A flock of approximately 10,000 Coturnix quail, aged 5.5 months, were experiencing mild diarrhea and various vague neurological symptoms resulting in a spike in mortality over the previous few days. Four dead 5.5-month-old Coturnix quail were presented for necropsy at TVMDL’s Gonzales laboratory. The quail were euthanized on the farm prior to submission. Birds weighed…
Staphylococcosis and fowl pox were diagnosed at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) poultry lab in Center, TX, in a flock of 17-week-old, meat type, breeder, chickens. Three dead birds were submitted for laboratory examination. Grossly, all the birds had moderately swollen gastrocnemius tendons and hocks, as well as moderate to large numbers…
Five live 30-week-old laying chickens were presented to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in Gonzales for necropsy. Birds were weak, lethargic, and depressed. The flock had a history of severe production drop starting approximately four weeks following housing in the laying facility at 22 weeks of age. Clinical signs included coughing, droopiness,…
A six-year-old mixed breed gelding experienced a sudden onset of neurologic signs including a stiff jaw, body tremors, dilated pupils, photophobia, and ataxia. Symptomatic treatment was unsuccessful, and the horse was euthanized after becoming intractable. The attending veterinarian performed a field necropsy and noted icterus, subcutaneous hemorrhages (attributed to trauma), acute pleural hemorrhage, agonal endocardial…
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory received stomach content, fresh kidney, and serum from a two-month old mixed breed puppy for testing. The owner found the puppy deceased in the yard with foam coming from its mouth. Malicious poisoning was suspected as a neighbor previously threatened to poison the owner’s puppies. Given the uncertainty…
A rabbit breeding colony experienced multiple sudden deaths in a barn that typically had few death losses. The rabbits were noted grossly to have hemorrhage in the cecum and colon. Tissues from a 20-month-old female Flemish Giant rabbit were submitted for histopathology and bacterial culture. Histologically the rabbit had a marked, diffuse necrotizing and hemorrhagic…
Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) offers a variety of testing to assist in working up calf diarrhea cases. The calf diarrhea multiplex PCR—which targets bovine coronavirus, bovina rotavirus A, and Cryptosporidium—has been requested by Texas veterinarians over 1,000 times since 2019. Using TVMDL test results gathered between March 2019 and October 2023, this article…
A male kitten was rescued by animal control and taken to a veterinary clinic for labored breathing, dehydration and severe jaundice. The kitten was euthanized and found to have petechial hemorrhaging and yellow fluid in the abdomen during the necropsy. Three days later, a tuna can with what appeared to be a suspect bright green…
Three, approximately two-month-old (two females and one male), pigs of unspecified breed were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for necropsy and ancillary testing. The owner reported multiple deaths in animals of various ages over the past 3 to 4 weeks due to respiratory disease. According to the owner, the clinical…
Besnoitia spp. are protozoal parasites that form tissue cysts in intermediate hosts. Besnoitiosis caused by B. darlingi is well described in Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and cats serve as the definitive host. In opossums, B. darlingi infection can typically be identified externally by the presence of cutaneous, 2-4 mm, round to ovoid, smooth, white nodules. The pinnae and mucous membranes…