DEGENERATIVE CARDIAC DISEASE IN TWO SPECIES OF TORTOISE (CHELONOIDIS NIGRA COMPLEX, CENTROCHELYS SULCATA).

Cardiac lesions in tortoises are incompletely described in the literature. This retrospective case series includes 11 cases of degenerative cardiac disease in young tortoises from two species in human care: Galápagos tortoise complex (Chelonoidis nigra complex) (n = 9) and sulcata tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata) (n = 2). Eight tortoises were male, two were female, and sex was undetermined for one individual. The age range at the time of death was 10-32 yr with a mean of 19 yr. The most common clinical signs noted prior to death were peripheral edema, lethargy, and inappetence. Common necropsy findings included generalized edema and pericardial effusion. All cases had ventricular myocardial fibrosis and several cases had epicardial adhesions. Additional common findings included hepatic lesions (hepatic lipidosis, hepatic fibrosis, and hepatitis) and pulmonary lesions (pulmonary edema, pulmonary fibrosis, and pneumocytic hypertrophy). A definitive cause for degenerative cardiac disease was not identified in this case series, but the young age distribution of the tortoises suggests that inappropriate environmental parameters, husbandry, and diet should be investigated as possible underlying contributing factors.

CUTANEOUS T-CELL LYMPHOMA WITH LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN AN ADULT ADDAX (ADDAX NASOMACULATUS).

A 13-yr-old male addax (Addax nasomaculatus) presented with locally extensive alopecia, slight erythema, and skin thickening on the medial aspect of the left rear leg between the stifle and tarsus. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma was diagnosed after histopathology and immunohistochemical staining of representative skin-punch biopsies. No treatment was elected, and the addax was euthanized 3 yr later because of poor body condition, chronic dental disease, and confirmed spread of lymphoma to other cutaneous locations. Postmortem evaluation revealed spread to multiple lymph nodes but no further organ metastasis. Serologic testing on archived serum for bovine leukemia virus (BLV) revealed no evidence of exposure or infection. In cattle, cutaneous lymphoma is a sporadic form of lymphoma that is relatively rare, not typically associated with BLV infection, and occurs in young animals (<3 yr). This is the first report of cutaneous lymphoma in a nondomestic bovid.

Periorbital adenocarcinoma in a bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

A 4.5-year-old female bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) presented for periorbital swelling affecting the left eye. A well-organized, hypoechoic mass was noted ventral and medial to the globe on ocular ultrasound. The mass continued to grow despite antibiotic therapy, and an exenteration was performed. The mass was diagnosed via histopathology and immunohistochemical staining as a probable lacrimal gland carcinoma, although a Harderian gland origin could not definitively be ruled out. The tumor recurred following removal, and the lizard died 2 months postoperatively.

Clinicopathologic, gross necropsy, and histologic findings after intramuscular injection of carprofen in a pigeon (Columba livia) model.

To evaluate the pathologic effects of carprofen in a pigeon model (Columba livia), 52 young adult pigeons were used in a randomized control study design. Sixteen pigeons were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups and received carprofen by intramuscular injection at dosages of either 2, 5, or 10 mg/kg once daily for 7 days. Four pigeons served as saline-injected controls. Four pigeons from each group and 1 control pigeon were randomly selected on days 2, 4, 6, and 8 to obtain blood samples and then were euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. Histologic lesions in pectoral muscle, liver, kidney, and digestive tract tissue samples were ranked in severity as 0, normal/not present; 1, minimal; 2, mild; 3, mild to moderate; 4, moderate; 5, moderate to marked; and 6, marked pathologic changes. Two-way analysis of variance (day x dose) and pairwise t tests revealed significant (P < or = .05) mild decreases in total protein and glucose concentrations and marked increases in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme activities after carprofen treatments. Gross lesions in carprofen-treated pigeons were pale injection sites (23/48 [47.9%]), mottled yellow livers (9/48 [18.8%]), and congestion of small intestines (7/48 [14.6%]). Liver, kidney, and muscle injection sites had significantly increased (P < or = .05) severity of histologic lesions. In pigeons, intramuscular administration of carprofen is associated with increased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme concentrations, gross lesions in muscle injection sites and liver, and histologic lesions in liver and muscle.

Spinal osteosarcoma in a hedgehog with pedal self-mutilation.

An African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of vertebral origin with compression of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The only presenting sign was a self-mutilation of rear feet. Additional diagnoses included a well-differentiated splenic hemangiosarcoma, an undifferentiated sarcoma of the ascending colon, and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.