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Open research questions in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

237 gap statements mined from Veterinary Medicine and Surgery papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,389 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • There is a lack of understanding of the clinical and imaging changes associated with fibrostenotic remodeling in cats with chronic enteropathy. Prior work has not fully explored the biological spectrum of chronic enteropathy in cats, including the overlap between inflammatory and neoplastic forms of the disease.

    Fibrostenotic intestinal stenosis associated with chronic enteropathy in two cats: case report · 2026 · DOI

  • The study requires the collection of blood samples from dogs with CKD and healthy control dogs. The research involves the measurement of ESR and other inflammatory biomarkers. The study needs to account for the variability in survival outcomes and systemic complications in dogs with CKD.

    Baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate is associated with mortality in dogs with chronic kidney disease · 2026 · DOI

  • The prognostic relevance of ESR in canine CKD remains unclear. Conventional clinical and renal variables may not fully capture the cumulative systemic disease burden in dogs with CKD.

    Baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate is associated with mortality in dogs with chronic kidney disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to develop preventive strategies, early screening protocols, and personalized therapeutic management. Research on the epidemiology and associated risk factors of CKD is necessary. Studies on the genetic predisposition, dietary factors, and exposure to toxins or concomitant diseases that may accelerate the progression of renal lesions are needed.

    Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Cats: An Analysis of the Factors Involved · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a need to understand the epidemiology of CKD in cats. Prior studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the prevalence and risk factors of CKD in cats. There is a need to identify associated risk factors and to develop preventive strategies and early screening protocols for CKD in cats.

    Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Cats: An Analysis of the Factors Involved · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a need for early diagnostic biomarkers for renal disease in dogs with CME. The current methods for detecting renal damage may not be sensitive enough to detect early renal lesions.

    Urinary NGAL and KIM-1 in Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis · 2025 · DOI

  • The exact prevalence of hypoadrenocorticism in dogs under one year of age remains unknown. Diagnosing hypoadrenocorticism in younger dogs presents additional challenges.

    Prospective Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Adrenal Glands in a Population of Beagle Puppies and Functional Analysis of Basal Cortisol Levels in Blood · 2025 · DOI

  • Recommendations were derived from review of available studies, supplemented by expert clinical experience where published evidence was insufficient.

    Dietary management of normoalbuminaemic canine chronic enteropathies · 2026 · DOI

  • Urinary kidney injury marker-1 helps identify tubular injury; however, the clinical implications remain to be investigated.

    Increased serum amyloid A and urinary kidney injury marker‐1 concentrations in cats with pyelonephritis: a diagnostic accuracy study · 2026 · DOI

  • Factors involved in recurrence or incomplete resolution of clinical signs after surgical correction of perineal hernia (PH) have not been explored.

    Prognostic value of rectal dilatation and histological features of the rectal wall in dogs with perineal hernia – a cohort and case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a common, multifactorial, multidisease syndrome with limited data reported in Asia.

    Retrospective survival analysis of feline lower urinary tract disease in China using insurance data · 2026 · DOI

  • Objective methods to differentiate cats with stable and progressive CKD are lacking.

    Evaluation of the slope of inverse creatinine to define progressive chronic kidney disease in cats and associated risk factors · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite its surgical relevance, it is traditionally described only macroscopically as a fibrous band, and its microscopic composition has not been characterized.

    Histological study of the canine ovarian suspensory ligament and its implications for neutering procedures · 2026 · DOI

  • While associations between histopathological lesions and outcome have been reported, the prognostic value of urinary protein electrophoresis (UPE) has not been established.

    Urinary protein electrophoresis pattern is associated with prognosis in dogs with proteinuric chronic kidney disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Obesity is a recognised risk factor for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in pugs; however, the mechanisms linking obesity to BOAS remain unclear.

    Regional airway fat distribution and its association with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome severity in pugs with varying body condition · 2026 · DOI

  • Hematological findings have been widely used to assess disease severity and prognosis in several animal species; however, their prognostic value in birds remains poorly defined.

    Leukogram abnormalities as prognostic indicators in birds: Association with mortality and proposal of clinically applicable cut-off values · 2026 · DOI

  • There is insufficient evidence to support radiation therapy as a primary treatment modality.

    Aural Cholesteatoma (Tympanokeratoma) in Veterinary Medicine: An Update and Principles of Clinical Management · 2026 · DOI

  • These breed-specific features of SA warrant further investigation, as they may offer valuable insights into the pathogenesis of the disease.

    Comparative Histopathological Characterisation of Sebaceous Adenitis in Affected Poodle, Poodle‐Related Breeds and Japanese Akita Dogs: A Retrospective, Blinded Study · 2026 · DOI

  • No studies have compared breed response to therapies or evaluated owner perception of the disease.

    Therapeutic Outcomes and Owner Assessment in Canine Sebaceous Adenitis Across Breeds: A Multicentre Retrospective Analysis and Owner Survey · 2026 · DOI

  • Vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters) is present in substantial amounts in the urine of healthy adult dogs, but the mechanisms affecting its excretion are poorly understood.

    Effect of Dietary Vitamin A, Breed, and Kidney Function on the Onset of Urinary Vitamin A Excretion and the Vitamin A Transport Complex in Growing Dogs · 2026 · DOI

  • Technical difficulties with arterial catheterization, - Risks associated with invasive blood pressure measurement, - Limited accuracy of conventional oscillometry in small animals and at extreme blood pressure ranges, - No a priori power analysis was performed, - The study was conducted in a small sample of Beagle…

    Evaluation of Two Veterinary Oscillometric Noninvasive Blood Pressure (NIBP) Measurement Devices (petMAP Graphic II and High-Definition Oscillometry) in Dogs · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigation of NIBP devices in a larger and more diverse population of dogs, - Evaluation of the impact of different sedatives and anesthetics on BP measurements, - Development of more accurate NIBP devices for use in small animals, - Study of the effects of extreme SVRI ranges on NIBP…

    Evaluation of Two Veterinary Oscillometric Noninvasive Blood Pressure (NIBP) Measurement Devices (petMAP Graphic II and High-Definition Oscillometry) in Dogs · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited clinical and therapeutic data available for uterine tube tumors in dogs, - Only a single case is presented, - The exact etiology of uterine tube tumors in dogs remains unknown, - Further case accumulation is necessary to expand our understanding of this rare…

    A Massive Adenoma of the Uterine Tube in a Young Intact Female Dog: Surgical Intervention and Outcome · 2025 · DOI

  • Accumulation of more cases to understand the incidence and etiology of uterine tube tumors in dogs, - Investigation of the potential involvement of increased lifetime ovulation frequency and elevated blood estrogen levels, - Study of the clinical presentation and histopathological characteristics of uterine tube tumors…

    A Massive Adenoma of the Uterine Tube in a Young Intact Female Dog: Surgical Intervention and Outcome · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating the exact prevalence of hypoadrenocorticism in dogs under one year of age. Studying adrenal gland development in dogs under six months of age. Examining the relationship between adrenal gland size and serum cortisol levels in dogs over twelve months of age.

    Prospective Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Adrenal Glands in a Population of Beagle Puppies and Functional Analysis of Basal Cortisol Levels in Blood · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a lack of understanding of the clinical and imaging changes associated with fibrostenotic remodeling in cats with chronic enteropathy (“Fibrostenotic intestinal stenosis associated with chronic enteropathy in two…”, 2026); (2) The prognostic relevance of ESR in canine CKD remains unclear (“Baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate is associated with mortality in dogs…”, 2026); (3) Urinary kidney injury marker-1 helps identify tubular injury; however, the clinical implications remain to be investigated (“Increased serum amyloid A and urinary kidney injury marker‐1 concentrations in…”, 2026); (4) Factors involved in recurrence or incomplete resolution of clinical signs after surgical correction of perineal hernia (PH) have not been explored (“Prognostic value of rectal dilatation and histological features of the rectal…”, 2026); (5) Objective methods to differentiate cats with stable and progressive CKD are lacking (“Evaluation of the slope of inverse creatinine to define progressive chronic…”, 2026). 237 gap statements have been mined from Veterinary Medicine and Surgery papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,389 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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