2013 - 82 (4)

Article in Dutch

In this case report, the presence of a fragmented coronoid process in a 10-year-old male Belgian shepherddog is described. The signalment is atypical, since the disease mostly affects young dogs, and it lessfrequently occurs in Belgian shepherd dogs. The dog was presented with unilateral lameness of the leftfront limb, which had gradually worsened in the course of nine months. Further orthopedic and radiographicexaminations revealed a defi nitive diagnosis of a fragmented coronoid process. Except for anabnormal form of the medial coronoid process and severe osteosclerosis, there was only a mild osteoarthrosis,which is not expected in an old dog with a chronic problem. Moreover, it was a unilateral problem,whereas a fragmented coronoid process is frequently presented as a bilateral disorder. Using arthroscopy,the joint was inspected and the loose fragment was successfully removed. Mostly, older animals remainlame after the procedure, but in this case, the procedure yields an obvious clinical improvement, and thedog was clearly improved.

A Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) was evaluated for a balance/equilibrium disorder aftersuffering trauma due to a hard landing during fi tness training. Magnetic resonance imaging andcomputed tomography demonstrated a chronic atlanto-occipital subluxation with craniodorsaldisplacement of the atlas (atlanto-occipital overlapping) causing dynamic brainstem and spinalcord compression and an old malunion fracture with fusion of C1 and C2. The bird was euthanizedbecause of clinical deterioration and poor prognosis.

Although tail docking in female lambs is still performed in Belgian fi eld conditions, the effectivenessof docking and hence the necessity of that procedure are questioned. Tail docking in lambs is a cosmetictreatment rather than a treatment to prevent myiasis. In order to limit myiasis in sheep, the focus mustbe adjusted. The aim of this article is to discuss tail docking in lambs and to focus on alternatives, whichmay or may not be immediately implementable. In this view, veterinarians can advise farmers to takemore effective management measures to reduce myiasis. Frequent monitoring of the animals, limiting thecontamination of the hindquarters, the preventive use of antiparasitic products, shear management and fl ytraps are important tools for this purpose.

Negative pressure wound therapy is a respected treatment method in human patients with acute andchronic wounds. The local application of negative pressure stimulates the blood fl ow and the formation ofhealthy granulation tissue, and also evacuates exudate. Worldwide, there is a growing interest in the applicationof negative pressure wound therapy in companion animals. Promising results have been reportedalthough more research is necessary to study the effects of this treatment in dogs and cats. A thoroughevaluation of the applicability and the advantages of negative pressure wound therapy in companion animalsis recommended.

Mycotoxins can cause serious adverse effects on animal health. This may lead to great economiclosses in animal husbandry. In this review, the most common methods to counteract mycotoxinsare presented, including several pre- and post-harvest strategies as well as an overview of thedifferent mycotoxin detoxifying agents. The current legislation regarding maximum, guidanceor action levels of mycotoxin contamination in various feedstuffs is also mentioned. It allows theagricultural industry to interpret feed analysis results and to decide whether to undertake actionsor not.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi, which may be present on a variety ofcrops. They are considered a major issue worldwide because of their harmful effects on animals.These contaminants lead to great economic losses, especially in pig and poultry husbandry. Over400 mycotoxins have been identifi ed. However, only few of them have a signifi cant toxic effectand are of major concern. In this paper, the most important mycotoxins are described, includingdeoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin (T-2), zearalenone (ZON), fumonisin B1 (FB1), ochratoxinA (OTA) and afl atoxin B1 (AFB1). For each toxin, its chemical structure, mode of action andsymptoms of acute and chronic toxicity in pigs and poultry are discussed.