POST-MORTEM LESIONS of UROLITHIASIS IN A LESSER SEED FINCH (Sporophila angolensis).

Urolithiasis is a disease that despite being a commonly observed problem in veterinary practice is uncommon in birds. Such disease was not reported in passeriforms to date. Accordingly, the aim of the present article is to describe a case of urolithiasis in an adult female lesser seed finch (Sporophila angolensis) pet bird which presented abdominal distension, respiratory distress, and apathy prior to death. The bird had history of being fed with a diet rich in protein. After the bird death, a necropsy was conducted in order to determine the cause of death. At necropsy, accentuated ascites, hydropericardium, and ureteral stones in the left ureter could be grossly observed. Additional tests related with viral and bacterial microbiological testing and with the determination of calculi composition could not be performed since the owner did not consent with the procedures because of the cost. Since the bird was fed on a high protein diet, a relationship between the ureteroliths and dietary imbalance was suggested with participation of protein in calculi development by providing the organic nuclei. Additionally, we conclude that the presence of calculi in the ureter resulted in urinary flow blockage, ascites, and consequent acute respiratory failure due to filling of air sacs with liquid.

Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) and megaesophagus in a blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) - case report.

The present article relates the occurrence of Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD) in a 20 years old blue-fronted amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva). The bird was raised in captivity and was examined at the Ornitopathology Laboratory of São Paulo State University's Veterinarian Hospital, São Paulo State, Brazil. The parrot clinically presented regurgitation, tremors and dyspnea. This is the first case of PDD followed by megaesophagus in a blue-fronted amazon parrot (A. aestiva). This pathological case was not described in birds at all.

Atividade in vitro do danofloxacin e de sete drogas antimicrobianas frente a linhagens de Staphylococcus aureus de mastite bovina

The antimicrobial activity, of danofloxacin, a new 4-fluoroquinolone for exclusive use in Veterinary Medicine, was compared in vitro with other seven drugs against 200 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis. By using the antimicrobial disk diffusion method (Bauer-Kirby), the results showed that the imipenem (100%), trimerhoprim/sulfamethoxazole (98.9%), cefuroxime (97.3%) were the most effective drugs taking into consideration the percentuals of sensitiveness. However, considering the percentuals of the moderately sensitive strains, danofloxacin emerged as the third most active drug. The antimicrobial dilution susceptibility test used to study the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of danofloxacin, characterized its significative antimicrobial activity by showing a close relationship between both concentrations (MIC90%= 18 mu g/ml - MBC90% = 0.23 mu g/ml), as well as a MIC/MBC ratio of 1:1 and 1:2 for most of tested strains.

Salmonelose em répteis: aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e zoonóticos

Salmonellosis is a disease caused by bacteria of Salmonella genus, which infect many species of animals and man. Reptiles are considered the main reservoir, and may develop the disease under determinate conditions. The symptoms are unspecific, and the microbiologic culture is the most common method. The treatment is poorly efficacious and advisable only in cases of clinical signs manifestation. The transmission from reptiles to human may occur, and prophylactic measures that involve good hygiene practices and the control of the disease in animals has special importance.

PYOMETRA IN A FEMALE LION (Panthera leo): REPORT of CASE.

Pyometra is a common disease of intact bitches that may also occur in large wild cats. The present study describes a case of pyometra in female lion (Panthera leo). The animal was referred with a vulvar discharge; physical examination and complementary exams did not show abnormalities. An ovariohysterectomy was performed, and the uterus reveals a thick endometrium with purulent/sanguinolent fluid. The bacterial culture resulted in Escherichia coli. The animal had an excellent recovery.

Recuperação de larvas de Trichostrongylus colubriformis em diferentes estratos de Brachiaria decumbens E Panicum maximum

The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate infective Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae vertical migration in two forage grass species. Experimental modules formed by eight plots, established with Brachiaria decumbens cv. Australian and Panicum maximum cv. Aruana, were used in the study, totaling four plots for each grass species. Each plot was divided into six 30 x 30 cm subplots. Larval migration was evaluated in the four seasons of the year, in different plant strata (0-7, 7-14, 14-21, 21-28 and above 28 cm). Four feces deposits were made, one in each season of the year, in the middle of 30-cm tall forage. The feces were collected from the forage ten days after each feces deposit in the experimental subplots. Grass height was measured in each of the strata immediately before the collections. The forage of the different strata was cut from an area measuring 10-cm in radius. The feces were collected manually from the subplots. There was a grass species and grass stratum interaction in the deposit made in autumn (P < 0.05). During that season, most of the larvae were recovered from the Brachiaria grass base; meanwhile, at the forage apex, the biggest average was registered in the aruana grass. Infective larvae (U) recovery was similar among the different strata during spring. In springtime, the biggest L3 recovery occurred at the 21-28 cm stratum from both forage species. No L3 was recovered from any of the No L3 was recovered from any of the grass strata during winter and summer. Study results show that migration of T colubriformis larvae was more influenced by weather conditions Than by forage species.

Potencial de transdiferenciação neural das células-tronco mesenquimais da medula óssea de equino

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hemodynamic evaluation of the right portal vein in healthy dogs of different body weights

Background: Doppler ultrasonography is an important tool for evaluating hepatic portal hemodynamics. However, no study in dogs of different body weights, in the range encountered in routine clinical veterinary practice, has been reported. It can be difficult to obtain an ideal insonation angle when evaluating the main portal vein, so evaluation of the right portal vein branch has been described in humans as an alternative. The aim of this study was to analyze, through Doppler ultrasonography, the hemodynamics in the right portal vein branch in dogs of different body weights.Methods: Thirty normal dogs were divided in three groups by weight, in order to establish normal values for mean velocity, flow volume and portal congestion index of the right portal vein branch by means of Doppler ultrasonography.Results: In all dogs ideal insonation angles were obtained for the right portal vein branch. The average velocity was similar in the three groups, but the portal congestion index and the flow volume differed, showing that the weight of the dog can influence these values.Conclusion: Doppler ultrasonography for the evaluation of flow in the right branch of the portal vein could be a viable alternative, or complement, to examining the main vessel segment. This is especially so in those animals in which an ideal insonation angle for examination of the main portal vein is hard to obtain. In addition, the weight of the dog must be considered for the correct evaluation of the portal system hemodynamics, particularly for portal blood flow and the congestion index.

Survey radiography and computerized tomography imaging of the thorax in female dogs with mammary tumors

Background: Accurate early diagnosis of lung metastases is important for establishing therapeutic measures. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare survey thoracic radiographs and computerized tomography (CT) scans to specifically identify lung metastases in female dogs with mammary tumors.Methods: Twenty-one female dogs, weighing 3 to 34 kg and aged from 5 years to 14 years and 10 months, with mammary tumors were studied. In all dogs before the imaging examinations, fine-needle aspiration cytology of the mammary tumors was performed to confirm the diagnosis. Three-view thoracic radiographs were accomplished: right lateral, left lateral and ventrodorsal views. Sequential transverse images of the thorax were acquired on a spiral Scanner, before and after intravenous bolus injection of nonionic iodine contrast. Soft-tissue and lung windows were applied. All the mammary tumors were surgically removed and examined histologically.Results: The correlation between the cytological and histological results regarding presence of malignancy was observed in only 17 cases. In radiographic examinations, no dog displayed signs of lung metastases or thorax chest lesions. CT detected lung metastasis in two cases, while small areas of lung atelectasis located peripherally were found in 28.57% of the dogs.Conclusion: In this study population, spiral CT showed higher sensitivity than chest radiographies to detect lung metastasis; this indicates that CT should be performed on all female dogs with malignant mammary tumors.

Peritonite pós-cobertura em cadela Boxer apresentando síndrome de ovário remanescente (SOR)

The ovarian remnant syndrome (ORS) is defined as the persistence of ovarian activity in surgically spayed females, in which part or the entire ovary remains after the surgical procedure. ORS is characterized as a neo-vascular formation that promotes the organ's functions again, and may occur in cats and dogs. This condition causes the return of all undesirable signs of estrus, like male attraction, vaginal secretion (proestral bleeding), anxiety, pseudocyesis, among other symptoms. The recommended treatment is the surgical removal of the remaining ovary tissue. However, this procedure should be performed at the estrogenic stage of the cycle, when the remaining ovary tissue is enlarged due to the presence of follicles, which facilitates its location. Apparently there are no papers on the consequences of an undesirable breeding. Thus, the objective of this article was to report a case of peritonitis in a bitch with ORS after natural breeding, referred to the Hospital Veterinario da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia da UNESP, campus Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.

Ocorrência de parasitos gastrintestinais em amostras fecais de felinos no município de Andradina, São Paulo

The purpose of this study was to verify the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in fecal samples from cats of the Andradina city, SP. This work was carried out from March to November of 2007, and used 51 cats delivered to the Center of Zoonoses Control of that city. Techniques of Willis and Faust were used in the fecal examination and resulted in detection of Ancylostoma spp. in 96.1% of the animals; Toxocara spp. in 43.1%; Cystoisospora spp. in 43.1%; Dipylidium caninum in 21.6% and Giardia spp. in 5.9% samples. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in 3.9% fecal samples by the use of malachite green negative stain. There was no significant association between the occurrence of endoparasites and consistency of fecal samples. The results confirm that these cats represent important hosts of parasites, some of those with high zoonotic potential.

Impact of proximal cytoplasmic droplets on quality traits and in-vitro embryo production efficiency of cryopreserved bull spermatozoa

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação da reação em cadeia pela polimerase para diagnóstico da leishmaniose visceral em sangue de cães

Canine and human visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in several States of Brazil, and it is associated with infected dogs and the presence of the vector. Aiming at using polymerase chain reaction as a diagnostic tool in dogs, we amplified a 120bp fragment from kDNA of Leishmania spp. by PCR in blood samples. The lower detection limit observed was 0.1 parasites per 500 mu L of blood, which is a highly satisfactory result. on the other hand, PCR evaluation in 166 blood samples of dogs from Poxoreo, MS, Brazil, resulted in 55% sensitivity and 66.3% specificity, considering indirect imunnofluorescent test as gold standard.

Tetralogia de Fallot em bovinos

Two cases of tetralogy of Fallot in calves, characterized by cardiac systolic murmur, thoracic palpable thrill, polycythemia, radiographic presence of enlargement of the cardiac silhouette and increased amplitude of P waves, QRS complexes and T waves by eletrocardiography, revealed atrial and ventricular enlargement and hypoxia of the myocardium. Tetralogy of Fallot is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly and difficult to diagnose, but a detailed physical exam followed by complementary exams can help veterinarians to diagnose this condition.

Oxidative metabolism of the neutrophils in sheep treated with sodium monensin and experimentally submitted to ruminal acidosis.

Ruminal acidosis is due to excessive ingestion of carbohydrates of rapid fermentation without previous adaptation of the microorganisms, causing severe metabolic disturbances to the animals. The objective of the present study was to assess the neutrophilic oxidative metabolism in sheep treated with sodium monensin in experimentally induced ruminal lactic acidosis. A total of 18 male sheep, half-bred (ideal x Merino), fistulated in the rumen, were used; nine of them received 33 mg/kg of the ionophore diet per day, for 30 days; the others were controls. The acidosis was induced by supplying 15g of sucrose/kg of body weight. The clinical evaluation and the rumen and blood samples were obtained before (0h) and at 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours post-induction. In both groups, all the animals presented clinical manifestations of ruminal lactic acidosis 6 hours after the induction. From this period on, a significant pH decrease (P<0.05) was observed in the ruminal fluid, which reached levels below 5. There were relevant differences (P<0.05) between the groups 12 hours after the induction, when the sheep treated with monensin had higher values than those of the control group. During this period, the oxidative metabolism of the neutrophils remained inhibited, and the reestablishment of this function only occurred in the sheep which received monensin. Blood pH, plasmatic glucose and the ionizable calcium suffered alterations within its levels. The seric cortisol concentration rose significantly (P<0.05) in both groups, although differences (P<0.05) between them were found at the end of the observation period. The treatment with monensin did not influence the oxidative metabolism of the neutrophils inhibited by the lactic acidosis; however, a faster recovery of this metabolism was verified in the animals treated with the ionophore.