During the winter, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) typically sees submissions in newborn calves described as “weak”, “dummy”, “maladjusted”, and “poor doer”. Most commonly, these animals are born alive but lack normal vigor and die within the first week of life. Postmortem exam and ancillary diagnostic testing has shown vitamin and trace…
Neospora caninum is a protozoal organism that is associated with abortion in cattle and the birth of weak calves. Dogs are the definitive hosts for this organism, and the organism is spread in the feces of infected dogs. Cattle become infected by ingesting the organism in feedstuffs contaminated with infected dog feces, but vertical transmission from…
A 12-month-old crossbred bull was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station for necropsy. The clinical history indicated that this animal had periodic seizures and bouts of ataxia for two days. The animal would appear to be normal between these neurologic episodes. The referring veterinarian indicated that the neurologic signs…
Tissue samples from a three-week old, Charolais mix, male intact calf were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for testing. According to the submitting veterinarian, the animal exhibited acute, non-specific neurological deficits that progressed rapidly. No information was provided regarding whether this animal died naturally or by euthanasia. Tests requested by…
Recently, seventeen cows died within twenty-four hours after consuming new hay. All of the cows died within 100 yards of the hay. A sample of the hay, along with tissue samples and ocular fluid from one of the cows were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for testing. Toxic levels of…
A producer reported a sudden death loss of six head of cattle. Two of the animals were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for necropsy to determine the cause of sudden death. Upon arrival at TVMDL, the owner indicated there had been a history of pneumonia and some of the animals…
Ochroconosis is a sporadic fungal encephalitis that has been reported in young chickens, turkey poults, quail chicks, and wild birds. It is caused by a dematiaceous, thermophilic fungus, Ochroconis gallopava (Dactylaris gallopava). O. gallopava is a ubiquitous fungus found in hot spring environments, soil, wood, and decaying vegetation. In birds, ochroconosis has been associated with contaminated litter and egg…
TVMDL diagnosed ocular coccidioidomycosis via histopathology in a 12-week-old Great Pyrenees puppy from Brewster County in West Texas. This puppy was clinically diagnosed with juvenile glaucoma in the right eye and a previous history of possible unknown trauma was speculated. The affected eye was enucleated and sent to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory…
A 21 day-old calf with a history of multiple leg fractures and no evidence of external injuries was euthanized and sent into the TVMDL for evaluation of the hind limbs and mandible. On gross necropsy examination the mandible contained incisor teeth that were erupted but were all pink, translucent, mobile, and when transected contained pink…
As part of the process for weaning, a group of 400 calves were given a parenteral injection of a mineral preparation. Four calves were unexpectedly found dead within 24 hours following treatment. Due to marked pulmonary congestion, there was a suspicion of acute pneumonia. Fresh and fixed tissues (liver spleen, lung, and kidney) were submitted…