Search results for “toxic”.
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…
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) was contacted by a client who was concerned a group of horses had potentially consumed gopher bait containing an anticoagulant (diphacinone) as the toxic agent. Providing treatment for large animals with the antidote for anticoagulant intoxication can be challenging, therefore the suggestion was made to submit samples…
This assay utilizes rtPCR technology on E. coli isolates recovered from ruminant samples. Samples are recovered by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) bacteriology section to further characterize the potential of the isolate to be participating in the current patient clinical syndrome. The significance of the detected genes should be interpreted with the…
Therapeutic drugs can significantly improve the quality of life in animals with painful or long-term illnesses. However, it’s critical to monitor the level of medication in an animal’s body to ensure the dosage is safe and effective. The bodily response to therapeutic drugs is particularly important to monitor in pets with chronic conditions, such as…
A herd of 14, six-month-old crossbred cattle was turned out into a new pasture. Within five days, five head died suddenly. An old barn with various abandoned and discarded metal and equipment was noted to be in the pasture. Chemical poisoning of an unknown origin was suspected. A 500-pound steer was submitted to the Texas…
Since the onset of winter, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) has seen quite a few cases of intoxication in cattle that have consumed the coffee senna (Senna occidentalis) plant. Most of the cases involved adult cattle that were found dead by the owners. The diagnosis was made by finding evidence of the plant in the…
“Hardware disease” in backyard chickens and other birds is caused by the ingestion of metal objects present in their environment. These objects range from sharp objects that ultimately penetrate the gizzard to objects that may contain zinc or lead leading to zinc or lead toxicosis or some other heavy metal toxicosis. Two case histories are…
In January, an animal owner in northwestern Washington State contacted the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) regarding possible blister beetles on their property. Specifically, the animal owner was interested in measuring the amount of cantharidin in a sampling of the beetles. Cantharidin is a very potent blistering agent, causing colic, heart arrhythmias and…
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in Gonzales received a phone call concerning a decrease in production and poor performance of a backyard flock of chickens used as an egg source for the family. Further discussions with the caller revealed the chickens had access to an old building with peeling paint that the chickens…
A cattle owner in eastern Texas noticed several of the 50 weaned calves in his coastal pasture had diarrhea and didn’t seem to want to eat. The pasture had been sprayed with monosodium methyl arsenate (MSMA) to kill weeds about 10 days prior and was fertilized at 300 lbs per acre three days before the…