bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Breeding German sheep for resistance to scrapie
Authors: Drögemüller C. , De Vries F. , Hamann H. , Leeb T , Distl O. 
Published: October 2010

Susceptibility to clinical scrapie is associated with polymorphisms in the prion protein (PrP) gene. The ARR allele reduces susceptibility to clinical disease caused by all known strains of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agents. For the economically important German breeds of sheep the PrP allele frequencies are well known, but this paper presents representative genotyping results for 1526 sheep from two smaller milk sheep breeds and 2446 sheep from 14 mostly indigenous land sheep breeds. The ARR allele was detected in each breed but the breed‐specific ARR frequencies varied between 1 and 63 per cent. In small populations with a very low ARR frequency the ARR allele could be lost by genetic drift. A simulation study was therefore made to examine the effects of different breeding schemes in populations of different sizes on attempts to select for the ARR allele in an endangered population. In breeds in which no homozygous rams are available the breeding strategy would depend on the number of heterozygous rams, and the genotyping and selection of suitable breeding ewes would reduce the time required to achieve a highly resistant population. In general, in all the breeds a selection programme to achieve 99 per cent ARR homozygous genotypes would be feasible in six to nine generations, depending on the initial allele frequencies. In small populations the inbreeding rate may increase if no specific mating plans are developed by the breeding organisations.
Case‐control investigation of the factors affecting the risk of horses falling during steeplechase racing in the UK
Authors: Pinchbeck G. L. , Clegg P. D. , Produdman C. J. , French K. L. , French N. P. 
Published: October 2010

A concurrent case‐control study of 12 UK racecourses was made between March 1, 2000, and August 31, 2001, to identify and quantify the factors associated with the risk of horses falling in steeplechase races. Cases were defined as a jumping effort at a steeplechase fence that resulted in a fall and controls were defined as a successful jumping effort over any steeplechase fence at any of the 12 racecourses within 14 days before or after the case fall. Information on the horse, the jockey and the race were collected and all the fences on all the courses were surveyed. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between the predictor variables and the risk of falling. There was one fall per 254 jumping efforts. The risk of a horse falling decreased the more times it had raced on a particular racecourse. The number of fences, the distance from the previous fence and the nature of the previous fence also affected the risk of falling. If the previous fence was a water jump the risk of falling increased; fences that were sited on flat or slight uphill gradients (up to approximately 1 in 25) were associated with a lower risk of horses falling than downhill fences, and higher takeoff boards were associated with a higher risk of falling.
Relationships between the plasma concentrations of insulin‐like growth factor‐I in dairy cows and their fertility and milk yield
Authors: Taylor V. J. , Cheng Z. , Pushpakumara P. G. A. , Wathes D. C. , Beever D. E. 
Published: October 2010

The relationships between insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) and the fertility and milk yield of Holstein‐Friesian dairy cows were investigated. The concentration of IGF‐I in blood was measured weekly from one week before to 12 weeks after calving in 177 multiparous cows and at four times during this period in 142 primiparous cows; the concentration of IGF‐I in milk was measured in 50 of the multiparous cows. The plasma concentrations of IGF‐I were higher in the primiparous than in the multiparous animals. In the primiparous cows, high concentrations of IGF‐I before calving were associated with longer calving to conception intervals. Conversely, in the multiparous cows low concentrations of IGF‐1 before and after calving were associated with a failure to conceive, despite repeated services. Multiparous cows with IGF‐I concentrations of greater than 25 ng/ml in the week after calving were 11 times more likely to conceive to first service than those with lower concentrations. Concentrations of IGF‐I greater than 50 ng/ml at first service increased the likelihood of conception five‐fold. Cows with higher peak milk yields had lower plasma concentrations of IGF‐I and took longer to return to ovarian cyclicity. The negative relationship between milk yield and return to cyclicity was stronger in the multiparous cows (P<0.002) than in the primiparous cows (P<0.04). The concentrations of IGF‐I in milk followed a different pattern and were not associated with the changes in plasma IGF‐I or fertility.
Possible interaction between myxomatosis and calicivirosis related to rabbit haemorrhagic disease affecting the European rabbit
Authors: Marchandeau S. , Letty J. , Bertagnoli S. , Peralta B. , Boucraut‐Baralon C. , Reitz F. 
Published: October 2010

Serological data on myxoma virus, rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) virus and RHD‐like viruses in juvenile rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) trapped in 1995, 1996 and 1997 in two areas of France were analysed. For each disease, the effects of bodyweight, year, month and seropositivity for the other disease were modelled by using logistic regressions. In one area, a model including RHD seropositivity was selected to explain the myxoma virus seropositivity. Models including myxoma virus seropositivity were selected to explain the RHD seropositivity in both areas, and the odds of a rabbit being seropositive to both viruses were 5.1 and 8.4 times higher than the odds of a rabbit being seronegative to myxoma virus and seropositive to RHD. The year and bodyweight had significant effects for myxomatosis in one area and for RHD in both areas.
Prevalence and demographic characteristics of exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses in Australia
Authors: Cole F. L. , Mellor D. J. , Hodgson D. R. , Reid S. W. J. 
Published: October 2010

The proportion of the horses, of both sexes and of different ages, breeds and levels of activity, owned by a stratified random sample of Australian owners, which had suffered one or more episodes of exertional rhabdomyolysis during the previous 12 months was determined. The proportion in the general population was 1.9 per cent, and horses which exercised were significantly more likely to have experienced the condition than horses which did not. There were significant differences between the sexes and between certain breeds and activity groups in the proportions of horses affected.
Efficacy of tulathromycin in the treatment of respiratory disease in pigs caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
Authors: Hart F. J. , Kilgore R. W. , Meinert T. R. , Nutsch R. G. , Sunderland S. J. , Lechtenberg K. F. 
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of a single dose of tulathromycin, a novel triamilide antimicrobial of the macrolide class, given at 2·5 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg bodyweight, or three daily doses of ceftiofur, given at 3 mg/kg bodyweight, was evaluated in pigs with respiratory disease induced experimentally with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. On day 0, 100 pigs with clinical signs of respiratory disease were randomly assigned to groups of 25 pigs, which were treated with either saline, one of the doses of tulathromycin, or ceftiofur. The pigs’ rectal temperatures and clinical scores for respiratory signs and general attitude were recorded daily until day 10. Animals withdrawn from the study for welfare reasons were recorded. On day 10, the animals remaining in the study were weighed, euthanased and examined postmortem. Three of the animals treated with saline and one of those treated with 2·5 mg/kg tulathromycin were withdrawn from the study, but none of those treated with 5 mg/kg tulathromycin or ceftiofur were withdrawn. The least squares mean bodyweight gains of the pigs treated with the antimicrobial agents were significantly (P<0·05) higher than that of the saline‐treated group, and the least squares mean percentages of the total lung involvement and incidence of respiratory disease associated with A pleuropneumoniae were significantly (P<0·05) lower, but there were no significant differences between the three groups of pigs treated with the antimicrobial agents.
Prospective study of bacterial overgrowth syndrome in eight dogs
Authors: Pin D. , Carlotti D‐N. , Jasmin P. , DeBoer D. J. , Prélaud P. 
Published: October 2010

Eight dogs with cutaneous lesions, clinical signs and cytological findings compatible with bacterial overgrowth syndrome were compared with four healthy dogs. The affected dogs were treated for 28 days with 30 mg/kg/day cephalexin. The results showed that the syndrome was a superficial cutaneous disorder characterised by marked pruritus, greasy seborrhoea, offensive odour, erythema, lichenification, hyperpigmentation, excoriations and alopecia involving principally the ventral aspect of the body, but no papules, pustules, epidermal collarettes or crusts; it was caused by overgrowths of Staphylococcus intermedius all over the body surface. Histopathological findings included a superficial, perivascular, hyperplastic and spongiotic dermatitis with a mixed inflammatory infiltrate, but no lesions suggestive of a true pyoderma. In the affected dogs, anti‐staphylococcal immunoglobulin G levels were high, but anti‐staphylococcal immunoglobulin E levels were low, suggesting that staphylococcal hypersensitivity is not the underlying pathogenic process. The antibiotic treatment improved the condition of all the dogs, but five of the eight had an underlying allergic skin disease.
Investigation of risk factors for clinical mastitis in British dairy herds with bulk milk somatic cell counts less than 150,000 cells/ml
Authors: O’Reilly K. M. , Green M. J. , Peeler E. J. , Fitzpatrick J. L. , Green L. E. 
Published: October 2010

A sample of dairy farms in Great Britain with a monthly bulk milk somatic cell count of less than 150,000 cells/ml was enrolled into a 12‐month prospective study. At the end of the study, a questionnaire on milking practice and other farm management practices was sent to the 482 farmers who had collected data on the occurrence of mastitis throughout the 12 months. The response rate was 93 per cent. The reported mean incidence of clinical mastitis was 36·9 cases per 100 cow‐years. Factors associated with an increase in the incidence of clinical mastitis were cleaning out the straw yard less frequently than every six weeks, more than 5 per cent of cows leaking milk outside the parlour, checking the foremilk, wearing gloves during milking, an average annual milk yield of more than 7000 litres per cow, dipping or spraying teats before milking and keeping milk with a high somatic cell count out of the bulk tank. Factors associated with a decrease in the incidence of clinical mastitis were using a cloth to dry the teats after washing them as part of premilking preparation, using calving boxes for less than 40 per cent of calvings, and using both cubicles and straw yards to house dry cows, as opposed to other housing.
Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of the pain‐relieving effects of the implantation of gold beads into dogs with hip dysplasia
Authors: Jaeger G. T. , Larsen S. , Søli N. , Moe L. 
Published: October 2010

Seventy‐eight dogs with pain due to hip dysplasia were studied in a controlled, double‐blind clinical trial to evaluate gold bead implantation as a pain‐relieving treatment. The dogs were randomly assigned to two groups, 36 in the gold implantation group and 42 in the placebo group. Both groups were treated equally regarding anaesthesia, hair clipping and penetration of the skin with the same type of needle. The gold implantation group had small pieces of 24 carat gold inserted through needles at five different acupuncture points and the placebo group had the skin penetrated at five non‐acupuncture points so as to avoid any possible effect of stimulating the acupuncture points. A certified veterinary acupuncturist marked the points, and two surgeons performed the implantations according to a randomisation code made in advance. After 14 days, three months and six months, the owners assessed the overall effect of the treatments by answering a questionnaire, and the same veterinarian examined each dog and evaluated its degree of lameness by examining videotaped footage of it walking and trotting. The treatment was blinded for both the owners and the veterinarian. There were significantly greater improvements in mobility and greater reductions in the signs of pain in the dogs treated with gold implantation than in the placebo group. The veterinarian’s and the owners’ assessments corresponded well.
Patterns and significance of bite wounds in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in southern and south‐west England
Authors: Simpson V. R. 
Published: October 2010

Postmortem examinations were carried out on 379 otters found dead in southern and south‐west England between 1988 and 2003. Most (81 per cent) were road casualties, but many had open bite wounds and in some cases these had proved fatal. Mortality was strongly seasonal and was positively correlated with night length. Although numbers decreased in the summer months, the prevalence of bite wounds in adults was highest in late summer. The number of otters examined annually and the prevalence of bite wounds increased markedly during the study period, and in 2003 more than half the otters of both sexes had recent bite wounds. The majority of the bites were considered to have been caused by other otters, but some were thought to have been inflicted by American mink (Mustela vison). Bites to cubs were mostly caused by domestic dogs. The overall mortality due to bite wounds was approximately 10 per cent.
Transient erythropoietic protoporphyria associated with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in a cohort of German shepherd dogs
Authors: Kroeze E. J. B. Veldhuis , Zentek J. , Edixhoven‐Bosdijk A. , Rothuizen J. , van den Ingh T. S. G. A. M. 
Published: October 2010

Over the course of one year, slight jaundice and ascites suggestive of chronic liver disease occurred in 17 German shepherd dogs from one breeding colony. Blood analyses, performed twice with a six‐month interval, revealed elevated serum activities of liver enzymes in 13 dogs. In addition, four young adult German shepherd dogs that showed severe ascites, slight jaundice and increased serum liver enzyme activities were referred for further evaluation. Because of their poor prognosis these four dogs were euthanased. There were no signs of photosensitivity. Postmortem examinations revealed macronodular darkened livers, which were characterised histopathologically by cirrhosis associated with aggregates of brown pigments showing a striking orange birefringence in polarised light. Ultrastructurally, the crystalline pigments were typical of protoporphyrins. High‐performance liquid chromatographic analysis of liver samples revealed very high levels of protoporphyrins (mean 9550 nmol/g wet liver, reference value 0·41 nmol/g wet liver) and low activities of ferrochelatase (mean 0·274 mmol/mg protein/hour, reference value 0·684 nmol/mg protein/hour). Twenty‐six months after the onset of the hepatopathies, the clinical condition of the 13 surviving dogs had improved and their serum liver enzyme activities were normal. The clinical histories and pedigree analyses were not in concordance with an inherited form of protoporphyria. There was no known history of exposure to toxic substances or drugs. The findings are in accordance with a transient erythropoietic protoporphyria associated with hepatic complications, presumably caused by exposure to a porphyrinogenic, ferrochelatase‐inhibitory substance of unknown origin.
Survey of pharmacists’ awareness of veterinary medicines
Authors: Monie O. R. , Bryant C. E. , Skelly B. J. 
Published: October 2010

A survey of 186 pharmacies across Great Britain in 2004 showed that the pharmacists had little involvement in the supply of veterinary medicines. Most of them did not feel competent to be involved in the supply of prescription‐only veterinary medicines, but 45 per cent of them expressed an interest in becoming competent, even at significant cost in time and money. The results suggested that the pharmacists had little awareness of the law relating to the supply of veterinary medicines or of their pharmacology.
Treatment of periocular and non‐ocular sarcoids in 18 horses by interstitial brachytherapy with iridium‐192
Authors: Byam‐Cook K. L. , Henson F. M. D. , Slater J. D. 
Published: October 2010

Treatment of the equine sarcoid has posed a significant challenge to clinicians for years and many different methods have been tried with varying success, including ionising radiation. The aim of this study was to review the efficacy of iridium‐192 interstitial brachytherapy for the treatment of eight periocular sarcoids and 15 non‐ocular sarcoids on 18 horses. All the periocular sarcoids and 13 of the 15 non‐ocular sarcoids were treated successfully.
Evidence of bias affecting the interpretation of the results of local anaesthetic nerve blocks when assessing lameness in horses
Authors: Arkell M. , Archer R. M. , Guitian F. J. , May S. A. 
Published: October 2010

Eighteen observers were influenced to different extents in the grades of lameness they allocated to eight horses by whether they knew that a nerve block had been administered; on a scale from 0 to 10 the mean difference in grade allocated once the observer knew a horse had been nerve‐blocked was increased by 0·4. The consistency of the assessments made by the individual observers was good, with a an average of 0·6 of a grade difference when grading the same horse on two occasions. The agreement between the assessments of four orthopaedic experts was reasonable (±1 grade), but significantly poorer for four non‐experts and 10 final year veterinary students.
Effects of two diets on the haematology, plasma chemistry and intestinal flora of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)
Authors: Fischer I. , Christen C. , Lutz H. , Gerlach H. , Hässig M. , Hatt J‐M. 
Published: October 2010

Two groups of 22 budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) were housed for 12 months under identical conditions. One group was fed a commercial seed mixture plus carrots and a mineral supplement, and the other group was fed a commercially formulated diet plus carrots. Samples of blood and faeces were collected initially and after three, six, nine and 12 months. There were no significant differences between the haematological values of the two groups. The group fed the seed mixture had significantly higher concentrations of glucose, albumin, triglycerides and uric acid, and higher activity of aspartate aminotransferase, but the values were within the published reference ranges for normal birds. There were no significant differences between the faecal samples from the two groups, except that the fungus Macrorhabdus ornithogaster was identified in 48·3 per cent of the samples from the group fed the commercially formulated diet but from only 3·4 per cent of the samples from the group fed the seed mixture.
Production of prolific microsheep by embryo transfer into large non‐prolific sheep
Authors: Naqvi S. M. K. , Joshi A. , Gulyani R. , Kumar D. , Kolte A. P. , Kumar S. , Maurya V. P. , Saha S. , Mittal J. P. , Singh V. K. 
Published: October 2010

The Garole is a prolific breed of microsheep that possesses the FecB gene, which increases ovulation rate. The purpose of this study was to compare embryo production by multiple ovulation in seven Garole ewes with that in seven normal size, non‐prolific Malpura ewes, and assess the influence of the large body size of Awassi crossbred recipient ewes on the birthweight of Garole lambs. Oestrus was synchronised with two intramuscular injections of 7·5 mg prostaglandin F2α administered 10 days apart. The donor ewes were superovulated by the use of pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin and follicle‐stimulating hormone. The onset and duration of oestrus were similar in both breeds. The Garole donors had higher total mean (se) ovarian responses (15·6 [3·6] v 9·1 [2·3]), ovulation rate (13·6 [3·1] v 8·4 [2·2]) and produced more transferable embryos (6·0 [3·5] v 4·0 [0·9]) than the Malpura donors, but the differences were not statistically significant. The Garole lambs produced by embryo transfer were on average 57·8 per cent heavier at birth than contemporary Garole lambs produced by natural mating.
Immunohistochemical screening for viral agents in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) with myelopathy
Authors: Shibly S. , Schmidt P. , Robert N. , Walzer C. , Url A. 
Published: October 2010

Numerous cases of acute‐onset progressive ataxia, hindlimb paresis and paralysis of unknown aetiology occurred during 1993 to 2003 in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) within the European Endangered Species Programme (eep). This study describes the immunohistochemical investigation of a possible viral aetiology of the ‘cheetah myelopathy’. Antibodies to feline herpesvirus type 1, canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus and Borna disease virus were applied to formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded brain and spinal cord sections from 25 affected cheetahs aged between three‐and‐a‐half months and 13 years. Using the avidin‐biotin complex technique, none of the antibodies gave positive immunosignals in either the brain or the spinal cord tissue.
Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its efficacy in comparison with doxycycline in the treatment of Chlamydophila felis infection in cats with conjunctivitis
Authors: Gerhardt N. , Schulz B. S. , Werckenthin C. , Hartmann K. 
Published: October 2010

The concentrations of enrofloxacin were measured in the tears, saliva and serum of 14 cats with signs of upper respiratory tract infection and eight with no signs, after daily doses of 5 mg/kg. Enrofloxacin concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration of Chlamydophila felis were found in the saliva and tears of the cats with and without signs of upper respiratory tract infection. In a prospective randomised clinical trial, the efficacy of enrofloxacin against C felis infection in cats with conjunctivitis was compared with the efficacy of doxycycline. Twenty‐five cats were randomly assigned to treatment with either enrofloxacin or doxycycline for 14 days; 15 of the cats tested positive for C felis by an immunofluorescent antibody test on conjunctival swabs. The two treatment groups showed equal improvements in the clinical signs of conjunctivitis and C felis infection status; in each group three cats were still C felis antigen‐positive after the 14‐day course of treatment, indicating a persistent infection. No side effects were observed in the cats treated with enrofloxacin.
Treatment of ocular squamous cell carcinomas in cattle with interleukin‐2
Authors: Stewart R. J. E. , Hill F. W. G. , Masztalerz A. , Jacobs J. J. L. , Koten J. W. , Den Otter W. 
Published: October 2010

In total, 174 bovine ocular squamous cell carcinomas of varying sizes (20 to 2800 mm2 in area) were treated daily with peritumoural injections of solvent, or solvent containing 5000 U, 20,000 U, 200,000 U, 500,000 U, 1 million U or 2 million U interleukin‐2 (il‐2) for 10 days. The tumours were measured and clinically staged before treatment and at one, three, four, nine and 20 months after treatment. After 20 months, 14 per cent of the tumours treated with the solvent had regressed completely, a significantly smaller proportion than the 55 per cent treated with 5000 U il‐2, 52 per cent treated with 20,000 U il‐2, 58 per cent treated with 200,000 U il‐2, 50 per cent treated with 500,000 U il‐2, 69 per cent of tumours treated with 1 million U il‐2, 52 per cent treated with 2 million U il‐2. The tumours on the third eyelid and limbus were the most responsive.