Align-ju SCIENCE SHORTS
Deficiencies in the nutrient balance of home-prepared dog foods
USER-ALT Janice O ' Brien and others, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA
Meals formulated and prepared at home by their owners are given to increasing numbers of dogs in many countries. The rationale appears to be concern about the origin of materials used in commercial pet food and the owners ' belief that homemade meals are better quality and healthier for their animals. The authors analysed the contents of home-prepared food given by the owners of 1,726 dogs enrolled in the US Dog Aging Project. They found that there was a wide range of ingredients used in these foodstuffs, with meat and vegetables present in the majority of recipes, together with other ingredients, such as fruit, nuts, grains, seeds and oils. However, only 6 % of these owners were providing what the Association of American Feed Control Officials would consider a balanced diet. The results highlight the need for veterinary professionals to advise owners on food choices for their pets.
American Journal of Veterinary Research https:// doi. org / 10.2460 / ajvr. 25.06.0216
Incidence and clinical features of mammary neoplasms in male dogs
USER-ALT Fernanda Freitas Miranda and others, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
As in humans, mammary tumours are common in female dogs but are only occasionally reported in males. This has meant that there is little information on the clinical features and treatment of these tumours in male dogs and they tend to be treated in the same way as in females. The authors examined the records for 2,172 mammary neoplasms examined between 2000 and 2024. Only four cases, or 0.18 %, were in male dogs. The dogs concerned were between 8 and 11 years old and in three cases the tumours were malignant. Each one of the malignant tumours expressed receptors for oestrogen and progesterone on the cell surface, suggesting a possible treatment strategy in future cases in male dogs. In two cases, the tumour cells also expressed COX-2 receptors, which may provide a therapeutic target and also serve as a prognostic indicator.
Topics in Companion Animal Medicine https:// doi. org / 10.1016 / j. tcam. 2025.100980
Evaluation of a potential treatment for obesity in dogs
USER-ALT Burak Dik and others, Selcuk University, Konya, Türkiye
GLP-1 is a peptide hormone that is involved in glucose metabolism. Synthetic analogues of the GLP-1 receptor molecule have been developed as a treatment for obesity in humans. They appear to function by stimulating glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis while also reducing appetite and boosting thermal energy production. The authors investigated the efficacy and safety of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in obese dogs. A group of seven obese golden retrievers received daily injections of 1.2 mg / kg liraglutide for 40 days. Compared with untreated groups of obese and healthy dogs, they showed a reduction in bodyweight and body condition score. Treated dogs also had significantly lower serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and appetite tests revealed a marked suppression of food intake. This agent appears to be a viable option for treating canine obesity.
The Veterinary Journal https:// doi. org / 10.1016 / j. tvjl. 2025.106376
Volume 41( 1) • February 2026
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