Jennifer Langan

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• Professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Otariid gammaherpesvirus 1 (OtGHV1) is associated with high rates of urogenital carcinoma in free-ranging California sea lions (Zalophus californianus; CSL), and until recently was reported only in the Northern Hemisphere. The objective of this study was to survey free-ranging South American sea lions (Otaria byronia; SASL) and South American fur s...

Dental disease is common in captive-managed macropods, including Bennett's wallabies, and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Dental extractions and debridement of diseased tissue is often necessary for those undergoing treatment for severe dental disease. Regional anesthesia of the dentition is considered standard of care for domest...

A 28-year-old 278 kg female pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) with a chronic, static umbilical hernia presented acutely for lethargy and anorexia. Ultrasonography and abdominocentesis were consistent with an incarcerated umbilical hernia. An exploratory laparotomy, ileal resection and anastomosis, and herniorrhaphy were carried out via a...

Death due to illegal trade and trafficking serves as the largest threat to pangolins in their geographic range countries. Appropriate veterinary care is essential to the welfare of sick or debilitated pangolins. Given the challenge of comprehensive physical examination of this species due to its unique anatomic features and poorly studied physiolog...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has a worldwide distribution in humans and many other mammalian species. In late September 2021, 12 animals maintained by the Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo were observed with variable clinical signs. The Delta variant of SARS‐CoV‐2 was detected in feces and nasal swabs by qR...

As part of the collaborative efforts and goals of managing zoo-housed Goeldi's monkeys, or callimicos (Callimico goeldii), a retrospective review of gross and histopathological postmortem examination reports submitted to the International Studbook Coordinator was carried out by veterinary representatives of the Species Survival Plan to investigate...

CASE DESCRIPTION A 9-year-old 37-kg sexually intact male snow leopard ( Panthera uncia ) with no history of lameness but radiographic evidence of right femoral subluxation and flattening of both femoral heads, 2 juvenile (< 1 year old) 25-kg sexually intact male cheetahs ( Acinoynx jubatus ) with unilateral hind limb lameness resulting from trauma,...

Three juvenile (<1 yr of age), genetically related Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) were diagnosed with phimosis. In all cases, no clinical signs were identified, and phimosis was detected during routine examination. Surgical enlargement of the preputial orifice was performed successfully using carbon dioxide laser with a 0.25-mm tip and...

Rio Cauca caecilians (Typhlonectes natans) are a unique, fully aquatic species of amphibian from the order Gymnophiona. They are housed in several zoological institutions and aquaria with limited information available regarding health and disease. This retrospective study evaluates common pathologic findings and causes of mortality of Rio Cauca cae...

The Punta San Juan Marine Protected Area (PSJ) (158229S, 758129W) protects key breeding populations of Peruvian pelicans (Pelecanus thagus) and guanay cormorants (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii) within the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem (HCLME). This project’s aim was to define current population health and provide an important baseline for c...

A newly described onygenalean fungus, Emydomyces testavorans, has been isolated from ulcerative shell and skin lesions of freshwater aquatic chelonians. To investigate the shell lesions associated with infection and determine if any lesional features were unique to E. testavorans, tissues from turtles housed in zoological institutions (n = 45) in t...

Acute-phase proteins (APP) are the foundation to the innate immune response and valuable biomarkers that increase with inflammation, infection, neoplasia, stress, and trauma.2,4,16 Little is known about the acute-phase response in cetaceans and if these proteins can be used for health monitoring in individuals and free-ranging populations. The purp...

Assessment of pododermatitis, osteoarthritis, and other causes of lameness in penguins can be challenging. Subjective gait analysis using visual observation and response to analgesic therapy can be affected by observer variation and caregiver placebo bias. A pressure-sensitive walkway (PSW), however, allows for objective gait analysis and assessmen...

Relatively little is known about pangolin care and physiology, and it has become increasingly important to have a better understanding of normal health parameters for evaluation of free-ranging, rehabilitating, and managed populations. Echocardiograms were performed on six African white-bellied pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis) under professional ca...

There are no studies to date on the normal reproductive physiology of African white-bellied pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis). As a reclusive species, little is known about normal gestation, successful parturition, and potential complications during pregnancy. Ten female P. tricuspis were diagnosed as pregnant and monitored under professional care....

Objective gait evaluation with a pressure sensitive walkway (PSW) has been used to assess welfare of poultry and to assess lameness and response to therapy in domestic mammals. Objective gait analysis of birds with lameness due to pododermatitis, osteoarthritis, and other common diseases could provide non-biased assessment and therapeutic monitorin...

This report describes weekly repeated anesthesia in a 7-yr-old, 1,030 kg, female Eastern black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis michaeli), that was immobilized six times using a combination of 2 mg etorphine (0.002 mg/kg), 5 mg medetomidine (0.005 mg/kg), 25 mg midazolam (0.024 mg/kg), and 300 mg ketamine (0.29 mg/kg) delivered intramuscularly (IM) vi...

Both kidney and adrenal gland disease have been identified in callimicos ( Callimico goeldii). Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) are routinely utilized in veterinary patients with suspected renal or adrenal disease to determine size, shape, and echogenicity of these organs. No previous US and CT kidney and adrenal gland measurements...

Abstract Whole blood, serum, and feather samples from 29 Humboldt Penguins ( Spheniscus humboldti) at the Punta San Juan Marine Protected Area, Peru, were analyzed for 55 toxic and essential elements by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Mercury (Hg) was analyzed by cold vapor atomic fluorescence. Maximum Hg concentrations in serum...

Neonatal mortality is a recognized concern in cetaceans and, although infrequently documented, human intervention to provide neonatal care has been successful. Advancements in cetacean medical care now allow for enhanced neonatal care even with challenging circumstances. Herein, we describe neonatal care and hand-rearing of a male, 13 kg bottlenose...

The reproductive tracts of three captive male aardvark ( Orycteropus afer) were evaluated to characterize the gross and histological anatomy, with correlations to ultrasonographic and computed tomographic imaging. Observations were made from a reproductive tract examined at necropsy, with subsequent evaluation of tissues histologically. Two living...

Two related female snow leopards ( Panthera uncia) were diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans of the lateral femoral condyle via radiographs and computed tomography. Lesions were either bilateral (Patient 1) or unilateral (Patient 2). Surgical treatment was performed using an osteochondral autograft transfer system following cartilage flap remov...

CASE DESCRIPTION A 17-year-old sexually intact male aardvark (O rycteropus afer ) was evaluated because of hind limb proprioception deficits and ataxia. CLINICAL FINDINGS Results of examination and CT suggested a diagnosis of intervertebral disk disease and diskospondylitis at the L2–3 intervertebral space. Magnetic resonance imaging of the vertebr...

Persistent organic pollutants were assessed in Humboldt Penguins ( Spheniscus humboldti) from the Punta San Juan Marine Protected Area, Peru, in the austral winter of 2009. Plasma samples from 29 penguins were evaluated for 31 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 11 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) by using gas chromatography coupled to an...

CASE DESCRIPTION 2 female red-necked wallabies ( Macropus rufogriseus ) were evaluated because of sudden-onset mandibular swelling, ptyalism, and hyporexia. CLINICAL FINDINGS Physical examination revealed a mandibular swelling with a fluctuant center in both wallabies. Hematologic analysis revealed leukocytosis with a mature neutrophilia and monocy...

Perianesthetic hypothermia is one of the most common complications in veterinary anesthesia, especially in small patients with a large body surface area to mass ratio. During anesthesia, body heat can be lost through 4 mechanisms - radiation, convection, conduction, and evaporation - but anesthetists frequently address only one mechanism at a time....

Tear production and intraocular pressures (IOPs) were determined in 38 and 102 wild Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), respectively, from the Punta San Juan Marine Protected Area in Ica, Peru. Tear production was measured by Schirmer tear test, and IOP was measured with a TonoVet rebound tonometer. Adult (n = 90) and chick (n = 12) penguins...

This study evaluated results from an in-house (IH) laboratory dipstick, a reference laboratory (RL) urinalysis, and urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratios from callimicos (Callimico goeldii). Urine was collected from 25 individuals comprising a single colony under professional care in North America and compared based on laboratory, sex, age class, a...

There are few reports of coagulation times in marsupial species. Blood samples collected from 14 Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) under anaesthesia during routine health assessments were analysed for prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) using a point-of-care analyser (POC) (Abaxis VSPro®). The wallabies h...

An 8-yr-old male golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus based on hyperglycemia and persistent glycosuria. Initial treatment consisted of the oral antihyperglycemic medications glipizide and metformin that resulted in decreased blood glucose concentrations; however, marked glycosuria persisted. Insufficient...

Three rock hyraxes ( Procavia capensis ) maintained in a zoological collection had chronic hypercalcemia and azotemia. In addition, all animals displayed signs of lameness due to footpad lesions that were histologically characterized as marked metastatic mineralization with granulomatous inflammation, reminiscent of calcinosis circumscripta. Althou...

Myelolipomas are mesenchymal tumors composed of adipose and hematopoietic tissue. They have been reported in many species, including domestic dogs and cats, birds, mustelids, wild felids, and nonhuman primates. Myelolipomas in Callitrichidae have been reported at postmortem examination and rarely antemortem. Multiple cases of hepatic myelolipomas a...

Preventive healthcare recommendations for zoo felids include vaccination against primary viral diseases that affect domestic felids. Although associated with a more-substantial immune response in their domestic counterparts, use of modified live virus vaccines (MLV) in nondomestic carnivores can result in vaccine-induced viral disease. This case re...

Case description: Severe lymphocytosis and leukocytosis were detected during examination of a 10-year-old sexually intact male bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) with regionally extensive alopecia. Clinical findings: A CBC revealed severe leukocytosis (39,100 leukocytes/μL) and marked lymphocytosis (90%). A blood smear consisted predominantly of...

Objective: To determine the effects of recumbency on air sac volume, lung volume, and lung densities in CT images of healthy, conscious and anesthetized spontaneously breathing Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti). Animals: 25 adult (13 male and 12 female) Humboldt penguins. Procedures: CT images of conscious penguins in ventral recumbency...

Data on captive husbandry, medicine, and anesthesia of both aardvarks and pangolins in captivity are very limited. The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is the only living representative of the order Tubulidentata. Their natural habitat is confined to Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Aardvarks are extremely strong animals with an incredibly powerful k...

Chronic lymphoplasmacytic gastritis in two red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus) at a zoological facility progressed to severe hypertrophic gastropathy similar to Ménétrier's disease that affects humans. Clinical signs included emesis, diarrhea, hunched posture consistent with abdominal pain, anemia, and hypoproteinemia. Large gastric masses...

A 9-yr-old, female, intact Schmidt's red-tailed guenon (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti) presented with an acute swelling, consistent with an abscess over the right hip. Cytology, culture, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results from material within the abscess and serum titers were all indicative of a Cryptococcus neoformans infection. Thoraci...

A neonate male addax calf displayed an inability to extend its forelimbs bilaterally (range of motion restricted to 45 degrees-50 degrees on full extension) with resultant inability to stand. Based on examination and radiographs, the congenital defect was attributed to contracted soft tissue structures (joint capsule and/or intercarpal ligaments)....

Pyometra and cystic endometrial hyperplasia are common in domestic canids and are suspected to develop as a consequence of elevated progesterone levels. Reports of uterine pathology in exotic canids are limited, with some speculating of association with contraception. This report describes pyometra, cystic endometrial hyperplasia, and ovariohystere...

An ultrasonographic reproductive health examination of a 26-yr-old female African elephant (Loxodonta africana) revealed bilateral ureteral wall thickening and dilatation. On ultrasonographic examination, the bladder and both ureters were normal near the trigone; however, the cranial-most aspect of each ureter was dilated and thickened for a length...

Spontaneous endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, progressive and painful disease that affects a variety of nonhuman primates, including several species of baboons (Papio sp.). This case documents multimodal management of severe endometriosis in a captive female baboon within a zoological institution. An 18-yr-old, intact female Guinea baboon (Pa...

To evaluate the elimination pharmacokinetics of a single i.m. injection of a long-acting ceftiofur preparation (ceftiofur crystalline-free acid [CCFA]) in healthy adult helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris). 14 healthy adult guineafowl. 1 dose of CCFA (10 mg/kg) was administered i.m. to each of the guineafowl. Blood samples were collected intermit...

Complete ophthalmic examination of a mob of western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) was performed under chemical restraint. Examination included intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement by rebound and applanation tonometry, fluorescein staining, corneal diameter measurement, slit-lamp biomicroscopy and indirect funduscopy. The corneal diameters...

Four adult, full-sibling slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta) were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. The incident case presented with lethargy, anorexia, abdominal guarding, and a cranial abdominal mass. Serum was grossly lipemic, with elevated cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and increased amylase and lipase activity. An explor...

Toads in the genus Bufo are commonly kept in pet, research, and zoological settings and may require anesthesia during veterinary care. Limited information is available comparing anesthetic protocols in most amphibian species. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and cardiopulmonary effects of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) and...

Seventeen adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with an average age of 37 yr were immobilized with a combination of tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) and medetomidine (MED) by one of two modes of delivery. Group A animals received the drug combination intramuscularly at 3 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg, respectively. Animals in group B received MED by oral transmucosa...

Reoviruses are nonenveloped, segmented, double-stranded RNA viruses capable of infecting a wide range of invertebrate, vertebrate, fungus, and plant hosts. Though sporadic infection has been reported in a variety of reptilian species, infection of rough green snakes (Opheodrys aestivus) has not been previously described. Five wild-caught, adult rou...

A 7.5-year-old captive born Savannah monitor, Varanus exanthematicus, presented with lethargy, anorexia, constipation, and narcolepsy-like behavior. Plasma biochemical analysis demonstrated mildly elevated liver enzymes, hypercalcemia, and hypoproteinemia. Coelomic ultrasound revealed multiple echolucent and rare echogenic round hepatic structures....

Umbilical hernias are a common occurrence in domestic animals and humans but have not been well documented in polar bears. Surgical reduction and herniorrhaphies were performed to correct acquired hernias in the region of the umbilicus in four adult captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus) housed in North American zoos. Two of the four bears were clin...

The purpose of this study was to determine normal ocular surface bacterial flora, tear production, and intraocular pressure in a captive flock of Humboldt penguins, Spheniscus humboldti. Twenty-eight healthy penguins were studied and equally divided between fresh- and saltwater habitats. The population consisted of 15 female and 13 male penguins, r...

Marked renal vascular changes, suggestive of hypertension, were present in adult western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) from a single facility over a 14-year period. A subset of these kangaroos also had vague clinical nervous system deficits, including blindness. To characterize the vascular lesions, determine prevalence, and document other...

Fatal colonic obstructions were diagnosed in three captive, adult, reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata). Clinical presentations varied, but all cases displayed decreased activity, anorexia, and considerably decreased fecal production, consistent with intestinal obstruction. Case 1 was diagnosed at necropsy with a phytobezoar obst...

To investigate the serologic response of penguins to West Nile virus (WNV) vaccines, four species of exclusively indoor-housed penguins, negative for WNV by serology, were evaluated: Humboldt (Spheniscus humboldti), Magellanic (Spheniscus magellanicus), Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua), and Rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysoscome) penguins. Birds were inoculated...

A captive, adult male Goeldi's monkey (Callimico goeldii) (GM) presented in acute respiratory distress 4 yr after importation into the United States from Europe. Radiographs and echocardiogram were consistent with heart failure. The monkey died within 24 hr of presentation. Necropsy findings included multicentric arteritis and aortitis with aneurys...

Ten cases of otitis in nine captive okapi were observed at a captive zoological institution. Duration of clinical signs ranged from 3 days to 7 months. Two individuals each had a recurrence. A variety of fungi and bacteria were isolated from the aural canals of healthy okapi and their environments. Numerous different bacterial and fungal pathogens...

Numerous cases of Gongylonema spp. infection with associated pathological lesions and clinical signs were identified in a collection of Goeldi's monkeys (Callimico goeldii) (GMs) at a zoological park during a 3-yr period. An increase in the incidence of clinical signs in the GMs and other callitrichid species prompted an investigation to determine...

Three cases of metabolic bone disease (MBD) were identified in juvenile Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in a zoological collection. Diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment were challenging, in part because radiographs and traditional serum biochemistries did not provide adequate information to guide appropriate clinical management. Normal val...

A 2-year-old, male, red-necked (Bennett's) wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) from a zoological facility was presented for peracute onset of severe depression, unresponsiveness, ataxia, and loose feces. Serum biochemical abnormalities included azotemia, hypoalbuminemia, increased alanine aminotransferase activity, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperphosphatemia,...

A 10-day-old female southern white rhinoceros calf (Ceratotherium simum simum) was diagnosed with a patent urachus after urine was observed dribbling from the umbilicus. After being separated from its mother, the animal was sedated with i.m. butorphanol and anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen for surgical correction of the patent urachus. Mild p...

A debilitated 9-yr-old female red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) with a recent history of corticosteroid administration displayed anorexia, depression, and diarrhea for 2 days. Blood work revealed a moderate nonregenerative anemia, leukocytosis, hypokalemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransf...

Seven (three male and four female) 4-7-yr old captive servals (Felis serval) weighing 13.7 +/- 2.3 kg were used to evaluate the cardiopulmonary and anesthetic effects of combined intramuscular injections of medetomidine (47.4 +/- 10.3 microg/kg), ketamine (1.0 +/- 0.2 mg/kg), and butorphanol (0.2 +/- 0.03 mg/kg). Inductions were smooth and rapid (1...