Color Doppler ultrasonography was used to determine time-average mean velocity and cross-sectional area of the common iliac artery in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and marine toads (Bufo marinus). Volumetric blood flow and weight-adjusted blood flow measurements were calculated from this data. Volumetric flow rates of frogs (31.8 ml/min) and toads (23.6 ml/min) did not differ statistically. However, when flow rates were adjusted for body mass, toads displayed a significantly greater flow rate of 238.1 ml/min/kg compared to 114.4 ml/min/kg for frogs.

Wildlife Safari, a zoo located in Winston, Oregon, has fed donated carcass meat as a diet to carnivores for over 30 yr. Carcass meat is an alternative to commercially prepared meat. Donated meat arrives at Wildlife Safari as an entire animal. Cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) have been donated. Bacterial testing was performed on site with the use of Neogen Reveal® immunosorbent assays. Testing focused on Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Twenty-five meat samples were randomly selected from 50 meat samples for the bacterial detection tests. Twenty-eight percent of the meat samples were positive for Salmonella spp. (n = 25). One sample was positive for Listeria spp. None of the meat samples were positive for Escherichia coli O157:H7 (n = 25). Thirty-two meat samples were analyzed off site for organic contaminants with the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at Michigan State University's Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Specific organic contaminants tested for were barbiturates, phenylbutazone, flunixin meglumine, and xylazine. None of the meat samples were found to have evidence of these or any other common organic toxicants. As monitored, carcass meat appears to be a reasonably safe food source for carnivores.

An environmental microbiologic investigation was conducted in an alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) holding facility in a zoo in the southeastern U.S. The facility had housed five alligators between March 1999 and February 2005. In the exhibit, one alligator died and all experienced poor health. It was hypothesized that environmental microbial contamination was associated with these issues. Samples were collected for fungal identification and quantification, microcystin analysis, and airborne mycotoxins. Analyses of air and water were conducted and an examination of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC) for design, maintenance, and operating issues was made. Two control sites, a facility for false gharials (Tomistoma schlegelii) and an off-site alligator breeding facility, were also tested. Morbidity and mortality records were examined for all sites. Results showed that, compared to the control sites, the test alligator facility and its HVAC system were extensively contaminated with a range of fungi. Nearly all sampled surfaces featured fungal growth. There were also significantly higher counts of Penicillium/Aspergillus-like and Chrysosporium-like spores in the air (P < 0.004). The design, maintenance, and operation of the HVAC system were all inadequate, resulting in poorly conditioned and mold-contaminated air being introduced to the facility. Morbidity records revealed solitary pulmonary disorders over time in three alligators, with one dying as a result. The other two alligators suffered from general malaise and a range of nonspecific symptoms. The control facilities had no morbidity or mortality issues. In conclusion, although no causal links could be demonstrated because of the nature of the morbidity data, environmental mold contamination appeared to be associated with the history of morbidity and mortality in the alligator exhibit.

Basic characteristics of European bison (Bison bonasus) semen were described and the efficacies of two extenders—Triladyl, containing egg yolk, and a synthetic extender, containing soybean lipids—were tested for semen cryopreservation. Seven ejaculates were collected by electroejaculation from a 10-yr-old, European bison bull. Each ejaculate was diluted at 37°C to a final concentration of 200 × 10⁶ sperm/ml with Triladyl or the synthetic extender. Extended semen samples were frozen according to a standard bull semen freezing protocol. After 2 wk of storage, one straw from each extender and ejaculate was thawed, and postthaw quality was evaluated by individual sperm motility and movement rate, numbers of sperm morphologic abnormalities and intact acrosomes, functional integrity of the sperm membranes determined by hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST), viability (live–dead, eosin–nigrosin stain), and a heterologous in vitro sperm penetration assay (SPA). A total of 600 in vitro–matured bovine oocytes were inseminated with 1 × 10⁶ spermatozoa of Holstein semen frozen–thawed in Triladyl (control) or of European bison semen frozen in Triladyl or the synthetic extender. Nuclear status of the oocytes was determined after 18 h of sperm–oocyte coincubation. Extender had no effect on any evaluated parameters of semen after dilution and cooling (4 hr at 5°C) or in postthaw individual motility, quality of movement, and sperm morphology. However, significantly (P < 0.05) higher numbers of spermatozoa with intact acrosomes, intact membranes (HOST), and viable sperm (P < 0.01) were in semen frozen in Triladyl than in the synthetic extender. Mean values for heterologous SPA for bull (control) and for bison semen frozen in the synthetic extender were very much alike—63.3 ± 10.6% and 63.1 ± 15.9%, respectively; bison semen frozen in Triladyl was lower, 43.0 ± 24.2% but not significantly different. Cumulative results from a variety of viability assays of diluted/cooled and frozen–thawed semen, including the heterologous SPA, suggest that European bison semen can be successfully frozen in both extenders tested in this study.

Published serum cholesterol values in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are much higher than human ranges, with a national mean of 7.36 mmol/L (284 mg/dl, n = 863). Complete blood lipid profiles were examined in 15 captive gorillas. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) was found to decrease more rapidly with age than total cholesterol, resulting in an increasing ratio of cholesterol HDL with age. The ratio of apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1 also increased with age. Establishment of a database of blood lipid values for captive gorillas with correlative analysis of animals with known atherosclerosis status may help to identify sensitive predictors of coronary heart disease risk.

Parasite surveys of free-ranging wildlife provide important information for monitoring population health. Between March 2001 and March 2003, we sampled 10 ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), eight Geoffroy's cats (Oncifelis geoffroyi), a jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguarondi), five pampas foxes (Pseudalopex gymnocercus), and three crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) at three sites in the Bolivian Chaco. The objective of the study was to survey the parasite fauna of these carnivores and compare prevalence of parasites among the sites. The parasite community of these carnivores was diverse, with representatives from eight genera of nematodes, two families of cestodes, two protozoan species, and six arthropod species. Fecal parasites identified from 12 of the 13 felids and five of the six canids examined included Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Uncinaria sp., Crenosoma sp., Toxocara cati, Spirurida, Capillaria aerophila, Spirometra sp., Taeniidae, and Cystoisospora sp. Four tick species, Amblyomma parvum, A. tigrinum, A. ovale, and A. cajennense, and two flea species, Pulex irritans and Delostichus phyllotis, were identified. Two crab-eating foxes had serologic evidence of heartworm disease (HWD). Antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii were found in 15 of 26 animals. Although HWD was found only in canids inside the national park, parasite prevalence did not appear to differ among sites, and no evidence was found of parasite spillover from domestic to wild carnivores.

In this study, heart and respiratory rates, cloacal temperature, and quality of sedation were evaluated before (0 min) and after (10, 20, and 30 min) i.m. administration of xylazine (10 mg/kg; n = 7), medetomidine (75 μl; n = 6), detomidine (0.3 mg/kg; n = 6), or diazepam (6 mg/kg; n = 7) in rock partridges (Alectoris graeca). All partridges recovered from sedation without any disturbance. Xylazine and diazepam administration did not induce significant changes in heart rate, which did decrease significantly after medetomidine and detomidine administration (P < 0.001). Mean respiratory rate was decreased dramatically at 20 and 30 min after xylazine (P < 0.001) and medetomidine (P < 0.005) administration, and at all stages of sedation after detomidine injection (P < 0.001), whereas there was not any significant change after diazepam injection. In all groups, cloacal temperature measured at 10, 20, and 30 min tended to decrease compared with baseline values. Sedative effects of the drugs started within 2.1 ± 0.2 min for detomidine, 2.6 ± 0.4 min for diazepam, 3.1 ± 0.4 min for xylazine, and 4.8 ± 0.8 min for medetomidine application. There was an extreme variability in time to recovery for each drug: 205 ± 22.2 min for xylazine, 95 ± 12.2 min for medetomidine, 260 ± 17.6 min for detomidine, and 149 ± 8.3 min for diazepam. In conclusion, xylazine, medetomidine, detomidine, and diazepam produced sedation, which could permit some clinical procedures such as handling and radiographic examination of partridges to occur. Of the four drugs, xylazine produced stronger and more efficient sedation compared to the others, which could permit only minor procedures to be performed. However, depending on the drug used, monitoring of heart and respiratory rates and cloacal temperature might be required.

Feces and duodenal scrapings were collected from 22 coyotes (Canis latrans) killed in managed hunts in northeastern Pennsylvania. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were used to detect Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. PCR-amplified fragments of Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. SSU-rRNA genes were subjected to DNA sequence analysis for species/genotype determination. Seven coyotes (32%) were positive for G. duodenalis: three assemblage C, three assemblage D, and one assemblage B. Six coyotes (27%) were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. One isolate shared 99.7% homology with C. muris, whereas five others (23%) shared 100% homology with C. canis, coyote genotype. This is the first report on multiple genotypes of Giardia spp. in coyotes and on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. genotypes in coyotes.

This study describes the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin following oral and i.v. administration to goral (Nemorrhaedus goral arnouxianus). The objective of this study was to expand upon current antimicrobial treatment options available for use in goral by measuring plasma concentrations and examining the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in these animals. Two single-dose treatments of enrofloxacin were administered to four goral in a crossover design. Single-dose treatments consisted of administration of injectable enrofloxacin i.v. (5 mg/kg) and enrofloxacin tablets (136 mg chewable tablets) dissolved in a grain slurry and administered p.o. (10 mg/kg). Plasma levels of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin were measured with the use of high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Plasma volume of distribution for i.v. enrofloxacin was 2.15 ± 1.01 L/kg, with a mean elimination half-life of 13.3 hr and total body clearance of 0.19 ± 0.14 L/kg/hr. The maximum plasma concentration measured for oral enrofloxacin was 2.77 μg/ml, with a mean half-life of 5.2 hr and systemic availability of 14.6%. The area under the plasma concentration over time curve (AUC) for oral enrofloxacin was 21.06 μg/hr/ml. The area under the plasma concentration over time curve generated for oral enrofloxacin in goral yields an area under the plasma concentration over time curve to minimum inhibitory concentration ratio > 100 for many gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial pathogens common to small ruminants. Based on these results, oral enrofloxacin may be considered for further study as a treatment option for susceptible infections in goral.

Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) are afflicted with inflammatory and infectious disease secondary to human interaction, such as boat strike and entanglement, as well as “cold stress syndrome” and pneumonia. White-blood-cell count and fever, primary indicators of systemic inflammation in most species, are insensitive in diagnosing inflammatory disease in manatees. Acute phase-response proteins, such as haptoglobin and serum amyloid A, have proven to be sensitive measures of inflammation/infection in domestic large animal species. This study assessed diagnosis of generalized inflammatory disease by different methods including total white-blood-cell count, albumin: globulin ratio, gel electrophoresis analysis, C-reactive protein, alpha₁ acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and serum amyloid A. Samples were collected from 71 apparently healthy and 27 diseased animals during diagnostic medical examination. Serum amyloid A, measured by ELISA, followed by albumin:globulin ratio, measured by plasma gel electrophoresis, were most sensitive in diagnosing inflammatory disease, with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of approximately 90%. The reference interval for serum amyloid A is <10–50 μg/ml with an equivocal interval of 51–70 μg/ml. The reference interval for albumin:globulin ratio by plasma gel electrophoresis is 0.7–1.1. Albumin: globulin ratio, calculated using biochemical techniques, was not accurate due to overestimation of albumin by bromcresol green dye-binding methodology. Albumin:globulin ratio, measured by serum gel electrophoresis, has a low sensitivity of 15% due to the lack of fibrinogen in the sample. Haptoglobin, measured by hemoglobin titration, had a reference interval of 0.4–2.4 mg/ml, a diagnostic sensitivity of 60%, and a diagnostic specificity of 93%. The haptoglobin assay is significantly affected by hemolysis. Fibrinogen, measured by heat precipitation, has a reference interval of 100–400 mg/dl, a diagnostic sensitivity of 40%, and a diagnostic specificity of 95%.

Seven captive male African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) weighing 25–32 kg each, were anesthetized by i.m. injection via hand syringe with a combination of 1.5 mg/kg ketamine, 40 μg/kg medetomidine, and 0.05 mg/kg atropine. Following endotracheal intubation, each animal was connected to a bain closed-circuit system that delivered 1.5% isoflurane and 2 L/min oxygen. Atipamezole (0.1 mg/kg i.v.; 0.1 mg/kg i.m.) was given at the end of each procedure (60 min following injection of medetomidine/ketamine/atropine). Time to sternal recumbency was 5–8 min. Times to standing after atipamezole administration were 8–20 min. This anesthetic regimen was repeated on three separate occasions (September 2000, February 2002, and October 2002) on all males to perform electroejaculation procedures. Each procedure was <80 min from injection to standing. Dogs showed excellent muscle relaxation during the procedures. Arterial blood samples were collected at 10-min intervals for blood gases in one procedure (September 2000). Separate venous samples were taken from each dog during each procedure for hematology and biochemistry. These values were within the normal range for this species. Arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) were monitored continuously in addition to other anesthesia monitoring procedures (body temperature, respiratory rate [RR], capillary refill time, blink response, pupil position, deep pain perception reflex). All dogs maintained relatively stable SpO2 profiles during monitoring, with a mean (± SD) SpO2 of 92% ± 5.4%. All other physiological variables (HR, RR, body temperature, blood pressure) were within normal limits. Following each procedure, normal behavior was noted in all dogs. All the dogs were reunited into the pack at completion of their anesthetic procedures. An injectable medetomidine–ketamine–atropine combination with maintenance by gaseous isoflurane and oxygen provides an inexpensive, reliable anesthetic for captive African wild dogs.

This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol in the white-spotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum). In addition to the pharmacokinetics, the potential application for treatment of bacterial meningitis was explored. A pilot study was used to compare doses of 30, 40, and 50 mg/kg i.m. Following that study, 10 adult sharks were administered a single i.m. dose of florfenicol at 40 mg/kg. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were collected and analyzed for florfenicol by a sensitive and specific high-pressure liquid chromatographic method. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using both non-compartmental and compartmental techniques. The absorption produced an average peak at 54 (±19) hr from the i.m. site of administration, and the half-life was prolonged, averaging 269.79 hr (±135.87). Florfenicol plasma concentrations peaked at an average of 11.85 μg/ml (±1.45) and were maintained above our target minimum inhibitory concentration of 4–8 μg/ml for at least 120 hr. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations peaked at an estimated 9 μg/ml around 48 hr, surpassing the target minimum inhibitory concentration for at least 72 hr.

Herpesviruses and herpes-like viruses have been reported in only a small number of species of cetaceans, and, to date, clinical manifestations have been either as a life-threatening, disseminated infection or as a non-life-threatening dermatitis. A stranded juvenile Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, was admitted to the Dolphin and Whale Hospital for rehabilitation. On initial physical examination, the rostral skin had multifocal regions of hyperplasia, and the skin of the dorsum contained a large number of small papules. Histologically, epithelial hyperplasia was evident, and clusters of epithelial cells contained 5–15-μm intranuclear inclusion bodies. Transmission electron microscopic investigation revealed numerous 170–190-nm enveloped virions in both the intracellular spaces and the cytoplasm of epithelial cells, with numerous nucleocapsids noted in epithelial cell nuclei. Consensus primer polymerase chain reaction identified the presence of a novel herpesvirus associated with the lesions. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of the herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene fragment showed it to align with alphaherpesvirus sequences from humans and domestic animals. Although clearly distinct, it was most closely related to two previously described alphaherpesviruses of dolphins. This case represents the first documentation of herpesvirus dermatitis in the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

Two adult Wied's marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii) presented with jaundice, anemia, and weight loss. Death of one individual was attributed to renal tubular necrosis; liver and kidney were positive for Leptospira antigen by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The second animal was negative for antigen by IHC staining, but serologically positive for Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar ballum with an eightfold titer increase in paired samples, and was euthanized because of unresponsiveness to treatment. Environmental contamination by mice was suspected as the Leptospira source.

An adult Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) housed in an outdoor sanctuary in Florida exhibited vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. A clinical workup did not reveal the source of the clinical signs and antibiotic therapy was unrewarding. Radiographs revealed the presence of an abdominal mass. The tiger died during an immobilization for a follow-up clinical examination. A necropsy was performed and tissue samples of intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted for histopathologic diagnosis. A pyogranulomatous panenteritis and lymphadenitis with intralesional hyphae led to a presumptive etiologic diagnosis of intestinal/abdominal pythiosis. The diagnosis of pythiosis was confirmed by serology and immunoblotting.

A male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) was diagnosed with tracheitis associated with Bordetella bronchiseptica that was cultured from an endotracheal sample of thick mucopurulent exudate. The condition responded to oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and clinical signs of inappetence, depression, dysphagia, and tussis were resolved. One week after this presentation, a female conspecific presented with similar clinical signs, suggesting a transmissible nature of the disease or the same source of infection. The source of infection remains unknown.

A 5-yr-old female Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) had a small raised pigmented mass removed from the lateral canthus of the left eye. Six additional variably sized, raised, smooth to cauliflower-like skin masses were observed randomly distributed throughout the left wing membranes. Four masses were removed and diagnosed microscopically as basosquamous carcinomas and papillomas. Additional masses, removed 6 mo and 1 yr later, showed bony invasion and squamous differentiation. Immunohistochemistry detected positive intranuclear staining for bovine papillomavirus antibody in all samples. Polymerase chain reaction done on DNA extracts from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue amplified a 450 base-pair segment analogous to the L1 region of human papillomavirus types 96 and 5. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis of sequenced amplicons suggests a novel chiropteran papillomavirus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of papillomavirus-associated carcinoma in a chiropteran species.

A 4-yr-old male ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented with a 3-day history of pelvic limb ataxia and weakness. A cellulitis associated with a deep bite wound was identified and initially treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. Two weeks later, a grade IV/VI cardiac murmur was identified on physical examination. Echocardiographic examination revealed irregular thickening of the aortic valve leaflets, with normal chamber dimensions and normal systolic function. The ferret's physical condition rapidly deteriorated and it was subsequently euthanatized. Myxomatous degeneration of the aortic valve leaflets, with ulceration and vegetative lesions, and multiorgan infarctions were identified during necropsy. A bacterial etiologic agent was not identified from blood culture or histopathology. Lesions present were consistent with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, a novel condition in the ferret.

Transvaginal laparoscopy to allow assessment of ovarian pathology and to attempt retrieval of oocytes was facilitated in a captive, female black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) through the use of a sling on two separate occasions. Following induction of anesthesia with an opioid-based combination, the rhinoceros was intubated and maintained on isoflurane in oxygen. The use of the sling and volume controlled inhalation anesthesia allowed for maintenance of appropriate anatomic positioning, analgesia, and insufflation of the abdominal cavity for laparoscopy during both procedures.

Mycoplasma iguanae proposed species nova was isolated from vertebral abscesses of two feral iguanas (Iguana iguana) from Florida. Three strains were evaluated for sensitivity to a variety of antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentrations for M. iguanae, assessed by broth dilution methods, of clindamycin, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline, and tylosin (all <1 μg/ml) were lower than those of chloramphenicol (32 μg/ml) and erythromycin (64 μg/ml). The profile was identical to that of Mycoplasma alligatoris, previously isolated from American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). M. iguanae strain 2327^T was subcultured without antibiotics to assess mycoplasmacidal activity. Clindamycin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tylosin were bacteriostatic from 0.1 to 0.5 μg/ml, whereas enrofloxacin was bactericidal at 20 ng/ml. An enrofloxacin dosage of 5–10 mg/kg achieves peak plasma concentrations >1 μg/ml, with an elimination half-life of 6–20 hr, in alligators. Although concentrations achieved in the vertebrae by i.m. or i.v. injection are probably lower than those in plasma, these data suggest that enrofloxacin may be useful to treat M. iguanae mycoplasmosis in iguanas.