A review of the expanding field of exotic animal oral health care--veterinary dentistry.

This article reviews the clinical literature of the field of Veterinary Dentistry from its conception in the late 1960's to its rapidly expanding role today as an emerging clinical specialty practice in veterinary medicine. It defines eight dental sub-disciplines in contemporary veterinary oral health care from a practical point of view and provides information concerning standardization of key words searches, definition of terms, and use of the expanded Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) necessary for a comprehensive review of the rapidly expanding literature stored in electronic databases.

Diploid chromosome number and chromosomal variation in the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).

Chromosomal studies were conducted on 38 white rhinoceroses representing both the northern and southern subspecies and one subspecies hybrid. Improvements in tissue culture methods and harvesting techniques have made it possible to obtain a highly repeatable diploid number of 82 chromosomes for both subspecies. Comparison of G-banded karyotypes from the two subspecies failed to indicate a difference in banding pattern, but did reveal size polymorphisms involving short arm additions in five individuals. Chromosomal polymorphism, resulting in three individuals with a diploid number of 2n = 81, was noted in northern white rhinoceroses.

Effect of tolazoline on xylazine-ketamine-induced anesthesia in turkey vultures.

Fifteen turkey vultures were each given xylazine (1 mg/kg of body weight, IM) and ketamine (10 mg/kg, IM). In 5 of the birds (controls), the mean (+/- SD) induction time was 5.4 +/- 1.0 minutes and the mean duration of anesthesia was 109.8 +/- 25.4 minutes. The remaining 10 vultures (test birds) were given tolazoline (15 mg/kg, IV) 45 minutes after administration of xylazine and ketamine. In the test birds, the mean induction time was 4.5 +/- 1.6 minutes and the mean duration of anesthesia was 49 +/- 2.1 minutes. After administration of tolazoline, the birds regained consciousness in 3.7 +/- 1.9 minutes and were standing with normal posture in 14.2 +/- 5.4 minutes. All birds remained moderately sedated yet ambulatory and responsive to stimuli for 30 to 60 minutes after tolazoline administration. Results indicated that tolazoline was useful in controlling the duration of xylazine-ketamine-induced anesthesia in turkey vultures.

Dexamethasone-induced recrudescence of malignant catarrhal fever and associated lymphosarcoma and granulomatous disease in a Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus).

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) was diagnosed in a 2-week-old Formosan sika deer. The fawn had been previously exposed to a clinically normal neonatal wildebeest calf from which alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 was isolated. Alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 was isolated from buffy coat leukocytes and nasal and ocular secretions of the fawn during the acute illness. The fawn clinically recovered after 3 weeks. Virus was not recovered from blood at this time. Dexamethasone, given 4 months after clinical recovery, resulted in reisolation of MCF virus from blood and recrudescence of clinical MCF. The deer was euthanatized. At necropsy, pathognomonic lesions of MCF, granulomatous disease, and malignant lymphoma were observed. Antibodies to bovine leukosis viral antigens were not detected in the serum. The epidemiologic and pathogenetic importance of the findings are discussed.