I lost a second glider last night.

I lost Lt. Cmdr. Worf last night, two weeks to the day that I lost his missus Princess Jadzia.

When I had them in when Jadzia had to be euthanized they said Worf was healthy. So I brought him home and put his son back in him for company.

They are doing a necropsy today and will call with any gross findings.

He had been looking for Jadzia, every time I opened the cage door he was trying to get out to look for her.

Could the stress of losing Jadzia have caused his death.

I'm so sorry :(

Probably not, Kim.

Please make sure that you are having histopathology as well and that you are sharing all of your results/reports with the SUGAR Group for our research (you will have to fill out a necropsy survey with each one as well). It would really help!

I'm very sorry for your losses. Seems to be going around lately, this loosing two gliders within weeks of each other.

They are doing a complete Necropsy with histopathology on both gliders. It may take a few weeks for the histopathology results though.

I am so sorry. Hugs

I'm sorry :( Two in such a short time is tough. Our thoughts are with you.

*hugs* I hope you get some answers soon.

:( Hugs.

Here are the gross findings of Worf's Necropsy:

There is no subcutaneous adipose tissue and the subcutis and thoracic
and abdominal skeletal muscles are tacky. The liver is not enlarged (not
weighed) as the liver lobes are flush with or extend just beyond the costal
margins. The gall bladder is firm, opaque and distended, measuring 1.5
cm x 1.2 cm x 0.8 cm. The bile duct is distended, tortuous and not patent.
On cut section, the gall bladder contains a dark black-green sludgy
material (inspissated bile) and the wall is thick. The duodenum is dilated
and flaccid. There is no omental or retroperitoneal fat.

The left adrenal is
enlarged, ~3 mm diameter, and the right adrenal was unable to be
identified. The bladder is full and unable to be expressed, although no
stricture or lesion to cause occlusion of the urethra was identified.
The thoracic cavity contained 0.1 mL of serosanguinous fluid. The left
caudal lung lobe is mottled dark red and pink but all lung lobes palpate
normally. The lungs float in formalin. The heart weighs 0.53 grams
(0.72% of body weight)
Bilaterally, the meninges adjacent to and overlying the cerebellar vermis
are white.

Gall bladder: Marked chronic dilation with bile inspissation and
possible obstruction

Left adrenal gland: hyperplasia vs neoplasia

Right adrenal gland: probable atrophy
Bladder: Marked dilation with possible obstruction
Pleural cavity: Mild serosanguinous effusion
Meninges: Multifocal fibrosis

When they called me they said that the gross findings didn't give many answers and they hoped to get more from the histopath results, which will take a few weeks.

They didn't feel that it was anything contagious.

I really want to know what the multifocal fibrosis they found in the meninges is, plus what was up with his adrenal glands as he lost a lot of weigh in the time after Jadzia died, even though they were almost cleaning their plates and I was feeding them extra.

Both hyperplasia and neoplasia are common diagnosis for gliders, so it will be interesting to see which one it is.

This is a great example of how important histopathological testing is - both for closure and for our research.

Thanks for keeping us informed.

Something_To_Believe_In wrote:

Both hyperplasia and neoplasia are common diagnosis for gliders, so it will be interesting to see which one it is.

This is a great example of how important histopathological testing is - both for closure and for our research.

Thanks for keeping us informed.

Agreed. Thank you, Kimberley. I know how difficult this is and I really appreciate you sharing what you find out.

Here are the final results I got on Lt. Cmdr. Worf:

Slide 1:
Liver and gallbladder: Equally affecting multiple sections of liver, the
lobular architecture is markedly distorted by myriad transverse and
longitudinal profiles of small bile ducts that often bridge between portal
tracts and centrilobular regions. There is minimal accompanying fibrous
connective tissue, scattered small lymphocytes and immature
hematopoietic precursors. Diffusely, lobules are markedly collapsed,
central veins are indistinct and those that are apparent are in close
proximity to portal tracts and are surrounded by a moderately thick band
of connective tissue and immature hematopoietic precursors. Within the
remaining parenchyma, hepatocytes often contain moderate amounts of
granular brown pigment, and there is bile canalicular stasis. Occasionally
within portal tracts and periportal regions, there is accumulation of
amorphous eosinophilic extracellular matrix (non-amyloid, non-
Congophilic). In sections of gallbladder, the lumen is markedly distended
by hemorrhage and inspissated eosinophilic amorphous matrix. The
mucosa is markedly thickened by large cystic glands supported by thick
bands of fibrous stroma (cystic mucosal hyperplasia). The same cystic
mucosal hyperplasia extends the length of the common bile duct.
Kidney: Multifocally, within the section of kidney, in the cortex and at the
cortical medullary junction, there are moderate numbers of lymphocytes,
plasma cells, and macrophages containing granular brown pigment within
the interstitium. Nuclei are densely clumped to linearly arrayed (multinucleated
cells). Occasionally within the medulla, few tubules contain
granular brown casts.

Slide 2:
Heart: Within sections of heart, the right ventricular free wall is 1 mm
wide, and the interventricular septum is 1.5 mm wide, and the left
ventricular free wall is 2 mm wide. No epicardial or pericardial adipose
tissue is observed.
Lung: Diffusely, sections of lung are congested and atelectatic with
moderate numbers of neutrophils circulating in interstitial capillaries.
Focally, in one section, there is hemorrhage filling alveoli in the subpleural
parenchyma.

Slide 3:
Adrenal gland: The two sections of adrenal gland are dominated by
cortex, predominantly zona fasciculata with a thin peripheral zona
glomerulosa. Corticocytes in the zona fasciculata contain abundant often
vacuolated cytoplasm and there is moderate anisokaryosis. The
cytoplasm of cortical sites in the zone of glomerulosa is densely
vacuolated. Periadrenal adipocytes are shrunken or contain scant finely
vacuolated cytoplasm.
Bladder: The bladder is distended and thin-walled.
Proximal urethra/Prostate: The urethral mucosa is mildly proliferative and
in one section, submucosal tubular glands (prostate) are variably dilated
by nodular and lamellar aggregates of amorphous variably basophilic
inspissated material. The adjacent adipose tissue is markedly shrunken.
Accessory sex glands (Possible Cowper’s glands): Examined are serial
sections of 4 paired glands. Within one set of glands, there is a central
cavity lined by stratified squamous epithelium off of which extend short
ducts surrounded by multiple lobules of submucosal sebaceous-like
glandular structures. In the other set of glands, there is a larger central
cavity lined by a variably proliferative to papilliferous cuboidal epithelium
that multifocally is replaced by stratified squamous epithelium. The
central cavity contains moderate to abundant amorphous eosinophilic
debris, exfoliated cuboidal epithelial cells, and moderate numbers of
degenerate neutrophils. Smaller numbers of neutrophils infiltrate into the
lining epithelium and submucosa.

Slide 4:
Stomach: No significant findings.
Duodenum, pancreas and peripancreatic lymph node: The duodenal
section is markedly autolyzed. Within the exocrine pancreas, zymogen
granules are diffusely inapparent. Adjacent to the pancreas, there is a
transverse section through the common bile duct in which there is marked
mucosal hyperplasia and distention with inspissated bile and hemorrhage.
In the subcapsular sinus of the lymph node, there are multiple small
aggregates of eosinophilic fibrillar matrix (non-amyloid, not Congophilic).
Spleen: The section examined is moderately autolyzed but within 1 area
of the splenic parenchyma is expanded by large polygonal cells
containing abundant finely vacuolated cytoplasm (lipid).
Cerebellum: Sections include fragments of caudal cerebral cortex. No
significant findings.

Slide 5:
Cerebrum: Within the cortex, there is a mild increase in microglial cells
that occasionally surround glia or neurons (satellitosis) or vessels.

Slide 6:
Eyes: The central core of one lens is absent.

1. Gallbladder and common bile duct: Severe cystic mucosal hyperplasia
with ectasia, luminal hemorrhage, and inspissation

2. Liver: Severe diffuse chronic bile duct hyperplasia with mild portal and
central vein fibrosis, lobular collapse, and bile canalicular stasis

3. Kidney: Moderate multifocal chronic lymphoplasmacytic interstitial
nephritis, tubular epithelial anisokaryosis and multi-nucleated cells, and
tubular pigmented casts

4. Urinary bladder: Distention

5. Prostate and prostatic urethra: Mild mucosal hyperplasia and
glandular inspissation

5. Adipose tissue: Marked atrophy

6. Pancreas: Marked zymogen granule depletion

7. Adrenal gland: Marked cortical hyperplasia

8. Accessory sex glands: Moderate neutrophilic adenitis with ectasia,
and squamous metaplasia

The cause of clinical signs is attributed to chronic hepatobiliary disease.
The obstruction/partial obstruction of the common bile duct or hepatic
duct due to cystic mucosal hyperplasia most likely induced the prolific
biliary hyperplasia, though toxic injury is a consideration for biliary
hyperplasia that is unassociated with inflammation. Similar, though far
less severe, changes were present in the cagemate (Jadzia, MR#
130224).
Frozen tissue has been saved for ancillary diagnostics
(toxicology) if interested.

Whether the animal was visual remains unknown. Though a lens opacity
was seen grossly, no histologic evidence of cataract formation was seen
and no neurologic changes in the eye or within the brain were noted.

Remaining findings were of unknown significance.

Kim, may I ask what diet you were feeding and if you made any moderations to said diet?

I am very sorry for your loss! {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}

When I got Worf and Jadzia I was feeding Original HPW, then I fed Candy's Blended Diet for almost a year and I am now feeding HPW Plus.

HPW Plus since Peggy released it for public sale.

Why do you ask?

I should add that for the veggies and fruit I feed as follows:

I mix the cucumber, bok choy, green pepper with the mixed veggies, peas and green beans and they are fed that daily. I only feed one fruit a day instead of making the three mixes like Peggy does it.

I rotate the following fruits: papaya, honey or musk melon, grapes, mixed blueberries and black berries, bolthouse green juice. Sometimes they get water melon and once or twice a month they get avocado.

Just curious really....... Cant really say why I asked, other than it almost reads to me like a possible hyper/hypovitaminosis rather than say a disease process.... Are you going to have a toxicology done also or??

They froze tissue for toxicology, I would have to ask what they would charge for that. Right now they haven't charged for any of the Necropsy thus far. Histology included.

With the others histo I would HIGHLY suggest having a toxicology done, I believe it would give you answers that you dont have now