2006 - 75 (1)

A cat was presented and treated for retching caused by an ornamental grass leaf that extended from the throat and oral cavity through the left incisive duct into the left nasal cavity.

A two-year-old racing pigeon was presented with a bulging of the lower conjunctival mucosa of the left eye. As this lesion did not respond to repeated treatments with antibiotics (both topically and generally), surgical removal of the tumoral tissue was performed. Histological examination of the sample revealed a well defined pyogranuloma surrounded by giant cells and a palisade epithelium. This case report illustrates the importance of biopsy and histological examination for the diagnosis of a non-reactive conjunctival swelling.

This case report describes the surgical procedure for prepubic urethrostomy in the female dog, documented in a case in which it was used after resection of vaginal neoplasia. Prepubic urethrostomy is indicated as a salvage procedure in cases where there is not sufficient urethral length left to perform a perineal urethrostomy. This loss of urethral length can be due to extensive resection for oncologic surgery or to extensive tissue trauma. The main complication that can occur in this type of urethrostomy is urinary incontinence.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) of horses is an inherited autosomal recessive defect carried by pure Arabian horses and their crossbreds. SCID foals have a deficiency in the number and function of mature lymphocytes and are very prone to infectious diseases. The defect is caused by a mutation in the PRKDC gene coding for the catalytic subunit of the DNA activated protein kinase (DNA-PKcs). Identification of the causative mutation made it possible to design a genotyping test for identifying carriers of the defective allele and to use this information in selective breeding against SCID. Here, the first frequency sampling of the SCID allele in the Belgian population of Arabian horses is presented. Four hundred and thirteen animals were genotyped, 25 or 6.05% of which were found to carry the SCID allele. Calculations based on these results showed the SCID allele frequency to be around 3.1% and the occurrence of SCID to be 0.096%.

It has frequently been reported that, along with continuously increasing milk production, dairy cow fertility has been declining. Maintaining the fertility of dairy cows is of capital importance for guaranteeing optimal milk yield and profitability. The endocrine pathways leading to this subfertility have been extensively investigated. However, disappointing fertilization rates and early embryonic mortality have recently been proposed as major factors in the problem of disappointing reproductive performance. It is suggested that oocytes and embryos are highly sensitive to any disruption in their environment caused by metabolic, dietary or other factors, which can have fatal consequences for final fertility. Because knowledge of the oocyte’s microenvironment and of oocyte and embryo quality in high yielding dairy cows is extremely limited, future research should concentrate on providing this missing knowledge.

In this case report an approach to dealing with a herd with a high bulk milk somatic cell count is described. By the time the farmer requested help, the situation had already become so serious that the delivery of milk had been prohibited for two weeks. Bacteriological examination of the milk revealed that some cows were infected with major pathogens and that many cows were infected with Corynebacterium bovis and/or coagulase-negative staphylococci. On the basis of these results and the results of the dynamic measurement of the milking machine, a plan of action was outlined. This strategy consisted of an adjustment of the milking machine, an improvement of the milking technique and the treatment with antibiotics of a number of cows. After the initial treatment, the bulk milk somatic cell count remained too high. Subsequently, cows with an elevated individual somatic cell count were again sampled for bacteriological culture. Positive cows were treated and some eventually culled. Finally, the general udder health improved and the bulk milk somatic cell count decreased to an acceptable level.