A comparison of the reduction in immunoglobulin (IgG) concentration of frozen equine plasma treated by three thawing techniques

SUMMARY: The IgG concentration of plasma from 13 mares was measured by radial immunodiffusion when fresh and after storage at -4°C and thawing by 3 methods. There was no significant (P > 0.05) reduction in the IgG concentration when plasma was thawed over 6 hours at 22°C (1352.9 ± 101.6 mg/dL) (mean ± SEM) compared with the fresh sample (1369.5 ± 88.1 mg/dL). In contrast, there was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the IgG concentration of plasma that was rapidly thawed at 57°C over 50 minutes (1142.9 ±66.2 mg/dL), or placed in a microwave oven for 20 to 25 minutes (1093.4 ± 74.4 mg/dL). When plasma is administered to hypo-gammaglobulinaemic newborn foals, a larger volume is required when thawing is rapid than when thawing is slow or when fresh plasma is administered.     

Prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a cohort of British Shorthair cats in Denmark

Background: Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been described previously in British Shorthair cats (BSH), but until now, no reports have been published describing the prevalence of the disease within this breed. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HCM in a large cohort of BSH and to evaluate the effect of sex, weight, and increasing age as potential risk factors for this disease. Animals: Three hundred and twenty‐nine BSH presented for routine HCM screening during a 4‐year period. Methods: Prospective cross‐sectional study in which all cats were screened for HCM by conventional echocardiography. Results: A total of 329 cats were examined, 214 females and 115 males, with a median age of 2.3 years (range, 0.8–14.1). Twenty‐eight cats (8.5%) were classified as HCM‐positive, 14 (4.3%) as equivocal, 282 (85.7%) as HCM‐negative, and 5 (2.1%) were diagnosed with other cardiac diseases. The median age for diagnosis of HCM was 2.7 years (range, 0.9–14.1). Male cats had a significantly higher occurrence of HCM (20.4%) compared with the females (2.1%) corresponding to an odds ratio of 7.89 (95 % CI, 2.54–28.08) for males versus females adjusted for age and weight (P < .001). Conclusion: The BSH in our cohort had a high prevalence of HCM, often of early onset and with a significant male sex predisposition. We strongly recommend echocardiographic screening in this breed, especially cats used for breeding.     

Calves Born after Direct Transfer of Vitrified Bovine In Vitro-produced Blastocysts Derived from Vitrified Immature Oocytes

Vitrification has been the method of choice for the cryopreservation of bovine oocytes, as rapid cooling decreases chilling sensitivity. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro and in vivo survival and the viability of immature oocytes vitrified using super‐cooled liquid nitrogen. Immature oocytes were randomly allocated to three groups: (i) non‐vitrified control group, (ii) vitrified in normal (?196°C) liquid nitrogen (LN₂) and (iii) vitrified in super‐cooled LN₂ (≤?200°C). Open‐pulled glass micropipettes were used as vitrification containers. Immature oocytes were in vitro‐matured, fertilized and cultured to the blastocyst stage. In vitro viability was assessed by cleavage and blastocyst rates on days 2 and 7 of culture respectively. Vitrified blastocysts derived from the immature vitrified oocytes were directly transferred to synchronous recipients. The in vitro embryo development of vitrified immature oocytes was not influenced by the LN₂ state. After direct transfer (one embryo per recipient) of 16 embryos obtained from immature vitrified oocytes (eight from each vitrified group), two healthy calves were born in each group. These results indicated that vitrification of immature bovine oocytes using glass micropipettes under normal or super‐cooled LN₂, resulted in viable blastocysts and live calves following in vitro embryo production.     

群养鸡谨防痢菌净中毒

痢菌净学名乙酰甲喹,是我国研制的具有自主知识产权的兽用抗菌药品.本品抗菌谱广,不易产生抗药性,价格低廉,在畜牧养殖业上应用广泛.但在使用过程中常因超剂量应用导致中毒现象发生,造成不应有的损失.本文从药品特性、中毒症状、剖检变化、治疗、中毒原因分析等五个方面对群养鸡痢菌净中毒做了详尽阐述,以期基层兽医临床工作者有所借签.     

Anomalous Pregnancies during Late Embryonic/Early Foetal Period in High Producing Dairy Cows

This study analyses anomalous cases of gestation ending in pregnancy loss during the early foetal period and their effect on progesterone and plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein-1 (PAG-1) concentrations. Data derived from a large-scale ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis programme in high producing dairy cows. Over a 3-year period (2004–2007), a very low incidence (0.5%: 15 of 3094) of anomalous pregnancies was recorded. The results revealed that the following anomalies were detected on days 35–41 of gestation in cows carrying singletons with one single corpus luteum: embryo death in eight cows (0.3%); and embryo in the uterine horn contralateral to the corpus luteum in seven cows (0.2%). All these animals suffered pregnancy loss during the early foetal period. In cows carrying dead embryos, no signs of conceptus degeneration were observed on pregnancy diagnosis. Amnion size (approximately 25 mm diameter) and uterine horn fluid contents were estimated to be similar to those of the normal pregnant cows in this period. In the contralateral gestations, live embryos were observed in all ultrasound checks before pregnancy loss. Uterine fluid contents increased in the two cows in which gestation continued for more than a week. In the cases of embryo death but not in those of contralateral gestation, a drop in PAG-1 levels was noted prior to pregnancy loss. Two cows carrying dead embryos increased with time allantoic fluid contents. The PAG-1 values increased with time in one cow bearing a dead embryo (from 2.31 to 6.79 ng/ml) and in two of the contralateral gestations (from 1.66 to 2.33 ng/ml and from 0.39 to 6.79 ng/ml, respectively). Results of this study indicate that the foetal membranes continue to undergo some activity following embryo death, and that contralateral pregnancy may determine failure of the gestation process.     

Hyperostotic polyarthropathy in a rabbit - a suspected case of chronic hypervitaminosis A from a diet of carrots

Chronic hypervitaminosis A can occur in many species after excessive dietary intake of Vitamin A (retinol). The most common presentation of chronic hypervitaminosis A is a polyarthropathy with hyperostosis and ankylosis of various joints. This case report describes a probable case of naturally occurring hypervitaminosis A-induced polyarthropathy in a rabbit after chronic ingestion of a diet made up almost exclusively of carrots. Carrots do not contain retinol, but are rich in provitamin A (or beta-carotene). Rabbits are unique in that they can convert 100% of dietary beta-carotene into retinol. A syndrome of naturally occurring hypervitaminosis A-induced polyarthropathy has not been described in a rabbit before.