{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T14:39:44Z","timestamp":1783694384314,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,3]],"date-time":"2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748908800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>The African white-bellied pangolin (<jats:italic>Phataginus tricuspis<\/jats:italic>) is an endangered species with a small population under managed care in the United States. Over the course of 4 years, nine pangolins at a single North American zoological institution died or were euthanized with necropsy findings consistent with hepatic lipidosis, representing 9 of 14 mortalities during this time period.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This report describes hepatic lipidosis in these pangolins (clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, clinicopathologic and postmortem findings) and summarizes clinically relevant predictors of disease.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The time from the onset of illness to death ranged from 2 to 75 days (median 23 days). Obesity was noted prior to clinical presentation for illness in 4\/9 animals. All pangolins had anorexia and lethargy; other common clinical signs included constipation (6\/9), vomiting or regurgitation (6\/9), and\/or dyspnea (5\/9). Increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were observed in 7\/9 animals, hyperbilirubinemia in 5\/9, and increased bile acids in 5\/9. Serum selenium was low in 3\/9 animals, but vitamin E concentrations were normal. Hypertriglyceridemia was uncommon during illness (1\/9). Evidence of renal dysfunction was also common, and included glucosuria (6\/6), proteinuria (7\/7), and azotemia (6\/9). Ultrasound was the most reliable imaging technique at identifying hepatic lipidosis as evidenced by hepatomegaly and increased echogenicity. Despite variable treatment including assisted feeding, hepatoprotectants, fluid therapy, gastroprotectants, antibiotics, and\/or antiemetics, all cases were ultimately fatal. Each of the animals had comorbidities or an inciting reason for anorexia that led to negative energy balance. In 5\/9, resultant hepatic lipidosis was severe and deemed the primary cause of death or euthanasia.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This case series suggests that white-bellied pangolins are prone to developing hepatic lipidosis following a period of anorexia secondary to other underlying disease processes. Elevated AST, ALT, bilirubin, and bile acids in an anorectic and lethargic pangolin should provide a high index of suspicion for hepatic lipidosis. Further study is needed to evaluate pangolins for potential unique polyunsaturated fatty acid or other species-specific dietary requirements.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2025.1562904","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,3]],"date-time":"2025-06-03T06:14:28Z","timestamp":1748931268000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Hepatic lipidosis in nine African white-bellied pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis) from a North American zoologic institution"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Molly","family":"Horgan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jennifer","family":"Landolfi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicole I.","family":"Stacy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jennifer","family":"Watts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Copper","family":"Aitken-Palmer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"241","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gecco.2016.09.007","article-title":"Where did all the pangolins go? 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