Challenging diagnosis--icterus associated with a single perforating duodenal ulcer after long-term nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug administration in a dog.

A dog developed icterus, vomiting, and anorexia 2 wk after orthopedic surgery and treatment with meloxicam for approximately 1 y. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a single perforated duodenal ulcer. The most likely cause of the hyperbilirubinemia was intrahepatic cholestasis resulting from peritonitis associated with the perforation.

Mortality associated with gastric ulceration in swine.

On a large swine operation, necropsy revealed that 39 of 146 (27%) pigs during one week in April and 37 of 137 (27%) pigs during one week in June died from hemorrhage due to gastric ulceration. Contributory factors may have been feed withdrawal one day per week and feeding finely ground pellets.

Plasma gastrin activity and the diagnosis of bleeding abomasal ulcers in cattle.

The present study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of plasma gastrin determinations as a diagnostic aid and to review the clinical and haematological findings in cattle with bleeding abomasal ulcers. Twenty-nine cows with bleeding abomasal ulcers and six healthy cows were used. Clinical and laboratory examinations, including plasma gastrin levels, were performed. Anorexia, depression, dark-coloured to black faeces, pale mucous membranes, abdominal pain, moderate tachycardia and tachypnoca were the most pronounced clinical symptoms in the cattle with bleeding abomasal ulcers. Plasma gastrin concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the cattle with bleeding abomasal ulcers than in healthy cows. The mean plasma gastrin concentration in healthy cattle was 103.2 pg/ml, while the mean plasma gastrin concentrations in cattle with bleeding abomasal ulcers were found to be 213.6 pg/ml. Haemoglobin levels, packed cell volume, total white blood cell count and mean corpuscular volume were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the cows with bleeding abomasal ulcer than in the healthy cattle. The results of this study show that measurement of plasma gastrin can be useful in the diagnosis of bleeding abomasal ulcers in cattle.

Abomasal bloat, haemorrhage and ulcers in young Norwegian lambs.

An abomasal syndrome affecting mainly three- to four-week-old lambs was studied by using a case-control design involving 88 cases and 85 controls. The principal clinical signs were tympany and colic. The cases were divided into three groups according to the main gross pathological findings in 82 of them. The 28 lambs in group 1 had abomasal tympany, the 29 lambs in group 2 had severe damage to the abomasal mucosa, and the 25 lambs in group 3 consisted mainly of lambs with various other diseases in combination with abomasal changes. The lambs in group 1 had a significantly (P<0.05) lower mean (se) abomasal pH (2.7 [0.19]) than those in group 2 (4.1 [0.32]), group 3 (3.7 [0.39]) or the controls (3.3 [0.13]). The ruminal pH values ranged from 3.5 to 7.4 but there were no significant differences between the groups. Lambs with ulcers had a significantly (P<0.05) higher frequency of trichophytobezoars, than the cases without ulcers or the controls. The tympanic lambs in group 1 had a significantly higher mean packed cell volume, and higher mean red and white blood cell counts, and a significantly lower mean cell volume and mean cell haemoglobin concentration than the healthy control lambs.

Sarcina -like bacteria, Clostridium fallax and Clostridium sordellii in lambs with abomasal bloat, haemorrhage and ulcers.

A study of abomasal disease in lambs aged 2-5 weeks, made during the period 1993-1998, included 67 cases and 45 non-affected controls. Gross pathological findings included various combinations of bloat, haemorrhage and ulcers in the abomasum. Sarcina -like bacteria were found in sections and smears from the abomasum of 79% (53/67) of the cases. From one case, a lamb with abomasal bloat, the anaerobic "packet"-forming Sarcina ventriculi was cultivated from the abomasal contents and identified by biochemical reactions and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Sarcina -like bacteria were observed microscopically in specimens from 94% (44/47) of the lambs with abomasal gas and in 45% (9/20) of those with ulcers or haemorrhage or both but little gas. On culture, abomasal contents from 41 cases yielded Clostridium fallax from 16 (39%) and Clostridium sordellii from eight (20%); abomasal cultures from 30 control lambs were negative for the three bacterial species. Quantitative cultivation, carried out on abomasal contents from live lambs and lambs dead

[Abomasal ulcers in calves: clinical investigations and experiences]. / Labmagengeschwüre beim Kalb: klinische Untersuchungen und Erfahrungen.

Observations and experiences as well as results of clinical investigations in 364 calves with clinically apparent abomasal ulcers (bleeding 28, deep 37, perforating 299) are communicated. The anamnestic data, evaluated systematically, allow to conclude, that influences of the feeding regime, in particular faults during the early weaning period, play an important role in the multifactorial etiology. Furthermore, symptoms, diagnosis and differential diagnosis as well as treatment and prevention are described. The various localizations (and ways) of perforating abomasal ulcers are demonstrated by schematic representations and by the respective findings at operation or at necropsy.

The effect of misoprostol on aspirin-induced gastroduodenal lesions in dogs.

Misoprostol, a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analog, is effective in treating and preventing nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID)--induced gastrointestinal lesions in humans. The effectiveness of misoprostol in preventing aspirin-induced gastroduodenal injury was studied in 3 groups of 6 adult mixed breed dogs. Group I received 3 micrograms/kg misoprostol PO tid. Group II received 3 micrograms/kg misoprostol PO tid and 35 mg/kg aspirin PO tid. Group III received 35 mg/kg aspirin PO tid. Endoscopy was performed on days 0, 5, 14, and 30. Five regions of the upper gastrointestinal tract were qualitatively scored from 1 to 12 based on the presence of submucosal hemorrhage, erosion, or ulceration, with ulceration receiving a higher numerical score than submucosal hemorrhage. A total score was assigned based on the sum of the scores from all regions. Comparisons among groups on each day were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Differences within a group among different time periods were determined using appropriate multiple comparisons. Significant difference in mean gastroduodenal lesion score was found among all groups at 5, 14, and 30 days. Mean total score on days 5, 14, and 30 were as follows: group I, 5.0, 5.2, 9.0; group II, 12.0, 12.7, 16.2; and group III, 26.0, 23.8, 21.5, respectively. Significant differences within a group among different time periods were found from days 0 to 5 in groups I and II, and from days 14 to 30 in group I. It was concluded that misoprostol effectively decreased endoscopically detectable mucosal lesions in dogs given aspirin.

Pig weaning weight and changes in hematology and blood chemistry of sows injected with recombinant porcine somatotropin during lactation.

Weaning weight of pigs on d 18 to 21 of age was used to determine the effects of recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) on lactational performance of their dams. Crossbred Landrace x Yorkshire sows (n = 180, 202 to 270 kg BW) were assigned to receive daily i.m. injections of either 0, 8, or 16 mg of rpST on lactation d 7 to 20. Initially, injections of 16 mg of rpST/d caused 100% mortality (four sows); thus, a dose of 4 mg of rpST/d replaced 16 mg. Subsequently, 5 of 19 and 1 of 17 sows died in response to daily injections of 8 and 4 mg of rpST, respectively, resulting in termination of the experiment. Before termination, 48 sows (16 from each of the 0-, 4-, and 8-mg treatment groups) completed a lactation of 18 to 21 d in duration. Analysis of these data indicated that daily injection of lactating sows with rpST increased (P less than .05) weaning weight of pigs only if they were from litters that averaged greater than or equal to 2.6 kg/pig on lactation d 7. The BW of sows was decreased by rpST (P = .07). Subsequent experiments revealed 1) that rpST-induced death of lactating sows was caused from hemorrhaging of ulcers that developed at the pars esophagea, 2) that there was vacuolation of the liver and kidney of dead sows, and 3) that daily injection of 16 mg of rpST into nonlactating growing pigs (50 to 100 kg BW) for 28 d did not cause death or any observable illness in spite of 100% mortality of lactating sows after two to nine injections.

Bleeding abomasal ulcers in dairy cows.

The clinical signs and changes in blood and rumen fluid, and the results of therapy are described in 35 cows suffering from bleeding abomasal ulcer. The most important pathological findings were moderate to severe anaemia with pale mucous membranes and tachycardia, dark coloured to black faeces, a disturbed general condition and anorexia. Two of the cows were slaughtered immediately. The others were treated by the transfusion of several litres of blood and the intravenous administration of a solution containing sodium chloride and glucose and other drugs such as calcium solution, vitamin K, vitamin C and metoclopramide. Two animals died in spite of the treatment and three had to be slaughtered because of the deterioration in their condition. The other 28 cows recovered within a few days and their general condition, appetite and defecation returned to normal.

Gastric haemorrhage and perforation caused by a trichobezoar in a baboon (Papio hamadryas).

A captive-bred male baboon presented with severe evidence of blood loss and melaena. An upper gastrointestinal radiological study with Gastrografin showed a large trichobezoar. Laparotomy confirmed its presence and revealed gastric ulceration with perforation and generalized peritonitis. The condition was successfully treated by surgery.

Exsanguination due to gastric ulceration in a foal.

An Arabian foal with a congenital heart disease died due to hemorrhage secondary to a large gastric ulcer. Previously, death of foals with gastric ulcers has been due to diffuse peritonitis resulting from gastric ulcer perforation. The foal in this case report died due to hemorrhage secondary to a large gastric ulcer.

Cimetidine prophylaxis for gastric ulcers in laboratory swine.

Bleeding gastric ulcers were a major cause of morbidity and mortality in young swine subjected to surgery, chronic catheterization, and daily experimental manipulation. Some of the animals died suddenly due to exsanguination into the gastrointestinal tract, while others survived for several days following the onset of clinical signs. These signs included dark, tarry stools, lethargy, pale mucous membranes, decreased appetite, and dyspnea. Abnormal clinical laboratory findings included decreased hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte counts indicative of chronic blood loss anemia. On postmortem examination, single or multiple ulcers of variable sizes were found in the nonglandular cardiac portion of the stomach, and the gastrointestinal tract often contained blood. Histologically, the ulcers had a base of granulation tissue with surface suppuration. Prophylactic treatment of these ulcers was initiated using cimetidine, a histamine II blocker. The drug was administered via the drinking water at 15 mg/kg body weight/day. Fourteen of 62 (22.5%) pigs that did not receive cimetidine developed bleeding ulcers. Of 45 animals given daily prophylactic doses of cimetidine, none manifested clinical signs indicative of a bleeding ulcer. These results indicated that cimetidine was effective in preventing morbidity and mortality due to bleeding gastric ulcers in young swine used in chronic laboratory experiments.

Fetal abomasal ulcers in yearling feedlot cattle.

During all of 1974, we surveyed, for illnesses and deaths, about 407,000 yearling feedlot cattle. From the 3,943 dead cattle, 1,988 necropsies were made; of this number, 31 (1.6%) had ulcers with fatal perforations or hemorrhages; a similar additional number of necropsied cattle had innocuous ulcers as incidental findings. Ulcers developed during all seasons and all stages of fattening, but were more common during the first 45 days of winter-initiated fattening than during other times. Perforations of the abomasal wall resulted in spillage of abomasal contents into the abdominal cavity and the development of peritonitis.

[Death by malpractice? (Corticosteroid administration to fattening-calves) (author's transl)]. / Dood door schuld? (Corticosteroïdgebruik bij mestkalveren)

A fatting-calf suffering from an acute bronchi(oli)tis, was treated with antibiotics and dexamethasone. Although the pulmonary complaint healed, the patient died a few days later because of internal haemorrhage from an abomasal ulcer. The article makes a possible connexion between the therapy and the ultimate cause of death plausible.