Clinical and pathologic evaluation of chorioretinal lesions in wild owl species.

Objective: Investigate histopathology and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of wild owls with chorioretinitis and identify any potential correlation with an infectious etiology.

Materials And Methods: Ophthalmic examination and retinal OCT imaging were performed on fifteen great horned (Strix varia) and barred (Bubo virginianus) owls (30 eyes) with chorioretinitis and five owls with normal eyes (10 eyes). Testing to investigate the presence of potential infectious diseases included a complete blood count, biochemistry, protein electrophoresis, West Nile virus (WNV) plaque reduction neutralization test, Toxoplasma gondii modified direct agglutination test, WNV RT-PCR, and Avian Influenza RT-PCR.

Description of a novel technique for surgical placement of gastrostomy tubes in dogs.

Background: Early enteral nutrition in dogs with critical illnesses, including septic peritonitis, has been shown to have a positive influence on patient outcome. Surgical placement of a gastrostomy tube (GT) is one option for providing early enteral nutrition. Complications, including premature tube removal or separation of the stomach from the body wall, can result in leakage of gastric contents into the abdominal cavity and subsequent peritonitis.

Use of a caudoventral-craniodorsal oblique radiographic view made at 45° to the frontal plane to evaluate the pectoral girdle in raptors.

Objective: To evaluate use of a caudoventral-craniodorsal oblique radiographic view made at 45° to the frontal plane (H view) for assessment of the pectoral (thoracic) girdle in raptors.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis.

Animals: 24 raptors suspected to have a fracture of the thoracic girdle.

Fusion podoplasty for the management of chronic pedal conditions in seven dogs and one cat.

Eight animals underwent fusion podoplasties for the treatment of chronic interdigital furunculosis (n=3), ectrodactyly (n=1), digit abnormalities associated with tendonectomy (n=1), redundant indertigital skin (n=1), conformational deformity (n=1), and necrotizing fasciitis of the paw (n=1). Median duration of bandaging was 14 days, and median duration of hospitalization was 5 days. Four dogs had dehiscence, which occurred at a mean time of 11 days after surgery.

Use of a locking compression plate as an external fixator for repair of a tarsometatarsal fracture in a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

We describe the successful treatment of a tarsometatarsal fracture in a mature bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) using a locking compression plate as an external fixator. The anatomy of the area (inelastic dermis and minimal subcutaneous space) and the high forces placed on a fracture at that site necessitated a unique approach to fixation. The unconventional use of a locking compression plate as an external fixator was minimally invasive, well tolerated by the eagle, and provided adequate stability in opposing fracture forces.

Tail and perineal wounds.

Tail and perineal wounds arise from various causes. Reconstructive techniques are beneficial to the resolution of congenital, traumatic, and neoplastic conditions that involve the tail and perineum. This article reviews some common and not so common conditions and the techniques to treat them effectively.

Major glossectomy in dogs: a case series and proposed classification system.

Major resections of the tongue have not been commonly performed in animals because of concerns about the unfavorable postoperative effects of diminished lingual function. Five dogs were retrospectively reviewed to determine prehensile function and quality of life after glossectomies. Examinations were performed 1 week to 8 years after glossectomy, and owner interviews were conducted 10 months to 8 years after the surgery.