Radiographic studies are among the most important diagnostic procedures in the clinical evaluation of sea turtles. The anatomical structures for which it is possible to obtain an optimal assessment by radiographic examination are respiratory tact, digestive tract, skeleton, carapace, and plastron. The fundamental and indispensable projections for a proper radiographic estimation of the body are dorsoventral view, vertical beam, horizontal beam, lateral view, and craniocaudal view. Radiographs in the dorsal-ventral projection usually allow achieving the detection of fishhooks in the various sections of the digestive tract. In fact, hooks are poorly detectable in other projections due to the intense radiopacity determined by the superimposition of other anatomical structures, and to the inability to set the radiographic cassette in strict contact with the body of the animal. On the contrary, when the hooks are stacked in the esophagus wall, especially in the intracoelomatic tract, images in the dorsoventral beam do not allow to ascertain if the tip or the hook barbs are dangerously close to airways (trachea and bronchi) or great vessels (brachycephalic trunk). Without this information, the surgeon risks to cause irreparable injuries during the removal of the hook. On the other hand, a complete radiographic study in two orthogonal projections is invaluable to correctly assess position and orientation of the hook to properly schedule the surgery. The present study included 21 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) referred to the Department of Veterinary Medicine of Bari University (Italy), which showed drifting longlines hooks located in the caudal cervical or intracoelomatic esophagus subsequently to a first radiographic evaluation in dorsoventral beam. The other radiographic projections were obtained in horizontal beam lateral view, with turtles set on a radiolucent support (plastic box) with the surface of the radiographic cassette adherent to the lateral margin of the bridge. In order to reduce the overlap of soft tissues of the pectoral girdle, the front flippers were forward stretched below the neck, and temporarily wrapped together with self-adhesive elastic bandage. X-ray images were obtained with a digital acquisition system, which allowed improving contrast and brightness of images by graphic processing. The opportunity to evaluate different radiograms obtained in two orthogonal projections has allowed to precisely locate the position of hook, shank and bend with respect to the horizontal midsagittal plane the animal, the orientation of the tip (cranially, caudally or laterally), and above all the closeness to vital anatomical structures. These significant assessments have allowed choosing the most appropriate surgical approaches, and to avoid dangerous intraoperative maneuvers during removal of hooks.

Onchocerca lupi, a zoonotic nematode infecting the eyes of carnivores, has been increasingly reported in dogs from Europe and the USA. In order to improve the current status of knowledge on this neglected filarioid, diagnostic imaging tools (i.e., ultrasound scan, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) are herein used to diagnose canine onchocercosis in two dogs, which scored positive for O. lupi microfilariae at the skin snip test and to assess the anatomical location of the nematode within the ocular apparatus. Results indicate that ultrasound tools are useful to address the diagnosis of O. lupi in dogs and to evaluate the localization of nodules or cysts containing the adult nematode.

Multidetector computed tomographic (CT) anatomy was used to evaluate the lungs of 10 loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) without pulmonary disease, in order to provide a baseline of turtle lung anatomy by CT imaging. In all patients, in this retrospective anatomic study, the CT datasets were carefully evaluated for assessment of the bronchial tree morphology and branching pattern, of the arborization pattern of pulmonary arteries and veins and of the bronchoarterial–bronchovenous diameter ratios. Imaging anatomy was compared with previous published data based on dissection and microscopic anatomy. With the increasing availability of advanced imaging tools for wildlife animal patients, a detailed CT anatomy background is required to decipher correctly the pathologic respiratory conditions of sea turtles.

OBJECTIVE: Red complex bacteria (Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia and Porphyromonas gingivalis) play a major role in the aetiology of periodontal disease in humans. This study was designed to evaluate the association of such bacteria with periodontal disease in dogs. METHODS: Seventy-three subgingival samples taken from dogs ranging from 2 months to 12 years (median age 4 years) were tested for red complex bacteria using a polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: Thirty-six of 73 (49 · 3%) dogs were found to be positive for T. forsythia and P. gingivalis. Dogs with gingivitis or periodontitis were more likely to be infected with T. forsythia and P. gingivalis [odds ratio (OR) 5 · 4 (confidence interval (CI) 1 · 9-15 · 6), P = 0 · 002] than healthy animals. Only 3 (4 · 1%) of 73 samples were positive for red complex bacteria, but the association with periodontal disease was not significant. Conclusion And Clinical Relevance The results indicate that involvement of red complex bacteria in periodontal disease in dogs is similar to that observed in humans. Only the concurrent presence of T. forsythia and P. gingivalis were correlated to periodontal disease in dogs in this study.

We report the surgical techniques used to remove accidentally ingested hooks and branchlines localized in different parts of the digestive tract of 129 loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta, together with the characteristics and localization of lesions, and final outcome related to their severity. Hooks were removed from the cervical esophagus via the ventral surface of the neck, while the supraplastron approach was performed for hooks wedged in the intracoelomic portion of the esophagus. An approach through the left axillary region was preferred for fishhooks in the stomach, while hooks and long branchlines in the intestine or pyloric area were removed by approaching the coelomic cavity through the right or left prefemoral fossa. The ingestion of fishhooks, and/or longlines, often induces severe injuries in the digestive tract that could lead to the death of the turtles, with the extent of damage engendered by lines often more severe than that caused by hooks, leading to strangulation, intussusception, and tears that require resection of long tracts of intestine. Spontaneous expulsion of hooks, even where possible, involves long waiting times, with the possible impairment of the turtle's clinical condition, and should be avoided when the line is evident or suspected. The development of diversified surgical techniques enabled us to approach the coelomic cavity with minimally invasive and easy-to-perform methods, and survival rates proved very satisfactory.

In the present study we quantified volumetric brain asymmetries from computed tomography (CT) scans in 12 healthy dogs, using a semi-automated technique for assessing in vivo structure asymmetry. Volumetric assessment of asymmetrical cerebral lateral ventricle (ALV) was also investigated. Our results showed that seven dogs exhibited a right hemisphere significantly greater than the left, two dogs had a left-greater-than-right hemisphere asymmetry, and finally two dogs displayed no significant brain volumetric asymmetry. This right-biased hemispheric asymmetry supports data reported previously using post-mortem morphological studies in both dogs and other mammalian species.