Peritonitis following intestinal anastomosis and enteroplication in a kitten with intussusception.

A 10 week old kitten with an intussusception was treated by intestinal resection and enteroplication. Several months later it developed peritonitis which responded to open peritoneal drainage and antibiotics.     

Inherited hyperchylomicro-naemia in the cat: Lipoprotein lipase function and gene structure

Hyperchylomicronaemia was identified in a four-week-old Siamese kitten with lethargy, in-appetence, hindlimb ataxia and profound anaemia. The kitten was euthanased and at necropsy a thrombus was found occluding the caudal aorta. Two littermates later presented with lethargy, inappetence and hypertriglyceri-daemia which resolved after being weaned on to a low fat diet. A similar condition was subsequently diagnosed in a kitten born to the same sire but a different queen. The expression of hyperchylomicronaemia in two related litters was suggestive of an inherited, familial defect in the function of lipoprotein lipase (LPL). The activity of this enzyme was reduced in all three parents, the two recovered cases and two related, but apparently unaffected kittens, compared with a control group of unrelated cats belonging to the breeder. This reduction in activity was not attributable to defective activation of LPL by its serum cofactor apolipoprotein C-II or the presence in plasma of a factor that inhibited LPL. The gene that codes for LPL was examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using a human LPL cDNA probe. The results showed that the cat has a similar, but not identical, LPL gene to man. However, there were no differences in the restriction fragment patterns obtained from affected, unaffected and control animals.     

Symptomatic partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in a kitten

A 3-month-old intact female American Shorthair cat, with syncope and tachypnea, underwent cardiac examination which identified no heart murmur or gallop. Thoracic radiography disclosed mild generalized enlargement of the cardiac silhouette and a bronchial and interstitial pattern throughout the lungs. Echocardiography identified tubular structures near the left atrium. After agitated saline contrast imaging, persistent left cranial vena cava with unroofed coronary sinus was suspected. Computed tomography angiography showed the right cranial, right caudal and left caudal pulmonary veins draining into the coronary sinus and flowing into the right atrium. The left cranial pulmonary vein drained normally into the left atrium. Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) was diagnosed. The kitten was treated with diuretics but died of heart failure 2 months later. Permission for necropsy was not granted. This case represents symptomatic PAPVC in a kitten. Most pulmonary veins were connected abnormally with the coronary sinus. The prognosis was grave because of refractory heart failure.     

Concurrent Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection and salmonellosis in a kitten

A 14-week-old kitten had a history of vomiting, diarrhoea and pyrexia, all of which resolved without treatment. Three weeks later the kitten developed a violent non-productive dry cough. Thoracic radiographs revealed pneumothorax and nodular alveolar disease. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae and intracellular Gram-negative bacilli were seen in bronchial wash fluid and pleural exudate, and Salmonella Typhimurium was cultured from both fluids but not from faeces. Therapy included unilateral closed-tube thoracostomy, enrofloxacin and fenbendazole. Historical signs were compatible with gastrointestinal salmonellosis and secondary broncho-pneumonia. Seeding of the lungs with salmonellae may have occurred as a result of migration of A abstrusus from a gastro-intestinal tract residually infected or colonised by S Typhimurium. Alternatively, the development of lungworm infection in the cat may have activated quiescent S Typhimurium pulmonary granulomata from bacteraemia secondary to gastro-intestinal salmonellosis. Two years after diagnosis the cat was reportedly in good health.     

Diabetes mellitus and bilateral cataracts in a kitten

An 18-week-old male domestic long-hair kitten was presented with a history of polyuria and polydipsia for several weeks. The general condition was unremarkable, but the kitten was considerably smaller than expected for the age and showed cataracts in both eyes. Serum glucose concentrations were persistently elevated and based on clinical findings and an elevated serum fructosamine concentration, a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was established. Diabetes mellitus is not commonly diagnosed in young kittens, nor are cataracts recognised as a frequent feature of this disease in cats. The cataracts progressed in spite of the insulin therapy and the kitten was euthanised 10 weeks after referral. Histopathological examination of the pancreas revealed few and small islets of Langerhans compared to the examination of pancreas from a healthy kitten of the same age. Histopathological changes in the eyes included cataracts affecting both cortex and nucleus.     

Bilateral radial hemimelia and multiple malformations in a kitten

Hemimelia is a congenital disease of complete or partial absence of one or more bones. The most important hypothesis is that radial agenesis is a consequence of neural crest injury. Treatment selection depends on the degree of the deformity and the reduction of limb function. This report describes a case of bilateral radial hemimelia and multiple malformations in a kitten aged 2 months treated conservatively with splint bandage, until bone maturity. The re-evaluation was performed 4 years later.     

Hydronephrosis and hydro–ureter in a kitten – a case report

An 8–week–old kitten presented with a distended abdomen, dribbling of urine and vulval prolapse, was found to have a unilateral hydronephrosis and hydro–ureter. Following nephrectomy the kitten made an uneventful recovery.     

Atresia coli in a nine-week-old kitten

A case of blind-end atresia coli in a kitten surviving for 66 days is presented. Human cases of intestinal atresia are often attributed to injuries sustained in utero to a previously normal fetus. Neither clinical nor autopsy findings gave conclusive evidence regarding the aetiology of the condition in the kitten; the only sibling affected from a litter of five. The case is interesting because the kitten survived nine weeks without any clinical signs other than abdominal distension.     

Bone fragility in a kitten: an osteogenesis imperfecta-like syndrome

A 12-year-old kitten was found to have bone fragility. Previously described causes of bone fragility in domestic cats were excluded on the basis of serum biochemical profile and radiographic histologic examinations. The findings in this kitten correlated most closely with osteogenesis imperfecta, a syndrome documented in human beings and cattle.     

Chronic carriage of multidrug resistant Salmonella typhimurium in a cat

Gastroenteritis caused by a multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhimurium was diagnosed in a 12-week-old kitten. Although the kitten recovered from the acute episode after seven days, it continued to shed salmonella in its faeces for a further 12 weeks. Carriage was finally cleared by administering a 14-day course of treatment with parenteral enrofloxacin. The public health implications of an infection and subsequent carriage in a cat of a salmonella strain known to cause illness in humans is discussed.     

Hereditary cerebellar degeneration in three full sibling kittens

Two domestic shorthair littermate kittens had signs of cerebellar dysfunction, first observed between seven and eight weeks of age; a third littermate was unaffected. The signs were progressive and the more severely affected kitten was euthanased after six days. A postmortem examination revealed no gross lesions but the kitten had cerebellar cortical degeneration with extensive loss of Purkinje cells. The second kitten was euthanased at 10 months of age with similar, though more pronounced, changes. One of the two kittens in the next litter of the same parents had similar clinical signs and histopathological findings. The lesions in the cerebellum are interpreted as probably due to genetically determined abiotrophy. In addition, the two older kittens had medullary neuronal changes interpreted as probable neuraxonal dystrophy, and focal vacuolation of the neuropil in the medulla and cervical spinal cord.     

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF A NEURONAL HETEROTOPIA IN THE BRAIN OF A CAT

A domestic shorthair kitten was presented for evaluation and further treatment of seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a large multilobulated mass in the third ventricle extending into the right lateral ventricle with secondary obstructive hydrocephalus. The mass was homogeneously isointense to gray matter on T2W, T2‐FLAIR, T2^*W, T1W, and ADC images, and hyperintense on DW‐EPI. There was no appreciable contrast enhancement. Seizures were managed medically and with subsequent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. Clinical status later deteriorated and the cat was euthanized. Histopathology confirmed that the mass was the result of neuronal heterotopia. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of neuronal heterotopia in a cat.     

Repair of pectus excavatum by percutaneous suturing and temporary external coaptation in a kitten

Severe pectus excavatum sternal deformity in a 3-month-old kitten was repaired by use of percutaneous circumcostal and circumsternal sutures to coapt the sternal deformity to an external splint made from thermoplastic material. One year after treatment, the kitten remained free of clinical signs of the disease or complications from the repair. The technique represents a conservative method of repair of pectus excavatum deformities in immature animals.     

Vitamin D-dependent non-type 1, non-type 2 rickets in a 3-month-old Cornish Rex kitten

CASE PRESENTATION AND ASSESSMENT: A 3-month-old female Cornish Rex kitten was found to have non-painful swelling of the carpal and tarsal regions when presented for routine neutering. The kitten was smaller in stature and less active than its siblings and, according to the owner, had a bunny-hopping gait, was reluctant to climb stairs and strained during defecation. Radiography of the affected limbs and a subsequent radiographic survey of the entire skeleton demonstrated features consistent with rickets. The three littermates were clinically and radiographically normal. As a nutritionally complete diet was being fed, it seemed most likely that the kitten had an inborn error related to vitamin D metabolism. Serum biochemistry demonstrated reduced total alkaline phosphatase activity and increased concentrations of parathyroid hormone. Concentrations of 1,25- and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol were markedly reduced, confirming the diagnosis of rickets. TREATMENT: The kitten was treated with calcitriol, administered orally once daily, and improved rapidly both clinically and radiologically. Serial laboratory studies suggested that the error in vitamin D metabolism was transient, and, at the time of writing, as an adult, the cat appears to require no ongoing replacement calcitriol therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case emphasises the value of examining a full 'calcium profile' via a human or veterinary reference laboratory, and a favourable prognosis in some kittens with rickets makes such investigations worthwhile. Even when finances preclude detailed investigation, trial therapy using a nutritionally complete diet and physiological doses of calcitriol or cholecalciferol is inexpensive and can produce a good response.     

Attempeted transmission of feline coccidia from chronically infected queens to their kittens

Eight female, 12- to 34-month-old, specific-pathogen free cats were inoculated orally with Toxoplasma gondii cysts on day 0, then with Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta oocysts on day 39, and cysts of Hammondia hammondi on day 86 after inoculation with Toxoplasma. All cats shed oocysts of all 4 of these coccidia within 11 postinoculation days. The female cats were caged with 4 male Toxoplasma-free cats, starting 66 days after inoculation with Toxoplasma, until they were 5 to 6 weeks pregnant. Kittens that were born were housed with their mothers until necropsied or weaned. One 42-day-old kitten shed T gondii oocysts in feces. It was necropsied 2 days later and asexual stages of Toxoplasma (types D and E), gametocytes, and oocysts were demonstrated in sections of superficial epithelial cells of its small intestine. Lesions or forms of Toxoplasma were not demonstrated histologically in tis extraintestinal organs. Toxoplasma was not isolated from feces or tissues of the remaining 47 kittens born to these 8 queens. Toxoplasma was not isolated from the 4 male cats that were caged with infected females for 53, 59, 217, and 217 days. The source of toxoplasma infection in the kitten remained unknown but was considered unlikely to be congenital or through fecal contamination. Oocysts of I felis, I rivolta, and H hammondi were not found in the feces of any kittens, indicating that these coccidia are unlikely to be transmitted congenitally.     

Medical management of urethral and colonic perforation associated with urinary catheterization in a kitten

A 6-week-old male kitten was evaluated because of stranguria and possible urethral blockage; a urinary catheter placed during general anesthesia penetrated the urethral and colonic walls and entered the colon. Treatment was conservative, with fluids administered i.v., administration of piperacillin, and supportive care. The kitten never became febrile or clinically ill and continued to thrive. There was no development of clinical signs consistent with stricture, diverticulum, or fistula formation. Complications from urethral perforation include infection and urethral stricture. Reconstructive surgery is considered the treatment of choice for traumatic urethral-colonic perforation. However, surgery may not be feasible or may be cost-prohibitive in certain situations. In such instances, medical management may provide a reasonable alternative to euthanasia.     

Canine parvovirus type 2c infection in a kitten associated with intracranial abscess and convulsions

A case of canine parvovirus type 2c (CPV-2c) infection in a 3-month-old feral kitten with a cerebral abscess and neurological disease is reported. The cat displayed ataxia and convulsions together with signs of gastroenteritis and profound alteration of the total and differential white blood cell counts. A parvovirus strain was detected by a TaqMan assay in the blood and faeces of the affected kitten, which was characterised as CPV by means of molecular assays but did not react with any of the CPV type-specific probes. By sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the VP2-protein gene, the CPV-2c strain displayed a non-coding mutation in the probe-binding region. Although the role of CPV-2c in this particular case is unclear, it is possible that it predisposed the kitten to the clinical signs seen. Continuous surveillance is needed to monitor future spreading of this CPV-2c mutant, and any associated clinical signs, in the dog and cat population.     

Neurotoxicosis associated with the use of hexachlorophene in a cat

Two weeks after daily topical application of hexachlorophene, a 4-week-old female kitten developed cardiovascular collapse, corneal ulcers, trembling, lethargy, and weakness. The kitten was euthanatized. At necropsy, the tissues appeared macroscopically normal; however, microscopic examination of tissue specimens indicated status spongiosis, astrocytosis, and microgliosis of the cerebral and cerebellar white matter and corticospinal tracts. Neuronal cell bodies forming the affected white matter were intact, indicating that demyelination may have been the cause of the lesions. The neurologic lesions were considered compatible with those of hexachlorophene-induced toxicosis.     

黑美洲豹(美洲虎)的人工育幼

2017年1月20日8:00,新余动物园10周岁、初产黑美洲豹在南昌动物园分娩1只体重为730 g的豹崽(母),由于母豹缺乏母性,将豹崽取出并进行人工饲养。南昌动物园采用美国PetA G0—6月初生猫奶粉哺育幼豹,经过饲养团队131 d的精心饲养,黑美洲豹从730 g增重至8 780 g,于131日龄从育幼室转移至笼舍饲养。根据实际饲养经验,阐述人工育幼黑美洲豹的经历,并总结数据供相关人员参考。     

Bordetella bronchiseptica in a paediatric cystic fibrosis patient: possible transmission from a household cat

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a zoonotic respiratory pathogen commonly found in domesticated farm and companion animals, including dogs and cats. Here, we report isolation of B. bronchiseptica from a sputum sample of a cystic fibrosis patient recently exposed to a kitten with an acute respiratory illness. Genetic characterization of the isolate and comparison with other isolates of human or feline origin strongly suggest that the kitten was the source of infection.