Septic Arthritis

[Wingers243]

I would appreciate views on this:

CWD shot at the weekend with damaged front knee joint, very stiff. No obvious sign of a problem walking though it was couched for much of the stalk & took only a couple of steps before the shot. Joint Approx size of a golf ball externally, no visible sign of external injury remaining.

A small amount of pus-like fluid on internal surfaces of joint & a small amount could be squeezed from what looks like a lymph node on the side of the joint, circled. No apparent odour at all.

Except for this and a blind eye it inspected ok externally & internally

I suspect a septic Arthritis / septic condition and therefore carcase to be condemned. Anyone able to confirm or offer an alternative view on carcase use?

 

[VSS]

I think, if all other aspects of the pre- and post-mortem inspections were OK, I'd just have condemned the affected limb.

 

[Selous]

Yep, could be a septic arthritis, especially if only one joint affected. If everything else was ok I would condemn that limb unless the other lymph nodes were also abnormal

 

[Wingers243]

That was my first thought - to discard affected limb (which in this case bullet damage will probably result in by default) but as one doesn't come across these things all that often I thought a quick look at BP guidance was useful. That indicates any sort of septic arthritis or other septic condition beyond a localised infection of identifiable cause qualifies for condemnation.

Interested to know where a 'localised infection' ends and a 'septic arthritis / condition' begins?

 

[Selous]

A septic arthritis is typically localised to the joint and occurs as a result of direct joint penetration or haematogenous spread (via blood). It is rare for animals to have multiple septic joints.

 

[GThomson]

I would appreciate views on this:

CWD shot at the weekend with damaged front knee joint, very stiff. No obvious sign of a problem walking though it was couched for much of the stalk & took only a couple of steps before the shot. Joint Approx size of a golf ball externally, no visible sign of external injury remaining.

A small amount of pus-like fluid on internal surfaces of joint & a small amount could be squeezed from what looks like a lymph node on the side of the joint, circled. No apparent odour at all.

Except for this and a blind eye it inspected ok externally & internally

I suspect a septic Arthritis / septic condition and therefore carcase to be condemned. Anyone able to confirm or offer an alternative view on carcase use?

I agree with you and have had the same thing - carcass condemned.

 

[potshotpat]

I wouldn't question anyone seeing this type of condition, and deciding to condemn the whole carcass. But in a slaughterhouse environment with that carcass, judgement would be reject affected part, stamp it as fit for human consumption and move on. Whole carcass rejection would be if it was affecting all four weight bearing joints. As an aside next time your out in the countryside and there's sheep about, check how many are lame on one quarter. I don't thick the farmers are keeping them on to be rejected/binned at a late date.

 

[potshotpat]

Thick is think Sorry.