Veterinary Science - Theses
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ItemStudies into aspects of lumpy jaw in macropods( 1981)Jaw disease in kangaroos and wallabies, while uncommon in animals living in the free state, is a major cause of death in captive macropods. There are two major schools of thought regarding its aetiology. The first accepts the findings of Fox (1923) and considers the disease to be actinomycosis while the second believes jaw disease to be one manifestation of necrobacillosis. Regardless of the belief of the authors the clinical and pathological descriptions indicate the condition attacking macropods throughout the world is a single disease. Over one hundred affected macropods were examined during the course of this study and few species were found to be spared from jaw disease. Cases of lumpy jaw most commonly occurred in the winter months. All ages of macropods were affected although a higher prevalence was recorded in younger animals; however this may have been a reflection of the age of macropods in the zoo under study. The most common site of infection was the premolar and anterior molar region of the oral cavity, regardless of the age of the animal. The gross pathological findings were similar to the descriptions of affected animals by various authors throughout the world. The site of infection could generally be recognized at the gingival crevice, commonly between teeth, and excessive calculus formation associated with gingivitis and gingival recession was a common finding in affected animals. Penetration of the gingival mucosae by plant fibre was not found to be a significant predisposing factor in the initiation of the disease. (For complete abstract open document.)