BARIUM SULFATE GELATIN AS A NOVEL APPROACH TO FACILITATE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT POSITIVE CONTRAST STUDIES IN A CAPTIVE HARBOR SEAL () AND CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS () WITHOUT RESTRAINT.

Gastrointestinal tract contrast medium studies are a valuable diagnostic modality to evaluate gastrointestinal anatomy, motility, and pathology. Four positive contrast medium studies were performed twice on a harbor seal () and once each on two California sea lions () to evaluate for gastrointestinal abnormalities by using barium-impregnated gelatin. Because marine mammals in human care routinely receive plain gelatin as a component of their diet and as secondary reinforcement, feeding a barium gelatin mitigates the need for tube feeding or restraint.

An MRI protocol for anatomical and functional evaluation of the California sea lion brain.

Background: Domoic acid (DOM) is a neurotoxin produced by some harmful algae blooms in coastal waters. California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) exposed to DOM often strand on beaches where they exhibit a variety of symptoms, including seizures. These animals typically show hippocampal atrophy on MRI scans.

Algal toxin impairs sea lion memory and hippocampal connectivity, with implications for strandings.

Domoic acid (DA) is a naturally occurring neurotoxin known to harm marine animals. DA-producing algal blooms are increasing in size and frequency. Although chronic exposure is known to produce brain lesions, the influence of DA toxicosis on behavior in wild animals is unknown.

LAPAROSCOPIC GASTROPEXY FOR CORRECTION OF A HIATAL HERNIA IN A NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL (MIROUNGA ANGUSTIROSTRIS).

A female northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) weaned pup presented with malnutrition. During rehabilitation, the seal developed regurgitation and reduced lung sounds on auscultation. Radiographs and endoscopy performed under sedation suggested a diaphragmatic hernia.

Retroperitoneal hemangiosarcoma in a common carp Cyprinus carpio: a case report.

A 7.5 kg common carp Cyprinus carpio presented with prominent localized swelling in the caudal right coelomic area, identified by ultrasound as a fluid filled mass. Fine needle aspirate (FNA) and culture results suggested a sterile seroma.

Antemortem diagnosis of a ventricular septal defect in a California sea lion Zalophus californianus.

A yearling California sea lion Zalophus californianus stranded in poor body condition, and on physical examination a heart murmur was audible bilaterally. The sea lion was diagnosed with a left-to-right shunting membranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) using B-mode, color-flow Doppler and continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography. A left-to-right intracardiac shunting lesion was confirmed during cardiac angiographic computed tomography.

An in-house phantom as an alternative to commercially available Doppler flow phantoms.

Learning the principles and application of Doppler ultrasound is difficult and requires repeated practice. Flow phantoms provide a method of teaching Doppler techniques before their application in clinical patients; however, commercially available flow phantoms are expensive. Herein we describe an easily constructed, economic Doppler flow phantom, utilizing readily available products, for use as a training aid.

Standardized protocols for plasma clearance of iohexol are not appropriate for determination of glomerular filtration rates in anesthetized California sea lions (Zalophus californianus).

Abstract: Plasma clearance of iohexol was evaluated in eight anesthetized California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), without evidence of renal dysfunction, to determine if the one-compartment model and the sample protocol used in dogs and cats could be applied to this species. Nonlinearity between samples in 75% (6/8) of sea lions voided those results. An additional two anesthetized sea lions were sampled at 5, 30, 45, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 360 min post iohexol injection and semi-logarithmic curves calculated.

Evaluation of different computed tomography techniques and myelography for the diagnosis of acute canine myelopathy.

Forty-six dogs with either cervical (C1-C5 or C6-T2) or thoracolumbar (T3-L3) acute myelopathy underwent prospective conventional computed tomography (CT), angiographic CT, myelography, and CT myelography. Findings were confirmed at either surgery or necropsy. Seventy-eight percent of lesions were extradural, 11% were extradural with an intramedullary abnormality, 7% were intramedullary, 2% were intradural-extramedullary, and 2% had nerve root compression without spinal cord compression.

Effect of anesthesia, positioning, time, and feeding on the proventriculus: keel ratio of clinically healthy parrots.

Healthy, adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) were imaged on three occasions to determine the effects of anesthesia, patient rotation, feeding, and short/long-term temporal factors on the proventriculus:keel ratio. Increasing rotation up to 15 degrees from right lateral resulted in increased inability to measure the proventriculus in up to 44% of birds, meaning that the proventriculus:keel ratio could not be calculated from those radiographs. There was a significant difference between the proventriculus:keel ratio for individual parrots when quantified 3 weeks apart.

Prognostic accuracy of the proventriculus: keel ratio for short-term survival in psittacines with proventricular disease.

The proventriculus:keel ratio was evaluated as a prognostic indicator for short-term survival in parrots with proventricular disease. Measurements were made from right lateral radiographs of 41 parrots with proventricular disease. Results were compared with the previously described abnormal proventriculus:keel ratio range and to short-term clinical outcome at 1-month postdiagnosis.

Concurrent occipital bone malformation and atlantoaxial subluxation in a neonatal harbor seal (Phoca vitulina).

A stranded male harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) neonate with progressive clinical signs of ataxia, tremors, and deteriorating consciousness was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging for suspected cerebellar brain disease prior to euthanasia because of grave prognosis. Magnetic resonance imaging identified occipital bone dysplasia with cerebellar herniation and concurrent atlantoaxial subluxation with spinal cord compression. These imaging findings elucidated the cause of histopathology changes including gliosis of the cerebellum and axonal degeneration and dilation of myelin sheaths of the dorsal funiculus of the spinal cord.

Computed tomographic imaging protocol for the canine cervical and lumbar spine.

Computed tomography (CT) has been applied previously for assessment of canine spinal disease using a multitude of different technical imaging parameters. The purpose of this study was to establish an optimized imaging protocol for the cervical and lumbar canine spine using a single-detector-row helical CT unit. Thin slice thickness (1-2mm), low pitch (axial scan mode, helical pitch <2), and medium-frequency image reconstruction algorithm significantly improved the visibility of the intervertebral disk and spinal cord.

Computed tomographic imaging of the normal immature California sea lion head (Zalophus californianus).

Different computed tomography (CT) protocols were tested to optimize imaging of the head of the California sea lion. Transverse mode images were superior to helical mode images. Bone structures were best imaged using 1 mm slice width combined with a high-frequency image reconstruction algorithm and best viewed using a wide window setting.

Radiographic determination of proventricular diameter in psittacine birds.

Objective: To establish an objective method of determining proventricular diameter in psittacine birds by assessment of lateral whole-body radiographic views.

Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Animals: 100 parrots with no signs of gastric disease and 19 parrots with signs of gastric disease.