Gastrointestinal Disease in Exotic Small Mammals

Exotic small mammal medicine is a relatively new specialty area within veterinary medicine. Ferrets, rabbits, and rodents have long been used as animal models in human medical research investigations, resulting in a body of basic anatomic and physiologic information that can be used by veterinarians treating these species. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of veterinary articles that describe clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment options of gastrointestinal (GI) disease as it affects exotic small mammals. Although there is little reference material relating to exotic small mammal GI disease, patients are commonly presented to veterinary hospitals with digestive tract disorders. This article provides the latest information available for GI disease in ferrets (Helicobacter mustelae gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], GI lymphoma, systemic coronavirus, coccidiosis, and liver disease), rabbits (GI motility disorders, liver lobe torsion, astrovirus, and coccidiosis), guinea pigs (gastric dilatation volvulus [GDV]), rats (Taenia taeniaeformis), and hamsters (Clostridium difficile). Both noninfectious diseases and emerging infectious diseases are reviewed as well as the most up-to-date diagnostics and treatment options.     

Cross-reactivity of anti-chicken IgY antibody with immunoglobulins of exotic avian species

Background: A major challenge in the serologic diagnosis of infectious diseases in exotic birds is the limited availability of species-specific antibodies. Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to determine if there is cross reactivity between commercially available anti-chicken IgY antibodies and immunoglobulins of several avian species, with particular emphasis on psittacines. Methods: To quantitate the reactivity with anti-chicken IgY, Western blot analysis was performed using plasma samples from many different avian species. Results were compared with gamma globulin fraction quantitation obtained by protein electrophoresis. Results: By Western blot, 2 protein bands corresponding to the heavy and light chains of chicken IgY were identified in species from 21 avian orders using 1 of 2 rabbit anti-chicken IgY antibodies. Densitometric analysis showed that the amount of immunoglobulin estimated from Western blots correlated strongly with data from protein electrophoresis assays. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that some commercially available anti-chicken IgY antibodies exhibit good cross-reactivity with most avian species.     

羊消化道寄生虫种类及防治措施

羊消化道的寄生虫病较多,不仅能不同程度地影响羊只的生长发育,降低生产性能,严重的还能造成羊只死亡,对养羊业危害较为严重。笔者概述了羊消化道寄生虫种类及不同地区、季节、年龄羊消化道寄生虫的感染情况,并介绍不同羊消化道寄生虫常用的驱虫药及防治策略。     

Infectious factor diseases in domestic small animals (carnivorous and herbivorous fur animals, wool and meat rabbits

Infectious factorial diseases of domesticated small animals are infection dependent diseases, whose pathogenesis is finally activated by additional, secondary factors, that influence the multiplying and spreading of latent and clinical symptomless infective agents present in the animals. These factorial diseases are not autonomous infectious processes, but only special types and courses of diseases by secondary activated infective agents. Secondary factors may be of exogenous origin (housing, climate, feeding, managing) or may arise by endogenic processes (immunity, resistance disregulations a.o.). In fur bearing animals and rabbits infectious factorial diseases arise by activation of latent, symptomless infections of mucosal membranes in the nose and oral cavity, in the intestinal tract, in the descending urinary tract and on the external skin. The majority of infection activating secondary factors go back on wrong housing conditions, extreme climate, malnutrition and simultaneous infections, but also animal specific situations and immunosuppression may influence the activation of latent infections. - Typical factorial diseases in fur bearing animals and rabbits are: the infectious coryza (Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica) in rabbits, the Coli-dysentery and the enterotoxemia in rabbits and herbivorous fur animals, the ascending infections of urinary tract, particular in young male minks, and the different types of microbial dermatitis in all small animals. - In the prevention and control of infectious factorial diseases the improvement of housing and living conditions as well as feeding the animals with species conforming and nonobjectionable food are most important and essential measures.     

Avian clinical pathology.

Much of the information previously available concerning avian clinical pathology was drawn from data from domestic avian species, in particular, poultry. Clinical pathology of nondomestic avian species such as psittacines, however, has come a long way toward establishing normal reference values for caged birds. As a result, it is important for the avian clinician to learn which clinical tests can be used to detect and evaluate a single disease or disease processes by learning what information is gained from hematologic, biochemical, or cytologic samples acquired during a patient's clinical examination.     

鸡呼吸道传染病基因芯片诊断方法的建立

随着养禽业集约化程度的不断提高,鸡呼吸系统疾病的发生呈逐年上升趋势.而且大多数的呼吸道疾病不是单一病原感染,而是多种病原混合感染,从临床上难以及时鉴别诊断,延误防治时机,从而给养禽业造成巨大的经济损失.因此,禽呼吸道疾病已经成为生产和研究中的一类重要疾病.目前,禽呼吸系统疾病的诊断方法主要有病毒分离、血凝（HA）、血凝抑制（HI）、琼脂扩散、ELISA、PCR等,但是传统的检测方法灵敏度较低,而且当病原发生变异或感染禽处在潜伏期时会造成误诊.PCR方法每次只能检测一种病毒,费时费力.采用基因芯片的方法可以快速、准确地同步检测多种病原体,且需要样品量少、灵敏、特异、快速、费用低廉,将生物芯片技术用于禽呼吸道疾病诊断意义重大.     

GASTROINTESTINAL NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Nuclear medicine has achieved an important role in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) disease in humans. Esophageal and gastric motility problems, gastroesophageal reflux, abnormal gastric secretory function, GI bleeding, and inflammatory diseases of the GI tract can all be evaluated using nuclear scintigraphy. The use of these techniques in human medicine, their advantages and disadvantages relative to other available diagnostic tests, and their potential application to veterinary medicine are discussed. Examples of esophageal and gastric motility studies performed on normal and abnormal dogs are included.     

Laboratory tests for diagnosis of gastrointestinal and pancreatic diseases

The panel of laboratory tests available for diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in dogs and cats is wide, and, recently, several new tests have been developed. This article will focus on advances in laboratory tests that are available for the general practitioner for diagnosis of GI diseases. Laboratory tests for diagnosis of gastric and intestinal infectious diseases include fecal parasite screening tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for parvoviral enteritis, and some specific bacterial tests like fluorescent in situ hybridization for identification of specific bacteria attached to the intestinal epithelial cells. Serum concentrations of folate and cobalamin are markers of intestinal absorption, but are also changed in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Hypocobalaminemia is common in GI and pancreatic disease. Decreased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity is a very sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs and cats. Serum pancreatic lipase is currently the most sensitive and specific test to identify pancreatic cell damage and acute pancreatitis. However, serum canine pancreas-specific lipase is less sensitive in canine chronic pancreatitis. Increased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity is also specific for pancreatic damage but is less sensitive. It is very likely that further studies will help to better specify the role of these new tests in the diagnosis of canine and feline pancreatic diseases.     

Transmission and immunopathology of the avian influenza virus A/Anhui/1/2013 (H7N9) human isolate in three commonly commercialized avian species

H7N9 virus infection is a global concern, given that it can cause severe infection and mortality in humans. However, the understanding of H7N9 epidemiology, animal reservoir species and zoonotic risk remains limited. This work evaluates the pathogenicity, transmissibility and local innate immune response of three avian species harbouring different respiratory distribution of α2,6 and α2,3 SA receptors. Muscovy ducks, European quails and SPF chickens were intranasally inoculated with 10⁵ embryo infectious dose (EID)₅₀ of the human H7N9 (A/Anhui/1/2013) influenza isolate. None of the avian species showed clinical signs or macroscopic lesions, and only mild microscopic lesions were observed in the upper respiratory tract of quail and chickens. Quail presented more severe histopathologic lesions and avian influenza virus (AIV) positivity by immunohistochemistry (IHC), which correlated with higher IL‐6 responses. In contrast, Muscovy ducks were resistant to disease and presented higher IFNα and TLR7 response. In all species, viral shedding was higher in the respiratory than in the digestive tract. Higher viral shedding was observed in quail, followed by chicken and ducks, which presented similar viral titres. Efficient transmission was observed in all contact quail and half of the Muscovy ducks, while no transmission was observed between chicken. All avian species showed viral shedding in drinking water throughout infection.     

Zoonotic potential of Chlamydophila

The purpose of this article is to present the diseases induced in humans and animals by the different species of Chlamydophila, after providing an overview on the history of these infectious agents and their taxonomy. The route of transmission and the available methods for prevention and control in the different animal species are reviewed.     

Mechanisms of immunosuppression.

Immunosuppresive disease is a major economic concern in domestic poultry production. Although many immunosuppressive agents have been described, mechanisms of how infectious and noninfectious agents compromise the immune system are poorly understood in avian species. Two categories, generalized and antigen-specific immunosuppression have been described in mammals. Generalized immunosuppression produces overall reduced responsiveness and increased susceptibility to a wide variety of infectious and neoplastic diseases. The best characterized immunosuppressive mechanisms are described in HIV-1 infections that lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans. In contrast, the antigen-specific suppression observed in human leprosy illustrates how an infecting agent selectively suppresses host responses against itself favoring bacterial spread. Both diseases have well-defined clinical staging classifications that correlate with specific immunological defects. An approach to studying immunosuppressive mechanisms in the avian suggests the need for relating pathogenesis with tests of immune responsiveness using a series of increasingly more specific immunological assays to pinpoint defects.     

Motility of the equine gastrointestinal tract: Physiology and pharmacotherapy

Normal gastrointestinal (GI) motility patterns are necessary to maintain transit of ingesta and to facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients. Disorders of the equine GI tract are frequently encountered by the equine practitioner and these disorders are often associated with an interruption in normal intestinal motility patterns, thus complicating treatment of the primary disease. Consequently, numerous treatments have been investigated in horses to facilitate the return of normal intestinal motility. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of the anatomy and physiology of the GI tract in the horse and review medications available to the equine veterinarian that may potentially promote intestinal motility.     

Review of the diseases, parasites and miscellaneous pathological conditions of North American bison

The involvement of veterinarians in the health management of North American bison will continue to increase, particularly in regard to the development of the bison ranching industry. More intensive management of bison will lead to greater recognition of diseases, and will raise concerns about the transmission of diseases between bison and other livestock species. This review of the infectious and noninfectious diseases of free-ranging and captive bison populations indicates that bison are susceptible to a wide range of indigenous and foreign diseases that occur in cattle and other livestock species. Most of the available information is based on necropsy results or serological surveys, and there is much less information on clinical, diagnostic and preventive medicine, or on the evaluation of conventional diagnostic tests, therapeutic regimens, or vaccines in bison.     

Morphology of the Oligoryzomys nigripes respiratory system

Rodents are important in the transmission of infectious diseases that affect the respiratory tract, including simple infections and those caused by specific pathogens. These animals are natural reservoirs of zoonoses that cause many public health diseases. Basic knowledge on the morphology of these animals is important as basic research is useful for applied studies, such as the development of clinical, therapeutic, surgical and clinical models. Morphological data of respiratory tract in Oligoryzomys nigripes are absent in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a morphological analysis of the respiratory tract of O. nigripes. Five adult females from the environmental reserve in São Joaquim da Barra, São Paulo were used, donated to the Museum of Veterinary Anatomy (FMVZ/USP). Several morphological features follow the same pattern seen in rodents; however, this species showed some differences such as the presence of three lobar bronchi, nonlobed left lung and the right lung constituted by two lobes. Respiratory epithelium lined the whole respiratory tract and was seen using scanning electron microscopy the oval shape of the parenchyma and alveoli.     

Avian Atherosclerosis: Parrots and Beyond

Atherosclerotic lesions are prevalent in companion psittacine species. Parrots account for much of the veterinary scientific information on avian atherosclerosis, but the lesions have been described in virtually all avian orders. This review presents a synthesis of the epidemiologic, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic information known in psittaciformes, at this time, which may help in the veterinary management of atherosclerotic diseases. The article further expands on nondomestic avian species for which information is restricted to pathologic and prevalence studies. A thorough knowledge of atherosclerosis is of the upmost importance for avian clinicians as the disease is common, affects most species of birds, and seems to be associated with captive lifestyles characterized by decreased activity and nonnative diets. Therefore, avian veterinarians are expected to be largely exposed to this chronic medical condition through patient presentation and should be prepared to properly manage this disease.     

Immunolocalisation of serotonin, gastrin, somatostatin and glucagon in entero-endocrine cells of the goose (Anser anser)

The processes of digestion in the avian gastrointestinal tract depend on sophisticated control systems that co-ordinate secretion of digestive juices and movement of the luminal contents. In the current study, the distribution of serotonin-, gastrin-, glucagon- and somatostatin-immunoreactive endocrine cells was investigated by immunocytochemical methods in the intestinal tract of the goose. The number of cells immunoreactive for each antiserum was evaluated in different regions of the intestinal tract. Serotonin-, glucagon- and somatostatin-immunoreactive endocrine cells were seen throughout the intestinal tract, but somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were not detected in the colon of the goose. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were detected only in the duodenum, jejunum and colon mucosa. It is concluded that the distribution pattern of the entero-endocrine cells in the goose is similar to that of most of the mammalian and other poultry species.     

Companion animals symposium: development of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, the resident microbiota, and the role of diet in early life

Mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) development is guided by genetic determinants established during the evolution of mammals and matched to the natural diet and environment. Coevolution of the host GI tract (GIT) and the resident bacteria has resulted in commensal relationships that are species and even individual specific. The interactions between the host and the GI bacteria are 2-way and of particular importance during the neonatal period, when the GIT needs to adapt rapidly to the external environment, begin processing of oral foods, and acquire the ability to differentiate between and react appropriately to colonizing commensal and potentially pathogenic bacteria. During this crucial period of life, the patterns of gene expression that determine GI structural and functional development are modulated by the bacteria colonizing the previously sterile GIT of fetuses. The types and amounts of dietary inputs after birth influence GI development, species composition, and metabolic characteristics of the resident bacteria, and the interactions that occur between the bacteria and the host. This review provides overviews of the age-related changes in GIT functions, the resident bacteria, and diet, and describes how interactions among these 3 factors influence the health and nutrition of neonates and can have lifelong consequences. Necrotizing enterocolitis is a common GI inflammatory disorder in preterm infants and is provided as an example of interactions that go awry. Other enteric diseases are common in all newborn mammals, and an understanding of the above interactions will enhance efforts to support neonatal health for infants and for farm and companion animals.     

Emerging zoonoses: the challenge for public health and biodefense

The concept of new and emerging diseases has captured the public interest and has revitalized the public health infectious disease research community. This interest has also resulted in competition for funding and turf wars between animal health and public health scientists and public officials and, in some cases, has delayed and hindered progress toward effective prevention, control and biodefense. There is a dynamic list of outbreaks causing substantial morbidity and mortality in humans and often in the reservoir animal species. Some agents have the potential to grow into major epidemics. There are many determinants that influence the emergence of diseases of concern that require the use of current understanding of the nature of agent persistence and spread. Additional factors that are global must be added to plans for prevention and control. To this complex mix has been added the potential for accidental or malicious release of agents. The nature of emerging infectious agents and their impact is largely unpredictable. Models that strive to predict the dynamics of agents may be useful but can also blind us to increasing disease risks if it does not match a specific model. Field investigations of early events will be critical and should drive prevention and control actions. Many disease agents have developed strategies to overcome extremes of reservoir qualities like population size and density. Every infectious agent spreads easier when its hosts are closer together. Zoonoses must be dealt with at the interface of human and animal health by all available information. Lessons learned from the emergence of and response to agents like West Nile virus, H5N1 avian influenza, SARS and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the cause of new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, must be used to create better plans for response and meet the challenge for public health and biodefense.     

Tumors of pet birds.

Neoplastic diseases are becoming more than a postmortem diagnosis due to the increasing knowledge base and improving quality of avian medicine. The expectation for better health care demands a diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy options. However, the published information regarding prognosis and therapy of specific neoplasms remains limited in avian medicine. With each case report or study that provides this information, there is an improvement in the level of care we can offer our companion avian species. This review will cover some basic information about specific tumor types and will reference the more recent reports in the avian literature. It is not intended to be all encompassing.     

Gastrointestinal ultrasonography of the dog: a review of 265 cases (1996-1998)

The findings of ultrasonography of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of 265 dogs with GI disorders were analysed retrospectively. The sonographic changes associated with various inflammatory and neoplastic conditions and mechanical obstruction of the GI system were recorded and discussed. Sonographic alterations of the pancreas and the tissues adjacent to the GI tract were also included in the study. Ultrasonographic alterations of the GI tract were classified into three main categories: thickening of the GI wall, changes in peristalsis and dilation of the lumen. Localised thickening of the GI wall with disruption of its structure was caused by both neoplastic diseases and by inflammatory disorders. However, diffuse thickening with retained wall structure was generally associated with inflammatory diseases. The criteria previously established for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of intestinal obstruction were successfully applied to a large number of GI disorders. Pancreatitis was most often associted with hyperchoic mesentery and hypoechoic pancreas mass, but similar alterations were encountered in some cases of gastric or duodenal ulceration. Except in cases of invaginations and intestinal obstructions, the observed ultrasonographic changes were not specific enough for a definitive diagnosis. Nevertheless, ultrasonography proved to be a valuable technique in the diagnostic process of GI disorders of the dog.