Background: Left atrial (LA) enlargement, congestive heart failure (CHF), and aortic thromboembolism (ATE) are associated with decreased survival in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the prognostic value of echocardiographic variables has not been well characterized.Hypothesis/Objectives: We hypothesized that LA echocardiographic variables and assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic and systolic function would have prognostic value in cats with HCM.Animals: Two hundred eighty-two cats diagnosed with HCM.Methods: Clinical and echocardiographic records of affected cats seen at the Royal Veterinary College from 2004 to 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Only cats with echocardiographic confirmation of LV diastolic wall thickness ≥6 mm were included. Outcomes were obtained from clinical records or referring veterinarians and owners.Results: Deaths occurred in 164 cats, of which 107 were believed to have been cardiac deaths. Univariable predictors of an increased risk of cardiac death included older age, absence of a murmur, presence of a gallop sound or arrhythmia, presentation with either CHF or ATE, extreme LV hypertrophy (≥9.0 mm), LV fractional shortening (FS%) ≤30%, regional wall hypokinesis, increased left atrial size, decreased left atrial function, spontaneous echo-contrast/thrombus or both, absence of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and a restrictive diastolic filling pattern. Cox's proportional hazard analysis identified LA dysfunction, low LV systolic function, and extreme LV hypertrophy as independent predictors of decreased cardiac survival time.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Echocardiographic measurement of LA function, extreme LV hypertrophy, and LV systolic function provides important prognostic information in cats with HCM.

Serpentoviruses are an emerging group of nidoviruses known to cause respiratory disease in snakes and have been associated with disease in other non-avian reptile species (lizards and turtles). This study describes multiple episodes of respiratory disease-associated mortalities in a collection of juvenile veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Histopathologic lesions included rhinitis and interstitial pneumonia with epithelial proliferation and abundant mucus. Metagenomic sequencing detected coinfection with two novel serpentoviruses and a novel orthoreovirus. Veiled chameleon serpentoviruses are most closely related to serpentoviruses identified in snakes, lizards, and turtles (approximately 40–50% nucleotide and amino acid identity of ORF1b). Veiled chameleon orthoreovirus is most closely related to reptilian orthoreoviruses identified in snakes (approximately 80–90% nucleotide and amino acid identity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase). A high prevalence of serpentovirus infection (>80%) was found in clinically healthy subadult and adult veiled chameleons, suggesting the potential for chronic subclinical carriers. Juvenile veiled chameleons typically exhibited a more rapid progression compared to subadults and adults, indicating a possible age association with morbidity and mortality. This is the first description of a serpentovirus infection in any chameleon species. A causal relationship between serpentovirus infection and respiratory disease in chameleons is suspected. The significance of orthoreovirus coinfection remains unknown.

Renal leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed in a 10-year-old Domestic Shorthair cat with a 3-year history of clinically managed, chronic renal disease. Sudden death was preceded by a brief episode of mental dullness and confusion. At postmortem examination, the gross appearance of the left kidney was suggestive of hydronephrosis, and a nephrolith was present in the contralateral kidney. However, histology revealed an infiltrative, poorly differentiated, spindle cell sarcoma bordering the grossly cavitated area. Neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin, which led to a diagnosis of renal leiomyosarcoma; neoplastic cells were not immunoreactive for desmin. Leiomyosarcoma arising in the kidney is a rare occurrence in humans and an even rarer occurrence in veterinary medicine with no prior cases being reported in cats in the English literature. The macroscopic appearance of the tumor at postmortem examination was misleadingly suggestive of hydronephrosis as a result of the large cavitation and may be similar to particularly unusual cases of renal leiomyosarcomas in humans that have a cystic or cavitated appearance.

Two Vietnamese potbellied pigs ( Sus scrofa) had respiratory disease and, on autopsy, both pigs had large masses in the lungs and thoracic cavity. Microscopically, pulmonary and pleural masses contained large areas with hyphae surrounded by hypereosinophilic cellular debris rimmed by abundant eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and histiocytes with occasional multinucleate giant cells. The hypereosinophilic debris usually formed tight cuffs, or "sleeves" around the hyphae, compatible with Splendore-Hoeppli-like material. The fungal organisms were determined by PCR to be Conidiobolus incongruus in one pig and Mucor circinelloides in the other. Entomophthoromycosis and mucormycosis should be included in the differential diagnoses for swine pneumonia, particularly when there is evidence of granulomatous pulmonary masses and pleural effusion with eosinophilic inflammation.

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A n 8-year-old, 2.8 kg, female spayed domestic shorthair cat was admitted to the Small Animal Clinic of the Louisiana State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (LSU VTH) with a 5-day history of anorexia, lethargy, and dyspnea.Recent medical history included a vaginoplasty performed at LSU VTH 3 weeks earlier, to resect vulvar adhesions causing urinary tract outflow obstruction, stranguria, and chronic cystitis. At that time, physical examination of the cardiovascular system and results of routine CBC and serum biochemical profile were unremarkable. An abdominal ultrasound examination was performed, revealing urinary bladder and urethral dilatation, and a small round structure with anechoic content in the perivulvar region. At surgery, this tissue was resected. It resembled a fibrous band of connective tissue and was not submitted for histopathologic evaluation. The cat was current on vaccinations, and was negative for feline leukemia virus antigen and feline immunodeficiency virus antibodies.Upon presentation to the Small Animal Clinic, the cat was laterally recumbent, in respiratory distress (80 breaths per minute), hypothermic (961F), had a heart rate of 190 beats per minute and arterial femoral pulses were judged to be weak. Diffuse pulmonary crackles were heard bilaterally on thoracic auscultation. Thoracic radiographs (lateral and dorsoventral views) indicated severe, generalized cardiomegaly, enlarged pulmonary veins, and an interstitial to alveolar pattern in the caudodorsal lung fields. These findings were interpreted as indicating congestive heart failure with pulmonary edema. A complete blood count indicated mild, normocytic, normochromic, nonregenerative anemia (PCV 28%; reference range, 30-48%; hemoglobin, 9.7 g/dL; reference range, 12-15.5 g/dL). Serum biochemical abnormalities included hypoproteinemia (4.9 g/dL; reference range, 6.5-8.7 g/dL), increased aspartate aminotransferase activity (100 U/L; reference range, 0-60 U/L), mildly increased urea nitrogen concentration (58 mg/dL; reference range, 18-30 mg/dL), and hyperphosphatemia (7.5 mg/dL; reference range, 4-6.6 mg/dL). Plasma thyroxine concentration was reported to be normal in the cat's recent medical records and the test was not repeated. Average systolic blood pressure recorded by the Doppler method during the initial visit at LSU VTH was 135 mmHg before anesthesia. The cat was treated with furosemide a (3 mg/kg IV), and placed in a 40% humidified oxygen cage on a warming blanket.After initial stabilization and mild improvement of the respiratory signs, a transthoracic echocardiogram was obtained to evaluate the possible underlying cardiac disease. The 2-dimensional echocardiographic findings included a moderate amount of pericardial effusion and diastolic collapse of the right atrium, indicating cardiac tamponade. The left atrium was considered mildly enlarged (LA/Ao 5 1.7; normal o1.5). The left ventricular free wall was markedly thickened (9.5 mm in diastole in a right parasternal short-axis view; normal o6 mm). Left ventricular pap...

A 2-year-old sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis) was examined because of acute lethargy and depression. Physical examination revealed severe weakness with ventroflexion of the head and neck and seizure episodes precipitated by handling. Empirical and supportive care was instituted, and serial diagnostic testing revealed no specific diagnosis or etiology. Antemortem test results for West Nile virus were negative. After 2 weeks of a deteriorating clinical condition, euthanasia was elected and necropsy was performed. Gross examination revealed no significant lesions; however, histologic examination of brain tissue revealed perivascular cuffing of mononuclear inflammatory cells in the cerebrum and mild perivascular, lymphocytic, and plasmacytic infiltrates scattered in the grey matter of the cervical spinal cord. Viral isolation of brain tissue was positive for West Nile virus.

Abstract. Spinal lymphoma and concurrent pulmonary filariasis are reported in a pet rabbit. The rabbit presented for pelvic limb paralysis resulting from extradural spinal lymphoma, presumably rising from the body of the sixth lumbar vertebra. The neoplasm was subsequently immunophenotyped as a B-cell lymphoma. Pulmonary filariasis was an incidental finding at necropsy.