bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poisoning of dairy heifers by mercurous chloride
Authors: Simpson V. R. , Stuart N. C. , Munro R. , Hunt A. , Livesey C. T.
Published: October 2010

Mercury poisoning was diagnosed in four dairy heifers, three of which died. The clinical signs were variable and included salivation, excessive thirst, extreme depression and severe diarrhoea. Postmortem examinations revealed inflammation and ulceration of the alimentary tract, pulmonary and cardiac haemorrhages, pallor of the kidney cortices and perirenal oedema. The kidney mercury concentrations were in the range 58 to 91 μg/g wet tissue. It is believed that the animals were poisoned by the ingestion of soil contaminated with mercurous chloride.
Effects of fleece soiling and skinning method on the microbiology of sheep carcases
Authors: Hadley P. J. , Holder J. S. , Hinton M. H.
Published: October 2010

The fleece of sheep becomes soiled primarily on the abdomen and on the legs. A five‐category scoring scale for soiling of the fleece was defined, with score 1 being clean and dry and score 5 being wet and heavily soiled with faecal material. Twenty sheep with each fleece score were slaughtered and dressed on a commercial ‘inverted’ slaughter line. Swab samples were taken from the shoulder and the abdomen of the carcases immediately after skinning, and total viable counts and the numbers of Enterobacteriaceae were determined. The condition of the fleece significantly affected the microbial load on these parts of the dressed carcase, with the carcases derived from sheep with increasingly dirty fleeces carrying up to 1000 times more microorganisms, and a higher proportion of the carcases being contaminated with Enterobacteriaceae. Modifications to the dressing procedure were made to try to reduce carcase contamination at the shoulder. The application of bulldog clips to prevent direct contact between the fleece and the underlying muscles resulted in higher counts on carcases with a fleece score of 3, probably owing to contamination from the hands of the slaughterman and the problems with ensuring that the clips were in place before contamination had occurred. Delaying the skinning of the shoulder until later in the pelt removal process achieved worthwhile reductions in the contamination of the shoulder of carcases with a fleece score of 4, although the total viable counts were still higher than carcases with a score of 3.
Transmission of Brucella melitensis from sheep to lambs
Authors: Grilló M. J. , Barberán M. , Blasco J. M.
Published: October 2010

Forty‐one pregnant sheep showing positive immune responses toBrucella melitensisin serological or allergic tests were selected from naturally infected flocks and kept in an isolated pen for lambing. The resulting 62 lambs were maintained in the same pen with their dams during lactation. When the lambs were weaned, the dams were slaughtered for bacteriological study and the lambs were reared in a clean pen. Fourteen ewes excretedB melitensisduring lactation and 17 were found to be infected postmortem.B melitensiswas not isolated from seven lambs (three born to infected dams) which died after birth or from eight seronegative lambs (four born to infected dams) which were slaughtered between two and seven months after weaning. However, one permanently seropositive lamb born to a culture‐negative dam was found to be infected when necropsied five months after weaning. The remaining 46 lambs were reared until adulthood and slaughtered at intervals for bacteriological study. Four ewe lambs (two born to culture‐negative dams) were found to be infected postmortem, but were negative in immunological tests forB melitensis.
Influence of orchiectomy on canine behaviour
Authors: Maarschalkerweerd R. J. , Endenburg N. , Kirpensteijn J. , Knol B. W.
Published: October 2010

One hundred and twenty‐two dog owners were interviewed to obtain information about the effects of orchiectomy on the behaviour, unwanted side effects, and testosterone‐dependent disease processes in their dogs. Behavioural problems were the main reason for orchiectomy, unwanted sexual behaviour being the most common, together with roaming, aggression, and abnormal urination behaviour. Objectionable sexual behaviour, inter‐male aggression, roaming, and abnormalurination were reduced after orchiectomy in approximately 60 per cent of the dogs. The side effects of orchiectomy included increased bodyweight, increased appetite and decreased activity in less than 50 per cent of the dogs, and there was asignificant relationship between increased appetite and bodyweight. The clinical signs of testosterone‐dependent disease in most of the dogs either decreased or disappeared after orchiectomy.
Acute maduramicin toxicity in calves
Authors: Shlosberg A. , Perl S. , Harmelin A. , Hanji V. , Bellaiche M. , Bogin E. , Cohen R. , Markusfeld‐Nir O. , Shpigel N. , Eisenberg Z. , Furman M. , Brosh A. , Holzer Z. , Aharoni Y.
Published: October 2010

A herd of 277 beef‐breed calves in three age groups was mistakenly given the poultry coccidiostat maduramicin in a total mixed ration. It caused an acute toxicosis in which sudden death was the sole clinical finding in most cases. One group of 212 calves aged five to eight months suffered a mortality of 51 per cent in eight days and a total mortality of 56 per cent during the 40 days in which mortality was recorded. Mortality of only 3 per cent was recorded in two other groups of calves aged nine to 16 months in eight days and a total mortality of 11 per cent over the 40‐day period.
Simulated airborne spread of Aujeszky's disease and foot‐and‐mouth disease
Authors: Casal J. , Moreso J. M. , Planas‐Cuchí E. , Casal J.
Published: October 2010

The atmospheric dispersion of virus was simulated using a computer model which had been developed for predicting the dispersion of toxic gases from chemical engineering plants. The results were compared with data from four outbreaks in which virus was believed to have been transported by air: two outbreaks of foot‐and‐mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 1967 and outbreaks of Aujeszky's disease in Yorkshire in 1981 to 1982 and Indiana in 1988. There was relatively good agreement with most of these data. The paper shows that the model could be useful in an emergency because the risk of virus spread could be predicted in real time.
Long‐term ultrasonographic and venographic study of the development of tarsal vein thrombosis in a cow
Authors: Kofler J. , Kübber‐Heiss A.
Published: October 2010

The development of thrombosis of three tarsal veins in a cow was studied by repeated ultrasonographic and venographic examinations for nine months. The venous diameter, the echogenicity of the thrombi and the sequential venographic findings were evaluated. Initially, the thrombosed parts of the ramus cranialis and caudalis of the vena saphena lateralis and the ramus caudalis of the vena saphena medialis had greatly increased diameters and were not compressible. The thrombi appeared as poorly echogenic masses. Within five months, the diameters of the occluded veins had decreased to almost normal dimensions. The echogenicity of the thrombi diminished at their distal and proximal ends. The length of the thrombi was decreased by up to 6.5 cm. However, the thrombosed veins did not re‐open. One year after diagnosis, the cow was culled and the persistence of the venous thromboses was confirmed.
Elimination ofSalmonella typhimuriuminfection by the strategic movement of pigs
Authors: Dahl J. , Wingstrand A. , Nielsen B. , Baggesen D. L.
Published: October 2010

Three field investigations were carried out to assess the feasibility of raising salmonella‐free finishers from pigs born in infected herds, by moving the pigs to clean and disinfected facilities before their expected exposure to the bacteria from the environment. Three herds with persistently high levels of subclinical infection withS typhimuriumin the finishing pigs were used. They practised all‐in all‐out management in the nurseries and in the grower units. A total of 844 pigs were moved, either at weaning, from the nursery, or from the grower unit to newly built or rigorously cleaned and disinfected finishing units with no known history of salmonella infection. No detectable infection was observed at slaughter either serologically or bacteriologically by random testing of the pigs which had been moved, whereas a proportion of the pigs raised at the same time in the continuous systems on the farms were found to be infected.
A new type of intraocular prosthesis for dogs
Authors: Peña, DVM, PhD M. T. , Luera M. , García F. A.
Published: October 2010

A simple technique is described in which sterile silicone oil (viscosity 350 cSt) was injected into the globe of an eviscerated eye with an intact cornea and sclera; the volume injected was calculated from the formula ¾ πr3where ‘r’ was the horizontal corneal diameter. After induction of general anaesthesia and routine preparation of the surgical site, the globe was eviscerated by using a transscleral or transcorneal approach. The procedure was carried out in five dogs with follow‐ups ranging between 19 and 27 months. None of the eyes developed postoperative complications. In one dog, more silicone oil had to be injected 10 days after surgery to increase the size of the globe to match the other eye. The intraocular contents were removed more easily by using the transcorneal approach, which also resulted in a perfect adjustment and virtually eliminated the possibility of leakage of silicone oil, than by a transscleral approach. The dogs responded extremely well and their owners were satisfied with the cosmetic appearance of their pets.
Thrombotic meningoencephalitis associated with Histophilus ovis infection in lambs in Europe
Authors: Cassidy J. P. , McDowell S. W. J. , Reilly G. A. C. , McConnell W. J. , Forster F. , Lawler D.
Published: October 2010

Thrombotic meningoencephalitis is an acute, usually fatal disease of cattle caused by Haemophilus somnus. Although it has been widely recognised in cattle there have been only two previous reports of the condition in sheep, in Australia and Canada, where the causal organisms were identified as Histophilus ovis and an H somnus ‐like organism, respectively. This paper describes the clinical, pathological and microbiological features of the disease in two lambs from a flock in Northern Ireland. In both lambs the clinical signs and histological lesions were similar to those previously described in sheep and cattle, and H ovis was isolated from the brain tissue of both of them. The authors believe this to be the first report of thrombotic meningoencephalitis in sheep in Europe.
Postpartum mummification of a co‐twin fetus in a Cameroon dwarf goat doe
Authors: Tutt C. L. C.
Published: October 2010

An 18‐month‐old Cameroon dwarf goat doe had chronic, bilateral hindlimb paresis and difficulty in rising two months after the birth of a normal kid. The doe was weak, pyrexic and had a purulent vaginal discharge. A large, firm mass was palpated in the caudodorsal abdomen. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an ill‐defined impenetrable mass which cast acoustic shadows. Radiography identified the mass as a fetus. The doe had a low normal haematocrit and a marked leucocytosis. A caesarian section through the caudal left paralumbar fossa was attempted, but contraction of the uterus had trapped the fetus in the cranial entrance of the pelvic canal preventing the uterus from being exteriorised. Adhesions were found between the uterus and abdominal viscera. The doe's inability to rise was attributed to the chronic pressure exerted on the ischiadic nerve by the fetus. A diagnosis of fetal mummification secondary to obstructive dystocia and fetal death was made. Radiography was a better diagnostic tool than ultrasonography in this case.
Ultrasonographic findings in cattle with pleuropneumonia
Authors: Braun U. , Pusterla N. , Flückiger M.
Published: October 2010

The clinical, ultrasonographic and radiographic findings in three cows and one bull with pleuropneumonia are described. All the animals had fever, indigestion, tachypnoea and abnormal lung sounds. Percussion of the thoracic wall elicited signs of pain and tests for foreign bodies were positive. Ultrasonographic examination revealed an accumulation of anechogenic to hypoechogenic fluid in the pleural space in the ventral thorax of all the animals. In one animal, echogenic bands of fibrin were observed between the thoracic wail and pulmonary surface. In another, parts of the right lung were not inflated because of severe bronchopneumonia. Radiographic examination revealed a pleural effusion, apparent as a horizontal fluid line, in three animals. In addition, the increased radiopacity in parts of the dorsal lung fields and increased bronchial and peribronchial markings suggested bronchopneumonia. In three animals, the radiographs revealed linear foreign bodies in the reticulum, suggesting that the pleuropneumonia was caused by the penetration of the foreign body into the thoracic cavity. A diagnosis of pleuropneumonia was made in all the animals on the basis of the clinical, ultrasonographic and radiographic findings and the analysis of the pleural fluid. The diagnosis was confirmed at slaughter in three of them; the fourth animal was treated and was clinically healthy when it was discharged.
Abnormalities of heart rate and rhythm in bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Authors: Austin A. R. , Pawson L. , Meek S. , Webster S.
Published: October 2010

Heart rates of healthy cows and cows suspected of having bovine spongiform encephalopathy were measured by auscultation and by a portable cardiac monitor. Bradycardia was demonstrated in suspect cases which were confirmed histopathologically. Disturbances in cardiac rhythm were also evident in some cases. Healthy cows deprived of food exhibited bradycardia. The administration of pharmacological doses of atropine indicated that bradycardia in BSE was mediated by increased vagal influence, suggesting that the cardioinhibitory reflexes in the caudal brainstem were functionally altered by the disease.
Comparative studies of ivermectin and moxidectin in the control of naturally acquired cyathostome infections in horses
Authors: Demeulenaere D. , Vercruysse J. , Dorny P. , Claerebout E.
Published: October 2010

The control of naturally acquired cyathostome infections in horses by treatments with ivermectin and moxidectin was evaluated in three field studies. In a first study the efficacy of both drugs was assessed in a faecal egg count reduction test. Both ivermectin and moxidectin demonstrated efficacies greater than 99 per cent for up to 60 days after treatment. In a second study, the period required for strongyle eggs to reappear was estimated in horses treated either with ivermectin or moxidectin. For the horses treated with ivermectin the period varied between 10 and approximately 13 weeks, and for moxidectin between 22 and approximately 24 weeks. With both drugs strongyle eggs started to reappear in the faeces significantly earlier in foals and young horses than in adults. In a third study, two prophylactic dosing schemes involving three ivermectin treatments at intervals of eight weeks, and two moxidectin treatments 12 weeks apart, were found to be highly effective in controlling strongyle infections of horses on pasture.
Treatment of canine pyoderma with co‐amoxyclav: a comparison of two dose rates
Authors: Lloyd D. H. , Carlotti D. N. , Koch H. J. , Van Den Broek A. H.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of oral co‐amoxyclav, administered twice daily for up to 12 weeks either at the manufacturer's dose rate of 12.5 mg/kg or at 25.0 mg/kg, in curing the lesions of canine foiliculitis, furunculosis and celiulitis was compared in a blind study. A total of 97 dogs entered the trial and 67 completed it. There was no significant difference in the rate of cure or the duration of therapy. The lesions of folliculitis were cured in 91 5 per cent of cases, in a mean period of 25.3 days. Furunculosis and celiulitis were cured respectively in 87.5 per cent and 60.0 per cent of the dogs, in mean periods of 37.6 and 44.7 days. The standard dose rate was very effective in folliculitis and furunculosis and there was no benefit in doubling the dose. Too few cases of cellulitis were treated to provide a reliable dose comparison.
Evaluation of plasma chemistry and haematological studies on chickens infected with Eimeria tenella and E acervulina
Authors: Fukata T. , Komba Y. , Sasai K. , Baba E. , Arakawa A.
Published: October 2010

Plasma chemistry and haematological studies were conducted on chickens with coccidiosis. Male White Leghorn chickens, of two weeks old, were inoculated with 5 × 104 Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts or with 1 × 106 E acervulina sporulated oocysts. Blood samples were taken four, seven and 11 days after inoculation. A wet chemistry system was applied to measure the plasma activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase, amylase and lactate dehydrogenase and the concentrations of creatine, total biirubin, urate, total cholesterol, total protein, albumin, glucose and triglycerides. A dry chemistry system was applied to measure sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium. The number of red blood cells and packed cell volume were determined by a micro cell counter and blood pH was measured with a blood gas analyser. The erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, sodium and chloride levels in the chickens infected with E tenella were significantly (P<0.05) lower than those of the uninfected controls. The significant decrease in blood pH of the chickens infected with E acervulina suggests malabsorption associated with duodenal lesions induced by the infection.
Nematode control practices and anthelmintic resistance on British sheep farms
Authors: Coles G. C.
Published: October 2010

Nearly 23 per cent of 3000 randomly selected sheep farmers returned questionnaires on strategies to control the development of anthelmintic resistance. Twenty‐five per cent stated that they regularly checked the accuracy of their drenching gun, and 52 per cent stated that they weighed a few animals and treated the whole flock like the heaviest. The mean annual frequency of dosing lambs was 4.39 compared with 2.43 for ewes. Forty‐eight per cent stated that they changed the anthelmintic group annually. Seventeen per cent always treated sheep brought on to their farm with ivermectin. However, only 7 per cent had had their flocks tested for anthelminticresistant nematodes. The responses suggest that most sheep farmers are not actively seeking to prevent the development and spread of anthelmintic‐resistant nematodes.
Treatment of a dog with an insulinoma‐related peripheral polyneuropathy with corticosteroids
Authors: Van Ham L. , Braund K. G. , Roels S. , Putcuyps I.
Published: October 2010

A crossbreed dog with a history of a chronic progressive tetra‐paresis had an insulinoma‐related peripheral polyneuropathy. Frequent feeding and treatment with corticosteroids resulted in recovery from a non‐ambulatory to an almost completely normal clinical state, despite the persistence of hypoglycaemia and hyperinsulinism. After euthanasia for uncontrollable seizures, the presence of a beta‐cell carcinoma of the pancreas and extensive axonal degeneration of the peripheral nerves was confirmed by histopathological examination. These findings may indicate an immune‐mediated pathogenesis for insulinoma‐related peripheral polyneuropathy.
Prophylactic efficacy of persistent anthelmintics against challenge with drug‐resistant and susceptible Ostertagia circumcincta
Authors: Sutherland I. A. , Leathwick D. M. , Brown A. E. , Miller C. M.
Published: October 2010

Three groups of newly‐weaned Romney lambs were given either a standard oral dose of albendazole, a controlledrelease capsule containing albendazole, or a standard oral dose of moxidectin. At 10, 20, 30 and 40 days after treatment, sub‐groups of lambs were given 10,000 infectivestage larvae of either a drug‐resistant or a drug‐susceptible strain of Ostertagia circumcincta. The recommended oral dose of albendazole removed 32 per cent of the resistant strain and over 99.9 per cent of the susceptible O circumcincta. The recommended oral dose of moxidectin removed 91 per cent of the resistant strain and over 99.9 per cent of the susceptible parasites. None of the lambs treated with controlled‐release capsules was challenged at 20 or 30 days after treatment. Twenty‐one days after challenge, samples of faeces were taken to determine the presence of nematode eggs and cultured to establish the proportion of eggs developing to infective‐stage larvae (L3). Abomasa were recovered after slaughter and worm burdens determined. In the lambs given controlledrelease capsules only the resistant parasites were able to establish, and there were significantly fewer than in the lambs treated orally with albendazole. The proportion of the eggs from resistant parasites which developed to L3 was not reduced by the presence of the capsules. Oral moxidectin provided no protection against the establishment of the resistant strain and viable L3 were recovered after challenge with resistant parasites 10 days after treatment; however, the establishment of susceptible O circumcincta was reduced by more than 99 per cent. The establishment of the susceptible parasites in the lambs treated with moxidectin increased with time and was not significantly lower than in the other groups by 30 days after treatment.
Septic tenosynovitis and focal osteomyelitis of the lateral proximal sesamoid bone in a thoroughbred gelding
Authors: Chan C. C‐H. , Munroe G. A.
Published: October 2010

Chronic septic tenosynovitis with concurrent, associated focal osteomyelitis of the lateral proximal sesamoid bone was diagnosed in a seven‐year‐old thoroughbred gelding. Surgical management of this case consisted of open annular ligament desmotomy and curettage of the affected sesamoid. Following lavage of the digital sheath the incisional wound was closed but a 2 cm gap was left distally to allow for postoperative open drainage. The distal limb was bandaged and the horse treated with antibiotics and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatories. Sepsis resolved and the horse made a gradual return to full work.
A retrospective study of mortality associated with general anaesthesia in horses: elective procedures
Authors: Mee A. M. , Cripps P. J. , Jones R. S.
Published: October 2010

A retrospective analysis examined mortality associated with all procedures requiring general anaesthetic, performed at the Philip Leverhulme Large Animal Teaching Hospital, during the five‐year period from February 1991 to December 1995. The study involved details relating to 2276 equine general anaesthetics and a variety of patient variables were examined. Within a group of 1279 animals undergoing anaesthesia for elective procedures, 46 (3.6 per cent) died or were euthanased owing to a poor prognosis or financial implications. Mortality relating directly to the surgery or anaesthesia occurred in eight of these cases. Therefore, the surgicaVanaesthetic death rate was 0.63 per cent. Death which was apparently attributable directly to the anaesthesia (no organic cause of death found at postmortem examination) occurred only once, giving an anaesthetic death rate of 0.08 per cent.
Abattoir survey of sheep and goats in The Gambia
Authors: Goossens B. , Osaer S. , Kora S. , Chandler K. J. , Petrie L. , Thevasagayam J. A. , Woolhouse T. , Anderson J.
Published: October 2010

An abattoir survey of sheep and goats was carried out in The Gambia for one year. A total of 1248 goats and 438 sheep, predominantly young females, were slaughtered and sampled. Sixty per cent of the females of both species were pregnant. There were no significant differences between the dressing percentages of different breeds and age groups. Sex and stage of pregnancy had a significant influence on carcase yields in both species. In goats the highest carcase yields were obtained during the early dry season. Most of the animals were clinically healthy and there were few pathological findings postmortem. In both species, there was a seasonal fluctuation of packed cell volume (Pcv), with a minimum during the rains, and although the prevalence of trypanosomiasis was low it reduced the PCV. Faecal egg counts of Trichostrongylidae were highest during the rainy season and goats had higher faecal egg and coccidial oocyst counts than sheep. In sheep, a breed difference was observed for PCV and an age difference for egg excretion. The peak or higher rates of egg excretion occurred during the rains in both species. The immune status against peste des petits ruminants was significantly lower in goats (39 per cent) than in sheep (49.5 per cent). Antibodies against bluetongue virus were found in 62.6 per cent of goats and 55.8 per cent of sheep.
Efficacy of an ivermectin controlled‐release capsule against nematode and arthropod endoparasites in sheep
Authors: Rehbein St. , Batty A. F. , Barth D. , Visser M. , Timms B. J. , Barrick R. A. , Eagleson J. S.
Published: October 2010

Five controlled trials were conducted in Germany or in the United Kingdom, using 74 female sheep of merino or Dorset horn breeds, to evaluate the efficacy of an ivermectin controlled‐release capsule against naturally acquired or induced infections of gastrointestinal nematodes, lungworms and nasal bot larvae and against incoming infections with gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematodes. Half of the animals were treated with one ivermectin controlled‐release capsule that delivered ivermectin at the rate of 1.6 mg per day for 100 days while the other half remained untreated. Parasites were counted 21, 28, 35 or 56 days after administration of the capsule. The treatment was highly effective (≥99 per cent) against established parasites of the following species: Haemonchus contortus (adults and fourth‐stage larvae), Ostertagia circumcincta, O pinnata, O trifurcata, Ostertagia species fourth‐stage larvae, Trichostrongylus axei, T colubriformis, T vitrinus, Cooperia curticei, Nematodirus battus, N filicollis, Strongyloides papillosus, Chabertia ovina, Oesophagostomum venulosum, Trichuris ovis, Tr skrjabini, Dictyocaulus filaria, Protostrongylus rufescens and Oestrus ovis (larvae). The treatment prevented the establishment of the gastrointestinal nematodes H contortus, O circumcincta, T axei, T colubriformnis, C curticei, N battus, N filicoliis, Ch ovina, Oe venulosum and the establishment of the lungworm D filaria by >99 per cent compared with untreated controls (P<0.01).
Nasal rhinosporidiosis in dogs: four cases from Europe and a review of the literature
Authors: Caniatti M. , Roccabianca P. , Scanziani E. , Finazzi M. , Mortellaro C. M. , Romussi S. , Mandelli G.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes four cases of canine rhinosporidiosis which occurred in Italy in 1994 and 1995. Four dogs with a history of exposure to the muddy environment of rice fields, developed respiratory signs. Rhinoscopy revealed nasal polypoid lesions with a characteristic gross appearance due to the presence of multiple, tiny, white‐yellowish spots representing sporangia filled with spores. In cytological samples obtained by brushing, many spores were present in an inflammatory background. Histologically, the polyps consisted of fibrovascular tissue embedding sporangia in different developmental stages, and free spores which elicited a severe pyogranulomatous inflammation. All the dogs were treated surgically and the condition did not recur in two cases during a year's follow‐ up and in the other two cases during two years.
Detection of feline parvovirus in dying pedigree kittens
Authors: Addie D. D. , Toth S. , Thompson H. , Greenwood N. , Jarrett J. O.
Published: October 2010

Feline parvovirus (FPV) was detected in the intestinal tract contents of 13 pedigree kittens which were fading or died suddenly by the use of a new chromatographic test strip for canine parvovirus (cpv) and FPV. The test appeared to be sensitive and specific for the detection of FPV and was a useful diagnostic aid. In three cases in which virus was grown in cell culture, the isolates were characteristic of FPV and not cpv. Cats in the households in which the kittens were reared were regularly immunised with FPv vaccines. The most likely explanation for the occurrence of FPv‐associated disease was exposure of the young kittens to large doses of virus contaminating the environment.
Evaluation of flea control strategies using fipronil on cats in a controlled simulated home environment
Authors: Hutchinson M. J. , Jacobs D. E. , Fox M. T. , Jeannin Ph. , Postal J.‐M.
Published: October 2010

Three groups of six cats were kept in similar carpeted pens in which a self‐replicating population ofCtenocephalides felishad been established. One group was left untreated, but the other groups were treated every 28th day with 0.5 ml of a 10 per cent fipronil spot‐on formulation, and the cats in one of the treated groups also wore a methoprene collar. No fleas were found on any of the treated cats, either during the first 13 weeks of the study, when heavy flea burdens were developing in the control pen, or over the next 11 weeks when a declining number of fleas was present on the control group.
Efficacy of intranasal administration of formalin‐killedPasteurella haemolyticaA2 against intratracheal challenge in goats
Authors: Effendy A. W. M. , Zamri‐Saad M. , Puspa R. , Rosiah S.
Published: October 2010

A trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of intranasal vaccination in protecting goats against pneumonic pasteurellosis with intramuscular vaccination using an oil adjuvant vaccine, and a combination of the two methods. Forty goats were divided into four equal groups. Group 1 was vaccinated twice intranasally with formalin‐killedPasteurella haemolyticaA2, group 2 was vaccinated twice intramuscularly with an oil adjuvant vaccine containingP haemolyticaA7, and group 3 was initially vaccinated intranasally with the formalin‐killedP haemolyticaA2 followed by intramuscular vaccination with the oil adjuvant vaccine. In each group the two vaccinations were carried out four weeks apart. Group 4 was the unvaccinated control group. All goats were challenged intratracheally with 4 ml of an inoculum containing liveP haemolyticaA2 at a concentration of 1.3 × 107colony forming units/ml two weeks after the last vaccination and were killed 14 days after the challenge. Although group 2 showed the highest clinical score following the challenge, deaths were observed only in group 3. Three goats in group 1 had pneumonic lung lesions, compared with six goats in group 2 and all the goats in groups 3 and 4. The lung lesions in group 1 were significantly (P<0.05) less severe than in groups 3 and 4. Similarly, the lesions in group 2 were markedly less severe than in groups 3 and 4, although the differences were not significant. The difference between the extent of the lung lesions in the goats in groups 1 and 2 was not significant. Antibody againstP haemolyticaA2 in group 1 reached peak levels and was significantly (P<0.01) higher than in the control group one week after the second vaccination, before declining.
Diagnosis of toxoplasma abortion in ewes by polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Owen M. R. , Clarkson M. J. , Trees A. J.
Published: October 2010

Eighteen oestrus‐synchronised ewes were infected experimentally with 1500 sporulated oocysts ofToxoplasma gondiibetween 80 and 90 days of gestation. The infection induced pyrexia and specific antibody in all the ewes. One ewe resorbed its fetus, five ewes aborted and 12 delivered live, congenitally‐infected lambs whose pre‐colostral serum was antibody‐positive. Tissues from the aborted fetuses and placentae from the live lambs were examined for toxoplasma infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the Bi gene and by mouse inoculation. Using a simple protocol of tissue preparation without DNA extraction and a nested format, PCR was as sensitive as mouse inoculation. Placental cotyledon gave a higher sensitivity of detection than brain, lung or liver, and 16 of 19 placentae were positive by PCR compared with 13 of 18 by mouse inoculation. In mock‐infected tissues, as few as 10 tachyzoites could be detected. The PCR could be applied to tissues unfit for mouse inoculation.
Control of fatty liver syndrome in a Jersey herd by a change of diet and the use of recombinant bovine somatotrophin
Authors: Laven R. A. , Andrews A. H.
Published: October 2010

A Jersey herd was investigated following a decrease in milk yields. The cattle were permanently housed and fed a complete diet in four groups on the basis of yield. They were generally healthy, but the dry cows and many of the milking cows were over fat. The plasma concentrations of, β‐hydroxybutyrate and glucose were normal, but the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase and the concentration of non‐esterified fatty acids were high. Fatty liver syndrome was diagnosed. All the dry cows were condition scored and placed into one of three dietary groups according to their score. They were exercised in an outdoor paddock and entered the pre‐calving feeding group at least two weeks before calving; 75 per cent of them achieved a condition score of less than 3, and most of them produced normal milk yields. Thirty cows which had developed signs of fatty liver syndrome were paired and one of each pair received an injection of 640 mg of recombinant bovine somatotrophin. The yield of the treated cows was significantly higher (P<0.05) for the first two weeks after the injection. The treated cows had higher plasma concentrations of β‐hydroxybutyrate and non‐esterified fatty acids and lower plasma urea concentrations seven days after the injection. No other biochemical parameters were affected.
Laparoscopic recovery of pronuclear‐stage goat embryos
Authors: Kühholzer B. , Müller S. , Besenfelder U. , Prokofiev M. I. , Ernst L. K. , Brem G.
Published: October 2010

The oviducts of 16 Saanen does, superovulated with folliclestimulating hormone (FSH) and synchronised with prostaglandin F2 α were flushed 75 to 86 hours after the injection of prostaglandin. The mean (sd) ovulation rate was 13.7 (3.9). The flushings were directed orthograde through a flexible intravenous catheter, which was introduced into the oviduct via the infundibulum. The flushing medium was recovered by a balloon‐catheter, which was placed in the uterine lumen near the uterotubal junction. Five does were flushed unilaterally either because they had one blocked oviduct or because they had ovulated on only one ovary. The overall embryo recovery rate was 72 per cent. Nine weeks later 11 of the donor ewes were examined laparoscopically and no adhesions of the reproductive organs were observed. Eight of these does were synchronised with progestagen‐vaginal sponges, superovulated with FSH and their oviducts were flushed again. Their mean ovulation rate was 16.0 (4.3) and 86 per cent of the embryos were recovered. The optimal time to obtain pronuclear stage embryos was 75 to 78 hours after the injection of prostaglandin. All the embryos recovered within this period were at the pronuclear stage whereas 28 per cent of those recovered one to six hours later were at the two‐ or four‐cell stage.
Causes of mortality and non‐fatal conditions among grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) found dead on the coasts of England, Wales and the Isle of Man
Authors: Baker J. R. , Jepson P. D. , Simpson V. R. , Kuiken T.
Published: October 2010

A survey of the diseases detectable in 141 grey seals stranded on the coasts of England and Wales away from breeding colonies was carried out between mid‐1989 and early 1997. The most common fatal conditions in pups less than three weeks of age were trauma (24 per cent of deaths) and dystocia (12 per cent); in pups more than three weeks of age they were starvation (22 per cent) and pneumonia (22 per cent); in juveniles they were drowning in fishing gear (30 per cent) and starvation (19 per cent), and in adults a variety of respiratory diseases were the most common causes of death (45 per cent). Many other diseases, both fatal and non‐fatal, were recorded.
Histological study of the innervation of the suspensory ligament of the forelimb of the horse
Authors: Muylle S. , Desmet P. , Simoens P. , Lauwers H. , Vlaminck L.
Published: October 2010

The innervation pattern of the interosseus muscle of the forelimb was studied in two ponies and two horses. The nerves of the suspensory ligament were studied histologically after neurectomy of the ulnar and median nerve branches proximal to the carpal joint. The results demonstrated that the interosseus muscle is innervated by the deep branch of the lateral palmar nerve which emerges at the level of the midcarpal region and contains fibres from the ulnar and the median nerve. These findings provide evidence that an ulnar nerve block proximal to the accessory bone would fail to anaesthetise the entire suspensory ligament.
Use of metronidazole in equine acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis
Authors: McGorum B. C. , Dixon P. M. , Smith D. G. E.
Published: October 2010

Sixteen cases of acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis developed in a veterinary hospital over a period of three years. Before the onset of colitis, 15 horses had received antibiotics, 11 had undergone general anaesthesia and various surgical procedures, and 10 had been treated with non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. The horses had acute onset, profuse watery diarrhoea, profound depression, mild to moderate abdominal pain, reduced intestinal borborygmi, tachycardia, dehydration and endotoxic shock. Leucopenia, neutropenia and pyrexia were common early indicators of impending colitis. Metronidazole appeared to be an effective treatment; eight horses treated with metronidazole survived whereas five of seven horses thaf received other treatments, but no metronidazole, died or had to be euthanased. The aetiology of the colitis could not be determined, but the clinicopathological features resembled those of colitis attributed to an intestinal overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens type A. No Salmonella species were isolated from 52 samples of faeces, colonic contents and colonic mucosa which were collected from the horses antemortem and postmortem.
Use of disease models in the development and evaluation of therapeutic agents
Authors: Reeve‐Johnson L.
Published: October 2010

A key part of the regulatory review of new therapeutic agents depends on a clear demonstration of their efficacy. There can be difficulties when the evaluations of efficacy depend only on in vitro studies, such as minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), and clinical field trials. The MIC data often correlate poorly with in vivo results, and field trials can suffer from the unpredictability of disease outbreaks and from differences in the severity of outbreaks at different sites. This paper discusses the use of experimentally induced diseases as a means of bridging the gap between the in vitro data and the results of field trials.
Suspected bacterial meningoencephalitis in two adult horses
Authors: Newton S. A.
Published: October 2010

Bacterial infections (such as meningitis or meningoencephalitis) of the central nervous system are rare in horses. They are most prevalent in neonates as a result of septicaemia. A few cases have been reported in the adult and most have been fatal. Streptococcal species appear to be the organism most commonly identified in these cases. Thus, this disease may be a secondary complication of upper respiratory tract infections. Clinical signs are extremely variable making diagnosis difficult. In most cases, postmortem has been the definite diagnostic procedure. This paper describes the clinical course of disease, diagnosis and successful treatment of two presumptive cases of meningoencephalitis in adult horses.
Questionnaire survey of proliferative enteropathy on British pig farms
Authors: Smith S. H. , McOrist S. , Green L. E.
Published: October 2010

Risk factors for proliferative enteropathy were investigated by means of a postal questionnaire survey of randomly selected British pig farms. Replies were received from 319 (56 per cent) of the 569 questionnaires posted, representing 1.5 per cent of the total number of pig farms in Britain. Thirty‐one per cent of the farms had experienced at least one episode of proliferative enteropathy within the previous three years, usually confirmed by their veterinary surgeon. There was a strong association for the occurrence of proliferative enteropathy in herds of over 500 sows (P<0.005) and in herds with enzootic pneumonia (P<0.01). Outbreaks had occurred in five of the six nucleus herds surveyed, the other had only 80 sows. Outbreaks occurred in 32 of 69 herds that had obtained their replacement boars from nucleus herds (P<0.05), suggesting that infected boars may carry the disease into distant herds. The use of either fully slatted (P<0.05) or fully meshed floors (P<0.01) above sunken pits in buildings used to house pigs immediately after weaning, and the use of partially (P<0.05) or fully slatted floors (P<0.05) in buildings used to house pigs two to six months old, were risk factors for outbreaks of proliferative enteropathy, compared with the use of straw bedding or solid floors. The destocking of entire buildings containing pigs two to four months old before the introduction of fresh pigs, was associated with a reduced risk (P<0.05), but the destocking of selected pens rather than the whole building had no such association. The type of diet, or feeding or watering system and the types of buildings used were not identified as risk factors.
Effect of three sustained‐release devices on parasitic bronchitis in first year calves
Authors: Borgsteede F. H. M. , van der Linden J. N. , Cornelissen J. B. W. J. , Gaasenbeek C. P. H. , Ascher F.
Published: October 2010

The effect of three intraruminal sustained‐release devices (SRD) againstDictyocaulus viviparusinfection was tested in five groups of six calves. Group 1 served as untreated controls, and groups 2, 3 and 4 were dosed with a levamisole SRD, a fenbendazole SRD, and an ivermectin SRD, respectively. Group 5 was vaccinated against lungworm and received a levamisole sRD. The calves were turned out on May 28 and the devices given seven days later. All the calves received trickle infections with a total of 200 lungworm larvae between 9 and 34 days after turnout. They were housed on October 28, challenged with 5000 lungworm larvae and slaughtered three weeks later. No clinical signs of parasitic bronchitis were observed during the study. The treated groups gained significantly more weight (P<0.05) than the controls, but did not differ among themselves. Larvae were first detected in the faeces of the control group between 25 and 32 days after the rist infection, and had a group mean of 21 larvae per gram (lpg) after 60 to 80 days, after which the lpg gradually decreased. In group 2, larvae were detected near the end of the grazing season and never exceeded a group mean of 1.5 lpg. In group 3, a very low larval output was observed after housing (group mean 0.1 lpg). Groups 4 and 5 never became patent. The results of an ELISA followed the pattern of larval output; optical densities above the cut‐off value were recorded in groups 1, 2 and 3. On the basis of worm recoveries after challenge, group 1 was immune. Group 4 had significantly more lungworms than group 2. There were no significant differences in worm numbers between groups 2, 3 and 5, but the worms in group 5 were retarded in growth (P<0.05).
Morphology of congenital intrahepatic portacaval shunts in dogs and cats
Authors: Lamb C. R. , White R. N.
Published: October 2010

The preoperative ultrasound images and biplanar operative mesenteric portograms of 28 dogs and six cats with congenital intrahepatic portacaval shunts were reviewed retrospectively. On the basis of the combined surgical, postmortem and imaging data, the shunts were classified according to their location within the liver and their shape. Thirteen dogs and four cats had a left‐divisional shunt with a relatively consistent bent tubular shape that drained into the left hepatic vein. Another 13 dogs had a central‐divisional shunt that took the form of a foramen between dilated portions of the intrahepatic portal vein and caudal vena cava. One cat with a central‐divisional shunt had a tortuous vessel. The remaining two dogs and one cat had right‐divisional shunts that were large, tortuous vessels. The morphology of a left‐divisional shunt is compatible with patent ductus venosus, but the pathogenesis of central and right‐divisional shunts is unknown. It is concluded that intrahepatic portacaval shunts in dogs and cats may be classified as left, central or right divisional. Ultrasound enables a preoperative morphological assessment that correlates well with the results of portography and may aid surgical planning.
Serum haptoglobin concentrations in Holstein dairy cattle with toxic puerperal metritis
Authors: Smith B. I. , Donovan G. A. , Risco C. A. , Young C. R. , Stanker L. H.
Published: October 2010

The serum concentration of haptoglobin was measured in 51 cows with toxic puerperal metritis which were being treated with one of three different antimicrobial regimens. The mean concentration of haptoglobin was 19.0 mg/dl on the day that the treatments began and declined steadily during the five day treatment period to a mean concentration of 7.35 mg/dl. There was no correlation between the serum haptoglobin concentrations and the rectal temperatures of the cows during the five days.
A syndrome of anaemia, immunodeficiency and peripheral ganglionopathy in Fell pony foals
Authors: Scholes S. F. E. , Holliman A. , May P. D. F. , Holmes M. A.
Published: October 2010

Fell pony foals developed a syndrome of anaemia, immunodeficiency and peripheral ganglionopathy. They became ill in the second or third week, and died in the second or third month of life. Clinical and pathological investigations revealed severe anaemia associated with small numbers of late erythroid precursors in bone marrow, small thymi, an absence of secondary lymphoid follicles, a lack of plasma cells and neuronal chromatolysis involving trigeminal, cranial mesenteric and dorsal root ganglia. Some of the foals had cryptosporidial enteritis and adenoviral bronchopneumonia and pancreatitis. The clinical and pathological findings were compatible with an intrinsic defect.
Abortion in foxhounds and a ewe flock associated withSalmonella montevideoinfection
Authors: Caldow G. L. , Graham M. M.
Published: October 2010

Salmonella montevideois a recognised cause of ovine abortion and can cause disease in other domestic animals and humans. The organism was isolated from the aborted fetuses of a bitch from a pack of foxhounds. The subsequent collection of rectal swabs from the foxhounds at approximately two week intervals over a 48‐day period resulted in the isolation ofS montevideofrom 50 of the 61 hounds in the pack on one or more occasions. Some of the hounds had gained access to an open pit containing dead ewes and aborted fetuses on a farm where the housed ewe flock was experiencingS montevideoinfection. TheS montevideoisolates from both the ovine and canine samples had a plasmid of 120 kilobases with an identical restriction endonuclease fragmentation pattern. The only other isolate from a contemporary outbreak lacked this plasmid. It was concluded that this case offered further evidence of the potential for salmonella infection to be spread by the scavenging of carcasses.
Implications of BSE policy for livestock production and veterinary services in the United Kingdom
Authors: Bennett R. M. , Hallam D.
Published: October 2010

The likely impacts of BSE policy on UK milk and beef markets and on livestock numbers between 1997 and 2000 are explored using a dynamic spreadsheet model of UK milk and beef production, and linked demand, price and supply models for alternative meats. Two accelerated slaughter policies are considered ‐ one representing the ‘Florence Agreement’ and the other involving an additional culling of calves born to confirmed BSE cases. The projections show significant changes to livestock populations over the next few years with implications for veterinary inputs. It is estimated that the BSE crisis will result in a fail in expenditure on veterinary medicines and services of around £10 million in 1999 (for the Florence Agreement) compared with that projected in the absence of the BSE crisis.