Nutrient intake of horses in Thoroughbred and Standardbred stables

SUMMARY Twenty-five Thoroughbred (TB) and 25 Standardbred (SB) stables were visited to determine their feeding practices. The ingredients of the main feed of the day for a mature gelding of average size in full training were weighed at each stable. Nutrient content of diets was calculated using published data for the individual ingredients. Results are expressed as mean±sd. The estimated body weight of TB horses was 493±34 kg and 437±32 kg for SB horses. There was considerable variation in diet composition and nutrient intake between stables. The TB trainers fed 11.0±2.4 kg and SB trainers 11.8±2.5 kg per day. The concentrate component of the diet weighed 7.8±1.6 and 7.7±2.3 kg for TB and SB stables, respectively, and the roughage component for TB horses 3.3±1.4 and SB horses 4.1±1.4 kg per day. The digestible energy intake of horses at TB stables was 129±29 MJ per day and at SB stables 132±31 MJ per day. Crude protein intake of TB horses was 1452±363 g and SB horses 1442±338 g per day. There were differences in some feeding practices at TB and SB stables. Standardbred trainers fed more roughage than TB trainers. Standardbred trainers fed chaffed lucerne (alfalfa) and cereal hays as the major roughage, whereas TB trainers fed more hay. The major hay type fed by TB trainers was lucerne, whereas many SB trainers preferred clover hay. Both trainers fed oats as the major grain, but TB trainers fed slightly more maize (corn) than SB trainers. The SB trainers fed barley as part of the concentrate component of the diet, whereas TB trainers usually fed boiled barley and linseed oil in winter only. Although many trainers used vitamin and mineral supplements, this appeared unnecessary in many Instances, especially with respect to Iron. Calcium and NaCI supplementation was necessary for some diets. We concluded that while there was a wide range in feed intake and diet composition for both TB and SB horses, average nutrient intakes were similar to National Research Council (1989) recommendations for horses performing intense work.     

Evaluation of resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi in seed-grown trees and clonal lines of Eucalyptus marginata inoculated in lateral branches and roots

Seed-grown trees and six clonal lines of 3·5–4·5-year-old Eucalyptus marginata (jarrah) growing in a rehabilitated bauxite mine site in the jarrah forest were underbark-inoculated on lateral branches (1995) or simultaneously on lateral branches and lateral roots (1996) with isolates of Phytophthora cinnamomi in late autumn. Individual seedlings from which the clonal lines were derived had previously been assessed as either resistant (RR) or susceptible (SS) to P. cinnamomi . At harvest, the acropetal lesion and colonization lengths were measured. Overall, the length of colonization in roots and branches was more consistent as a measure of resistance than lesion length, because colonization length recorded the recovery of P. cinnamomi from macroscopically symptomless tissue ahead of the lesion which, on some occasions, was up to 6 cm. In both trials, one RR clonal line was able to contain the P. cinnamomi isolates consistently, as determined by small lesion and colonization lengths in branches and roots. In contrast, the remaining two RR clonal lines used in both trials were no different from the SS line in their ability to contain lesions or colonization. These latter two RR lines may therefore not be suitable for use in rehabilitation of P. cinnamomi -infested areas. Differences in lesion and colonization lengths among P. cinnamomi isolates occurred only in the 1995 trial. Colonization and lesion lengths in branches were up to eight times greater in 1996 than in 1995, but the relative rankings of clonal lines were consistent between trials. Although colonization was always greater in branches than roots, the relative rankings of the lines were similar between branch and root inoculations. Branch inoculations are a valid option for testing the resistance and susceptibility of young jarrah trees to P. cinnamomi .     

Detection and genetic diversity of porcine rotavirus A,B and C in eastern Australian piggeries

Rotaviruses (RV) have a high prevalence in piggeries worldwide and are one of the major pathogens causing severe diarrhoea in young pigs. RV species A, B, and C have been linked to piglet diarrhoea in Australian pig herds, but their genetic diversity has not been studied in detail. Based on sequencing of the structural viral protein 7 (VP7) RVA G genotypes G3, G4 and G5, and RVC types G1, G3, G5, and G6 have been identified in Australian piggeries in previous studies. Although occurrence of RVB was reported in Australia in 1988, no further genetic analysis has been conducted. To improve health management decisions in Australian pig herds, more information on RV prevalence and genetic diversity is needed. Here, 243 enteric samples collected from 20 pig farms within Eastern Australia were analysed for the presence of RV in different age groups using a novel PCR-based multiplex assay (Pork MultiPath™ enteric panel). RVA, RVB, and RVC were detected in 10, 14, and 14 farms, respectively. Further sequencing of VP7 in selected RV-positive samples revealed G genotypes G2, G5, G9 (RVA), G6, G8, G14, G16, G20 (RVB), and G1, G3, G5, G6 (RVC) present. RVA was only detected in young (<10 weeks old) pigs whereas RVB and RVC were also detected in older animals (>11 weeks old). Interestingly, RVB and RVC G-type occurrence differed between age groups. In conclusion, this study provides new insights on the prevalence and diversity of different RV species in pig herds of Eastern Australia whilst demonstrating the ability of the Pork MultiPath™ technology to accurately differentiate between these RV species.     

Detection of Ureaplasma diversum in the upper airways of Australian feedlot cattle

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) exerts a major impact on the beef cattle industry nationally and worldwide, with a range of aetiological factors impacting its pathogenesis. Previous research has focussed on an increasing number of bacteria and viruses that have been shown to play a role in eliciting disease. Recently, additional agents have been emerging as potential contributors to BRD, including the opportunistic pathogen Ureaplasma diversum. To determine if U. diversum was present in Australian feedlot cattle and if that presence was linked to BRD, nasal swabs were collected from a cohort of 34 hospital pen animals and compared to 216 apparently healthy animals sampled contemporaneously at feedlot induction and again after 14 days on feed at an Australian feedlot. All samples were subjected to a de novo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting U. diversum in combination with other BRD agents. U. diversum was detected at a low prevalence in cattle at induction (Day 0: 6.9%, Day 14: 9.7%), but in a significantly greater proportion of cattle sampled from the hospital pen (58.8%). When considering the presence of other BRD-associated agents, co-detection of U. diversum and Mycoplasma bovis was most common in hospital pen animals receiving treatment for BRD. These findings suggest that U. diversum may be an opportunistic pathogen involved in the aetiology of BRD in Australian feedlot cattle, in combination with other agents, with further studies are warranted to identify if a causal relationship exists.     

Conduct,Oversight, and Ethical Considerations of Clinical Trials in Companion Animals with Cancer: Report of a Workshop on Best Practice Recommendations

Development of effective and safe treatments for companion animals with cancer requires the collaboration of numerous animal health professionals and the full engagement of animal owners. Establishing ‘Best Practice Recommendations’ for clinical trials in veterinary oncology represents an important step toward meeting the goal of rigorous clinical trial design and conduct that is required to establish valid evidence. Likewise, optimizing patient welfare and owner education and advocacy is crucial to meet the unique ethical obligations to both owners and animals enrolled in these clinical trials and to ensure trust in the team conducting the research. To date, ‘Best Practice Recommendations’ for clinical trial conduct have not been reported for veterinary oncology. This document summarizes the consensus of a workshop held in November, 2014 to identify relevant ethical principles and to ensure responsible conduct of clinical research in companion animals with cancer. It is intended as a working document that will be updated as advances in science and ethical considerations require. To the extent possible, existing guidelines for the conduct and oversight of clinical trials in humans have been adapted for veterinary trials to avoid duplicative effort and to facilitate integration of clinical trials such that translational research with benefits for both companion animals and humans are encouraged.     

Floristic diversity and vegetation patterns along disturbance gradient in arid coasts in southern Mediterranean: Case of the Gulf of Gabès,southern Tunisia

Knowledge about vegetation patterns along disturbance gradients is essential for conservation and management of coastal habitats in arid regions. This study focuses on the floristic diversity and the factors controlling the vegetation structure in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia). For this purpose, the floristic diversity of 120 relevés belonging to three coastal sites with different disturbance levels (40 relevés per site) was analyzed in relation with 10 environmental and anthropogenic factors. Therophytes constitute 54% of the 237 plants species belonging to 44 families identified in the present study. The species richness and floristic diversity indices exhibited a similar trend and peaked in the slightly disturbed site (H′?=?3.38; S?=?176). The similarity between sites was relatively low and reached its maximum between the little and the highly disturbed sites. Two-way indicator species analysis and detrended correspondence analysis applied on the floristic data resulted in groups mainly determined by disturbance level by explicitly segregating the three sites. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that the spatial pattern of species composition was mainly influenced by anthropogenic variables. Partial CCA revealed that the effect of anthropogenic variables on floristic composition was thrice higher than the effect of environmental variables (57.5% vs. 18.4%, respectively). Overall, this study provides a broad understanding of the floristic diversity and vascular plant richness in the Gulf of Gabès. The obtained results reflected a disturbance–diversity pattern and thus revealed the obvious importance of maintaining the intermediate disturbance for biodiversity conservation and monitoring.     

Effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on lipopolysaccharide-challenged and -unchallenged equine synovial explants

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged and -unchallenged equine synovial membrane in terms of production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and hyaluronan, viability, and histomorphologic characteristics. SAMPLE POPULATION: Synovial membranes were collected from the carpal, tarsocrural, and femoropatellar joints of 6 adult horses. PROCEDURE: Synovial membranes from each horse were minced and pooled and explants were treated with one of the following: no drug (control), drug, LPS alone, or LPS and drug. Treatment drugs were phenylbutazone (PBZ), flunixin meglumine (FNX), ketoprofen (KET), carprofen (CRP), meloxicam (MEL), low-concentration methylprednisolone (METH), high-concentration METH, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or an experimental COX-2 inhibitor (dissolved in DMSO). Following 48 hours of culture, medium was assayed for PGE2 and hyaluronan concentration. Synovial explants were assessed for viability and histomorphologic characteristics. RESULTS: For the LPS-challenged explants, PBZ, FNX, KTP CRF MEL, and low-concentration METH suppressed PGE2 production, compared with LPS challenge alone. Only MEL suppressed PGE2 production from LPS-challenged explants, compared with unchallenged explants. Synovial explants maintained > 90% viability and there was no significant difference in viability or hyaluronan production among explants. Histomorphologic scores were significantly decreased for explants treated with low-concentration METH or DMSO. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: PBZ, FNX, KTP, CRFP MEL, and low-concentration METH suppressed PGE2 production in LPS-challenged explants. Meloxicam appeared to have more selective suppression of COX-2 activity. Histomorphologic scores suggest detrimental effects of METH, DMSO, and the experimental COX-2 inhibitor. Commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs suppress induced synovial membrane PGE2 production without detrimental effects on synovial membrane viability and function.