CHRONIC, INTERMITTENT CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS ENTEROTOXICOSIS IN A GROUP OF CHEETAHS (ACINONYX-JUBATUS JUBATUS)

Six of 22 adult cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) in a private colle ction developed chronic, intermittent to continuous, bloody, mucoid di arrhea over a 3-yr period. Six other cheetahs in this same collection showed occasional blood and mucus drops in their stool during this per iod. The condition spread slowly and insidiously through the group. Ab normal stools ranged from fresh blood and mucus only, to cylindrical m ucosal casts covered with blood and mucus, to soft stool with blood an d mucus drops, to soft yellowish stool. The worst stools (only blood a nd mucus, bloody mucosal casts) were seen most frequently after a fast day. Occasionally, affected cheetahs would produce both normal and ab normal stools on the same day. Affected cheetahs showed no evidence of systemic illness or consistent weight loss during this time period. O ccasional tenesmus was seen during episodes of diarrhea. Results of pa rasite screens, aerobic bacterial cultures, acid-fast stains, mycobact erial cultures, and electron microscopic examination for viruses on ab normal stools from affected cheetahs were negative for known pathogens . Endoscopic colon biopsies taken 10-40 cm anterior to the anus showed histologic changes ranging from mild multifocal suppurative colitis, through moderate plasmocytic mucinous colitis, to multifocal necrotizi ng colitis with the presence of spiral bacteria. Clostridium perfringe ns (CP) was isolated on anaerobic fecal cultures from five of six of t he affected cheetahs. Fecal cytology on affected cheetahs showed one t o three bacterial spores/high-power oil immersion held. Three of six a ffected cheetahs had CP enterotoxin present in fecal samples, suggesti ng CP as the etiology of the chronic diarrhea in this collection of ch eetahs. Treatment of the affected cheetahs with tylosin, metronidazole , and psyllium fiber eliminated the problem.