ABSTRACT. Between September 13th and November 18th in 1999, four ball pythons, Python reginus kept in the same display, showed anorexia and died one after another. At necropsy, all four snakes had severe hemorrhagic colitis. Microscopically, all snakes had severe necrotizing hemorrhagic colitis, in association with ameba-like protozoa. Some of the protozoa had macrophage-like morphology and others formed protozoal cysts with thickened walls. These protozoa were distributed throughout the wall in the large intestine. Based on the pathological findings, these snakes were infested with a member of Entamoeba sp., presumably with infection by Entamoeba invadens, the most prevalent type of reptilian amoebae. KEY WORDS: ball python, colitis, reptilian amebiasis.

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Several factors are suggested to be involved in the development of nontraumatic inguinal hernias (NTIHs) in dogs, but case series studies focusing on the etiology and treatment outcomes are limited. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of NTIHs in dogs. Medical records of 42 dogs with surgically treated NTIHs were reviewed. Forty-one dogs were included in the study, all dogs were small breeds weighing <10 kg, and middle to older age (>5 yr old; 33 cases), female sex (34 cases), and miniature dachshunds (26 cases) predominated. Left-sided occurrence was common (30 left, 9 right, 2 bilateral), and organ protrusion was seen in 22 cases (15 uteri, 9 small intestines, 1 colon). Fourteen of 15 uterine herniations (93%) were located left side. Ovariohysterectomy was performed with herniorrhaphy in 27/30 intact bitches, two of whom also underwent resection and anastomosis of a devitalized portion of the small intestine. Recurrence was seen in only one male dog. These results suggest that NTIHs are more likely to occur in small-breed female dogs, and that age may increase the risk of left-sided uterine protrusion; however, the long-term results after herniorrhaphy with ovariohysterectomy are excellent.

ABSTRACT. A 5-year-old female border collie presented with erythematous skin lesions at the axillae, groin, mucocutaneous junctions, and pinnae. Biopsy revealed lymphocytic interface dermatitis with hydropic degeneration of basal cells and keratinocyte apoptosis. Based on gross and histological features, diagnosis of erythema multiforme was made. The disease was resolved by treatment with azathioprine, prednisolone, and a hypoallergenic diet. Finally, the skin lesion was controlled without drug therapy but recurred easily every time commercial foods except the hypoallergenic diet were used, suggesting that food substances triggered this outbreak. KEY WORDS: canine, erythema multiforme, food substance.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 68(8): 869-871, 2006 Erythema multiforme (EM) is a rare skin disease characterized by acute self-limiting eruption in humans and animals [9]. Although pathogenesis of EM is not fully understood, it is currently hypothesized that this disease represents a cell (T lymphocyte)-mediated hypersensitivity reaction against various antigens including drugs, viruses, or bacteria [1,3,4,[6][7][8][9]. Elimination of the trigger factors is important in treatment of EM, but in more than 20% of canine EM cases these factors cannot be identified [7]. In this report, we describe a dog with EM thought to have been triggered by food substances.A 5-year-old female border collie weighing 23.5 kg presented with a 3-week course of skin disease. The owner first noticed eruption at the axillae for which antibiotic therapy was recommended, but the lesion gradually expanded. The dog had no history of recent drug administration or changes in diet before onset of the disease.At presentation, the dog was active and had a good appetite. Rectal temperature was 39.4°C. Irregular-shaped erythemas without hair loss were present on bilateral axillae and erythematous patches were sparsely observed on the groin area. Examination of the oral cavity showed no significant lesions on the gingival mucosa. Mild erosions with crusts were noticed on the eyelids, pinnae, lip margins, and perianal area. These skin lesions were not pruritic or painful. No other abnormalities were noticed on physical examination. Blood and plasma biochemical profile results were normal except for elevated alkaline phosphatase (509 IU/L) and creatine kinase levels (461 IU/L).Skin biopsies obtained from the lip margin, axillae, and vagina revealed lymphocytic interface dermatitis with hydropic degeneration of basal cells and intracellular edema (Fig. 1). Single apoptosis of keratinocytes was randomly observed in all layers of the epidermis (Fig. 2). Exocytosis of lymphocytes was evident, occasionally surrounding the apoptotic keratinocytes called as satellitosis of lymphocytes. Based on the gross and histological findings, a final diagnosis of EM was made.Since no trigger was discovered, the dog was treated with prednisolone (1.8 mg/kg, bid) for 3 weeks. The lesions near the mucocutaneous junctions and pinnae resolved, but those at the axillae and groin remained...

ABSTRACT. An 11-year-old male Golden Retriever presented with progressive weight loss, tachycardia, hyperthermia, polyuria and polydipsia. A freely movable mass, 4.5 × 4 cm in size, was palpated at the cranioventral cervical region. Hormonal study revealed high levels of serum thyroid hormones, and a tentative diagnosis of hyperthyroidism due to a thyroid tumor was made. The tumor was removed surgically and diagnosed histopathologically as thyroid gland adenoma. Serum thyroid hormone levels decreased after surgery with improved clinical signs. At 12 months after surgery, the dog maintained a good physical condition with no evidence of recurrence. KEY WORDS: canine, hyperthyroidism, thyroid gland adenoma.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 69(1): 61-63, 2007 Thyroid gland tumors represent 1.2 to 4% of all canine tumors [5,8]. Most are described as carcinomas, of which less than 10% secrete thyroid hormones [2,3,5,8,10]. Benign thyroid adenomas are clinically rare, usually discovered at necropsy as incidental findings consisting of nonfunctional small nodules [3,5]. In contrast, most thyroid tumors in cats are functional adenomas that result in hyperthyroidism, but are often successfully treated with thyr o i d e c t o m y a l o n e [ 3 ] . S u r g i c a l t r e a t m e n t o f hyperthyroidism due to thyroid adenoma has been reported in a dog with only 5 weeks post-surgical follow-up [6], but to our knowledge, no similar canine case reports have yet to be reported. The present report describes a canine case of functional thyroid adenoma treated with surgical excision alone, with clinical and hormonal improvements 12 months after surgery.An 11-year-old male Golden Retriever was presented for evaluation of progressive weight loss. The dog was active and had a good appetite without any gastrointestinal signs, but his body weight was 22.9 kg compared to 31.7 kg 15 months before presentation. The owner noticed signs of polyuria and polydipsia about 1 month prior to presentation. The dog's heart rate was 160 beats per min and the rectal temperature was 40.6°C. A firm, freely movable subcutaneous mass, 4 × 4.5 cm in size, was palpated in the left cranioventral cervical region. Ultrasonographic examination of the lesion revealed a well-demarcated mass without invasion to the surrounding tissues. The mass was aspirated for cytology under ultrasound guidance, revealing clusters of mononuclear cells suggestive of a thyroid gland tumor. The owner did not consent to further examination.Two weeks later, the dog was readmitted because of frequent vomiting for 24 hr, and the owner requested close examination. The movable, cervical mass remained, and progression of weight loss (20.8 kg), tachycardia (180 beats per min), and hyperthermia (39.7°C) with a panting breath (120 breaths per min) were noted. Thoracic radiography revealed no evidence of metastasis or cardiac enlargement and regional lymph nodes showed no swelling on palpation.Results of hematological and biochemical examination were almost normal except for mild bilirubinemia (0.7 mg/dl)...

Surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy are highly efficacious for treating advanced ovarian cancers in humans, but their efficacy is less known in dogs. We evaluated the long-term treatment outcomes of seven dogs with malignant ovarian tumors with malignant abdominal effusion. Ovariohysterectomies (OVHs) were performed on all dogs; four had ovarian adenocarcinoma (AC) with gross dissemination in the peritoneum (two with pleural effusion), and three had a granulosa cell tumor (GCT) with no gross dissemination in the peritoneal cavity, although one showed pleural effusion. Effusion resolved after the OVH in all dogs. Six dogs (three ACs, three GCTs) received postoperative IV carboplatin therapy. Two dogs with GCT had no postoperative recurrence or metastasis, and one dog with GCT had recurrence 1811 days postoperatively. All dogs with AC developed recurrent effusion 171–584 days postoperatively, which resolved after intracavitary administration of cisplatin or carboplatin, with a subsequent disease-free interval of 155–368 days. Overall survival was longer for dogs with GCTs (822–1840 days) than for those with ACs (617–841 days). These results suggest that dogs with ovarian tumors with malignant effusion can survive relatively long after platinum-based chemotherapy in addition to OVH, with a more favorable prognosis for GCT than AC.

An 8-year-old spayed female Jack Russell Terrier presented with acute bacterial peritonitis. Laparotomy revealed two jejunal perforation sites, both of which were surgically resected. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed that both lesions were histiocytic sarcomas. The dog recovered uneventfully, and received seven treatments of intravenous carboplatin. There were no recurrences of visible tumors or perforative peritonitis until the dog died at postoperative day 185 due to chronic diarrhea of unknown causes. This is the first report of canine primary jejunal histiocytic sarcoma; the present case suggests that spontaneous perforation may occur even in small lesions for which surgical resection is useful.

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