Once every two months, I host non-domestic animal radiology rounds for veterinarians in the Central Valley and Bay Area. Ray Wack from the Sacramento zoo is the coordinator of our get-togethers, and we are joined by veterinarians from the San Francisco zoo, Oakland Zoo, marine mammal center, and animal sanctuaries from the area. It’s an opportunity for them to gather and talk about radiographs of their difficult cases with each other and the radiologists. For the radiologists, it’s a chance to see some great cases and learn more about the medicine of non-domestic animals.
The Sacramento Zoo recently opened their new veterinary center, which is equipped with digital radiology and PACS. When animals are anesthetized for examinations and care, the time savings of being able to instantly see the radiograph are important. A digital connection between the zoo and the veterinary hospital will also make discussing the cases faster and easier. A few months ago, a Sumatran Tiger was gaining weight, and I traveled to the zoo to perform an abdominal ultrasound. We were pleased to find she was pregnant, and the three cubs were born a few days later. Here’s a radiograph of the cubs on the new digital system.
Today we had a great collection of interesting cases to look at. We started by talking about traumatic shoulder injuries in birds that often involve a coracoid fracture, shoulder luxation or both. We had several to look at and compare, and all of the coracoid fractures looked quite similar. They were oblique fractures with minimal displacement. The shoulder joint was mildly subluxated in some, and completely luxated in others. The clinicians felt that birds with shoulder luxations did worse than those with simple fractures.
Other cases included
- a fruit bat with degenerative joint disease affecting two toes
- a tiger with previous radius and ulna fracture and elbow osteoarthrosis (probably from soft tissue trauma)
- a chameleon with peritonitis
- a 4 week old ground squirrel with fractured radius and ulna epiphyses (doing well with a splint)
- a Hammerkopf with osteomyelitis of P3
- a Mallard cross duck with heart disease and hepatic silhouette enlargement
As always, there was a great discussion of the radiographic techniques, radiographic findings and the management plans for all these animals. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the dialog.
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