Search

CASE REPORT A 16-month-old perentie monitor (Varanus giganteus) was presented for acute-onset tenesmus, coelomic distension and cloacal prolapse. The prolapsed tissue was manually reduced and coelomic radiography and coelioscopy were performed. Radiographs showed a pneumocoelom with a small, collapsed right lung and unstructured interstitial pattern in the left lung. Coelioscopy confirmed pneumocoelom and showed a small accumulation of apparently mucopurulent material in the left cranial coelomic quadrant; no abnormalities were observed on examination of the gastrointestinal tract. These findings lead to a diagnosis of cloacal prolapse secondary to increased intracoelomic pressure associated with pneumocoelom, most likely caused by primary respiratory trauma or disease. CONCLUSION Pneumocoelom is an uncommon condition in reptiles and, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of pneumocoelom causing a cloacal prolapse in a lizard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracheal stricture is an uncommon sequel to tracheitis in birds. We describe a case in a red-tailed black cockatoo that was attributed to a bacterial tracheitis associated with inhaled plant material and was successfully resolved by surgical resection and anastomosis of the trachea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proventricular dilatation disease is a viral disease seen as a segmental neuropathy in parrots. It has always been believed to be a disease exotic to Australia, with the only reported case being a legally imported Green Wing Macaw ( Ara chloroptera) in 1993. This paper reports a cluster of cases seen in south-east Queensland in 2005 to 2006. Clinical signs, autopsy findings and histopathological findings are described. No pattern or common source for these cases could be identified. The implications for Australian aviculture and avifauna are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CASE REPORT A 4-year-old ISA Brown hen was presented with chronic lethargy, inappetence and fluffed feathers. Ultrasound showed a large, ovoid space-occupying lesion within the left oviduct that had concentric, laminated layers. Pyometra was suspected and a salpingohysterectomy was performed. On gross examination, the mass contained a centrally located egg yolk surrounded by pus, confirming the diagnosis of inspissated pus in the uterine portion of the oviduct. CONCLUSION This case demonstrates the use of coelomic ultrasound in the investigation of abdominal masses in avian patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case Report: A 5-year-old captive male diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) was presented with a 1-month history of regurgitation and anorexia and discrete coelomic distention. Physical examination revealed a firm, immobile mass at approximately two-thirds of the snout-vent length from the front of the head. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirate biopsy of the mass in the region of the stomach showed necrosis with bacterial infiltration and possibly neoplastic changes. A gastroscopy was conducted, but showed grossly normal gastric mucosa, confirmed by biopsy. On exploratory coeliotomy, it was confirmed the mass involved most of the stomach wall and occluded the gastric lumen. The mass was completely excised and based on histopathology, a diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma was made. The snake was found dead 12 h postoperatively, but no specific cause of death was found on postmortem examination., Conclusion: Most cases of adenocarcinoma in snakes go undiagnosed. This case report illustrates that the architecture of gastric masses may lead to false-negative gastric biopsy results in snakes with neoplasia., (© 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.)

Case Report: Juvenile inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) from a breeding collection in south-east Queensland were presented at age 6-10 weeks with neurological signs, poor growth and occasional deaths. Histopathological examination revealed that six of eight lizards had multifocal non-suppurative hepatitis associated with 5-10 μm diameter, smudgy, basophilic, hyaline intranuclear inclusion bodies that marginated the nuclear chromatin. These histological lesions were considered consistent with adenoviral hepatitis. Infection with adenovirus was confirmed positive in one of the eight dragons by PCR for adenoviral DNA. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pooled tissues of the juvenile inland bearded dragons and tested using a nested-PCR protocol with primers specific for identification of adenovirus. Sequencing of the one PCR-positive dragon showed 95% nucleotide sequence alignment with agamid atadenovirus 1. Further investigation involved testing the breeding population, including the parents of the affected juveniles. Blood and cloacal samples were collected from the adult population, DNA was extracted and tested by PCR for adenovirus. There was a high percentage of positive results from the samples collected from the breeding population., Conclusion: This is the first reported group outbreak of adenoviral disease in bearded dragons in Australia., (© 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.)

This report describes a keratoacanthoma causing abnormal maxillary beak growth in a 6-year-old male budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulates). Although the bird was still capable of eating, it had recently been demonstrating signs of respiratory distress and euthanasia was recommended. On histological examination, the neoplasm was dramatically effacing the normal structure of the maxilla and infiltrating into the rostral nasal sinuses. The tumour consisted of many cyst-like proliferations of well-differentiated squamous epithelial cells with central keratinization. Contiguity of the tumour cells with the stratum germinativum of the beak was noted in one microscopic field. This tumour type has not previously been reported in the avian beak; however, this case shows some similarities to subungual keratoacanthomas occurring in human patients and nailbed keratoacanthomas occurring in dogs and cats.

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease is commonly diagnosed all over the world as a viral disease of psittacine birds that primarily results in abnormalities of the feathers and beak. The clinical presentation of this disease varies between species and age groups, but in the majority of cases the course of the disease is chronic. This case report documents an acute form of the disease in African Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) that resulted in death without lesions in the feathers and beak.