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Meniscal injuries in the dog are nearly always seen in combination with a cranial cruciate ligamentrupture. The medial meniscus is, by far, most commonly affected. Clinical signs indicative for a meniscaltear are severe lameness or a sudden increase of lameness in dogs with a cranial cruciate rupture.Persistent or recurrent lameness after cranial cruciate surgery can equally be caused by a meniscal tear.Different imaging techniques can demonstrate a meniscal lesion, or also arthroscopic or direct inspectionvia arthrotomy may show the lesion. There are several surgical treatment options.

Boid inclusion body disease is a worldwide occurring disease in boas and pythons. The identityof the etiological agent of the disease remained elusive for several decades. Recently however, contemporarydiagnostic methods and experimental studies delivered compelling proof that a group ofdivergent reptarenaviruses are the causative agents of BIBD. In contrast to what was initially thought,boid snakes can be persistent carriers of the viral disease without showing clinical signs. Althoughthe cause of BIBD has been demonstrated, the diagnosis of BIBD may be challenging depending onthe involved snake species, and the differentiation between comorbidities related to BIBD and clinicaldisease caused by concurrent disorders remains problematic. In this article, the course of BIBDinfection in boid snakes, the major differences that are encountered towards the diagnosis of BIBD inpythons versus boas and the overall management of BIBD in captive snake collections are described.

Epidural anesthesia is a loco-regional anesthesia technique where drugs are injected in theepidural space. In the 19th century, this technique was developed for human medicine, and laterfound its way into veterinary medicine. It is useful for surgical interventions in the standinghorse, as part of a balanced anesthetic protocol or for postoperative pain management. Analgesiaand anesthesia involves the pelvis, pelvic limbs, tail, vagina, vulva, anus, perineum and abdomen.However, several contraindications and complications have been reported for epidural anesthesia. In horses, epidural injections can be performed cranially (lumbosacral space) or caudally(sacro-coccygeal or Co1-Co2 ). While single injections can be performed, the use of epiduralcatheters allows repeated administration. Depending on the desired effect, different drugs (localanesthetics, alpha2-agonists, opioids, ketamine, tramadol or tiletamine-zolazepam), drug combinations and volumes can be chosen.

The equine metabolic sydrome (EMS) is defined as a collection of risk factors for the developmentof endocrinopathic laminitis. In the pathogenesis of this syndrome, the presence of insulin dysregulationis the key determining factor. Important risk factors for the development of insulin dysregulationin horses are the type of feed, the body condition score and genetic factors. Several diagnostic methodshave been described, each of them with their own advantages and disadvantages. Treatment and managementof horses and ponies with EMS rely heavily on the reduction of the risk factors and are mainlybased on dietary interventions.

At present, only 5% of pedigree dogs is being used for breeding. To increase the number ofbreeding dogs, one solution could be to start a canine semen bank based on the principle of semendonation, like in humans. Many dog owners have no desire to become dog breeders but are willingto preserve the genetic material of their dog, if offered this possibility. However, not all canineejaculates are suitable for cryopreservation as the initial quality may differ and the resistance ofsperm cells to survive the freezing procedure is highly variable. In order to freeze the semen ofas many male dogs as possible, it is important to optimize and individualize the cryopreservationprotocol per ejaculate. Practically, frozen semen can be stored in the CanIfreeze-semen bank orin veterinary practices adjacent to the owner of the bitch and can be used for insemination at alater time.

Miniature pigs, like the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and the Kunekune, are the most popularhobby pig breeds. Despite their popularity, the knowledge of their health and management isstill scarce. They have an exemplary sense of smell and hearing, possess good adaptability andare easy to handle. A well-ventilated shelter space with an area for recreation, and incorporationof straw for manipulation prevents boredom. Drinking water must be provided at all times.Restricted feeding ones or twice a day is preferred to prevent obesity. Unexpected aggressivebehavior may occur and lead to abandonment of pet pigs. Overgrowth of claws, mange andsunburns are common skin problems. Diarrhea due to Escherichia coli is a common problemin piglets. Neutering is recommended to prevent aggressive behavior and pungent smell inmales and to avoid the risk of neoplasms. It is preferably done at a young age to avoid surgicalcomplications. Prophylaxis against erysipelas and parasites are recommended biannually. Otherperiodical health care practices include tusk and hoof trimming.

Laryngeal hemiplegia is a progressive upper airway dysfunction in the horse. It is not onlyseen in thoroughbred racehorses but also in warmblood horses, draft horses and in ponies. Thecondition is most frequently seen on the left side. The left laryngeal recurrent nerve graduallyloses function and the function of the left cricoarythenoideus dorsalis muscle is compromised.This condition is most often idiopathic. It possibly leads to exercise intolerance but a respiratorynoise is often the primary complaint of the owner. Right sided laryngeal hemiplegia is almostalways related to other pathologies causing the nerve to malfunction. The diagnosis is not alwayseasy because of the restricted availability of endoscopy in the field. A better understanding oflaryngeal ultrasound examination might offer a new possibility in diagnosing laryngeal hemiplegia.If abnormal inspiratory sound is the only problem, laser treatment alone can be satisfactory.If the horse shows clear signs of exercise intolerance, further treatment is needed. If correctlyexecuted, the outcome of laryngoplasty is good. Other techniques, like nerve grafting and pacemakers,are being explored and might even be regarded as better alternative treatments in thefuture, as these are more physiologic compared to laryngoplasty. In sporthorses presented withidiopathic laryngeal neuropathy without postoperative complications, the prognosis is good.

Disease outbreaks in Passeriformes housed in group are often of infectious origin. Clinical signsobserved are often similar and non-specific. In these cases, cytology is an invaluable tool for developinga presumptive or definitive diagnosis that can guide disease management decisions within a flock. Inthe first part of this review, the basic principles of cytological sampling techniques and the evaluation ofthe cytological findings are described. In the second part, an overview of important infectious diseasesin Passeriformes is given, in which cytology may lead to a definitive or presumptive diagnosis.

Feline arterial thromboembolism (ATE) is a complete or partial obstruction of a peripheral artery caused by a thrombus that was formed at a distant site. The most common underlying cause in cats is cardiomyopathy. Given the clinical presentation, often without preceding signs, an ATE event is considered one of the most distressing emergency conditions in feline practice. Often, these cats are euthanized at the time of diagnosis. However, recent scientific research has shown that a subpopulation of these patients may have long-term survival. In case of adequate treatment and follow-up, some cats survive over a year with a satisfying quality of life. Key points of ATE are the identification of specific prognostic factors in the individual patient in order to guide owner communication, the decision to treat or not to treat, individually adjusted patient management and regular monitoring, which are discussed in this article.

Incomplete ossificatie van de humeruscondylen (IOHC) bij de hond is een vrij zeldzaamelleboogprobleem dat voornamelijk bij spaniëlrassen wordt gezien maar ook bij andere rassenkan voorkomen. Deze aandoening gaat niet altijd gepaard met klinische symptomen maarkan de aanleiding zijn van elleboogkreupelheid en zelfs condylaire humerusfracturen. Dediagnose van IOHC is niet altijd eenvoudig. Radiografisch is de fissuur niet altijd zichtbaar.Computertomografie is de meest efficiënte beeldvormingstechniek om deze aandoening metzekerheid te diagnosticeren. Indien het dier geen klachten vertoont, kan conservatieve therapieworden overwogen maar in geval van kreupelheid is het plaatsen van een compressieschroef demeest gangbare behandeling.