Vertebral angiomatosis in cats is a rare locally aggressive benign tumor-like lesion that has been reported to have a good prognosis if surgically treated. This case reports a 14-month-old Maine Coon cat, who had a successful surgery for vertebral angiomatosis at the age of seven months, and represented with hindlimb ambulatory paraparesis seven months after the surgery. The CT scan confirmed the recurrence of vertebral angiomatosis, seven months postsurgery, showing more aggressive characteristics than the initial lesion and a poorer prognosis.

The objective of this clinical case study is to describe the first clinical case of an intracranial sewing needle identified in veterinary medicine and to describe the second case of intracranial foreign body secondary to pharyngeal perforation. A one-year-old Maltese dog with acute haemorrhagical vomiting and seizure was evaluated. A cerebral CT scan revealed the presence of a sewing needle inserted into the nasopharynx, which perforated the caudal cranial fossa through the brainstem, cerebellum and caudal part of the forebrain. An emergency surgery was performed, the needle was removed and the dog recovered well during the following 72 hours. One month after the surgery, the dog was still fine. This clinical case reinforces the possibility of cranial perforation after sharp foreign body ingestion. Intracranial foreign body should be part of the differential diagnosis in dogs when acute digestive signs are associated with acute neurological complications.

This report describes an infiltrative laryngeal lipoma in a nine-year-old female neutered Rottweiler, that was diagnosed with CT and surgically removed. The dog presented with a 3-month progressive history of severe stridor, exercise intolerance and dysphagia. CT cranial to the thoracic vertebrae showed a 33 cm3 hypoattenuating mass between the thyroid and cricoid cartilages. Surgical resection was performed and the dog recovered uneventfully postoperatively and did not show any signs of recurrence over a 2-year period. Histopathological findings revealed an infiltrative lipoma. This clinical case demonstrated a good outcome after resection of a laryngeal infiltrative lipoma and the benefits of performing advanced imaging.

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Whether surgical palliative therapy is appropriate for oncologic veterinary patients is an increasing concern as pet age increases because of improved care. In this study, an online survey (available for 30 days), comprising 100 questions with structured response options, was administered to 492 diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). The survey queried the technical, ethical, social, medical, and financial aspects of surgical palliative therapy for oncologic veterinary patients.Responses were received from 155 ECVS diplomates (31.5%, n = 155/492). Palliative surgery was a relatively common intervention in veterinary oncology, with 50% of respondents (n = 77.5/155) indicating that 75%-100% of oncological surgeries performed were palliative. The presence of metastasis was judged as a key determinant when deciding to perform palliative oncological surgery by 41% of the respondents (n = 63.5/155). The survey revealed that the most commonly performed procedures in palliative oncological surgery were marginal resection, debulking, and amputation. In contrast to human medicine, palliative limb-sparing surgery, stent placement, and embolization were rarely used in veterinary settings, mainly because of a general lack of expertise among veterinarians, elevated costs, and recourse to euthanasia. Taken together, the survey results highlight the need for appropriate guidelines in the field of oncological surgery. To establish general guidelines and direct veterinarians towards the most appropriate judgement, understanding how and what veterinary surgeons manage palliative oncological surgery and how they perceive the main ethical, social, medical, and financial concerns are essential. Such guidelines will lead to better care for ailing animals and will facilitate the path to healing for owners.