Odontogenic cutaneous fistula is commonly misdiagnosed by practitioners, leading to incorrect and unnecessary treatment. Here, we present two cases. Case 1 involved an eight-year-old intact male Maltese with a submandibular cutaneous abscess following 2 weeks of antibiotic treatment who was later diagnosed, using dental radiography, with odontogenic cutaneous fistula. Case 2 involved an eight-year-old neutered female Maltese with a submandibular cutaneous nodule and general skin problems following 6 months of oral antibiotics and a history of surgical intervention who was finally diagnosed, using dental radiography and computed tomography, with an odontogenic cutaneous fistula that resolved completely following tooth extraction. These two cases highlight the importance of odontogenic infection in the differential diagnosis of typical lesions in the head and neck.

Severe lumbosacral pain, paraparesis or paraplegia, and urinary incontinence are common but frustrating problems in dogs with lumbosacral spinal cord injury (SCI). The surgical interventions including stabilization and decompression may not restore satisfying neurological functions in severe SCI. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) show benefits in immunomodulation, anti-inflammation, and promotion of axonal growth and remyelination, and also display efficacy in several diseases in veterinary medicine. In this report, four dogs presented with fracture of sacrum vertebrae or fracture of seventh lumbar and lumbosacral displacement after road traffic accidents. The clinical signs include lumbosacral pain (4/4), paraparesis (3/4), paraplegia (1/4), and urinary incontinence (4/4). All dogs were treated by surgical decompression with or without stabilization 1 to 7 weeks after trauma. Allogeneic canine Ad-MSCs (cAd-MSCs) were injected locally on nerve roots through the surgical region in all dogs. One dose of intravenous transplantation and 4 doses of local transplantation were also performed within 8 weeks after the surgery separately. All dogs showed significant neurological improvements with normal ambulatory ability (4/4) and urinary control (3/4) 3 months after the surgery and the first cAd-MSCs transplantation. No side effect was related to multiple cAd-MSCs transplantations during 6 months monitoring in all dogs. In conclusion, multiple cAd-MSCs transplantations could be a recommended treatment combined with surgery in dogs with lumbosacral SCI.

A 7-month-old, intact, male French bulldog presented for paraplegia for two days, and persistent fever and diarrhea for seven days. Complete blood count and biochemical profiles were within normal limits. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) revealed destructive endplate lesions between T11 and T12. Surgery of intervertebral disc (IVD) curettage was performed because the dog was beginning to lose deep pain perception. Staphylococcus epidermis was isolated from blood culture and specimens of the IVD. After surgery, intravenous and oral antibiotics were continued for three weeks. The dog regained ambulatory status one month after surgery. Diagnosis of discospondylitis of T11 and T12 was confirmed according to CT and positive bacteria culture. To our knowledge, this case is the youngest dog confirmed with discospondylitis managed successfully, and the first case report of discospondylitis in a French bulldog. Aggressive surgical treatment is highly recommended in young dogs with rapidly progressive neurologic deficits from discospondylitis.