Use of cloprostenol as an abortifacient in the llama (Lama glama).

As part of a larger project investigating the development and heritability of choanal atresia glama), it was necessary to develop a protocol for aborting llamas at various stages of gestation. Twenty-seven animals between 4 and 7 mo of gestation were successfully aborted a total of 53 times following two 250 microg intramuscular injections of cloprostenol at 24 h intervals. Abortion was induced once in 10 animals and multiple times (range 2 to 5) in 17 animals. Twenty-four animals (45.2%) aborted 3 d following the first injection, with 20 animals (37.7%) aborting 4 d post prostaglandin administration. Other animals aborted at 2 d (n=6, 11.3%), 5 d (n=2, 3.8%), and 7 d (n=1, 1.9%) following drug administration. Forty-nine (92.5%) of the abortions occurred following a single series of injections, while 4 animals (7.5%) aborted following a second series of injections. No confirmed pregnant animals failed to abort following the second series of cloprostenol injections. Conception rates in animals rebred 2 to 4 wk following an abortion were comparable to those of untreated animals in the research herd. Unlike the severe hypertension and death that has been reported following dinoprost tromethamine administration in the llama, no adverse reactions were observed in this study following cloprostenol administration. The results demonstrate that llamas can be safely and effectively aborted up to 7 mo of gestation (normal full term gestation = 342 +/- 10 days) without adverse effects on subsequent fertility.

Radiographic contrast gastrointestinal study of the neonatal llama.

This is a description of the radiographic appearance of the normal gastrointestinal tract of neonatal crias with survey and contrast radiography, including transit times for the various segments of the gastrointestinal tract. Radiographs of the abdomen of six healthy neonatal llama crias positioned in right lateral and dorsal recombency were obtained initially then at various intervals post barium administration. Portions of the gastrointestinal tract that could be identified included the stomach with first, second and third compartments, the duodenal ampulla, small intestine, proximal loop of the ascending colon, spiral colon and descending colon. Barium given by orogastric intubation rapidly entered all three compartments of the stomach and the proximal small intestine. Overall the transit time through the intestinal tract of the crias was longer than expected with no emptying of the ascending colon and beyond though studies were carried to 48-72 hours. Recommendations are made for frequency of radiographs.

Presence of enamel on the incisors of the llama (Lama glama) and alpaca (Lama pacos).

Attempts have been made to define the relationships among the South American camelids, the guanaco, llama, alpaca, and vicuna, by comparing the morphology of their incisors. The alpaca has been reported to have an incisor morphology similar to the vicuna, lacking enamel on the lingual surface. The llama and guanaco are said to have enamel on both the labial and lingual surface of their incisor teeth. These comparisons have been based on gross morphological observations and not on histologic analysis. This study was undertaken to determine whether or not alpaca teeth have enamel on the lingual surface. The cross-sectional histologic anatomy of the incisor teeth was compared in two closely related South American camelid species, the llama (Lama glama), and the alpaca (Lama pacos). Thick sections (300 microm) and scanning electron microscopy were the techniques utilized. The mandibular first, second, and third incisors were examined in four llamas and five alpacas. A substantial layer of enamel was present on all surfaces of all llama incisors. The enamel layer on the labial surface of the alpaca incisors closely resembled that found in the llama. The enamel layer on the lingual surface of the alpaca incisors, although greatly reduced, was distinctly present. Alpacas may be more closely related to guanacos and llamas than to vicunas. A histologic study of vicuna incisors would help to better define the relationships of the four camelids.

The effects of supplementing diets with Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii on male poult performance and ileal morphology.

This study determined the effects of three levels of supplemental yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (SCB) on commercial male poult performance and ileum morphology. One hundred and sixty Nicholas poults were randomly assigned to 16 battery cages (10 poults per cage, 4 cages per diet) from 1 to 21 d of age (DOA). Poults were fed diets (26% CP) consisting of corn-soybean (CS, control), CS + .01% SCB, CS + .02% SCB, and CS + .06% SCB. At 21 DOA, 30 poults fed the CS and CS + .02% SCB diets (from 1 to 21 DOA) were randomly selected within each diet, placed in 1 of 6 cages (5 poults per cage, 3 cages per diet), and fed their respective diet to 35 DOA. Body weights and feed consumptions (FC) were measured at 21 and 35 DOA and morphological comparisons of ileal tissues were conducted at 35 DOA. Increased BW (P < .004) at 7, 14, and 21 DOA were observed for poults fed diets containing SCB at .01, .02, and .06% of the diet. No dietary differences (P > .05) were observed in FC or feed:gain ratios from 1 to 21 DOA. Increased (P < .03) BW were maintained from 21 to 35 DOA for poults fed .02% SCB, whereas no dietary differences (P > .05) in FC or feed:gain were observed. Histological examination of ileal sections from poults (35 DOA) fed the CS and CS + .02% SCB diets revealed a decrease (P < .04) in the number of goblet cells per millimeter of villus height and a decreased (P < .02) crypt depth in poults receiving .02% SCB. No dietary differences (P > .05) were observed for either villus height or width.

Treatment of acute lead ingestion in a juvenile macaw.

A juvenile domestic green-winged macaw was admitted to the veterinary clinic within an hour of ingestion of lead drapery weights. Radiopaque objects were evident in the crop and ventriculus. The bird was anesthetized, and the crop was lavaged to remove lead fragments. Because lead fragments remained in the ventriculus after lavage, chelation treatment was instituted. Serial radiography was done on days 2, 5, 9, and 14 to determine passage of the lead. By day 14, lead fragments were not visible radiographically. The macaw did not have ill effects from the lead ingestion or from medical treatments. Because this bird had been observed ingesting the lead weights, treatment was for foreign body ingestion initially and for lead ingestion secondarily.

Third compartment ulcers in the llama.

The diagnosis of third compartment ulcers in the llama and alpaca is largely one of exclusion. Clinical signs may include mild to severe colic, inappetence, decreased fecal output, bruxism, and depression. Abdominocentesis results are usually unremarkable if C3 perforation has not occurred but reflective of a generalized peritonitis if full thickness ulceration has occurred. The H-2 receptor antagonists cimetidine and ranitidine do not suppress C3 acid production for a significant period of time and are of questionable efficacy in the management of C3 ulcers.

Surface area to volume relationships of snakes support the use of allometric scaling for calculating dosages of pharmaceuticals.

Metabolic scaling is used to estimate pharmaceutical dosages for snakes because few pharmacokinetic studies have determined optimum dosages. The question arose as to the validity of the assumption of metabolic scale among snakes because they have such a cylindrical shape. The surface area to volume relationships of a group of animals is a major portion of the metabolic scaling exponent of 0.75. An assumption inherent in scaling pharmaceutical dosages for snakes is that there is not a shape change with a size change, or that scaling of the surface area to volume has an exponent of 0.66. One hundred forty snakes, 106 Colubridae and 34 Boiidae, were weighted, their volume was determined by water displacement, and the snakes were measured. Geometric formulas were used to calculate surface area and volume of each snake. Surface area to volume relationship was nearly isometric, with a scaling exponent of 0.64, supporting the use of metabolic scaling for estimating pharmaceutical doses.

Morphometric evaluation of growth in llamas (Lama glama) from birth to maturity.

Normal growth characteristics of llamas (Lama glama) were evaluated from conception until 1 week after parturition in pregnant females (study 1) and from 1 month after birth to maturity (study 2). In study 1, pregnant multiparous llamas (n = 10) were measured at monthly intervals from conception until 1 week after parturition; in study 2, llamas (n = 270) were measured once. Body weight of pregnant llamas (study 1) did not increase significantly until after the eighth month of pregnancy. Llamas of study 2 reached mature height, length, thoracic circumference, and weight at 18, 24, 36, and 36 months of age, respectively. From 1 month of age to maturity, the growth characteristics of males, nonpregnant females, and females during the first 8 months of pregnancy did not differ. Correlations (r2) between height, length, and thoracic circumference related to body weight for all but the pregnant llamas during the last 3 months of pregnancy were 0.822, 0.834, and 0.948, respectively. The equation describing thoracic circumference as a predictor of body weight was: Weight (kg) = (1.005 x 10(-3)) x circumference (cm)2.424.

Local anesthetic techniques for diagnosis of lameness.

Successful diagnostic local anesthesia is dependent upon a thorough knowledge of appendicular anatomy, application of correct technique, and accurate interpretation. Use of cadaver specimens to review anatomy and practice needle placement is strongly recommended. A marker solution, such as new methylene blue, can be injected into cadaver limbs, which can be subsequently dissected to verify accuracy. Detailed interpretation of local anesthetic blocks in the lame horse reaches beyond the scope of this article. Interpretive difficulties, however, can be responsible for the failure of a block to provide useful information to the examiner, even though the block may have been performed in a technically correct manner.

Endocrine changes during pregnancy, parturition and the early post-partum period in the llama (Lama glama).

Mean (+/- s.d.) pregnancy length for the 14 llamas in this study was 350 +/- 4.5 days. Plasma progesterone concentrations increased by 5 days after mating and remained elevated (greater than 2.0 ng/ml) throughout most of pregnancy. At about 2 weeks before parturition, plasma progesterone concentrations began to decline, dropped markedly during the final 24 h before parturition, and returned to basal concentrations (less than 0.5 ng/ml) by the day of parturition. The combined oestrone + oestradiol-17 beta and oestradiol-17 beta concentrations varied between 6 and 274 pg/ml and 4 and 114 pg/ml, respectively, during the first 9 months of pregnancy. Concentrations increased between 9 months after mating and the end of pregnancy with peak mean concentrations of 827 +/- 58 (s.e.m.) pg oestrone + oestradiol-17 beta/ml (range: 64-1658) and 196 +/- 10 pg oestradiol-17 beta/ml (31-294) during the last week of pregnancy. Concentrations then declined to 87 +/- 14 pg oestrone + oestradiol-17 beta/ml (7-488) and 25 +/- 5 pg oestradiol-17 beta/ml (2.5-142) during the first week post partum. Plasma cortisol concentrations varied between 2.6 and 51.9 ng/ml (14.0 +/- 0.5) from mating until 2 weeks before parturition when the concentrations began to decline. Only a slight increase in plasma cortisol concentrations was observed in association with parturition. Plasma triiodothyronine concentrations varied between 0.5 and 4.5 ng/ml (1.9 +/- 0.1) throughout pregnancy and the periparturient period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Growth characteristics of the llama (Lama glama) from birth to 12 months old.

This study has characterised the growth patterns of the llama (Lama glama) from birth to 12 months old. Bodyweight growth was described as a function of age. As a means of predicting bodyweight, equations were developed which correlated bodyweight with specific body measurements. Regression analysis revealed a strong positive correlation of logtransformed measurements of thoracic circumference and height with bodyweight. Thoracic circumference (measured in cm) was a good predictor of bodyweight from the equation: bodyweight (kg) = (8.7 x 10(-4)) x circumference2.46 (r2 = 0.91).

Pruritus in rabbits, rodents, and ferrets.

This article attempts to cover the more specific pruritic problems encountered in rabbits, rodents, and ferrets. There are certainly other causes of pruritus in these animals. Dermatophytes in guinea pigs are not reported to be pruritic, but because they are pruritic in other species, they should be considered in a differential diagnosis. A cryptococcal dermatitis in a guinea pig that was pruritic has been reported. Although mites were not seen on scraping, the animal was treated for sarcoptid mites and apparently the pruritus lessened. Because the cryptococcis was still present, it is questionable whether it was causing the pruritus. Pruritic ulcerative dermatitis over the back and shoulders has been seen in some lines of rats. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from many of the lesions. Clipping the toenails on the feet helped lessen the severity of the lesions. Syphacia spp. have been reported in rats, gerbils, and hamsters and should be considered if there is perineal pruritus. MOBS, or "move over buddy syndrome," is seen especially in mice and may be seen in hamsters, gerbils, and rats that are overcrowded or stressed. The lesions are actually bite wounds that have been inflicted around the tail base and the perineum and on the tail, but these wounds can be mistaken for self-inflicted trauma from pruritus. All of the recommended treatments are extralabel, and clients should be informed of this. I have observed a guinea pig become lethargic and anorexic after only one application of a flea powder approved for use in cats. Brushing most of the powder off and offering dandelion greens to stimulate appetite helped. The second dusting was done with the same flea powder diluted with baby powder. Whenever these animals are dipped, it is important to let them dry in a warm, draft-free area. Again, it is important to be aware that the ratio of surface area to body weight is much higher in these small animals than in the species routinely seen in veterinary practice especially to prevent toxicoses from topically applied medications and iatrogenic hypothermia or hyperthermia.

Coccidioidomycosis in a Sonoran gopher snake, Pituophis melanoleucus affinis.

Coccidioides immitis was isolated from lesions in the lung of a Sonoran Gopher snake, Pituophis melanoleucus affinis. A lactophenol cotton blue mount of a fungal colony grown on Sabouraud's agar revealed coarse, branching, septate hyphae with alternating thick-walled arthroconidia. Histologically, the lung lesions contained spherical, non-budding, double-walled spherules in various stages of maturity. Some spherules contained endospores. Spherules were also present in granulomas associated with the thyroid and pancreas. A diagnosis was made of disseminated coccidioidomycosis, a condition not previously reported in a reptile.

Urethral recess in two male llamas.

Contrast radiography revealed a urethral recess in 2 male llamas, and, in 1, an incidental cyst in the wall of the pelvic urethra. The urethral recess was similar to that found in cattle, sheep, goats, and camels. The presence of a urethral recess in llamas makes catheterization of the urinary bladder as difficult in this species as it is in the other species with urethral recesses.

Endemicity of Dirofilaria immitis and Dipetalonema reconditum in dogs of Pleasants Valley, Northern California.

A house-to-house survey of dogs in a 26-km2 area of Pleasants Valley (Northern California) was done to determine the prevalence of the filariids Dirofilaria immitis Leidy and Dipetalonema reconditum Grassi in the canine population. Blood samples were taken from the cephalic vein of 97 dogs (greater than or equal to 5 months of age) and were tested for the presence of microfilariae, using a modification of the Knott technique. Two dogs with autochthonous D immitis (2.1% of the dogs examined) were discovered. These dogs were outdoor-housed working or sporting dogs, 5 to 8 years old, 1 female and 1 male. Five male dogs, greater than 2 years of age (5.1%), were positive for Dip reconditum microfilariae. Mixed infections were not detected.

Orbital venous anatomy of the rat.

Ten rats were embalmed, the veins of the head latex-injected, and the heads were dissected. Five rats were used to prepare corrosion casts of the venous structures of the head. It was found that the rat has an orbital venous plexus rather than an orbital venous sinus as seen in the mouse and hamster. The orbital venous plexus was formed by the external dorsal ophthalmic vein, the external ventral ophthalmic vein and numerous anastomoses between these veins. Of major interest was a large anastomotic vein located in the caudaldorsal area of the orbit. The anastomotic vein joined the orbital venous plexus and the superficial temporal vein.