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Pica as a clinical sign of chronic enteropathy in dogs and cats

USER-ALT Julianna Perez and others, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Pica, the ingestion of non-food items, can be seen in small animal patients and may often result in complications leading to euthanasia. The authors retrospectively examined the records from 133 cases in which dogs or cats were presented at a veterinary referral centre for examinations relating to the ingestion of a foreign object. In all 41 animals in which a gut biopsy was performed and in 70 of the 106 animals for which full records were available, there was evidence of chronic gastrointestinal signs. The stomach bacterium Helicobacter species was identified in half of the biopsy samples taken and was associated with the severity of gastric inflammation. Chronic enteropathies should be considered in animals with pica and given prompt treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https:// doi. org / 10.2460 / javma. 25.02.0079

Faecal microbial transplantation in dogs with diabetes mellitus

USER-ALT R Brown and others, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA

Transplantation of faecal matter from healthy donors has shown promise as a treatment for diseases affecting the gut and other body systems. Studies of dogs with diabetes mellitus have shown that disturbances of the normal intestinal microbiome are a common feature. The authors report a blinded, placebo-controlled study investigating the impact of faecal matter transplants from healthy dogs in five diabetic dogs. There were significant differences in the abundance of bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids and in the bile acid profile between members of the treatment group and healthy controls. Measurements of interstitial glucose showed a steady decline in dogs from the treatment group, and their daily water consumption was reduced in comparison with the controls.

Journal of Small Animal Practice https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / jsap. 13865

Impact of an olive oil-derived product on health parameters in obese dogs

USER-ALT Piantedosi Diego and others, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Obesity is accompanied by low-level inflammation, which can be a risk factor for diseases affecting other organ systems, notably the heart and liver. The N-acylethanolamines( NAEs) are a group of compounds with apparent antiinflammatory effects that are under investigation as potential nutraceutical treatments for obesity. The authors investigated a product derived from olive oil containing high concentrations of the NAE N-oleoylethanolamine given to 27 obese dogs. Administered once daily for 3 months, the treatment prevented the increase in concentrations of the appetite-regulating hormone leptin seen in dogs from the placebo control group. Treatment also produced changes in blood alanine aminotransferase activity and cardiac morphology parameters, indicating beneficial effects for both the liver and the heart. The owners of the dogs reported differences in mobility between the two groups, with treated dogs having less difficulty rising from a prone position.

BMC Veterinary Research https:// doi. org / 10.1186 / s12917-025-04946-y

20 Veterinary Nursing Journal