No abstract

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of feline hip dysplasia (HD), patellar luxation and lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LTV) in pedigree cats in the Czech Republic. (2) Methods: 107 pedigree cats at least 10 months old were recruited prospectively at the Small Animal Clinic at the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, CZ, between April 2019 and July 2020. (3) Results: The prevalence of hip joint dysplasia in all pedigree cats was 46.7%, of which 78% of cats had bilateral dysplasia. The HD was mainly from mild (grade 1) to moderate (grade 2); however, 6.1% of hip joints showed signs of severe HD (grade 3) in Maine Coon and Siberian cats. Patellar luxation was noted in 32.7% of the pedigree cats, was present bilaterally in 91.4% and was grade 1 or 2 in most cats. The presence of LTV was noted in 7.5% of pedigree cats. (4) Conclusions: The high prevalence of HD in pedigree cats should be considered and screening pedigree cats for HD is recommended before they are used in breeding programs.

The objectives of this retrospective study of 240 guinea pigs (148 females and 92 males) were to determine the prevalence of different vertebral formulae and the type and anatomical localization of congenital vertebral anomalies (CVA). Radiographs of the cervical (C), thoracic (Th), lumbar (L), sacral (S), and caudal (Cd) part of the vertebral column were reviewed. Morphology and number of vertebrae in each segment of the vertebral column and type and localization of CVA were recorded. In 210/240 guinea pigs (87.50%) with normal vertebral morphology, nine vertebral formulae were found with constant number of C but variable number of Th, L, and S vertebrae: C7/Th13/L6/S4/Cd5-7 (75%), C7/Th13/L6/S3/Cd6-7 (4.17%), C7/Th13/L5/S4/Cd6-7 (2.50%), C7/Th13/L6/S5/Cd5-6 (1.67%), C7/Th12/L6/S4/Cd6 (1.25%), C7/Th13/L7/S4/Cd6 (1.25%), C7/Th13/L7/S3/Cd6-7 (0.83%), C7/Th12/L7/S4/Cd5 (0.42%), C7/Th13/L5/S5/Cd7 (0.42%). CVA were found in 30/240 (12.5%) of guinea pigs, mostly as a transitional vertebra (28/30), which represents 100% of single CVA localised in cervicothoracic (n = 1), thoracolumbar (n = 22) and lumbosacral segments (n = 5). Five morphological variants of thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TTV) were identified. Two (2/30) guinea pigs had a combination of CVA: cervical block vertebra and TTV (n = 1) and TTV and lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LTV) (n = 1). These findings suggest that guinea pigs’ vertebral column displays more morphological variants with occasional CVA predominantly transitional vertebrae.

AbstractA 6.5-year-old female bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented with a swollen right pelvic limb. A tissue core biopsy from the swollen area was performed and a presumptive histopathological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was made. This diagnosis was confirmed after limb amputation. Two months after amputation a sudden deterioration in the overall health of the patient occurred. Ultrasound examination of the coelomic cavity revealed hypoechoic lesions in the liver. The patient was euthanized and submitted for necropsy which revealed a severely enlarged liver with multiple coalescing yellowish nodules. Cholangiocarcinoma of the liver with metastases to the spleen, left mesovarium and right pelvic limb was diagnosed after histopathological examination.

A sixteen-week-old female Akita-inu puppy was presented for investigation of acute vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal distension. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a single congenital right-sided intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and pylorogastric intussusception, which spontaneously resolved during the next three days after initial examination. Owners elected for euthanasia due to the clinical deterioration of the patient that reflected in development of clinical signs associated with liver insufficiency, guarded prognosis and financial concerns for transjugular coil embolisation.