2007 - 76 (1)

A ten-day-old Arabian filly was examined because of signs of weakness, respiratory distress and cyanosis. On auscultation a grade V/VI holosystolic murmur was found on both sides of the thorax. The point of maximal intensity was at the right cranial part of the thorax. On the basis of clinical and echocardiographic examination, a differential diagnosis of truncus arteriosus, pseudotruncus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot or aorticopulmonary septal defect was made. Despite the poor prognosis, the owner refused euthanasia. The condition of the foal deteriorated progressively and the foal died at two months of age. Necropsy demonstrated a persistent truncus arteriosus. This paper also describes the characteristic echocardiographic differences which can be observed between a normal heart and a heart with a truncus arteriosus.

A 3-year-old neutered male domestic cat was presented with anorexia and weight loss. Clinical examination also revealed fever and pale mucosae. The blood smear showed an abnormal presence of both erythrocytic and leukocytic precursors in the circulation. The cat also tested positive for feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Due to the poor prognosis, the cat was euthanized and presented for autopsy. Bone marrow smears also revealed the presence of immature erythrocytic and leukocytic cells. This findings corresponded well with erythroleukemia, an uncommon form of leukemia.

In this report five cases of septic peritonitis in the dog are discussed. Clinical signs of peritonitis are mostly nonspecific. Both diagnosis and treatment represent a strong challenge to the practitioner. The five dogs were suspected of septic peritonitis based on ultrasound and cytology of the abdominal fluid. Lactate and glucose concentrations were also measured in venous blood as well as in abdominal fluid. The difference in concentration between blood and abdominal fluid for glucose (blood to fluid glucose (BFG) difference) and for lactate (blood to fluid lactate (BFL) difference) were calculated by substracting the abdominal fluid concentrations from the blood concentrations. In four dogs the DFG difference was more than 20 mg/dl, which is diagnostic for septic peritonitis. In all dogs the BFL difference was less than 1.5 mmol/l. All dogs were scheduled for exploratory abdominal surgery. One dog was euthanized during surgery. The abdomen of the other four dogs was primarily closed after the removal of the source of contamination and lavage of the abdomen. All four dogs recovered well.

This report describes a prevalence study of cryptosporidiosis in 105 snakes from 7 Belgian snake collections. Several non-European studies have shown high prevalences in snake collections of zoos and in snake populations in the wild. In spite of correct sampling and proper detection procedures, not a single positive sample was found in the present study. Therefore one can conclude that the importance of this parasite in the collections examined is negligible.

Characteristically, cryptosporidiosis in snakes is caused by Cryptosporidium serpentis. This parasite affects the stomach and may cause considerable morbidity and mortality. This report describes an overview of the current literature. After the importance and prevalence of this parasite are demonstrated, the pathogenesis and the related pathology and clinical signs are described. Subsequently, the different diagnostic methods and therapeutic approaches are mentioned, as well as their use in the prevention and control of cryptosporidiosis in snake collections.

In order to protect public health, a series of official controls have to be performed during and after slaughter aimed at identifying diseased animals that have to be excluded from human consumption. All requirements are neatly stipulated in Regulation (EC) No 854/2004. However, the text contains a number of misconceptions and erroneously used terms, which result in a lack of clarity. This lack of clarity could lead to improper inspection and thus be detrimental to public health safety. This paper describes a correct nomenclature and presents proposals to make the regulation more transparent. In addition, the Dutch, French and German translations of the English section of the regulation are discussed.