Bilateral malignant seminomas in two unrelated, aged trumpeter hornbills (Bycanistes buccinator)

Seminomas occur infrequently in birds. Two cases of bilateral malignant seminomas in unrelated trumpeter hornbills (Bycanistes buccinator) are described. Case 1 was a 22-year-old trumpeter hornbill submitted for necropsy because of sudden death at a zoo in California. Postmortem examination revealed multiple masses within the body cavity, 2 of which replaced both testes. Case 2 was a 19-year-old trumpeter hornbill at a zoo in North Carolina that underwent exploratory surgery for a suspected gastrointestinal obstruction. Both testes were diffusely enlarged, compressing and replacing the adjacent kidneys. In both birds, the masses were composed of discrete, round to polyhedral cells, typical of seminomas. Examination of the ancestry of the hornbills showed they were unrelated to each other, suggesting a potential predisposition for these birds to develop seminomas

Comparison of fluid types for resuscitation in acute hemorrhagic shock and evaluation of gastric luminal and transcutaneous PCO2 in Leghorn chickens

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 3 different fluid types for resuscitation after experimentally induced hemorrhagic shock in anesthetized chickens and to evaluate partial pressures of carbon dioxidemeasured in arterial blood (PaCO2), with a transcutaneous monitor (TcPCO2), with a gastric intraluminal monitor (GiPCO2), and by end tidal measurements (EtCO2) under stable conditions and after induced hemorrhagic shock. Hemorrhagic shock was induced in 40 white leghorn chickens by removing 50%of blood volume by phlebotomy under general anesthesia. Birds were divided into 4 groups: untreated (control group) and treated with intravenous hetastarch (haes group), with a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (hemospan group), or by autotransfusion (blood group). Respiratory rates, heart rates, and systolic arterial blood pressure (SAP) were compared at 8 time points (baseline [T0]; at the loss of 10% [T10%], 20% [T20%], 30% [T30%], 40% [T40%], and 50% [T50%] of blood volume; at the end of resuscitation [RES]; and at the end of anesthesia [END]). Packed cell volume (PCV) and blood hemoglobin content were compared at 6 time points (T0, T50%, RES, and 1, 3, and 7 days after induced hemorrhagic shock). Measurements of PaCO2, TcPCO2, GiPCO2, andEtCO2 were evaluated at 2 time points (T0 and T50%), and venous lactic acid concentrations were evaluated at 3 time points (T0, T50%, and END). No significant differences were found in mortality, respiratory rate, heart rate, PCV, or hemoglobin values among the 4 groups. Birds given fluid resuscitation had significantly higher SAPs after fluid administration than did birds in the control group. In all groups, PCV and hemoglobin concentrations began to rise by day 3 after phlebotomy, and baseline values were reached 7 days after blood removal. At T0, TcPCO2 did not differ significantly from PaCO2, but GiPCO2 and EtCO2 differed significantly fromPaCO2.After hemorrhagic shock, GiPCO2 and TcPCO2 differed significantly from PaCO2. The TcPCO2 or GiPCO2 values did not differ significantly at any time point in birds that survived or died in any of the groups and across all groups. These results showed no difference in mortality in leghorn chickens treated with fluid resuscitation after hemorrhagic shock and that the PCV and hemoglobin concentrations increased by 3 days after acute hemorrhage with or without treatment. The different CO2 measurements document changes in CO2-values consistent with poor perfusion and may prove useful for serial evaluation of responses to shock and shock treatment

Peripheral nerve sheath tumor in a subadult golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

A 5-year-old, female golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) was admitted with tetraplegia that progressed to a nonambulatory, spastic tetraparesis after a few days of treatment. Clinical and radiologic examinations, including radiography, computed tomography scan, and myelography, were indicative of neoplasia involving a spinal nerve root. Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging and necropsy findings confirmed the diagnosis of a peripheral nerve sheath neoplasia, not, to our knowledge, previously reported in a raptor

Comparison of arterial blood pressure measurements and hypertension scores obtained by use of three indirect easurement devices in hospitalized dogs

Objective—To evaluate the agreement of blood pressure measurements and hypertension scores obtained by use of 3 ndirect arterial blood pressure measurement devices in hospitalized dogs. Design—Diagnostic test evaluation. Animals—29 client-owned dogs. Procedures—5 to 7 consecutive blood pressure readings were obtained from each dog on each of 3 occasions with a Doppler ultrasonic flow detector, a standard oscillometric device (STO), and a high-definition oscillometric device (HDO). Results—When the individual sets of 5 to 7 readings were evaluated, the coefficient of variation for systolic arterial blood pressure (SAP) exceeded 20% for 0% (Doppler), 11% (STO), and 28% (HDO) of the sets of readings. After readings that exceeded a 20% coefficient of variation were discarded, repeatability was within 25 (Doppler), 37 (STO), and 39 (HDO) mm Hg for SAP. Correlation of mean values among the devices was between 0.47 and 0.63. Compared with Doppler readings, STO underestimated and HDO overestimated SAP. Limits of agreement between mean readings of any 2 devices were wide. With the hypertension scale used to score SAP, the intraclass correlation of scores was 0.48. Linear-weighted inter-rater reliability between scores was 0.40 (Doppler vs STO), 0.38 (Doppler vs HDO), and 0.29 (STO vs HDO). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results of this study suggested that no meaningful clinical comparison can be made between blood pressure readings obtained from the same dog with different indirect blood pressure measurement devices