Clinical and prognostic significance of radiographic pattern, distribution, and severity of thoracic radiographic changes in neonatal foals

A total of 207 thoracic radiographs obtained from 128 foals were evaluated to assess the impact of pulmonary radiographic pattern, distribution, and severity of pulmonary changes on short-term survival of neonatal foals. The association between selected clinical variables and the radiographic manifestation of neonatal respiratory disease was also investigated. The evaluation of interstitial and alveolar-interstitial radiographic patterns within the caudodorsal, caudoventral, and cranioventral lung regions proved to be highly reliable between viewers in the study. A diagnosis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome was related to increased pulmonary infiltrates within the caudodorsal lung region. Dyspneic foals had more extensive pulmonary infiltrates within the cranioventral lung, advanced respiratory disease, and lower survival rates. A fibrinogen concentration >400 mg/dL was associated with increased cranioventral radiographic abnormalities. In addition, tachypnea most consistently related to diffuse (caudodorsal, caudoventral, and cranioventral) pulmonary changes. Neutropenia, milk reflux from the nares, upper airway pathology, abnormal respiratory sounds, failure of transfer of passive immunity (IgG concentration <400 mg/dL), immaturity, or fever, however, were not related to radiographic pattern, distribution, or severity of radiographic changes. Sixty-five percent of foals with radiographic pulmonary disease were discharged alive from our referral hospital. Concurrent caudodorsal and caudoventral radiographic disease was most frequently observed in this foal population. Increased caudodorsal radiographic scores retained statistical significance as a prognostic indicator for nonsurvival in a multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis.     

笼养蛋鸡被毛损失对生产性能的影响及其成因和评分方法

寒冷季节的被毛损失是导致产蛋鸡实际采食量高出经典采食量预测值的主要原因。在较高环境温度下,被毛损失有利于生产性能的发挥,而在适温区下限以下时,则显著提高维持需要,降低饲料转化率。被毛状况受遗传、年龄、饲养方式等许多因素的影响。被毛覆盖状况的评分方法很多,作者认为目前比较合理的是躯体被毛覆盖重量指数法,即ＩＢＰＷ计分法。现有的评分法未充分考虑鸡体不同部位的不同散热效率和气候适应的影响。有必要将被毛附着性状作为育种指标之一。探讨如何利用被毛损失和克服其不利影响的措施。