Intrarenal Pelvic Nephroblastoma in a Meerkat (Suricata Suricatta)

Nephroblastoma is the most common primary renal tumor in children and has also been reported in domestic and nondomestic animal species. Intrapelvic renal nephroblastoma is a rare variant of this tumor type in human patients. Postmortem examination of a captive meerkat ( Suricata suricatta), which was found dead, revealed enlargement of the pelvis of the left kidney by a tumor mass. Gross, histological, and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a diagnosis of triphasic intrapelvic renal nephroblastoma. This is the first reported spontaneous case of intrapelvic renal nephroblastoma in a nonhuman species.

Comparison of toltrazuril and sulphadimethoxine in the treatment of intestinal coccidiosis in pet rabbits

Treatment of intestinal coccidiosis was studied in domestic pet rabbits. In 45 rabbits aged four months or more, coccidial oocysts were observed in the faeces of 35 rabbits at a mean density of 806 opg (range 50 to 6800 opg). Eimeria magna was the dominant species, with Eimeria media and Eimeria intestinalis also being common. The presence of the hepatic species Eimeria stiedae was not recorded. A single oral dose of 2.5 mg/kg or 5.0 mg/kg toltrazuril, or a single oral dose of 50 mg/kg sulphadimethoxine followed by its inclusion in drinking water at 1 g/4 l for nine days, were all found to significantly reduce the faecal oocyst count by 73 to 99 per cent. The extent of oocyst reduction in the faeces was not dependent on the dose of toltrazuril. Oocyst counts began to rise again in the days after treatment ceased.

Pneumonia from Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in a red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens)

A 9-year-old, male, captive red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) in an urban zoo in the United Kingdom presented with respiratory distress and weight loss. The animal was euthanatized, and a postmortem examination was performed. The lungs were diffusely consolidated with extensive mineralization. Microscopically, there was extensive obliteration of normal pulmonary architecture by sheets and coalescing nodules of partially mineralized fibrous tissue and granulomatous inflammation centered on large numbers of nematode larvae and eggs. First stage nematode larvae were isolated from lung tissue and were characterized as Angiostrongylus vasorum on the basis of their morphology and sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and the entire second internal transcribed spacer. Although A. vasorum has previously been reported in red pandas in a zoological collection in Denmark, this study is the first reported case in the United Kingdom and occurs against a background of geographical spread and increased incidence of disease in domestic and wild canids. Angiostrongylus vasorum should be considered a differential diagnosis for respiratory disease in the red panda and taken into account when planning parasite and pest control programs for zoological collections.

Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) in captive rodents in a zoological garden

Calodium hepaticum infection was diagnosed in the Bristol Zoo Gardens in 13 captive rodents of four species that died or were humanely killed over a 40-month period. Of these infected animals, nine were black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomus ludovicianus), representing 45% of the members of this species examined during the study. A wild rat (Rattus norvegicus) found dead in an enclosure was also infected. To date few cases of C. hepaticum infection have been reported in the UK. The number of cases diagnosed in this urban zoo may be explained by the potentially high prevalence of infection in urban rat populations and increased risk of exposure of zoo animals kept in enclosures to which rats have access. As C. hepaticum is potentially zoonotic, members of staff in zoos should be careful to avoid soil-to-mouth contact, particularly in prairie dog enclosures.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of pericardial effusion and atrial dilation in a spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca)

Ultrasonography was used to diagnose pericardial effusion, atrial dilatation and liver masses in a spur-thighed tortoise which was more than 80 years old and suffering from posthibernation anorexia, lethargy, oedema and pneumonia. The tortoise was treated twice with frusemide and ceftazidime for the pneumonia, resulting each time in a temporary remission for about a month. After a further recurrence, the animal was euthanased and the lesions predicted by ultrasound were confirmed postmortem. It is suggested that ultrasound may be useful for the differentiation of cardiac problems from other causes of posthibernation lethargy in the tortoise.