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Salmonellosis is a known cause of enteric disorders in calves. However, cases in the septicemic form may not present enteric lesions, which may lead the veterinary practitioner to not suspect salmonellosis, compromising the diagnosis. The current study describes the epidemiological, clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical aspects of septicemic salmonellosis in calves without enteric lesions. The protocols involving bovine material submitted to the Pathology Laboratory (LAP) of the “Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia” (FAMEZ) of the “Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul” (UFMS) from January 1995 to July 2018 were studied. Cases confirmed or suggestive of septicemic salmonellosis in calves without enteric manifestations were selected. Fragments of the liver, lung, and spleen embedded in paraffin were submitted to immunohistochemistry (IHC). Only cases in which there was positive marking on the IHC or culture isolation of Salmonella were included in this study. Of a total of 5,550 cattle examined in the period, ten presented septicemic salmonellosis without enteric lesions. Clinical signs included mucosal pallor, apathy, hyperthermia, and dyspnea. Only three calves presented diarrhea, and two were found dead before clinical changes were observed. The most common necropsy findings were hepatosplenomegaly; yellow, orange or brown discolored livers; pale mucous membranes; inflated and sometimes red lungs; fibrin or fluid within body cavities; and gallbladder filled with inspissated bile. Jaundice was observed in three calves that had a concomitant infection with Anaplasma sp. Microscopically, paratyphoid hepatic nodules and interstitial pneumonia were the most frequent manifestations, followed by thrombosis and bacterial colonies in the spleen, lung, liver, and brain. A strong positive marking was observed in IHC, predominantly in the lung and to a lesser extent in the liver. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated the Dublin serotype as the causative agent in the samples of the four calves submitted to this procedure. In calves, the septicemic form was the major cause of death due to salmonellosis. Septicemic salmonellosis was usually not accompanied by diarrhea. The clinical signs of septicemia are nonspecific and of little assistance in the diagnosis. IHC has been shown to be efficient in the detection of the agent, mainly in the lung and especially in situations where it is not possible to perform bacterial culture.

A large outbreak of botulism in feedlot steers fed corn silage contaminated with Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type C (BoNT/C) is reported occurring in Midwestern Brazil in August 2017. The onset of the outbreak occurred 15 days after 1700 steers started to be fed the contaminated corn silage. Affected steers were alert and afebrile with varying degrees of flaccid paralysis in various muscle groups. A total of 1100 steers were affected, 1090 of which died within four days. Ten steers recovered after treatment with antitoxin. No gross or microscopic lesions were found in affected steers. The diagnosis was based on epidemiological data, characteristic clinical signs, and positive mouse bioassay results. This outbreak is interesting due to the high number of fatally affected cattle and the on-site diagnostic approach. This case report demonstrates the difficulties in diagnosing and treating botulism in cattle.

Mutant color alopecia is an ectodermical defection of color dilution, characterized by partial alopecia, dry, shine-less hair, and peeling and papule. Melanization damages also occur on the cortical structure of the affected hair. The animals affected have big melanin grains with irregular shape on the basal keratinocytes, also on the hair matrix cells and rod. Therefore, there is not a specific treatment that makes any difference on the syndrome evolution. Although in some animals, it is possible to use weekly showers with benzyl peroxide to reduce seborrhea formation and secondary infections. There is evidence that the condition in dogs is caused by a single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding the melanophilin protein. In the present study the identification of the SNP c.-22G>A in the melanophilin gene of a Dachshund breed dog with clinical and histopathologic evidence of color dilution alopecia is reported.

Background : Crotalaria spp. Poisoning induces liver or pulmonary disease. C. mucronata , C. juncea , C. spectabilis , and C. retusa are the Crotalaria spp. inducing spontaneous intoxication in livestock in Brazil. C. mucronata and C. juncea are associated with interstitial pneumonia, while C. retusa and C. specatabilis induce hepatotoxicosis. The toxic principle in Crotalaria spp. are dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids and their N -oxides. C. incana poisoning to livestock is rarely documented. This paper reports the clinical signs and pathological findings of a case of Crotalaria incana poisoning in a steer. The chemical finding of a potential toxic dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid in the plant is documented for the first time. Case : The affected bovine was part of a herd of 80 two-year-old steers that were transferred from Property 1 to Property 2, 30 days prior to the event. In the pasture of Property I - where the steers were held for 6 months - there was a heavy infestation by a Crotalaria species with signs of being consumed by the steers. The plant was identified as Crotalaria incana at the Botanical Laboratory of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and a voucher specimen was filed there under the register GCMS 51169. Two days after entering Property 2 one of the steers became depressed, staggering, and in poor body condition. With time, the steer became oblivious to the environment and died 20 days after the onset of the clinical signs. Significant necropsy findings were limited to the liver which was markedly enlarged and with rounded edges. The hepatic cut surface was mottled with dark red and extensive orange areas of discoloration. The gallbladder was distended and the bile was inspissated. Microscopically, in the liver, there was fibrosis, bile duct hyperplasia and hepatocellular megalocytosis. The Glisson’s capsule was markedly thickened by fibrosis. In the brain, there was vacuolation of myelin sheaths ( status spongiosus ), moderate gliosis, and rare Alzheimer type 2 astrocytes. Discussion : The diagnosis of intoxication by C. incana was based on clinical signs and pathological changes and the evidence of the plant being consumed. The high infestation of C. incana in the pasture, the high proportion of dead matter and the low concentration of viable pasture favored the ingestion of C. incana. Spongy degeneration, a typical lesion of hepatic encephalopathy, was observed in the several areas of the brain. Cirrhosis of the liver as seen in the case of this report, results in elevated ammonia levels in the blood - and eventually in the brain – and ammonia toxicity causes hepatic encephalopathy. Morphological changes in hepatic encephalopathy in the central nervous system of human beings and horses centers on astrocytes which undergo Alzheimer type 2 change developing an enlarged, pale nuclei with a rim of chromatin and prominent nucleoli. Astrocytes pairs and triplets are seen, and, in severe cases, astrocytic nuclei may become lobulated and contain glycogen. Chemical analysis of C. incana was accomplished by acid-base extraction with zincreduction of N -oxides and quantitation by spectrometry. Quantitative analysis was achieved by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. To confirm the identity of the alkaloid in the sample of C. incana the isolated alkaloid was compared to a standard sample of usaramine previously isolated, and its identity verified by magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis. The 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid usaramine, as well as its N -oxide, were identified as the major alkaloids in in C. incana . The concentration found in the seed was consistent with that previously reported. This is a new finding on the toxic principle of C. incana. Keywords: cattle diseases, poisonous plants, pathology, hepatotoxicity, Crotalaria incana , chronic liver failure.

An outbreak of Brachiaria decumbens poisoning in goats in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, is described. Out of a herd of about 1,000 goats, seven goats died after showing photosensitivity (3 out 7 goats) and icterus (4/7). Other clinical signs included lethargy, dehydration and weight loss (7/7). At necropsy there was either hepatomegaly or liver atrophy; orange, yellow or gray discoloration - were observed in the liver of six goats. Two had accentuation of lobular pattern and punctate, linear or stellar fibrous depressions were randomly distributedover the capsular surface. Macroscopic changesattributedto liver failure consisting of hydropericardium (2/7) and ascites (2/7) were observed. Histologically, there was accumulation of refringent crystals in the bile ducts and infiltration of foamy macrophages in the liver of all goats. Foamy macrophages were also present in the hepatic and mesenteric lymph nodes of two goats. The diagnosis of B. decumbens poisoning was based on epidemiology, clinical signs, necropsy findings and histopathology. Resumo: Relata-se um surto de intoxicação por Brachiaria decumbens em caprinos no estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. De um rebanho de aproximadamente 1.000 caprinos, sete cabras morreram após apresentar fotossensibilização (3 de 7 cabras) e icterícia (4/7). Outros sinais clínicos incluíam apatia, desidratação e emagrecimento (7/7). Todas as cabras tinham alteração no tamanho do fígado - cinco estavam aumentados de volume e dois, diminuídos; o fígado de 6 cabras tinha alteração na cor - dois eram alaranjados, dois amarelados e dois, acinzentados; o fígado de duas cabras tinha acentuação do padrão lobular e outros dois apresentavam depressões fibrosas puntiformes, lineares ou estreladas, brancacentas distribuídas aleatoriamente pela superfície capsular. Adicionalmente, foram observadas alterações macroscópicas atribuídas à insuficiência hepática como hidropericárdio (2/7) e ascite (2/7). Alterações histopatológicas incluíam cristais refringentes nos ductos biliares e infiltrado de macrófagos espumosos no parênquima hepático de todas as cabras. Macrófagos espumosos também foram observados nos linfonodos mesentéricos e hepáticos em duas cabras. O diagnóstico de intoxicação por braquiária foi baseado na epidemiologia, achados clínicos, de necropsia e histopatológicos.

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the upper digestive tract (UDT) of cattle have been associated with chronic bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) toxicity and infection with bovine papillomavirus type-4. These tumours share some morphological similarities with human head and neck SCCs. In this study, morphological changes were correlated with the biological behaviour of 40 alimentary SCCs in cattle grazing on pastures with high bracken content. The majority of SCCs were localized to the cranial and caudal regions of the UDT (almost 45% each). More than 60% of the tumours were well differentiated and were found mostly in the cranial region. Metastasis occurred in 58% of the cases, mostly to regional lymph nodes. All poorly differentiated SCCs had evidence of metastasis. Morphological patterns characterized by islands and ribbons of neoplastic keratinocytes were more prominent in well differentiated SCCs. These patterns varied greatly in moderately differentiated SCCs. Poorly differentiated tumours were characterized by the presence of cellular aggregates and individual cells and these tumours had more marked desmoplasia. A significant positive association was established between lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltration and tumour-associated tissue eosinophilia. Evaluation of argyrophylic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) revealed higher proliferation indices in poorly differentiated tumours than in moderately or well differentiated lesions. There was significant correlation between the AgNOR index and histological grading. The morphological factors analyzed were all related to histological grading, which is the major factor predicting the biological behaviour of SCCs in cattle naturally exposed to bracken fern.

Hyphema (hemorrhage within the anterior chamber of the eye) can be caused by several mechanisms and can easily be detected in routine ophthalmic or necroscopic examination as discolored red eye(s). The purpose of this study is to report the cause of hyphema diagnosed as a postmortem finding in dogs and cats. Twenty cases, 14 dogs and six cats of several ages and breeds and of both sexes were included in the study. Hyphema presented as a unilateral (14 cases out of 20) or bilateral (6/20) disorder in dogs and cats and extension of hemorrhage varied from minimal to diffuse. Hyphema was secondary to systemic disease (15/20) or occurred as a primary ocular lesion (5/20) in four dogs and one cat. Primary hyphema was always unilateral. In four of these cases, the cause of hyphema was trauma and remaining case was caused by phacoclastic uveitis in a dog with bilateral hypermature cataract. Various causes of bleeding disorders were found related to secondary hyphema: in decreasing order of frequency, they included vasculitis (8/15), systemic hypertension (5/15), and acquired coagulopathies (2/15). Vasculitis due to feline infectious peritonitis accounted for half of the cases (n=3) of systemic hyphema in cats. The various pathological aspects and pathogenesis of hyphema in dogs and cats are described and discussed.

A estimulação elétrica neuromuscular (EENM) de média freqüência (Russa) ou de Kotz pode ser empregada para a recuperação de massa muscular em animais apresentando atrofia muscular por desuso. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi empregar a EENM de média freqüência no quadríceps femoral de cães com atrofia muscular induzida, avaliando-se a ocorrência de ganho de massa. Foram utilizados oito cães em dois grupos denominados de GI ou controle e de GII ou tratado. Para a indução da atrofia muscular, a articulação fêmoro-tíbio-patelar esquerda foi imobilizada por 30 dias. Após 48 horas da remoção, foi realizada a EENM nos cães do grupo II, três vezes por semana, com intervalo de 48 horas cada sessão, pelo período de 60 dias. Foram avaliadas a mensuração da perimetria da coxa, da goniometria do joelho, as enzimas creatina-quinase (CK) e morfometria das fibras musculares em cortes transversais do músculo vasto lateral, colhido mediante a biópsia muscular. A EENM foi empregada no músculo quadríceps femoral numa freqüência de 2.500Hz, largura de pulso de 50% e relação de tempo on/off de 1:2. Não houve diferença significativa quanto aos valores de perimetria da coxa e a atividade da enzima CK entre os grupos I e II. Na goniometria, houve diminuição significativa (P

The ethidium bromide (EB) demyelinating model was associated with vitamin E (Vit E) and ebselen (Ebs) treatment to evaluate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the striatum (ST), hippocampus (HP), cerebral cortex (CC) and erythrocytes. Rats were divided into seven groups: I-Control (saline), II-(canola); III-(Ebs), IV-(Vit E); V-(EB); VI-(EB+Ebs) and VII-(EB+Vit E). At 3 days after the EB injection, AChE activity in the CC and HC was significantly reduced in groups III, IV, V, VI and VII (p