Pesq. Vet. Bras. 34(4):343-348, abril 2014 343 RESUMO.-São descritos os aspectos epidemiológicos, clíni-cos e patológicos de um surto de intoxicação por Pteridium arachnoideum e Pteridium caudatum em bovinos no Estado de Mato Grosso. A distribuição dessas plantas no Estado, a intensidade de invasão de pastagens e alguns fatores associados à invasão das pastagens por Pteridium spp. são Mato Grosso, Brazil, are described. The plant distribution, magnitude and some aspects about the pasture invasion by P. arachnoideum and P. caudatum in the State are also described. Pteridium spp. were found in 83 farms from nine counties and 22 of them were submitted to taxonomic identification. P. arachnoideum was found in 22 farms and in two farms also P. caudatum. Deforestation and burning appear to be associated with pasture invasion by Pteridium spp. On the farm where the poisoning occurred 306 cattle were introduced into a pasture of Brachiaria brizantha intensely invaded by P. arachnoideum and P. caudatum. Twenty two cattle were poisoned by the plants and died. The main clinical signs were hemorrhages, high fever, apathy, fatigue, weakness and recumbency. Gross findings included variable degrees of hemorrhages in several organs and cavities with occasional infarcts. The most consistent histological finding was marked bone marrow aplasia. Epidemiological, clinical and pathological findings associated with the taxonomic identofication of the plant support the diagnosis of acute poisoning by P. arachnoideum and P. caudatum in cattle. The increasing rate of deforestation and frequent burning in Mato Grosso can contribute to this disease which becomes a major cause of economic losses to livestock production in the State. Intoxicação aguda porINDEX TERMS: Poisonous plants, Pteridium arachnoideum, Pteridium caudatum, bracken fern poisoning, plant distribution, cattle.

The intracameral injection of 0.2 mL of 1:100 000 epinephrine and 0.3 mL of 2% lidocaine can be used as an alternative to tropicamide in healthy cats. Both treatments produced satisfactory and long-lasting mydriasis without adverse effects on IOP, HR, and MAP.

RESUMO O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar os resultados de 34 olhos submetidos ao enxerto conjuntival pediculado (ECP) em ceratites ulcerativas profundas (n=5), em ceratites ulcerativas com colagenólise (n=2), descemetocele (n=7), perfuração corneal (n=15) e prolapso de íris (n=5). Os impactos do grau de uveíte e da integridade da córnea foram correlacionados com presença e ausência de visão por tabelas de contingência. Raças braquicefálicas foram acometidas em 91,11% dos casos. O número de córneas consideradas perfuradas [20/34 (58,82%)] foi maior que o de córneas íntegras [14/34 (41,17%)]. Ao 50º dia de pós-operatório, o número de olhos visuais que apresentavam córneas íntegras previamente às cirurgias (n=13) não diferiu significativamente dos olhos com córneas perfuradas (n=12) (P=0,05). Avaliações relativas ao grau de uveíte, revelaram que a metade dos casos foi considerada severa [17/34 (50%)] e na outra metade as uveítes foram consideradas discretas. Dos 17 casos que apresentaram uveíte severa, oito recuperaram a visão. Já nos 17 olhos onde a uveíte foi considerada leve, 15 mantiveram a visão ao final do período de avaliação. Apesar de a integridade da córnea não se correlacionar com a severidade da uveíte (P=0,48), constatou-se que o número de olhos visuais com uveíte discreta foi significativamente maior que os olhos com uveíte severa (P=0,006). Neste estudo, a taxa geral de sucesso visual após ECP foi de 73,52% e a integridade da córnea não exerceu impacto significativo sobre a manutenção da visão. Todavia, olhos acometidos por uveítes severas apresentaram menor chance de recuperar a visão.

The objective of this study was to determine changes on intraocular pressure (IOP) and pupil diameter (PD) in healthy cats anesthetized with isoflurane, and premedicated with acepromazine alone or in combination with tramadol. Thirty cats were allocated in two groups (n=15/each) and were treated with acepromazine (AG) or acepromazine/tramadol (ATG). PD and IOP were assessed before and following 30 (PM1), and 40 minutes (PM2) of treatments. Anesthesia was induced with propofol, and IOP and DP were recorded (A10) at 10 minute intervals until the end of anesthesia (A40). IOP decreased in AG and ATG, when comparing baseline with PM1. IOP decreased only in AG, in comparisons between baseline and PM2. During anesthesia, IOP did not change within and between groups. Comparisons between baseline with those recorded at PM1 and 2 showed that PD increased in the ATG. During anesthesia, PD decreased significantly in AG and ATG. Both protocols maintained the IOP within the reference range to perform corneal or intraocular surgery in healthy cats but did not sustain pre-anesthetic pupil dilation observed in ATG.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum that is transmitted to dogs and humans by sandflies. The incidence of eye injuries in VL is high. They occur in 20 to 81% of infected dogs and include blepharitis, granulomatous conjunctivitis, scleritis, keratitis, anterior uveitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and secondary glaucoma. However, some dogs present only the clinical signs of eye damage. The main objective of this manuscript is to report a case of anterior uveitis with severe corneal edema in a dog with VL that underwent clinical and surgical ophthalmic treatments after miltefosine therapy.Case: An 8-month-old, intact male Labrador Retriever with brown fur presented with pruritus, diffuse desquamation, and conjunctival hyperemia on physical evaluation. On the basis of an ophthalmic examination, nodular conjunctivitis and uveitis were diagnosed in both eyes. Moreover, laboratory examination results showed hyperproteinemia, increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity, and positive reactions to immunochromatographic tests for VL. Clinical treatment was instituted from the moment of diagnosis, when miltefosine and allopurinol were prescribed. At the end of treatment, based on laboratory examination results, only allopurinol was prescribed at a lower dose than initially prescribed for treatment continuation. Topical medications (prednisolone eye drops and sodium hyaluronate) were recommended for the ophthalmic changes. One week after the start of topical treatment, the dog showed an improvement in eye inflammation but still had bilateral corneal edema. A hyperosmotic agent was prescribed to improve edema, and a surgical procedure was recommended if there was no improvement. The physician opted for the surgical procedure in one of the eyes that had not shown significant improvement after the clinical treatment.Discussion: VL is a zoonosis, and the domestic dog is the main reservoir. These animals often have dermatological conditions, and the ophthalmic changes observed can be unilateral or bilateral, with more than one change in the same eye. Lymphoplasmacytic or granulomatous anterior uveitis is the most prevalent change, as the uvea and conjunctiva are important lymphoid areas of the eye; this also explains the high incidence of uveitis and conjunctivitis in dogs with VL. In uveitis, corneal edema is driven by endothelial cell damage induced by prostaglandins, which interfere with the function of the endothelial pump and interrupt the normal dehydrated state of the cornea. Severe corneal edema can result in the formation of fluid-filled multifocal bubbles in the corneal stroma—a condition called bullous keratopathy. These bubbles accumulate under or inside the corneal epithelium, and they can burst spontaneously, leading to corneal erosions or ulcerations. Drug therapy with hyperosmotic agents could, in principle, reduce the formation of bubbles. Surgical options to decrease edema and blistering include a permanent conjunctival graft or thermokeratoplasty. Thermokeratoplasty induces the formation of superficial scars in the corneal stroma, applying multiple cauterization foci to the stroma exposed in the areas of bullous keratopathy and epithelial ulceration. In conclusion, the surgical therapeutic choice results in better visual quality in patients who do not respond well to clinical treatment.