bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimal alveolar concentration of desflurane in combination with an infusion of medetomidine for the anaesthesia of ponies
Authors: Bettschart‐Wolfensberger R. , Jaggin‐Sdimucker N. , Lendl Ch. , Bettschart R. W. , Clarke K. W.
Published: October 2010

The minimum alveolar concentration of desflurane when combined with a continuous infusion of medetomidine at 3.5 μg/kg/hour was measured in seven ponies. Anaesthesia was induced with medetomidine (7 μg/kg intravenously) followed by ketamine (2 mg/kg intravenously) and maintained with desflurane in oxygen. The infusion of medetomidine was started 20 minutes after the induction of anaesthesia. The electrical test stimulus was applied at the coronary band (50 V, 10 ms bursts at 5 Hz for one minute), and heart rates and rhythms, arterial blood pressures, and arterial blood gas tensions were measured at intervals, just before the application of the stimulus. The mean (sd) minimum alveolar concentration of desflurane was 5.3 (1.04) per cent (range 3.2 to 6.4 per cent), 28 per cent less than the previously published value for desflurane alone after the induction of anaesthesia with xylazine and ketamine. The cardiopulmonary parameters remained stable throughout the period of anaesthesia. The mean (sd) time taken by the ponies to stand after the administration of desflurane ceased was 16.5 (6.17) (range 5.8 to 26) minutes, and the quality of recovery was good or excellent. However, one pony died shortly after standing; a postmortem examination revealed that it had chronic left atrial dilatation.
Disseminated eosinophilic disease resembling idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome in a dog
Authors: Aroch I. , Perl S. , Markovics A.
Published: October 2010

True idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome has been described in human beings and cats, but not in dogs. The syndrome is characterised by prolonged unexplained peripheral mature eosinophilia, the infiltration of many organs by eosinophils, organ dysfunction and a fatal outcome. This paper describes an idiopathic disseminated eosinophilic disease in a dog involving various organs, manly the heart and the lungs, accompanied by a leukemoid eosinophilic response, and a fatal outcome. The histopathological findings included the infiltration of the myocardium, lung parenchyma, liver, spleen, lymph nodes and skeletal muscles with eosiniphils.
Duration of immunity in cats after vaccination or naturally acquired infection
Authors: Coyne M. J. , Burr J. H. H. , Yule T. D. , Harding M. J. , Tresnan D. B. , McGavin D.
Published: October 2010

The necessity for cats to be vaccinated annually against common pathogens has been questioned because sarcomas have infrequently been reported at the injection site. However, with few exceptions, the duration of immunity induced by vaccination or infection is uncertain, and there may therefore be a risk associated with a decision not to revaccinate. This article reviews the information available about the duration of immunity induced by vaccination or infection in cats, and reveals many shortcomings that make blanket recommendations impossible. Each vaccine must be considered individually.
Infection of dogs in north‐west Spain with a Babesia microti‐like agent
Authors: Camacho A. T. , Guitián F. J. , Pallas E. , Gestal J. J. , Olmeda A. S. , Goethert H. K. , Telford S. R.
Published: October 2010

During 1996 a small, ring‐shaped, piroplasm was observed in blood smears from 157 dogs in north‐west Spain. None of them had previously been in areas endemic for Babesia gibsoni, which was until recently the only small piroplasm known to parasitise dogs. Haematological and serum biochemistry analyses showed that almost all the dogs had an intense regenerative haemolytic anaemia and that in some cases there was evidence of renal failure. A molecular study was made of a sample of the parasite obtained in June 2000. The phylogenetic analysis showed an identity of 100 per cent with the new piroplasm, provisionally denominated as Theileria annae, and 99 per cent with Babesia microtiand B microti‐Japan. The results confirm the previous observation of a new form of piroplasm (Theileria annae) which causes disease in dogs in Europe and suggest that it is endemic among the canine population in north‐west Spain.
Ultrasonographic examination of the caecum and the proximal and spiral ansa of the colon of cattle
Authors: Braun U. , Amrein E.
Published: October 2010

The large intestine of 10 cows was examined from the right abdominal wall with a 3.5 MHz linear transducer. The cows were then slaughtered, and the organs were re‐examined in a water bath. The caecum was visualised from the middle region of the abdominal wall. It ran caudo‐cranially, varied in diameter from 5.2 to 18‐0 cm and was situated immediately adjacent to the abdominal wall. The lateral wall of the caecum appeared as a thick, echogenic, crescent‐shaped line. It could be visualised as far cranially as the 12th intercostal space. Although its junction could not be identified, the proximal ansa of the colon was recognised on the basis of its anatomical position and its diameter, which was smaller than that of the caecum. The spiral ansa of the colon and the descending colon were situated dorsal to the caecum and could be identified by moving the transducer horizontally along the abdominal wall to the last rib. The spiral ansa of the colon was situated ventral to the descending colon, and its walls appeared as thick echogenic lines. In a contracted state, the spiral colon had the appearance of a garland.
Progressive encephalomyelopathy and cerebellar degeneration in 10 captive‐bred cheetahs
Authors: Palmer A. C. , Callanan J. J. , Guerin L. A. , Sheahan B. J. , Franklin R. J. M.
Published: October 2010

Progressive ataxia, with head tremor, developed in 10 captive‐born cheetah cubs under six months of age. The condition was usually preceded by coryza and an ocular discharge. Initially the ataxia and weakness affected the hindquarters, then the forelegs, and head tremor developed later. Significant pathological changes were confined to the central nervous system. There was widespread Wallerian degeneration in the funiculi of the spinal cord (except those in the dorsal columns), in the medulla and in the cerebellum. In the cerebellum there was degeneration of Purkinje cells and of the molecular and granular cell layers. There was chromatolysis in the Purkinje cells, the ventral horn cells of the spinal cord and in the neurons of the lateral vestibular nucleus. The olivary nucleus was necrotic. There were foci of inflammatory cells in the molecular layer of the cerebellum and in the medulla. The cause of the disease remains unknown.
New histochemical and ultrastructural observations on normal bovine tonsils
Authors: Velinova M. , Thielen C. , Mklot F. , Eicher S. , Heinen E. , Antoine N. , Donga J.
Published: October 2010

Samples of normal bovine palatine tonsils were examined by light and electron microscopy. Like human tonsils, they were composed of crypts, subepithelial areas, follicles, and T‐dependent zones, but their welldeveloped capsule subdivided the lymphoid tissue by connective septa. B cells formed the major lymphoid component. The follicles and T‐dependent zones had morphological and histochemical features typical of peripheral lymph organs. Follicular dendritic cells were isolated and shown to be similar to human follicular dendritic cells.
Effect of selenium and vitamin E on antibody production by dairy cows vaccinated againstEscherichia coli
Authors: Panousis N. , Karatzias H. , Roubies N. , Papasteriadis A. , Frydas S.
Published: October 2010

Sixty clinically healthy Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of four groups according to their age and parity and vaccinated in late pregnancy (day 190) with a multivalent vaccine againstEscherichia coli. The 15 cows in the first group (SeE) were injeded intramuscularly with a solution of sodium selenite (0.1 mg Se/kg bodyweight) and vitamin E (α‐tocopherol acetate, 8 U/kg bodyweight), the cows in the second group (Se) received only selenium and the cows in the third group (E) received only vitamin E at the same doses and by the same route of administration; the cows in the fourth group were used as controls. The vaccination and the injections of selenium and vitamin E were repeated 42 days later. The concentration of selenium in whole blood and of vitamin E in serum was determined by fluorometric methods. Specific antibody titres againstE coliwere determined in serum samples by ELISA. The results showed that the injection of selenium either alone or in combination with vitamin E significantly improved the production of specific antibodies againstE coli, and that the production of specific antibodies was greater after the administration of selenium alone.
Predictive spatial modelling of alternative control strategies for the foot‐and‐mouth disease epidemic in Great Britain, 2001
Authors: Morris R. S. , Stern M. W. , Stevenson M. A. , Wilesmith J. W. , Sanson R. L.
Published: October 2010

A spatial simulation model of foot‐and‐mouth disease was used in March and early April 2001 to evaluate alternative control policies for the 2001 epidemic in Great Britain. Control policies were those in operation from March 20, 2001, and comprised a ban on all animal movements from February 23, 2001, and a stamping‐out policy. Each simulation commenced with the known population of infected farms on April 10, 2001, and ran for 200 days. For the control policy which best approximated that actually implemented from late March, the model predicted an epidemic of approximately 1800 to 1900 affected farms, and estimated that the epidemic would be eradicated between July and October 2001, with a low probability of continuing beyond October 2001. This policy included the slaughter‐out of infected farms within 24 hours, slaughter of about 1‐3 of the surrounding farms per infected farm within a further 48 hours, and minimal interfarm movements of susceptible animals. Delays in the slaughter of animals on infected farms beyond 24 hours after diagnosis slightly increased the epidemic size, and failure to achieve pre‐emptive slaughter on an adequate number of at‐risk farms substantially increased the expected size of the epidemic. Vaccination of up to three of the most outbreak‐dense areas carried out in conjunction with the adopted control policy reduced the predicted size of the epidemic by less than 100 farms. Vaccination of buffer zones (designed to apply available vaccine and manpower as effectively as possible) carried out in place of the adopted control policy allowed the disease to spread out of control, producing an epidemic involving over 6000 farms by October 2001, with no prospect of immediate eradication.
Iatrogenic hypocalcaemia during parenteral fluid therapy of diarrhoeic calves
Authors: Grove‐White D. H. , Michell A. R.
Published: October 2010

Acid‐base balance and electrolyte concentrations, including ionised calcium, were monitored during intravenous fluid therapy of 1 1 collapsed diarrhoeic suckler calves aged five to 10 days. Six healthy calves of similar age and type were used to provide control data. All the diarrhoeic calves were severely acidotic (TCO2<12 mmol/litre). Isotonic sodium bicarbonate (1.3 per cent) was administered until the metabolic acidosis was half corrected, as indicated by the TCO2increasing to 17 to 24 mmol/litre when the infusion was changed to an extracellular volume replacement fluid containing 144 mmol/litre Na+, 35 mmol/litre HCO‐3, 4 mmol/litre K+and 113 mmol/litre Cl‐ which was administered until the calf was discharged. Milk feeding was started as soon as the calf had a suck reflex. The treatment was successful in 10 calves. At admission the diarrhoeic calves were hypocalcaemic compared with the control calves, but their ionised calcium was significantly higher, with significantly less calcium being protein bound. Treatment with isotonic sodium bicarbonate resulted in a significant improvement in acid‐base balance, but both total and ionised calcium decreased significantly, the decrease in ionised calcium being proportionately greater owing partly to a significant increase in the protein binding of calcium. The mean total, bound and ionised calcium concentrations were all significantly lower in the treated calves after they had received isotonic sodium bicarbonate than in the control calves. Further treatment with replacement fluid had no significant effect on any of the parameters apart from pCO2which increased significantly. Milk feeding had no significant effect on plasma calcium concentrations. The calves' mean ionised calcium concentration was significantly lower at the end of the treatment than before it, but there was no difference in the mean total and bound calcium concentrations. The calves' mean plasma potassium and magnesium concentrations decreased significantly during the course of the treatment.
Effect of deposition site and sperm number on the fertility of sheep inseminated with liquid semen
Authors: Paulenz H. , Ådnøy T. , Fossen O. H. , Söderquist L. , Andersen Berg K.
Published: October 2010

The effect of the deposition site and the numbers of sperm on the fertility of sheep was tested in a field trial in which 1292 Norwegian crossbred ewes aged between six months and five‐and‐a‐half years from 52 farms were inseminated with liquid semen after natural oestrus. Cervical insemination with 150 x 106 and 75 x 106 spermatozoa resulted in 25‐day non‐return rates of 63.7 and 56.1 per cent, and vaginal insemination gave non‐return rates of 63.3 and 56.6 per cent, respectively. There was no significant difference between the cervical and vaginal inseminations, but the inseminations with 150 x 106 spermatozoa gave significantly higher non‐return rates (P=0.004). There were significant differences between the non‐return rates for different rams (P<0.0001) and farmers (P=0.0002) but the age of the ewe had no significant effect.
Protocol for assessing brain function in fish and the effectiveness of methods used to stun and kill them
Authors: Kestin S. C. , Robb D. H. , van de Vis J. W.
Published: October 2010

A method for the evaluation of brain function in fish has been developed which is based on assessments of self‐initiated behaviours, responses to stimulation, and reflexes. These assessments were validated in several freshwater and marine species and applied to evaluate the brain function of fish while they were anaesthetised and while they were being killed by a variety of methods. The results of these investigations were compared with published neurophysiological observations and it is concluded that some of the tests can be used to identify, with reasonable confidence, the state of awareness, and thus the capacity to experience suffering of several species of fish.
Myopathy in brown pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis) associated with rancid feed
Authors: Shivaprasad H. L. , Crespo R. , Puschner B. , Lynch S. , Wright L.
Published: October 2010

Three adult brown pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis) were observed to be weak, anorexic and unresponsive to antibiotics, anti‐inflammatory drugs, vitamins including vitamin E, and steroids. Blood chemistry revealed high activities of aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. Radiographs of the birds' leg muscles revealed multiple opacities suggestive of calcification; the gross lesions included white streaks in the leg, wing, and heart muscles, and the microscopical lesions consisted of various degrees of degeneration and necrosis characterised by eosinophilia, variations in fibre size, loss of striations, myolysis, mineralisation, and proliferation of mononuclear cells in the skeletal muscles and the myocardium. The levels of heavy metals, selenium and vitamin E in the birds' livers were not abnormal. The level of peroxide in their diet of capelin fish was high, 69 meq/kg, (normal <20 meq/kg) consistent with rancid feed, and the level of vitamin E was very low, 0.5 iu/kg (normal 20 to 30 iu/kg). It was concluded that the myopathy was probably caused by vitamin E deficiency due to feeding the pelicans a rancid diet.
Radiographic, computed tomographic and arthroscopic findings in 23 dogs with osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint
Authors: Gielen I. , van Bree H. , Van Ryssen B. , De Clercq T. , De Rooster H.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐three dogs with osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint were evaluated by radiography, computed tomography (Cr) and arthroscopy. The radiographic examination included an extended and flexed mediolateral, a plantarodorsal, a flexed dorsoplantar skyline view, and a plantaromedial‐dorsolateral and a plantarolateral‐dorsomedial view (two oblique views). The cT examination was carried out in ventral recumbency and 1 mm slices were taken with a bone window setting; 31 lesions were identified in the 46 joints examined. The arthroscopic exploration used either a plantar or a dorsal puncture, depending on the site of the lesion. In six cases the lateral, and in 17 cases the medial trochlear ridge was involved. Although the survey radiographs were sufficient to make a diagnosis, the cT examination helped to determine the exact site, and the number and size of the fragments of bone. A four‐stage classification system comparable to the one used in man was established. Arthroscopy provided information about synovial inflammation and damage to the joint cartilage, and made it possible to remove fragments of bone from one‐third of the cases.
Development of an indirect ELISA for the detection of serum antibodies toAspergillus fumigatusin captive penguins
Authors: German A. C. , Flach E. J. , Shankland G. S. , Edwards J.
Published: October 2010

Aspergillosis is a significant cause of mortality in captive penguins (Sphenisciformes). An indirect ELISA for the detection ofAspergillus fumigatus. specific immunoglobulin in penguins was developed and standardised by making use of a family.specific antiserum (anti‐Aptenodyptes patagonica patagonicus). The results were calculated quantitatively as ELISA units, derived by polynomial regression analysis, and semi.quantitatively as end titres. Serum samples from 61 captive penguins were tested with the assay, and the results were compared with those obtained by counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE). The ELISA results correlated with the CIE results only when end titres were reported (Rs=‐0.676, P<0.002). Fifty.seven of the penguins (93 per cent) were seropositive, but the detection of immunoglobulin did not correlate with clinical disease. At Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, Humboldt's penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) demonstrated higher seropositivity than king penguins (Aptenodyptes patagonica patagonicus) (P=0.022), but Humboldt's penguins at Fota Wildlife Park had a significantly higher seropositivity than Humboldt's penguins at Whipsnade (P=0.035).
Evaluation of the efficacy of oral lufenuron combined with topical enilconazole for the management of dermatophytosis in catteries
Authors: Guillot J. , Rojzner K. , Fournier C. , Touati F. , Chermette R. , Malandain E. , Jankowski F. , Seewald W. , Schenker R.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of oral lufenuron, a chitin synthetase inhibitor, combined with topical enilconazole, was evaluated for the management ofMicrosporum canisinfection in 100 cats housed in two catteries in France. The cats were treated with weekly rinses with enilconazole (0.2 per cent) for four weeks and, in each cattery, one group (A) was also treated with micronised griseofulvin (25 mg/kg administered orally twice a day for five weeks) and a second group (B) was treated with 60 mg/kg lufenuron administered orally once on day 0 and again after 30 days. All the cats were examined individually for cutaneous lesions and mycological cultures were made when the treatment began and after 15, 30, 60 and 90 days. In the first caftery, the cats' clinical scores after 30 and 60 days were significantly lower in group B than in group A. In both catteries and both treatment groups, the mean number of fungal colonies decreased rapidly during the first 15 days of treatment, remained stable for the following 45 days but increased from day 60 to the end of the experiment on day 90.
Phenobarbitone concentrations in the hair, saliva and plasma of eight epileptic dogs
Authors: Dunnett M. , Littleford A. , Lees P.
Published: October 2010

Samples of plasma, saliva and hair were collected from eight dogs receiving phenobarbitone for idiopathic epilepsy. The concentrations of phenobarbitone in hair and plasma were correlated with the daily dose rate, and the concentrations in hair were also correlated with the concentration in plasma, the dose rate of the drug over the preceding six months and the ratio of the six‐month dose to body surface area. The concentration of phenobarbitone in saliva was not correlated with either the concentration in plasma or the dose rate of the drug.
Treatment of temporary upward fixation of the patella in an alpaca by abrasion trochleoplasty and imbrication of the medial retinacular fascia
Authors: Zanolari P. , Steiner A. , Tschudi M. , Rytz U.
Published: October 2010

A two‐year‐old female alpaca suddenly became lame on its right hindlimb. Eight days later clinical and radiographic examinations showed that the patella had become temporarily fixed within the supratrochlear notch of the femur. Under general anaesthesia an abrasion trochleoplasty followed by fascial imbrication was carried out. After two weeks in supporting slings, the animal put full weight on the leg and six months after the surgery it showed no signs of lameness or recurrence of the upward fixation.
Ultrasonographic findings in cows with dilatation, torsion and retroflexion of the caecum
Authors: Braun U. , Amrein E. , Koller U. , Lischer C.
Published: October 2010

Thirty cows with caecal dilatation underwent clinical and ultrasonographic examinations, followed by a right flank laparotomy and surgical correction. The intraoperative findings were compared with the results of the ultrasonographic examination. The appearance, position, dimensions, diameter and nature of the contents of the caecum and proximal and spiral ansa of the colon were determined with a 3‐5 MHz linear transducer. The wall of the proximal ansa of the colon and of the dilated caecum closest to the abdominal wall was visible in all the cows and appeared as an echogenic semicircular line immediately adjacent to the peritoneum. The contents of the caecum and of the proximal and spiral ansa of the colon were not visible in 21, 25 and 25 cows, respectively, owing to gas. In the remaining cows, the contents were hypoechogenic to echogenic in appearance. In all of the cows, the dilated caecum was imaged from the right abdominal wall at the level of the tuber coxae. The caecum was imaged from the 12th, 11th and 10th intercostal spaces in 11, five and three cows, respectively. The caecum and proximal ansa of the colon were situated immediately adjacent to the right abdominal wall in 28 cows, but in the other two cows parts of these structures were pushed away from the abdominal wall by the liver or gall bladder. The diameter of the caecum, measured at various sites varied from 7.0 to 25.0 cm. Caecal dilatation was diagnosed on the basis of the results of rectal examinations in 28 of the cows, but in all 30 cows on the basis of the results of the ultrasonographic examinations. Dilatation and caudal displacement of the caecum were diagnosed in 18 cows; dilatation and cranioventral retroflexion of the caecum were diagnosed in six cows, and dilatation and craniodorsal retroflexion of the caecum were diagnosed in two cows. In the four other cows, the direction of the retroflexed caecum could not be determined. The diagnosis of caecal dilatation based on the ultrasonographic findings was confirmed in all the cows during exploratory laparotomy. The results of ultrasonography and exploratory surgery with regard to the position of the dilated and sometimes retroflexed or twisted caecum were in complete agreement in 18 cases, in partial agreement in eight cases, but in four cases did not agree.
Fusion of the distal sesamoid and distal phalanx in a yearling colt
Authors: Riccaboni P. , Cammarata G. , Di Giancamillo M. , Leonardi L. , Di Giancamillo A.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes a rare malformation of the distal portion of the left foredigit of a 15‐month‐old halfbred colt which was severely lame. Radiological, pathological and tomographic studies revealed hypoplasia of the metacarpophalangeal skeleton, absence of the distal sesamoid and deformation of the distal phalanx. Morphological analysis of the lesion and computerised measurement of the width of the articular surface of the distal phalanx suggested an early fusion between the distal sesamoid and distal phalanx.
Diagnosis by ultrasonography of congestion of the caudal vena cava secondary to thrombosis in 12 cows
Authors: Braun U. , Feige K. , Fluckiger M. , Pospischil A.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes the clinical, ultrasonographic, radiographic and postmortem findings in 12 cows with thrombosis of the caudal vena cava. The principal clinical signs were chronic bronchopneumonia and fever in 11 cows; one cow had epistaxis and one cow bled from the mouth; eight cows had anaemia and leucocytosis, and the clotting time for the glutaraldehyde test was markedly decreased in all the cows; in nine of the cows the activity of γ‐glutamyltransferase was high, suggesting chronic hepatic congestion. The most important ultrasonographic finding was congestion of the caudal vena cava attributable to thrombosis of the vein. In all the cows the caudal vena cava was round to oval on cross‐section, rather than the normal triangular shape. The hepatic, splenic and portal veins were dilated in five, three and one cow, respectively. The results of radiography and endoscopy supported a diagnosis of bronchopneumonia, but there were radiographic changes in the diaphragmatic lung lobes that supported a diagnosis of vena caval disease in only four cows. Postmortem there was a thrombosis of the caudal vena cava in all the cows, and the thrombi were located in the thoracic, subphrenic and abdominal part of the caudal vena cava at the level of the liver in four, one and seven cows, respectively. In three cows, the thrombus was situated where a hepatic abscess had broken into the caudal vena cava, and in one cow it was at the site of a diaphragmatic abscess. In another cow, there was a fistula between the major bronchus of the right diaphragmatic lung lobe and the caudal vena cava where the thrombus was situated. Three cows had liver abscesses that had not broken into the caudal vena cava. There was severe bronchopneumonia in 11 of the cows, some of which also had multiple pulmonary abscesses.
Serum concentrations of acute phase proteins in dogs with leishmaniasis
Authors: Martínez‐Subiela S. , Tecles F. , Cerón J. J. , Eckersall P. D.
Published: October 2010

The concentrations of haptoglobin, C‐reactive protein and ceruloplasmin were measured in symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs naturally infected byLeishmania infantum, and in healthy uninfected dogs to determine the potential value of these proteins for the diagnosis and prognosis of leishmaniasis. The concentrations of the acute phase proteins were significantly higher in the dogs with leishmaniasis than in the control dogs, and the concentration of C‐reactive protein was significantly higher in the symptomatic dogs than in the asymptomatic dogs. There were no correlations between the acute phase proteins and the gamma globulins, the albumin/globulin ratio or the titre of anti‐leishmanial antibodies.
Polyomavirus infection in hamsters and trichoepitheliomas/cutaneous adnexal tumours
Authors: Foster A. P. , Brown P. J. , Jandrig B. , Scherneck S. , Grosch A. , Ulrich R. , Voronkova T.
Published: October 2010

Multiple skin nodules, with histological features of adnexal tumours consistent with trichoepithelioma, were observed on the head and trunk of Syrian hamsters. Skin biopsies from 20 hamsters from five different colonies were affected, and two of the affected hamsters also had lymphoma. Two owners reported that 16 of 70 hamsters and 50 of 100 hamsters in their colonies had similar skin lesions. These tumours have previously been associated in laboratory colonies with hamster polyomavirus (HaPv) infection. Examination of skin tissues by electron microscopy failed to reveal intranuclear virus particles. Using recombinant major capsid protein vP1 of HaPV, vP1‐specific antibodies were detected in sera from 12 of 12 affected hamsters and in four of four unaffected in‐contact hamsters, by ELISA. The ELISA data were verified by immunoblot analysis. Eleven of 13 serum samples contained antibodies which reacted with at least one recombinant structural HaPv protein (VP2), including samples from three in‐contact unaffected hamsters. Nine of the 11 anti‐vP2‐positive samples also reacted with recombinant VP3 of HaPV, and six readed with vP1. Amplification by PCR and sequencing detected vp1‐encoding sequences showing a high degree of homology with HaPV. The findings suggest a possible infection by HaPV or a HaPv‐like virus and it is likely that such an infection was enzootic within the affected colonies.
Evaluation of the tissue reactions in the skin and body wall of koi (Cyprinus carplo) to five suture materials
Authors: Hurty C. A. , Brazik D. C. , Lewbart G. A. , McHugh Law J. , Sakamoto K.
Published: October 2010

Five different suture materials (silk, monofilament nylon, polyglyconate, polyglactin 910, and chromic gut) were placed in the skin and body wall of 10 Doitsu (scaleless) koi (Cyprinus carpio). After seven days the sutures were retrieved from five of the fish in 5 mm and 6 mm punch biopsies, and after 14 days they were retrieved in the same way from the other five. The tissue reactions were evaluated by gross visual inspection and by histological examination. The total inflammatory reaction was graded on a scale from 0 (no inflammation) to 5 (severe inflammation). The synthetic suture materials generally induced a moderate inflammatory reaction that decreased after seven days. After 14 days the superficial reaction to monofilament nylon was substantial, and the tissue reactions to the organic suture materials were slightly greater than the reactions to the synthetics. The inflammatory response to silk was greater after 14 days than after seven, and chromic gut induced a moderately severe inflammatory response after seven days; the chromic gut sutures fell out before the biopsies were taken after 14 days. The organic materials induced intense inflammatory reactions which did not subside if the suture remained in the tissue.
Biomarkers of exposure to cyanogens in horses with grass sickness
Authors: McGorum B. C. , Anderson R. A.
Published: October 2010

To test the hypothesis that equine grass sickness may be associated with the ingestion of cyanogenic glycosides from white clover (Trifolium repens), the concentrations of whole blood cyanide, and plasma and urinary thiocyanate, the main metabolite of cyanide, were measured in 12 horses with acute grass sickness and 10 horses with subacute grass sickness, and in 43 control horses, of which 21 were co‐grazing with cases of acute grass sickness, 12 grazed pastures where grass sickness had not been reported, and 10 were stabled horses. The healthy horses which grazed with cases of acute grass sickness had higher concentrations of blood cyanide, and plasma and urinary thiocyanate than the other control horses, consistent with an increased exposure to cyanogens. The horses with grass sickness had no evidence of a recent intake of cyanogens, but may have been exposed to increased levels of cyanogens before they became anorexic.
Position of the abomasum in dairy cows during the first six weeks after calving
Authors: Van Wimden S. C. L. , Brattinga C. R. , Müller K. E. , Noordhuizen J. P. T. M. , Beynen A. C.
Published: October 2010

The position of the abomasum in six cows was examined by ultrasonography at regular intervals for six weeks after they had calved. Its position was established by determining the distance between the margin of the left side of the abomasum and the ventral midline at two sites. During the last weeks of pregnancy, the abomasum was positioned in a small region of the left ventral side of the abdominal cavity. At parturition it was positioned high on the left side and then descended. The abomasum was furthest from the midline immediately after parturition. Its position was related to the interval after calving, the cow's feed intake, and the pH and osmotic pressure of the rumen fluid. There was considerable variation between the cows in the position of the abomasum, which was in part due to analytical variation, and in individual cows it had a circadian rhythm.
Kitten mortality in the United Kingdom: a retrospective analysis of 274 histopathological examinations (1986 to 2000)
Authors: Cave T. A. , Thompson H. , Reid S. W. J. , Hodgson D. R. , Addie D. D.
Published: October 2010

The postmortem findings in 274 kittens were reviewed. The kittens were grouped by age at death: perinatal (<one day), neonatal (one to 14 days), preweaning (15 to 34 days) and postweaning (35 to 112 days); 203 (74 per cent) of the kittens were postweaning and 38 (14 per cent) were preweaning. Infectious disease was identified in 55 per cent of the kittens, and 71 per cent of the infectious disease was viral and detected significantly more frequently in rescue shelter kittens than in kittens from private homes. Twenty‐five per cent of all kitten mortality was due to feline parvovirus (FPV). During the neonatal and preweaning periods, the main viral infections were feline herpesvirus and calicivirus. Feline infectious peritonitis caused the death of 17 kittens in the postweaning period. The rescue shelter kittens were significantly younger than the kittens from private homes (median survival 49 and 56 days) and were more likely to have FPV. The nonpedigree kittens were significantly younger than the pedigree kittens (42 v 56 days), and the pedigree kittens were significantly less likely to originate from rescue shelters. There was no significant difference between the age distribution of the male and female kittens. No diagnosis could be found in 33 per cent of the kittens, and this failure was correlated significantly with the submission of tissue samples as opposed to the whole carcase.
Pulmonary coccidloidomycosis in a neonatal foal
Authors: Maleski K. , Magdesian K. G. , LaFranco‐Scheuch L. , Pappagianis D. , Carlson G. P.
Published: October 2010

A 13‐day‐old foal with profound tachypnoea and respiratory distress was examined. Thoracic radiographs revealed a severe, diffuse miliary pattern, and the foal was markedly hypoxaemic. It failed to improve with empirical treatment, and was euthanased. Lesions associated withCoccidioides immitisinfection were identified at postmortem examination, and were limited to the lower respiratory tract.
Studies of the field efficacy and safety of a single‐doseMycoplasma hyopneumoniaevaccine for pigs
Authors: Dawson A. , Thevasagayam S. J. , Sherington J. , Harvey R. E. , Peters A. R.
Published: October 2010

The field efficacy and safety of a single‐doseMycoplasma hyopneumoniaevaccine were evaluated in three‐to five‐week‐old pigs. Two field efficacy studies were conducted, one in England with 673 pigs, and one in Germany with 719 pigs. The pigs were injected intramuscularly with either the vaccine or saline (control) at a ratio of 2:1 and reared under commercial conditions to slaughter weight. The efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated by comparing the lung lesions associated with infection withM hyopneumoniaein the control and vaccinated animals postmortem. In both countries the vaccinated pigs had a significantly lower percentage of lung lesion scores, in England 5.7 v 10.2 per cent (P=0.0022) and in Germany 3.9 v 7.7 per cent (P=0.0056). In Germany the average daily weight gain (ADG) of the vaccinated pigs was significantly higher (639 g v 616 g) (P=0.0205). In both countries and in both the treated and control animals there was a significant negative correlation between the ADG and the lung lesion score (P=0.0001). Two safety trials were conducted, one in England and one in Germany, each with 75 pigs, and in each case 50 pigs were given the maximum batch release antigen titre of the vaccine and 25 were given saline. The safety of the vaccine was evaluated by observation for local and systemic reactions and any increases in rectal temperature. No abnormal reactions were observed in the vaccinated pigs and there was no significant difference between the mean peak rectal temperatures of the vaccinated and control pigs in either trial.
Effects of copper supplementation on the copper status of peripartum beef cows and their calves
Authors: Enjalbert F. , Salat O. , Schelcher F. , Lebreton P. , Meschy F.
Published: October 2010

The effects of copper supplementation on the copper status of 40 late‐pregnant Aubrac beef cows grazing a copper‐deficient pasture and later fed a marginally deficient diet were studied for five months. They were divided into four equal groups; the control group received no copper supplement, groups 1 and 2 received copper as copper sulphate at 10 and 30 mg/kg of diet dry matter (DM), respectively, for five months, and group 3 received 120 mg/kg of diet dry matter for 10 days. Plasma copper concentration and the activity of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (esoD) were measured at the beginning of the experiment, in the cows and calves during weeks 1 and 3 after calving, and in the calves before they were turned out to pasture at a mean (sd) age of 51 (26) days. In spite of the low dietary copper content (4.2 mg/kg of DM), the plasma copper concentration of the control cows increased during the winter. All the copper supplements resulted in normal and similar plasma copper concentrations in the cows after calving, but the concentration decreased slightly between weeks 1 and 3 after calving in the group supplemented for 10 days. The treatments did not affect the eSOD of the cows. The calves born to the four groups showed the same patterns of plasma copper and esoD. Compared with the cows, the calves had low plasma copper concentrations at week 1 and values in the normal range at week 3; their esoD was high at weeks 1 and 3 but decreased after week 3.
Intradermal test reactivity toMalassezia pachydermatisin healthy basset hounds and basset hounds withMalasseziadermatitis
Authors: Bond R. , Lloyd D. H. , Patterson‐Kane J. C.
Published: October 2010

Nineteen healthy beagles, eight healthy basset hounds and 17 basset hounds withMalasseziadermatitis were tested intradermally with two extracts ofM pachydermatis. One healthy beagle and two affected basset hounds showed wheal and flare reactions 15 minutes after the injection. Delayed reactions, consisting of erythematous macules and plaques, were commonly observed 24 hours after the injection in both the healthy and affected basset hounds, but occurred infrequently in the beagles. At 24 hours the diameters of the lesions in the healthy and affected basset hounds were significantly (P<0.01) greater than those in the healthy beagles, but the diameters in the healthy and affected basset hounds did not vary significantly. Delayed reactions in six of the basset hounds withMalasseziadermatitis were characterised histologically by superficial perivascular and periadnexal infiltrates of neutrophils and lymphocytes.
Risk‐based evaluation of postmortem inspection procedures for pigs in Australia
Authors: Hamilton D. R. , Gallas P. , Lyall L. , McOrist S. , Hathaway S. C. , Pointon A. M.
Published: October 2010

The results of traditional (incision) and risk‐based (visual) postmortem inspection procedures were compared on groups of approximately 30,000 pigs. The performance characteristics used as a basis for comparison included the non‐detection rates of grossly detectable abnormalities, the microbiological contamination rates of carcases and boned product, the association of reactive lymph nodes with carcase condemnation and the achievement of ‘finished product standards’ for ‘wholesomeness’ It was estimated that 6 per cent of all cases of abscessation and 28 per cent of all cases of arthritis were undetected by the traditional method, and the comparable figures for the risk‐based procedure were 19 per cent and 39 per cent. However, when the rates of contamination of undetected abnormalities with foodborne hazards and other carcase contamination parameters were taken into account, it was concluded that both inspection systems were likely to result in a very similar level of consumer protection. Any increase in potential exposure to foodborne hazards in the abnormalities undetected by risk‐based inspection would be insignificant in comparison with the potential exposure to foodborne hazards resulting from contaminated ‘normal’ lymph nodes and carcase surfaces. There were no statistically significant differences between the two procedures in the contamination rates of pre‐chill carcases or boned retail products withSalmonellaandYersiniaspecies.
Ocular onchocercosis in dogs: a review
Authors: Sréter T. , Széll Z. , Egyed Z. , Varga I.
Published: October 2010

In recent decades, sporadic cases of ocular Onchocerca species infection have been reported in dogs in the USA and Europe. In the acute stage of the disease severe inflammation of the ocular and periocular tissues was observed. In chronic cases, the strongly coiled, gravid nematodes were incorporated in pea‐ to bean‐sized granulomatous nodules in various parts of the eye, including the retrobulbar space, orbital fascia, eyelid, third palpebra, conjunctiva and sclera. Apart from the ophthalmological significance of the disease, the large number of microfilariae in the skin may be responsible for acute and chronic dermatological problems. The geographical distribution and prevalence of the infection may be greater than currently thought, because the lesions may have been erroneously regarded as other ocular diseases. Onchocerciasis is the world's second most prevalent infectious cause of blindness in human beings and parasitologists have long searched for an experimental model of human onchocerciasis; ocular onchocercosis infections in dogs may provide a useful experimental system.
Toxin types ofClostridium perfringensisolated from free‐ranging, semidomesticated reindeer in Norway
Authors: Aschfalk A. , Valentin‐Weigand P. , Goethe R. , Müller W.
Published: October 2010

Samples of faeces were taken from 166 healthy domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from three flocks in different reindeer husbandry districts in northern Norway and examined bacteriologically for the presence ofClostridium perfringens. The organism was isolated from 98 (59 per cent) of the reindeer. The isolates were classified intoC perfringenstoxin types by PKR analysis specific for the genes encoding the four major toxins (α, β, ϵ and ι) and were subclassified by the detection of the genes encodingC perfringensβ2‐toxin and enterotoxin. All the isolates belonged toC perfringenstoxin type A. In addition, 15 of the 98 isolates were PCR‐positive for the β2‐toxin gene, and two of the isolates had the the gene encoding for enterotoxin.
Intraocular pressure and tear production in five herbivorous wildlife species
Authors: Ofri R. , Raz D. , Shvartsman E. , Horowitz I. H. , Kass P. H.
Published: October 2010

The intraocular pressure and rate of tear production were measured in 18 addax antelopes (Addax nasomaculatus), four impalas (Aepyceros melampus), 11 wide‐lipped rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum), 10 white‐tailed wildebeests (Connochaetes gnou) and seven scimitar‐horned oryxes (Oryx dammah). The animals were anaesthetised with an intramuscular injection of etorphine hydrochloride and acepromazine maleate, and the Schirmer tear test I was used to evaluate tear production, and applanation tonometry was used to evaluate the intraocular pressure. The mean (sd) rate of tear production ranged from 17.6 (3.1) mm/minute in the rhinoceros to 28.8 (8.3) mm/minute in the addax. The intraocular pressure ranged from 8.0 (1.2) mmHg in the impala to 32.1 (10.4) mmHg in the rhinoceros. The rate of tear production in the addax and the intraocular pressure in the rhinoceros appear to be the highest values of these variables to have been reported in any species.
Factors affecting the serological response of dogs and cats to rabies vaccination
Authors: Mansfield K. L. , Sayers R. , Fooks A. R. , Burr P. D. , Snodgrass D.
Published: October 2010

After being vaccinated against rabies some cats and dogs fail to show an antibody titre adequate to meet the requirements of the UK Pet Travel Scheme. To investigate this problem, the data derived from 16,073 serum samples submitted to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for serological testing between 1999 and 2002, 1002 samples submitted to BioBest during March and April 2001, and 1264 samples associated with one make of vaccine submitted to BioBest between June 2001 and January 2003, were analysed. The probability of antibody titre failing to reach at least 0.5 iu/ml was analysed by logistic regression as a function of the choice of vaccine, the interval between vaccination and sampling, the sex and age of the animal, and its country of origin. In dogs, all these factors, except sex, had highly significant (P<0.001) effects on the test failure rate, and in cats all the factors had a significant effect (P<0.05).
Genetic analysis of European bat lyssavirus type 1 isolates from France
Authors: Picard‐Meyer E. , Barrat J. , Tissot E. , Barrat M. J. , Bruyère V. , Cliquet F.
Published: October 2010

European bat lyssavirus type 1 a (EBLV‐1 a) was first identified in central France from a serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) collected at the end of 2002. Rabies was diagnosed by reference rabies diagnosis methods and molecular tools. Phylogenetic analysis of 14 viral isolates obtained from French bats infected with EBLV‐1 between 1989 and the end of 2002 against 47 nucleoprotein sequences showed a north‐west to east distribution of EBLV‐1a virus and a south to north distribution of EBLV‐1b virus, isolates of which could be divided into two groups: group 1 in north‐eastern France and group 2 in central and north‐western France.
Effects of three types of trace element supplementation on the fertility of three commercial dairy herds
Authors: Black D. H. , French N. P.
Published: October 2010

The effects on the fertility of three commercial dairy herds of three types of copper‐ and seleniumcontaining mineral supplements was investigated. As the cows on each farm were dried off they were allocated to one of three treatment groups, and treated with either subcutaneous injections of copper and selenium, or two matrix intraruminal trace element boluses, or two glass intraruminal trace element boluses. When the data from the 406 cows on the three farms were combined, there was a significant difference between the conception rates of the three groups (P<0‐001). The cows treated with the glass boluses conceived at a rate 1‐8 times greater than those treated by injection (P<0‐001), and at a rate 1‐5 times greater than those treated with matrix boluses (P=0‐002). These differences were associated with a significantly higher likelihood of service resulting in a conception in the group treated with glass boluses than in the group treated by injection (P=0‐004). After adjusting for time from calving, time from treatment, time of year and farm, there was a significant (P=0‐012) difference in glutathione peroxidase activities between the treatments, with the group treated by injection having a significantly lower activity than the groups treated with boluses.