Focus on pet diseases

Pets become vital companions in human life. They offer companionship and emotional support, and contribute significantly to physical and mental health, as well as social activities. Living with pets can stimulate human bodies to release more “affinity hormones” such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, which helps alleviate negative emotions. The human-animal bond can enhance the human body’s ability to eliminate toxins, reduce the risk of illnesses, strengthen the immune system, and alleviate depressive symptoms. Moreover, pet-related social activities can facilitate the making of new friends and the establishment of social connections, serving as a bridge for those who struggle with social interactions.

Given the numerous benefits that pets can offer to humans, it is crucial to pay attention to their health at all times. According to the “one health” approach, the wellbeing of animals also affects human health. For instance, pets can carry some specific pathogens that may pose risks to human health, including rabies virus and Toxoplasma gondii, which have been addressed in our previous issues (Rupprecht et al. 2023; Chen et al. 2023). In this special issue, we focus on several other infectious diseases that impact pets’ health, particularly exploring the epidemiology and immunogenicity of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in dogs and cats (Shang et al. 2024), parvovirus infection (Umar et al. 2024) and retrovirus infection in dogs (Casseb et al. 2023), along with the potential sequelae of these infectious diseases in dogs (such as chronic kidney disease). Through these studies, we aim to provide fresh insights into the prevention and control of these infectious diseases, to better safeguard pets’ health. Additionally, this special issue also focuses on some common diseases in pets (dermatitis and tumors), including the establishment of special tumor cell lines and antibodies against inflammatory cytokines, which can provide fundamental support against such diseases.