Diagnosis of dental problems in pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Dental problems are very common in pet rabbits. To establish a correct diagnosis of rabbit dental pathology, a general knowledge of normal dental anatomy and physiology is necessary. The specific anatomy and the most common pathologies of rabbit dentition are reviewed. Techniques for diagnosing dental abnormalities - such as clinical examination, radiography and computed tomography (CT) - are summarized. Finally two clinical cases of rabbits with dental pathologies are described

Mandibulair samengesteld odontoom bij een jonge bordercollie

A four-month-old, female Border collie was presented with a firm swelling of the left mandibular body. The most important differential diagnosis for this type of lesion in a young dog consists of a dentigerous cyst, a papillary squamous cell carcinoma or an odontoma. Intra-oral radiographs were taken and a biopsy was performed to reach a diagnosis. Histopathologic examination revealed a compound ondontoma and the dog was surgically treated. Follow-up showed uneventful healing of the wound and no signs of recurrence were visible on the three-month postoperative radiographs

Idiopathische hypercalcemie bij een Perzische kat

This report describes a clinical case of idiopathic hypercalcemia in a cat. A male, castrated Persian cat of seven years old was presented because of partial anorexia that had been present for the past three years.. Blood examination revealed a moderate hypercalcemia with hypofosfatemia. Thorough diagnostic workup revealed polycystic kidney disease and chronic kidney disease (IRIS stage 2). The hypercalcemia was not caused by the renal disease because the parathyroid hormone concentrations were normal, and because the cat had hypofosfatemia and an increased ionized calcium concentration. The cat was diagnosed with feline idiopathic hypercalcemia. The clinical signs disappeared and the calcium concentrations normalized after therapy with glucocorticoids

Safety and immunomodulatory properties of equine peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells in healthy cats

Objective: Due to the immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through stimulation of endogenous immune cells by paracrine signals and cell contact, they have been proposed as alternative treatment option for many inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases in veterinary medicine. However, the long-term cultivation possibilities of feline MSCs are currently compromised due to a restricted proliferation capacity. Therefore, the xenogeneic use of equine peripheral blood-derived MSCs (ePB-MSCs) would present an interesting alternative thanks to their superior cultivation properties. To the authors' knowledge, there are currently no safety reports concerning the xenogeneic use of ePB-MSCs in cats. Therefore, the overall goal of this preliminary study was to investigate if ePB-MSCs can safely be administered in healthy cats and by extension evaluating their immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties. Methods: Ten healthy cats were intravenously (i.v.) injected with 3 x 10(5) ePB-MSCs at three time points (T-0, T-1, T-2). All cats were daily inspected by the caretaker and underwent a physical examination with hematological and biochemical analysis at day 0 (T-0), week 2 (T-1), week 4 (T-2) and week 6 (T-3) by a veterinarian. Furthermore, a modified mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was performed at T-0 and T-3 for each cat in order to evaluate immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties of the ePB-MSCs Results: No adverse clinical effects could be detected following repeated i.v. administration of ePB-MSCs in all cats. Significant lower protein (T-1: P-value = 0.002; T-2: P-value > 0.001; T-3: P-value = 0.004) and albumin levels (T-1: P-value = 0.003; T-2: P-value = 0.001) were seen after repeated administration of ePB-MSCs, compared to T-0. However, all biochemical and hematological parameters stayed within clinical acceptance level. In addition, the repeated injections did not induce a cellular immune response before and after repeated ePB-MSCs administration. Furthermore, convincing immunomodulatory properties of ePB-MSCs on feline peripheral blood mononuclear cells were confirmed in the MLR-assay Conclusion: This preliminary study demonstrates that ePB-MSCs can safely be administered in healthy cats and provide a promising alternative for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases in cats