ABSTRACT
Morphological studies of the oropharyngeal cavity of chelonians have become an interesting tool in the understanding of evolutionary processes associated with feeding habits in aquatic animals and the transition from aquatic to terrestrial forms. In this context, the aim of the present study was to describe the oropharyngeal cavity floor morphology of hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) hatchlings. Ten dead hatchlings of undefined sex were obtained from nests hatched on the coast of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The heads of each specimen were fixed, dissected, and analyzed at the macroscopic and microscopic levels. The oropharyngeal cavity floor of the hawksbill sea turtle hatchlings is formed by the tongue, pharynx, floor muscles, and hyolingual skeleton, delimited in the rostral and lateral directions by a keratinized beak, called the rhamphotheca, and in the caudal region at the limit between the pharynx and the esophagus. The tongue muscles and the muscles that support the floor of the oral cavity comprise the following: m. hypoglossohyoideus, m. hypoglossoglossus, m. hyoglossus, m. genioglossus, m. constrictor laryngis, m. geniohyoideus pars lateralis, and m. intermandibularis. The oropharyngeal cavity floor mucosa is formed by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and the lamina propria is formed by loose connective tissue. The floor mucosa is devoid of taste buds. We believe that the basic oropharyngeal cavity floor characteristics in hawksbill sea turtle hatchlings may comprise indications that these animals are plesiomorphic and that semiaquatic and terrestrial turtles may have undergone adaptations to feed out of water.
Subject(s)
Turtles , Animals , Turtles/anatomy & histology , Adaptation, Physiological , Acclimatization , Mucous Membrane , EpitheliumABSTRACT
Morphological studies concerning the digestive system can further information on animal diets, thus aiding in the understanding of feeding behavior. Given the scarcity of information on sea turtle digestive system morphology, the aim of the present study was to describe the digestive tube (DT) morphology of Eretmochelys imbricata hatchlings to further understand the diet of these individuals in the wild. DT samples from 10 stillborn turtles (undefined sex) were analyzed at the macro and microscopic levels. The esophagus, stomach, small intestine (SI), and large intestine (LI) are described. Histologically, the DT is formed by four tunics, the mucosa, submucosa, muscular, and adventitia or serosa. The esophagus is lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, while the remainder of the DT is lined by a simple columnar epithelium. The esophagus mucosa is marked by conical, pointed papillae. The stomach comprises three regions, the cardiac, fundic, and pyloric and is covered by neutral mucous granular cells. The intestinal mucosa presents absorptive cells with microvilli, neutral and acidic goblet cells, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The SI is significantly longer than the LI (p value = 0.006841). These morphological findings are strong indications of adaptations to a carnivorous diet in this hawksbill turtle age group.
ABSTRACT
Background: Histomoniasis is a disease caused by Histomonas meleagridis, a flagellated protozoan that can cause severenecrotizing hepatitis and typhlitis in several bird species. The disease has a cosmopolitan distribution. In experimentalinfection, peacocks (Pavo spp.) showed susceptibility to histomoniasis, however there are few reports on natural histomoniasis in this species. In northeastern Brazil, reports about its occurrence in avian species are scarce and nonexistent inpeacocks. Therefore, this report aims to describe the epidemiological and clinicopathological aspects of a histomoniasiscase in a peacock (Pavo cristatus) in the Brazilian semiarid region.Case: A 3-month-old male peacock with a history of apathy and anorexia was attended in the Veterinary Hospital of theUniversidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The animal was raised extensively in a farmwithout basic sanitary measures, also with a history of living with animals of different species. After clinical examination, inwhich intense apathy and weight loss were confirmed, the bird was submitted to emergency therapeutic measures, howeverthere was no clinical improvement and the bird died. At necropsy, intense diffuse bilateral necrotizing typhlitis and multifocalto coalescent necrotizing hepatitis were observed. Fragments of the organs were collected in 10% neutral buffered formalinfor histopathological analysis and cecal content were collected for microbiological analysis. Histopathology of the cecumrevealed transmural necrotizing typhlitis associated with myriads of trophozoites morphologically compatible with Histomonasmeleagridis. The same microorganisms were observed in association with necrotizing hepatitis lesions, which allowed thediagnosis of histomoniasis. Also, the bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was isolated from the cecal content...(AU)
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Poultry/parasitology , Poultry/microbiology , Protozoan Infections , Enterobacteriaceae Infections/veterinary , Blood Cell Count/veterinary , Pantoea/isolation & purification , Typhlitis/veterinary , Hepatitis, AnimalABSTRACT
Background: Histomoniasis is a disease caused by Histomonas meleagridis, a flagellated protozoan that can cause severenecrotizing hepatitis and typhlitis in several bird species. The disease has a cosmopolitan distribution. In experimentalinfection, peacocks (Pavo spp.) showed susceptibility to histomoniasis, however there are few reports on natural histomoniasis in this species. In northeastern Brazil, reports about its occurrence in avian species are scarce and nonexistent inpeacocks. Therefore, this report aims to describe the epidemiological and clinicopathological aspects of a histomoniasiscase in a peacock (Pavo cristatus) in the Brazilian semiarid region.Case: A 3-month-old male peacock with a history of apathy and anorexia was attended in the Veterinary Hospital of theUniversidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The animal was raised extensively in a farmwithout basic sanitary measures, also with a history of living with animals of different species. After clinical examination, inwhich intense apathy and weight loss were confirmed, the bird was submitted to emergency therapeutic measures, howeverthere was no clinical improvement and the bird died. At necropsy, intense diffuse bilateral necrotizing typhlitis and multifocalto coalescent necrotizing hepatitis were observed. Fragments of the organs were collected in 10% neutral buffered formalinfor histopathological analysis and cecal content were collected for microbiological analysis. Histopathology of the cecumrevealed transmural necrotizing typhlitis associated with myriads of trophozoites morphologically compatible with Histomonasmeleagridis. The same microorganisms were observed in association with necrotizing hepatitis lesions, which allowed thediagnosis of histomoniasis. Also, the bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was isolated from the cecal content...
Subject(s)
Male , Animals , Poultry/microbiology , Poultry/parasitology , Enterobacteriaceae Infections/veterinary , Protozoan Infections , Blood Cell Count/veterinary , Hepatitis, Animal , Pantoea/isolation & purification , Typhlitis/veterinaryABSTRACT
A dieta de uma iguana verde (iguana da iguana) é essencialmente composta de folhas verdes, porém, quando esses animais são expostos ao sinantropismo, surgem condições favoráveis à ingestão de corpos estranhos. Casos de ingestão de corpos estranhos por iguanas são escassos e pouco relatados na literatura e, quando ocorrem, a sintomatologia consiste em distensão gástrica ou intestinal e irritação da mucosa, podendo também evoluir para casos de intoxicação. Nesses casos, procedimentos cirúrgicos foram estabelecidos para reverter essas circunstâncias, como cecotomia ou gastrotomia. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é descrever o desempenho de uma enterotomia para remoção de corpo estranho em uma iguana verde (iguana da iguana).
The diet of a green iguana (Iguana iguana) is essentially composed of green leaves, however when these animals are exposed to synanthropism, favorable conditions for the ingestion of foreign bodies emerge. Cases of ingestion of foreign bodies by iguanas are scarce and little reported in the literature, and when they occur, the symptomatology consists of gastric or intestinal distension and mucosal irritation and may also evolve into cases of intoxication. In these cases, surgical procedures were established to reverse these circumstances, such as cecotomy or gastrotomy. Thus, the objective of this paper is to describe the performance of a foreign body removal enterotomy in a green iguana (Iguana iguana).
Subject(s)
Animals , Surgical Procedures, Operative , Foreign Bodies , IguanasABSTRACT
A dieta de uma iguana verde (iguana da iguana) é essencialmente composta de folhas verdes, porém, quando esses animais são expostos ao sinantropismo, surgem condições favoráveis à ingestão de corpos estranhos. Casos de ingestão de corpos estranhos por iguanas são escassos e pouco relatados na literatura e, quando ocorrem, a sintomatologia consiste em distensão gástrica ou intestinal e irritação da mucosa, podendo também evoluir para casos de intoxicação. Nesses casos, procedimentos cirúrgicos foram estabelecidos para reverter essas circunstâncias, como cecotomia ou gastrotomia. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é descrever o desempenho de uma enterotomia para remoção de corpo estranho em uma iguana verde (iguana da iguana).(AU)
The diet of a green iguana (Iguana iguana) is essentially composed of green leaves, however when these animals are exposed to synanthropism, favorable conditions for the ingestion of foreign bodies emerge. Cases of ingestion of foreign bodies by iguanas are scarce and little reported in the literature, and when they occur, the symptomatology consists of gastric or intestinal distension and mucosal irritation and may also evolve into cases of intoxication. In these cases, surgical procedures were established to reverse these circumstances, such as cecotomy or gastrotomy. Thus, the objective of this paper is to describe the performance of a foreign body removal enterotomy in a green iguana (Iguana iguana).(AU)
Subject(s)
Animals , Iguanas/surgery , Foreign Bodies/surgery , Foreign Bodies/veterinaryABSTRACT
Intraocular abscesses usually have an indication of surgical resolution, since drainage is not indicated when it occurs in this region. The gift study objective is to report the clinical resolution of an intraocular abscess with the topical antibiotictherapy. A rabbit, female, four years old, was atended at the Hospital Veterinarian Jerônimo Dix-Huit Rosado Maia with the complaint of ocular inflammation. During physical examination was verified inflammation and content caseous intraocular. An improvement in infection was also perceived, thus deciding to continue the conservative treatment with the antibiotic. After 29 days of treatment, a complete reversal of the abscess was observed, resulting only in a corneal opacity, suggestive of scar tissue. It was concluded that gatifloxacin was effective in the treatment of intraocular abscess, thus alternative treatment before deciding on enucleation.(AU)
Subject(s)
Animals , Rabbits , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Eye Infections, Bacterial/drug therapy , Eye Infections, Bacterial/veterinary , Abscess/drug therapy , Abscess/veterinary , Ophthalmic Solutions/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Intraocular abscesses usually have an indication of surgical resolution, since drainage is not indicated when it occurs in this region. The gift study objective is to report the clinical resolution of an intraocular abscess with the topical antibiotictherapy. A rabbit, female, four years old, was atended at the Hospital Veterinarian Jerônimo Dix-Huit Rosado Maia with the complaint of ocular inflammation. During physical examination was verified inflammation and content caseous intraocular. An improvement in infection was also perceived, thus deciding to continue the conservative treatment with the antibiotic. After 29 days of treatment, a complete reversal of the abscess was observed, resulting only in a corneal opacity, suggestive of scar tissue. It was concluded that gatifloxacin was effective in the treatment of intraocular abscess, thus alternative treatment before deciding on enucleation.