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A 5-y-old female dog died acutely and was presented for postmortem examination. Hemorrhage in the thoracic and peritoneal cavities and a large subcapsular renal hematoma were present at necropsy. Brodifacoum, a second-generation coumarin anticoagulant, was detected in the liver by HPLC analysis. Renal subcapsular hematoma is a well known, but uncommon condition in man. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a brodifacoum-associated renal subcapsular hematoma in a non-human species.

Ethylene glycol (EG) toxicosis was diagnosed on postmortem examination in a white leghorn chicken. The clinical signs were sudden onset of depression, ataxia, convulsions and death. Natural cases of EG toxicosis have not been reported in chickens. This report highlights the importance of including EG toxicosis on differential diagnoses lists for sudden onset of depression, ataxia and death in chickens.

Neurological signs characterized by marked progressive weakness and convulsions culminating in death were observed in 3 goats over a 24-h period. Affected animals were in a group of 5 goats confined toa fenced paddock: a domestic goose within the paddock was also found dead. Present in the same paddock, but unaffected, were 2 other goats and an adult cow. Five days prior to the animals' deaths, the owner had trimmed the surrounding brush and had thrown the cuttings into the enclosure. Post mortem examination of 2 of the dead goats and the goose revealed reduced muscle mass and fat stores, serous atrophy of adipose tissue, and reduced gastrointestinal contents, which included numerous leaves identified as Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). Histologic lesions included mild diffuse neuronal degeneration and cerebellar Purkinje cell loss in all animals with mild multifocal vacuolation of brainstem and cerebral white matter in 1 goat, and myofiber atrophy with perimyseal fibrosis in the goose. Preexisting malnutrition and lack of adequate alternative forages likely resulted in ingestion of Carolina jessamine and subsequent toxicosis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Carolina jessamine toxicosis in goats and geese.

Spatial and temporal patterns of death loss in a beef cowherd indicated a possible relationship between the loss of 11 cows and the consumption of Ilex myrtifolia (myrtle leaf holly). To investigate this relationship, plant material from Ilex myrtifolia was harvested and 2 feeding trials were performed. The 1st trial involved intermittent feeding of plant material to 4-mo-o calves for 2 w, and the 2nd trial was continuous plant feeding to 2-mo-o calves for 35 d. No significant clinical pathology, histological or gross lesions resulted and no clinical signs consistent with the original herd problem were observed, suggesting that berries, leaves and stems from Ilex myrtifolia were not sufficiently toxic to induce clinical effects under these experimental conditions.

The Battle of Little Bighorn was fought over 100 y ago but many controversies remain. Some feel the defeat of Custer could have been avoided if Benteen and Reno had united with Custer. A slow-moving pack train may have hindered the troops of Benteen and Reno from joining up with Custer. One report indicated the horses and mules in the pack train were lame and behaved crazily. It has been previously suggested that the animals had selenium toxicosis. We propose the lameness could have been caused by selenium, but that the behavioral problems may have been caused by the ingestion of plants containing swainsonine.