An outbreak of hepatogenous photosensitization is reported in a flock of 28 sheep grazing Brachiaria decumbens in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Central-Western Brazil. Seven lambs and an adult sheep were affected and 6 of them died. Two surviving affected lambs and one lamb without clinical signs had increased serum values of gamma glutamyltransferase, bilirubin, and cholesterol. In two adult unaffected sheep those parameters were within normal values. An adult sheep submitted to necropsy presented moderate body condition, unilateral corneal opacity, drying of the muzzle, moderate jaundice, increased lobular pattern of the liver, and a distended gallbladder. Histological lesions were epithelial degeneration, necrosis, and hyperplasia of small bile ducts. Mild amounts of foamy macrophages were observed, mainly in the centroacinar zone. Diffuse swelling and vacuolation were observed in hepatocytes. Crystal negative images were found within bile ducts, foamy macrophages, and the lumen of some renal tubules. The heart showed multifocal areas of degeneration and necrosis of the muscle fibers. Pasture samples (Brachiaria decumbens) contained 2.36% of protodioscin. No Pithomyces chartarum spores were found in the pasture. Samples from a similar neighboring B. decumbens pasture grazed by cattle without photosensitization contained 1.63% of protodioscin isomers. Outbreaks of photosensitization caused by Brachiaria spp. are common in cattle in the Brazilian Cerrado (savanna) with about 51 million hectares of Brachiaria spp pastures. Sheep farming has been recently developed in this region, and the number of sheep is increasing significantly. Because sheep are more susceptible than cattle to lithogenic saponins, poisoning by Brachiaria should be an important limiting factor for the sheep industry.

Ultrasound is the imaging test of choice for renal evaluation, because it provides information about the position, size, shape, internal architecture and hemodynamics of the kidneys without harming the patient. In chronic kidney disease, the main findings observed in B-mode ultrasound images are increased cortical echogenicity, loss of corticomedullary differentiation, reduced renal volume and irregular renal contour, and when these changes are associated, they are indicative of end-stage renal disease. However, the cause of kidney disease cannot be determined by ultrasonography, but must be confirmed by means of biopsy, although the presence of ultrasonographic changes indicative of the end-stage of the disease may contraindicate this procedure. The Doppler ultrasound test complements the ultrasonic B-mode examination and enables the assessment of renal perfusion based on a calculation of the hemodynamic indices, which are increased in cases of chronic kidney lesions, with higher values ​​in the most severe cases. Thus, ultrasound examinations are not only useful in diagnostics but also play an important role in defining the prognosis of patients with chronic kidney disease.

Brachiaria

Urinary tract diseases are among the main reasons for consultation in veterinary clinics and hospitals. It affects animals of any age, breed and gender. Among the diseases that affect this system, urolithiasis is the second largest cause of clinical signs compatible with feline urinary tract disease. The term urolithiasis refers to the presence of uroliths in any region of the urinary tract, but it is more commonly seen in the bladder and urethra. Uroliths are classified based on the type of mineral present in their composition, therefore, quantitative and qualitative analyzes are important for a better therapeutic approach. The animals may suffer from the disease and be asymptomatic, or show nonspecific clinical signs, making the diagnosis difficult. The disease should not be seen as a single problem, but as a consequence of various disorders. As dietary, metabolic, genetic and infectious causes, as well as factors that potentiate the chance of development of uroliths such as breed, age, sex, age range, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, geographic region and climate. Thus, the knowledge of the factors that influence the formation of uroliths, as well as the understanding of the pathophysiology, are key elements for better alternatives of therapy and prevention. The recognition of these factors helps to identify susceptible populations, minimizing exposure and increasing the protection factors, which facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of patients with urolithiasis. The objective of this paper is to present the main risk factors involved in the formation of urinary lithiasis in felines.

Adaptability can be evaluated by the ability of an animal to adjust to environmental conditions and is especially important in extreme weather conditions such as that found in tropical Brazil. A multivariate analysis using physical and physiological traits in exotic (Nellore and Holstein) and naturalized (Junqueira, Curraleira, Mocho Nacional, Crioula Lageana, and Pantaneira) cattle breeds was carried out in the Federal District of Brazil to test and determine which traits are important in the adaptation of animal to heat stress as well as the ability of these traits and statistical techniques to separate the breeds studied. Both physical and physiological traits were measured on three occasions and included body measurements, skin and hair thickness, hair number and length, pigmentation, sweat gland area as well as heart and breathing rates, rectal temperature, sweating rate, and blood parameters. The data underwent multivariate statistical analyses, including cluster, discriminate, and canonical procedures. The tree diagram showed clear distances between the groups studied, and canonical analysis was able to separate individuals in groups. Coat traits explained little variation in physiological parameters. The traits which had higher discriminatory power included packed cell volume, shoulder height, mean corpuscular volume, body length, and heart girth. Morphological and physiological traits were able to discriminate between the breeds tested, with blood and size traits being the most important. More than 80% of animals of all breeds were correctly classified in their genetic group.

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 32(Supl. The present study evaluated the hematological and biochemical parameters of adult tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under the influence of the physiological stress factor in animals submitted to air exposure during fattening in raceway system. Blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), leukogram, differencial leukocyte count, platelet, glucose, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides and electrolytes (calcium, chloride, sodium and potassium) were analyzed. The results showed a uniform distribution for red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, secondary Wintrobe indices, total protein, glucose, cholesterol, and serum ions, indicated by a relatively low variation coefficient. There was positive correlation only for total white blood cells, organic defense cells (neutrophils and lymphocytes), glucose, cholesterol, sodium and calcium. As for the leukocytes (WBC), as the animals were exposed to aeration, the number of leukocytes gradually decreased (leukopenia), simultaneously occurring neutrophilia and lymphopenia. The glycemic index was a good indicator of physiological stress due to hyperglycemia (82.0+20.88mg/dL) demonstrated in the treatments. The air exposure constituted an imbalance factor at the ion homeostasis and at the endogenous cholesterol synthesis. Besides, the recovery time did not result in the complete physiological rehabilitation face the imposed challenge.

The development of veterinary dentistry has substantially improved the ability to diagnose canine and feline dental abnormalities. Consequently, examinations previously performed only on humans are now available for small animals, thus improving the diagnostic quality. This has increased the need for technical qualification of veterinary professionals and increased technological investments. This study evaluated the use of cone beam computed tomography and intraoral radiography as complementary exams for diagnosing dental abnormalities in dogs and cats. Cone beam computed tomography was provided faster image acquisition with high image quality, was associated with low ionizing radiation levels, enabled image editing, and reduced the exam duration. Our results showed that radiography was an effective method for dental radiographic examination with low cost and fast execution times, and can be performed during surgical procedures.

Important metabolic changes occur during transition period of late pregnancy and early lactation to meet increasing energy demands of the growing fetus and for milk production. The aim of this investigation is to present an innovative and non-invasive tool using ewe earwax sample analysis to assess the metabolic profile in ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation. In this work, earwax samples were collected from 28 healthy Brazilian Santa Inês ewes divided into 3 sub-groups: 9 non-pregnant ewes, 6 pregnant ewes in the last 30 days of gestation, and 13 lactating ewes ≤ 30 days postpartum. Then, a range of metabolites including volatile organic compounds (VOC), amino acids (AA), and minerals were profiled and quantified in the samples by applying headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, respectively. As evident in our results, significant changes were observed in the metabolite profile of earwax between the studied groups where a remarkable elevation was detected in the levels of non-esterified fatty acids, alcohols, ketones, and hydroxy urea in the VOC profile of samples obtained from pregnant and lactating ewes. Meanwhile, a significant decrease was detected in the levels of 9 minerals and 14 AA including essential AA (leucine, phenyl alanine, lysine, isoleucine, threonine, valine), conditionally essential AA (arginine, glycine, tyrosine, proline, serine), and a non-essential AA (alanine). Multivariate analysis using robust principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis was successfully applied to discriminate the three study groups using the variations of metabolites in the two stress states (pregnancy and lactation) from the healthy non-stress condition. The innovative developed method was successful in evaluating pre- and post-parturient metabolic changes using earwax and can in the future be applied to recognize markers for diagnosis, prevention, and intervention of pregnancy complications in ewes.