ASSESSMENT OF OPHTHALMIC DIAGNOSTIC PARAMETERS, CONJUNCTIVAL FLORA, AND PHARMACOLOGIC DILATION OF A LARGE POPULATION OF JUVENILE AMERICAN ALLIGATORS ().

American alligators () are an important apex predator of semiaquatic habitats of the southern United States. Commercial alligator farming has grown in the last several decades, leading to a need to understand the health conditions that affect this species to ensure appropriate management and welfare. The aims of this study were 1) to establish and describe normative data including results of common ophthalmic diagnostic tests and conjunctival flora, 2) document ocular pathology in this population, and 3) assess the effect of topical rocuronium bromide and 10% phenylephrine for facilitating pharmacologic mydriasis.

Case report: Management and long-term ophthalmic sequelae of monogenean ocular infestation in cownose rays ().

Monogenean ectoparasitic flatworm infestations, particularly in closely confined populations, can result in severe epizootic disease that is often devastating and occasionally fatal. This case series describes a population of cownose rays () ( = 52) housed in an aquarium touch-tank exhibit that presented with severe ocular disease due to infestation with monogeneans, presumably of the Capsilidae family. The most severely affected individuals ( = 9), including several cases with bilaterally ruptured corneas, underwent serial examinations prior to and following treatment with praziquantel, systemic antibiotics, and corticosteroids.

Periocular fibrosarcoma with lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a cat.

A 9-year-old, female spayed domestic short-haired cat was presented with a 4-year history of bilateral lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis (LGC), which was confirmed via histopathology. Thirteen months following the initial biopsy, the cat was presented with a rapidly progressive mass lesion of the palpebral conjunctiva of the right eye. A surgical debulking, followed 1 month later by exenteration after marked regrowth of the mass confirmed fibrosarcoma.

Efficacy of the topical antihistamine olopatadine in dogs with experimentally induced allergic conjunctivitis.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a once a day, over the counter antihistamine eye drop, 0.7% olopatadine hydrochloride, in treating or preventing experimentally induced allergic conjunctivitis in dogs.

Animals Studied: Twelve systemically healthy pet dogs with no known history of allergies or atopic dermatitis, and in the past 12 months had no known ocular abnormalities.

Evaluation of a commercial NGS service for detection of bacterial and fungal pathogens in infectious ulcerative keratitis.

Objectives: To compare results from a commercial next-generation sequencing (NGS) service to corneal cytology and culture for identification of causative organisms in veterinary patients presenting for infectious ulcerative keratitis (IUK).

Procedure: Swabs for corneal aerobic and fungal cultures and DNA swabs for NGS were submitted for canine and equine normal controls (n = 11 and n = 4, respectively) and IUK patients (n = 22 and n = 8, respectively) for which microbrush cytology specimens confirmed the presence of infectious organisms. The sensitivity of the NGS results was compared with bacterial and fungal culture results.