Idiopathic Fibrosis of the Tunica Muscularis of the Large Intestine in Five Horses with Colic.

Histological evidence of fibrosis affecting the outer layer of the large intestinal tunica muscularis was identified in five of 32 horses affected by colic. In three cases, foci of pale eosinophilia and vacuolation of myocytes were observed. These findings are suggestive of a degenerative and fibrotic abnormality in the outer layer of the tunica muscularis of the large intestinal smooth muscle of some horses with colic.

Suspected acorn toxicity in nine horses.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Acorn toxicity has been anecdotally reported to cause fatal colitis and colic in horses but reports in the scientific literature are sparse. OBJECTIVES: This study reports the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and outcome of 9 cases with suspected acorn toxicity admitted to 2 referral hospitals. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Case records from 2004 to 2013 were reviewed. Horses were included in the study if they met 3 of 4 criteria: exposure to acorns; clinical and laboratory data suggesting alimentary or renal dysfunction; acorn husks in the faeces or gastrointestinal tract; and necropsy and histopathological findings consistent with acorn toxicity. Data collected included case history, clinical presentation, clinicopathological data, ultrasonographic findings, case progression, and necropsy and histopathological findings. RESULTS: Nine horses met the inclusion criteria. Five cases presenting with haemorrhagic diarrhoea deteriorated rapidly and were subjected to euthanasia or died. Four cases showed signs of colic with gas distension, displacement of the large colon and diarrhoea. Three of these (33%) survived with medical management, the fourth was subjected to euthanasia. Post mortem examination of 6 cases demonstrated submucosal oedema of the large intestine and caecum (n = 6), acute tubular nephrosis (n = 6), diffuse necrohaemorrhagic and ulcerative typhlocolitis and enteritis (n = 4), and small intestinal oedema (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: Acorn ingestion may be associated with typhylocolitis leading to diarrhoea, colic and acute renal tubular nephrosis. Recovery is possible in mildly affected cases; more severe cases show hypovolaemia, intractable pain, renal dysfunction and cardiovascular failure, and often succumb to the disease process. Disease is only seen in a small proportion of the population exposed to acorns and there seems to be an increased occurrence in certain years. Further investigation into factors predisposing to disease is required, but limiting exposure to acorns in the autumn seems prudent.

Phylogenetic analysis of feline coronavirus strains in an epizootic outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis.

BACKGROUND: Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection is common. In a small percentage of cats, FCoV infection is associated with the fatal disease feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Genetically distinct virulent and avirulent strains of FCoV might coexist within a cat population. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the strains of FCoV in FIP-affected cats are closely related or genetically distinct from the fecally derived strains of FCoV in contemporary-asymptomatic cats during an epizootic outbreak of FIP. ANIMALS: Four cats euthanized because of FIP and 16 asymptomatic cats. METHODS: This prospective outbreak investigation was initiated during an outbreak of FIP in cats within or rehomed from a rescue/rehoming center. Postmortem samples were collected from cats with FIP and contemporaneous fecal samples from asymptomatic cats. RNA was purified from tissue and fecal samples, FCoV gene fragments were reverse transcribed, PCR-amplified using novel primers, and sequenced. Sequences were aligned with ClustalW and compared with published FCoV sequences. RESULTS: FCoV RNA was detected in all 4 FIP cat postmortem samples and in 9 of the 16 fecal samples from contemporary-asymptomatic cats. Novel primers successfully amplified fragments from 4 regions of the genome for all FCoV-positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the FIP-associated strains of FCoV from the outbreak were very closely related to the fecally derived strains of FCoV from contemporary-asymptomatic cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Sequence analysis provided no evidence that genetically distinct virulent and avirulent strains of FCoV were present during this FIP outbreak.

Leiomyosarcoma of the pericardium, with epicardial metastases and peripheral eosinophilia in a dog.

A dog with a history of dyspnoea, anorexia and ascites showed on examination signs of right-sided heart failure, pleural effusion and peripheral eosinophilia. Diagnostic imaging suggested the presence of a mediastinal mass, and histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of a biopsy sample led to a diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma. On post-mortem examination, an extensive mass was found, which encircled the heart and obliterated the pericardial sac, with probable metastatic spread to the epicardium. Eosinophilic infiltration of the neoplastic mass, lamina propria of the stomach and duodenum, interstitium of the kidney, and submucosa of the bladder was consistent with a possible paraneoplastic eosinophilia.

A case of invertebral disc degeneration and prolapse with Schmorl's node formation in a sheep.

A Schmorl's node is the herniation of nucleus pulposus through the cartilaginous end plate of the vertebral disc into the body of the adjacent vertebra. Their formation is relatively common in people, and they may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. In contrast, there are few reported cases of Schmorl's nodes in non-human animals. This report describes a case of thoracic intervertebral disc degeneration, with Schmorl's node formation in a sheep.

Congestive heart failure caused by intracardiac tumours in two dogs.

Congestive heart failure is a common presentation in small animal practice. Cardiac tumours are an unusual cause of congestive heart failure and, when they occur, usually cause clinical signs associated with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. This case report outlines the clinical and histological findings in two dogs presented with clinical signs of congestive heart failure caused by obstruction of blood flow by intracavitary cardiac tumours. Case 1 showed signs of left-sided heart failure caused by osteosarcoma within the left atrial lumen, and case 2 presented with clinical signs of right-sided heart failure due to haemangiosarcoma occupying the right atrial and ventricular lumens. This case report provides further evidence for the inclusion of intracardiac neoplasia in the differential diagnosis for dogs with clinical signs of congestive heart failure.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in two cats.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a disease characterised by infiltration of the myocardium by adipose and fibrous tissue. The disease is an important cause of sudden death in humans, but has rarely been described in animals. This report describes ARVC in two cats with right-sided congestive heart failure. One cat had also experienced previous episodes of syncope. Standard six-lead and 24-hour (Holter) electrocardiogram recording revealed complete atrioventricular block and multiform ventricular ectopics in both cats, with the addition of ventricular tachycardia, ventricular bigeminy and R-on-T phenomenon in one of them. On echocardiography, the right ventricle and atrium were massively dilated and hypokinetic. The survival times of the cats were three days and 16 days following diagnosis. Histopathology in one case revealed fibro-fatty infiltration of the myocardium, predominantly affecting the right ventricular free wall.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in dogs.

In a retrospective review of 43 femoral fractures, three dogs had separation of the femoral capital epiphysis from the metaphysis in the absence of trauma. Two of these dogs also had evidence of pathology in the contralateral femoral neck including, in one dog, displacement of the capital epiphysis in relation to the metaphysis without actual separation. The case histories, radiographic features and histopathological findings of these cases were reviewed and compared with previous cases of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) reported in dogs and also with SCFE in children. Pre-slip, acute, chronic and acute-on-chronic slips were Identified. Based on the cases reviewed, the authors advise internal fixation of stable slipped epiphyses in dogs. This may also be appropriate for unstable separations, although resorption of the femoral neck may preclude stable fixation and necessitate femoral head and neck excision.