Chlamydia psittaci was detected by real-time PCR in the lung, liver and kidney of an equine foetus that had aborted in South Australia in August 2023. The corresponding microscopic lesions included lymphocytic and histiocytic chorionitis, necrosis of placental villi associated with bacteria in the cytoplasm of trophoblastic epithelial cells, and multiple microgranulomas in the liver. Equine chlamydial abortion had not been diagnosed previously in South Australia. Eight days after examining the foetus and placenta, the veterinary pathologist developed fever and subsequently was admitted to hospital. Specimens were obtained from the patient by bronchoscopy, and C. psittaci was detected by real-time PCR in the submitted bronchial washings. This is the first report of zoonotic C. psittaci infection acquired by handling infected equine tissues to be confirmed by real-time PCR.

A 9-year-old, male, entire domestic shorthair was referred for the investigation and treatment of a bilateral sacroiliac luxation and caudal ischial fracture secondary to a 3-m fall injury. The cat was found to have a complete, 360-degree urethral tear approximately 20 mm proximally from the external urethral opening. An end-to-end anastomosis was performed with four sutures and an indwelling urinary catheter, and the patient was discharged 9 days later. At the time of writing this report, the use of end-to-end urethral anastomosis to repair a complete 360-degree urethral tear secondary to pelvic fracture has not been previously reported.

Strongyloides stercoralis, a soil-transmitted parasitic helminth, poses significant health risks for various species, including humans and canines. Despite previously being considered rare in Australia, recent findings indicate a higher than anticipated prevalence, suggesting it might be an underdiagnosed issue nationwide. This case report details a deceased 23-week-old female Boston Terrier that presented with severe gastrointestinal signs and died, despite intensive veterinary care. Subsequent histopathological and parasitological examinations confirmed a significant infestation of S. stercoralis, with severe intestinal damage typical of strongyloidiasis. This case underscores the capacity of S. stercoralis to cause severe disease and highlights the importance of considering strongyloidiasis in the differential diagnoses of gastrointestinal illness.

This case report presents the incorporation of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) in the successful management of a deep, multiresistant surgery site infection after cementless total hip replacement (THR) in a dog. It outlines the rationale, technique used and clinical efficacy of the approach. The role of VAC in human orthopedic infections is discussed and potential refinements of the technique are proposed.

Koalas are a native Australian species vulnerable to bushfire events, with 40,000 koalas estimated to have perished during the 2019-2020 summer bushfire event on Kangaroo Island. Determining the distribution and severity of burns is an important component in the treatment of burns in both human and veterinary patients. This project outlines the creation of a clinical chart to evaluate the surface area, distribution and severity of burns in koalas. This was achieved by three-dimensional computed tomographic segmentation to evaluate the surface areas of the whole koala and its external anatomy. The external anatomy was segmented into regions based on vulnerability to thermal injury. Segmentation and proportional surface area data are combined with an illustrated chart to create a chart-based triage tool. This clinical tool can be used to evaluate and document burn-affected surface area, distribution and severity to quantitatively inform prognosis and decision-making when triaging koalas during an Australian bushfire.

Border disease viruses (BDV) and bovine viral diarrhoea viruses (BVDV) are members of the Pestivirus genus in the family Flaviviridae. While BVDV is one of the most significant endemic viral infections of cattle in Australia, BDV infection is generally considered to be uncommon in Australian sheep. This study describes the widespread detection of BDV on two properties in southern New South Wales following an investigation into poor pregnancy rates, resorbing foetuses and stillborn lambs. Extensive cross-sectional serological studies identified a high seroprevalence in some groups of sheep and low prevalence in others, demonstrating both the extent of infection and the number of susceptible breeding sheep remaining at risk. BDV-specific qRT-PCR confirmed BDV infection of stillborn lambs, and a large number of 'hairy' lambs were confirmed as BDV infected by use of a pestivirus antigen ELISA at marking. In a group of BDV persistently infected lambs that were monitored for 12 months, postweaning survival was low, with 21 of 120 still alive at 5 months of age and 14 still alive at 12 months of age. This study highlights the potential impact BDV can have on production and how management strategies, including breeding young primiparous ewes under intensive management conditions can result in large-scale virus transmission and disease.

To determine if the use of an algorithm for guiding treatment of hypotension during general anaesthesia was effective in limiting the severity or duration of hypotension. The algorithm-guided treatment included both fluid therapy and pharmacological interventions.

Ingestion of skewer foreign bodies is a common veterinary presentation and can cause perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment strategies for retrieval include: induction of emesis, endoscopic or surgical retrieval. There is a lack of literature describing the treatment options and prognosis for skewer foreign bodies.

Whether as pets or livestock, South American camelids (SACs) have grown in popularity in recent decades and are now widespread. Disease management is therefore becoming more important, for productivity and welfare reasons. Very few treatments are currently approved for these species, and none for the treatment of mange. Yet acariases are common in SACs and result in loss of productivity, poor animal welfare and sometimes death. Chorioptic mange is a known therapeutic challenge in several species. The present paper reviews and assesses the published protocols for treating this disease in SACs. No successful protocol was tested in more than one trial. Three treatment protocols demonstrated complete cure in all animals; they concerned 14, two and 25 animals, respectively. All the studies had several weaknesses, most prominently small sample size and unstandardised outcome assessment. Herd sample sizes ranged from two to 50 animals. Due to insufficient evidence, no definitive conclusions can be drawn. Several protocols show promising results; newer options should be tested.

The aim of this case series was to review clinical outcomes and complications associated with the use of inverted circular-linear hybrid external skeletal fixator constructs with the ring positioned proximally in order to stabilise fractures with short proximal fracture segments.

In early 2025, a social media influencer sparked widespread outrage after posting a video online in which she picked up a young bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus) from the side of a road, separating it from another wombat, presumed to be its mother. This act ignited public and professional discussions regarding the welfare of wildlife, the responsibility of content creators and the need for stricter guidelines on human-wildlife interactions within and outside digital media. An ethical analysis of the incident was undertaken through the lens of four moral principles: nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy and justice. The analysis validated the concerns raised by the public regarding potential harms to the young animal, maternal distress and the risks associated with viewers of the video imitating the experience with other wild animals. Although the video footage caused much upset, it provided an opportunity to critically evaluate depictions of wildlife, including handling, and their potential impact on animal welfare. It underscores an acknowledgement that other, less sensationalised, depictions of wildlife could be created in circumstances that compromise animals and could have unintended adverse impacts beyond the posting of a single photo or video. Animal professionals must consider carefully the impact of their digital presence on audiences and ensure featured wild animals are not handled unnecessarily or used as props. Suggested guidelines for online imagery and other content have been developed for a university-based wildlife teaching hospital and other clinical settings in light of this analysis. Other organisations are encouraged to consider doing the same.

Detomidine hydrochloride is an alpha adrenoceptor agonist that is commonly used in equine practice to provide sedation and analgesia for horses undergoing standing procedures. Reported effects following intravenous administration of detomidine in horses include bradycardia, bradyarrhythmias, transient hypertension, sweating, piloerection and dose-dependent sedation, ataxia and analgesia. This case report describes a novel response characterised by tachycardia and profound muscle tremors following the administration of intravenous detomidine to a horse undergoing a standing procedure.

The eastern paralysis tick of Australia, Ixodes holocyclus, is by far the most important ectoparasite of dogs and cats in eastern Australia. In spite of the development of tick-antisera and the availability of highly effective tick-preventative medications, thousands of dogs and cats present to veterinary clinics and hospitals with signs of tick paralysis each year; about 10% of these dogs and 8% of these cats may die from tick paralysis or are euthanized due to severe signs of tick envenomation. One of the mainstays of optimising patient outcome of dogs and cats with signs of tick paralysis is the prompt removal of the tick. In the present paper, we studied 10,913 attachment-sites of I. holocyclus arising from 10,311 veterinary consultations of dogs and cats in eastern Australia. This is, to our knowledge, the largest study of attachment-site preference of I. holocyclus on dogs and cats. We found that whereas I. holocyclus is most often found on the head of dogs, on cats, these ticks are most often found on their necks. In addition, we report attachment-site preferences of adult and immature (larval and nymphal) I. holocyclus. We also highlight some unusual and inconspicuous attachment-sites of I. holocyclus, which may be informative to veterinarians and pet owners alike.

This critically appraised topic (CAT) explored the association between body weight and survival in dogs with canine parvovirus (CPV). A systematic literature search identified six peer-reviewed studies published between 1978 and 2024 that met predefined inclusion criteria. Four of the six studies demonstrated a significant association between lower body weight and increased mortality. While some studies undertook multivariable analysis to account for confounders, limitations including inconsistencies in study design, retrospective data collection, and limited control for variables such as age, breed, and body condition score (BCS) reduce the overall strength of the conclusions. Overall, there is moderate evidence to suggest that lower body weight may be a negative prognostic factor in CPV survival. Further prospective research with standardised methodology is essential to validate these findings and disentangle the impact of confounders such as age, breed, and BCS.

Gastric neoplasia is uncommon in dogs accounting for ⟨1% of all neoplasms. Mesenchymal tumours arise from the muscularis layer of the gastric wall and represent 10-30% of canine gastric neoplasms. Gastric sarcomas arising from the muscularis layer of the stomach have not previously been reported.

Meningoencephalitis is an important cause of neurological signs in dogs and may arise from infectious or noninfectious causes. In this retrospective study, dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA), meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin (MUO), and eosinophilic meningoencephalomyelitis (EM), living on the east coast of Australia, were evaluated. Data accessed included signalment, clinical signs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) results. C-reactive protein concentration, complete blood count, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, serological tests, medications, duration of treatment, time to relapse and patient outcomes. Of 89 dogs in total, 45 were classified as SRMA, 24 as MUO and 20 as EM. Cervical pain occurred in all dogs with EM and SRMA, and in 50% of dogs with MUO. Dogs with SRMA were less likely to develop paresis than those with EM and less likely to be ataxic than dogs with MUO. Serum CRP concentrations were significantly higher in SRMA compared with MUO and EM (P < 0.01). Twelve dogs, all with eosinophilic pleocytosis, were diagnosed with CNS infections: angiostrongyliasis (n = 11) and cryptococcus (n = 1). A wide variety of treatment protocols were used, underpinned by immunosuppressive medications, with the duration of treatment not significantly different between groups. The most favourable outcomes for dogs with meningoencephalitides in this study were those with EM, which not only had the shortest treatment durations but also had the longest survival times.

Stromal sarcomas are rare canine primary splenic tumors. Previous studies assessing outcomes in dogs with these tumors are limited by small sample sizes, with few dogs receiving adjuvant therapy, leaving the role of chemotherapy in these tumors unproven.

Naturally occurring hypercortisolism in dogs is commonly investigated in primary care practice. However, there is a poor understanding of the preference and interpretation of diagnostic tests by Australian veterinarians. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic processes used by Australian primary care veterinarians via an anonymous online survey consisting of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The survey was completed by 399 respondents. When hypercortisolism was suspected, 392 performed adrenal function testing, while seven used treatment trials. With consistent clinical signs but no clinicopathological abnormalities, 354 performed screening tests, and 312 in dogs with consistent clinicopathological abnormalities but no clinical signs. For veterinarians who performed function testing, 296 used the same screening tests regardless of the magnitude of pre-test suspicion; 266 used either an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test or low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) alone. Even in the absence of financial constraints, 158 of 399 respondents almost never attempted differentiation between ACTH-dependent and ACTH-independent disease. For those attempting differentiation, 178 used abdominal ultrasound and 102 used LDDST. Approximately half of all respondents indicated that specialist referral was not offered to any of the preceding 10 cases suspected of hypercortisolism. Hypercortisolism is frequently diagnosed in dogs without consistent clinical signs or without performing routine clinical pathology tests, raising concerns for overdiagnosis. A large proportion of respondents rarely attempted to differentiate between causes of hypercortisolism, possibly affecting long-term management and prognosis. Referral to a specialist is rare, suggesting the condition is predominantly managed in primary care practice.

A 6-year-old, female neutered, Siamese cat was presented to the referral centre due to a mass causing obstruction of the left nostril that was previously diagnosed histologically as a nasal hamartoma. The mass was causing significant respiratory compromise to the cat resulting in open-mouth breathing at rest. A computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a 48% mediolateral narrowing of the left nostril compared with the right nostril in a mediolateral direction. Surgical excision of the mass re-established the left lateral alar groove and increased the nostril luminal width by 45% when compared with preoperative measurements. Two years after surgery, there was no recurrence of the mass and the cat had sustained significant improvement to their respiratory function and quality of life.