Management of Dental Disease in Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) and Potential Use of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography.

Oral disease involving teeth is a common cause of morbidity in aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) under managed care. Cases can be challenging due to the species' unique skull and dental anatomy and limited veterinary literature. A retrospective evaluation was performed on dental examinations in nine aardvarks housed at a single zoological institution in the United States between 1995 and 2021. The prevalence of dental disease in this population was 88%, with most cases categorized as mild (4/8). Clinical signs were only seen in three cases. Facial swelling prior to surgery was the most common clinical sign (3/8). Dental pathology was more common in the mandibular teeth (27/38) compared to the maxillary teeth (11/38). Dental abnormalities found upon intraoral examination included the presence of dental points (7/8), crown elongation (3/8), purulent material within the oral cavity (4/8), loose teeth (2/8), periodontal pockets (2/8), and oronasal fistula (1/8). Three patients required dental extractions with a lateral buccostomy approach. Diagnostic imaging was performed in most cases (7/8), with two cases undergoing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to characterize dental pathology that was difficult to fully evaluate with standard radiography. Tomographic findings are described in both cases. CBCT was found to be a helpful tool for diagnosing and characterizing dental disease in aardvarks.

Subcutaneous herniation of fetuses after blunt force trauma in a cat.

CASE SUMMARY: A stray female domestic shorthair cat was presented to the emergency service after being hit by a car. The patient was recumbent and vocalizing, with a small wound over the right lateral thorax, and two palpably firm swellings in the right cervical and thoracic soft tissues. The patient was sedated and humanely euthanized to prevent further pain and suffering. Post-mortem whole-body radiographs and subsequent necropsy revealed abdominal wall rupture with herniation of two near-term fetuses within the subcutaneous tissues along the right ventrolateral thoracic wall and neck. Within the abdomen, the right uterine horn was ruptured and a third extra-luminal fetus was identified. The left uterine horn remained intact, containing a fourth fetus. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Rupture of the abdominal wall or diaphragm are well-known potential complications of blunt force trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents. While traumatic uterine rupture and diaphragmatic herniation of the gravid uterus have both been reported in the veterinary literature, abdominal wall rupture with subcutaneous fetal herniation is highly uncommon.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND FRACTURES FOLLOWING STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY IN DOGS WITH APPENDICULAR OSTEOSARCOMA.

The objective of this observational, descriptive, retrospective study was to report CT characteristics associated with fractures following stereotactic radiosurgery in canine patients with appendicular osteosarcoma. Medical records (1999 and 2012) of dogs that had a diagnosis of appendicular osteosarcoma and undergone stereotactic radiosurgery were reviewed. Dogs were included in the study if they had undergone stereotactic radiosurgery for an aggressive bone lesion with follow-up information regarding fracture status, toxicity, and date and cause of death. Computed tomography details, staging, chemotherapy, toxicity, fracture status and survival data were recorded. Overall median survival time (MST) and fracture rates of treated dogs were calculated. CT characteristics were evaluated for association with time to fracture. Forty-six dogs met inclusion criteria. The median overall survival time was 9.7 months (95% CI: 6.9-14.3 months). The fracture-free rates at 3, 6, and 9 months were 73%, 44%, and 38% (95% CI: 60-86%, 29-60%, and 22-54%), respectively. The region of bone affected was significantly associated with time to fracture. The median time to fracture was 4.2 months in dogs with subchondral bone involvement and 16.3 months in dogs without subchondral bone involvement (P-value = 0.027, log-rank test). Acute and late skin effects were present in 58% and 16% of patients, respectively. Findings demonstrated a need for improved patient selection for this procedure, which can be aided by CT-based prognostic factors to predict the likelihood of fracture.

Hypertrophic osteopathy associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in a dog.

A 9-year-old spayed female dog diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and hypertrophic osteopathy was negative for additional lesions on computed tomography of the thorax and abdomen. Resection of the affected liver lobe resulted in resolution of clinical signs. This is the first case of hypertrophic osteopathy secondary to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ostéopathie hypertrophique associée à un carcinome hépatocellulaire chez un chien. Un carcinome hépatocellulaire et de l'ostéopathie hypertrophique ont été diagnostiqués chez une chienne stérilisée âgée de 9 ans mais était négative par tomodensitométrie pour des lésions additionnelles au thorax et à l'abdomen. La résection du foie touché a produit une résolution des signes cliniques. C'est le premier cas d'ostéopathie hypertrophique secondaire à un carcinome hépatocellulaire.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Schistosomus reflexus-like malformation in a southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum).

A 7.5-yr-old female southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) aborted spontaneously at approximately 13 mo gestation. The fetus exhibited malformations consistent with schistosomus reflexus syndrome, including spinal inversion and ventral midline abdominal defect with externalization of abdominal viscera. A computed tomography was performed and revealed severe scoliosis, a spiral rotation of the spine, multiple vertebral anomalies, hypoplasia of multiple bones of the skull, and mild prognathism. This is the first report of schistosomus reflexus-like syndrome in a nondomestic species, and the first report to characterize these skeletal changes by three-dimensional computed tomography.