Gastro-oesophageal intussusception in a young German shepherd dog

A gastro-oesophageal intussusception in a female, six-week-old German shepherd dog was treated surgically with success. The dog was presented with acute dyspnoea and signs of shock. After laparotomy, the herniated organs were reduced from the lumen of the oesophagus into the abdomen and an imbrication of the oesophageal hiatus, an appositional fundoplication and a left-sided incisional fundopexy were performed. The dog made an uneventful recovery. Eighteen months after surgery the dog is still alive, with no clinical signs despite the persistent presence of megaoesophagus.

Respiratory and pharyngo-esophageal iridovirus infection in a gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)

A free-living adult male gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was found on Sanibel Island, Florida (USA), on 18 February 1992 with signs of upper respiratory disease. On necropsy after euthanasia on 27 February 1992, severe, extensive necrotizing ulcerative tracheitis, multifocal necrotizing pneumonia, and multifocal necrotizing ulcerative pharyngitis and esophagitis were observed. Large ovoid to round intracytoplasmic basophilic inclusions, which appeared to displace the nucleus to the cell periphery, occurred within degenerate and necrotic epithelial cells of the above tissues. On transmission electron microscopy of formalin-fixed trachea and lung, intracytoplasmic viral particles were observed within necrotic cells in the tracheal lumen and epithelial cells of the lung. Most infected cells also had a roughly spherical granular cytoplasmic inclusion that contained clusters of viral particles. Viral particles had an electron dense spherical to icosahedral core surrounded by a less electron dense icosahedral capsid. Mature extracellular virions were surrounded by an envelope and were 150 to 220 nm in diameter. Virions and cytoplasmic inclusions were morphologically similar to those of the Family Iridoviridae.

Effect of hammer mill screen size and addition of fibre or S-methylmethionine-sulphonium chloride to the diet on the occurrence of oesophagogastric lesions in fattening pigs

Four groups of about 86 pigs from a common source were fed a grower diet from 25 kg to 45 kg liveweight, and then from 45 to 107 kg liveweight they were offered one of four diets ad libitum: A) normal commercial feed, ground through a 3 mm screen (the control diet), B) the same diet ground through a 6 mm screen, C) the control diet to which lucerne meal was added before the diet was ground to increase its crude fibre content, and D) the control diet to which was added 400 ppm S-methylmethionine-sulphonium chloride (MMSC). All the diets were pelleted. Approximately 21 per cent of the animals fed the control diet had severe oesophagogastric erosions and/or ulcers after slaughter. The addition of 400 ppm MMSC decreased (P = 0.066) the proportion of severe oesophagogastric erosions and/or ulcers by about 50 per cent compared with the control diet. The diet with the higher crude fibre content (but finely ground) did not have a significant effect on the proportion of severe oesophagogastric erosions and/or ulcers. There was a tendency for the pigs fed the diet ground through a 6 mm screen instead of a 3 mm screen, to have fewer severe oesophagogastric erosions and/or ulcers. However, there were only small differences between the particle size distribution obtained from the wet sieve analysis of the two diets. As a result, the observed tendency for a decrease in the proportion of severe oesophagogastric erosions and/or ulcers in pigs fed the diet milled through the larger screen size was of questionable significance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Esophageal and proventricular cryptosporidiosis in a chicken

Examination of hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections of chicken esophagus and proventriculus revealed Cryptosporidium-colonized surface squamous and mucous gland columnar epithelial cells. This chicken also had malignant lymphoma (lymphosarcoma). The hypothesis that infection by Cryptosporidium sp. was either preceded by or followed by herpesvirus infection, immunosuppression, and neoplasia cannot be refuted. Clinicians and pathologists should be aware that esophageal and proventricular cryptosporidiosis can occur in chickens; they should also be aware that mild inflammation and necrosis can accompany parasitism.

Growth and oesophagogastric lesions in finishing pigs offered pelleted feed ad libitum

The growth rates of 458 finishing pigs between 25 kg and 107 kg liveweight, which were offered finely ground pelleted feed ad libitum, were determined and their stomachs were examined at slaughter. Two herds were involved and a macroscopical examination of the mucosal lesions in the pars oesophagea revealed a prevalence of 75 per cent of the 274 pigs in herd A and 89 per cent of the 184 pigs in herd B with hyperkeratosis of the pars oesophagea, and approximately 11 per cent of the pigs in both herds with extensive erosions and/or ulceration; on average the pigs with extensive lesions gained 50 to 75 g/day less weight than the pigs with no lesions in the pars oesophagea. There was no difference between the prevalence of the oesophagogastric lesions of different severity between barrows and gilts, but there was evidence for differences between litters.

Trichomoniasis in birds of prey (order Falconiformes) in Bahrain

Of 5360 falcons examined at the Sulman Falcon Hospital in Bahrain between 1987 and 1993, 1675 (31.2 per cent) had lesions of trichomoniasis. These lesions were commonly found in the oral and nasal cavities, the infraorbital sinuses, the crop and oesophagus and, more rarely, in the coelomic cavity, attached to the wall of the abdominal air sacs, and in the trachea, partially obstructing its lumen. Several therapeutic methods and the results obtained are described.

Left aortic arch and right ligamentum arteriosum causing esophageal obstruction in a dog

A 10-week-old, mixed-breed dog was examined because of persistent regurgitation. Results of thoracic radiography and fluoroscopy of the esophagus, using a liquid suspension of barium sulfate, were suggestive of a vascular ring anomaly. During left lateral thoracotomy, a left aortic arch was identified, but the cause of the esophageal obstruction could not be determined. Results of endoscopic examination of the esophagus suggested a compressive lesion originating from the right side of the esophagus. An anomalous artery could not be identified on an aortogram. Post-mortem examination revealed a left aortic arch and right ligamentum arteriosum that were causing the esophageal obstruction.

Duodenal perforations and gastric ulcers in foals

The history, clinical signs, post mortem and histopathological findings from two foals with perforating gastroduodenal ulcers and one foal with a non-perforating gastric ulcer are compared with those of other species with similar lesions. Two of the foals had several erosions in the oesophageal mucosa and the condition had been associated with strictures in the duodenum. The cause of the disease remains obscure but a possible connection with stress has been suggested.

Belt loop gastropexy in the management of gastroesophageal intussusception in a pup

Gastroesophageal intussusception and megaesophagus were diagnosed in a 5-week-old German Shepherd Dog. Exploratory surgery was performed, and belt loop gastropexy was used to maintain proper gastric position after manual reduction of the intussusception. The pup survived surgery and was clinically normal when it was 6 months old. Follow-up contrast radiography revealed resolution of the megaesophagus and apparent permanent gastropexy. Previous reports have indicated extremely high mortality for gastroesophageal intussusception, and resolution of megaesophagus in the dog is unusual.

[Mucosal lesions in the pars esophagus in swine: prevalence and the effect of stress]

Morphological investigations of slaughterhouse material revealed a prevalence of 63% of the sows (n = 224) and 36% of the slaughter pigs (n = 209) with mucosal lesions in the pars oesophagea. The mucosal lesions were composed of severe hyperkeratosis, erosions or ulceration. Microscopic examination showed that hyperkeratosis is attended with parakeratosis. From experiments in a climate controlled pighouse it could be concluded that mixing of unfamiliar pigs resulted in higher prevalences of gastric lesions as compared with keeping the litter together until the end of the experiment (farrow to finish system). There was no relation between gastric lesions and climatic stressors or between gastric lesions and growth and sex of the pigs. When pigs, according to social ranking, were divided in high, middle and low rank it showed that more pigs in the middle-ranked group had gastric lesions. The serum pepsinogen was not related with gastric lesions. There was a tendency that plasma cortisol increased with severity of gastric lesions. There was a strong significant 'litter-effect', which can indicate a genetic predisposition for the development of gastric lesions. Maybe that the presence of mucosal lesions in the pars oesophagea can be used as an objective indicator for welfare in intensive pig husbandry.

Radiographic evaluation of esophageal function in Chinese Shar Pei pups

Liquid barium esophagography was done in 29 clinically normal Chinese Shar Pei pups and observed fluoroscopically, beginning when they were approximately 3 months old and repeated periodically until they were at least 18 months old, if possible. Of these dogs, 69% had relatively slow stimulation of secondary waves, 48% had generalized poor esophageal tone or motility, and 38% had esophageal redundancy. Sequential studies revealed apparent improvement with age for those dogs initially showing slow motility, provided that redundancy was not also present. Another group of 9 Chinese Shar Pei pups had histories of either regurgitation or vomiting. Five of these had hiatal hernia and 2 had megaesophagus.

Dietary fibre in the diet of the growing pig: effects on apparent digestibility and resultant implications for its use in reducing the incidence of oesophagogastric parakeratosis

The effects on apparent digestibility of increasing dietary fibre concentrations in barley-based diets by substituting for barley either bran, oatmeal by-product, guar gum or pectin were studied using 72 pigs. Increasing substitutions of bran up to a maximum of 300 g kg-1 gave progressive decreases in apparent digestibility of dry matter, ether extract and gross energy fractions and in digestible and metabolisable energy contents, progressive increases in apparent digestibility of modified acid detergent fibre but had no consistent effect on either nitrogen or extract free of nitrogen fractions. Increasing substitution of oatmeal by-product up to the same maximum gave significant linear decreases in apparent digestibility of dry matter, extract free of nitrogen and gross energy, significant depressions in apparent digestibility of modified acid detergent fibre and significant increases in ether extract. Guar gum and pectin, both substituted to a maximum of 50 g kg-1 had no significant effects on apparent digestibility. The results are discussed in the context of the concentrations of dietary fibre needed to reduce the incidence of oesophagogastric parakeratosis.

Effects of detomidine on equine oesophageal function as studied by contrast radiography

The effects of sedation with detomidine on oesophageal function were assessed by contrast radiography in 10 healthy adult thoroughbred horses. Barium swallows were monitored by means of image intensification, first without sedation and then after the intravenous administration of detomidine at doses of 10 and 20 micrograms/kg bodyweight. The transit time of contrast agent to the oesophageal hiatus was recorded and each swallow was scored for markers of oesophageal dysfunction. Analysis of the data indicated that there were highly significant dose dependent increases in the transit time, the retention of barium within the longitudinal mucosal folds, and retrograde peristalsis and pooling of contrast agent within the oesophagus at both the thoracic inlet and caudal to the base of the heart. The degree of gastrooesophageal reflux was not affected at either dosage. These changes in oesophageal function were similar to those recorded from cases of grass sickness and indicate that care should be taken in the interpretation of studies of swallowing in animals that have been given detomidine before a radiographic examination.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. A retrospective study of 54 clinical cases in dogs and cats

Results are presented of consecutive percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (PEGs) performed in 32 feline and 22 canine patients over a 30-month period. Indications for PEG placement were hepatic disease (33%), esophageal disease (32%), oronasal abnormalities (22%), and cranial nerve deficits (4%), with miscellaneous conditions accounting for 9%. The median duration that PEG tubes were in place was 18 days (range, 0-320 days). The suitability of this feeding technique for clinical use was assessed by evaluating mortality, procedure-related and delayed complications, and body weight changes by the end of the PEG feeding period. Fifty-two of 54 PEGs were placed and used successfully. One fatality occurred during tube insertion due to splenic laceration, and one dog died of aspiration pneumonia secondary to pharyngoesophageal dysfunction. Other than splenic laceration, procedure-related complications were benign pneumoperitoneum (1/54) and minor gastric hemorrhage resulting in melena (1/54). Delayed complications occurring 24 hours or longer after the procedure included aspiration (4/54), peristomal infection or excessive granulation tissue (3/54), and tube extraction or migration (3/54). Nineteen of 54 animals showed evidence of inadequate gastric emptying or volume intolerance when food was introduced after PEG placement. This effect was minor and easily resolved. Of the 44 animals for which follow-up body weight information was available, 19 gained weight, six remained static, and 19 lost weight during the PEG feeding period. Percutaneous gastrostomy is a relatively safe, effective procedure and should be given early consideration for medium- or long-term enteral nutritional support in appropriate canine and feline patients.

Bovine esophageal surgery

Esophageal disorders are relatively uncommon in cattle. The most frequently encountered problem is foreign-body obstruction, or choke. Other disorders may include perforation, rupture, stricture, diverticulum, and megaesophagus. Factors responsible for the high rate of complications associated with esophageal surgery include the lack of a serosal layer, movement during deglutition and reverse peristalsis, and an easily interrupted segmental blood supply. Important considerations of esophageal surgery include minimization of blood supply disruption, avoidance of transverse esophageal incisions whenever possible, provision of leak-proof closure of an incision or anastomosis and adequate drainage for the surrounding soft tissues, and restriction of postoperative oral alimentation and handling.

Esophageal obstruction as a sequela to ruptured esophagus in a goat

Granulation tissue as a sequela to ruptured esophagus was diagnosed as the cause of esophageal obstruction and regurgitation in a 3.5-year-old Toggenburg buck. Thoracic radiography was useful in localization of the problem. The condition was successfully treated by removal of the granulation tissue through left-sided thoracotomy.

Esophageal disorders in 61 horses. Results of nonsurgical and surgical management

Obstructive esophageal disorders in 61 horses included feed or foreign body impaction (27 horses), strictures (18 horses), perforations (11 horses), and diverticula (5 horses). Horses with feed impaction were treated nonsurgically (25 horses) or by esophagotomy (2 horses). Survival to discharge was 78%, and 37% of these had persistent chronic obstruction at home. Long-term survival was 52%. Long-term survival of nine horses treated nonsurgically for esophageal strictures was 22%; for nine horses treated surgically it was 44%. Long-term survival of horses treated nonsurgically was significantly better in acute than chronic strictures. Surgical repair of esophageal mural strictures was more successful than repair of annular or mucosal strictures. One third of the horses with strictures were foals. Long-term survival for horses with strictures was 33%. Long-term survival was higher for the horses with perforations managed surgically (2 of 4) than nonsurgically (0 of 7). Long-term survival for this group was 18%. One esophageal diverticulum was managed nonsurgically, and four were treated surgically; all horses survived long term. Complications of obstructive esophageal disorders included aspiration pneumonia, chronic obstruction, esophageal mucosal ulceration, postoperative infection, pleuritis, laminitis, laryngeal paralysis, and Horner's syndrome.

Rate of development of oesophagogastric parakeratosis in the growing pig: some effects of finely ground barley diets, genotype and previous husbandry

The rate of development of parakeratotic lesions in the gastric pars oesophagea was investigated in three experiments using 360 pigs, initially aged 10 to 11 weeks and weighing about 30 kg, of differing genotype and with some differences in previous rearing method, given a diet based on finely ground barley which was known to predispose to lesion formation. Lesions were found in some pigs at 10 to 11 weeks old but the incidence and severity increased progressively indicating development as quickly as one month after first giving the finely ground diet. There were indications that different genotypes and different diets given previously in rearing may have influenced the results obtained. The possible influence of other environmental factors is discussed.

Oesophagogastric parakeratosis in the growing pig: effects of the physical form of barley-based diets and added fibre

In four experiments a total of 288 individually fed pigs were given barley-based diets for about 100 days from about 20 kg liveweight. Fine grinding of barley increased the number and severity of oesophagogastric lesions. Pelleting a diet based on coarsely ground barley had a similar effect. Coarser grinding of the barley and substituting small proportions of oat husk, but not of bran, gave lower incidences and severities of lesions. The performance responses of the pigs differed and give a framework for deciding on the balance to be struck between optimal performance and the risk of lesion development.