HOST FACTORS AND TESTING MODALITY AGREEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH INFECTION IN A FREE-RANGING SNAKE POPULATION IN SOUTHEAST OHIO, USA.

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is an emerging mycotic disease caused by and has been demonstrated to impact snake populations of conservation concern in the United States negatively. Although has been shown to affect diverse taxa and to have a broad distribution, host factors associated with infected individuals and optimal testing protocols are not yet well characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate host factors and agreement across testing modalities associated with infection in a free-ranging snake population in southeast Ohio.

Ribonuclease 7 Shields the Kidney and Bladder from Invasive Uropathogenic Infection.

Background: Evidence suggests that antimicrobial peptides, components of the innate immune response, protect the kidneys and bladder from bacterial challenge. We previously identified ribonuclease 7 (RNase 7) as a human antimicrobial peptide that has bactericidal activity against uropathogenic (UPEC). Functional studies assessing RNase 7's contributions to urinary tract defense are limited.

Balloon valvuloplasty in a dog with congenital bicuspid aortic valve and supravalvar aortic stenosis (atypical Shone's complex).

An 8-month-old intact female pug was presented for evaluation and possible balloon valvuloplasty (BV) for severe aortic stenosis. A bicuspid, severely stenotic aortic valve of type 3 morphology with a supravalvar stenosis component was diagnosed, consistent with the diagnosis of atypical Shone's complex. There was severe concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle, with increased echogenicity of the myocardium nearest to the endocardial border.

Treatment of caudal cavoatrial junction obstruction in a dog with a balloon-expandable biliary stent.

A 2-year-old intact female mixed breed dog was presented for ascites. Echocardiography demonstrated severe obstruction at the level of the caudal right atrium. Initially, a variant of cor triatriatum dexter was diagnosed, and balloon catheter dilation was performed.

Transcatheter embolization of systemic-to-pulmonary artery fistulas in a dog using embolization coils and silk suture.

A 4-month-old intact female Cavalier King Charles spaniel presented for evaluation of a left, basilar continuous murmur. Transthoracic echocardiography suggested anomalous vessels around the main pulmonary artery, and computed tomography angiography revealed two systemic-to-pulmonary artery fistulas. Transcatheter embolization of these fistulas was achieved with a combination of embolization coils and silk suture threads delivered through a microcatheter.

The Current Host Range of Hepatitis E Viruses.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen transmitting both human to human via the fecal oral route and from animals to humans through feces, direct contact, and consumption of contaminated meat products. Understanding the host range of the virus is critical for determining where potential threats to human health may be emerging from and where potential reservoirs for viral persistence in the environment may be hiding. Initially thought to be a human specific disease endemic to developing countries, the identification of swine as a primary host for genotypes 3 and 4 HEV in industrialized countries has begun a long journey of discovering novel strains of HEV and their animal hosts.

Successful management of persistent tachycardia using esmolol in 2 dogs with septic shock.

Objective: To describe the successful management of 2 dogs with septic shock and persistent tachycardia using norepinephrine and esmolol, a short-acting beta receptor antagonist.

Series Summary: Two cases are reviewed. In the first case, septic shock with ventricular tachycardia was diagnosed in a 4-year-old neutered female Great Dane that underwent jejunoileal resection and anastomosis for a partial mesenteric torsion.

Using Estrous Behavior to Time Initiation of Oxytocin Administration to Prolong Luteal Function in Mares.

The objective of this study was to use estrous behavior alone to determine the appropriate time for beginning an oxytocin treatment protocol for estrus suppression. We hypothesized that administration of oxytocin beginning 8 days after the onset of estrus will prolong the luteal phase in mares. Twenty-three light breed mares (aged 4-20 years) were exposed to a stallion and observed for signs of sexual receptivity.

Postmortem evaluation of renal tubular vacuolization in critically ill dogs.

Objective: To describe the frequency of renal tubular vacuolization (RTV) as a surrogate of osmotic nephrosis and assess hyperosmolar agents as predictors of RTV severity.

Design: Retrospective study (February 2004-October 2014).

Setting: Veterinary teaching hospital.

Association of sustained supraphysiologic hyperinsulinemia and inflammatory signaling within the digital lamellae in light-breed horses.

Background: Hyperinsulinemia is associated with equine laminitis, and digital lamellar inflammation in equine metabolic syndrome-associated laminitis (EMSAL) is modest when compared with sepsis-associated laminitis.

Objectives: To characterize digital lamellar inflammation in horses in a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC) model of laminitis.

Animals: Sixteen healthy adult Standardbred horses.

Risk-modeling of dog osteosarcoma genome scans shows individuals with Mendelian-level polygenic risk are common.

Background: Despite the tremendous therapeutic advances that have stemmed from somatic oncogenetics, survival of some cancers has not improved in 50 years. Osteosarcoma still has a 5-year survival rate of 66%. We propose the natural canine osteosarcoma model can change that: it is extremely similar to the human condition, except for being highly heritable and having a dramatically higher incidence.

Michigan State University Veterinary Hospice Care: An Academic Hospice Practice 2011 to 2014.

In 2011, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine founded the second veterinary hospice in academic practice. This program was designed to meet the growing demand for veterinary end-of-life care in the community. Veterinary Hospice Care provided patients and their families palliative care services, through utilization of an interdisciplinary team, from the time of terminal diagnosis to the time of death.

Bidirectional flow across a perforate cor triatriatum dexter in a dog with concurrent pulmonary, tricuspid, and mitral valve dysplasia.

A 10-week-old male intact mixed breed dog presented for evaluation of suspected right-sided congestive heart failure. Echocardiographic imaging revealed a perforate cor triatriatum dexter (CTD), along with pulmonary valve stenosis and tricuspid and mitral valve dysplasia. In typical CTD cases, there is unidirectional blood flow across the dividing membrane, from the caudal into the cranial right atrial chambers.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw after long-term bisphosphonate treatment in a cat.

A 12-year-old, neutered female, domestic medium hair cat was evaluated for a nonhealing, oral mucosal ulceration. The cat had a history of idiopathic hypercalcemia that had been treated with a bisphosphonate for 41 months. Oral examination identified exposed maxillary bone adjacent to a previous extraction site.

Keeping Score: Semiquantitative and Quantitative Scoring Approaches to Genetically Engineered and Xenograft Mouse Models of Cancer.

There is a growing need to quantitate or "score" lesions in mouse models of human disease, for correlation with human disease and to establish their clinical relevance. Several standard semiquantitative scoring schemes have been adapted for nonneoplastic lesions; similarly, the pathologist must carefully select an approach to score mouse models of cancer. Genetically engineered mouse models with a continuum of precancerous and cancerous lesions and xenogeneic models of various derivations present unique challenges for the pathologist.

Distinct microbes, metabolites, and ecologies define the microbiome in deficient and proficient mismatch repair colorectal cancers.

Background: Links between colorectal cancer (CRC) and the gut microbiome have been established, but the specific microbial species and their role in carcinogenesis remain an active area of inquiry. Our understanding would be enhanced by better accounting for tumor subtype, microbial community interactions, metabolism, and ecology.

Methods: We collected paired colon tumor and normal-adjacent tissue and mucosa samples from 83 individuals who underwent partial or total colectomies for CRC.

Enterobacter cloacae Complex Sequence Type 171 Isolates Expressing KPC-4 Carbapenemase Recovered from Canine Patients in Ohio.

Companion animals are likely relevant in the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. sequence type 171 (ST171), a clone that has been implicated in clusters of infections in humans, was isolated from two dogs with clinical disease in Ohio. The canine isolates contained IncHI2 plasmids encoding Whole-genome sequencing was used to put the canine isolates in phylogenetic context with available human ST171 sequences, as well as to characterize their plasmids.

Fibular osteotomy to facilitate proximal tibial rotation during tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.

Objective: To identify factors that restrict proximal tibial rotation during tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and report on the outcome of concurrent fibular osteotomy (TPLO-FO).

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Animals: Dogs undergoing TPLO-FO (n = 23) and dogs undergoing routine TPLO (n = 49).

HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF FREE-RANGING CHELONIANS IN AN URBAN SECTION OF THE BRONX RIVER, NEW YORK, USA.

The Bronx River in Bronx, New York, US spans an area of significant human development and has been subject to historic and ongoing industrial contamination. We evaluated the health of freeranging native common snapping turtles ( Chelydra serpentina) and nonnative invasive red-eared sliders ( Trachemys scripta) in a segment of the Bronx River between May and July 2012. In 18 snapping turtles and nine sliders, complete physical examinations were performed, ectoparasites collected, and blood was analyzed for contaminants (mercury, thallium, cadmium, arsenic, lead, selenium, oxychlordane, alpha-chlordane, dieldrin, DDD, DDE, polychlorinated biphenyls).

Proliferative and Invasive Colorectal Tumors in Pet Dogs Provide Unique Insights into Human Colorectal Cancer.

Spontaneous tumors in pet dogs represent a valuable but undercharacterized cancer model. To better use this resource, we performed an initial global comparison between proliferative and invasive colorectal tumors from 20 canine cases, and evaluated their molecular homology to human colorectal cancer (CRC). First, proliferative canine tumors harbor overactivated WNT/β-catenin pathways and recurrent CTNNB1 (β-catenin) mutations S45F/P, D32Y and G34E.

Metaphyeal and Diaphyseal Dysplasia of the Third Cervical Vertebra Secondary to Physeal Necrosis in a Quarter Horse Foal.

Ischaemia-induced physeal injury has not been described previously in the horse. A 1-month-old Quarter horse foal was submitted for necropsy examination due to an acute onset of ataxia followed by a 4-week history of progressive decline. Focal narrowing of the spinal canal due to ventral compression by the rotation of the cranial aspect of the third cervical vertebra (C3) was observed.

Nail abnormalities identified in an ageing study of 30 inbred mouse strains.

In a large-scale ageing study, 30 inbred mouse strains were systematically screened for histologic evidence of lesions in all organ systems. Ten strains were diagnosed with similar nail abnormalities. The highest frequency was noted in NON/ShiLtJ mice.

Phenotypic characterization of complete CSNB in the inbred research beagle: how common is CSNB in research and companion dogs?

Purpose: Although congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) has been described in a Japanese beagle dog research colony, certain clinical correlates with human CSNB have not yet been described, nor has an estimate of frequency of the condition been made in inbred and outbred beagle populations.

Methods: A beagle with CSNB obtained from a commercial research dog supplier in the USA and matched control dogs (n = 3) underwent examination, refraction, ocular imaging, assessment of visual navigation ability and detailed electroretinography (ERG). Retrospective review of ERGs in two independent groups of inbred (n = 15 and 537, respectively) and one group of outbred dogs (n = 36) was used to estimate CSNB frequency in these populations.

Salmonella spp. and Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Escherichia coli Frequently Contaminate Broiler Chicken Transport Cages of an Organic Production Company.

Antimicrobial resistant bacteria in retail meat pose a health hazard to the public, as does contamination of these products with Salmonella. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella as well as Escherichia coli expressing AmpC and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) resistance phenotypes contaminating broiler transport cages and fresh, retail ground chicken meat. Sterile gauze sponges were used to collect duplicate cage floor samples from transport trailers that deliver market-ready birds to a single organic poultry-processing facility.