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Farmed cervids are of growing economic importance in the midwestern United States. Although diseases of wild and captive cervids have been examined in more northerly climates, little information exists on the health challenges of deer in the Midwest. We characterized and summarized the causes of mortality in farmed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) submitted to the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (Columbia, MO, USA) over a 19-y period (2004–2023). Of 388 cases examined, 253 (65%) were carcasses submitted for autopsy, and 135 (35%) cases were tissue samples harvested by field veterinarians. Infectious disease was the most common cause of mortality (n= 335; 86.3%). Of infectious causes, primary pneumonia was most common (n= 140; 41.7%), followed by septicemia (n= 68; 20.1%), and primary enteritis (n= 64; 19.1%). Viruses were detected in 18% of pneumonia cases. The most common non-infectious diagnoses were emaciation and trauma (both 4 each; 1%). Thirteen animals (3.4%) died of unknown causes. Forty-nine percent of cases were juvenile deer <1-y-old. Most cases were received in the summer (212; 54.6%). Infectious diseases, particularly bacteria and viruses, pose a significant health challenge to farmed deer in the midwestern United States.

'A New Approach to Stifle Injuries' (EQUUS 439) was very timely for me. My 27-year-old gelding had just injured his stifle, and I wasn't understanding what my veterinarian was telling [...]

Bacillary hemoglobinuria (BH) is an infectious disease, mostly affecting cattle, caused by Clostridium haemolyticum(C. novyitype D), with acute hepatic necrosis and intravascular hemolysis. Cattle are typically predisposed to BH by liver injury caused by Fasciola hepatica, although cases have been reported in cattle without evidence of this parasite. Here we describe a cluster of 14 BH cases from 7 counties in north-central to central Missouri submitted to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory between December 2020 and April 2023. Postmortem examination in all cases revealed hemoglobinuria and acute hepatic necrosis with large numbers of gram-positive bacilli with terminal-to-subterminal spores. Flukes, fluke ova, and/or fluke pigment consistent with Fascioloides magnawere identified in 12 of 14 cases. Sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) from one fluke had 100% identity to F. magna. C. novyiwas detected by fluorescent antibody testing of liver impression smears (11 of 12 cases) and by immunohistochemistry of liver sections (7 of 7 cases). PCR on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues amplified the C. haemolyticumbeta toxin gene in each of the 7 cases tested. To our knowledge, a confirmed cluster of BH associated with F. magnahas not been reported previously in cattle.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to the articles in previous issues including "A New Approach to Stifle Injuries," "Targeted Laminitis Prevention" and a article related to the Quarter Horse riding experience.