Rafael Rocha de Souza

Puma (Puma concolor) predating sheep in Uberlândia, Brazil: physical injuries, stress and myopathy

Puma (Puma concolor) is in Brazil among the major species involved in human-wildlife conflicts, primarily due to the predation of sheep and goats in farms. A puma might kill from one to several animals in a single predation episode, and free-ranging flocks of goats and sheep are usually affected. These attacks are rarely witnessed and direct observation of predation is rare. We herein report three predation episodes and the cause of death of sheep kept inside paddocks in a farm located besides a major town of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Death of 31 animals was attributed to a puma as determined by circumstantial evidence, necropsy of 16 animals, laboratory findings and direct observation of the predator at the occurrence site. However, death of only eight animals was caused by traumatic injury mainly at the cervical region. The remaining animals lacked lethal traumatic injuries and post mortem examination indicated circulatory collapse (congestion of internal organs). Two surviving animals had a great increase in creatinine phosphokinase blood levels and thus death of remaining animals was attributed to stress and myopathy caused by fear and chasing of sheep trapped inside paddocks. Measures taken after the third predation episode (illumination of paddocks, pasture height control, vegetation clearance around the paddocks and closure of animals in stalls at night) prevented further

Cystic liver disease in domestic feline inffected with Platynosomum sp. - A Case report

Platinosomosis affects felines and it is caused by a trematode of the genus Platynosomum sp. The parasitized animals can be symptomatic or asymptomatic and the disease can evolve severely, killing the animal. Due to the similarity between clinical signs and changes of platinosomosis and those of other pathologies caused by the parasite and having in mind that the parasite occasionally appears on the stool, the search for trematodes and eggs in material coming from bile aspirate is a more efficient way to diagnose the parasitic disease, what helps to distinguish it from other liver diseases. Thus, the clinical veterinarian is able to perform the treatment correctly. The aim was to report a case of cystic liver disease related to platinosomosis in a domestic feline which has been undergoing treatment of liver disease for over a year. During the clinical evaluation, the animal was apathetic and with hepatomegaly. A complete blood count (CBC) revealed a discreet lymphopenia. The enzymes alkaline phosphatase and alanine transaminase were above the normal range for the species. The parasitological examination of the biliary material indicated eggs from the trematode Platynosomum sp. whereas the histopathology examination of liver masses indicated cystic structures covered by connective tissue and multifocal mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate. In conclusion, liver cysts in felines with chronic liver disease can be associated with cases of diseases caused by the trematode helminths.

Fisiopatologia da contração tônica clônica involuntária da cinomose

The distemper caused by canine distemper virus (VCC), family Paramyxoviridae is a highly contagious disease, where the dog is the main reservoir. Has a high mortality rate and generates eye disorders, respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, resulting in progressive multifocal demyelinating disease. Affects dogs of any age, race, gender and preference for pups. Distemper can be diagnosed by laboratory by viewing Lenzs inclusion corpuscles in blood smears, in CSF and impressions of the nasal mucosa, preputial, particularly vaginal and conjunctival. Its symptoms are diverse, and often severe, such as psychological disorders, tonic-clonic contractions, local myoclonus and ataxia. This is characterized by repetitive contraction of a muscle or one or more muscle groups, mainly involving the muscles of mastication and appendicular. The pathognomonic sign of the disease may occur during the acute phase of disease, usually associated with lesions in the basal ganglia, but is most frequently observed in the chronic phase, related to the hyperexcitability of the lower motor neurons, being reported more frequently in chronic cases of myoclonus . The prognosis for resolution of the myoclonus is severe. There is no medicine everyday to control the signals. If TOLEDO, J.C. et al. Fisiopatologia da contração tônica clônica involuntária da cinomose. PUBVET, Londrina, V. 5, N. 40, Ed. 187, Art. 1263, 2011. the animal is severe myoclonus is often sacrificed. In less severe cases the dog may be kept as a pet, but the myoclonus usually persists for several years.