Successful treatment of feline pancreatolithiasis associated with an ascending Providencia rettgeri infection using a novel surgical technique.

A 12-year-old female spayed Domestic Shorthair cat presented with a 4-day history of lethargy, inappetence and vomiting. Physical findings included a grade 2/6 heart murmur and cranial abdominal pain on palpation. Serum biochemistry revealed elevated total bilirubin and liver enzymes activities. Abdominal ultrasound revealed multiple pancreatoliths, cholelithiasis and dilation of the pancreatic duct. During exploratory laparotomy, catheterisation of the pancreatic duct with retrograde and orthograde flushing to remove the pancreatoliths was performed via a distal enterotomy and proximal left apical partial pancreatectomy respectively. Catheterisation and flushing of the common bile duct were performed to confirm patency prior to cholecystectomy. Bacterial culture of pancreatoliths, pancreatic tissue and bile grew a heavy, pure growth of Providencia rettgeri. Fluorescent immunostaining histopathology revealed clusters of rod-shaped bacteria within the pancreatic parenchyma and gall bladder mucosa. The cat received pradofloxacin for two weeks. She made a complete recovery and remained well at a six-month follow-up.

Suspect severe gastroenteritis associated with ingestion of caterpillar setae fragments in a cat.

A 6-month-old male neutered Domestic Shorthair cat was assessed for a 24-h history of anorexia, lethargy, depressed mentation, mild abdominal pain and persistent bradycardia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed marked thickening of the gastric wall, gastric distension, free abdominal fluid, distension and corrugation of the small intestine. Full-thickness histopathological biopsy of the gastric wall demonstrated intralesional chitinous structures whose morphology (size and presence of obvious barbs) supports these structures being urticating hairs (setae). A processionary caterpillar is considered most likely as these are the most common urticating caterpillars in Australia. This is the first case of suspected severe gastroenteritis associated with the ingestion of caterpillar setae fragments in a cat.

Acute kidney injury in 18 cats after subcutaneous meloxicam and an update on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage in feline patients in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a well-known but poorly documented adverse effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in cats. We aimed to describe instances of NSAID-associated AKI in cats and survey Australian veterinarians on NSAID use in acute settings. METHODS: Medical records of cats that developed an AKI subsequent to the administration of meloxicam were obtained by searching the databases of seven practices in Queensland, as well as by contemporaneously contacting select veterinary colleagues of the authors in both general and specialist small animal practice. An online questionnaire was created for the survey, and the URL distributed to Australian practitioners. RESULTS: A total of 18 cases were retrieved, all of which received injectable meloxicam. The indication(s) for its use and the dosage prescribed were within the manufacturer's recommendations for Australian veterinarians. The majority of cases (13/18 cats) received the label dose of 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneously (SC) on the day of the procedure. In 12/18 cats, the injection was given in association with general anaesthesia or sedation. Fourteen cats survived to hospital discharge. Of 187 survey respondees, 89% routinely administered NSAIDs for surgery-related analgesia, with 98% prescribing meloxicam and 84% of these giving it SC. Ninety percent of respondees routinely administered NSAIDs for non-surgical-related analgesia, with 99% prescribing meloxicam and 35% of those giving it SC. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We strongly recommend that practitioners avoid prescribing meloxicam SC in cats. This recommendation is emphatic in situations where concurrent dehydration and/or hypotension are possible.

The prophage of SP beta c2dcitK1, A defective specialized transducing phage of Bacillus subtilis.

The defective specialized transducing phage SP beta c2dcitK1 carries two known bacterial genes, kauA and citK, as well as SP beta hage markers including the heat-sensitive repressor allele, c2. Some phage genes (including essential ones) are missing. When SP beta c2dcitK1 transduces SP beta-sensitive cells of Bacillus subtilis, the defective prophage is inserted into sites in the homologous bacterial DNA of the attSP beta-kauA-citK region of the recipient chromosome. During the growth of these transductants, occasional excisions occur that result in the loss of the phage genes and of the heterogenotic state. These excisions increase greatly in frequency during growth at repressor-inactivating temperatures. The kinds of insertions and excisions seen suggest that a Campbell-type (CAMPBELL 1962) circular phage genome may occur transiently. If the transductants are superinfected by SP beta c2 or by the clear-plaque mutant SP beta c1, the resulting double lysogen can be heat induced to release high-frequency-of-transduction (HFT) lysates for kauA and citK.

Accessory perineal scrotum associated with anorectal malformation. A report of 2 cases.

Two new cases of accessory perineal scrotum in association with anorectal malformation are reported. The development of accessory scrota--as distinct from ectopic scrota--can be attributed to abnormal migration of the labioscrotal swellings.

[Results evaluations 3 years after our first experience with the laparoscopic treatment of Hirschsprung disease]. / Evaluación de resultados a tres años de nuestra primera experiencia en el tratamiento laparoscópico de la enfermedad de Hirschsprung.

The laparoscopic approach has been successfully used during the recent last years in pediatric surgery. We describe the first experience in Argentina using laparoscopic surgery in November 4th in 1996, for the treatment of a Hirschsprung disease case. We used the technique of Soave's modified by Georgenson. Details of the surgical procedure are given. Hospitalization time took 5 days and immediated postoperatory cares were well done. Soave-Georgeson technique seems to be a safe and effective possibility for the Hirschsprung disease treatment, and it is completely achieveable by laparoscopy. The present experience does not show advantages in terms of a lower hospitalization time, however it really shows the benefits of laparoscopic surgery, such as post-operatory comfort and better cosmetic results, both highly superior than those obtained with classical surgery.

Acute phase response to Mycoplasma haemofelis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' infection in FIV-infected and non-FIV-infected cats.

The pathogenicity of Haemoplasma spp. in cats varies with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm) causing subclinical infection while Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) often induces haemolytic anaemia. The aims of this study were to characterise the acute phase response (APR) of the cat to experimental infection with Mhf or CMhm, and to determine whether chronic feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection influences this response. The acute phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp) and α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentrations were measured pre-infection and every 7-14 days up to day 100 post-infection (pi) in cats infected with either Mhf or CMhm. Half of each group of cats (6/12) were chronically and subclinically infected with FIV. Marbofloxacin treatment was given on days 16-44 pi to half of the Mhf-infected cats, and on days 49-77 pi to half of the CMhm-infected cats. FIV-infected animals had significantly lower AGP concentrations, and significantly greater Hp concentrations than non-FIV-infected cats when infected with CMhm and Mhf, respectively. Both CMhm and Mhf infection were associated with significant increases in SAA concentrations, while AGP concentrations were only significantly increased by Mhf infection. Mhf-infected cats had significantly greater SAA concentrations than CMhm-infected animals. Both Mhf and CMhm infections were associated with an APR, with Mhf infection inducing a greater response. Chronic FIV infection appeared to modify the APR, which varied with the infecting Haemoplasma species.

Bacteriophage-typable revertants from pleiotropic staphylococcal mutants.

Cell walls were physically purified from bacteriophage-typable revertants that had been isolated from modified cell wall pleiotropic strains derived from Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8511. The quantitative amino acid, amino sugar, and phosphorus contents of these cell walls are reported. Among the revertants were some whose walls possessed elevated serine and one strain whose walls contained the novel amino sugar galactosamine. The similarities in bacteriophage typing patterns between the revertants and the original parental strain lead to the conclusion that the previously described pleiotropic strains are mutants of NCTC 8511.