[Practical experience in treating mandibular osteomyelitis ("lumpy jaw") with gamithromycin in a muntjac].

Mandibular osteomyelitis is common in domestic and wild ruminants. Inflammation of the mandible is not only caused by Actinomyces ssp., but numerous additional bacteria may also lead to this disease. A privately owned muntjac was presented to the clinic due to reluctant food intake and a solid mass on the corpus of the right mandible. Cranial radiography led to the diagnosis mandibular osteomyelitis. The muntjac was treated with gamithromycin (Zactran®) for 50 days, which led to an improvement of food intake as well as a size reduction of the mandibular mass. Radiographic imaging 18 and 28 months after treatment revealed a satisfactory mandibular remodeling, however complete loss of the molar teeth occured. Solitary long-term treatment with gamithromycin may represent a successful method for treating mandibular osteomyelitis in ruminants.