Abstract. Domoic acid, produced by marine algae, can cause acute and chronic neurologic sequela in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from acute toxicity or sublethal exposure. Eight sea lions, representing acute and chronic cases, both sexes, and all age classes, were selected to demonstrate a concurrent degenerative cardiomyopathy. Critical aspects of characterizing the cardiomyopathy by lesion distribution and morphology were the development of a heart dissection and tissue-trimming protocol and the delineation of the cardiac conducting system by histomorphology and immunohistochemistry for neuron-specific protein gene product 9.5. Histopathologic features and progression of the cardiomyopathy are described, varying from acute to chronic active and mild to severe. The cardiomyopathy is distinguished from other heart lesions in pinnipeds. Based on histopathologic features, immunopositive staining for cleaved caspase-3, and comparison with known, similar-appearing cardiomyopathies, the proposed pathogenesis for the degenerative cardiomyopathy is the primary or at least initial direct interaction of domoic acid with receptors that are suspected to exist in the heart. LCarnitine, measured in the heart and skeletal muscle, and troponin-I, measured in serum collected at the time of death from additional animals (n 5 58), were not predictive of the domoic acid-associated cardiomyopathy. This degenerative cardiomyopathy in California sea lions represents another syndrome beyond central neurologic disease associated with exposure to domoic acid and may contribute to morbidity and mortality.

Necropsy of an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) neonate that stranded dead on Folly Beach, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA, on 17 November 2007, revealed multiple congenital heart malformations. Cardiac anomalies included a hypertrophic right ventricle, ventricular septal defect (VSD), aortic dilation, atrial septal defect (ASD) between a functionally common atrium and a left atrial remnant, subvalvular pulmonic stenosis, and a hypoplastic pulmonary artery and mitral valve. Few incidences of abnormal cardiac development in cetaceans have been published. The case study serves to document a novel congenital heart malformation not previously reported, to our knowledge, in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins.

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A b s tr a c t: An adult male milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum, presented with a history of anorexia of two months and regurgitation of a partially digested mouse that was ingested three months previously. Radiographs and ultrasound demonstrated several fluid-filled coelomic masses and suggested gastroin testinal impaction. The snake died during hospitalization. Gross necropsy findings revealed esophageal nematodes and gastric impaction due to a 10 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm firm solid white inspissated mass. Histopathologic findings included severe, diffuse chronic gastritis with ulceration, Kalicephalus sp. eggs within the mass, and chronic granulomatous coelomitis secondary to intralesional eggs. K e y W ord s: milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum, Kalicephalus, gastric impaction, nematode, nematodiasis, Diaphanocephaloidae.