Adenovirus-associated pneumonia and hepatitis in four llamas.

This report focuses on the diagnostic laboratory and necropsy findings in 4 llamas with adenovirus-associated hepatitis or pneumonia. In the 2 young llamas, clinical illness was characterized by chronic respiratory tract disease. In the 2 adult llamas, clinical illness was characterized by neurologic signs and a history of respiratory tract disease. Histologic examination, electron microscopy, virus isolation, and fluorescent antibody results indicated that adenovirus infection was associated with disease in all 4 llamas.

Investigation of an epizootic of bovine viral diarrhea virus infection in calves.

Eight of 19 calves born to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)-negative and -immunocompetent dams were determined to be infected with a noncytopathic strain of BVDV. Six of the 8 calves had diarrhea and 2 had no clinical signs of disease. In 3 euthanatized calves, lesions consistent with mucosal disease were found throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and the virus was isolated from the spleen, lymph nodes, and small intestine. In 5 calves, BVDV was isolated from mononuclear cells in blood samples obtained 21 days apart, indicating persistent infection. The virus was not isolated from sera obtained from 2 calves, with chronic nonclinical infections, that had neutralizing antibody titers > or = 1:512 against bovine viral diarrhea-Singer virus and titers > or = 1:256 against the persistent BVDV. Twenty-one days after vaccination with a vaccine that contained inactivated noncytopathic and cytopathic biotypes of BVDV, 4 of 5 persistently infected calves had neutralizing antibody titers < or = 1:4 against the bovine viral diarrhea-Singer virus and their persistent virus. Prior to vaccination, 2 of 11 virus-negative calves had neutralizing antibody titers < or = 1:128 against the bovine viral diarrhea-Singer virus, and after vaccination, only 1 virus-negative calf had a titer < or = 1:512. At 149 days after revaccination and prior to weaning, 4 virus-negative calves had neutralizing antibody titers < or = 1:512 (range, 1:16 to 1:384). Under the specific conditions in this herd, we were not able to detect a beneficial effect of vaccination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hexachlorophene toxicosis in a litter of Doberman pinschers.

A litter of 5-week-old Doberman Pinschers with pustular dermatitis was treated dermally with a hexachlorophene-containing emulsion. Shortly after a second treatment, all of the puppies developed neurologic signs consisting of muscle tremors, ataxia, and apparent muscle weakness. The clinical history and signs, histologic lesions within the central nervous system, and measurement of hexachlorophene in liver and kidney tissue confirmed a diagnosis of hexachlorophene toxicosis.

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma in two dogs.

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma (ESOS) of the spleen and jejunum was diagnosed in 2 dogs. As an extremely uncommon type of tumor that has proven difficult to treat, ESOS is associated with high rate of local recurrence and metastatic disease. Extraskeletal osteosarcoma principally affects older dogs, has no apparent breed predilection, and may develop more frequently in males. The cause of ESOS is unknown, but may involve malignant metaplasia of pluripotential mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts. Macroscopically, ESOS usually is observed as a hard mass and may appear similar to calcified hematoma or myositis ossificans. The classic radiographic appearance of ESOS is a soft tissue mass with focal mineralization and without adjacent bone involvement.

Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: a vitamin E deficiency that may be familial.

Two horse farms, on which there was a high incidence of proven and suspected equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), were studied. Symmetric ataxia and paresis, along with laryngeal adductor, cervicofacial, local cervical, and cutaneous trunci hyporeflexia, characterized the syndrome. Serum vitamin E concentration reflected a deficient state in affected and unaffected horses on both farms when compared with selected reference groups and with published values. A high incidence of the disease was evident in offspring of two particular sires on one farm. Vitamin E supplementation resulted in correction of the deficient state in most horses and was associated with a drastic reduction in the incidence of EDM on one farm from 40% to less than 10% the year following vitamin E supplementation. In addition, during the last year, the severity of signs in the few cases was dramatically reduced. This information substantiates the hypothesis that EDM is a vitamin E-responsive disorder of Equidae with a possible familial predisposition.

Methods of euthanasia in poultry and food-producing animals.

This article summarizes the methods of euthanasia in poultry and food-producing animals and details some of the advantages and disadvantages of specific methods. Specific recommendations are made for each type of animal, with alternative methods for special circumstances. Reasons are given for recommending methods that are not "first-choice methods" of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia. Detailed descriptions are included for selected methods of euthanasia.

Lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis in a cat.

A cat with severe weight loss and small bowel diarrhea was diagnosed as having lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis. Treatment with medium chain triglycerides and glucocorticoids was palliative. This disease appears similar to that reported in Basenji dogs. In retrospect, dietary therapy should also have been attempted since cats with a similar infiltration of the colon responded well to such therapy.

Acute toxicosis of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) caused by pyrolysis products from heated polytetrafluoroethylene: clinical study.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a synthetic polymer widely used as a nonstick surface in cookware, releases toxic pyrolysis products when exposed to excessive heat. Thirty-two budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) were exposed to pyrolysis products of either heated PTFE cookware or plain aluminum cookware in a specially designed exposure chamber for given periods. Clinical signs were recorded and necropsies were done on all birds at the termination of each exposure period. The PTFE products caused acute respiratory distress and rapid death in many of the exposed birds. At necropsy, lesions were seen only in the respiratory tract--extensive pulmonary hemorrhage and congestion.

Viral inclusions in raccoon liver cells.

Three young raccoons (Procyon lotor), two from Michigan and one from Arizona, died suddenly from acute infections. Intranuclear inclusion bodies and viral particles typical of herpesvirus were seen in liver cells from all three. Inclusions also were seen in the nuclei of endothelial cells in the lung, liver, glomeruli and reticuloendothelial cells of the spleen. The source of the infection was not determined, but possible transmission from other species could not be ruled out.

Polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) in the growing pig diet.

Twelve pigs which averaged 13.7 kg were randomly allotted from litters to a corn-soybean meal grower diet containing 0, 20, or 200 ppm of polybrominated biphenyls (PPB). During a 16-week growth trial, average daily gain (kg), average daily feed (kg) and feed/gain for pigs on diets containing 0, 20, or 200 ppm of PBB, respectively, were 0.82, 2.45, 2.99; 0.67, 1.88, 2.79; 0.45, 1.23, 2.70. Mean daily gain differences between all lots were highly significant (p < 0.01). Blood from each pig was withdrawn biweekly through the first 8 weeks of the trial and at 4 week intervals thereafter. Hemoglobin and hematocrit differed significantly only at the 6 weeks bleeding, being reduced in pigs receiving 200 ppm of PBB. Erythrocyte reduced glutathione concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity were not significantly influenced by level of dietary PBB. Serum lactic dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher in control pigs than in either PBB supplemented lots at 16 weeks. There was no significant influence of PBB upon serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum alkaline phosphatase or serum creatine phosphokinase. Based on these enzyme assays, PBB produced no evidence of significant necrosis of liver, myocardium, or skeletal muscle. There was no consistent effect of dietary PBB upon total serum protein concentration or electrophoretic profile. Pigs on either level of PBB did not have overt clinical signs of toxicity during the 16-week test period with the exception of a dermatosis on the ventral surface of two of the pigs receiving 200 ppm of PBB. There was a marked increase in liver weight of pigs receiving either level of dietary PBB. Heart, kidney, and adrenals of pigs receiving either level of dietary PBB were heavier as a percent of body weight than that of control pigs. Fat retention of PBB and urinary and fecal PBB excretion were significantly affected by dietary PBB level. Grossly, the glandular portion of the stomach appeared somewhat hyperplastic in pigs on 200 ppm of PBB. Two pigs which had received 200 ppm of PBB were placed on the control diet and over the next 14 weeks normal growth rate occurred. One of these pigs was killed and organ weights were normal. The other pig, a gilt, came into estrus. She was bred and conceived. At the end of gestation, four pigs were born. Three survived and grew normally; the one death at birth examined at gross necropsy did not reveal changes in organ size or other tissue alterations.

Cerebral nematodiasis in captive nutria.

Of 35 nutria (Myocaster coypus) at a city zoo, 20 died or were killed because of a progressive central nervous system disease. On the basis of histopathologic findings, a diagnosis of cerebral nematodiasis complicated by nosematosis was made. The only significant management change prior to illness was the feeding of poplar tree branches from a lowland area inhabited by skunks and raccoons. Neurologic disturbances gradually ceased within 2 months after control measures were initiated and the practice of provided poplar branches as a source of roughage was discontinued.

Lesions of experimentally induced colibacillosis in neonatal gnotobiotic pigs: a scanning electron microscopic study.

Scanning electron and light microscopy were used in studies of stomach, duodenum, cranial, and caudal portions of the jejunum, ileum, cecum, and spiral colon from 18 gnotobiotic pigs. Five pigs were raised as controls and 13 were exposed at 6 days of age by oral administration of 1.6 X 10(6) colony-forming units of Escherichia coli O138:K81:NM. Infiltration of leukocytes into the mucosa of the stomach seen with the light microscope has not been previously reported. The irregular pattern of the mucosal surface of the stomach formed by the gastric pits and the mucosal extensions on the individual rugae revealed with scanning electron microscopy was different than anticipated. Sections of the ileum from control and infected pigs contained collapsed cells around the extrusion zone at the tips of the villi. These collapsed cells were more numerous in infected pigs and appeared to have sloughed from the area of the extrusion zone resulting in exposure of the lamina propria. Cecum and spinal colon were free of changes. Alterations of the mucosa of the intestinal tract of gnotobiotic pigs infected with E coli as visualized by scanning electron microscopy were considered too inconsistent to be of diagnostic significance.