Previous studies have linked formaldehyde (FA) fumigation to significant risks to animal health, highlighting, among other effects, its cytotoxic and genotoxic potential. Literature includes several studies on the use of FA for fumigating hatching eggs, but studies employing in-depth methodological approaches are scarce. As a result, the effects of practices involving this chemical remain insufficiently characterized. The present study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effects and potential toxicity resulting from the fumigation of hatching eggs with FA. The three FA concentrations (2.5, 5, and 10 g/m³) exhibit effective antibacterial activity, but this effect does not translate into long-term benefits. FA affected hatchability and demonstrated embryotoxic effects, with repercussions on chicks depending on the concentration used. The overall quality of poultry and the losses from eggs fumigated with FA remain questionable. Despite its efficacy as an egg fumigant, the observed toxicity suggests that its use violates safety standards and should be reconsidered. If its use cannot be avoided, the lowest possible concentrations should be prioritized to minimize toxic effects.

Cardiac congenital defects related to inheritance and teratogenesis have been reported in veterinary species and humans worldwide. Among these, ectopia cordis (EC), characterized by an externalized heart through a cleft, is extremely rare in sheep. This report presents the diagnostic features of two cases of complete thoracic EC in newborn lambs. Clinical findings in the lambs, aside from the EC, were unremarkable. Both animals exhibited exteriorized hearts without pericardial coverage, delineated in the thoracic cleft by a fibrous ring of the pericardium and adjacent skin. Histologically, the epicardium was thickened by fibrous tissue in both lambs, with one animal also showing marked edema, hemorrhage, and neutrophilic inflammatory infiltration. The prognosis of EC in the lambs of this study was poor, with fatal outcomes despite attempts at surgical correction.

Electrical accidents pose a considerable threat to wildlife in anthropized regions, particularly arboreal mammals, as evidenced by cases of electrocutions in nonhuman primates (NHPs). This study characterized the frequency, anatomic distribution, and pathological features of electrocution injuries in free‐ranging NHPs based on data retrieved from necropsy archives at the Veterinary Pathology and Forensics Laboratory, University of Brasilia, Brazil. Gross and microscopic evaluations were conducted to assess the nature and extent of electrothermal injuries, including burns and tissue damage. Between 2019 and 2022, electrocution accounted for 16.5% of NHP deaths, primarily affecting black tufted marmosets. Adult NHPs, regardless of sex, were predominantly affected, mainly in the rainy season. Limbs were the most commonly affected body parts, with double, triple, or multiple injury sites being common. Gross findings mostly included severe burns (Grades III and IV), ulcerative injuries, blisters, bone exposure, singed hair, and muscle exposure. Microscopic examinations unveiled epidermal necrosis, smudging of collagen fibers, stretched epidermal nuclei, blisters (epidermal honeycomb aspect), muscle necrosis, skin metallization, and hemorrhage and congestion within internal organs. Electrocution has emerged as a substantial cause of death in free‐ranging NHPs, particularly in urban and peri‐urban areas. The study underscores the need for public policy adjustments to mitigate the risks of electrocution in NHPs and enhance species conservation efforts in human‐dominated landscapes.

Clinical mastitis in small ruminants is usually seen with an incidence of less than 5% and most cases, especially with hyperacute evolution, are not referred for hospital care. During the 5-year survey, 16 goats and 7 sheep, totaling 23 small ruminants, met the inclusion criteria with a definitive diagnosis of clinical mastitis. Clinical signs ranged greatly among cases, varying from septic state in hyperacute cases, and enlarged, pendulous udder associated with chronic pain and abnormal gait in chronic cases. Microbiological culture revealed a wide array of bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., and Pasteurella spp. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility profiles varied greatly among bacteria isolates, ranging from sensitive to all tested antimicrobials to a multi-resistant profile. Pathological features included hyperemia and dark red areas of necrosis in the skin, marked hyperemia of the affected gland at the cut surface, lactiferous ducts and gland cisterns filled by cloudy or suppurative fluid, abscesses, and hardness of the mammary gland parenchyma. This retrospective study highlights the multifactorial nature and clinical variability of mastitis in small ruminants, demonstrating its significant impact on animal health, welfare, and production.

Bovine cutaneous angiomatosis (BCA) is a rare condition characterized by vasoproliferative skin lesions mainly affecting cattle in the northern hemisphere. An eight-month-old Holstein heifer showed two skin easy-bleeding nodules bulging from the epidermis in the forehead and close to the right prescapular region. Skin lesions were within the dermis and had an irregular surface and a soft heterogeneous reddish parenchyma composed of numerous variable-sized arterioles, veins, and capillaries surrounded by abundant collagenous fibrous tissue. Immunohistochemical assays evidenced endothelial cells lining proliferative vascular structure immunolabeled for CD31 and Von Willebrand factor, and vascular smooth muscle cells immunostained for smooth muscle actin. All clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features observed in the Holstein heifer were hallmarks of BCA. Considering its potential for hereditary spread, BCA must be included in the differential diagnosis of easily bleeding skin nodules that do not respond to routine topical wound treatments to prevent its spread in Brazilian herds.

Pituitary abscess syndrome (PAS) is a rare neurological disorder, typically associated with progressive dysfunction of the cerebrum and brainstem. Reporting PAS in ruminants is essential to broaden the global veterinary understanding of this condition. The present study describes the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, microbiological, and pathological findings of nine ruminant cases diagnosed with PAS. Neurological signs were the most prominent clinical manifestations and included altered mentation, tongue hypotonia, nystagmus, blindness, ear ptosis, circling, facial hypoalgesia, head pressing, and proprioceptive deficits. Hematological alterations in some animals comprised leukocytosis by neutrophilia, a degenerative left shift, and hyperfibrinogenemia. Serum biochemical abnormalities were inconsistent and varied among cases. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed marked variability, ranging from normal parameters to mild or marked pleocytosis, often accompanied by hyperproteinorrachia. Microbiological cultures from CSF samples or abscess material yielded Trueperella pyogenes, Streptococcus spp., and Corynebacterium spp. Gross pathological findings primarily included pituitary hyperemia, abscess formation, or diffuse suppurative inflammation characterized by a creamy yellow to greenish exudate. Histopathological examination revealed severe multifocal suppurative inflammation composed predominantly of neutrophils, occasional histiocytes, abundant bacteria, areas of necrosis, and encapsulated abscesses. This retrospective study provides novel insights into the clinical, laboratory, and pathological characteristics of PAS in ruminants under field conditions, thereby contributing to improved recognition and diagnostic understanding of this uncommon disease.