Eight free-ranging timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) from two geographically isolated Massachusetts populations were observed with skin lesions located primarily on the head but occasionally also on the lateral and ventral surfaces of the body. The snakes underwent health assessments that included physical examination, clinical pathology, full body radiographs, and full thickness biopsies of skin lesions. Each snake had fungal elements present histologically in tissue sections from skin lesions. Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola was identified from skin lesions using polymerase chain reaction in all eight snakes.
Toads in the genus Bufo are commonly kept in pet, research, and zoological settings and may require anesthesia during veterinary care. Limited information is available comparing anesthetic protocols in most amphibian species. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and cardiopulmonary effects of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) and propofol in Sonoran desert toads (Bufo alvarius). Nine juvenile Sonoran desert toads were anesthetized with an immersion bath of 1 g/L MS-222 and 35 mg/kg intracoelomic propofol with a minimum 2-wk wash-out period between trials. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and reflexes (righting, escape, corneal, superficial pain, and deep pain) were monitored every 5 min for the first 90 min and then every 10 min for the next 90 min during both anesthetic trials. Surgical anesthesia was defined as complete loss of all measured reflexes. MS-222 produced surgical anesthesia in 100% (9/9) of toads, whereas propofol produced surgical anesthesia in 11.1% (1/9). Mean induction time for the MS-222 trial was 19.9 min (SD: 5.4, Min-Max: 13-30), with mean duration of surgical anesthesia 23.9 min (SD: 10.8, Min-Max: 10-42). Mean recovery time after removal from the MS-222 bath was 85.3 min (SD: 18.5, Min-Max: 60-110). Righting reflex was lost in all animals in the propofol trial at a mean of 23.9 min (SD: 5.5, Min-Max: 20-35) following administration. A single animal in the propofol trial reached a surgical plane of anesthesia at 25 min post-administration, with surgical anesthesia lasting for 50 min. Mean time to recovery following administration of propofol was 145 min (SD: 47.2, Min-Max: 60-180); one toad was not fully recovered at the end of the monitoring period. Heart rate was not found to significantly (P > 0.05) change from baseline at any monitoring point for either anesthetic protocol. Respiratory rate was found to decrease significantly (P < 0.05) at all time points between 5 and 65 min in the MS-222 trial and between 10 and 130 min in the propofol trial. MS-222 at 1 g/L immersion was found to reliably produce surgical anesthesia in Sonoran desert toads with a faster onset of action and recovery when compared to propofol administered intracoelomically at 35 mg/kg.
A dosage of 10 mg of CCFA/kg, i.m., every 72 hours in helmeted guineafowl should provide a sufficient plasma drug concentration to inhibit growth of bacteria with an MIC ≤ 1 μg/mL. Clinical use should ideally be based on bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility data and awareness that use of CCFA in avian patients constitutes extralabel use of this product.
The purpose of this study was to assess the ocular health of a wild population of Andros Island iguanas (Cyclura cychlura cychlura) and determine reference values for tear production and intraocular pressure (IOP) for this species. Fifty-two iguanas, 20 males and 32 females, ranging in size from 11.1- to 51.0-cm snout-to-vent length (SVL), were included in the sample set, with measurements obtained from each eye. No abnormalities were found on ophthalmic examination, with the exception of mild, focal chemosis in one individual and periocular ticks in 52% of iguanas. Tear production was measured using the phenol red thread test, and IOP was measured using the TonoVet rebound tonometer set on the P (undefined species) setting. No significant difference was found between males and females for either measurement. No significant difference was found between right and left eyes for intraocular pressure; however, a significant difference was found between eyes for tear production values. The mean (+/- SD) of IOP in the left and right eyes were 4.77 +/- 1.88 mm Hg and 5.12 +/- 2.52 mm Hg, respectively, with a range of 1-11 mm Hg. The mean (+/- SD) of tear production in the left and right eyes were 10.63 +/- 6.89 mm/15 sec (range 1-28 mm/15 sec) and 12.44 +/- 7.52 mm/15 sec (range 1-23 mm/15 sec), respectively. A positive correlation was found between SVL and all ocular parameters measured. This study provides an assessment of ocular health, as well as baseline values for IOP and tear production, in the Andros Island iguana.
Urolithiasis is a significant disease concern in Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinerea), with over 60% of captive animals affected. Bilateral ureteral stent placement, using endoscopic and fluoroscopic guidance, and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) were performed as salvage procedures in a 13-yr-old intact female Asian small-clawed otter following a 7-yr history of nephrolithiasis and progressive renal insufficiency. Following the procedure, radiographs revealed a slight shifting of urolith position, although a decrease in urolith mass was not observed. As a result of declining quality of life related to severe osteoarthritis, the otter was euthanized 5 wk after the procedure. While this treatment approach was unsuccessful in this case, the technique was clinically feasible, so ESWL and ureteral stent placement may remain a consideration for other individuals of this species presented earlier in the course of this disease.
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