Animals最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Compound Milk Oligosaccharides on Growth Performance, Immune Function, and Intestinal Health of Neonatal Suckling Piglets with Different Birth Weights.","authors":"Peng Zhang, Gang Tian, Daiwen Chen, Junning Pu, Ping Zheng, Jie Yu, Bing Yu","doi":"10.3390/ani16193150","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193150","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of compound milk oligosaccharides (CMO) on growth performance, immune function, and intestinal health of neonatal suckling piglets with different birth weights. Forty neonatal suckling piglets (20 piglets with normal birth body weight (NBW), 20 piglets with low birth body weight (LBW)) from 10 lactating sows with the same parity and litter size (2 normal birth weight piglets and 2 low birth weight piglets from each sow), were allotted to one of four treatments (10 replications with 1 piglet per treatment) in a 2 × 2 factorial design, including two birth body weight (normal or low birth weight) and two CMO doses (0 or 75 mg/d). All piglets were orally administered 2 mL CMO solution (37.5 mg/mL CMO, with a ratio of 3' SL:2' FL:6' SL = 5:4:1) or equivalent volume saline daily, from birth until day 21 of age. At the end of the trial, eight piglets per treatment were used for terminal serum and intestinal measurements, and five piglets per treatment were used for colonic microbiota analysis. As expected, NBW piglets had higher body weight and average daily gain than LBW littermates (<i>p</i> < 0.05), accompanied by a lower colonic abundance of <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.05). More importantly, oral CMO administration from birth to weaning improved body weight on days 14 and 21, average daily gain, jejunal villus height, and the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, decreased serum IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 concentrations, and inhibited ileal mRNA expression of <i>IL-1β</i> and <i>MyD88</i> in piglets of both birth weight groups. In addition, CMO markedly downregulated ileal <i>NF-κB</i> expression in LBW piglets (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Interaction analysis indicated that the interaction between birth weight and CMO supplementation specifically decreased ileal <i>TLR4</i> gene expression, reduced colonic observed species, Chao 1 and ACE indices, and enriched colonic <i>Parabacteroides</i> in LBW piglets (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In summary, these findings demonstrated that a daily oral dose of 75 mg CMO improved growth performance and intestinal health in suckling piglets, and the underlying mechanisms may be closely associated with alleviation of intestinal inflammation, improvement of intestinal morphology, and modulation of gut microbial balance.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663510/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>lncRNA-5583</i> Modulates Porcine Granulosa Cell Proliferation Through a <i>miR-193a-5p/ACVR1</i>-Associated Mechanism.","authors":"Jingyang Dong, Huapeng Zhang, Fan He, Qingchun Li, Mengfan Qi, Binbin Fu, Kun Yan, Yun Feng, Rong Zhou, Mengxun Li, Tao Huang","doi":"10.3390/ani16193159","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ovarian follicular development is essential for reproductive performance in sows, with granulosa cells playing a central role in follicular growth and function. This study investigated the function and regulatory mechanism of <i>lncRNA-ALDBSSCT0000005583</i> (<i>lncRNA-5583</i>), previously identified as differentially expressed in M2-stage follicles (5.0-6.9 mm in diameter) between Meishan and Duroc sows. Overexpression and loss-of-function experiments were performed in porcine granulosa cells, and candidate microRNA interactions and downstream targets were examined using bioinformatic prediction, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and molecular and functional analyses. Porcine granulosa cell experiments were performed using three independent pooled granulosa-cell isolations (<i>n</i> = 3). <i>LncRNA-5583</i> was identified as a 588-nucleotide non-coding RNA. Its overexpression promoted granulosa cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis, accompanied by corresponding changes in PCNA, BAX, Bcl-2, and the BAX/Bcl-2 ratio; <i>miR-193a-5p</i> overexpression attenuated these effects. LncRNA-5583 interacted with <i>miR-193a-5p</i> in a sequence-dependent manner, and <i>miR-193a-5p</i> directly targeted ACVR1. Inhibition of <i>miR-193a-5p</i> increased ACVR1 expression and was accompanied by increased Smad3 phosphorylation, whereas <i>lncRNA-5583</i> knockdown decreased both <i>ACVR1</i> expression and Smad3 phosphorylation. These findings support the involvement of the <i>lncRNA-5583/miR-193a-5p/ACVR1</i> regulatory axis in porcine granulosa cell proliferation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association Between Methane Concentration Measured by a Modified Mask System and GreenFeed Methane Production in Dairy Cows.","authors":"Marta Sfulcini, Vincenzo Lopreiato, Fiorenzo Piccioli-Cappelli, Erminio Trevisi, Andrea Minuti","doi":"10.3390/ani16193156","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate measurement of enteric methane (CH₄) emissions is essential for methane phenotyping, but established techniques may be costly and difficult to apply to large numbers of animals. This study evaluated a simple mask-based system for measuring CH₄ concentration in exhaled breath of lactating dairy cows in comparison with CH₄ production measured using GreenFeed. Thirty-two Holstein cows were evaluated, generating 60 paired observations. On each sampling day, exhaled breath was collected using the mask during three 5 min periods, and CH₄ concentration was determined by micro gas chromatography. Mask CH₄ concentration was positively associated with GreenFeed CH₄ production (Pearson r = 0.616; Spearman ρ = 0.606; <i>p</i> < 0.001). The association remained significant after accounting for repeated observations within cows using a linear mixed-effects model (β = 53.1 ± 15.7 g/day per 0.1 percentage-point increase in mask CH₄, 95% CI: 22.3 to 84.0; <i>p</i> < 0.001). An exploratory within-cow analysis was also performed in four cows evaluated over five sampling days. Positive within-cow correlations were observed in all four animals (r = 0.157-0.699), but none reached statistical significance (<i>p</i> > 0.05). These results indicate that CH₄ concentration measured using the mask contains information on differences in methane emission among cows and may have potential as a methane phenotyping measure.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663346/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quill-Dwelling Cheyletid Mites in Birds of Prey: A New Genus from <i>Haliaeetus albicilla</i> and Evidence of Feather-Shaft Modification.","authors":"Katarzyna Kaszewska-Gilas, Olaf Gwiazdowski, Tadeusz Mizera, Eliza Głowska-Patyniak","doi":"10.3390/ani16193151","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193151","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new genus and species, <i>Aetocheyletia variata</i> gen n., sp. n. (Cheyletoidea: Cheyletidae), is described from the White-Tailed Eagle <i>Haliaeetus albicilla</i> (Linnaeus) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) in Poland. This represents the first record of cheyletid mites of the tribe Metacheyletinii from birds of prey. The new genus is morphologically most similar to <i>Metacheyletia</i> Fain, 1972, but differs from it in the presence of subcapitular setae <i>n</i> and an additional minute ventral tooth on the palpal claw. We further document considerable variability in body chaetotaxy observed in nearly all examined females. The most frequent anomalies occur in the aggenital and genito-anal regions and include (i) duplication of setae arising from a single alveolus, (ii) supernumerary setae, and (iii) reduction. In addition, distinct oval, circular, and spiral deformations of the quill wall were observed exclusively in specimens infested by <i>A</i>. <i>variata</i>, occurring in six of these feathers. No comparable alterations were found among the remaining five, including those hosting other mite taxa. This distribution suggests an association within the examined material, although causality remains unresolved. The present study expands current knowledge of the diversity and host range of Metacheyletinii and provides new observations on morphological variability and potential interactions between quill-dwelling mites and feather structure.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149191060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of Dietary Rumen-Protected Choline and Nicotinic Acid Supplementation on Growth Outcomes and Meat Tenderness, Rumen Microbial Composition, and Serum Metabolomics of Late-Fattening Beef Cattle.","authors":"Baochen Xu, Tianyu Gao, Xiaoyan Wang, Mengqi Li, Xuekuan Hui, Yanxia Xing, Yang Li, Lizeng Peng, He Zhu, Dong Chen","doi":"10.3390/ani16193144","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High-concentrate feeding during late fattening can impair metabolic health and meat quality in beef cattle, yet effective nutritional strategies remain limited. Choline and nicotinic acid are involved in lipid and energy metabolism, but information on their combined or sequential supplementation is scarce. This study evaluated rumen-protected choline given alone or together with nicotinic acid on growth performance, meat quality, serum biochemical indices, serum metabolomics, and free amino acid profiles in late-fattening beef cattle. Twenty-four black cattle were randomly allocated to three groups: CON (basal diet), CC (basal diet + 10 g/d RPC for 90 d), and CC-CNA (basal diet + 10 g/d RPC for 90 d + 10 g/d protected NA during the final 30 d). Shear force was significantly lower in both CC and CC-CNA than in CON (<i>p</i> < 0.05), indicating improved tenderness. Exploratory serum metabolomics identified treatment-associated metabolites and pathways related to amino acid, purine, sphingolipid, and lipid metabolism. Taste-related free amino acids were also altered by supplementation (<i>p</i> < 0.05). RPC alone or with short-term NA may improve tenderness and modulate systemic metabolic responses; larger studies with direct sensory evaluation are needed to confirm growth and flavor-related effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploratory Retrospective Study on Rehabilitation in Dogs Affected by Acute Idiopathic Polyradiculoneuritis.","authors":"Enrico Bruno, Elena Salvador, Federica Balducci, Michela Antonucci, Thomas Dalmonte, Giuseppe Spinella","doi":"10.3390/ani16193158","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193158","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute Canine Idiopathic Polyradiculoneuritis (ACIP) is one of the most common acute-onset peripheral neuropathies in dogs. Since there is no specific therapy, rehabilitation represents the main supporting treatment for canine patients. This exploratory retrospective study analyzes the role and effectiveness of physiotherapy rehabilitation in the treatment of ACIP, evaluating the recovery times of spontaneous walking ability and potential correlation between the considered variables that could influence its progress. The study included 12 clinical cases affected by ACIP and submitted to a physiotherapy support plan for independent gait recovery. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the number of rehabilitation sessions required for spontaneous ambulation achievement: less than 40 (Group A) and more than 40 sessions (Group B). Statistical analysis showed no significant association between qualitative variables. Given the inherent methodological limitations and small cohort size, these preliminary findings should be interpreted with caution. However, the data tentatively suggest that intensive rehabilitation strategies might support a more rapid recovery of independent ambulation, even though the number of moderate and maintenance sessions did not differ significantly between the groups. Consequently, further studies with statistical power are required to confirm these trends.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Living Technology: Theoretical Perspectives on the Emergence of Sled Dogs.","authors":"Emma Vitale, Mikkel-Holger S Sinding, Tatiana R Feuerborn","doi":"10.3390/ani16193148","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193148","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, the intersection of the history of technology, environmental history, and ethnozoology has generated new insights into human-animal relationships, particularly in Arctic contexts where survival has depended on close interspecies collaboration. Sled dogs, which have long played a central role in Arctic lifeways, exemplify how animals function as active participants in socio-ecological systems and can be understood as forms of biological technology. Through domestication, selective breeding, and sustained practices of training and care, sled dogs developed physiological, behavioural, and genetic traits associated with endurance, thermoregulation, metabolism, and cooperative work. At the same time, humans developed harnesses, sleds, and mobility practices designed to work in tandem with canine capabilities, forming integrated transportation systems. Building on this perspective, we propose a transportation hypothesis of dog domestication. Rather than viewing transport as a late application of already domesticated dogs, we argue that mobility may have been one of the principal technological functions through which the human-dog partnership became evolutionarily and culturally stable. Under this framework, domestication is understood not only as a biological process but also as a technological one, shaped through the co-development of animals, transport systems, and human knowledge. This perspective broadens technological and ethnozoological inquiry and highlights the role of domestication and cross-cultural knowledge in Arctic human-animal relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663604/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Meat Quality of Finishing Pigs by Enhancing Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Modulating Gut Microbiota.","authors":"Zhixin Yu, Luhao Tian, Yanzhe Zhang, Haoneng Guo, Zhixuan Zhang, Lexuan Shi, Zengzhuang Yuan, Zeqing Lu, Yizhen Wang, Yuanzhi Cheng","doi":"10.3390/ani16193135","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary tea polyphenols (TPs) supplementation on growth performance and meat quality. A total of 120 pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) aged 150 days with similar body weights (74.29 ± 0.55 kg), comprising equal numbers of females and castrated males, were randomly assigned to two treatments, each with three pens of 20 pigs: The Control group received a basal diet, and the TP group received the basal diet supplemented with 2000 mg/kg tea extract containing 15% TP. A 7-day adaptation preceded the 60-day feeding period. At the end of the experiment, the final bodyweight of the pigs was measured and six pigs per treatment were selected for sampling. The results showed that: (1) growth performance did not differ significantly, although feed-to-gain ratio and average daily feed intake were numerically lower in the TP group; (2) carcass weight, backfat thickness, and muscle alanine increased, whereas <i>longissimus dorsi</i> lightness and yellowness decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05); (3) serum total superoxide dismutase and hepatic catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05); (4) Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity were unchanged, and genus-level PCoA showed partial but non-significant separation of the colonic microbial communities (R = 0.1685, <i>p</i> = 0.090). Nevertheless, TP supplementation selectively altered specific bacterial taxa, with lower relative abundances of <i>Pseudomonadota</i>, <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i>, and <i>Ligilactobacillus</i> and higher relative abundances of <i>Solobacterium</i>, <i>norank_f__p-2534-18B5_gut_group</i>, and <i>[Ruminococcus]_gauvreauii_group</i>; and (5) <i>Catenisphaera</i> was positively correlated with serum total superoxide dismutase activity (<i>p</i> < 0.01), whereas the TP-enriched <i>norank_f__p-2534-18B5_gut_group</i> was positively correlated with muscle alanine content (<i>p</i> < 0.05). This study demonstrates concurrent antioxidant, meat-quality, and microbial responses to a TP-containing diet, supporting mechanistic research on a potential gut-liver-muscle association and refinement of supplementation strategies that balance antioxidant benefits with carcass fat deposition.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663568/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First Molecular Detection of <i>Neobenedenia girellae</i> (Monogenea: Capsalidae) in Farmed Greater Amberjack (<i>Seriola dumerili</i>) in Greece.","authors":"Dimitrios Karagiannis, Anna Maria M Anastasiou, Dimitrios K Papadopoulos, Maria V Alvanou, Ioannis A Giantsis, Konstantinos Feidantsis","doi":"10.3390/ani16193139","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193139","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the present study, we report the first molecular detection and identification of the ectoparasitic monogenean <i>Neobenedenia girellae</i> in the farmed greater amberjack (<i>Seriola dumerili</i>) in Greece. This parasite is considered one of the most economically important ectoparasites affecting marine finfish aquaculture worldwide. The greater amberjack is an emerging species for Mediterranean aquaculture, characterized by rapid growth and high market value. During routine surveillance at a marine fish farm in the Ionian Sea, metazoan ectoparasites were collected from the sampled greater amberjack exhibiting skin and ocular lesions, and thereafter were subjected to molecular identification. Partial sequences of three genetic markers, <i>mitochondrial cytochrome b</i> (<i>cyt b</i>), <i>histone H3</i>, and <i>28S rDNA</i>, were analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses placed the Greek sequences within <i>N. girellae</i> lineages containing isolates from geographically distant regions, with no clear geographic clustering across the three molecular markers examined. Although these findings indicate genetic affinities with previously characterized isolates, they do not allow for the determination of the geographic origin or route of introduction of the parasite into Greece. Surveillance is therefore warranted to determine its distribution in Mediterranean aquaculture and decrease the risk of further spread.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Candida albicans</i> Urinary Tract Infection with Suspected Fungal Hepatobiliary Disease in an Immunosuppressed Dog: A Case Report.","authors":"Amy Norman, Michelle Walton-Clark","doi":"10.3390/ani16193136","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193136","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal urinary tract infections (UTIs) are uncommon in dogs and are typically associated with immunocompromised patients or those with other predisposing factors. Fungal hepatobiliary disease is rarely reported in the veterinary literature. This case report describes a dog on dual immunosuppressive therapy for suspected immune-mediated polyarthritis that developed a hepatopathy suspected to represent bacterial hepatobiliary disease and was subsequently treated with prolonged amoxicillin-clavulanate therapy. Following treatment, the dog developed marked hepatocellular enzyme elevations together with a <i>Candida albicans</i> UTI. Given the patient's progressive hepatocellular injury, clinical signs, history of immunosuppression and antibiotic therapy, concurrent fungal hepatobiliary involvement was suspected. Following initiation of oral fluconazole, the fungal UTI resolved, and there was marked improvement, with subsequent normalisation of ALT and ALP activities. Although the temporal association between antifungal treatment and clinical and biochemical improvement raised suspicion of concurrent fungal hepatobiliary involvement, simultaneous discontinuation of amoxicillin-clavulanate, substantial reduction in prednisolone dose, and continuation of hepatoprotective therapy precluded attribution of the improvement specifically to antifungal treatment. This case highlights the potential for opportunistic fungal disease in immunosuppressed dogs, particularly following prolonged antimicrobial exposure, and illustrates the diagnostic challenges associated with suspected hepatobiliary involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663549/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}