Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a Chinchilla lanigera.

This report describes a case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a chinchilla. The affected animal displayed a variety of clinical signs including genital swelling, conjunctivitis, anorexia, weight loss, corneal and oral ulcerations and, most unusually, intradermal pustules which developed 8 days after recovery from the initial illness. The occurrence of these pustules has not been documented previously.

Nephrotoxicity of tiletamine in New Zealand white rabbits.

Tiletamine and zolazepam, the two constituents of Telazol, were evaluated independently to determine which agent was responsible for the nephrotoxicity caused by Telazol in New Zealand White rabbits. Five rabbits were injected i.m. with 32 mg/kg of tiletamine, four animals received 7.5 mg/kg of tiletamine, and five rabbits received 32 mg/kg of zolazepam. Urinalysis was performed and blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were monitored for 7 days postinjection. In all five rabbits injected with the high dose of tiletamine, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine rose by 3 days postinjection and increased steadily throughout the week. By 4 days postinjection, urine protein and glucose were elevated and cellular and protein casts were present. No serum chemistry or urine abnormalities were detected in rabbits receiving low doses of tiletamine, zolazepam, or in the four control rabbits. All animals were euthanized and necropsied at 7 days postinjection. Histopathology showed severe renal tubular necrosis in all five rabbits injected with 32 mg/kg tiletamine. Mild nephrosis was present in three of four rabbits injected with 7.5 mg/kg of tiletamine. No lesions were present in the zolazepam-injected or control rabbits. The results of this study show that tiletamine is the constituent responsible for the nephrotoxicity of Telazol in rabbits. They further demonstrate that doses commonly used for anesthetic induction or restraint can produce renal lesions in rabbits.

Anesthetic and nephrotoxic effects of Telazol in New Zealand white rabbits.

Telazol was evaluated as an anesthetic for rabbits. Two groups of five rabbits each were injected intramuscularly with 32 or 64 mg/kg of Telazol, and the depth and duration of anesthesia period monitored. At both doses, the righting reflex was lost within 2 minutes postinjection. Animals in both groups responded to noxious stimuli for the duration of the anesthesia. Hematology and urinalyses were performed daily for 7 days postinjection. Hematologic parameters remained unchanged in both groups. In the high-dose group, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels increased 1 day postinjection and continued steadily throughout the week. Elevations in urine protein and the presence of casts correlated with this increase. In the low-dose group, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels increased and protein was present in the urine of four of five rabbits beginning approximately 5 days postinjection. Histologically, severe renal tubular necrosis was evident 7 days postinjection in all high-dose rabbits and in three rabbits in the low-dose group. Our results indicate that Telazol does not produce analgesia in rabbits and is nephrotoxic at both 32 and 64 mg/kg. We conclude that Telazol is contraindicated for use in rabbits.