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In this Episode:
Series 1 Episode Guide:
Super Vets
Camilla was aged about 12 or 13, which for a reindeer is quite elderly. Comparison is difficult, but this would equate roughly to an 80-year-old human. She was brought to the Farm Animal Practice at the Royal Veterinary College when she had stopped eating and became unable to stand.
A thorough physical examination failed to reveal the cause of Camilla’s collapse. She was thin, dehydrated and had recently had diarrhoea. This had left the hair around her tail damp and small maggots were found there where flies, attracted to the dampness, had laid their eggs. Blood samples and samples of Camilla’s faeces were collected and sent to the RVC’s on-site diagnostic laboratory.
Intravenous fluids were administered to combat Camilla’s dehydration and glucose to provide energy. The damp hair was clipped away and the skin underneath cleaned. Medication was applied to kill the remaining maggots which cause considerable pain and distress, and can even eat into the skin.
Camilla’s blood test results indicated significant liver damage. An ultrasound of her abdomen was conducted to look for the cause of the liver damage, as well as for a cause of the diarrhoea. A small, portable machine was used so Camilla wouldn’t have to walk to the examination room. Portable ultrasound units are often taken to farms and stable yards to minimise patient stress.
The ultrasound confirmed that there were abnormalities in the liver, and as Camilla was no longer improving, the decision was taken to biopsy her liver – to take a sample of liver tissue for the lab staff to look at under a microscope. With the help of the ultrasound machine, an appropriate area of the liver was selected and a biopsy taken using a very long needle with a special cutting mechanism. The sample was sent to the College's diagnostic laboratory.
DeclineAs night fell, it was obvious that Camilla was weakening again. Students and staff checked on her regularly and ran additional emergency tests during the early part of the night to see if any more could be done. Unfortunately, she passed away peacefully in her box shortly before sunrise.
A full post mortem examination was carried out later that day by RVC pathologists. They were unable to find a specific cause of death, such as cancer, infection or parasites. Their conclusion was that Camilla had died of old age and malnutrition, probably related to her unwillingness to seek out and fight for food.
A team of staff and students from the College Farm Animal Practice treated the remaining reindeer herd with medication to deter flies and prevent maggot infestation.
