Congenital biliary atresia in a cat: a case report

A case of congenital biliary atresia in a six-month-old cat is presented. The cat had recurrent bouts of depression, anorexia, vomiting and pyrexia, since it was acquired as a three-month-old kitten. Physical examination showed the cat to be jaundiced. Abdominal palpation revealed several smooth, round masses, confluent with the liver in the right cranial quadrant. A tentative diagnosis of congenital biliary atresia was made based on history, clinical and laboratory examination and radiography. This was confirmed at necropsy.     

Enteric campylobacter infection in gnotobiotic calves and lambs

Gnotobiotic calves and lambs were infected orally with Campylobacter jejuni, C coli or C hyointestinalis to assess pathogenicity. All animals were successfully colonised and excreted mucoid faeces but showed no other clinical signs. Campylobacters colonised the large intestine better than the small intestine, in which bacterial numbers decreased with time after infection. Campylobacters were found occasionally in the lumen of crypts in close proximity to epithelial cells and included in a mucus-like material. Lesions were mostly in the large intestine in calves whereas in lambs they were present in the ileum. In animals inoculated with C jejuni or C coli scattered crypt abscesses, focal inflammatory infiltrates in the lamina propria and goblet cell discharge were found. In lambs inoculated with C hyointestinalis only minor changes were found in the small intestine. Serum antibody response was either absent or present at a low level only from the 19th day after infection.     

Congenital cardiac defects in calves

In a 14-year study of calves with cardiac defects, 36 had 78 congenital cardiac defects: ectopia cordia cervicalis (n = 10 defects), common aortic trunk (n = 3 defects), dextraposed aorta (n = 8 defects), duplicated major trunks (n = 1 defect), hypoplastic aorta (n = 2 defects), interventricular septal defect (n = 11), interatrial septal defect (n = 2), left ventricular hypoplasia (n = 10), patent ductus arteriosus (n = 5), patent foramen ovale (n = 5), right ventricular hypoplasia (n = 10), cor triloculare biatriatum (n = 1), endocardial fibroelastosis with calcification (n = 3), and valvular hematomas (n = 7). All septal defects were high in location and ranged from 5 to 35 mm in diameter. One calf with a septal defect also had bilateral microphthalmia.     

Congenital polycystic kidney disease in lambs

AIM: To describe the pathology and inheritance of a congenital polycystic kidney disease (PKD) of sheep. METHODS: Mode of inheritance of PKD was investigated by evaluation of results of the disorder from planned matings in two consecutive years within subsets of a flock that had a high prevalence of PKD in lambs. Gross pathological and histopathological studies were based on tissues derived from this study. Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained paraffin sections of kidney, liver, extrahepatic biliary and pancreatic ducts, pancreas and epididymis were used to describe the lesions. RESULTS: Twenty-five lambs affected by PKD, of both sexes, were born, numbers in accord with those expected for an autosomal recessive disorder in the population studied. In all cases for which tissues were available, the renal, bile ductal (intrahepatic and extrahepatic), pancreatic and epididymal tissues had widespread dysplastic changes and associated cyst formation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of renal cysts in conjunction with cysts in other organs are unifying features in many of the human and animal forms of PKD and suggest a related pathogenic and genetic base consistent with an autosomal recessive disorder.     

Congenital polycystic kidney disease in lambs

AIM: To describe the pathology and inheritance of a congenital polycystic kidney disease (PKD) of sheep.

METHODS: Mode of inheritance of PKD was investigated by evaluation of results of the disorder from planned matings in two consecutive years within subsets of a flock that had a high prevalence of PKD in lambs. Gross pathological and histopath- ological studies were based on tissues derived from this study. Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained paraffin sections of kidney, liver, extrahepatic biliary and pancreatic ducts, pancreas and epididymis were used to describe the lesions.

RESULTS: Twenty-five lambs affected by PKD, of both sexes, were born, numbers in accord with those expected for an autosomal recessive disorder in the population studied. In all cases for which tissues were available, the renal, bile ductal (intrahepatic and extrahepatic), pancreatic and epididymal tissues had widespread dysplastic changes and associated cyst formation.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of renal cysts in conjunction with cysts in other organs are unifying features in many of the human and animal forms of PKD and suggest a related pathogenic and genetic base consistent with an autosomal recessive disorder.     

Experimental elaphostrongylus rangiferi infection in calves and lambs.

In two lambs and two calves infected experimentally with infective larvae of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi, lymphohistiocytic and eosinophilic cell infiltrations in the leptomeninges and lymphohistiocytic granulomas in the perineurium of the cauda equina of the CNS were demonstrated. These histopathological changes are similar to the lesions usually demonstrated in reindeer with elaphostrongylosis. No parasites were found, however, in the CNS or other organs.     

犊牛羔羊早期培育的特种饲料对策

犊牛、羔羊幼龄阶段的生长发育与成年后的生产性能有直接的关系,幼畜的早期培育是现代养殖业的成功技术对策。该文综述了我国犊牛、羔羊早期断奶所使用的代乳品的研究进展,主要从代乳品原料的特殊加工工艺、代乳品中营养参数的研究、特种饲料应用效果等方面的研究结果进行论述。代乳品可以使羔羊10日龄断奶,犊牛出生后5d断奶。