Sylvain Larrat

• DVM, MSc, DES, Dip ACZM
• Consultant at Biodivet

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), common in rural and suburban environments, is perceived as declining within its native range, prompting conservation concerns. This study of hedgehogs admitted to a French rehabilitation center aimed to identify causes of death, detect potential emerging diseases, and systematically screen dead hedgehogs...

Les amphibiens représentent, parmi les vertébrés, la classe qui décline le plus sur Terre. Les causes de ces déclins incluent entre autres les changements climatiques, la destruction des habitats, la pollution et des maladies infectieuses émergentes. Monitorer et protéger les populations d’amphibiens implique souvent des interventions humaines au s...

Carcasses of endangered beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, have been examined consistently since 1983 to determine causes of death. The objective of this study is to compare the nutritional condition of belugas that died of different causes. Previously published categories of death were refined to discriminat...

Biochemical and hematological analyses are important for the assessment of animal health. However, for most wild species their use is hindered by the scarcity of reliable reference intervals. Indeed, collecting body fluids (e.g., blood, urine) in free-ranging animals is often technically challenging. Further, sampling many individuals would be esse...

La santé de la faune sauvage est en enjeu à la fois pour la santé humaine (risque de zoonoses), la santé des animaux domestiques (maladies partagées entre espèces domestiques et sauvages) et la protection de la biodiversité. Une stratégie sanitaire sur un territoire, pertinente pour l’ensemble de sa faune sauvage s’appuie d’abord sur la surveillanc...

Objective: Coagulation tests are an essential tool in the diagnosis and management of coagulopathies in mammals. The aim of the current study was to establish reference intervals for prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial PT (aPTT) in healthy ferrets using 2 different point-of-care analyzers (Idexx Coag DX and MS QuickVet Coag Combo). Animal...

This study aimed to evaluate the surveillance network of amphibian mortality’ events in French National Parks, using the OASIS method. The main strengths of the network were revealed by the evaluation, as well as limitations that narrow the surveillance’s efficiency. The limitations encompass structural and functional parts of the network, which de...

Background The control and prevention of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases is often based on the reduction of host or vector populations, involving but not limited to preventative culling and use of insecticides. Yet, destructive interventions such as these have shown several limitations including ineffectiveness on arthropods and negative impacts...

Following the evaluation of 26,020 photographs collected from 2003 to 2014 as part of a photo‐identification program in St. Lawrence Estuary belugas, an atlas of cutaneous anomalies, composed of 18 skin lesions categories (SLCs), is proposed. At least one SLC was present in 51%, 97%, and 94% of neonates, gray, and white belugas, respectively. The m...

Female dogs, especially intact or neutered lately, are at increased risk for reproductive disorders including mammary tumors (MTs). This retrospective study evaluated the prevalence of reproductive pathology and associated mortality in a cohort of female dogs presented at a single veterinary clinic. The medical records of female dogs born in 2000–2...

Conservation efforts of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) of the St. Lawrence estuary include a mortality surveillance program which has the objective of documenting the causes of mortality. The evaluation of the animal's body condition is a key component in the diagnostic process. There is currently no consensual method to measure or calcul...

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 unr...

Domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are common zoologic companion animals and display specific body language and vocalizations. Social interactions, play behavior, and resting periods are important keystone in domestic ferret behavior. Specific housing and environmental enrichment are recommended to preserve the expression of normal behavior a...

Treatment of avian renal disease relies on supportive care, such as fluid therapy and nutritional support. Analgesia and adaptations of the environment are indicated in cases of renal disease associated with painful joints. Other treatments vary with the underlying etiology and may include systemic antibiotics, antifungal therapy, vitamin A supplem...

Our knowledge on the diversity, frequency, and causes of skin lesions in free-ranging belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) is limited. The objectives of this study were 1) to establish a classification system of skin lesions in belugas from the St. Lawrence Estuary based on macroscopic appearance, 2) to estimate the frequency of skin lesions categories...

Background: Many infectious pathogens can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa, or by animals (especially arthropods) to humans. Such diseases are called zoonotic and/or vector-borne diseases. To control or prevent them, it is often recommended to target population reduction of host or vector species, through preventive culling or...

In recent years, outbreaks caused by multi-host pathogens (MHP) have posed a serious challenge to public and animal health authorities. The frequent implication of wildlife in such disease systems and a lack of guidelines for mitigating these diseases within wild animal populations partially explain why the outbreaks are particularly challenging. T...

The preoperative contouring of plates decreases the duration of surgery and improves the quality of the reduction of pelvic fractures. Patient-tailored three-dimensionally printed pelvises might be an interesting tool for achieving that purpose. Currently, no study has evaluated the accuracy of measurements performed on three-dimensional printed mo...

The determination of body condition is a fundamental component of an evaluation during postmortem examinations of cetaceans. Three veterinarians experienced in beluga postmortem techniques subjectively evaluated 62 carcasses of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) in duplicate, using a visual analog scale. The result of evaluation and scoring was...

The objective of this preliminary study was to establish a reference range for plasma fructosamine concentration and fructosamine - albumin ratio in healthy ferrets and to compare these reference intervals to values obtained from hypoglycemic ferrets. Fructosamine concentration has been shown to reflect blood glucose concentration over the previous...

Castration of rabbits can be achieved with several surgical techniques. The choice of the technique currently depends on the surgeon preferences since objective comparison between techniques is currently lacking. The aim of the current study was to compare the scrotal and prescrotal approaches in pet rabbits. The surgery and anesthesia duration, th...

Fish and aquatic invertebrates deserve evidence-based medicine. Pharmacologic information is available; most pharmacokinetic studies are derived from the aquaculture industry and extrapolated to ornamental fish. Conversely, advanced diagnostics and information regarding diseases affecting only ornamental fish and invertebrates require more peer-rev...

To evaluate the toxicity of short-term high doses of meloxicam in American kestrels (Falco sparverius), 32 male captive-born, 1- to 4-year-old American kestrels were randomly assigned to 4 groups: 3 groups treated with meloxicam (n = 9 per group) and a control group (n = 5). Meloxicam was administered orally via feeding tube in the proventriculus a...

A 2.5-year-old female rabbit was presented with a history of intermittent anorexia and gastrointestinal stasis. An ovariohysterectomy was performed 9 months prior to the initial presentation for gastrointestinal problems. At 15 months post ovariohysterectomy, abdominal radiographic images and ultrasonography revealed an enlarged left kidney with a...

Veterinarians caring for companion animals may encounter microsporidia in various host species, and diagnosis and treatment of these fungal organisms can be particularly challenging. Fourteen microsporidial species have been reported to infect humans and some of them are zoonotic; however, to date, direct zoonotic transmission is difficult to docum...

This study compared blood glucose concentrations measured with a portable blood glucometer and a validated laboratory analyzer in venous blood samples of 20 pet ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Correlation and agreement were evaluated with a Bland-Altman plot method and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient. Blood glucose concentrations measure...

Tetralogy of Fallot associated with bidirectional shunting across a large ventricular septal defect, was found in a 6-year-old ferret. The prognosis associated with tetralogy of Fallot is usually poor. This case is interesting given the advanced age of the ferret. The bidirectional shunting, responsible for an acyanotic disease, may explain the une...

The pathogenesis of the recently recognized "red vent syndrome" in wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is not fully understood. Pathologic observations indicate that this syndrome is associated with the presence of nonencapsulated larvae of the nematode Anisakis simplex in the body wall, the lower intestinal wall, and the visceral cavity surrounding...

Multiple control methods have been used in North America to manage the spread of rabies caused by the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies virus variant (RRVV). Recently, oral vaccination with ONRAB(®) vaccine baits, which contain an adenovirus rabies glycoprotein recombinant, has been made available as an additional tool for rabies control. Our objectiv...

Microfilariae are considered non-pathogenic in wild birds. The objective of the current communication is to report host reactions to microfilarial infection of unusual intensity in emaciated boreal owls (Aegolius funereus). An unusually large number of boreal owls (n = 21) were submitted to the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center-Quebec Reg...

During the 1980s, walrus-meat consumption caused infections with the parasite Trichinella nativa in Nunavik inhabitants. In response to these events, stakeholders set up the community-based Nunavik Trichinellosis Prevention Program (NTPP). The objectives of the present communication are to review the NTPP, describe how science and action were inter...

A Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) died of verminous and bacterial pneumonia and aerosacculitis associated with capillarid nematodes of the genus Eucoleus. This represents an aberrant location for these helminths in avian hosts. Although positive identification was not possible, the worms resembled Eucoleus aerophilus, a species not reported pre...

The objectives of this study were twofold: to determine the sensitivity of gill biopsies used for the screening of Pseudodactylogyrus bini in subclinically infested American eels (Anguilla rostrata) and to evaluate the effect of bath anesthesia on the proportion of infested eels. Fifty-four eels were euthanized following either intracoelomic inject...

Ten species of odontocete have been recorded in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada). The harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), the white-beaked dolphin (L. albirostris), and the long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena) are the most abundant species of odon-tocete in the Gulf,...