Gossypol toxicity in preruminant calves

SUMMARY Twenty-four of 57 calves fed a diet containing 33% cotton seed meal (CSM) died between 7 and 15 weeks of age. Initial deaths were not accompanied by premonitory signs, but after CSM withdrawal most calves developed rough coats, anorexia, weakness, ascites and subcutaneous oedema. Those that died had large volumes of serous fluid in the body cavities, hard livers of ‘nutmeg’ appearance, and pulmonary congestion. Histopathologically the livers showed periacinar necrosis in acute cases and periacinar fibrosis in chronic cases. Lungs from several calves had oedema, haemosiderosis and fibrosis in some pulmonary vessels. Atrophy of myocardial fibres was present in most cases. The concentration of free gossypol in the diet was 100 to 220 mg/kg. Ante-mortem and post-mortem findings supported a diagnosis of gossypol poisoning. The deaths continued for 4 weeks after withdrawal of CSM from the diet.     

Clinical evaluation and long-term follow-up of dogs having coronoidectomy for elbow incongruity

A retrospective study was performed describing the clinical presentations, radiographic findings, and surgical outcomes of 17 dogs (18 elbows) following medial coronoidectomy for the treatment of elbow joint incongruity as a sole disease entity. Complete resolution of lameness was achieved in 100% of the cases. The mean radiographic arthrosis grade progressed in 70% of the cases. Results of this study indicate that resolution of clinical lameness may be achieved with medial coronoidectomy in dogs with elbow incongruity; however, progression of degenerative joint disease with unknown, long-term clinical significance can be expected after surgery.     

Effects of ventilation regimen on the welfare and performance of lactating ewes in summer

A 6-wk trial was performed with thirty-six lactating Comisana ewes during the summer of 2001. The animals were divided into three groups of 12, which were designated low (LVR), moderate (MVR), and programmed (PROGR) ventilation regimens. In LVR and MVR rooms, fans provided 10 ventilation cycles of 12.5 and 25 min/h, respectively, whereas in the PROGR room, the fan was programmed to operate at 30 degrees C air temperature and 70% relative humidity. Mean ventilation rates were 33, 66, and 173 m3/h per ewe in LVR, MVR, and PROGR rooms. Air concentrations of microorganisms and dust and of gaseous pollutants were measured twice weekly. Respiration rate and rectal temperature were monitored throughout the trial at 1430. Behavioral traits of ewes were recorded once per week from 0930 to 1230. Cell-mediated immune response to phytohemagglutinin at d 3, 20, and 40 and humoral response to chicken egg albumin at d 11, 21, 30, and 40 were determined. At d 37, ewes were injected with 2 IU porcine ACTH/kg body weight(0.75) and subjected to blood sampling for evaluation of cortisol concentrations immediately before and 1, 2, and 4 h after ACTH injection. Milk yield was recorded daily. Individual milk samples were analyzed weekly for composition and renneting parameters and fortnightly for bacteriological characteristics. Averages of temperature-humidity index values were 78.9, 76.8, and 74.5 in LVR, MVR, and PROGR rooms, respectively. The LVR and MVR treatments resulted in higher NH3 and CO2 air concentrations than PROGR treatment (P < 0.05). The LVR and MVR ewes had higher rectal temperatures than PROGR ewes (P = 0.001). LVR animals also exhibited higher idling compared to PROGR (P < 0.01) and lower feeding times than MVR (P < 0.05) and PROGR animals (P < 0.01). Ewes under the LVR treatment displayed significant lower averages of antibody titers and higher plasma cortisol levels than PROGR (P < 0.01) and MVR ewes (P < 0.05) 60 min after ACTH injection. The LVR treatment resulted in lower yields of milk (P < 0.01) and reduced feed efficiency (P < 0.01) than PROGR treatment. Results suggest that a fan-ventilated system, providing ventilation cycles during the warmest hours of the day and the night at a mean ventilation rate of 66 m3/ewe per hour, may sustain the performance and welfare in lactating ewes raised in warm climates during summer. A ventilation regimen, programmed to operate over upper critical air temperature and relative humidity, may be economically unattractive under these conditions.     

Acute cortisol responses of calves to scoop dehorning using local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wound

Objective To measure plasma cortisol responses in calves dehorned using a scoop after administration of local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wounds.
Design A physiological study with controls.
Procedure There were six treatments: control handling with and without local anaesthesia, dehorning, dehorning after local anaesthesia, dehorning followed by wound cautery, and dehorning after local anaesthesia followed by wound cautery. Blood samples were taken before and after dehorning.
Results Dehorning caused an increase in plasma cortisol concentrations, which decreased a little to plateau values and then declined to pretreatment values 3 to 4 h after dehorning. The peak was smaller after local anaesthesia was administered but when its effects wore off, cortisol concentrations increased and thereafter were similar to those in the dehorned animals. The combination of local anaesthesia and cautery resulted in a plasma cortisol response similar to those in control calves with or without local anaesthesia.
Conclusions If plasma cortisol concentrations reflect the distress being experienced by the calves, then local anaesthesia reduces the acute distress for about 3 h after dehorning but not during the subsequent 3 to 4 h. Combining local anaesthetic and cautery prevented the significant increase in plasma cortisol following dehorning and may eliminate the acute distress caused by scoop dehorning.     

Effect of Initial GnRH and Duration of Progesterone Insert Treatment on the Fertility of Lactating Dairy Cows

The study compared response to prostaglandin F2α (PG), synchrony of ovulation and pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in a 5‐ vs a 7‐day Ovsynch + PRID protocol and investigated whether the initial GnRH affects P/AI in lactating dairy cows. Two hundred and seventy‐six cows (500 inseminations) were assigned to one of four timed‐AI (TAI) protocols: (i) PRID‐7G; 100 μg GnRH im, and a progesterone‐releasing intravaginal device (PRID) for 7 days. At PRID removal, PG (500 μg of cloprostenol) was given im. Cows received the second GnRH treatment at 60 h after PRID removal and TAI 12 h later. (ii) PRID‐5G; as PRID‐7G except the duration of PRID, treatment was 5 days and PG was given twice (12 h apart). (iii) PRID‐7NoG; as PRID‐7G except the initial GnRH, treatment was omitted. (iv) PRID‐5NoG; as PRID‐7NoG except the duration of PRID, treatment was 5 days. Response to treatments and pregnancy status at 32 and 60 days after TAI was determined by ultrasonography. The percentage of cows ovulating before TAI was greatest in PRID‐7G (17.1%), and the percentage of cows that did not have luteal regression was greatest in PRID‐5G (9.5%). The overall P/AI at 32 and 60 days did not differ among TAI protocols. However, during resynchronization, cows subjected to the 5‐day protocols had greater (p < 0.05) P/AI (45.3% vs 33.6%) than cows subjected to the 7‐day protocols. Pregnancy loss between 32 and 60 days tended (p = 0.10) to be greater in cows that did not receive initial GnRH (14.8%) compared to those that received GnRH (8.2%). In conclusion, the PRID‐5G protocol resulted in fewer cows responding to PG, but P/AI did not differ among TAI protocols. A 5‐day protocol resulted in more P/AI in resynchronized cows, and cows that did not receive initial GnRH tended to experience more pregnancy losses.     

Detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in sylvatic lagomorphs from an epidemic area of Madrid using the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test

An outbreak of human leishmaniosis was confirmed in the southwest of the province of Madrid, Spain, between July 2009 and December 2012. Incidence of Leishmania infection in dogs was unchanged in this period, prompting a search for alternative sylvatic infection reservoirs. We evaluated exposure to Leishmania in serum samples from animals in the area with an indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT). Using promastigotes from six culture passages and a 1/25 threshold titer, we found anti-Leishmania infantum seroreactivity in 9.3% of cats (4 of 43), 45.7% of rabbits (16/35) and 74.1% of hares (63/85). Use of promastigotes from >10 in vitro passages resulted in a notably IFAT lower titer, suggesting antigenic changes during extended culture. Postmortem inspection of seropositive animals showed no clinical signs of infection. The results clearly suggest that asymptomatic hares were the main reservoir in the outbreak, and corroborate IFAT as a sensitive serological surveillance method to detect such cryptic Leishmania infections.     

Gonadotropin‐induced Puberty Does Not Impair Reproductive Performance of Gilts over Three Parities

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of three parities of gilts treated or not treated with gonadotropin to induce puberty. Sixty gilts received 600 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) followed by 2.5 mg of porcine luteinizing hormone (LH) 72 h later. Fifty‐nine other gilts were exposed only to a mature boar for 15 min twice daily. Artificial insemination (AI) was performed at 0, 12 and 24 h after the detection of oestrus, and gestation was confirmed by ultrasound after 35 days. Sows were inseminated at the first post‐weaning oestrus. The total numbers of piglets born, piglets born alive, stillborn, mummified foetuses, as well as pregnancy and farrowing rates were evaluated for each of the three parities. Culling rates, farrowing intervals and weaning‐to‐oestrous intervals (WEI) were also analysed. Mean age at puberty and oestrous manifestation were not significantly different between treatments (p = 0.0639; 179.20 ± 17.52 compared with 173.96 ± 16.94, 91.66% compared with 94.92%) across the experimental period. However, females that underwent puberty induction showed modest increases both in the number of total pigs born and in the number of piglets born alive. In conclusion, puberty induction through exogenous gonadotropin administration in field conditions did not induce a more concentrated first oestrous manifestation, but trended to a modest increase in the number of pigs born alive in the first parity and a reduced culling rate during the first gestation.     

Strangulation of the small intestine by an anomalous congenital band in a yearling

Strangulating obstruction of the small intestine by anomalous mesenteric bands is an uncommon cause of colic in horses. The most commonly reported bands are mesodiverticular bands that are embryological remnants of the vitelline arteries. Despite the congenital nature of the anomaly, a wide age range of horses can be affected. This report describes a case of small intestinal strangulating obstruction caused by an unusual, anomalous congenital band attached to the ileocaecal fold in a yearling colt. Information including case background, history, clinical, laboratory, surgical and pathological findings is described.     

Relationship of climatic conditions to fecal corticosterone levels of captive cheetahs reared in Japan

To assess the stress level of cheetahs reared in Japan and to identify the prime components of the climatic conditions that affect their thermal stress, fecal corticosterone was monitored for 8 months from May to the following January. A total of 203 fecal samples were gathered in the morning from seven adult cheetahs that were kept at a zoological garden in Wakayama, Japan. Cheetahs were on exhibit singly or together with a harmonious conspecific during the day, but housed singly at night. Although the monthly fluctuation in corticosterone concentrations was not significant, the concentrations were relatively low during the summer season. Individual differences among cheetahs and the interaction effect between individual and month on the corticosterone concentrations were significant. Whereas the corticosterone concentrations negatively correlated with air temperature, they were positively correlated with the amount of rainfall. The highest air temperature and the amount of rainfall were extracted as the prime factors affecting corticosterone concentrations. These results suggest that cheetahs reared in Japan are somewhat subjected to thermal stress, particularly on cooler and/or rainy days.