FALLOT'S TETRALOGY IN A EUROPEAN BEAVER

A 20-mo-old, female, 9-kg European beaver (Castor fiber) presented with apathy, reduced appetite of 3-day duration and a grade 5/6 systolic heart murmur. Thoracic radiographs revealed a diffuse broncho-interstitial pattern suspicious for bronchopneumonia. The echocardiographic findings of a hypertrophied right ventricle, ventricular septal defect with overriding aorta, and infundibular pulmonic stenosis were consistent with Fallot's tetralogy. Even though the bronchopneumonia rather than the congenital cardiac defect was considered of primary importance for the presenting clinical signs, the latter was relevant for the decision not to continue any medical treatment. Both disease processes were confirmed on necropsy. BRIEF COMMUNICATION A 20-mo-old, female, 9-kg European beaver (Castor fiber) was presented to the clinic for zoo animals, exotic pets, and wildlife (University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland) due to apathy and reduced appetite of 3-day duration. The animal was housed at a wildlife park in an outside enclosure together with six other beavers. The size of the enclosure was 1,134 m 2 including a pond of 170 m 2 and a stream. Beside browse and access to grass, the beavers were fed with carrots, apples, beet roots, cabbage, corn, and a cereal mix. Sire and dam of the animal were both wild- caught from Germany. Eight months prior to presentation, a health check, blood sampling, and sexing had been performed. At that time, the animal was alert, in good body condition, and weighed 7.3 kg. Chest auscultation had revealed a grade 5/6 systolic heart murmur and normal lung sounds. In a blood sample taken from the tail vein, no hematologic or biochemical abnormali- ties were detected. Reference intervals for the American beaver (Castor canadensis) established