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A 9-month-old neutered female ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented for a recurring cystic abdominal mass. An ovariohysterectomy was performed 7 months earlier. Ultrasonography, tomodensitometry, and fine-needle puncture revealed right hydronephrosis, hydroureter, and a voluminous pararenal pseudocyst. Surgery consisted in unilateral nephrectomy, urinoma opening, and omentalisation. The right ureter was blind. That cystic lesion had certainly been induced by ligation and transection of the ureter during early ovariohysterectomy. Two years postoperatively, the ferret remained healthy and no sign of recurrence was observed. This is the first case of a pararenal pseudocyst surgical management in a ferret.

A 14-year-old unsexed African grey parrot (

A 14-year-old unsexed African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) was presented with a 12-hour history of neurological signs and vomiting. The external physical examination of the patient revealed lethargy, moderate hypothermia, a head tilt, and horizontal nystagmus. Whole-body radiographic imaging and blood biochemistry parameters were unremarkable, and a serological test to detect bornavirus was negative. A computed tomography scan of the bird revealed a large cystic lesion located on the fourth ventricle of the brain. In spite of treatment (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotic and antiparasitic therapy), the parrot's health continued to decline, and it was euthanatized 12 days after presentation. A complete postmortem examination was performed on the patient's brain. Histopathological interpretation of tissues submitted described a large neoformation composed of cells arranged in perivascular pseudorosettes. Hyperchromatic nuclei and marked anisokaryosis were suggestive of a malignant tumor. The tissue mass was associated with significant dilation of the fourth ventricle and a severe peripheral gliosis. The histopathological diagnosis of the neoformation was an ependymoma. Ependymomas are glial tumors of the ependymal cells that line the central canal and the ventricles of the brain and are rarely described in mammals. In birds, ependymomas were only described in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). In human medicine, the recommended treatment is surgical removal of the tumor when possible, followed by radiotherapy.

In Europe, the yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta sp.) is a non-native species in competition with native freshwater turtles. Research on contraception could be useful to control the captive population. Identifying a method of contraception in chelonians would potentially help to control aggression in other chelonian species. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a single 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant on plasma testosterone concentrations in yellow-bellied sliders (Trachemys scripta sp.). Eleven adult male yellow-bellied sliders were used for the study. Males from the treatment group (n = 6) received a 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant, whereas males from the control group (n = 5) did not receive any treatment. All individuals were housed under the same environmental conditions. Testosterone plasma concentrations of the control group and the treatment group were measured at six time points (T0–T6) between April and September. No difference between the control group and the deslorelin treatment group was observed at T0, T2, T3, T4, T5 or T6. However, mean plasma testosterone concentration was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group at T1. This suggests that treatment with a 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant has a transient stimulatory effect on the anterior pituitary in yellowbellied sliders without a negative feedback on testosterone production. Further studies with a higher dosage of deslorelin acetate are needed to draw conclusions on its contraceptive effect.

The treatment and management of oiled birds is constantly being improved. Since the oil spill following the wreck of the tanker Erika, in December 1999, the wildlife centre of the National Veterinary School of Nantes has received several hundred of oiled birds. The current rescue protocol is described with the improvements made since the Erika oil spill. This protocol, which covers the period from the time the birds arrive up to their release, must be implemented by properly trained staff, so that the birds are treated as quickly and efficiently as possible. Indeed, reducing the duration of the process reduces the stress level for the birds and the number of secondary infections., Le traitement des oiseaux mazoutés est en constante évolution. Depuis la marée noire consécutive au naufrage du pétrolier Erika, en décembre 1999, le centre vétérinaire de la faune sauvage de l’Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes reçoit des centaines d’oiseaux mazoutés. Le protocole de soins actuel est présenté avec les améliorations apportées après la catastrophe de l’Erika, depuis l’entrée des oiseaux jusqu’à leur relâcher. Ce protocole doit être mis en place par des personnes formées pour que chaque étape soit la plus courte possible. En effet, la rapidité permet de réduire le stress et limite l’apparition d’affections secondaires., Le Drean-Quenec’Hdu Sophie, Risi Emmanuel, L'Hostis Monique. Soins aux oiseaux mazoutés : mise à jour depuis le naufrage de l'Erika. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 158 n°3, 2005. pp. 295-301.