bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small size of food particles and age as risk factors for gastric dilatation volvulus in great danes
Authors: Theyse L. F. H. , van de Brom W. E. , van Sluijs F. J.
Published: October 2010

A case‐control study was conducted to investigate whether age, gender, neuter status, type of food, feeding frequency, food intake time, interval between feeding and exercise, duration of exercise and overall physical activity were risk factors for gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) in the great dane. The sample population consisted of 38 great danes with acute GDV (cases) and 71 great danes owned by members of the Dutch Great Dane Association (controls). Information on the risk factors was collected by using clinical data in combination with a questionnaire, and the data were analysed by backward stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis. Dogs fed a diet containing particles of food >30 mm in size (kibble and/or dinner and/or home‐prepared food with large pieces of meat) had a lower risk of GDV than dogs fed a diet containing only particles <30 mm in size (kibble or dinner and/or canned meat and/or home‐prepared food cut into small pieces or ground in a food processor). Increasing age was also a risk factor for GDV. Gender, neuter status, feeding frequency, food intake time, the interval between feeding and exercise, the duration of exercise, and overall physical activity were not identified as risk factors. Feeding a diet including large pieces of meat may help to reduce the incidence of GDV in great danes.
Malignant schwannoma in a red deer (Cervus elaphus)
Authors: Pérez J. , Martín de las Mulas J. , Arenas A. , Luque I. , Carrasco L.
Published: October 2010

A five‐year‐old female red deer (Cervus elaphus) was in poor condition and severely lame on the left hindleg owing to a 19.4 cm × 15.9 cm mass involving and destroying the distal end (head) of metatarsal bones III and IV, the proximal sesamoid bones and the first phalanges (III and IV). The histopathological analysis revealed a spindle cell tumour with frequent palisade arrangement (Antoni type A pattern), and with highly anaplastic tumour cells in some areas. Structures resembling peripheral nerves were identified within the tumour. The neoplastic cells reacted with vimentin in a cytoplasmic pattern, and almost all of them reacted with S‐100 protein in a nuclear and cytoplasmic pattern and did not express neurofilament, glial fibrillary acidic protein or keratins. This immunophenotype and the histopathological features were consistent with a diagnostic of malignant schwannoma. It was atypical because of the species affected, the location and the local malignancy.
Assessment of the injuries sustained by pregnant sows housed in groups using electronic feeders
Authors: Hodgkiss N. J. , Eddison J. C. , Brooks P. H. , Bugg P.
Published: October 2010

The incidence of injuries to pregnant sows kept in dynamic groups in a commercial herd was recorded over a period of 18 months. The sows were maintained in a solid‐floored building with a straw‐bedded lying area allowing 1.7m2 per sow and fed by means of electronic feeders. Injuries on 12 possible areas of the body were assessed every week, and graded on the scale of 0 to 3 (maximum body score 36). The lesion scores sustained by the sows were very low, with a maximum of 19 and a median of 4. Lesions of the greatest severity constituted only 0.16 per cent of all the recorded injuries. The injuries were not distributed uniformly over the body, most being on the shoulders, flanks and hindquarters, with very few on the head or in the vulval region. The total injury score was related to parity, with sows in parities one, two and three sustaining more injuries than sows in later parities, and it was also related negatively to bodyweight. More agonistic interactions were observed between sows in the lying area and in the vicinity of the feeders than in the dunging area.
Prolonged nasal shedding and viraemia of cytopathogenic bovine virus diarrhoea virus in experimental late‐onset mucosal disease
Authors: Fray M. D. , Clarke M. C. , Thomas L. H. , McCauley J. W. , Charleston B.
Published: October 2010

A calf persistently infected with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) was super‐infected with a heterologous BVDV strain, C874, which contained non‐cytopathogenic and cytopathogenic viruses. High titres of cytopathogenic BVDV were recovered in the three to four weeks after the challenge. Thereafter low titres of cytopathogenic virus were recovered repeatedly from the blood and the nose, with the titres in nasal secretions increasing in the four weeks before the onset of clinical signs. Neutralising antibodies against the challenge cytopathic virus (C874cp) were first detected 21 days after the super‐infection, but these antibodies failed to neutralise the persisting noncytopathogenic and cytopathogenic viruses isolated from the animal during the course of the infection. Serum collected from 105 days after the super‐infection neutralised the cytopathogenic viruses isolated on day 105 and postmortem. These data indicate that unaltered wild‐type C874cp was not directly responsible for the late‐onset mucosal disease.
Clenbuterol as a marker in baits for oral vaccination of dogs against rabies
Authors: Gleixner A. , Meyer H. H. D. , Vos A. , Aylan O.
Published: October 2010

Clenbuterol was investigated as a potential marker of baits for the oral vaccination of dogs (Canis familiaris) against rabies in Turkey. Orally administered clenbuterol is incorporated into the hair fibre during hair growth, and the uptake of clenbuterol into the hair of 18 dogs was therefore investigated in a controlled laboratory experiment. Clenbuterol could be detected in the hair of the dogs 28 and 56 days after they had eaten a bait containing 0.5 mg clenbuterol. In a field study, 150 baits containing clenbuterol were distributed at selected sites along roads in the suburban areas of Ferhatpasa, Istanbul; the baits incorporated a vaccine container with the live modified rabies virus vaccine SAD Bi9. By the following morning, 93 per cent of the baits had gone. Hair samples from nine of 31 recaptured dogs contained more than 1 ng clenbuterollg, indicating that they had consumed a bait. However, only four of the 31 dogs had an increased antibody titre. The results of this field study indicate that the placing of baits at selected sites is not a very efficient method of vaccinating ownerless dogs.
Insulin‐like growth factor axis of gluten‐sensitive dogs during a gluten challenge
Authors: Maxwell A. , Elwood C. M. , Garden O. , Camacho‐Hübner C. , Batt R. M.
Published: October 2010

Eight gluten‐sensitive Irish setters underwent a gluten challenge to investigate changes in the insulin‐like growth factor (IGF) axis. In the first study, they were challenged with an acute intraduodenal administration of tryptic‐peptic gluten digest and then maintained on dietary gluten for three months. In the second study, the challenge came solely from dietary gluten fed for three months. After the acute intraduodenal administration of gluten, serum IGF‐I levels decreased signifilcantly by 21‐8 per cent, (P=0.01) on day 3 after challenge and then returned to normal. There was also a decrease (52.5 per cent, P<0.03) in the levels of serum IGF‐binding protein‐ 3 (IGFBP‐3) until day 14 after challenge but they had returned to normal by day 28. In two dogs IGFBP‐3 levels decreased through specific serum protease activity. There were no changes in serum IGF‐I or IGFBP levels during the second study after the dietary gluten challenge alone, or in four non‐gluten‐sensitive beagles studied as controls during the acute intraduodenal/dietary gluten challenge.
Antibodies to orthopoxvirus in domestic cats in Norway
Authors: Tryland M. , Sandvik T. , Holtet L. , Nilsen H. , Olsvik Ø. , Traavik T.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence of antibodies to orthopoxvirus in 217 sera collected from domestic cats in the western part of Norway was 10.1 per cent as measured by a competitive ELISA. In one of the seropositive cats antibodies were also detected by an immunofluorescence assay. The average age of the cats sampled was 4.9 years, but the average age of the seropositive individuals was 7.3 years, higher than the average age of clinical cowpox virus cases in Britain (4.2 years), and in Germany (3.9 years). Antibodies against feline immunodeficiency virus (Fv) were detected in nine of 30 (30 per cent) of the seropositive cats, and in five of 30 (17 per cent) of the seronegative cats, which suggests that FIV infection may influence the susceptibility of domestic cats to orthopoxvirus, or vice versa. Orthopoxvirus infections have recently been detected in rodent populations in several areas of Norway, and the infection may therefore be present in cats all over the country; cat owners and animal handlers should be aware of this (re)emerging zoonosis.
Prognostic indicators for toxic mastitis in dairy cows
Authors: Green M. J. , Cripps P. J. , Green L. E.
Published: October 2010

During a three‐year study, 54 cows with toxic mastitis were examined and a number of clinical and laboratory measurements were taken. Twenty‐five (46.3 per cent) of the cows died, and in comparison with those which survived, they had a significantly higher packed cell volume (Pcv) (P<0.01), longer eyelid skin tent time (P<O.O1) and lower rectal temperature (P<O.O1). In a model designed to predict the probability of survival, these variables correctly predicted survival in 84 per cent of cases and death in 73 per cent of cases. The cows with toxic mastitis had a significantly higher PCV than a normal cohort of cows sampled at the end of the study.
Effects of quarantine on cats and their owners
Authors: Rochlitz L. , Podberscek A. L. , Broom D. M.
Published: October 2010

The effects of quarantine on 16 cats and their owners were assessed by means of four questionnaires completed by the owners at the beginning of their cat's stay in quarantine, three months later, and two weeks and three months after the cats left quarantine. Changes in body condition were evident in two‐thirds of the cats during and at the end of quarantine but not three months later. Mid‐way through quarantine, the owners considered their cats were less attached to them, less relaxed, more excitable, more aggressive, more nervous and less playful than before quarantine. When they left quarantine the cats were friendlier, more affectionate and more timid, and three months later they were more affectionate, more nervous and more vocal than before quarantine. When they left quarantine and three months later the cats spent more time with their owners than before quarantine. Most owners visited their cats once or twice a month; the location of the cattery and the limited opening hours restricted the number of visits they made.
Newcastle disease outbreaks in domestic fowl and turkeys in Great Britain during 1997
Authors: Alexander D. J. , Morris H. T. , Pollitt W. J. , Sharpe C. E. , Eckford R. L. , Sainsbury R. M. Q. , Mansley L. M. , Gough R. E. , Parsons G.
Published: October 2010

Between January 6 and April 23, 1997, 11 outbreaks of Newcastle disease were confirmed in Great Britain, four in broiler chickens and seven in turkeys. Although the viruses isolated gave intracerebral pathogenicity indices in day‐old chicks between 1.65 and 1.95, the clinical signs of disease in field infections were variable and not always associated with high mortality, especially in turkeys. Epidemiological investigations indicated that the majority of the outbreaks occurred as a result of secondary spread by human agency from two or more primary infected flocks. The presence of similar outbreaks in Scandinavian countries in 1996 and the unusual patterns of movement of migratory birds at the end of 1996 and beginning of 1997 suggest they may have been responsible for the primary introduction of the causative virus into Great Britain.
Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in canine rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Coughlan A. R. , Robertson D. H. L. , Bennett D. , May C. , Beynon R. J. , Carter S. D.
Published: October 2010

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are considered important mediators of tissue damage in joint diseases. The levels of MMPs 2 and 9 were measured in samples of synovial fluid from 20 joints in seven dogs with rheumatoid arthritis by gelatin zymography. The results were compared with the actual gelatinolytic activity of the fluid measured in a gelatin‐degradation ELISA. The gelatinolytic activity in synovial fluid from arthritic joints was markedly greater than that in fluid from disease‐free joints. The zymographic activity attributable to MMP‐9 (identified by Western blotting) was absent from synovial fluid from control joints but prominent in fluid from arthritic joints, and in these joints the presence of a 75 kDa form of MMP‐9 was correlated with the gelatinolytic activity of the fluid measured by the ELISA (r=0.81, P<0.05). Synovial fluid from one dog with rheumatoid arthritis was examined before and after treatment with corticosteroids. After treatment its zymographic pattern had returned to normal.
Effects of simulated lairage conditions on the physiology and behaviour of pigs
Authors: Geverink N. A. , Bradshaw R. H. , Lambooij E. , Wiegant V. M. , Broom D. M.
Published: October 2010

The responses of pigs to being driven and mixed together in lairage were investigated. Five groups of six and five groups of seven 70 kg pigs were transported for 40 minutes on a lorry and then subjected to one of the following treatments: two groups were driven down a passage; four groups (A to D) were mixed together for one hour (A and B together, and C and D together); and, four groups were driven down the passage and then mixed (‘combined treatment’). The pigs' behaviour was recorded, skin damage was scored and saliva samples were taken for analysis of cortisol. The initial journey increased the pigs' salivary concentration of cortisol. Their behaviour while being driven was not correlated with the concentrations of cortisol after they were driven and cortisol concentrations did not increase relative to post‐transport levels. The frequency and duration of fighting when they were mixed were positively correlated with their level of aggression in the home pen and with the increase in concentrations of cortisol when they were mixed. One hour after they had been mixed, the concentrations of cortisol had decreased relative to post‐transport levels. After the combined treatment, the correlations observed for the mixing treatment were absent, and the concentrations of cortisol increased relative to post‐transport levels. Skin damage was greatest after the groups of pigs were mixed. The responses observed indicate that the combined effects of driving and mixing, which are very common in lairage, were greater than the effects of driving or mixing alone.
Results of non‐selective adrenocorticolysis by O,p'‐DDD in 129 dogs with pituitary‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism
Authors: den Hertog E. , Braakman J. C. A. , Teske E. , Kooistra H. S. , Rijnberk A.
Published: October 2010

One hundred and twenty‐nine dogs with pituitary‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism were treated according to a protocol aimed at the complete destruction of the adrenal cortices by the administration of O,p‘‐DDD (mitotane) at a daily dose of 50 to 75 mg/kg bodyweight for 25 days. On the third day, glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid supplementation was begun for the induced adrenocortical insufficiency. The first follow‐up examination after completion of the 25‐day course and the subsequent twice‐yearly follow‐up examinations included physical examination and measurements of plasma concentrations of sodium and potassium to optimise substitution therapy. In 19 dogs the full course of 25 days treatment could not be completed. Of the 110 dogs which received the full course of treatment, the administration had to be stopped temporarily in 32 because of side‐effects, such as anorexia and vomiting. The actual dose of o,p‘‐DDD administered was not significantly different in the dogs with and without these side‐effects. Clinical remission occurred in 111 dogs (86 per cent), of which 43 (39 per cent) had a relapse. The estimated one‐year disease‐free fraction was 77 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI]: 67 to 85 per cent). The estimated one‐year survival fraction was 80 per cent (95 per cent ci: 71 to 87 per cent), the two‐year survival was 69 per cent (95 per cent ci: 59 to 78 per cent), and the three‐year survival was 61 per cent (95 per cent CI: 49 to 71 per cent). The bodyweight and age of the dogs and vomiting occurring during the period of treatment, were positively correlated with the length of the disease‐free period, whereas weakness during the treatment and resistance to dexamethasone suppression of the urinary corticoid/creatinine ratios at the start of the treatment were associated with a relatively short survival time.
Equine glanders in Turkey
Authors: Arun S. , Neubauer H. , Gürel A. , Ayyildiz G. , Kusçu B. , Yesildere T. , Meyer H. , Hermanns W.
Published: October 2010

In the course of an epidemiological study of glanders on a number of Turkish islands in the Sea of Marmara, 1128 horses were examined by using the intracutaneous mallein test. Thirty‐five (3.1 per cent) developed an increase in rectal temperature and a swelling at the point of injection. Ten of these horses were killed and glanders was confirmed in five cases by the presence of lesions and by the immunohistological demonstration of the causative agent, Burkholderia mallei. Clinical and pathological findings indicated that in all cases the infection was restricted to the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity with its parasinus, the nostrils and the upper lips. It was confirmed that equine glanders is endemic in Turkey.
Diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis by a polymerase chain reaction technique
Authors: Roura X. , Sánchez A. , Ferrer L.
Published: October 2010

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis on bone marrow samples was developed which amplified a 120 bp DNA fragment of the Leishmania kinetoplast DNA, common to all Leishmania species. Forty‐five of 46 dogs in which leishmaniasis had been diagnosed were positive with the PCR technique, whereas none of 41 healthy dogs gave a positive result. Fifteen dogs with leishmaniasis that had been treated for six months with N‐methylglucamine antimoniate and allopurinol were also investigated. Seven were positive, implying that they remained infected despite the resolution of their clinical signs.
Progressive remission of portosystemic shunting in 23 dogs after partial closure of congenital portosystemic shunts
Authors: Meyer H. P. , Rothuizen J. , Van Sluijs F. J. , Voorhout G. , Van Den Brom W. E.
Published: October 2010

The congenital portosystemic shunts in 23 dogs were closed partially in 18 and completely in five with a single silk ligature. The clinical results were studied and the degree of portosystemic shunting was measured by a scintigraphic method, the results being expressed as the shunt index (SI). In 17 of the dogs, the mean (sd) SI decreased from 0.92 (0.16) before surgery to 0.34 (0.25) during surgery after the attenuation of the shunt, and then to 0.10 (0.12) one month later. The dogs' venous ammonia concentration decreased from 203 (122) μM before surgery to 36 (18) one month after surgery. At the same time the clinical scores improved significantly. There were positive correlations between the SI and the general evaluation of the dogs' well‐being by their owners (rs=0.60), the ammonia concentration (rs=0.86), and the diameter of the shunt (rs=0.86). In the other six dogs, the intraoperative and/or postoperative SI was high. In two of them the shunt was further attenuated during a second operation, which resulted in lower SI values; in two a second small shunt was responsible for the high SI; in one multiple portosystemic shunts were found postmortem; and one dog was lost to follow‐up.
Gene therapy in veterinary medicine
Authors: Argyle D. J.
Published: October 2010

Gene therapy in simple terms is the introduction of a gene into a cell, in vivo, in order to ameliorate a disease process. Human clinical trials have focused on the correction of monogenic deficiency diseases, cancer and AIDS. This paper summarises the technology of gene therapy, gives a brief synopsis of the current applications of gene therapy to veterinary medicine and discusses some of the problems which need to be overcome so that gene therapy can become accepted clinical practice.
Acute phase proteins in cattle: discrimination between acute and chronic inflammation
Authors: Horadagoda N. U. , Knox K.M. G. , Gibbs H. A. , Reid S. W. J. , Horadagoda A. , Edwards S. E. R. , Eckersall P. D.
Published: October 2010

Acute phase proteins such as serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, and α1‐acid glycoprotein have been identified as markers of inflammation in cattle because they are produced by the liver in response to pro‐inflammatory cytokines. This study was designed to assess whether they could be used to discriminate between acute and chronic inflammation. Their concentrations were measured in serum samples from 81 cattle in which inflammation was classified by thorough clinical examination, supported by postmortem findings, as being acute in severity in 31 and chronic in 50. The classical haematological markers of inflammation were also determined in blood from the animals. Serum amyloid A had a maximum (100 per cent) clinical sensitivity in discriminating between the acute and chronic cases, and haptoglobin had the highest clinical specificity of 76 per cent; counts of neutrophils and band neutrophils had sensitivities of 71 per cent and 42 per cent and specificities of 30 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively. It was concluded that serum amyloid A and haptoglobin may be used to discriminate between acute and chronic inflammatory conditions.
Economic benefits of prophylaxis with diclazuril against subclinical coccidiosis in lambs reared indoors
Authors: Alzieu J. P. , Mage C. , Maes L. , De Mûelenaere C.
Published: October 2010

One hundred and twenty weaned male lambs, naturally infected with Eimeria species, were used to assess the economic benefits of the prophylactic administration of diclazuril. They were randomly divided into four groups of 30 lambs on the basis of their bodyweight and output of oocysts. The groups were either left untreated (group 1), treated orally with a simple dose of diclazuril at 1 mg/kg (group 2), with two doses two weeks apart (group 3), or with sulphadimethoxine at 50 mg/kg for five consecutive days (group 4). No clinical signs of coccidiosis were observed in any of the groups. The output of oocysts was significantly reduced on day 7 after treatment in group 2, on days 7, 14 and 28 in group 3 and on days 7 and 14 in group 4. No significant differences were found between the treated and untreated groups for bodyweight, carcase weight and carcase classification. The mean fattening period was shorter for the treated lambs (52 and 55 days) than for the untreated controls (60 days). The average growth rate of the lambs treated twice with diclazuril and with sulphadimethoxine was improved and the feed conversion rates of the lambs treated once or twice with diclazuril were 7 per cent and 16 per cent better than that of the untreated lambs.
Prevalence of antibodies to Coxiella burneti (Q fever) in bulk tank milk in England and Wales
Authors: Paiba G. A. , Green L. E. , Lloyd G. , Patel D. , Morgan K. L.
Published: October 2010

In the United Kingdom, the infection of people with Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is of significant public health importance and is associated with contact with dairy cattle. An ELISA was developed for the detection of IgG antibodies against C burnetii in bulk tank milk, and in a survey of randomly selected samples from dairy herds in England and Wales, 21 per cent showed serological evidence of C burnetii infection.
ExperimentalBrucella ovisinfection in pregnant ewes
Authors: Grilló M. J. , Marín M. , Barberán M. , Blasco J. M.
Published: October 2010

Forty yearlingBrucella‐freeewes were inoculated withBrucella ovisby the conjunctival route in mid or late first pregnancy. Only a few ewes excretedB ovisduring pregnancy and gave birth to stillborn lambs, but most of them excreted the organism at lambing or during lactation. One of the 11 lambs which were born alive but died before they were weaned was found to be infected postmortem. In contrast, none of the 46 surviving lambs which were reared in isolation until adulthood, was found to be infected. At weaning, the 40 ewes were mated again with fiveBrucella‐freerams. Although many of the ewes excretedB ovis, none of the rams was found to be infected when necropsied after mating. Most of the ewes that became pregnant, all having excretedB ovisduring their first pregnancy, cleared the infection during the second pregnancy. However, three remained persistently infected and excretedB ovisin their milk throughout the second lactation. None of the lambs born to these three ewes was found to be infected when necropsied at weaning.
Dental wear in horses in relation to the microhardness of enamel and dentine
Authors: Muylle S. , Simoens P. , Verbeeck R. , Ysebaert M. T. , Lauwers H.
Published: October 2010

The microhardness of enamel, primary dentine and secondary dentine was determined in the incisor teeth of 39 horses of three different breeds, trotter horses, Belgian draft horses and Arab horses. Using a microhardness tester fitted with a Knoop diamond indenter, the overall Knoop Hardness Number was determined for each tissue, and the influences of breed and age on the hardness were evaluated. Enamel and secondary dentine were significantly harder in Arab horses than in trotters and Belgian draft horses, but there were no significant differences between draft horses and trotter horses in the hardness of their enamel and dentine.
Anthelmintic treatment of dairy cows and its effect on milk production
Authors: Gross S. J. , Ryan W. G. , Ploeger H. W.
Published: October 2010

The results of more than 80 experiments on gastrointestinal parasitism and the impact of anthelmintic treatment on milk production in dairy cattle were reviewed. Abattoir surveys of culled dairy cows, faecal egg counts in milking cows, and serological tests and worm counts in cull cows in milk production studies were collated to assess the level of parasitism in dairy herds. The studies were divided into four general categories: induced infections in previously uninfected cattle; naturally infected cattle treated in mid‐lactation; naturally infected cattle treated one to three times during the dry period and/or just before or just after parturition; and naturally infected cattle treated repeatedly from early lactation or given strategic treatments throughout the year. In most studies, the milk production of anthelmintic‐treated cattle was compared with that of untreated controls. The anthelmintics investigated included members of the organophosphate, benzimidazole, imidazothiazole and macrocyclic lactone groups. The number of experiments in which the medicated (or uninfected) group had a higher milk yield was compared with the number of experiments in which the control (or infected) group had a higher yield. Overall, the studies demonstrated that grazing dairy cattle are likely to be infected with gastrointestinal nematode parasites, usuallyOstertagia ostertagiandCooperiaspecies. These infections may be present as inhibited larvae, and a periparturient or spring rise is associated with their emergence. There is, at present, no reliable means of determining whether a cow or a herd may be parasitised subclinically at a level sufficient to interfere with milk production. In 70 of 87 experiments (80 per cent) there was an increase in milk production (P<0.001) after anthelmintic treatment, with a median increase of 0.63 kg/day. In each of the four trial categories, a majority of the studies showed that anthelmintic treatment increased milk production. The yield of milk fat by the medicated cows was greater than by the controls in 26 of the 35 experiments in which that variable was studied (P<0.01).
Evidence of Brucella infection in marine mammals in the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Tryland M. , Kleivane L. , Alfredsson A. , Kjeld M. , Arnason A. , Stuen S. , Godfroid J.
Published: October 2010

Between 1983 and 1996 a total of 1386 samples of serum were taken from four species of seal and three species of whale in the waters west of Iceland, the area of pack‐ice north‐west of Jan Mayen, the northern coast of Norway and the Kola Peninsula, the waters west of Svalbard, and the Barents Sea; they were tested for the presence of anti‐Brucella antibodies with an indirect ELISA (protein G conjugate). The positive sera were re‐tested with classical brucellosis serological tests, such as the serum agglutination test, the EDTAmodified serum agglutination test, the Rose Bengal test, and the complement fixation test, as well as an anti‐complement ELISA. Anti‐Brucella antibodies were detected in all the species investigated, except for the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), with the following prevalences: hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) 35 per cent; harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) 2 per cent; ringed seals (Phoca hispida) 10 per cent; minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) 8 per cent; fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) 11 per cent; and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) 14 per cent. An isolate belonging to the genus Brucella was obtained from the liver and spleen of one of the seropositive minke whales. The findings suggest that antibodies against the surface lipopolysaccharide of Brucella species are widely distributed among marine mammals in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Chronic pulmonary disease in West Highland white terriers
Authors: Corcoran B. M. , Cobb M. , Martin M. W. S. , Dukes‐McEwan J. , French A. , Luis Fuentes V. , Boswood A. , Rhind S.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes the clinical features, and diagnostic findings of a chronic respiratory condition in 29 West Highland white terriers. Typically, the dogs were coughing chronically, had dyspnoea and tachypnoea of varying severity, and had deteriorated progressively over months to year. The mean (sem) survival time in months from the clinical signs being first noted by the owners was 17.9 (2.3). Most cases had a combination of respiratory signs, but coughing was the predominant sign in 18 cases. Inspiratory crackles were audible on chest auscultation in 28 cases, 10 of which were also wheezing. Rhonchi were the predominant sound in the remaining case. The main radiographic changes were mild to severe increased interstitial markings in all cases, with additional bronchial markings in 14 of the dogs. Right‐sided cardiomegaly (cor pulmonale) was recorded in 15. Bronchoscopic findings in 17 of the dogs were either normal or involved a mild airway mucoid reaction in eight. Chronic mucosal changes were observed in eight, but in two this finding was equivocal. Dynamic changes to the lumen of the airway were present in seven cases. No significant haematological or biochemical changes could be detected in 20 cases, but four cases were hypercholestrolaemic. A histopathological assessment of four cases revealed alveolar septal fibrosis to be the predominant change. Prednisolone, with or without bronchodilators, was the most commonly used therapy, and the response was variable. The condition appears to be associated with significant pulmonary interstitial fibrosis of unknown aetiology and has clinical similarities to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis) in human beings.
Diagnosis of larval cyathostominosis in horses in Belgium
Authors: Smets K. , Shaw D. J. , Deprez P. , Vercruysse J.
Published: October 2010

Between October 1996 and May 1997,94 horses which were suspected of being infected with strongyles were examined clinically, and samples of faeces were examined for strongyle eggs and cyathostome larvae (L4) and adults. Blood samples were monitored for total protein, albumin and β‐globulins. In 28 of the horses (30 per cent) cyathostome L4 and adults were detected in the faeces, and were significantly associated with the horses' condition, the occurrence of diarrhoea, with lower concentrations of total protein and albumin, and with higher percentages of β‐globulin. Thirty‐four of the horses (36 per cent) were excreting strongyle eggs, but in these animals the associations were with high concentrations of total protein and albumin, and lower percentages of β‐globulin. The results showed that during the winter, a horse in poor condition which has diarrhoea, an albumin concentration less than 20 g/litre, and a ratio of albumin:globulin less than 0.7 is very likely to be infected with L4 and adult stages of cyathostomes.
Decreased sedation by xylazine and high blood pressure in cows with BSE
Authors: Braun U. , Abgottspon S. , Gubler E. , Schweizer T.
Published: October 2010

Fifteen cows with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and 90 healthy cows were given xylazine intramuscularly at a dosage of 0.15 mg/kg bodyweight. The onset of sedation and of drooling was recorded, intramuscularly at a dosage of 0.15 mg/kg bodyweight. The onset of sedation and of drooling was recorded, and the heart and respiratory rates and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured every five minutes for 40 minutes. All the healthy cows but only five of the 15 cows with BSE became sedated, and the period between the administration of xylazine and the onset of sedation was twice as long in the cows with BSE than in the healthy cows (15.0 [7.5] and 7.6 [2.6] minutes). Throughout the observation period, the blood pressure of the cows with BSE was significantly higher than that of the healthy cows, and the blood pressure of the healthy cows, but not of the cows with BSE, decreased significantly towards the end of the observation period.
Methicillin‐resistantStaphylococcus aureusinfections in 11 dogs
Authors: Tomlin J. , Pead M. J. , Lloyd D. H. , Howell S. , Hartmann F. , Jackson H. A. , Muir P.
Published: October 2010

Methicillin‐resistantStaphylococcus aureusinfection was identified in 11 dogs. The infection was associated with surgical treatment, especially orthopaedic surgery. Infection after traumatic wounding, and recurrent pyoderma was also seen. Oral antibiotic treatment improved or resolved the infection in nine of the 11 dogs, although the methicillin‐resistant isolates were susceptible to relatively few antibiotics.
Hepatic lipodystrophy of pedigree Galloway calves
Authors: Macleod N. S. M. , Allison C. J.
Published: October 2010

Hepatic lipodystrophy has been recognised in pedigree Galloway calves since 1965. Between 1975 and 1984 15 cases from five farms were examined. The calves initially appear normal and in good bodily condition but invariably die by five months of age. The characteristic clinical and neurological changes lead to body tremors, opisthotonus, and dyspnoea before the animals become recumbent and die. On postmortem examination the most significant finding in all cases was an enlarged, pale and mottled liver weighing up to 2.75 kg. Limited histopathological examinations of the brain and liver revealed changes suggestive of hepatic encephalopathy. Exhaustive investigations of the farms failed to reveal any significant findings and the small number of cases made it impossible to determine whether the disease was genetically determined; limited evidence suggests that a ‘storage disease’ cannot be excluded.
Bovine abortion associated withNeospora caninumin northern Spain
Authors: González L. , Buxton D. , Atxaerandio R. , Aduriz G. , Maley S. , Marco J. C. , Cuervo L. A.
Published: October 2010

During 1996, aborted bovine fetuses from dairy herds in northern Spain were examined by histopathological, immunohistochemical and serological methods for evidence of infection byNeospora caninum. Microscopical brain changes consistent with those of neosporosis were detected in 36 of 81 fetuses and specific antibodies (IFAT titres ≥ 1/16) in 32 of 63. Eight fetuses with neurological lesions were seronegative, and eight without lesions were seropositive. In 25 of 34 fetal brains with lesions consistent with published descriptions of neosporosis, immunohistochemical analysis revealed the presence ofN caninumantigen. Depending on the diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of neosporosis related to bovine abortion was between 32 and 57 per cent of the fetuses submitted and between 33 and 58 per cent of the herds involved. Data on the geographical, seasonal and fetal age distribution of the infection are given for the fetuses examined and the value of the different diagnostic methods is discussed.
Evaluation of secondary haemostasis in canine leishmaniasis
Authors: Moreno P.
Published: October 2010

Secondary haemostasis was evaluated in 26 dogs with leishmaniasis and 10 normal dogs by measurements of modified one‐stage prothrombin time (m‐OSPT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time, fibrinogen concentration and fibrin degradation products. There were no significant differences between the groups in the m‐OSPT, fibrinogen concentration, or levels of fibrin degradation products. The AM was significantly (P=0.006) longer in the infected dogs than in the control group, and in infected dogs with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities >50 U/litre. There was a significant linear regression between ALT and AM. Thrombin time was significantly (P=0.003) longer in the infected dogs than in the normal dogs. There were no significant differences between the thrombin times of sick dogs with different levels of creatinine or activities of ALT, or between male and female dogs, whether diseased or normal.
A review of the road transport of cattle
Authors: Knowles G.
Published: October 2010

The transport of farm animals has been the subject of much research in recent years. This paper reviews the recent scientific literature pertinent to the road transport of cattle. The state of knowledge is summarised and recommendations for best practice based upon this are given. Areas which require further work are also identified.
Effects of preslaughter handling on the behaviour, blood biochemistry and carcases of farmed red deer
Authors: Grigor P. N. , Goddard P. J. , Littlewood C. A. , Warriss P. D. , Brown S. N.
Published: October 2010

Eight groups of six red deer (four groups of males and four groups of females) were held overnight in an unfamiliar paddock, after which they were moved into a holding pen and slaughtered sequentially by stunning with a captive bolt pistol in a restraining pen. On entering the restraining pen, half the deer in each group were stunned immediately, but the other half were stunned after 10 minutes. Deer spent much of the initial period in the holding pen standing stationary in ‘alert’ postures, but became less alert over time. A significantly higher proportion of males than females were observed in alert ‘head‐up’ postures in the restraining pen. Deer held in the restraining pen for 10 minutes had significantly higher plasma cortisol concentrations than those which were stunned immediately. Females had a significantly higher glycogen concentration postmortem in both the liver and semimembranosus muscle than males, and deer held in the restraining pen for 10 minutes had a significantly lower liver glycogen concentration than deer which were slaughtered immediately. Males had significantly higher semimembranosus muscle pHu. values than females, although the differences were small, and of the 14 deer with pHu. values above 6.0, 11 were males.
Detection of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides in tissues from an outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia by culture, immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Bashiruddin J. B. , Santini F. G. , De Santis P. , Visaggio M. C. , Di Francesco G. , D'Angelo A. , Nicholas R. A. J.
Published: October 2010

Postmortem observations of 37 cattle from an outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in north Italy in 1993 were made at the abattoir, where samples of lung and tracheobronchial lymph node tissues were taken for culture and identification of Mycoplasma mycoides subspedes mycoides (Mmm SC), immunohistochemistry with the peroxidase anti‐peroxidase (PAP) system, and molecular detection by the polymerase chain reaction (KR) amplification of specific DNA from Mmm SC. Nasal swabs were also taken for testing by KR. Lung pathology typical of CBPP was observed in 38 per cent of the animals, and Mmm SC was isolated from 19 per cent. DNA of MmmSC was detected by PCR in 64 per cent of lung samples and 35 per cent of the nasal swabs. Staining of lung tissue and lymph node tissue by PAP was positive in 27 per cent and 30 per cent of cases, respectively, and was a useful back‐up test. These results suggest that PCR amplification from lung tissue may be used as a rapid and accurate confirmatory test for cases with pathology resembling CBPP.
Clinical, haematological and biochemical findings in milk‐fed calves with chronic indigestion
Authors: Stocker H. , Lutz H. , Rüsch P.
Published: October 2010

The principal clinical signs in 59 milk‐fed calves with chronic indigestion were general malaise and depression, poor appetite, poor body condition, dehydration, a dull and scaly hair coat, alopecia and clay‐like faeces. All the calves had metabolic acidosis, which was associated with an inability to stand up in more than half of them. There were significant differences in the severity of acidosis between the calves that could stand and those that could not. Other signs in some of the calves were dehydration, leucocytosis, and increased activities of liver enzymes.
Prevalence of lice on dairy cattle in England and the bordering counties of Wales
Authors: Milnes A. S. , Green L. E.
Published: October 2010

A postal questionnaire was used to collect information on the prevalence of lice on cattle on a random sample of dairy farms in England and the bordering counties of Wales. Replies were received from 1040 (52.8 per cent) of the 1970 farms which were mailed. Fifty per cent of farmers reported having ever seen or suspected lice in their herds and 29 per cent reported possible infestations in the winter of 1996/97. Visits were made to 24 farms in the south west of England during February 1998. Twelve of the farmers said that they had seen or suspected lice in their herd since October 1997, and that lice were more frequently observed on the adult cattle. However, examination revealed lice on 18 of the 24 farms, and adult cattle were the least likely group to be infested.
Two‐year study of bovine hepatic abscessation in 10 abattoirs in County Cork, Ireland
Authors: O'Sullivan E. N.
Published: October 2010

The livers from 6337, 12‐to 16‐month‐old heifers slaughtered in 10 domestic abattoirs over a period of two years were examined; 368 (5.8 per cent) had gross lesions, of which 120 (1.9 per cent) had abscesses, 74 (1.17 per cent) had only scarring, and 44 (0.7 per cent) had telangiectasis (so‐called ‘sawdust’ liver). Of the 120 livers in which abscesses were detected, 53 (44 per cent) had a single large abscess (>4 cm diameter), 44 (36.6 per cent) had a single small abscess (<4 cm), and 23 (19 per cent) had more than two abscesses; in 20 of them (16.6 per cent) the abscesses were resolving, and in 10 (8.3 per cent) the abscesses were ruptured. Forty‐three (35.8 per cent) of the livers with abscesses had adhesions to the diaphragm and diaphragmatic lung lobes, three (2.5 per cent) had adhesions to other abdominal organs, 12 (10 per cent) also had scarring and two (1.7 per cent) also had lesions due to liver fluke. There was no significant association between the liver fluke lesions and the abscesses. In 46 (38.3 per cent) of the livers the abscesses were located in the mid‐dorsal diaphragmatic or dorsocranial area of the liver; 28 (23.3 per cent) were adjacent to the posterior vena cava and could as a result have caused thromboembolic disease. Clinical signs attributable to the abscesses were observed in only one animal.
Epidemic infection caused by Citrobacter rodentium in a gerbil colony
Authors: de la Puente‐Redondo V. A. , Gutiérrez‐Martin C. B. , Pérez‐Martínez C. C. , García del Blanco N. , García‐Iglesias M. J. , Pérez‐García C. C. , Rodríguez‐Ferri E. F.
Published: October 2010

Non‐motile, Gram‐negative rods, isolated from the intestinal tract and kidney of several dead animals in a gerbil colony, were identified as Citrobacterrodentium (formerly included in C freundii species) on the basis of 31 biochemical tests. The isolates were tested against 40 antimicrobial agents and were all susceptible to ticarcillin plus clavulanate, ceftazidime and most of the quinolones studied, but were all resistant to most of the penicillins and aminoglycosides tested, and to fosfomycin, metronidazole and tiamulin. This bacterial species has been primarily associated with transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia, and this appears to be the first report of an epidemic infection in a gerbil colony with a fatal outcome in most of the animals affected.
Antigenic and genetic characerisation of Newcastle disease viruses isolated from outbreaks in domestic fowl and turkeys in Great Britain during 1997
Authors: Alexander D. J. , Banks J. , Collins M. S. , Manvell R. J. , Frost K. M. , Speidel E. C. , Aldous E. W.
Published: October 2010

Antigenic and genetic analyses of viruses from the 11 outbreaks of Newcastle disease in Great Britain, 12 of the outbreaks in Northern Ireland and the single outbreak in the Republic of Ireland which occurred in 1997, indicated that they were all essentially similar. In addition, the viruses from the British Isles were very similar to viruses isolated from three outbreaks in pheasants in Denmark between August and November 1996, from a goosander in Finland in September 1996, from an outbreak in chickens in Norway in February 19,97, and from an outbreak in chickens in Sweden in November 1997. Viruses from outbreaks in other countries during 1995 to 1997 could be distinguished antigenically and/or genetically from the 1996 to 1997 Scandinavian/British Isles isolates, as could viruses responsible for two separate outbreaks in caged birds in quarantine premises in Great Britain in March 1997. Minor nucleotide differences in the 413‐base region of the fusion gene and the 187‐base region of the haemagglutinin‐neuraminidase gene sequenced in this study allowed the 1996 to 1997 Scandinavian/British Isles isolates to be divided into groups. These groups broadly corresponded to the clusters of disease outbreaks, but suggested that the discrete outbreak in Scotland was probably the result of virus spread from Northem Ireland. Overall, the antigenic and genetic analyses of these viruses were consistent with the theory that the virus was introduced into the British Isles by migratory birds moving from north‐east Europe. However, it was not possible to rule out other sources, such as the movement of pheasants from Denmark.
Identification of seven serotpes of bluetongue virus from the People's Republic of China
Authors: Zhang N. , MacLachlan N. J. , Bonneau K. R. , Zhu J. , Li Z. , Zhang K. , Zhang F. , Xia L. , Xiang W.
Published: October 2010

Seven serotypes (1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 15 and 16) of bluetongue virus were isolated from the blood of sheep and cattle in the People's Republic of China between 1986 and 1996. Six of these viruses were isolated in Yunnan province. The sheep from which serotypes 1 and 16 were isolated showed obvious signs of bluetongue disease, whereas the cattle from which serotypes 2, 3, 4, 12 and 15 were isolated were clinically normal. Phylogenetic analyses of these viruses indicate that they are more closely related to one another, and to an Australian strain of serotype 1, than they are to prototype strains of bluetongue virus serotypes 2, 10, 11,13 and 17 from the USA.