A.F. Ahmed

Surgical treatment for different forms of hernias in sheep and goats

Sheep and goats are frequently presented with different forms of hernias to veterinary clinics. The aim of this study is to investigate the outcome of the surgical treatment of abdominal, umbilical, inguinal and scrotal hernias in sheep and goats. Fifty-eight clinical cases (sheep = 44, goat = 14) were presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia from September, 2003 to September, 2006. These animals had abdominal (sheep = 30, goat = 10), umbilical (sheep = 6, goat = 4), inguinal (sheep = 7) and scrotal (sheep = 1) hernias. All the cases of hernias in sheep and goats were subjected to full study including the history of the case, classification of hernias, the size of the hernial ring, surgical repair of the hernias, adhesions between the hernial sacs in each case, the postoperative care and follow up of the cases. The results revealed that gender had an effect on the incidence of hernia. The incidence of abdominal hernias was higher in females and the incidence of inguinal hernia was higher in males. There was a positive correlation between the history of hernia and the degree of adhesion. For the sheep, 26 out of 30 cases of abdominal hernia had good outcomes and the healing was excellent. There were postoperative complications in 4 ewes. For the goats, there were slight swellings at the site of operation in 2 out of 10 cases of abdominal hernia, while the remaining 8 cases had good outcomes. There was one case of umbilical hernia with an umbilical abscess that had broken down with sepsis formation at the surgical site. In conclusion, the success rates of surgical treatment for all types of hernias were very high and there were no significant differences in the success rates among the different types of hernias in both sheep and goats. The types of suture materials and the types of hernias had no significant effect on the outcome of the surgical treatment.

Ovarian hydrobursitis in female camels (Camelus dromedarius): Clinical findings, histopathology and fertility after unilateral surgical ablation

This study was undertaken to verify the clinical signs, incidence, location, etiology and pathology of ovarian hydrobursitis in infertile female camels and estimate the fertility after unilateral surgical ablation. Genital organs (n = 124) were examined in camels slaughtered at Makkah abattoir during Hajj of 2009. Infertile female camels (n = 142) presented for management to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, were clinically examined and ultrasound-scanned for the diagnosis of genital abnormalities. Twenty eight camels diagnosed with ovarian hydrobursitis were further investigated for the effect of unilateral surgical ablation on breeding outcomes. Surgical ablation was carried on 14 cases (treated group), the remaining 14 cases were followed as controls (control group). Both groups were observed for breeding results: 90 days non-return rate (90d NRR) and calving rate (CR). Removed bursae were sent to the laboratory for histopathological investigation. Results showed that the incidence of ovarian hydrobursitis was 6.5% in slaughtered camels and 33.8% in infertile females. Camels with hydrobursitis were concurrently affected with pyometra, uterine and vaginal adhesions or purulent endometritis. Histopathology reported degeneration and hyperplasia of the lining epithelium, mononuclear cells infiltration, focal aggregation of inflammatory cells, cystic dilatation of multi-acinal structures, tiny hemorrhages, and presence of hemosiderin-laden macrophages. The 90d NRR and CR of the surgically-treated cases were 64.3% and 50%, respectively. None of the untreated cases conceived. These results confirmed that ovarian hydrobursitis causes infertility in dromedary female camels and is associated with inflammatory genital conditions and surgical ablation in unilaterally affected animals presents a potential treatment.

The Use of Xylazine, Ketamine, and Isoflurane for Induction and Maintenance of Anesthesia in Ostriches (Struthio camelus)

Abstract To evaluate the use of xylazine/ketamine and isoflurane for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia in adult ostriches (Struthio camelus), 7 healthy adult ostriches (weight 100–130 kg) were deprived of food for 12 hours and then given an injection of xylazine (4 mg/kg IM), followed 20 minutes later by an injection of ketamine (8 mg/kg IV). After intubation, each bird was maintained on isoflurane anesthesia, and physiologic and hematologic parameters were measured. The respiratory rate and the systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures decreased significantly 10 minutes after delivery of isoflurane, and these decreases continued until the isoflurane was discontinued. Jaw and pedal withdrawal reflexes were useful indicators for evaluating muscle relaxation and depth of anesthesia in the ostriches while under general anesthesia. Recovery from anesthesia was relatively smooth, with minimal complications, and was complete at mean (SD) 50 ± 24 minutes after discontinuing isoflurane. From these results, we concluded that induction of anesthesia with xylazine-ketamine followed by maintenance with isoflurane produced sufficient anesthesia for performing surgical operations with relatively smooth recovery in adult ostriches.

Topographical anatomy and desensitization of the pudendal nerve in adult male dromedary camels

The objectives of this study were to describe the topographical anatomy of the pudendal nerve and to develop techniques of its blocking in adult male dromedary camels. Two cadavers and 30 adult male dromedary camels were used for the description of topographical anatomy and pudendal nerve block techniques, respectively. Results revealed that the pudendal nerve arises from the ventral branches of the 2(nd) and 3(rd) sacral spinal nerves. The nerve had three divisions; dorsal, middle, and ventral. The caudal rectal nerve was a branch of the dorsal division. Three blocking techniques were developed according to the results of topographical anatomy. The first technique was 15 cm cranial to the tail base and 7 cm lateral to the midline. The second was 12 cm cranial to the tail base and 7 cm lateral to the midline. The third was about 3 cm on either sides of the anus. Details and complications of each technique were reported. In conclusion, the anatomy of the pudendal nerve was different from that of cattle and horse. The second technique (12 cm cranial to the tail base and 7 cm lateral to the midline) for pudendal nerve block was superior among the three methods. Duration of nerve blocking was suitable for examination and for performing some surgical procedures in male dromedary camels.

Unilateral seminoma in a dromedary camel.

A 10-year-old, clinically healthy, male dromedary camel had presented a history of progressive unilateral testicular enlargement over the past 5 years. The animal had mated with 32 females during that period; all had conceived. The sex ratio of his offspring was one male to 31 females. Ultrasound examination of the right testicle revealed a diffusely heterogeneous parenchyma with no identifiable normal testicular tissue. The enlarged testicle was surgically removed. Macroscopically, the testicle had a glistening pink surface and contained multiple soft, bulging nodules. Histopathologically, a well-differentiated, diffuse seminoma was diagnosed. In conclusion, this study describes the fertility, sex ratio, clinical findings and ultrasonographic imaging in a male dromedary camel affected with unilateral testicular seminoma.

Mandibular Fracture in Single-humped Camels

OBJECTIVE To report the causes and classification of mandibular fractures in dromedary camels and outcome after treatment. ANIMALS Single-humped camels (n = 116) with mandibular fracture. METHODS At admission, cause, site, classification, and radiography of mandibular fractures were recorded. Factors affecting fracture healing were analyzed. RESULTS Biting was the main cause of mandibular fractures in camels, which occurred more commonly in older males (P = .001) than in females. Open fractures were more common than closed ones (92.2% versus 7.8%, P = .0001) and single fractures were more frequent (82%) than multiple and comminuted fractures (18%; P = .001). Fractures were treated by interdental wiring (91.2%) or U-shaped aluminum bar (8.8%) and healing occurred in most (83.2%) fractures. CONCLUSIONS In dromedary camels, mandibular fracture is most commonly caused by bites and can be successfully repaired by interdental wiring or a U-bar technique with good outcome.