Eyelid neoplasms are among the most common periocular conditions in dogs and can lead to significant ocular morbidity if left untreated. Although surgical excision with blepharoplasty remains the standard of care, cytoreduction combined with cryosurgery has emerged as a less invasive alternative that preserves eyelid integrity. This prospective study evaluated 30 dogs with eyelid masses treated by cytoreductive excision followed by two freeze–thaw cycles delivered via a contact CO₂ cryosurgical unit. Risk factors, tumor types, pre- and postoperative ophthalmic signs were assessed and graded according to severity. Preoperative and postoperative findings included ocular discharge, conjunctival hyperemia, and blepharospasm. Postoperative ophthalmic signs were transient, resolving within 72 h. Depigmentation changes (leukoderma and leukotrichia) resolved spontaneously within 30 days. Histopathological analysis identified melanoma (30%), squamous cell carcinoma (16.7%), and sebaceous adenoma (16.7%) as the most prevalent tumor types. Tumor recurrence was observed in only one case (3.3%), involving a melanoma. These results suggest that cytoreduction combined with cryosurgery is a safe, time-efficient, and effective option for canine eyelid neoplasms, particularly for small or superficial tumors where preserving eyelid structure is a priority.
This scoping review covers the welfare impacts of infectious disease and of interventions used to control infectious disease in pigs. Thirty-three scientific sources were included in the review after literature searches and selection processes, which was a smaller literature than anticipated. We found evidence consistent with infectious diseases causing behavioural and physiological alterations (increased body temperature, anorexia and reduced activity) consistent with a sickness syndrome in pigs. There was also more limited evidence that infectious disease in pigs causes a shift from pro- to negative social behaviours and a reduction in exploration and play. We conclude that this evidence is consistent with infected pigs having reduced welfare. In relation to interventions, studies of the welfare impact of vaccination delivery approaches illustrate the need to evaluate the welfare impacts of disease control methods. Several gaps were identified including a lack of information on the specific welfare impacts of diseases, few papers on the role of environment as a modulator of disease resistance, and an absence of research directly addressing the impacts on pigs’ mental state. For interventions there were no reports on the welfare impacts of commonly used disease control methods such as isolation or pharmacological treatment. This review identifies an important opportunity to advance infectious-disease research in pigs by integrating validated and reliable welfare metrics into study methodologies. Doing so will extend the key findings of this review and help address the clear need for more targeted research quantifying welfare impacts across disease conditions.
