ABSTRACT
Jaw infections in macropods are common and will result in mortality if not promptly diagnosed and aggressively treated. They have most often been reported in wallabies; however, in the current case, the gross and histopathologic findings, microbial culture, and management of jaw infections in a population of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) housed in a zoological park are described. Three red kangaroos, among a group of 23, were submitted for necropsy after death after progressively invasive and nonresolving jaw infections. Extensive bone and soft-tissue inflammation and necrosis were observed in all animals. A mixed population of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was cultured; however, Pseudomonas spp. was consistently isolated from the sites of infection in all animals. Parental administration of gentamicin and penicillin, along with daily oral flushing of the wounds with Betadine, removal of all rough forage, and hand feeding soft-pelleted feed, was effective in controlling the progression of disease in 1 affected animal. This case documents an important disease in an additional macropod species and identifies predisposing factors, possible etiologies, and treatment and/or management options.
Subject(s)
Macropodidae , Mandibular Diseases/veterinary , Maxillary Diseases/veterinary , Osteomyelitis/veterinary , Animals , Animals, Zoo , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bacteria, Aerobic/isolation & purification , Bacteria, Anaerobic/isolation & purification , Death , Female , Male , Mandibular Diseases/microbiology , Mandibular Diseases/pathology , Maxillary Diseases/microbiology , Maxillary Diseases/pathology , Osteomyelitis/drug therapy , Osteomyelitis/microbiology , Osteomyelitis/pathology , Pseudomonas/isolation & purification , Skin/microbiology , Skin/pathologyABSTRACT
Two dead, captive green anacondas (Eunectes murinus), including one male and one female, submitted for necropsy were in poor body condition, having multiple, scattered, dark red foci on the scales and mottled lungs. Both snakes had severe mycotic dermatitis. In addition, the male snake had mycotic stomatitis, and the female snake had mycotic pneumonia. Trichophyton sp., Verticillium sp., and Alternaria sp. were isolated from the dermal lesions. The pulmonary lesions were morphologically consistent with Aspergillus sp. Bacterial organisms isolated from skin and internal organs included Chryseobacterium meningosepticum, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Providencia rettgeri. Mycotic diseases can be devastating to reptiles, and suboptimal husbandry and captivity were likely the predisposing factors that led to opportunistic invasion in these snakes.
