Case Studies

  • Calcinosis circumscripta in a surgical amputation site

    A one-year-old, female-spayed, mix breed dog required a mid-shaft, hind leg amputation after a femoral fracture. Following the amputation, the owner and veterinarian noted marked callus formation with draining tracts on the lateral aspect of the right leg (Figure 1). Radiographs performed almost a month after the amputation demonstrated a marked amount of bony proliferation…

  • Canine coccidiosis

    An 11-year-old Corgi mix was presented to the veterinarian with intermittent diarrhea and inappetence. History noted the dog had clinical signs of gastrointestinal (GI) disease for the past few months, was current on vaccinations and was fed a raw food diet. A fecal sample was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL)…

  • Canine hepatozoonosis diagnosed via skeletal muscle biopsy

    Canine hepatozoonosis is a debilitating, tick-borne disease caused by Hepatozoon americanum, a protozoal parasite transmitted by the Gulf coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum). Affected dogs may have waxing and waning clinical signs and typically present with a fever, weakness, and reluctance to move. Other clinical signs can include muscle atrophy, weight loss, and mucopurulent ocular discharge. Late…

  • Carcinomatosis in laying chickens

     A female Gray Barred chicken was presented to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in Gonzales. The chicken was approximately 2 years old and weighed 1.41 kilograms.  Following necropsy evaluation, it was noted that within the coelomic cavity there were numerous 1-4 mm in diameter white nodules on the serosal surface of the…

  • Cat diagnosed with feline asthma

    A seven-year-old male, neutered, domestic short haired (DSH) cat was presented to a veterinarian for evaluation of chronic coughing and increased respiration of several months’ duration. A radiograph of the lungs showed a diffuse bronchial pattern. A trans-tracheal wash (TTW) was performed and the fluid was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory…

  • Cat diagnosed with mammary gland fibroadenomatous hyperplasia

    Mammary gland masses from an approximately 7-month-old cat were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for histopathology. The cat was reported to have multiple mammary gland masses ranging from marble-sized to 6 cm wide. These masses had acute, rapid development and had doubled in size over a 2-week period. The cat…

  • Cattle nutritional conditions in the winter

    In early December, livestock submitted for necropsy at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station demonstrated various signs of declining nutrition.  Not coincidentally, most of Texas received the first frosts and freezes of the year within this same time period. Despite the fact that generous rains in Texas produced an abundance…

  • Cerebellar abiotrophy diagnosed in 7-year-old female cat

    A 7-year-old, spayed female DLH cat was obtained as a stray.  She was noted to have mild hind limb dysmetria characterized by bunny hopping when sprinting.  She could jump and was stable when standing still.  The attending veterinarian tentatively diagnosed cerebellar hypoplasia, most likely due to in utero infection with feline parvovirus. The deficits progressed…

  • Cerebrospinal nematodiasis (visceral larval migrans) in birds

    Nematodes of the genus Baylisascaris are recognized as causes of avian cerebral nematodiasis. Baylisascaris columnaris, the ascarid of skunks and Baylisascaris procyonis, the ascarid of raccoons, have been documented as the species responsible for this disease. The disease occurs after consumption of the ascarid eggs in contaminated feed or picked up from the ground of contaminated premises. The bird…

  • Chlamydia in birds

    Chlamydophilia psittaci is a bacterium that can be transmitted from pet birds to humans. In humans, the resulting infection is referred to as psittacosis and is also known as parrot disease, parrot fever, avian chlamydiosis, and ornithosis in avian species. This zoonotic disease can affect people after exposure to aerosolized organisms shed from the digestive or…