Fatal congenital and traumatic cervical spine injuries in a captive newborn plains zebra ( Equus quagga )

In this report, we describe the clinical, macro-, and microscopic findings of a newborn zebra victim of a fatal trauma and its possible causes are discussed in detail. A plains zebra ( ) born in a Portuguese zoo was found in hypothermia and unable to get up. The animal was admitted to the hospital 3...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inOpen veterinary journal (Tripoli, Libya) Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 75 - 79
Main Authors Silva, Gabriela Fernandes, Gomes, José Eduardo, Cunha, Raquel, Canadas-Sousa, Ana, Faria, Fátima, Baptista, Cláudia, Alvura, Nuno, Atayde, Luis Miguel, Amorim, Irina
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Libya Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 01.01.2022
Tripoli University
Subjects
Animals
Case Report
Cervical Vertebrae
congenital
Equidae
fatal
newborn
trauma
zebra
Newborn
Congenital
Fatal
Zebra
Trauma
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:In this report, we describe the clinical, macro-, and microscopic findings of a newborn zebra victim of a fatal trauma and its possible causes are discussed in detail. A plains zebra ( ) born in a Portuguese zoo was found in hypothermia and unable to get up. The animal was admitted to the hospital 36 hours later and, after the first hour of treatment and no attempts to get up, it began to convulse and died. At necropsy, subdural hematoma and atlantoaxial dislocation were the main findings. The inability to pinpoint the exact moment of the lesions' onset determines the importance of a thorough surveillance of the periparturient period and parturition of captive animals. Furthermore, literature concerning zebras, their reproduction, and neonatal period is scarce, reinforcing the need to report these cases.
ISSN:2226-4485
2218-6050
DOI:10.5455/OVJ.2022.v12.i1.9