Grain is certainly an important feedstuff for livestock, but it can also be deadly if not fed correctly. Grains are rich in carbohydrates and provide energy for the animals consuming them. Commonly fed grains include corn, milo, grain sorghum, oats, wheat, and barley. The carbohydrates in grain are metabolized to produce energy, which is especially…
A seven-day-old angus bull calf with a history of diarrhea was necropsied by the submitting veterinarian. The small intestine, liver, kidney and the lymph node were submitted as fresh and formalin-fixed tissues to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for further testing. The tests requested by the submitting veterinarian included microscopic evaluation (histopathology),…
Any animal demonstrating neurological signs localized to the brain or spinal cord before death may benefit from testing of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) collected at necropsy. If rabies is a differential, careful CSF sampling prior to removal of the head and/or brain allows for the potential of further diagnostic investigation if the brain tests negative…
In previous cases of listeriosis in cattle, veterinarians submitting samples to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory have reported profound neurological signs that have caused them to include rabies high on their list of differential diagnoses. The primary organism responsible is Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that is common in the environment both as free-living bacteria as…
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…
The body of a midterm bovine fetus and the attached placenta were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for necropsy and gross examination. Upon examination, the entire fetus and placenta exhibited severe mummification. Tissues of this fetus were submitted to the molecular section for bovine herpesvirus (BHV)-1, BVDV, Leptospira spp. and Neospora caninum rtPCRs.…
Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) or pinkeye can be very problematic at times in cattle herds. It is manifested as an inflammation/infection of the cornea and conjunctiva of one or both eyes in affected cattle. Signs range from mild to severe and are characterized by blepharospasm, epiphora, and discoloration of the cornea. Cattle suffering from severe…
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…
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…
A nine month old, spayed female, domestic cat became neurologic and was unresponsive to supportive treatment. Upon death, the head and three sections of liver were submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for histopathologic evaluation and toxicology testing. Following a negative rabies test, a portion of fixed brain was examined and…