Category: Species

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐜𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞, or PKD, is an inherited disease of kidney development where multiple large 𝐜𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐬 (fluid filled structures with a lining) form within the kidney.

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 is essentially what it sounds like, having too much copper in the body. There are two basic forms, 𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, where the body is delivered a large amount of copper over a short period of time, and 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, where there are consistently high levels of copper, but not enough to induce acute toxicity.

𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐮𝐭 is the accumulation of 𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝, a breakdown product of protein that is normally excreted by the kidneys. When there is an issue with the kidneys, uric acid is not properly excreted, leading to little white nodules of urate crystals all over the internal organs. Weird!

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 are mineralized rocks that can be found in the colon of horses. They are typically made up of 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞, and can weigh up to 10kg!! They typically have a smooth, spherical appearance.

𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 is the specific term for excessive fibrosis (scar tissue) in the liver, with production of lots of nodules of regenerated liver tissue.

𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 is inflammation of the 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦, the inner lining of the heart. The endocardium also makes up the heart valves, and the inflammation is often found on these surfaces.

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦 is an abnormality of sexual development, where a female calf is born with 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 (having two complete genome sets in the body) with some cells having XX sex chromosomes and some cells having XY chromosomes.

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 is inflammation of the 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐦, which is the lining of the abdomen. Peritonitis is characterized by large clumps or mats of 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧, one of the body’s main clotting proteins, that are trying to “wall off” the source of inflammation to try and prevent it from spreading elsewhere in the abdomen. Unfortunately, fibrin is often not very good at controlling the source, and the peritonitis becomes 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞 throughout the whole abdomen.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐬 is a rare and fatal congenital disease where the fetus’ spine is 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐝 backward, meaning that spine is curved away from the legs. This is also associated with failure of the abdominal wall to close, so the guts are hanging out of the fetus. This gives the fetus an “inside out” appearance. So weird.

𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 refers to a specific pattern we can see in the liver at necropsy, where the liver takes on the appearance of a nutmeg’s cut surface. This is a very characteristic sign of 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, however does not tell you much about the actual cause of the congestion.