Prostatic abscess in a neutered cat

A 6-year-old, male castrated domestic shorthair cat was presented for evaluation of lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, and constipation. Physical examination revealed an elevated body temperature and an extramural colonic mass. Abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated a hypoechoic mass measuring 2.2 cm in maximum dimension immediately caudal to the bladder. Cytological evaluation of a fine-needle aspirate confirmed the mass was a prostatic abscess. Abdominal celiotomy and prostatic omentalization were successful in resolving clinical abnormalities. Feline prostatic abscessation is a rare condition that has not been previously reported and may have a good outcome if treated early and appropriately.     

Carbon Dioxide Laser Keratectomy as a Treatment Option for Equine Corneal Stromal Abscessation: A Comparison to Lamellar Keratectomy and Penetrating Keratoplasty

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser keratectomy was compared to lamellar keratectomy (LK) and penetrating keratoplasty (PK) as a potential treatment option for equine corneal stromal abscessation. The medical records of 35 client owned horses undergoing surgical management of stromal abscessation were reviewed. Among those 17 underwent LK, 3 PK and 15 CO₂ laser keratectomy. Healing of the stromal abscess was achieved in all treated eyes. Those horses undergoing CO₂ laser keratectomy demonstrated few complications, and the time to healing and cosmetic outcome was comparable to those horses undergoing LK and PK.     

Randomly primed,strand-switching,MinION-based sequencing for the detection and characterization of cultured RNA viruses

RNA viruses rapidly mutate, which can result in increased virulence, increased escape from vaccine protection, and false-negative detection results. Targeted detection methods have a limited ability to detect unknown viruses and often provide insufficient data to detect coinfections or identify antigenic variants. Random, deep sequencing is a method that can more fully detect and characterize RNA viruses and is often coupled with molecular techniques or culture methods for viral enrichment. We tested viral culture coupled with third-generation sequencing for the ability to detect and characterize RNA viruses. Cultures of bovine viral diarrhea virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, 2 influenza A viruses, and porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus were sequenced on the MinION platform using a random, reverse primer in a strand-switching reaction, coupled with PCR-based barcoding. Reads were taxonomically classified and used for reference-based sequence building using a stock personal computer. This method accurately detected and identified complete coding sequence genomes with a minimum of 20× coverage depth for all 7 viruses, including a sample containing 2 viruses. Each lineage-typing region had at least 26× coverage depth for all viruses. Furthermore, analyzing the CDV sample through a pipeline devoid of CDV reference sequences modeled the ability of this protocol to detect unknown viruses. Our results show the ability of this technique to detect and characterize dsRNA, negative- and positive-sense ssRNA, and nonsegmented and segmented RNA viruses.     

Clinical,pathologic, and toxicologic characterization of Salvia reflexa (lance-leaf sage) poisoning in cattle fed contaminated hay

Salvia reflexa (lance-leaf sage)-contaminated alfalfa hay was fed to ~500 mixed-breed beef cattle. Within hours of exposure, nearly half of the cattle developed lethargy, anorexia, depression, and recumbency, followed by bellowing, colic, and death. Even though the uneaten contaminated hay was removed the first day, nearly 100 animals died within the first 48 h. Three of these cattle were examined postmortem, and tissues and hay samples were collected for microscopic and chemical analysis. Several days later, a smaller number of the clinically poisoned cattle developed neurologic disease with aberrant behavior, aggression, icterus, blindness, exhaustion, and death. A total of 165 cattle were fatally poisoned. Poisoned cattle had swollen, dark, mottled livers that had a prominent nutmeg-like lobular pattern on cut section. Histologically, there was severe centrilobular-to-panlobular hepatic necrosis with marked hepatocellular swelling, degeneration, and necrosis. The surviving cattle developed liver disease characterized by altered serum biochemical analyses and microscopic hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis. In subsequent biopsies and analysis, these lesions resolved within 6–7 mo. After confirming toxicity of the hay in cattle, goats, and mice, followed by a mouse bioassay–guided chemical fractionation process, Salvia reflexa was identified as the contaminant in the hay responsible for the hepatotoxicity. S. reflexa has not been reported previously to cause fatal hepatotoxicity in livestock in North America, to our knowledge.     

A surgical approach to the lateral compartment of the equine guttural pouch in the standing horse: modification of the forgotten "Garm technique"

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and complications following lavage and drainage of the lateral compartment (LC) of the equine guttural pouch (GP) using a modified Garm's technique (MGT). In an ex vivo study (study 1), six cadaver heads were examined to assess the anatomical limits of the surgical approach and whether vital structures might be damaged. This was followed by an in vivo study (study 2) in which a lavage/drainage tube was placed for 3 days into each LC of four standing horses using the MGT. In both studies, the procedure offered direct access into the LC and indirect access into the medial compartments of the GP. In study 1, the MGT provided a rostroventral point of access allowing drainage of the LC, with no obvious iatrogenic damage. In study 2, the MGT permitted lavage of the entire GP in three healthy horses and one horse with mild GP empyema. The only major complication was development of emphysema of the lateral wall of one LC, with secondary collapse of the mucous membrane. The time for secondary wound healing was 12-14 days. The MGT can be performed safely in standing horses and may be of value in providing access for lavage and drainage in horses with mild GP empyema.     

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonization in dogs entering a veterinary teaching hospital

Nasal, axillary and rectal swabs were collected from 193 dogs admitted to the Ontario Veterinary College Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Enrichment culture was performed and coagulase positive staphylococci were identified via standard methods. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was isolated from 4/193 (2.1%) dogs, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans were each isolated from 1/193 (0.5%) dogs. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius was not identified. All S. pseudintermedius isolates were unrelated on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Evaluation of the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonization is necessary to understand the apparent emergence of these strains and to develop appropriate control strategies.     

Applying molecular genetic tools to tiger conservation

The utility of molecular genetic approaches in conservation of endangered taxa is now commonly recognized. Over the past decade, conservation genetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping have provided powerful tools to resolve taxonomy uncertainty of tiger subspecies, to define conservation units, to reconstruct phylogeography and demographic history, to examine the genetic ancestry of extinct subspecies, to assess population genetic status non-invasively, and to verify genetic background of captive tigers worldwide. The genetic status of tiger subspecies and populations and implications for developing strategies for the survival of this charismatic species both in situ and ex situ are discussed.     

A recombinant vaccine expressing a mammalian Mycobacterium sp. antigen is immunostimulatory but not protective in striped bass

A recombinant vaccine was constructed for piscine mycobacteriosis utilizing a Brucella abortus strain RB51 vector expressing a mammalian Mycobacterium sp. 85A antigen. Juvenile striped bass were inoculated with the resulting construct at doses equivalent to 10(6), 10(7), 10(8), 10(9), and 10(10) colony-forming units/fish. Blood and tissue samples from these fish demonstrated significant specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses towards the 85A antigen in a dose-dependent manner. However, survival studies determined that inoculated fish failed to demonstrate cross-protective responses after live Mycobacterium marinum challenge 70 days post-inoculation.     

Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths and anthelmintic resistance on small-scale farms in Gauteng Province,South Africa

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of gastrointestinal helminths, to detect the presence of anthelmintic resistance...