Canine coronary artery angiography (CTA) was performed in four anesthetized healthy dogs using 64-multi-detector computed tomography. Esmolol, a β-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist, and sodium nitroprusside, an arteriolar and venous dilator, were administered to enhance visualization of the coronary arteries by reducing heart rate and creating vasodilation. The left main coronary artery with its three main branches and the right coronary artery were visualized and subdivided in 13 segments for evaluation. Optimal reconstruction interval, expressed as percentage of the R-to-R interval, was determined at 5% in 2.9%, 35% in 1%, 75% in 21.2%, 85% in 43.3%, and 95% in 31.7% of the segments. Overall image quality was good in 41.3% of the segments and excellent in 14.4%. There was blur in 98.1%, motion in 17.3%, and stair step in 6.7% of the evaluated segments, but these artifacts did not interfere with anatomic depiction of the arteries. Cross-sectional anatomy of the coronary arteries as evaluated from the coronary CTA agreed well with gross anatomic evaluation and published information. The use of esmolol did not lead to the target heart rate of 60–65 beats/min. Nitroprusside had no significant effect on visualized length or diameter of the coronary artery branches. Coronary CTA is useful for the anatomic depiction of coronary artery branches in the dog.

Use of this assay allows documentation of a significant decrease in PTH concentration after excision of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue.

Abstract. West Nile virus (WNV) infection was diagnosed in 13 gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and 3 fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) that were observed with neurologic signs before death or found dead. All 16 had gliosis throughout all sections of the brain. Most had lymphoplasmacytic encephalitis or meningoencephalitis, many with admixed neutrophils. Neuronal necrosis and neuronophagia were also prominent features. West Nile virus antigen was demonstrated in the brain, spleen, heart or kidney in 10 of 13 gray squirrels and 3 of 3 fox squirrels by immunohistochemistry. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) confirmed the presence of WNV in the brain or spinal cord of 10/10 gray squirrels and 1/3 fox squirrels tested. Viral levels were quantified in various tissues of selected gray squirrels, and titers were highest in spleen and brain, with no virus detected in serum. This is the first description of lesions associated with WNV infection in gray and fox squirrels.West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus, member of the family Flaviviridae. The virus is primarily transmitted between birds and mosquitoes to mammals. 1,3,4,11 The first documented occurrences of WNV infection in North America was from New York City in 1999 with illness and death in humans, horses, and birds. 1,3,4,8,11 Most reports of mammalian infections have been in humans and horses, though there have been occasional reports of WNV infection in other mammals, including bats, a chipmunk, a skunk, a domestic rabbit, and an eastern gray squirrel. 7 Reports of unusual squirrel mortality events including squirrels with neurologic signs from several locations in Illinois prompted a diagnostic investigation as part of a cooperative statewide wildlife disease surveillance program conducted in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and resulted in documentation of WNV infection in 2 species of squirrel. Materials and methodsAnimals. Thirteen eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and 3 fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were examined at

Images obtained during sequential CT evaluations performed after radiation treatment of nasal carcinoma should be examined for evidence of the primary neoplasm as well as to detect unrelated lesions of the orofacial region that can compromise the quality of life. Findings of CT evaluations can be used to determine when and how to initiate treatment for dentigerous cysts in regard to the patient's response to radiation treatment.

Heart rate is a major factor influencing diagnostic image quality in computed tomographic coronary artery angiography (MDCT-CA) with an ideal heart rate of 60–65 beats/minute in humans. Using standardized contrast bolus volume, two different clinically applicable anesthetic protocols were compared for effect on cardiovascular parameters and 64-MDCT-CA quality in ten healthy dogs. The protocol using midazolam/fentanyl (A) was hypothesized to result in adequate reduction of heart rate achieving adequate image quality for MDCT-CA studies and having low impact on blood pressure, where as the protocol utilizing dexmedetomidine (B) was expected to result in reduction of heart rate to the target heart range resulting in excellent image quality while possibly showing undesirable effect on the blood pressure values measured. Heart rate was 80.6 ± 7.5bpm with protocol A and 79.2 ± 14.2bpm with protocol B during image acquisition (P=1). R-R intervals allowing for the best depiction of the individual coronary artery segments were found in the end diastolic period and varied between the 70–95% interval. Diagnostic quality was rated excellent, good and moderate in the majority of the segments evaluated, with higher scores given for more proximal segments and lower for more distal segments respectively. Blur was the most commonly observed artifact and most affected the distal segments. There was no significant difference for the optimal reconstruction interval, diagnostic quality and measured length individual segments or proximal diameter of the coronary arteries between both protocols (P=1). Both anesthetic protocols and the standardized bolus volume allow for diagnostic quality coronary 64-MDCT-CA exams.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) once experienced near-extinction but has since rebounded. For decades, bald eagles near the Wisconsin River, USA, have experienced a lethal syndrome with characteristic clinical and pathological features but unknown etiology. Here, we describe a novel hepacivirus-like virus (Flaviviridae: Hepacivirus) identified during an investigation of Wisconsin River eagle syndrome (WRES). Bald eagle hepacivirus (BeHV) belongs to a divergent clade of avian viruses that share features with members of the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus. BeHV infected 31.9% of eagles spanning 4,254 km of the coterminous USA, with negative strand viral RNA demonstrating active replication in liver tissues. Eagles from Wisconsin were approximately 10-fold more likely to be infected than eagles from elsewhere. Eagle mitochondrial DNA sequences were homogeneous and geographically unstructured, likely reflecting a recent population bottleneck, whereas BeHV envelope gene sequences showed strong population genetic substructure and isolation by distance, suggesting localized transmission. Cophylogenetic analyses showed no congruity between eagles and their viruses, supporting horizontal rather than vertical transmission. These results expand our knowledge of the Flaviviridae, reveal a striking pattern of decoupled host/virus coevolution on a continental scale, and highlight knowledge gaps about health and conservation in even the most iconic of wildlife species.

ABSTRACT:We report two separate naturally occurring cases of fatal herpesviral disease in Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii). Gross lesions included splenomegaly and hepatomegaly, with diffuse pale mottling or scattered small white foci. Histologic lesions included splenic and hepatic necrosis associated with eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies characteristic of herpesvirus. In one case, necrosis and inclusions were also noted in bone marrow, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, ceca, and the enteric system. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated viral particles typical of herpesvirus within hepatocyte nuclei and budding from the nuclear membrane. Herpesviral DNA was amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of paraffin-embedded liver and spleen, and sequence data were consistent with columbid herpesvirus-1, an alphaherpesvirus of Rock Pigeons (Columba livia). PCR results provide evidence that this disease is transmitted to raptors via Rock Pigeons, most likely through ingestion of Rock Pigeons as prey.

Medical records of dogs diagnosed with oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma between December 2008 and April 2011 were reviewed. Information abstracted included signalment, tumor location, tumor size, computed tomographic (CT) features, evidence of metastatic disease based on cytologic examination of lymph node aspirates and thoracic radiography, treatment, surgical margins, histologic features, and treatment outcome. Dogs included in the study were all sexually altered, predominantly large breed dogs with a mean age of 3.9-years (range, 0.5 to 9.0-years). The most common location was the rostral maxilla. Invasion of underlying bone and lymphadenopathy were evident on CT imaging in most dogs. No evidence of metastasis was found on mandibular lymph node cytology and thoracic radiography. Histologic analysis revealed similar morphologic findings for all surgically resected tumors. Surgical excision with 1–2 cm margins was complete in all cases, with a mean tumor-free interval of 12.1-months.