CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH PREGNANCY IN OKAPI (OKAPIA JOHNSTONI).

Acute signs associated with cardiovascular disease occurred in three pregnant okapi ( Okapia johnstoni ) during early to midgestation and progressed to congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure was diagnosed antemortem using echocardiography and plasma cardiac troponin levels. Clinical signs included decreased activity, hyporexia, tachypnea, dyspnea, flared nostrils, and productive coughing with copious amounts of foamy nasal discharge. Parenteral and oral treatment with furosemide, enalapril, and spironolactone controlled clinical signs in the three okapi allowing each to carry out one pregnancy to term. Two okapi carried the first pregnancy to term after showing signs, while one okapi aborted the first calf and gave birth to a healthy calf in a subsequent pregnancy. Subsequent pregnancy in one okapi ended with abortion and associated dystocia and endometritis. Following parturition, clinical signs associated with heart failure resolved in all three individuals; serial echocardiography in two individuals showed improvement in fractional shortening and left atrial size and all three okapi showed markedly decreased pleural effusion and resolution of pulmonary edema. However, subsequent pregnancies in all three okapi induced respiratory distress and recurrence of congestive heart failure; one okapi died from congestive heart failure associated with subsequent pregnancy. This case series describes the clinical presentation and pathologic findings of congestive heart failure during pregnancy in adult okapi.

Critical care for a hypothermic and hypoglycemic white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) calf.

A 3-day-old, 57.3-kg, male white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) neonate presented laterally recumbent with comatose mentation, cold extremities, and severe hypothermia, hypoxemia, and hypoglycemia. Critical care support was initiated with aggressive fluid and warming support as well as dextrose and oxygen supplementation. After initial stabilization, additional complications arose in subsequent weeks including intermittent diarrhea, dry skin with loss of epidermal layers, urticaria on the head, and superficial wounds on the face, ears, feet, and penis. There is a lack of critical care information for rhinoceros calves. However, due to similarities to other Perissodactylids, some general guidelines for critical equid neonatal care were implemented. The calf was hand-raised until weaning and is now a subadult white rhinoceros with no abnormalities.

Impact of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine's Boiler Vet Camp on participants' knowledge of veterinary medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether Boiler Vet Camp, a 7-day residential summer camp for students entering eighth or ninth grade in the fall, would increase participants' understanding of career options in the veterinary profession, increase understanding of the science of veterinary medicine, or increase the number of students stating that they intended to apply to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. DESIGN: Survey. SAMPLE: 48 individuals attending the 2009 Boiler Vet Camp. PROCEDURES: Information on participant demographics was obtained from camp applications. A questionnaire was administered on the first and sixth days of camp, and results were analyzed to identify changes in responses over time. RESULTS: More campers correctly answered questions designed to evaluate knowledge of the veterinary profession and 10 of 12 questions designed to evaluate specific knowledge of the science of veterinary medicine on day 6, compared with day 1. Remarkable differences were not observed among gender or race-ethnicity groups for these questions. There was no significant difference between percentages of campers who stated that they would apply to Purdue before and after camp. Significantly more Caucasian campers stated they would apply to Purdue on both day 1 and day 6, compared with campers from under-represented minority groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that the Boiler Vet Camp accomplished 2 of its 3 planned objectives, suggesting that such camps can be successfully used to increase knowledge of the veterinary profession among middle school students. Reasons for the low percentage of participants from underrepresented minorities who indicated they would apply to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine require further exploration.

Anatomic description and clinical relevance of the meningovertebral ligament in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether dogs have a meningovertebral ligament (MVL) and to assess the effect that structure may have on pathological lesions within the ventral epidural space. SAMPLE: Cadaveric specimens from 6 neurologically normal dogs and 2 dogs with vertebral neoplasms that extended into the epidural space and MRI sequences and cytologic preparations from 2 dogs with compressive hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion that underwent decompressive surgery. PROCEDURES: The vertebral column was removed for gross and histologic examination from the cadavers of neurologically normal dogs and dogs with vertebral neoplasms. For dogs with hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion, MRI sequences to assess lesion location and topography and cytologic preparations of material surgically extirpated from the ventral epidural space were reviewed. RESULTS: All dogs had an MVL, which formed the ventral boundary of the epidural space and consisted of fibrous bands that attached the external ventral surface of the dura mater of the spinal cord to the dorsal surface of the vertebral bodies throughout the length of the vertebral canal. Both vertebral neoplasms had a bilobed appearance as did the extruded nucleus pulposus lesions on MRI sequences. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results of the present study indicated that dogs have an MVL, which creates an anatomic barrier within the ventral epidural space and causes pathological lesions to adopt a bilobed shape regardless of the pathogenic process. Further anatomic studies of the MVL and vertebral canal of dogs are necessary to elucidate how those structures affect lesion progression within the ventral epidural space.