title: A retrospective study of tumours in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) submitted to a zoological pathology service.
abstract: Fifty-three tumours were diagnosed in samples originating from 167 different black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) submitted to Northwest ZooPath (NZP) between 1996 and 2009. Three prairie dogs had more than one type of neoplasm. Thirty-two of the 50 prairie dogs were from zoological parks in the USA; 17 were owned privately and one was from a wildlife centre. Ages ranged from 2-9 years (median age 5.6 years) for 41 animals in which age was known. Thirty-nine (73.6%) of the tumours were classified as malignant and 14 (26.4%) were benign. Common sites for tumours were the liver, the alimentary tract and the haemolymphoid and integumentary systems. Hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatocellular adenoma, lymphoid malignancies and elodontoma were diagnosed most commonly.
authors.affiliation: DAP Thas, Heerweg-Zuid 9, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium. inge@dapthas.net
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thas
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Garner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012589:Sciuridae; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology