Yücel Meral

Trombiculidae larvae (Neotrombicula autumnalis) infestation in a Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) in Turkey

With this case report, we describe Trombiculidae larvae (Neotrombicula autumnalis) infestation in a Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) which was brought to our clinics by the Directorship of Environmental and Forestry authorities of Samsun, Turkey in April, 2007. The male Little Bittern (I. minutus), with a black back and crown, and black wings with a large white patch on each wing, had thick Trombiculidae larvae infestation both on its legs. There were neither dermatological nor general conditional changes observed, except its superficial larval attachments to the skin. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Trombiculidae larvae (N. autumnalis) infestation in a Little Bittern (I. minutus) in Turkey.

The relationship of ultrasound measurements taken from two different anatomical regions to carcass traits and chemical composition of the carcass in Karayaka lambs

Filiz AKDAĞ*, Bülent TEKE, Mustafa UĞURLU, Mustafa SALMAN, Yücel MERAL Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey Department of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

A new approach to blood parameters in dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis

Background: Some blood parameters have diagnostic and prognostic importance for the infections in human medicine. However, there is insufficient research regarding the importance of blood parameters and their correlations in veterinary medicine. Increased blood cell distribution width (RDW) and platelet activity can link with the important inflammatory markers. The main objective of the present study was the evaluation of the relationship among some important blood parameters namely RDW, platelet count (PLT), platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT), their potential usage in the diagnosis and determination of the clinical severity in dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis. Materials, Methods & Results: In this study, the case records of 29 dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis were evaluated and the records of 10 healthy dogs were used as controls. The animals of the study group were presented at the Ondokuz Mayis University, Veterinary Internal Medicine Clinic. The complete blood count (CBC), which includes the total WBC, RBC, hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin concentration (Hgb), MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), RDW, PLT, MPV, PCT, and PDW, was determined. Significant positive correlations between RDW and RBC, HCT, MCHC, PLT and PDW, and a negative correlation with MCV, were determined. PDW was positively correlated with the lymphocyte count, MCHC and RDW, and negatively correlated with PCT. PLT was negatively correlated with MCV and MPV and positively correlated with RBC and RDW. In addition, MPV was positively correlated with MCV and MCH, and negatively correlated with PLT. Furthermore, there were significant differences between the granulocyte, WBC, HCT, RDW and PDW values (P < 0.001) and monocyte count, Hgb and MCV (P < 0.05), of the study and control groups. Discussion: Acute hemorrhagic enteritis has various causes in dogs such as idiopathic hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and a number of viral, bacterial and parasitic agents. Hematological and biochemical parameters are not specific to enteric diseases, but these paremeters can provide clinically helpful information for differential diagnosis, response to treatment, and prognosis. In this frame, the evaluation of MCV and RDW in combination, and the determination of the mean red cell size and the extent of heterogeneity of the red cell population, can be especially useful to the diagnosis of different red blood cell disorders. In the present study, differences in RDW and MCV values were statistically significant between the study and control groups (P < 0.05). Increased RDW and decreased MCV can be good indicators of hemorragic diseases and in the present study, in addition to these findings, decreased Hgb and Hct confirmed anemia in dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis. The other key findings of this study were statistically significant relationships between RDW, PLT and PDW, which could be important indicators of inflammation in dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis. These parameters should be evaluated carefully in clinical cases of hemorrhagic enteritis. However, due to nature of retrospective studies, there were some limitations (the lack of another control group of dogs suffering from other hemorrhagic diseases) lack of serial measurements of the blood parameters and further studies should be carried out on dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis for a more detailed evaluation and confirmation of the findings of this study.

Mitral Valve Regurgitation in two Thoroughbred Stallions

Abstract Mitral valve (MV) disease is the most important valvular condition affecting athletic performance in horses. Twenty and 22 years old Thoroughbred Stallions used for breeding had suffered from increased respiratory and heart rate, poor performance and incomplete ejaculate release during covering, since three months ago. Cardiac examination projected irregular cardiac rhythm after a halt and an early-mid-systolic murmur. Mitral regurgitation (MR) and valvular changes were visible on echocardiography. Also volume overload of the Left Atrium (LA) and Left Ventricle (LV) were observed. Color Flow Doppler echocardiography confirmed moderate mitral valve regurgitation. A band-like fibrous and nodular degeneration of the left coronary leaflet was present. There was minimal secondary left ventricular remodeling of the apex of the left ventricle due to chronic volume overload. The therapeutic attempts included Quinapril and Furosemide. In these cases, normally no structural effect could be achieved, but clinical improvement and successful covering sessions were obtained, and when the therapy was terminated, clinical problems reappeared. In conclusion, in horses with MR, early diagnosis and appropriate therapy with Quinapril promises a reasonable performance.