bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary thoracic wall tumours of mesenchymal origin in dogs: a retrospective study of 46 cases
Authors: Baines S. J. , Lewis S. , White R. A. S.
Published: October 2010

Forty‐three of the chest wall tumours in 46 dogs were malignant; five had metastases apparent at the time of presentation, five more had metastases discovered intraoperatively. Surgical resection of the tumours was associated with a significantly better outcome than conservative management. The median survival times after surgery for dogs with osteosarcoma was 17 weeks, for dogs with fibrosarcoma it was 26 weeks and for dogs with chondrosarcoma it was 250 weeks. En bloc excision of primary tumours affecting the chest wall was associated with minimal morbidity, but long‐term survival was limited by distant metastases, primarily to the lungs. The tumours recurred in only three dogs. Early, radical surgical excision is recommended in the management of tumours of the chest wall. The prognosis depends on the histologic type of tumour and a histological diagnosis is mandatory before excision.
Pharmacokinetics of ivermectin in llamas (Lama glama)
Authors: Jarvinen J. A. , Miller J. A. , Oehler D. D.
Published: October 2010

The pharmacokinetic behaviour of ivermectin was investigated in adult llamas (Lama glama) by using high performance liquid chromatography with a lower limit of quantification of 2 ng/ml to measure its concentration in serum. Llamas were treated with one of three commercial formulations (injectable, pour‐on or oral paste) at dosages recommended by the manufacturer, or with an experimental injectable sustainedrelease formulation. In five llamas given 1 per cent ivermectin subcutaneously at 200 μg/kg the median peak serum concentration (Cmax) was 3 ng/ml and the area under the serum concentration‐time curve (Auc) was 13‐5 ng.day/ml. In six llamas treated topically with 0‐5 per cent ivermedin pour‐on at 500 μg/kg Cmax was 2‐5 ng/ml or less and the AUC was 7.75 ng.day/ml or less. In seven llamas with measurable concentrations of ivermectin, the median times to peak serum concentration (tmax) were six days after subcutaneous injection and seven days after treatment with the pour‐on formulation. In six llamas, the serum concentration of ivermectin remained less than 2 ng/ml for 124 hours after treatment with a 1‐87 per cent oral paste at 200 μg/kg. In five llamas treated subcutaneously with 25 per cent ivermectin sustainedrelease microspheres at 1500 μg/kg, the median Cmax was 5 ng/ml and the median AUC was 224 ng.day/ml.
Decision analysis tree for deciding whether to remove an undescended testis from a young dog
Authors: Peters M. A. J. , van Sluijs F. J.
Published: October 2010

A decision analysis tree was constructed to estimate the life span which might be expected for a dog presented with cryptorchidism at one year of age if it underwent a preventive orchidectomy or if it did not. The tree was constructed by using risk factors associated with cryptorchidism and data on the prevalence of complications after surgery from the literature. The expected life span without an orchidectomy was not significantly different from the expected life span after an orchidectomy.
Studies of the efficacy of a novel intranasal vaccine against feline bordetellosis
Authors: Williams J. , Laris R. , Gray A. W. , Jacobs A. A. C.
Published: October 2010

A novel intranasal vaccine against disease caused byBordetella bronchisepticain cats was tested in a series of three experiments. In the first experiment a vaccinated group and an unvaccinated control group of kittens were challenged by the aerosol route with virulentB bronchisepticathree weeks after they had been vaccinated. The control kittens developed upper respiratory tract signs typical of felineB bronchisepticainfection, including rhinitis, a serous ocular and nasal discharge, fever, sneezing and coughing. The mean (sd) clinical score for the cats in the unvaccinated control group was 19.5 (5.4) compared with 1.53 (1.9) for the vaccinated group. In the second experiment vaccinated kittens were challenged with virulentB bronchiseptica72 hours after they were vaccinated. Their mean clinical score was 2.76 (2.62) compared with 13.4 (3.33) for the control group. In the final experiment, vaccinated and unvaccinated control cats were challenged after six or 12 months. After six months the mean clinical scores were 13.9 (4.7) for the control group, compared with 1.33 (1.56) for the vaccinated group, and after 12 months the scores were 9.92 (5.79) for the control group compared with 0.92 (0.89) for the vaccinated group.
Immunoglobulin G responses to Malassezia pachydermatisin healthy dogs and dogs with Malasseziadermatitis
Authors: Bond R. , Lloyd D. H.
Published: October 2010

Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses of healthy dogs and dogs with Malassezia pachydermatisdermatitis were compared by Western immunoblotting. M pachydermatisCBS 1879 was disrupted mechanically and its proteins were separated and blotted on to nitrocellulose membranes before being incubated with sera from eight healthy beagles, eight Irish setters with gluten.sensitive enteropathy, 15 healthy basset hounds, and 30 dogs with M pachydermatis. associated dermatitis, 20 of which were basset hounds. The mean (se) numbers of bands of immunoreactivity observed in the seborrhoeic basset hounds (10.7 [0.41) and affected mixed.breed dogs (9.4 [0.9]) were significantly greater than in the beagles (3.0 [1.0]), Irish setters (5.5 [1.1]) and healthy basset hounds (5.6 [0.7]). The number of bands identified was correlated (rs=0.76, P<0.001) with the anti‐M pachydermatisIgG values measured by ELISA in a previous study. Most of the dogs were immunoreactive towards the 132, 66 and 50 to 54 kDa proteins and the affected dogs were also usually reactive towards the 219, 110, 71 and 42 kDa proteins.
Incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis in polo horses in the USA and the United Kingdom in the 1999/2000 season
Authors: McGowan C. M. , Posner R. E. , Christley R. M.
Published: October 2010

A questionnaire was used to determine the incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis and the factors that might have contributed to its occurrence among 423 polo horses in 11 yards. The yards were selected at random, six of them with 111 horses, in north‐eastern usA, and five with 312 horses in south‐east England. During the 1999/2000 season the incidence of the condition was 7.3 per cent (9 per cent in the USA and 6.7 per cent in England). The incidence in mares was similar in the two countries, 8.4 per cent in the USA and 8.0 per cent in England, but the incidence in geldings in the USA (10 per cent) was much higher than in England (1.5 per cent). A more excitable than average temperament was reported in 71 per cent of the horses with the condition, and most cases occurred after a game (chukka) in which the horse was perceived to be not fit enough for the level of play demanded. Sixty‐four per cent of the cases occurred early in the season and on average each episode resulted in the loss of 7.6 training days.
Epidemiological investigations of abortions due toNeospora caninumon Swiss dairy farms
Authors: Hassig M. , Gottstein B.
Published: October 2010

Abortions apparently due toNeospora caninumin two Swiss dairy herds were investigated by means of a PCR and ELISA, and other potential causes were eliminated. In addition, a case‐control study of 24 case herds and 24 control herds indicated thatN caninum‐associated abortions were more likely to occur in herds with antibodies toCoxiella bumetii(with an odds ratio [OR] of 3.38 with a 95 per cent confidence interval [cl] of 1.82 to 6.22), whereas the likelihood was less in herds with antibodies toLeptospiraspecies (OR 0.34, 95 per cent ci 0.13 to 0.75), or in herds with antibodies to bovine viral diarrhoea (BvD) virus (OR 0.75, 95 per cent ci 0.56 to 1.00), orChiamydia psittaci(OR 0.18,95 per cent ci 0.09 to 0.35), or in herds in which BVD virus had been isolated from an aborted fetus (OR 0.11, 95 per cent ci 0.02 to 0.58).
Genotypic prevalence of the fimbrial adhesins (F4, F5, F6, F41 and F18) and toxins (LT, STa, STb and Sbc2e) inEscherichia coliisolated from postweaning pigs with diarrhoea or oedema disease in Korea
Authors: Kwon D. , Choi C. , Jung T. , Chung H‐K. , Kim J‐P. , Bae S‐S. , Cho W‐S. , Kim J. , Chae C.
Published: October 2010

A PCR was used to determine the genotypic prevalence of five fimbrial adhesins (F4, F5, F6, F41 and F18), two heat‐stable enterotoxins (STa and STh), the heat‐labile enterotoxin (LT), and the shiga toxin 2e (Stx2e) in 230 isolates ofEscherichia colifrom postweaning pigs with diarrhoea or oedema disease. Ninety‐four (40.9 per cent) of the isolates carried genes for at least one of the fimbrial adhesins or toxins. Genes for the F18 fimbrial adhesin were detected in 18.3 per cent, and genes for F4, F6, F5 and F41 were detected in 10.0 per cent, 4.3 per cent, 1.7 per cent and 0.8 per cent of the isolates, respectively. Genes for STa, STb and LT were detected in 25.7 per cent, 15.2 per cent and 8.7 per cent of the isolates, respectively. Genes for Stx2e were detected in 36 (15.6 per cent) of the isolates, and among them 24 also contained the gene for F18ab and four also contained the gene for F18ac.
Use of height‐specific weigh tapes to estimate the bodyweight of horses
Authors: Ellis J. M. , Hollands T.
Published: October 2010

Two thousand horses of different ages, heights and breeds were divided into two height groups of up to 14.2 hands high (hh) and more than 14.2 hh, and weighed on a weighbridge; each horse then had its weight estimated by three weigh tapes, one height specific (tape 1 or 2, depending on the animal's height) and two for general use (tapes 3 and 4). For horses up to 14.2 hh, weigh tape 1 provided the most accurate estimate of mean (sd) bodyweight (100.5 [6.2] per cent), and weigh tapes 3 and 4 were 112 (6.8) and 97.0 (6.1) per cent accurate, respectively. For horses more than 14.2 hh, weigh tape 2 provided the most accurate estimate of bodyweight (98.6 [18.4] per cent), with weigh tapes 3 and 4 being 102.6 (17.4) and 90.8 (15.2) per cent accurate, respectively.
Antimicrobial resistance inSalmonellaisolated from animals and their environment in England and Wales from 1988 to 1999
Authors: Jones Y. E. , Chappell S. , McLaren I. M. , Davies R. H. , Wray C.
Published: October 2010

Resistance to 16 antimicrobial agents was monitored in 109,125Salmonellacultures isolated from animals, their environment and feedstuffs between 1988 and 1999. The sensitivity of the 6512 isolates ofSalmonella enterica entericaserotype Dublin to all the antimicrobial agents tested varied from 98.2 per cent in 1997 to 99.7 per cent in 1990 and 1996. In contrast, among 28,053 isolates ofSalmonella enterica entericaserotype Typhimurium, there was a marked decrease in their sensitivity to all the antimicrobial agents tested, from 57.4 per cent in 1992 to 7.6 per cent in 1995, owing to the widespread occurrence in farm animals of S Typhimurium isolates of the definitive type DT104, resistant to ampicillin, sulphonamides, streptomycin, chloramphenicol and tetracyclines, although the percentage of sensitive isolates increased to 18.4 per cent in 1999, when the incidence of DT104 had decreased. Some isolates of DT104 also showed an increase in resistance to potentiated sulphonamides (2.4 per cent in 1989 to 19.2 per cent in 1999) and nalidixic acid (0 per cent in 1992, 3.8 per cent in 1995 to a peak of 16.9 per cent in 1998). In 1996, 5.1 per cent of 1086 isolates of S Typhimurium from cattle and 35.9 per cent of 192 isolates of S Typhimurium from poultry showed resistance to nalidixic acid. Of the other 74,528Salmonellaisolates, the percentage of strains sensitive to all the antimicrobials tested decreased slightly from 88.2 per cent in 1988 to 70.6 per cent in 1996 and then increased slightly to 73.7 per cent in 1999. The commonest of these otherSalmonellaserotypes wasSalmonellaEnteritidis (20,982), which remained predominantly susceptible (ranging from 81.4 to 97.4 per cent) during the study period. Few isolates were resistant to commonly used veterinary antimicrobials, for example, furazolidone, the use of which was banned in 1990, and the aminoglycoside, apramycin.
Coronary band dystrophy in two horses
Authors: Menzies‐Gow N. J. , McGowan C. M. , Patterson‐Kane J. C. , Bond R.
Published: October 2010

Two mature large‐breed horses with coronary band dystrophy and chorioptic mange are described. They both had clinical signs of coronary band scaling and crusting but were not lame. Coronary band dystrophy can be differentiated from similar clinical conditions on the basis of the histological appearance of skin biopsy specimens, and by the exclusion of other possible disease processes. Its aetiology is uncertain, but probably involves a localised defect of keratinisation affecting the specialised epithelium of the coronary band.
Epidemiology of viral haemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis in a free‐living population of wild rabbits
Authors: Calvete C. , Estrada R. , Villafuerte R. , Osácar J. J. , Lucientes J.
Published: October 2010

From January 1993 to June 1996, the epidemiology of myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) was studied in a free‐living population of wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spain by means of serological surveys and radiotracking. Myxomatosis was endemic and associated with the breeding period. Its serological pattern was characterised by a 100 per cent prevalence of antibodies in adult rabbits and a rapid increase in antibodies in young rabbits in their first year. No mortality from myxomatosis was detected in adults, and mortality in young rabbits could not be estimated because of interference by predators and scavengers and the deaths of many radiotagged rabbits inside their burrows. VHD was also an endemic disease associated with the breeding period. Adults had a higher prevalence of antibodies against VHD than young rabbits, teaching values of 80 to 90 per cent. During the study, there was an increase in rabbit numbers as a result of a decrease in mortality from predation which was associated with an increase in mortality due to VHD and in the prevalence of antibodies to VHD. Mortality from VHD was lower in rabbits with VHD antibodies than in seronegative rabbits, but some mortality from the disease was also detected in seropositive rabbits. The annual mean mortality rate due to VHD in adult rabbits was estimated to be 21.8 per cent
Food safety on the slaughterline: inspection of pig heads
Authors: Petersen J. V. , Sørensen F. , Andersen J. K. , Knudsen H.
Published: October 2010

This paper summarises information on the current inspection procedures for pig heads on the slaughterline and their impact on food safety, and considers the implications for food safety of certain lesions. It is argued that although a modified slaughter and inspection technique would decrease the contamination of the carcase with pathogenic microorganisms, leaving lesions in the head undiscovered would be of little or no importance either for human health or for the overall supervision of animal health.
Evaluation of aerosol transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus under controlled field conditions
Authors: Otake S. , Dee S. A. , Jacobson L. , Pijoan C. , Torremorell M.
Published: October 2010

The aim of this study was to determine whether porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) could be transmitted by aerosol under field conditions. A total of 210 five‐month‐old PRRSV‐negative pigs were housed in a mechanically ventilated finishing facility containing 11 pens. Pen 1 contained 10 pigs (indirect contact controls) and pen 2 remained empty, providing a barrier of 2.5 m from the remaining pigs in pens 3 to 11. Fifteen or 16 of the pigs in each of pens 3 to 11 were infected experimentally with a field isolate of PRRSV and the other six or seven pigs served as direct contact controls. Five days after the pigs were infected, two trailers containing 10 five‐week‐old PRRSV‐naive sentinel pigs were placed along each side of the building; one was placed 1 m from the exhaust fans on one side of the building, and the other was placed 30 m from the fans on the other side, and the sentinel pigs remained in the trailers for 72 hours. They were then moved to separate buildings on the same site, 30 and 80 m, respectively, from the infected barn, and their PRRSV status was monitored for 21 days. The direct and indirect contact control pigs became infected with PRRSV but the sentinel pigs did not.
Postanaesthetic cerebral necrosis in five horses
Authors: McKay J. S. , Kelly D. F. , Senior M. , Jones R. S. , Forest T. W. , de Lahunta A. , Summers B. A.
Published: October 2010

After being anaesthetised for between one hour 40 minutes and seven hours, five adult horses developed acute neurological signs and extensive cerebrocortical necrosis. Four of them had had abdominal surgery for colic and one had had repeated orthopaedic interventions. Between five hours and seven days after the surgery, all five horses suddenly developed severe signs of a predominantly prosencephalic disturbance: bilateral blindness with normal pupillary light responses, abnormal behaviour varying from propulsive pacing to head pressing, profound lethargy and generalised seizures. They were euthanased between 24 hours and three weeks after the onset of these signs. In three of the cases a gross examination of the brain revealed patchy malacia of the cerebral grey matter and some discolouration of the adjacent white matter. Microscopical examination revealed lesions that varied from laminar neuronal necrosis in the grey matter of the cerebral cortex to more diffuse necrosis of the cortex and underlying white matter. Four of the five cases had had a period of hypercapnea while anaesthetised, and two of them (and possibly a third) had also had hypoxaemia.
Biochemical changes induced by hypomagnesaemia in lactating cows and ewes
Authors: McCoy M. A. , Young P. B. , Edgar H. W. J. , McCarville E. M. , Davison G. , Kennedy D. G. , Fitzpatrick D. A.
Published: October 2010

Severe hypomagnesaemia was induced in lactating cows and lactating sheep by feeding them magnesium‐deficient diets for 17 and 14 days, respectively. Hypomagnesaemia in cows was associated with abnormally high rates of change in the numbers of leucocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and platelets. There were increases in the concentration of iron in the liver of the hypomagnesaemic ewes and in the heart of the hypomagnesaemic cows, which were not associated with a haemolytic process. The percentage of some of the peroxidisable fatty acids was lower in the heart tissue of hypomagnesaemic cows, but the reduction was not associated with significant lipid peroxidation.
Retrospective analysis of serum and nasal mucus from cattle in Northern Ireland for evidence of infection with influenza A virus
Authors: Graham D. A. , Calvert V. , McLaren I. E.
Published: October 2010

Eighty‐four pairs of acute and convalescent serum samples collected in 1998 and 1999 from 17 outbreaks of respiratory disease, milk drop syndrome or diarrhoea in cattle were tested by haemagglutination inhibition against human influenza viruses A/Eng/333/80 (HiNi) and A/Eng/427/88 (H3N2). Antibodies to these viruses were present in the convalescent sera of 56.5 per cent and 58‐8 per cent cattle tested, respectively, with 56 per cent of the animals seroconverting to one or both viruses. Titres were typically higher to A/Eng/427/88 (H3N2). Further testing of a subset of 21 of these serum pairs against the predominant Hi Ni and H3N2 human and porcine strains circulating when the samples were collected revealed that the highest reactivity, in terms of both the magnitude of the recorded titres and the number of positive sera, was to human H3N2 strains. The titres to human HI Ni strains and to both porcine subtypes were low or absent. Attempts to isolate influenza A virus from nasal mucus or swab samples from 142 cattle from 46 cases of respiratory disease and/or milk drop syndrome by passage in embryonated specific pathogen‐free eggs were unsuccessful.
Serological prevalence ofMycoplasma bovisinfection in suckling beef cattle in France
Authors: Le Grand D. , Bézille P. , Calavas D. , Poumarat F. , Brank M. , Citti C. , Rosengarten R.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence ofMycoplasma bovisinfection in France was assessed by means of a serological survey of suckling beef cattle, using an ELISA. The survey included 824 randomly selected herds in eight French counties and a total of 32,197 animals more than one year old. In each county, the number of herds tested was determined statistically on the basis of the hypothesis that about 40 per cent of herds are infected. The proportion of herds containing at least one infected animal ranged from 28 to 90 per cent depending on the county. Among the 32,197 sera tested, the animal infection rate ranged between 2 per cent and 13 per cent. In infected herds, the average number of positive animals per herd was between 10 and 20 per cent, and the infection was unevenly distributed among the areas tested.
Renal reabsorption of magnesium and calcium by cattle with renal tubular dysplasia
Authors: Ohba Y. , Kitoh K. , Nakamura H. , Okuda H. , Kunieda T. , Sasaki Y. , Kitagawa H.
Published: October 2010

The concentrations of magnesium and calcium in the serum and urine and their rates of clearance were determined in cattle with renal tubular dysplasia, an autosomal recessive hereditary disease associated with a deletion of theparacellin‐1gene in Japanese Black cattle. There were no significant differences in the serum or urine magnesium concentrations between normal cattle and cattle which were heterozygous or homozygous for the condition. Serum calcium concentrations tended to be lower in the homozygous cattle, and the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations were significantly higher in the homozygous cattle. The ratio of magnesium:creatinine and the fractional excretion of magnesium were higher in cattle with the disease than in normal cattle. There were no significant differences in urine calcium concentration, the calcium:creatinine ratio, and fractional excretion of calcium between normal cattle and cattle which were homozygous or heterozygous for the condition. The creatinine clearance was significantly lower in the homozygous cattle than in normal cattle. The clearance, excretion rate, reabsorption rate and reabsorption rate:clearance ratio of magnesium in cattle with renal tubular dysplasia were significantly lower than in normal cattle. The clearance rate and reabsorption rate of calcium were also significantly lower in the affected cattle, but the excretion rate and reabsorption rate:clearance of calcium were not different between the normal cattle and the cattle homozygous for the condition. In cattle with the condition the rate of reabsorption of magnesium by the kidneys was low, but the rate of reabsorption of calcium was normal.
Implantation of a dual‐chamber, rate‐adaptive pacemaker in a horse with suspected sick sinus syndrome
Authors: van Loon G. , Rottiers H. , Deprez P. , Fonteyne W. , Tavernier R.
Published: October 2010

A five‐year‐old gelding suffered syncope at the end of a period of exercise. A 24‐hour electrocardiogram recording revealed intermittent pauses in the sinus rhythm of up to 10 seconds, indicating sinus node disease; the pauses occurred repeatedly, particularly after exercise. A dual‐chamber, rate‐adaptive pacemaker was successfully implanted, which prevented excessive postexercise bradycardia and syncope, and allowed the horse to return to work.
Pilot epidemiological study of attitudes towards pain in horses
Authors: Price J. , Marques J. M. , Welsh E. M. , Waran N. K.
Published: October 2010

This preliminary study investigated the attitudes, and evaluated the current practice of a sample of the veterinary profession in the UK in relation to the management of pain in horses. In June 2001, a questionnaire was posted to 260 veterinarians in specialised equine practice, and 140 veterinarians in general practice with a significant equine caseload. There was a 25 per cent response rate to the questionnaire, which recorded information about the availability and prescription of analgesic drugs, the factors influencing the selection of analgesics and their administration, and estimates of the severity of pain associated with selected clinical conditions. There were considerable variations in the practices applied to manage pain in horses, implying that there are similar attitudinal barriers to the optimal management of pain in horses as have been identified in other domestic species.
Evaluation of a new immunocapture test for the diagnosis of ovine brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis
Authors: Durán‐Ferrer M. , Mendoza J. , Osuna A. , Caporale V. , Lucas A. , León L. , Garrido F.
Published: October 2010

A new immunocapture technique has been applied to the diagnosis of ovine brucellosis under experimental conditions. The tests were made on a serum bank derived from both young and adult ewes vaccinated conjunctivally with the Rev 1 strain at a dose of 108 to 109 colony‐forming units. Adult ewes were infected experimentally two‐and‐a‐half years after they had been vaccinated and the results were compared with an unvaccinated control group. The condition of each animal in terms of infection with Brucella melitensis was determined by clinical and bacteriological investigations. The development of the immune response was compared by the rose bengal test, the complement fixation test, the Coombs' test and the immunocapture technique for 180 days after the vaccination and for 410 days after the experimental infection, that is, the two following gestations. The results suggest that the new technique is more specific in animals vaccinated conjunctivally, regardless of their age when they were vaccinated. After the experimental infection, significantly (P<0.05) fewer of the vaccinated sheep which were free of clinical signs and were not excreting B melitensis reacted positively to the test.
Vitamin E deficiency in dogs with retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy
Authors: McLellan G. J. , Elks R. , Lybaert P. , Watté C. , Moore D. L. , Bedford P. G. C.
Published: October 2010

The role of vitamin E deficiency in the development of retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy was investigated in 11 cocker spaniels and four other dogs. The concentration of α‐tocopherol was measured by high performance liquid chromatography in plasma samples obtained from the affected dogs and from 28 ophthalmoscopically normal, healthy control dogs. The mean (sd) plasma α‐tocopherol concentration in the normal dogs was 20.2 (7.1) μg/mI, compared with 1.14 (0.67) μg/mI in the 11 affected cocker spaniels. The difference between the two groups remained highly significant when the α‐tocopherol concentrations were expressed relative to the concentrations of the plasma lipids cholesterol and triglycerides. Low plasma concentrations of α‐tocopherol were observed in the four affeded dogs of other breeds, but the finding was not so consistent. The plasma lipid concentrations were normal in the affecded dogs. The deficiency of α‐tocopherol in the affeded dogs appeared to be primary, because there was no clinical, biochemical or pathological evidence of underlying disease, or any indication of a dietary deficiency which might have contributed to the low concentrations of α‐tocopherol.
Retrospective study of 46 cases of feline haemobartonellosis in Israel and their relationships with FeLV and FIV infections
Authors: Harrus S. , Klement E. , Aroch I. , Stein T. , Bark H. , Lavy E. , Mazaki‐Tovi M. , Baneth G.
Published: October 2010

Forty‐six cats with clinical haemobartonellosis were studied; 75 per cent of the cats of known age were two‐and‐a‐half years old or younger, 50 per cent were intact males and 19.5 per cent were castrated males. The predominant signs of the disease were tachypnoea, lethargy, depression, anorexia, infestation with fleas, pale mucous membranes, icterus, emaciation, dehydration, splenomegaly, anaemia, leucocytosis, increased activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and azotaemia. Thirty‐eight per cent of the cats that were tested for feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) antigen were positive, and 22 per cent of those tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibodies were positive. The prevalence of both FeLV and FIV was much higher than in the general Israeli cat population. The cats infected with bothHaemobartonella felisand FeLV had a significantly lower body temperature, were more anaemic and the mean cell volume of their erythrocytes was greater than in the cats with haemobartonellosis alone.
Screening semen from koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus ) for Chiamydia species by PCR
Authors: Bodetti T. J. , Knox C. , Timms P. , Johnston S. , Pospischil A.
Published: October 2010

Artificial insemination is a valuable method for facilitating genetic exchange between captive colonies of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus ) and for the maintenance of genetically important remnant populations. However, to reduce potential disease transmission, their semen needs to be screened for venereal diseases caused by organisms such as Chiamydia species. Semen samples from 11 koalas, eight of them with clinical signs of cystitis, were examined for the presence of Chiamydia by an optimised PCR assay. Chiamydia was detected in semen from seven of the 11 animals.
Sustainable use of anthelmintics in grazing animals
Authors: Coles G. C.
Published: October 2010

It is suggested that the major factor in avoiding the development of anthelmintic resistance is the percentage of worms that do not encounter the anthelmintics (worms in refugia). This in turn is determined by the numbers of larvae on pasture, the percentage of animals treated and whether any stages in the host can avoid the action of anthelmintic. To maintain anthelmintic efficacy the percentage of worms in refugia must be sufficiently large. In cattle, this should involve treating only first‐year animals and using a different pasture each year for calves. For sheep, only animals that have to be treated should be dosed with anthelmintic and clean grazing strategies that involve the use of anthelmintics should be avoided. For horses, reliance should be placed on the removal of faeces from pasture and only treating when the animals' condition requires it. Without a change in anthelmintic use there is the likelihood of increasing numbers of cases for which no anthelmintic is effective and animal welfare may be compromised.
Seroprevalence ofActinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeserovars 2, 3 and 9 in slaughter pigs from Belgian fattening farms
Authors: Maes D. G. , Laevens H. , Verdonck M. , de Kruif A. , Chiers K. , Haesebrouck F.
Published: October 2010

Fifty randomly selected fattening pig herds were studied to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of infections withActinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeserovars 2, 3 and 9, and to identify risk factors for their within‐herd seroprevalences. Information about 13 farm characteristics was obtained by means of a questionnaire and used to assess potential risk factors for the percentage of slaughter pigs with antibodies against each of the three serovars. The presence of antibodies was measured with an indirect ELISA. The median within‐herd seroprevalence for serovar 2 was 58 per cent (range 0 to 100 per cent), for serovar 3, 53 per cent (range 10 to 95 per cent), and for serovar 9, 35 per cent (range 5 to 100 per cent). All but one farm tested positive forA pleuropneumoniaeserovar 2, and all the farms were positive forA pleuropneumoniaeserovars 3 and 9. There was a positive association (P<0.05) between each pair of serovars. The within‐herd seroprevalence of serovar 2 was significantly associated with the density of pig herds in the municipality (odds ratio [OR]=1.60; P<0‐05) and with the absence of preventive medication at the start of the fattening period (OR=2.77; P<0.10). No significant risk factors were found for serovar 3. The percentage of pigs positive for serovar 9 was significantly associated with a slaughter date in June (OR=2.30; P<0.10) and with herds in which the finishing houses were not divided into separate compartments (OR=2.99; P<0.05).
Prevalence of fragmented medial coronoid process of the ulna in lame adult dogs
Authors: Meyer‐Lindenberg A. , Langhann A. , Fehr M. , Nolte I.
Published: October 2010

Over a period of three years, a diagnosis of fragmented medial coronoid process of the ulna was confirmed by arthroscopy in 263 dogs, in 69 of which both elbow joints were affected, giving a total of 332 affected joints; 39 of the joints were also affected by osteochondrosis dissecans of the trochlea of the humerus. More than half of the dogs (51·7 per cent) were over one year old when first examined. In 259 (78 per cent) of the joints there were radiographic changes of secondary osteoarthrosis of different severity, but the other 73 (22 per cent) had no signs of osteophytosis except for a mild sclerosis. Among these 73 there were 14 joints in 13 dogs between 19 and 36 months old and 11 joints in 10 dogs over three years old. A further 12 joints in 11 dogs over three years old showed only mild arthrosis. In five of the 11 joints of the dogs over three years old which had no radiological signs of arthrosis, the fragment was already dislocated. Among the dogs over 18 months old with no arthrosis and the dogs over three years old with mild arthrosis, the most commonly affected breeds were the Bernese mountain dog, rottweiler and boxer.
Effects of age, size and condition of elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) on their intravenous anaesthesia with tiletamine and zolazepam
Authors: Field I. C. , McMahon C. R. , Burton H. R. , Bradshaw C. J. A. , Harrinigton J.
Published: October 2010

Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) were caught as part of a long‐term demographic study on Macquarie Island. Over 18 months, 1033 seals were caught by hand and anaesthetised intravenously with a 1:1 mixture of tiletamine and zolazepam. Assessments were made of the effects of variations in the body condition and age at capture of the seals on the characteristics of their anaesthesia, including induction time and weighted recovery time. The size and condition of the seals were assessed by morphometric and ultrasound measurements. Weighted recovery times decreased as the body condition and age of the seals increased, but there were no residual effects of sex. There were no fatalities, and no periods of apnoea longer than five minutes were recorded. In individual seals there was a significant increase in weighted recovery time with successive captures.
Association between postpartum pyrexia and uterine bacterial infection in dairy cattle
Authors: Sheldon I. M. , Rycroft A. N. , Zhou C.
Published: October 2010

The temperature of 90 dairy cattle was recorded for the first 10 days after parturition and the animals were categorised as either normal (<39.7°C) or pyrexic. Swabs were collected from the uterine lumen seven, 14, 21 and 28 days after parturition for aerobic and anaerobic culture; bacteria were identified and their growth was scored semiquantitatively. Blood samples were collected three times a week for the estimation of the concentrations of acute phase proteins. The cows' temperatures were often above the accepted normal range, but it was not a good indicator of the number of bacteria in the uterus. However, pyrexia was correlated with the presence of specific uterine pathogens (P<0.05) and in particular withPrevotellaspecies (P<0.01). The pyrexic animals had a higher plasma concentration of the acute phase protein (α1‐acid glycoprotein (P<0.05). Although pyrexia is an indicator of postpartum inflammation, additional clinical signs are necessary to identify uterine bacterial infection.
Field trial of the efficacy of a combination of ivermectin and praziquantel in horses infected with roundworms and tapeworms
Authors: Barrett E. J. , Farlam J. , Proudman C. J.
Published: October 2010

Two hundred and thirty‐three horses were screened for the presence of roundworms by faecal egg counts (FEcs) and for tapeworms by an ELISA specific for antibodies to the immunodominant 12 kDa and 13 kDa tapeworms antigen. The 62 horses were found to be infected with both parasites were treated with a combination of 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin and 1.5 mg/kg praziquantel. The treatment suppressed the median FEC of the horses to zero for 10 weeks and significantly reduced their anti‐12/13 kDa antibody levels. The estimated risk of tapeworm‐associated colic in these horses was halved by 12 weeks after the treatment.
Current and future uses of breath analysis as a diagnostic tool
Authors: Wyse C. A. , Yam P. S. , Sutton D. G. M. , Christley R. M. , Hotchkiss J. W. , Love S. , Preston T. , Mills C. A. , Glidle A. , Cumming D. R. S. , Cooper J. M.
Published: October 2010

The analysis of exhaled breath is a potentially useful method for application in veterinary diagnostics. Breath samples can be easily collected from animals by means of a face mask or collection chamber with minimal disturbance to the animal. After the administration of a13C‐labelled compound the recovery of13C in breath can be used to investigate gastrointestinal and digestive functions. Exhaled hydrogen can be used to assess orocaecal transit time and malabsorption, and exhaled nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and pentane can be used to assess oxidative stress and inflammation. The analysis of compounds dissolved in the aqueous phase of breath (the exhaled breath condensate) can be used to assess airway inflammation. This review summarises the current status of breath analysis in veterinary medicine, and analyses its potential for assessing animal health and disease.
Isolation of caprine herpesvirus type 1 in Spain
Authors: Keuser V. , Schynts F. , Georgin J‐P. , Thiry E. , Espejo‐Serrano J.
Published: October 2010

Two strains of caprine herpesvirus type 1 (CpHV‐1) were isolated after the experimental reactivation of two seropositive goats in Spain. Viral DNA from these isolates was compared with DNA from bovine herpesvirus type 1 and CpHV‐1 reference strains by restriction endonuclease analysis. The two Spanish isolates were closely related but could easily be distinguished from each other and from the reference strains.
Radiographic findings in 16 dogs infected withAngiostrongylus vasorum
Authors: Boag A. K. , Lamb C. R. , Chapman P. S. , Boswood A.
Published: October 2010

Thoracic radiographs of 16 dogs infected naturally withAngiostrongylus vasorumshowed signs of bronchial thickening, an interstitial pattern and a multifocal and/or peripheral alveolar pattern. In dogs treated with fenbendazole, follow‐up radiographs showed that the alveolar pattern had resolved and a mild, hazy interstitial pattern had developed. In contrast with dogs with heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), no pulmonary vascular lesions were identified.
Diagnosis and management of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in a cat
Authors: Tebb A. J. , Cave T. , Barron R. , Brown A. L. , Martineau H. M. , Willett B. J. , Hosie M. J.
Published: October 2010

A four‐year‐old, female neutered domestic shorthair cat had a history of chronic intermittent vomiting and lymphocytosis. B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia was diagnosed by flow cytometry, which revealed abnormally large numbers of mature B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. The cat was treated conservatively with antiemetic drugs and remained stable without chemotherapy for over a year.
Serum antibody titres to canine parvovirus, adenovirus and distemper virus in dogs in the UK which had not been vaccinated for at least three years
Authors: Böhm M. , Herrtage M. E. , Thompson H. , Weir A. , Hasted A. M. , Maxwell N. S.
Published: October 2010

Antibody titres to canine distemper (CDV), canine parvovirus (cpv) and canine adenovirus (cAV) were measured in 144 adult dogs that had not been vaccinated for between three and 15 years. Protective antibodies to cpv were present in 95 per cent of the population, to CDV in 71.5 per cent and to CAV in 82 per cent. The prevalence of protective titres did not decrease with increasing time interval from the last vaccination for any of the three diseases studied. Booster vaccination increased the dogs CAV titres. For comparative purposes, 199 puppies were sampled at the time of their first and second vaccination. In the case of cpv and cAv a significantly higher proportion of the adult dogs were protected than of the puppies immediately after they were vaccinated. Natural cpv boosting was strongly suspected because the dogs had significantly higher titres three years after their primary vaccination than two weeks after it and three unvaccinated dogs had acquired protective antibody levels uneventfully. There was no evidence of natural exposure to CDV.
Strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 of low pathogenicity for chickens isolated from poultry and wild birds in Denmark
Authors: Jørgensen P. H. , Handberg K. J. , Ahrens P. , Therkildsen O. R. , Manvell R. J. , Alexander D. J.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐one strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 of low virulence for chickens were isolated in Denmark between 1996 and the beginning of 2003. The low virulence of the strains was demonstrated by sequencing the fusion (F) gene at the cleavage site motif and in some cases by determining the intracerebral pathogenicity index in day‐old chicks. By using a panel of monoclonal antibodies it was shown that the isolates belonged to four different antigenic groups (five C2 isolates, six E isolates, six H isolates and four G/Q isolates). They were placed in three distinguishable genetic groups by phylogenetic analysis of a partial sequence of the F gene. The origin of the six E isolates was probably contaminated vaccines; the other viruses were isolated from wild birds and from poultry which probably came into contact with wild birds.
Distemper virus as a cause of central nervous disease and death in badgers (Meles meles) in Denmark
Authors: Hammer A. S. , Dietz H. H. , Andersen T. H. , Nielsen L. , Blixenkrone‐Moeller M.
Published: October 2010

During the summer of 2002 a distemper‐like disease was observed in the free‐ranging badger population in Denmark. It was characterised by grand seizures, abnormal behaviour and death; the badgers all had severe chronic pneumonia and some had non‐suppurative encephalomyelitis. In this study, eight of the affected badgers were examined by gross pathological, histological, immunohistological, bacteriological, parasitological and virological methods, and were diagnosed with distemper; canine distemper virus was identified.
Effects of stocking density and group size on the condition of the skin and feathers of pheasant chicks
Authors: Kjaer J. B.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐two flocks of pheasants were reared from day‐old to approximately six weeks of age without the use of beak trimming or other measures against feather pecking. The pheasants were housed in aviaries in groups of 80 or 240 chicks at stocking densities of 0.7, 1.3 or 4.0 birds per m2. The quality of the pheasants'plumage was poorer at the highest stocking density than at the two lower densities. Higher stocking densities resulted in higher proportions of birds with injuries to their skin (7.2 per cent, 13 per cent and 34 per cent). The group size had no significant effect on the quality of the birds' plumage, but at the largest group size there were significantly more beak‐inflicted skin injuries (21 per cent v 12 per cent). In the period between 35 and 42 days of age, the quality of the birds' plumage decreased significantly.
Periparturient increase in faecal egg counts in a captive population of mohor gazelle (Gazella dama mhorr)
Authors: Ruiz de Ybáñez M. R. , Goyena M. , Abaigar T. , Garijo M. M. , Martinez‐Carrasco C. , Espeso G. , Cano M. , Ortiz J. M.
Published: October 2010

The objective of this study was to assess whether there was a periparturient rise in the faecal egg output of a population of North African gazelles (Gazeia dama mhorr) kept in captivity in Almeria, southern Spain. In one experiment faeces were collected from 47 female gazelles on three days in winter, in November and December 1995 and January 1996; in a second experiment faecal samples were collected from nine pregnant gazelles at weekly intervals from July 1996 to June 1997. The mean trichostrongylid faecal egg counts were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the periparturient gazelles than in the pregnant and nonpregnant animals only when the births took place in winter. Other factors, including the gazelle's age, its level of inbreeding, the number of previous births, and its trichostrongylid egg output at the beginning of the study did not affect whether it showed a periparturient rise. The parasites responsible for the rise were different in the two experiments.
Detection of toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected goats by PCR
Authors: Sreekumar C. , Rao J. R. , Mishra A. K. , Ray D. , Joshi P. , Singh R. K.
Published: October 2010

PCR was used to diagnose toxoplasmosis in two pairs of Barbari goats infected by oral administration of doses of either 104or 105oocysts ofToxoplasma gondii. Blood and lymph node aspirates were collected from the infected goats and control goat at intervals, and tissues were also collected from a fetus that was aborted and a doe that died during the trial. Both processed and unprocessed samples were used for the PCR, using primers directed to the multicopyB1gene. None of the blood samples was positive, but a specific signal was obtained from the lymph node aspirates after partial DNA extraction. Direct PCR of the lung, muscle and mesenteric lymph node of the doe and lung tissue of the aborted fetus yielded the target fragment. The simplified PCR protocols, including partial DNA extraction and direct assay of lung tissue, were effective for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.
Perturbation of heart rate variability in cattle fed BSE‐infected material
Authors: Pomfrett C. J. D. , Pollard B. J. , Glover D. G. , Bollen B. G.
Published: October 2010

The brainstem is the region of the brain of cattle with the highest concentration of the abnormal prion protein associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and specific nuclei in the medulla oblongata of the brainstem, which exhibit changes as a result of the disease, are involved in the modulation of heart rate variability (HRV). The low‐ and high‐frequency components of the HRV of 48 control cattle, 43 cattle fed 1 g of brain homogenate from BSE field cases and 42 cattle fed 100 g of brain homogenate from BSE field cases were analysed repeatedly for a year. There was a significant difference (P<0.001) between the level of high‐frequency HRV observed in the control cattle and in both groups of cattle exposed to BSE. There was also a significant difference (P<0.01) between the low‐frequency HRV of the cattle given the high dose and the other two groups.
Efficacy of eprinomectin pour‐on against gastrointestinal nematodes and the nasal bot fly (Oestrus ovis) in sheep
Authors: Hoste H. , Lemercier P. , Jacquiet P. , Dorchies P. , Lespine A. , Alvinerie M.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of the pour‐on formulation of eprinomectin, at a dose rate of 0.5 mg/kg bodyweight, was assessed in sheep against three main species of gastrointestinal nematodes and against the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis, and some pharmacokinetic parameters were determined for 21 days after the treatment. By comparison with untreated control sheep, infected experimentally with Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, eprinomectin was 100 per cent effective against the two abomasal species and 99‐5 per cent effective against Tcolubriformis. In ewes naturally infected with the nasal bot fly, the efficacy of the drug against 0 ovis was 97.7 per cent. The mean (se) systemic area under the curve (Auc) was 56.0 (26.2) ng/day/ml and the mean residence time was 5.3 (1.0) days, but there were wide variations between individual sheep.