Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (Diagnostic Exercise)

Braz J Vet Pathol. March 2023;16(1):85-88. 10 Refs

Teodoro TGW¹, Mendonça FS, Asin J²

¹ São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.; ² jasinros@ucdavis.edu

Author Abstract

Clinical History:

A euthanized, 14-year-old, Warmblood gelding that had participated in an equine show was presented for necropsy and diagnostic workup to the San Bernardino laboratory of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. The animal had a 4-day history of mildly swollen limbs and hyperthermia, and developed neurologic signs shortly before euthanasia.

Necropsy Findings:

The urinary bladder had multifocal to coalescing hemorrhages in the mucosa and approximately 5 ml of turbid urine with sandy sludge (Figure 1). The entire spinal cord was removed and cross-sectioned serially after fixation in 10% neutral-buffered formalin during 48h. Multifocally, in multiple sections of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments, there were uni- or bilateral and asymmetrical, wedge-shaped areas of gray discoloration and hemorrhage (Figures 2-4). In addition, there were extensive hemorrhages around the nerve roots of the cauda equina.

Follow-up questions:

Five differential diagnoses for the gross lesions in the spinal cord (Fig. 1B-1D)
Microscopic description for the lesions in the spinal cord (Fig. 2A-2D)
Most likely cause based on clinical history and gross and microscopic findings.

Article Tools:

Email to me

Archives Highlights:

Feline blood donation: Description and adverse reactions from 29 201 donation events between 2019 and 2023.
Adverse reactions were uncommon (0.29%, 2.88/1000 donor events) and most commonly were cardiorespiratory (0.08%, 0.75/1000 donor events) or behavioral (0.06%, 0.62/1000 donor events). The only risk factor significantly associated with adverse reactions was conscious donation, with conscious donors 4.4 times more likely to have an adverse reaction.

Value of repeated health screening in 259 apparently healthy mature adult and senior cats followed for 2 years.
Within 2 years, 28% of mature adult and 54% of senior cats that were confirmed healthy at inclusion developed new diseases, most commonly IRIS = stage 2 CKD (cumulative incidence, 13.4%), hyperthyroidism (8.5%), chronic enteropathy, hepatopathy or pancreatitis (7.5%), or neoplasia (7%). The high prevalence and 2-year incidence of physical examination abnormalities and systemic diseases in apparently healthy older cats argue for regular health screening in cats at least 7 years of age.

Lightning deaths in three outdoor dogs: A case study.
The three dogs were found close to each other, under a truck with a series of damages, such as burning of the tyres, the electrical control unit, and the trailer's ABS control unit.

Common Neurologic Diseases in Geriatric Dogs.
Neurological diseases are common in geriatric dogs, and although they can present with dramatic clinical signs, in a high percentage of cases, adequate management and a good quality of life for the patient can be achieved with symptomatic treatment.

Factors Associated with Medication Noncompliance in Dogs in New Zealand.
Medication noncompliance was recorded for 47% (71/151) of owners. Increasing dog age was associated with better owner compliance. Forty-seven percent (71/151) of owners reported that "nobody" showed them how to administer the medication. One-third of dog owners (47/151) reported challenges in medicating their pets. The most common reason cited by clients reporting challenges was a resistant pet.