Successful treatment of a pancreatic pseudocyst by omentalisation in a dog

CASE HISTORY A 3-year-old male Labrador retriever was presented with a history of dietary indiscretion followed by vomiting and abdominal pain.

CLINICAL FINDINGS AND TREATMENT: Abdominal ultrasonography revealed the presence of a fluid-filled cystic structure in the region of the pancreas. Flocculent, dark fluid was drained from the cystic structure during exploratory celiotomy prior to resection of the lateral cystic wall. Omentum was sutured into the cystic cavity to provide drainage and enhance immune response. A jejunostomy feeding tube was placed. Post-surgical care consisted of antibiotic therapy. The dog was clinically normal at 1 and 7 months post-operatively and the pancreas appeared normal on final ultrasonographic examination.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case describes the use of omentum to provide physiological drainage of a pancreatic pseudocyst. This surgical technique may help clinicians manage patients with this condition in the future.     

Male pseudohermaphroditism in a Labrador Retriever,and a review of mammalian sexual differentiation

CASE HISTORY: An 8-month-old Labrador Retriever was referred with a history of ambiguous external genitalia.

CLINICAL FINDINGS AND TREATMENT: Clitoromegaly within apparent vulval folds, and an adjacent subcutaneous mass were noticed on external examination. An intra-abdominal testicle, with epididymis and suspected vas deferens ducts, was found during exploratory celiotomy. Incision over the subcutaneous mass revealed the accompanying testicle. Clitoridectomy was performed and an os clitoris removed. Normal juvenile testes were diagnosed on histology of the gonads. Chromosomal studies revealed a normal 78, XY male chromosomal constitution. Due to the combination of a male karyotype (78, XY), the presence of testicular tissue in the gonads, and the appearance of the external genitalia, a diagnosis of male pseudohermaphroditism (MPH) was made.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case presents the first report of MPH in a Labrador Retriever, and highlights the diagnostic steps recommended when confronted with a dog with ambiguous external genitalia.     

Effect of Bovine Ovarian Tissue Vitrification on the Structural Preservation of Antral Follicles

This study was performed to evaluate the structural preservation of antral follicles after bovine ovarian tissue vitrification using histological analysis. Ovaries (n = 30) of slaughtered cows were cut into small fragments using a scalpel blade, and the ovarian tissues were randomly assigned to vitrification using 15% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and 15% ethylene glycol (EG) and fresh tissues (control) groups. For histological evaluations, fresh and post‐thawing ovarian tissues were immediately fixed, serially sectioned into 5‐μm sections and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Nine serial sections per fragment were subjected for morphological assessment. The diameter of the antral follicles was determined and classified into four groups: 1 (≤1 mm), 2 (>1–2 mm), 3 (>2–3 mm) and 4 (>3–4 mm). Then, follicular morphology was evaluated in relation to atresia and categorized into seven grades: Grade A (healthy follicle); Grades B, C and D (early atresia); Grades E and F (moderate atresia); and Grade G (advanced atresia). The results revealed that small diameters of antral follicles (1 and 2 mm) were more susceptible for cryoinjury. The normal follicular morphology (Grade A) was not affected by vitrification throughout follicle diameters. Nevertheless, some damage features were monitored after vitrification. In conclusion, the morphological structure of bovine antral follicles could be successfully preserved by ovarian tissue vitrification.     

Bovine Oocyte Quality in Relation to Ultrastructural Characteristics of Zona Pellucida,Polyspermic Penetration and Developmental Competence

In the present study, the effect of bovine oocyte quality related to ultrastructural characteristics of zona pellucida (ZP), polyspermic penetration and embryo developmental competence was evaluated. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were punctioned from 453 ovaries, classified as 1, 2, 3 and 4 according to their morphological aspect, matured for 24 h and then divided into two groups. In group A, oocytes were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 0.1 m sodium cacodylate and examined under a scanning electron microscope. Photomicrographs were taken and ZP’s pores were evaluated in squares of 6.4‐μm width. In group B, oocytes were fertilized in vitro. After 48 h, non‐cleaved oocytes were fixed for polyspermy evaluation. On days 7, 9 and 10, embryos were classified as developed (blastocysts and hatched blastocysts). Results showed that quality 1 oocytes revealed a ZP pore diameter of 0.50 ± 0.07 μm, which was smaller than the observed on oocytes of quality 2 (0.83 ± 0.10 μm), quality 3 (1.02 ± 0.22 μm) and quality 4 (1.38 ± 0.59 μm) (p ≤ 0.05). For In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), results showed that embryos originating from oocytes classed as 3 and 4 had lower cleavage rate (68.4% and 43.8%) than those belonging to class 1 and 2 (79.5% and 69.3%) (p ≤ 0.05). None oocyte classified as 3 and 4 developed to hatch blastocysts, while for oocytes belonging to quality 1 and 2, these values were, respectively, 15.2% and 12.5%. Concerning polyspermy, oocytes class 1 and 2 had lower polyspermic penetration than those belonging to class 3 and 4 (respectively 4.1%, 4.5%, 11.1% and 9.8%, for class 1, 2, 3 and 4). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that oocytes with low qualities result in lower developmental competence and with high percentage of polyspermy after IVF, which can be the result of the ZP structure such as the number and the pore’s diameter.     

Contrasting effects of heat shock during in vitro maturation on development of in vitro‐fertilized and parthenogenetic bovine embryos

This study investigated the influence of heat shock during in vitro maturation on embryo development following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenesis (Part). Immature bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes were exposed to heat shock (41.0°C) during the first 12 hr of in vitro maturation (IVM), followed by 12 hr at 38.5°C. Control group consisted of in vitro maturation for 24 hr at 38.5°C. Oocytes were in vitro‐fertilized or activated with ionomycin and cultured in vitro for 192 hr post‐in vitro insemination or parthenogenetic activation (hpia). There was an interaction (p < .01) between temperature of IVM and method of oocyte activation (IVF or Part) for cleavage at 48 hpia. Heat shock had a negative impact (p < .01) on cleavage of IVF embryos, whereas no (p > .05) effect was found in the Part embryos. Embryo development towards blastocyst stage at 168 and 192 hpia decreased in both IVF and Part embryos derived from heat‐shocked oocytes. Heat shock increased (p < .05) the apoptotic index in Part blastocysts, but no effect (p > .05) was found in IVF counterparts. Heat shock also down‐regulated the expression of AQP3 (p < .01) and up‐regulated the expression of HSP70.1 (p < .01) in Part blastocysts, whereas it down‐regulated the expression of ATP1A1 (p < .05) in IVF blastocysts. In conclusion, the effects of heat shock during IVM on early embryo cleavage and blastocyst apoptosis are influenced by the method of oocyte activation and expression of some genes can be disturbed in embryos derived from heat‐shocked oocytes.     

Behavioral and physiological evaluation of sows raised in outdoors systems in the Brazilian semiarid region

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical, behavioral, and physiological parameters in pregnant sows of native and improved crossbreeds...     

Intranasal Osteosarcoma in a Dog—A Case Report

Osteosarcoma is the most commonly reported bone tumor in dogs, typically affecting the axial and appendicular skeleton. Involvement of the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity is extremely rare. This report describes a 6-year-old, female, cross-breed dog presented with signs of 90 days duration and diagnosed with a mass located in the right nasal cavity. Radiography, rhinoscopy, and computed tomography findings suggested the presence of an intranasal tumor. Osteosarcoma in the nasal cavity was diagnosed based on histopathological examination and clinical and imaging findings. Survival time was 12 months from diagnosis.     

Comparison Between a γ-IFN Assay and Intradermal Tuberculin Test for the Diagnosis of Bovine Tuberculosis in Field Trials in Brazil

Bovine tuberculosis is a major problem in Brazil. The intradermal tuberculin test is the standard test for detection of bovine tuberculosis in Brazil but can lack both sensitivity and specificity. The purpose of this study was to compare a bovine γ-IFN assay with the tuberculin test under field conditions in Brazil. A total of 1632 animals from 13 dairy farms were tested using the single cervical tuberculin test (SCTT). Among those animals, about 15% of each herd, 220 in total, represented a high-risk group and were selected to be tested using the γ-IFN test. Of the 1632 animals tested, 207 presented significant reactions representing 12.7% of the cattle studied. In the selected group the number of animals positive by the γ-IFN assay was 126/220 (57.3%) and the total number of reactive cows on SCTT was 106/220 (48.2%). The real number of infected cattle, following standards, was 120/220 (54.5%). From these results the relative sensitivity rate of γ-IFN test was 100% including the false-positive results and 88.3% for the SCTT — a significant (P < 0.01) difference in favour of the γ-IFN test of 11.7%. The γ-IFN assay also identified some positive animals 60–120 days earlier than the SCTT. In conclusion, we believe that the γ-IFN assay can be used alone or in combination with the SCTT, as a valuable tool for the control of bovine tuberculosis in the Brazilian national herd.