bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of analyses of respiratory gases made with the K4b2 portable and Quark laboratory analysers in horses
Authors: Leprêtre P‐M. , Metayer N. , Giovagnoli G. , Pagliei E. , Barrey E.
Published: October 2010

Measurements of minute ventilation (VE) and expired oxygen and carbon dioxide fractions (FeO2and FeCO2) were measured at rest and during exercise in seven warmblood horses performing two consecutive standardised incremental treadmill exercise tests at submaximal speed, using the portable K4b2telemetric unit and the laboratory Quark metabolic cart in random order. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2) were estimated using the Haldane equation. There were no significant differences between the measurements made with the two devices. However, VEwas overestimated when the horses were cantering at 10 m/s in comparison with values available in the literature.
Factors affecting the risk of euthanasia for cows in Danish dairy herds
Authors: Thomsen P. T. , Sørensen J. T.
Published: October 2010

Information about the 7238 Danish dairy cows that died or were euthanased in April, May and June of 2008 was obtained from the Danish Cattle Database, and the herd‐level factors affecting the risk of being euthanased (as opposed to dying naturally) were evaluated by logistic regression. In total, 16·6 per cent of the dead cows had been euthanased. The odds of euthanasia increased with increasing herd size, increasing herd‐level milk yield and increasing morbidity in the herd. The odds ratio (OR) of euthanasia was 1·13 (P<0·0001) for the effect of an increase in herd size of 50 cows, 1·13 (P<0·0001) for an increase in herd‐level milk yield of 1000 kg energycorrected milk per cow per year, and 1·31 (P<0·0001) for an increase in the average number of diseases recorded per cow per year of 0·5. The cows' parity and stage of lactation had no effect on their risk of being euthanased.
In vivo reactions in mice and in vitro reactions in feline cells to implantable microchip transponders with different surface materials
Authors: Linder M. , Hüther S. , Reinacher M.
Published: October 2010

Tissues of mice that had had microchip transponders with surfaces made of bioglass, bioglass with a polypropylene cap, parylene C, titanium or aluminium oxide inserted were examined histologically, and the growth of two lines of feline fibroblastoid cells around these transponders was examined in vitro. The results for bioglass and aluminium oxide were similar. In vitro, there were almost no cells around or on the transponders; in vivo, there was often granulomatous inflammation in the surrounding tissue. In the case of the bioglass, this reaction seemed to be induced by petrolatum, which was added by the manufacturer for technical reasons, rather than by the bioglass itself. In some of the mice, polypropylene caused a proliferation of granulation tissue. In vitro, the cellularity around the transponders was high, but only a moderate number of cells were found on the material. In vivo, around the parylene C transponders, there were occasionally small fragments of foreign material, surrounded by a foreign body reaction; in vitro, the results for parylene C resembled those for polypropylene. In vivo, particles of titanium were sometimes visible in the connective tissue adjacent to the titanium transponders, and sometimes accompanied by a foreign body reaction; in vitro, a confluent layer of cells developed on the transponders, with a high cellularity around them.
Effect of fasting sheep for a shor t period on the efficacy and safety of monepantel
Authors: Hosking B. C. , Stein P. A.
Published: October 2010

Eighteen, six‐ to seven‐month‐old lambs were infected experimentally with larvae of Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, Trichostrongylus axei, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Cooperia curticei and Nematodirus spathiger, and allocated to three equal groups. The infections were timed to ensure that fourth‐stage larvae were present when groups 1 and 2 were treated orally with monepantel. Group 1 was not fed for 24 hours before the treatment, group 2 was fed two hours before the treatment and group 3 was fed at the same time as group 2 but not treated with monepantel. All the sheep had access to water. Worm burdens were determined 15 days after the treatments. Fasting or feeding had no statistically significant effects on the efficacy of the monepantel solution against the nematodes, and the period of fasting had no adverse effects.
Survival time of dogs with inflammatory mammary cancer treated with palliative therapy alone or palliative therapy plus chemotherapy
Authors: Clemente M. , De Andrés P. J. , Peña L. , Pérez‐Alenza M. D.
Published: October 2010

Seven of 30 female dogs diagnosed with inflammatory mammary cancer were given chemotherapy and palliative treatment, and the other 23 received only palliative treatment. The median survival time of the seven dogs given chemotherapy was 57 days, compared with 35 days for the 23 given only palliative treatment.
Infertility and venereal disease in cattle inseminated with semen containing bovine herpesvirus type 5
Authors: Kirkland P. D. , Gu X. , Davis R. J. , Poynting A. J.
Published: October 2010

A group of 20 cows and heifers experienced poor conception rates and probable ovarian dysfunction after being artificially inseminated. When first examined, some showed signs of vulvovaginitis, with pustular, ulcerative lesions consistent with a herpesvirus infection. They had had no contact with bulls during the current breeding season. Bovine herpesvirus type 5 (BHV‐5) was isolated from samples of frozen semen from the batch that had been used for the artificial insemination programme. BHV‐5 was also isolated from the semen of a second apparently healthy bull during routine screening of its semen.
Assessment of the effect of three treatments to remove intrauterine fluid on pregnancy rate in the mare
Authors: Pycock J. F. , Newcombe J. R.
Published: October 2010

The effects on pregnancy rate of three different treatments to remove intrauterine fluid were assessed in 1267 mares. The mares were mated and allocated, in strict rotation, to four treatment groups: 1) untreated controls, 2) intrauterine infusion of broad spectrum antibiotics, 3) intravenous injection of oxytocin, 4) intravenous injection of oxytocin followed by intrauterine antibiotics. The pregnancy status of the mares was determined 13 to 15 days and 27 to 30 days after ovulation by transrectal ultrasonography. The pregnancy rate of group 4 (72 per cent) was higher than that of group 2 (64 per cent, P<0.01) or group 3 (63 per cent, P<0.01). The pregnancy rates of groups 2 and 3 were higher than that of group 1 (56 per cent, P<0.01). The treatment with antibiotics and oxytocin appeared to have an additive beneficial effect which suggested two different modes of action of the combination treatment, namely antibacterial activity and fluid drainage. In the untreated mares more fluid accumulated in the uterine lumen after mating, and this was the most likely reason for their lower pregnancy rate.
Efficacy of a phyto‐aromatic gel against auricular mange in rabbits and carnivores
Authors: Mignon B. R. , Losson B. J.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of a phyto‐aromatic gel (Canidor) was evaluated, in vitro againstPsoroptes cuniculiand in vivo againstP cuniculiandOtodectes cynotis, in experimentally and naturally infested rabbits and domestic carnivores respectively. At a 1/1 dilution the gel was 100 per cent active in vitro againstP cuniculiafter less than six hours of contact. In experimentally infested rabbits the gel was administered daily during two periods of five consecutive days, six days apart. A clinical cure was achieved in all the animals, but two harboured a few eggs and mites at the end of the trial. In dogs and cats the active formulation was given for two periods of four consecutive days, seven days apart. Clinical and parasitological examinations 10 and 30 days after initiating the treatment regiment revealed an excellent acaricidal effect.
Canine epilepsy: a genetic counselling programme for keeshonds
Authors: Hall S. J. G. , Wallace M. E.
Published: October 2010

The predisposition of keeshonds (Dutch barge dogs) to an idiopathic epilepsy appears to be determined by a single autosomal recessive gene. The pedigrees of 15 litters which included animals diagnosed as epileptic (‘fitters’) were compared with those of 34 contemporary, normal animals. The pedigrees of all the fitters traced back, on both the paternal and maternal sides, to a common ancestor. Subsequently, further pedigrees and details of litters were gathered. If both parents of a fitter were heterozygous (‘carriers’), the progeny (120 in number) of all known carrier x carrier matings would be expected to have a ratio of three phenotypically normal animals to one fitter, that is, 90:30. The ratio observed (91:29) was not significantly different. The Keeshond Club has published a list from which the identities of carriers can be inferred, with the intention that known carriers should be excluded from breeding. A genetic counselling programme has been in operation since 1989, which is based on advising breeders on the probability that the offspring of proposed matings would be fitters or carriers; advice has been given on 77 proposed matings. The mean probability that the proposed matings would result in carriers has declined significantly, and this is consistent with a decline in the frequency of the gene for this form of epilepsy in the breed.
Epidemiology of subclinical ovine psoroptic otoacariasis in Great Britain
Authors: Bates P. G.
Published: October 2010

Seven sheep flocks with subclinical psoroptic otoacariasis were investigated.Psoroptesspecies mites were isolated from 3.1 per cent of the 2676 sheep examined and the prevalence in the flocks ranged between 1.3 and 23.9 per cent, with the highest infestations in pedigree flocks. Unilateral or bilateral infestations were found in sheep of all ages. Adult and shearling rams, with prevalences of 21.5 and 14.2 per cent, respectively, were the most affected and two lambs, two and eight days old, were the youngest to be infested. There was no evidence of vertical transmission. The infestation affected several breeds of sheep. No other known hosts forPsoroptesspecies present on the premises were shown to be infested. Non‐parasitic forage mites were also isolated from the ear canals of the sheep and may have contributed to the clinical signs which, in adult sheep, ranged from aural haematomas/fibrosis (cauliflower ears), and violent head shaking and ear rubbing leading to excoriation and wounding of the ear and base of the ear. The signs in lambs included plaques of scab (often bloody) on the external ear cleft, excoriation of the base of the ear, ear scratching with the hind feet and inflammation of the external aspects of the horizontal canal. In all cases the internal pinnae were clear of typical psoroptic scabs.Psoroptesmites were isolated from 28.6 per cent of the damaged ears and from 7.8 per cent of the undamaged ears. There was no evidence of classical sheep scab in any of the flocks. Plunge dipping in diazinon, propetamphos or flumethrin, or the use of synthetic pyrethroid pour‐on preparations and an oral drench of ivermectin had little effect because ear mite infestations were detected in the flocks after these treatments. An injection of ivermectin at 200 μg/kg bodyweight effectively eradicated the infestations when it was administered to these infested flocks.
Comparison of two selective media for the isolation of Brucella melitensis from naturally infected sheep and goats
Authors: Marin C. M. , Jiménez de Bagüés M. P. , Barberán M. , Blasco J. M.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of two selective media for the isolation of Brucella melitensis from naturally infected sheep and goats was compared. Two hundred and eighty sheep and 60 goats belonging to B melitensis ‐infected flocks were slaughtered and samples of milk (when available) and seven tissues were taken from each animal for bacteriological analyses. A modified Thayer‐ Martin's medium was more sensitive than Farrell's medium; by the combined use of both media 142 infected sheep and 40 infected goats were detected, and 486 of the samples from the sheep and 179 of the samples from the goats were found to be infected.
A survey of the behavioural characteristics of pure‐bred dogs in the United Kingdom
Authors: Bradshaw J. W. S. , Goodwin D. , Lea A. M. , Whitehead S. L.
Published: October 2010

One‐hundred‐and‐twelve small animal veterinarians and 56 dog care professionals were asked to rate the behavioural characteristics of 49 breeds of dog, and to compare males and females by means of a 13‐point questionnaire. From their replies, factor analysis was used to extract three underlying traits, labelled aggressivity, reactivity and immaturity. On the basis of these traits, eight groups of breeds were derived. Membership of these groups did not correspond exactly with any of the four existing breed classification systems (Mégnin, the Fédération Cynologique International, ancient breeds and Kennel Club of Great Britain), but significant differences between Kennel Club groups were found on all three traits. Male dogs were rated higher than females on both aggressivity and immaturity; the components of reactivity were also rated higher in males, apart from the demand for affection which was rated higher in females. Females were also considered easier to train than males.
Application of real‐time ultrasonography for the detection of tarsal vein thrombosis in cattle
Authors: Kofler J. , Buchner A. , Sendlhofer A.
Published: October 2010

The clinical and ultrasonographic features of the thrombosis of three tarsal veins in a six‐year‐old dairy cow are described. Thrombosis and metastatic abscessation developed on the left tarsus six days after the amputation of the lateral claw of the left hindlimb. Originally, the cow suffered from a severe purulent arthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint and a retroarticular abscess, caused by interdigital necrobacillosis. By means of real‐time ultrasonography, using a 7.5 MHz transducer, a marked subcutaneous oedema, a subcutaneous abscess and a thrombosis of the ramus cranialis and ramus caudalis of the vena saphena lateralis reaching the confluence into the vena saphena lateralis and a thrombosis of the ramus caudalis of the vena saphena medialis could be identified. The thrombosed veins were not compressible, were oval and had an increased diameter of up to 9 x 12 mm. Intraluminal masses were visualised as hypoechoic structures and the veins distal to the thrombosis were distended up to 10 x 13 mm. The differential diagnosis and pathogenesis of the thrombosis and the abscessation are discussed, and the clinical course and the sonographic observations of the thrombosis during a six week period are described.
Exposure of gilts in early gestation to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus
Authors: Prieto C. , Sánchez R. , Martin‐Rillo S. , Suárez P. , Simarro I. , Solana A. , Castro J. M.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐five gilts without measurable serum antibody titres to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRsv) were identified and 16 were inoculated with PRRSV at seven, 14 or 21 days of gestation and killed 20 to 22 days later to determine the effect of the virus on their embryos. The remaining nine gilts were not exposed to PRRSV, but were killed at the same stages of gestation. The gults were observed for clinical signs of infection and the gilts and their embryos were tested for PRRv and homologous antibodies. The infection was demonstrated by the re‐isolation of the virus and its detection by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in serum and other tissue samples from the inoculated gilts, and also by seroconversion. However, the gilts remained healthy throughout the study, except for one which was depressed and anorexic for two days. Two of the litters from the gilts challenged with PRRSV on day 14 of gestation contained one and three infected live embryos; the other embryos from these two litters did not contain detectable virus, although most of the embryos in one of the litters were dead. The other nine litters from the gilts challenged with PRRSV and the control litters, showed no evidence of infection.
Nasal obstruction caused by nutritional osteodystrophia fibrosa in a group of Ethiopian horses
Authors: Clarke C. J. , Roeder P. L. , Dixon P. M.
Published: October 2010

A severe, advanced case of nutritional osteodystrophia fibrosa is described in a 10‐year‐old gelding with primary upper respiratory obstruction and chronic weight loss, which was one of a group of similarly affected horses in Ethiopia. The diagnosis was based on the clinical signs, gross lesions, histopathology and management history. The affected bones had suffered severe mineral depletion.
Health and welfare of rehabilitated juvenile hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) before and after release into the wild
Authors: Sainsbury A. W. , Cunningham A. A. , Morris P. A. , Kirkwood J. K. , Macgregor S. K.
Published: October 2010

Thirteen wild caught juvenile hedgehogs were treated and overwintered in a rehabilitation centre and 12 were released into the wild and monitored by radiotelemetry. Clinical examinations were carried out before they were released and twice afterwards, and any hedgehogs found dead were examined post mortem. The health of the animals was generally good but dental disease, obesity and minor injuries were common. One hedgehog died before it was released and had cardiovascular and respiratory lesions, and one was euthanased 28 days after its release and had verminous enteritis and parasitic bronchitis. Three hedgehogs were killed by badgers, two were killed by road traffic and four were known to have survived when the study ended.
A pathological study of a mycobacterial infection in a cat caused by a variant with cultural characteristics between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M bovis
Authors: Blunden A. S. , Smith K. C.
Published: October 2010

A histological examination of a biopsy from a firm submandibular mass in a seven‐year‐old domestic short‐haired cat revealed a granulomatous lymphadenitis associated with the presence of small numbers of acid‐fast bacilli. The cat was euthanased and subjected to a detailed post mortem examination which revealed extensive granulomatous inflammation in the right and left bronchial, para‐aortic, mesenteric and colic lymph nodes, with small or early lesions in the lung and Peyer's patches of the ileum. Mycobacteria were isolated from the submandibular, mesenteric and cervical lymph nodes. The bacilli reacted with a DNA probe specific for the tuberculosis complex, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M bovis, but had cultural characteristics intermediate between these two species. The pathological findings are compared with previous reports of mycobacterial infections in cats, and the public health implications are discussed.
Transient metabolic hyperammonaemia in young Irish wolfhounds
Authors: Meyer H. P. , Rothuizen J. , Tiemessen I. , van den Brom W. E. , van den Ingh T. S. G. A. M.
Published: October 2010

Inherited portosystemic shunts occur in 2 to 3 per cent of Irish wolfhounds and are associated with high venous ammonia concentrations and signs of hepatic encephalopathy. Moreover, the vast majority of Irish wolfhound pups without signs of hepatic encephalopathy have moderate hyperammonaemia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the increased ammonia levels in these clinically healthy dogs are caused by low‐grade portosystemic shunting, and whether the hyperammonaemia persists in adulthood. The fasting venous ammonia concentration and the fraction of portal blood by‐passing the liver, expressed as the shunt index (si) were measured in 42 Irish wolfhound pups, and the dogs with high si values were examined post mortem. The ammonia concentration was also measured in 25 adult Irish wolfhounds in which it had been measured when they were seven to eight weeks old. Eleven of the 42 pups had a portosystemic shunt, as evidenced by a high Si (mean 0.82, range 0.12 to 1.00, normal range 0.01 to 0.05) and by post mortem examination. Their mean ammonia concentration was 249 pmolllitre (range 121 to 350). The 31 pups with a normal si (mean 0.025, range 0.00 to 0.05) had a mean ammonia concentration of 93 μmol/litre (range 51 to 125). In the 25 dogs in which the ammonia concentration was measured twice, the mean concentration at seven to eight weeks of age was 77,mol/litre (range 47 to 115) and in the adults it was 17 μmol/litre (range 6 to 27) at a mean age of 3‐1 years (range 1.0 to 8.9). These results show that Irish wolihounds with ammonia concentrations >125 μmol/litre had a portosystemic shunt, whereas the hyperammonaemia in dogs with ammonia concentrations <120 gmolllitre was transient and of metabolic origin.
Pharmacokinetics of lignocaine in Icelandic horses after infiltration anaesthesia
Authors: Kristinsson J. , Thordarson T. H. , Johannesson T.
Published: October 2010

The pharmacokinetics of lignocaine was studied in four Icelandic horses after infiltration anaesthesia. A total of 240 mg of the drug was injected on either side of the left foreleg, over the medial and lateral branches of the palmar nerve. Blood samples were collected up to seven hours after injection and the concentrations of the drug in plasma were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results showed that lignocaine was rapidly absorbed. A mean maximum concentration of 232 ng/ml was observed after 20 minutes. In three of the horses the decline in the plasma concentration of the drug with time was best described by the sum of two exponential terms, but in one of the horses the decline was monoexponential. The mean half‐life of the distribution phase (a) was 9.8 minutes and that of the elimination phase (β) 48.4 minutes. In all the horses the plasma concentration was below the limit of detection (2 ng/ml) six hours after injection. Anaesthesia was tested in one horse and lasted for one hour.
A survey of the presence of a new infectious bronchitis virus designated 4/91 (793B)
Authors: Cook J. K. A. , Orbell S. J. , Woods M. A. , Huggins M. B.
Published: October 2010

On the basis of virus isolation and the demonstration of specific neutralising antibody in sera, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) 4/91 (commonly called 793B) has been shown to be present in broiler, breeder and layer flocks of chickens in many parts of western Europe and also in Thailand and Mexico. These flocks had all been vaccinated against infectious bronchitis and the need for improved methods to control this new virus, still prevalent at least four years after it was first isolated, is discussed.
Elimination of transmissible gastroenteritis virus from a pig farm by culling and serological surveillance
Authors: Gunn H. M.
Published: October 2010

The first and only outbreak of transmissible gastroenteritis in pigs in Ireland occurred in 1984 in a 650‐sow unit which was one of three such units owned by one enterprise which supplied pigs to a 12,000 head fattening unit in the same ownership. The depopulation of the clinically infected unit and extensive serological monitoring of pigs in the other units and in pig farms throughout the country has proved successful in the elimination of transmissible gastroenteritis infections from pigs in Ireland.
Surgical treatment of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in six cats
Authors: White R. N. , Forster‐van Hijfte M. A. , Petrie G. , Lamb C. R. , Hammond R. A.
Published: October 2010

The surgical treatment of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in six cats is described. The preoperative diagnoses were based on the results of abdominal ultrasonography, and mesenteric portography was used during surgery to confirm the diagnosis and establish the morphology of the shunting vessel. In four of the cats the shunt vessel passed through the left division of the liver, compatible with a patent ductus venosus (PDV), in one cat the shunt passed through the central hepatic division and in the other cat it passed through the right hepatic division. During surgery the shunt vessel was manipulated directly either intrahepatically, or post hepatically in the four cats with PDV. In five cats the shunt vessel was partially ligated, and in the other the vessel was completely ligated. The attenuation procedure produced a mean increase in mesenteric venous pressure of 17 cm H2O, with a range from 14 to 20 cm. All the cats recovered from the surgical procedure, but one developed neurological signs shortly after the operation and died from respiratory failure. Four of the cats were clinically normal and required no medication by one month after the operation. One cat required long‐term medication to control its continued clinical signs.
Bovine retained placenta: aetiology, pathogenesis and economic loss
Authors: Laven R. A. , Peters A. R.
Published: October 2010

The literature on the effects and causes of retained placenta in the cow is reviewed. On a herd basis the condition can adversely affect milk yield and fertility, but on an individual cow basis the effects are unpredictable. The aetiology of retained placenta has been extensively studied and many causal factors have been implicated, but little is known of how many of them cause the condition. As a result its prevention and prediction is uncertain, primarily because of the lack of knowledge of the normal process of placental release. Vascular changes and uterine contractions play a role in placental release, but current opinion suggests that the primary cause of retained placenta is the retention of the feto‐maternal union. Release only occurs after a process of maturation, which involves hormonal and structural changes. The factors which are thought to influence these changes, and thus cause the condition, are discussed.
Immunohistochemical method for detecting lesions in the prostate gland of bulls treated with diethylstilbestrol‐dipropionate
Authors: Weijman J. , Zwart P. , Vos J. G. , Ramaekers F. C. S.
Published: October 2010

Hyperplastic and metaplastic lesions in the prostate gland of bulls are used as morphological evidence for the illegal administration of oestrogens or compounds with oestrogenic activity, like stilbenes. Exogenous and endogenous androgens can suppress the effects of these drugs, resulting in suspect or negative results. The detection of epithelial changes immunohistochemically with cytokeratin antibodies appeared to facilitate the diagnosis of hyperplasia and metaplasia in the prostate. A specific and sensitive method for detecting such lesions in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded prostate samples has been developed with the commercially available cytokeratin monoclonal antibody 34βE12, and applied to bulls treated with diethylstilbestrol‐dipropionate. The highly reproducible staining pattern of 34βE12 can be used for the detection of hyperplasia and metaplasia in the prostate glands of animals treated illegally with oestrogens.
Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in male dogs: a retrospective analysis of 54 cases
Authors: Aaron A. , Eggleton K. , Power C. , Holt P. E.
Published: October 2010

Incompetence of the urethral sphincter mechanism is uncommon in male dogs. This paper reviews 54 cases. As in the bitch, the condition can occur either as a congenital or as an acquired condition, in which neutering may play a part; larger breeds appear to be at greater risk. Incontinence is more likely to occur when the intra‐abdominal pressure might be expected to increase, for example when the dog is recumbent. In comparison with the bitch, the condition appears less likely to respond to medical therapy and its pathophysiology is poorly understood.
An attempt to reproduce ‘mal seco’ in horses by feeding them Festuca argentina
Authors: Uzal F. A. , Woodman M. P. , Giraudo C. G. , Robles C. A. , Doxey D. L.
Published: October 2010

‘Mal seco’ is an almost invariably fatal disease of horses in Argentina and Chile, which resembles grass sickness, a dysautonomia of horses in Europe. The aetiology of mal seco remains unknown. An attempt to reproduce the disease was made by feeding horses with Festuca argentina, a plant considered to be toxic to animals and which was consistently found in the diet of nine horses suffering from mal seco. Three horses were fed with F argentina ad libitum for 28 days. The plant was infected with an endophytic fungus, whose morphological characteristics were in agreement with descriptions of Acremonium chlamydosporioides. No clinical abnormalities were observed in two of the horses, but one died on the fifth day of the trial after becoming incoordinated, unsteady and ataxic in the fore‐ and hindlimbs. No gross changes were observed post mortem in any of the horses, with the exception of a small number of Fasciola hepatica in the liver of the horse which died, and a moderate number of Gasterophilus species in the stomach of all three horses. No histopathological changes were observed in any of the organs examined, including several autonomic ganglia, brain including most brain stem nuclei, spinal cord, liver, kidney, stomach and small and large intestine. The results of this study suggest that F argentina is either not implicated in the aetiology of mal seco or produces its effects only when they are triggered by other unknown factors.
Use of the relationship between blood lactate and running speed to determine the exercise intensity of horses
Authors: Guhl A. , Lindner A. , von Wittke P.
Published: October 2010

Eight thoroughbred horses, trained for racing competition, were subjected to a standardised incremental speed test to determine the relationship between their blood lactate concentrations and running speed. Between 14 days before and 14 days after completing the standardised exercise test, the horses were timed for runs of 2000 to 6000 m. The blood lactate concentration after each run was measured and compared with the blood lactate concentration predicted from the individual horse's blood lactate‐running speed relationship curve determined from the standardised exercise test. The relationship between the predicted and measured lactate concentrations was evaluated by linear regression. For 42 exercise runs there was a significant positive correlation between the measured and the predicted lactate concentrations and a significant regression: measured lactate (mmol/litre) = 1.01 predicted lactate (mmol/litre) ‐ 0.36 (r2 =0.79, standard error of estimate 0.63 mmol/litre, P<0.001). It was concluded that the standardised exercise test was a useful technique for predicting the blood lactate concentrations of horses after field exercise.
Cardiopulmonary effects of desflurane in ponies, after induction of anaesthesia with xylazine and ketamine
Authors: Clarke K. W. , Song D. Y , Alibhai H. I. K. , Lee Y. H.
Published: October 2010

Cardiopulmonary parameters were measured in 12 ponies (small horses) before anaesthesia and, following induction with xylazine and ketamine, during maintenance of anaesthesia with desflurane. In six of the ponies (group A) anaesthesia was maintained for three hours with desflurane at an endtidal concentration of 7.4 per cent. In the other six ponies (group B), anaesthesia was maintained in the same way for one hour and then the effects of end‐tidal desflurane concentrations of 7.4 per cent and 9.6 per cent with and without artificial ventilation were investigated. In group A ponies the arterial blood pressure and the systemic vascular resistance index (sviu) decreased significantly during the first 45 minutes of anaesthesia but recovered with time. The cardiac index and heart rates were unchanged throughout the measurement period but arterial carbon dioxide tensions increased significantly. In group B ponies, with either mode of ventilation, increasing desflurane concentration resulted in decreases in arterial blood pressure, cardiac index and mixed venous oxygen tension, although the changes were not always statistically significant. There were marked individual differences in the cardiovascular responses to the high desflurane concentrations, the minimum mean arterial blood pressure ranging from 35 to 62 mm Hg, and the cardiac index from 23 to 50 ml/kg/min. The study concludes that during maintenance of anaesthesia with end tidal concentrations of desflurane of 7.4 per cent, cardiac index is well maintained and the initial fall in arterial blood pressures results from a fall in svRi. However, increasing the concentration of desflurane causes a fall in blood pressure due to cardiac depression.
Partial identification of spirochaetes from two dairy cows with digital dermatitis by polymerase chain reaction analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene
Authors: Rijpkema S. G. T. , David G. P. , Hughes S. L. , Woodward M. J.
Published: October 2010

Specimens taken postmortem from typical lesions of digital dermatitis in two dairy cows were tested by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of a spirochaetal 16S rRNA gene. Seven different assays detected the gene in the samples from both cows. Two of the PCR products were sequenced and a comparison of the nucleotide sequences revealed that the spirochaete belonged to the genus Treponema and was closely related to Treponema denticola. A PCR specific for the detection of the digital dermatitis‐associated treponeme was developed.
Review of the literature and investigations on the prevalence and consequences of yeasts in reptiles
Authors: Kostka V. M. , Hoffmann L. , Balks E. , Eskens U. , Wimmershof N.
Published: October 2010

Ninety‐one reptiles were examined for the presence of yeasts by standard protocols and pathohistological methods. Yeasts were isolated from 42 of the animals. Representatives of herbivorous families (Testudinidae and Iguanidae) carried yeasts more often than animals belonging to carnivorous taxa (Boidae and Emydidae). Yeasts were most often isolated from the gastrointestinal tract, and in 24.6 per cent of cases they could be cultured from the oral cavity and/or cloaca of living animals. Postmortem examination revealed that the intestines of 80.6 per cent of the animals carried yeasts. In all, 56 isolates, belonging to the genera Candida (32), Trichosporon (11), Torulopsis (9) and Rhodotorula (3), and one perfect yeast were obtained. The species included taxa potentially pathogenic to man. However, no sufficiently reliable criteria could be established to prove that positive culture results were associated with disease. In the reptiles examined postmortem, three cases of dermatomycosis were detected histologically. No case of organ mycosis was identified.
Epidemiology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Northern Ireland 1988 to 1995
Authors: Denny G. O. , Hueston W. D.
Published: October 2010

The epidemiology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Northern Ireland from 1988, when it was first confirmed, to the end of 1995 is described. All cases of BSE were subjected to a detailed epidemiological investigation, complemented by data from the national animal health records on every bovine animal. Data are presented on 1680 cases. Many of the epidemiological features of the disease were similar to those reported in Great Britain, but the incidence in Northern Ireland was approximately one‐tenth that in Great Britain. The epidemic increased to a peak of 56 cases per month in January 1994, and decreased to nine cases in December 1995. Statutory intervention banning the use of meat and bone meal in ruminant feed in January 1989 has produced a marked and continuing reduction in the incidence. The majority of the cases were in Northern Ireland cattle, but 83 cases were imported from Great Britain and five from the Republic of Ireland. Many of the key epidemiological features have remained constant throughout the epidemic: the greater incidence of BSE in dairy herds than in beef suckler herds, the low within‐herd incidence, the variation in incidence with herd size, the breed distribution, the distribution of the reported clinical signs and the proportion of purchased cases. Although the source of the BSE epidemic in Northern Ireland has not been established conclusively, the evidence suggests that the importation of meat and bone meal and protein concentrates from Great Britain may have been responsible.
Field evaluation of a fenbendazole slow release bolus in the control of nematode infections in first‐season cattle
Authors: Bauer C. , Holtemöller H. , Schmid K.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of a fenbendazole slow release bolus in controlling nematode infections of first‐season cattle was evaluated in a field study in northern Germany. Two groups, each of 11 male calves, were set‐stocked on separate pastures from May until October 1989 (157 days). The animals of one group were given the bolus at turnout and the animals of the control group were treated with fenbendazole (7.5 mg/kg bodyweight) eight weeks after turnout. Clinical inspections and measurements of faecal egg and larval counts, herbage trichostrongyle larval counts, plasma pepsinogen concentrations and bodyweight were made throughout the study. All the animals were slaughtered for worm counts and the evaluation of carcase quality two weeks after housing. The pasture grazed by the control group showed a marked increase in trichostrongyle larvae from late August onwards and, as a result, the control calves had increasing faecal egg counts and increased plasma pepsinogen concentrations in the latter part of the grazing season, although no clinical signs of parasitic gastroenteritis were apparent. The fenbendazole slow release bolus suppressed the trichostrongyle infections during the grazing season, and larval counts on the pasture grazed by the bolustreated group remained low throughout the study. Postmortem examination showed that the bolus‐treated calves harboured significantly (P<0.01) fewer trichostrongyle worms, including inhibited stages, than the controls. Because of an inadequate lungworm challenge during the grazing season it was not possible to evaluate the efficacy of the fenbendazole slow release bolus in preventing parasitic bronchitis. At slaughter, the bolus‐treated animals weighed more than the controls and tended to have a better carcase quality.
Comparison of standardbred trotters exercising on a treadmill and a race track with identical draught resistances
Authors: Gottlieb‐Vedi M. , Lindholm A.
Published: October 2010

The responses in heart rate, plasma lactate and rectal temperature of standardbred trotters to draught loaded interval exercise on a treadmill and a race track were studied. The horses were exercised with incrementally increasing trotting speeds for two‐minute intervals with draught loads of 10, 20 and 30 kilopond (kp) in three different tests. Each trotting interval was followed by two‐minute periods at a walk without a draught load. Measurements of heart rate and plasma lactate were made at the end of each interval and the rectal temperature was taken at the end of the exercise. The heart rate and plasma lactate levels were significantly lower on the treadmill than on the track in the tests with 10 kp, but no significant differences were found between the treadmill and track exercise tests with the heavier draught resistances. No differences were observed in rectal temperature between treadmill and track conditions. From these findings it was concluded that the workload was significantly greater on the race track compared to the treadmill when the draught resistance was low (10 kp). Although the workload increased on both the race track and the treadmill as draught resistance increased, at the heavier draught resistances track exercise was no longer more demanding than exercise on the treadmill.
Options for management of acute pain in the rat
Authors: Abbott F. V. , Bonder M.
Published: October 2010

Clinical recommendations for analgesics in laboratory rodents are usually derived from basic research. However, animal models of pain often involve withdrawal reflexes evoked by threshold‐level stimuli, whereas pain associated with surgery or disease involves injury and inflammation. Moreover, the analgesics used in research tend to be chosen as exemplars of a drug class, without regard for whether the route of administration is practical, whether the drug has useful kinetics or whether the side effects are tolerable. This paper provides data on the efficacy of drugs from four classes, using the formalin test as a model of injury‐induced pain. Formalin (50 ül, 2.5 per cent) was injected subcutaneously into a rat's paw and the behavioural response (lifting or licking of the paw) was recorded. Buprenorphine at 0.1 mg/kg and dipyrone at 200 mg/kg completely suppressed the pain responses. When formalin was injected six hours after buprenorphine or dipyrone, pain scores were 30 per cent of control scores. In the absence of pain and handling, 0.6 mg/kg buprenorphine was lethal to 25 per cent of rats. Locomotor activity was slightly depressed by 300 mg/kg dipyrone. Xylazine at 2 mg/kg suppressed pain responses, but the analgesia had decreased to less than 50 per cent after two hours and the effects were variable thereafter; at 8 mg/kg rats were unresponsive to a strong pinch. Acepromazine at 2.5 mg/kg reduced pain to 20 per cent of control scores and this level of analgesia was maintained for six hours; neuroleptic effects were prominent at 5 mg/kg.
Resistance of the red poultry mite to pyrethroids in France
Authors: Beugnet F. , Chauve C. , Gauthey M. , Beert L.
Published: October 2010

The resistance of Dermanyssus gallinae, the red poultry mite, to a pyrethroid acaricide, permethrin, and to an organophosphate, dichlorvos, was examined on five French poultry farms which had experienced problems in controlling mite populations and on one farm with no problems. The concentration of permethrin requlired to kill 50 per cent of the mites on the five farms was between eight and 40 times the concentration required on the control farm. In contrast, no resistance to dichlorvos was detected. This is the first description of resistance to a pyrethroid in D gallinae in France.
Ocular signs in four dogs with hypertension
Authors: Sansom J. , Bodey A.
Published: October 2010

Four dogs suddenly developed visual problems associated with retinal detachment and haemorrhage. They all had a high arterial blood pressure measured with a Doppler ultrasonic blood pressure monitor. Two of the dogs showed evidence of cardiac hypertrophy and one had hypercholesterolaemia; in three of them there was no conclusive evidence of underlying systemic disease. The condition was treated and assessed over a period of 12 months. In the absence of any findings suggesting the presence of underlying systemic disease, it is possible that the ocular changes were the result of primary hypertension, although not every possible cause of secondary hypertension could be excluded.
Persistence of the efficacy of pour‐on and injectable moxidectin againstOstertagia ostertagiandDictyocaulus viviparusin experimentally infected cattle
Authors: Vercruysse J. , Claerebout E. , Dorny P. , Demeulenaere D. , Deroover E.
Published: October 2010

The persistence of the efficacy of moxidectin 0.5 per cent pour‐on and moxidectin 1 per cent injectable againstOstertagia ostertagiandDictyocaulus viviparusin calves was studied in two experimental trials. In the first trial two groups of seven calves were treated with either the pour‐on or the injectable formulation, while a third group remained untreated. All the animals were infected daily from Monday to Friday with infective stages ofO ostertagiandD viviparusbetween the day of treatment (day 0) and day 33, and were necropsied for worm counts three days later. The experimental design of the second trial was similar to that of the first but the period of infection was from 28 to 45 days after the treatment, and the necropsy was five days after the last infection. In both trials both moxidectin formulations had very high efficacies (99.6 per cent) against adult and developing stages of0 ostertagiandD viviparus. The higher efficacy of the moxidectin pour‐on preparation against early fourth stage larvae in both trials suggested that its effect was more persistent. It was calculated that the efficacy of moxidectin againstO ostertagipersisted for at least five weeks for the injectable formulation and six weeks for the pour‐on. The efficacy of moxidectin againstD viviparuslasted for at least six weeks for both formulations.
Suspected nutritional deficiency causing anaemia in llamas (Lama glama)
Authors: Andrews A. H. , Cox A.
Published: October 2010

A case of poor condition and recumbency in a 14‐month‐old female llama and a case of poor condition and ataxia in a 23‐month‐old male llama are described. Both animals were anaemic and had low plasma copper levels. An increased intake of feed with a higher copper level and treatment with copper injections and an oral mineral solution resulted in a successful recovery. Two other young llamas also had low plasma copper levels. The problem was probably due to a nutritional, particularly copper, deficiency and the animals recovered as their copper levels increased.
Prevention of surgical infections in dogs with a single intravenous injection of marbofloxacin: an experimental model
Authors: Gruet P. , Richard P. , Thomas E. , Autefage A.
Published: October 2010

Eighteen healthy beagle dogs of both sexes were each given 0, 2 or 4 mg/kg marbofloxacin intravenously before the subcutaneous implantation of a silicon tissue cage. Two millilitres of a suspension containing 1.3 × 104colony forming units (CFU)/ ml ofStaphylococcus intermediuswere then injected into the cage 15 minutes after the intravenous injection. The dogs were clinically assessed immediately, and then two, four, eight and 24 hours after the challenge. Samples of inflammatory fluid were harvested at the same times in order to count staphylococci and to assay marbofloxacin concentrations. Blood samples were taken in order to assay plasma marbofloxacin levels. The staphylococcal counts were lower in both treated groups than in untreated dogs (P<0.01). All the clinical criteria were similar in the three groups. The concentration of marbofloxacin was similar in plasma and inflammatory fluid. Both doses were well tolerated and no adverse reactions were observed.
Clinical features and serology of 14 dogs affected by granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Sweden
Authors: Egenvall A. E. , Hedhammar Å. A. , Bjöersdorff A. I.
Published: October 2010

The clinical features and the titres toEhrlichia equi, E canis, E risticii, Rickettsia rickettsiiandBorrelia afzeliiin 14 Swedish dogs, in which ehrlichiosis was diagnosed on the basis of the presence of inclusions in granulocytes, are reported. Most of the dogs were moderately ill but made a rapid recovery after treatment with doxycycline. The dogs with inclusions were thrombocytopenic. Analysis of the antibody titres indicates that serology toE equiwill remain the most appropriate serological test for granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Swedish dogs, until a specific test is developed for detecting the recently identified subspecies ofEhrlichia.
Serological prevalence of Hypoderma species in cattle in Great Britain (1995/96) and the relative value of serological surveillance over clinical observation
Authors: Webster K. A. , Dawson C. , Flowers M. , Richards M. S.
Published: October 2010

Sera from 100,400 cattle on 2850 farms in England, Scotland and Wales were tested for the presence of antibodies toHypodermaspecies between the end of November 1995 and the end of February 1996. Twelve animals were resampled because the initial results were equivocal but only one of them was confirmed as seropositive. This animal was a bull imported from Belgium which had been treated with an approved warble fly treatment within 24 hours of arrival at its destination in Great Britain. No seropositive animals were confirmed within the native British cattle population. Statistical analysis of these data indicates that the probable maximum number of infested cattle herds in Great Britain is 112. To detect the disease by direct clinical observation would require more than 500 herds to be infested, indicating that the serological testing of this number of cattle and farms is more than four times as sensitive as clinical observation for the detection of hypodermosis.