Spirometra erinacei / S. erinaceieuropaei in a feral cat in Manawatu with chronic intermittent diarrhoea

CASE HISTORY: A feral cat captured in the Manawatu region of New Zealand was treated for worms and fleas, and kept confined in a metabolic cage. It showed good appetite and weight gain but had intermittent watery, yellow diarrhoea.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: Clinical examination under sedation was unremarkable and routine blood tests showed no significant abnormalities. The cat was negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). Different canned cat foods did not alter the course of the diarrhoea, and the cat was euthanised 6 months after capture. At necropsy, two sections of adult Spirometra tapeworms were found in the jejunum and typical Spirometra eggs were found in colonic contents. Molecular identification of the parasite was undertaken, using the cytochrome- c oxidase subunit-1 gene (cox1) sequence.

DIAGNOSIS: Chronic intermittent diarrhoea associated with Spirometra erinacei / S. erinaceieuropaei infection.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Spirometra has not been reported in New Zealand before but has been associated with gastrointestinal disease in cats in other parts of the world. It requires speciestargeted treatment to be eliminated effectively, and is zoonotic. Diagnosis could be diffi cult for clinicians who are not familiar with the parasite and its life cycle.     

Alfaxalone compared with ketamine for induction of anaesthesia in horses following xylazine and guaifenesin

ObjectiveTo compare anaesthesia induced with either alfaxalone or ketamine in horses following premedication with xylazine and guaifenesin.Study designRandomized blinded cross-over experimental study.AnimalsSix adult horses, five Standardbreds and one Thoroughbred; two mares and four geldings.MethodsEach horse received, on separate occasions, induction of anaesthesia with either ketamine 2.2 mg kg^?1 or alfaxalone 1 mg kg^?1. Premedication was with xylazine 0.5 mg kg^?1 and guaifenesin 35 mg kg^?1. Incidence of tremors/shaking after induction, recovery and ataxia on recovery were scored. Time to recovery was recorded. Partial pressure of arterial blood oxygen (PaO₂) and carbon dioxide (PaO₂), arterial blood pressures, heart rate (HR) and respiratory rates were recorded before premedication and at intervals during anaesthesia. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test and are expressed as median (range).ResultsThere was no difference in the quality of recovery or in ataxia scores. Horses receiving alfaxalone exhibited a higher incidence of tremors/shaking on induction compared with those receiving ketamine (five and one of six horses respectively). Horses recovered to standing similarly [28 (24–47) minutes for alfaxalone; 22 (18–35) for ketamine] but took longer to recover adequately to return to the paddock after alfaxalone [44 (38–67) minutes] compared with ketamine [35 (30–47)]. There was no statistical difference between treatments in effect on HR, PaO₂ or PaCO₂ although for both regimens, PaO₂ decreased with respect to before premedication values. There was no difference between treatments in effect on blood pressure.Conclusions and clinical relevanceBoth alfaxalone and ketamine were effective at inducing anaesthesia, although at induction there were more muscle tremors after alfaxalone. As there were no differences between treatments in relation to cardiopulmonary responses or quality of recovery, and only minor differences in recovery times, both agents appear suitable for this purpose following the premedication regimen used in this study.     

The humoral response in natural Dirofilaria immitis infections in dogs

Plasma samples from dogs with infections of Dirofilaria immitis were assessed using ELISA and Western blotting techniques. These results were then assessed in relation to age and sex of the host, and to the numbers of microfilariae and adult filariae. Dogs with microfilariae tended to have lower levels of infection. In infected dogs, mean ELISA titres increased directly with the degree of infection. Dogs that were either young or mildly infected, showed a preferential antibody reactivity to antigens in the high molecular weight regions of the immunoblots. With increasing age and/or the extent of infection, an antibody response to antigens in the low molecular weight regions was apparent.     

Impact of soil surface disturbances on functional group diversity after clear-cutting in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) forests in southern France

The objective of this study was to analyze soil surface disturbances resulting from logging tractors, of different types (skidder and forwarder), used for clear-cutting in natural Aleppo pine forests and their consequences on plant species and functional group diversity.

Results indicate that shallow disturbances (litter left in place or removed) were more frequent than deep disturbances (topsoil removed, subsoil exposed, rut exposed) regardless of the logging tractor used. The forests with previously cultivated terraces were the least disturbed. Moreover, with the aid of a functional group analysis we distinguished four plant species response groups to soil surface disturbance types. The mosaic created by these groups after clear-cutting and log removal probably contributes to a rapid auto-regeneration of a mixed plant community similar to that existing just prior to the clear-cutting.     

Agroforestry tree selection in central Chile: biological nitrogen fixation and early plant growth in six dryland species

Growth rate, resource partitioning, and several biological traits related to biological N₂ fixation for six native or non-native tree species were compared using ¹⁵N isotope dilution techniques. The trees were field grown for six years in a semiarid mediterranean-climate region with five to six months a year of absolute drought. Trees were tested as candidates for new agroforestry systems being developed in central Chile to improve soil fertility and land health, while also increasing productivity and profitability for landowners and animal breeders. Four nitrogen-fixing legume trees (NFTs) were tested: Acacia caven (Mol.) Mol.Prosopis alba Griseb., P. chilensis (Mol.) Steuntz. emend. Burk., and Tagasaste ( Chamaecytisus proliferus L.f. subsp. palmensis (Christ.)Kunkel). Additional, non-nitrogen-fixing trees were the slow-growing native Huingán (Schinus polygamus (Cav.) Caberera and the fast-growing European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.). Among the NFTs, highly contrasting patterns in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) were detected, for N_dfa (proportion of N derived from atmosphere), nodule efficiency (NE = gN fixed g^–1 nodules), and N content in leaves, stems and roots. Tagasaste produced 2.5–25 times more biomass and fixed 4.5 to 30 times more atmospheric nitrogen than the South American Acacia and Prosopis species. N_dfa reached 250 g plant^–1 in Tagastaste, in the sixth year, with NE = maximum 2.68 in the 4th year, and 1.12 in the 6th year. In contrast, Acacia caven had by far the highest NE of the four NFTs – 12.13 in the 4th year and 6.6 in the 6th year. Whereas BNF in Tagasaste peaked in the fourth year, and declined thereafter, BNF in Acacia caven increased steadily over six years. Fraxinus excelsiorand Schinus polygamus had growth rates and biomass accumulation intermediate between that of Tagasaste and the South American NFTs.Results are discussed in relation to agroforestry, restoration of soil fertility, and ecological and economic rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems and landscapes.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Incidence of and risk factors for diabetes mellitus in cats that have undergone renal transplantation: 187 cases (1986-2005)

OBJECTIVE: To compare incidence of diabetes mellitus in cats that had undergone renal transplantation with incidence in cats with chronic renal failure, compare mortality rates in cats that underwent renal transplantation and did or did not develop diabetes mellitus, and identify potential risk factors for development of posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in cats. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 187 cats that underwent renal transplantation. PROCEDURES: Medical records were reviewed. RESULTS: 26 of the 187 (13.9%) cats developed PTDM, with the incidence of PTDM being 66 cases/1,000 cat years at risk. By contrast, the incidence of diabetes mellitus among a comparison population of 178 cats with chronic renal failure that did not undergo renal transplantation was 17.9 cases/1,000 cat years at risk, and cats that underwent renal trans-plantation were 5.45 times as likely to develop diabetes mellitus as were control cats with chronic renal failure. The mortality rate among cats with PTDM was 2.38 times the rate among cats that underwent renal transplantation but did not develop PTDM. Age, sex, body weight, and percentage change in body weight were not found to be significantly associated with development of PTDM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that cats that undergo renal transplantation have an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus, compared with cats with chronic renal failure, and that mortality rate is higher for cats that develop PTDM than for cats that do not.