Treatment and Outcomes of Tusk Fractures in Managed African Savanna and Asian Elephants (Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus) across Five Continents.

Elephant tusk fractures are a clinical challenge that can impact the overall health of the animal, particularly when they result in pulp exposure. An international survey was sent to veterinarians to understand individual fracture characteristics and management strategies as they relate to outcomes, with the goal of better informing treatment procedures. The data set consisted of 79 fractures from 64 elephants (including Asian and African males and females), 44.3% of which were Class III fractures with pulpal involvement. Of this subset, pulp canal exposures of >0.5 cm were 23.8-fold more likely to develop pulpitis than fractures with <0.5 cm exposed, though canal size did not impact healing versus extraction outcome. Odds ratios showed that treatments including endodontics were 12.0-fold more likely to heal than tusks treated exclusively with medical management, though no association was observed in reducing the risk of pulpitis. Further, pulpitis was 7.58-fold more likely to develop when tap water was used to rinse exposed pulpal tissue; a finding that merits further investigation. The use of endodontic treatment versus medical management alone was significantly associated with improved recovery outcomes (i.e., reduced risk of extraction) in tusk fractures with pulpal involvement.

Atypical Candidiasis of the Gnathotheca in a Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor).

An approximately 38-year-old captive male lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) was presented with a mass involving the right ventral gnathotheca. The mass was surgically excised after which the flamingo was treated with parenteral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drugs. Histological analysis identified an abscess with intralesional fungal organisms. Culture and polymerase chain reaction sequencing identified the fungal organisms within the lesion as Candida albicans. Treatment with oral itraconazole was initiated 23 days after initial surgical excision; however, the flamingo continued to lose weight while being treated, and died after 10 days of antifungal therapy. Necropsy, histologic examination, and culture confirmed the persistence of a mycotic abscess that infiltrated the mandibular bone and was associated with C albicans.

NAÏVE-POOLED PHARMACOKINETICS OF CEFTIOFUR CRYSTALLINE FREE ACID AFTER SINGLE INTRAMUSCULAR ADMINISTRATION IN SMOOTH DOGFISH (MUSTELUS CANIS).

Pharmacokinetics study of ceftiofur crystalline free acid (CCFA) was conducted in 14 adult captive smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis). A single dose of CCFA at 6.6 mg/kg was administered intramuscularly. Blood samples were collected prior to treatment and at 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, 32, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 hr posttreatment. Naïve pooling of data from four sharks was used to generate the average plasma drug concentration at each time point. After concluding the study, additional blood samples were opportunistically collected from five randomly selected sharks at 1,920 hr. Plasma ceftiofur and desfuroylceftiofur metabolite concentrations were determined using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using a noncompartmental technique. Peak plasma concentration (Cmax) was 3.75 µg/ml with a time to Cmax (Tmax) of 96 hr. Ceftiofur plasma concentrations were maintained above 2 µg/ml for at least 168 hr and were still quantifiable at 1,920 hr.