdominal viscera could be identified using a transcutaneous ultrasonography technique under field conditions in unsedated, standing donkeys to determine where the different abdominal structures could be easily displayed and to describe any variation that occurred between different donkeys and horses. In this work, the manual technique for performing an ultrasound of the abdominal organs in a donkey is described, including acoustic windows. In addition, several measurements were performed and correlated with the age and weight of the animal to find possible variations. For several of the abdominal viscera, donkeys were found to have similarities with horses, but some differences were found, mostly related to kidney size and the technique for liver visualization. The wall thickness of the colon was confirmed as higher compared to horses, while other intestinal tracts were found to be comparable. A correlation between body weight and organ measurements was only found for the length of both kidneys.

Many horses exhibit stereotypies, especially when living in human controlled environments that may prevent horses from satisfying natural needs in terms of feeding, drinking, moving, and socializing. In human medicine, obsessive compulsive disorder and other severe psychiatric disturbances are associated with stereotypic behaviors; salivary biomarkers evaluation is considered a reliable tool for diagnosis of common mental health disorders because saliva collection easy to obtain and noninvasive. In this study, we hypothesized that salivary cortisol concentrations, in addition to alpha-amylase (sAA) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities, are considered stress biomarkers that may be influenced in horses trained for racing competition with stereotypic behaviors. Saliva at rest condition was obtained from ten non-stereotypic Thoroughbreds horses involved in high-level competition; eleven Thoroughbreds high-level competition horses showing stereotypic behaviors, and five Thoroughbreds leisure non-competition horses. Cortisol was found to be higher in high-level competition non-stereotypic horses and sAA was significantly higher in non-stereotypic leisure horses when compared to horses involved in competition, while BChE did not change between groups. These results may represent the basis for further behavioural evaluation to elucidate how stereotypic horses and horses involved in competition overcome stressful situations.

Food-responsive enteropathy (FRE) is the most frequent form of canine chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE). It can be diagnosed if, after excluding known causes of diarrhea, clinical signs resolve or significantly improve after an appropriate dietary trial. No universal diet can resolve the clinical signs in every case of FRE, as genetic predisposition and environment (e.g., the possible role of the diet feed before the disease onset) are suggested as possible players. The study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the possible correlations between disease, diet, and breed in a large cohort of dogs (n = 222) suffering from FRE. Throughout the study, dogs differed based on dietary options: commercial diet group, homemade diet group, and mixed diet group. Diet, breed, age, body weight, body condition score (BCS), fecal score (FS), canine chronic enteropathy activity index (CCECAI), and selected clinical signs were variably evaluated at T0 and at final time (FT—based on response to the diet[s], but between 30 and 60 days). Significant differences between T0 and FT were found regarding FS, BCS, and CCECAI, as well as between age, BCS, and CCECAI at FT with the FS at FT. The CCECAI at FT was significantly directly correlated only with the shift from a mixed to a homemade diet. Finally, the multiple linear regression analysis between the covariables of different breeds versus clinical response to the dietary trials did not highlight any difference except for the passage from commercial to mixed diet in a specific subgroup of breeds. The present study reports the clinical progression in 222 dogs suffering from FRE, and it could represent a reference for the variables investigated, considering the large number of patients included.