2018 - 87 (4)

A manuscript on veterinary knowledge and skills as practiced by laymen in previous centuries isdescribed, using a copy dated 1880 but with parts that are probably older. It was made and owned bymembers of the Bouckaert family from Waregem, who were well known in the veterinary practiceand horsemanship circles of that time. Some of them were among the first official veterinary surgeonsand certified ‘farrier-veterinarians’ (maréchaux-vétérinaires) in Belgium during the nineteenth century.During successive generations, the older family fathers were also involved in the treatment of humans,while the care of animals was left to the sons. The very orderly presented contents of the manuscriptshow a curious mixture of veterinary science, as contained in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century textbooks,intermixed with folk remedies, including oaths and semi-religious vows. Particular attentionis given to pigeon diseases. A separate chapter contains succinct descriptions of some greatly fearedcontagious animal diseases, which were the domain of university trained veterinary ‘experts’. A textfragment on canine distemper is given as an example of accurate description of symptoms, with warningson prognosis and futile treatment attempts.

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.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report, in which a simultaneous occurrence ofSalmonella-associated multifocal osteomyelitis and intra-abdominal abscessation in a foalpresenting with weight loss, diarrhea and fever is described. No evidence of failure of passiveimmune transfer had been present at birth. Radiographic examination revealed multifocal type Posteomyelitis. Bacterial culture of synovial fluid revealed a Salmonella spp. Antibiotic treatmentwas adjusted based on the sensitivity results; however without clinical improvement. The foaldeveloped abscess formations within the left femoral region, and finally a Salter Harris type Ifracture of the left femur. Euthanasia was elected based on this finding. Post-mortem computedtomography revealed a large mass within the caudal abdomen that extended into the left pelvicand hind limb region, as well as multifocal osteomyelitis.Pathological examination identified the mass as a large abscess with multiple fistula tracts.Salmonella spp. was additionally cultured post mortem.

Melanocytic tumors are commonly encountered neoplasms in horses. In this case report, an atypicalcase of a melanocytoma in an almost five-year-old Andalusian horse is described. Histopathologicalexamination showed a striking epidermal component consisting of multifocal to miliary nests ofepitheloid cells, which were spread discontinuously in all layers of the epidermis, including the outerroot sheath of the hair follicles. This phenomenon is called pagetoid spreading or buckshot pattern andis a feature of multiple human neoplasms, among which are melanomas, Paget disease and Bowen’sdisease. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report to describe pagetoid spreading in anequine melanocytic tumor.

A fourteen-year-old Persian cat was referred because of poorly controlled diabetes mellitusdespite insulin and dietary treatment. Clinical signs were severe polydipsia/polyuria (pupd),poor hair coat quality, stomatitis and hind limb weakness. At the time of initial presentation, hewas treated with glargine insulin (0,75 IU/kg BID). A low dose dexamethasone suppression test(LDDST) revealed hypercortisolism (HC). The cat was additionally treated with trilostane, andremission of diabetes mellitus was obtained one year later.This case illustrates the importance of diagnosing an underlying cause of poorly controlleddiabetes mellitus. Although hypercortisolism is rare in cats, it is important to consider the diseasein these cases. The hypercortisolism in this cat was efficiently managed with trilostane, resultingin a good quality of life.

A ten-month-old, female canine crossbreed of 40 kg was referred for episodes of severepain non-responsive to analgesics. Neurological examination revealed pain on palpation of thelumbosacral region and non-weight bearing pelvic limb lameness, which was attributed to pain.Discospondylitis at L7-S1 was diagnosed based on radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging.Blood and urine culture were positive for Staphylococcus spp.. Despite ten days of conservativetreatment, the dog did not show any improvement. Dynamic radiographs revealed a vertebralsubluxation of L7-S1 in flexion. Surgery consisting of a dorsal laminectomy and stabilizationof L7-S1 was performed. This resulted in a fast and complete recovery. Follow-up radiographsat six and twelve months after diagnosis showed severe osteolytic changes affecting L7. Despitethese findings, the dog remained clinically normal.

The European Union requests an urgent decrease in antimicrobial use (AMU) in food producinganimalsto reduce antimicrobial resistance in animals and humans and safeguard the efficacy ofantimicrobials for future generations. The identification of risk factors (RFs) for AMU is essentialto obtain a rapid reduction. The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge ofRFs for AMU in veal calves, pigs and poultry. Thirty-three observational studies were included.Well-identified RFs for an increased AMU are frequent purchase of animals, herd size (largeor small depending on the animal species), and a lack of selected biosecurity measures. Also inbeef breed calves, more antimicrobials are used than in Holstein calves. AMU is influenced bythe farmer, the veterinarian and by the integration. In general, socio-economic RFs are largelyunexplored. The causal factors for AMU are multiple and complex, with possible confoundingfactors and unidentified interactions. Additional knowledge of socio-economic drivers appearsparticularly urgent to create tailor-made guidelines and awareness campaigns for each sector.

The increase in bacterial drug resistance causes major difficulties in the clinical treatmentof a growing number of bacterial infections worldwide. Consequently, there is an urgent needto develop novel anti-bacterial agents to control these resistant pathogens and to complementthe currently used antibiotics. Mastitis is the most prevalent disease impacting dairy cattle, andtherefore one of the costliest diseases in the global dairy industry. The excessive use of curative aswell as preventive antibiotics in this sector entails a real risk for the emergence of antimicrobialresistance. Moreover, these traditional antimicrobial agents are often ineffective and lead toresidues in the milk, which can affect dairy product consumers. As an alternative therapeuticapproach, bacteriophages and phage-encoded endolysins have been proposed and are currently(re)investigated as potential antibacterial agents against mastitis.