Hereditary cataract in the German Shepherd Dog

Primary hereditary cataract is recorded and described in the German Shepherd Dog in the United Kingdom. The cataract is not congenital, it is bilateral and progressive to a certain point and is unassociated with any other ocular abnormality. It is due to an autosomal, recessive gene. The cataract is compared to that described by von Hippel in Germany in 1930 which was congenital and non-progressive and due to a dominant gene. The two types of cataract are therefore dissimilar.     

Survivin: a bifunctional inhibitor of apoptosis protein

Survivin is a recently discovered protein belonging to the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) gene family. IAP molecules are characterized by both the presence of a zinc-binding fold termed the baculoviral IAP repeat and the ability to suppress apoptosis. In addition to inhibiting apoptosis, survivin is essential for proper cell division. Survivin is expressed during embryonal development but is absent in most normal, terminally differentiated tissues. Survivin is also upregulated in a variety of human cancers, and its expression in tumors is associated with a more aggressive phenotype, shorter survival times, and a decreased response to chemotherapy. The exact mechanism behind the ability of survivin to inhibit apoptosis is still unclear. Furthermore, it is not known why this protein is upregulated in cancer. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of survivin, including its role in cell division and its expression in normal and neoplastic tissues. Although much of the current research in this field is focused on human medicine, this area also has potential significance for veterinary species.     

A Method for Collection of Bile in the Conscious Sheep

A method to collect bile directly from the hepatic duct is described for use in the sheep. The technique is a combination of the intestinal re-entrant cannulae and a catheter from the duodenal lumen to the hepatic duct. The cystic duct is ligated near its junction with the common bile duct. The catheter is fixed in the proximal visible end of the hepatic duct. One plastic cannula is fixed to the duodenum opposite to the opening of the common bile duct and the other is fixed in the same way about 15 cm posterior to the first one. The two plastic cannulae fixed together with a plastic tube serve as an extra-abdominal anastomosis. During the collection periods the bile duct catheter is passed through an opening in the wall of the connection tube into a collection bag that is fixed to the plastic cannulae. Between the collection periods the catheter ends in the lumen of the anastomosis.     

Some pharmacological and toxicological properties of furazolidone

The pharmacological and toxicological properties of furazolidone have been briefly reviewed. Among the most important pharmacological actions of furazolidone is the inhibition of mono- and diamine oxidase activities, which seem to depend, at least in some species, on the presence of the gut flora. The drug also seems to interfere with the utilization of thiamin, which is probably instrumental in the production of anorexia and loss of body weight of the treated animals. Furazolidone is known to induce a condition of cardiomyopathy in turkeys, which could be used as a model to study alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency in man. The drug is most toxic to ruminants. The toxic signs observed were of nervous nature. Experiments are in progress in this laboratory to try to explain the mechanism(s) by which this toxicity is brought about. It is uncertain whether the use of furazolidone at the recommended therapeutic dose would result in drug residues in tissues of treated animals. This is a matter of public health importance as the drug has been shown to possess a carcinogenic activity. It is important that a simple and reliable method of identification and estimation of furazolidone residues be devised. More work is needed to elucidate the mode of action and biochemical effects caused by the drug in both the host and the infective organisms.     

紫貂的饲养管理

紫貂是一种极其珍贵的毛皮动物 ,其饲养管理可分为成年紫貂的饲养管理和仔兽育成期的饲养管理 ,成年紫貂的饲养管理又分为繁殖期的饲养管理和非繁殖期的饲养管理。紫貂繁殖期的饲养管理的重点为 :1做好发情鉴定和及时配种工作 ;2对处于妊娠期、产仔和哺乳期母兽应提供全价饲料 ;3及时断乳 ;4做好卫生防疫工作。非繁殖期的饲养管理的重点为做好防寒保温和提高毛皮质量工作。仔兽育成期的饲养管理的重点为提供充足的全价饲料和做好卫生防疫工作。     

Pasture problems in South Africa

Grassland problems in South Africa are reviewed and the suggestion made that a Pasture Research Institute should be established forthwith to serve South Africa. An holistic approach is needed whereby plant, soil and animal influences are studied as controllable parts of the environment. The importance of a legume component is stressed as also is the value of an examination of the whole range of potentially adaptable plant materials (exotic and indigenous). Plant breeding programmes must be a corollary of these studies. Reference is made to sward density as a factor in erosion control. Conservation of fodder is discussed in relation to drought conditions and the need is stressed for more information in relation to food quality both in the green state and when conserved. Pasture research is dealt with in relation to the huge potential offered in South Africa for the increase in the output of meat, milk and wool.     

鸡传染性支气管炎实验室诊断方法研究进展

传染性支气管炎是鸡的一种重大传染病,临床上无典型的病变特征,诊断较为困难。现有的实验室检测方法有血清学、病原学和分子生物学方法,但该病病原变异复杂,血清型众多,交叉免疫性低,临床上又多采用活毒进行免疫,以至实验室无法对疫苗毒和野毒进行准确区分。为了更好地控制本病,有必要根据临床特点对目前各种检测鸡传染性支气管炎的方法及其优缺点进行分析,为临床寻找一种适合的快速准确的诊断方法、制定合理的免疫程序和发展新型的诊断方法提供参考。     

2种野生早熟禾坪用性能评价

通过室内萌发试验和田间观测对2种野生早熟禾Poa spp.的坪用性能进行了评价.结果表明,"肃南"发芽率为79%,虽然较对照"巴润"发芽率低,但已达到2级种用标准;田间出苗速率和叶色稍次于"巴润",盖度前期与"巴润"相当,后期高于"巴润",且较"巴润"叶片纤细,有更好的越冬率和抗脱水能力;引种驯化后可直接作为草坪草种推广利用."天祝"发芽率较低为48%,但叶片质地在三者中最优,抗寒能力强于"巴润"和"肃南",是优良的育种材料.     

Biosecurity and biocontainment of bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Infection of cattle with BVDV results in a variety of clinical illnesses costly to the cattle industry worldwide. The reservoir and primary source of transmission is cattle born PI with BVDV after transplacental infection in early gestation. It is a challenge to determine with certainty whether or not BVDV is circulating among a herd of cattle. If the virus is present in a herd,then biocontainment strategies are used to eliminate the virus by testing to removing PI cattle, preventing exposure of pregnant cattle to the virus, and increasing resistance to infection using vaccination. If it is clear that the virus is not present in a herd then, biosecurity actions must be taken to prevent introducing the virus into the herd.     

Primary lens luxation in the dog

Primary lens luxation in the dog is encountered only in the terrier breeds and is typically a bilateral condition of both sexes arising in early to late middle age. The condition has recently appeared in the Tibetan Terrier and there is evidence to suggest an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in this breed. In the majority of cases the dislocated lens passes forwards into the anterior chamber where its presence is likely to cause the development of acute glaucoma through obstruction of the pupil or filtration angle; for this reason lendectomy is the treatment of choice in such cases. Posterior luxations are less problematic but the approach to the treatment of subluxated lenses is controversial.     

Progress in the epidemiology and diagnosis of amitraz resistance in the cattle tick Boophilus microplus

Amitraz is a rapidly acting acaricide that has been in use for the control of cattle ticks for more than 30 years. Resistance against amitraz was first reported in Boophilus microplus in Australia in 1980 but has been slow to spread in comparison to resistance against synthetic pyrethroids. The most recent estimate of prevalence of amitraz resistance in Australia is 10.8%. In Mexico, the development and distribution of amitraz appears to have been more rapid and the prevalence has been estimated to be 19.4% in Yucatan state. In New Caledonia, about 10% of properties were confirmed to have amitraz resistance. There is little reliable information on the prevalence of amitraz resistance in southern Africa. Risk factors have been identified, but the small sample sizes in the studies that have attempted to identify risk factors using survey data suggest caution in their interpretation. Regional variation in prevalence has been reported, as has a positive relationship with frequency of acaricide application. There is evidence to suggest that in Australia, amitraz resistance might have emerged on a small number of properties and been disseminated by cattle movements. There is also some evidence to suggest that amitraz resistance can diminish in the field when selection pressure is not applied. The mode of inheritance of amitraz resistance is uncertain and it has been suggested that it is a polygenic trait. The mechanism of amitraz resistance is unknown. Two possibilities have been proposed: octopamine receptor and monoamine oxidase. There is some equivocal support for both possibilities. The larval packet test bioassay is the most reliable method of diagnosing amitraz resistance in B. microplus, and this test has been modified by Miller to provide more accuracy and repeatability. Molecular tests are in development but will not eliminate the need for the bioassay.     

Current concepts of hyperlipaemia in horses and ponies

Hyperlipaemia is an important condition in ponies, not just because of the seriousness of the clinical signs and biochemical changes involved, but because of the distress it causes owners and breeders that have had animals suffer from it. Hyperlipaemia occurs most commonly in fat ponies in late pregnancy and is rarely seen in larger horses. The syndrome has similarities with conditions in other species but the definitive aetiologies are not yet known. The condition in ponies is undoubtedly related to stress. The biochemical mechanisms involved in equine hyperlipaemia are considered and an hypothesis of possible pathogenesis is put forward. This hypothesis is tested by presenting the results of a preliminary study to evaluate glucose and lipid metabolism in horses and ponies. It appears that the pony is markedly insensitive to insulin compared to larger horses which means that triglycerides are more readily mobilised and the animal is therefore susceptible to hyperlipaemia in a situation of negative energy balance. The effect of stress is to increase cortisol levels which only exacerbates the insulin insensitivity and so creates a vicious circle. The importance of an innate insulin insensitivity may also be important in the pathogenesis of such conditions as laminitis.     

Brucellosis at the animal/ecosystem/human interface at the beginning of the 21st century

Following the recent discovery of new Brucella strains from different animal species and from the environment, ten Brucella species are nowadays included in the genus Brucella. Although the intracellular trafficking of Brucella is well described, the strategies developed by Brucella to survive and multiply in phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells, particularly to access nutriments during its intracellular journey, are still largely unknown. Metabolism and virulence of Brucella are now considered to be two sides of the same coin. Mechanisms presiding to the colonization of the pregnant uterus in different animal species are not known. Vaccination is the cornerstone of control programs in livestock and although the S19, RB51 (both in cattle) and Rev 1 (in sheep and goats) vaccines have been successfully used worldwide, they have drawbacks and thus the ideal brucellosis vaccine is still very much awaited. There is no vaccine available for pigs and wildlife. Animal brucellosis control strategies differ in the developed and the developing world. Most emphasis is put on eradication and on risk analysis to avoid the re-introduction of Brucella in the developed world. Information related to the prevalence of brucellosis is still scarce in the developing world and control programs are rarely implemented. Since there is no vaccine available for humans, prevention of human brucellosis relies on its control in the animal reservoir. Brucella is also considered to be an agent to be used in bio- and agroterrorism attacks. At the animal/ecosystem/human interface it is critical to reduce opportunities for Brucella to jump host species as already seen in livestock, wildlife and humans. This task is a challenge for the future in terms of veterinary public health, as for wildlife and ecosystem managers and will need a "One Health" approach to be successful.     

The treatment of multicentric canine lymphoma

Canine LSA is a fatal disease if untreated, but fortunately it is also a disease that is very responsive to therapeutic intervention. It is likely that most cases seen and treated by practitioners will be managed with the currently effective drugs and with new protocols as they are developed. Other approaches, including immunotherapy and BMT, are likely to remain more in the arena of the academic institution but should be available in the referral setting for appropriate cases. Great strides have been made in the less than 30 years that canine LSA has been widely treated; it is reasonable that similar progress is to be expected in the years to come.     

Nutritional value of high fiber co-products from the copra,palm kernel,and rice industries in diets fed to pigs

High fiber co-products from the copra and palm kernel industries are by-products of the production of coconut oil and palm kernel oil. The co-products include copra meal, copra expellers, palm kernel meal, and palm kernel expellers. All 4 ingredients are very high in fiber and the energy value is relatively low when fed to pigs. The protein concentration is between 14 and 22 % and the protein has a low biological value and a very high Arg:Lys ratio. Digestibility of most amino acids is less than in soybean meal but close to that in corn. However, the digestibility of Lys is sometimes low due to Maillard reactions that are initiated due to overheating during drying.Copra and palm kernel ingredients contain 0.5 to 0.6 % P. Most of the P in palm kernel meal and palm kernel expellers is bound to phytate, but in copra products less than one third of the P is bound to phytate. The digestibility of P is, therefore, greater in copra meal and copra expellers than in palm kernel ingredients. Inclusion of copra meal should be less than 15 % in diets fed to weanling pigs and less than 25 % in diets for growing-finishing pigs. Palm kernel meal may be included by 15 % in diets for weanling pigs and 25 % in diets for growing and finishing pigs.Rice bran contains the pericarp and aleurone layers of brown rice that is removed before polished rice is produced.Rice bran contains approximately 25 % neutral detergent fiber and 25 to 30 % starch. Rice bran has a greater concentration of P than most other plant ingredients, but 75 to 90 % of the P is bound in phytate. Inclusion of microbial phytase in the diets is, therefore, necessary if rice bran is used. Rice bran may contain 15 to 24 % fat, but it may also have been defatted in which case the fat concentration is less than 5 %. Concentrations of digestible energy(DE) and metabolizable energy(ME) are slightly less in full fat rice bran than in corn, but defatted rice bran contains less than 75 % of the DE and ME in corn. The concentration of crude protein is 15 to 18 % in rice bran and the protein has a high biological value and most amino acids are well digested by pigs. Inclusion of rice bran in diets fed to pigs has yielded variable results and based on current research it is recommended that inclusion levels are less than 25 to 30 % in diets for growing-finishing pigs, and less than 20 % in diets for weanling pigs.However, there is a need for additional research to determine the inclusion rates that may be used for both full fat and defatted rice bran.     

贵州重点蚕区现行春蚕品种生产布局的试验调查

为探讨贵州省重点蚕区春蚕生产品种布局,根据各蚕区地理和气候条件,在每个蚕区针对性地发放本省现行3个蚕品种进行试验调查。初步认为,贵蚕一号适合在息烽县、毕节市、黄平县春季饲养,春蕾×镇珠适合凤岗县春季饲养,两广二号适合在荔波县春季饲养。     

Anthelmintic resistance--looking to the future: a UK perspective

The full extent of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of farm animals is not known. Resistance can be detected with a faecal egg count reduction test and two in vitro tests, the egg hatch and larval development tests. The sensitivity of these two in vitro tests can be increased by using discriminating doses rather than calculating LD50 values. Only benzimidazole resistance can be detected with PCR based tests because the molecular mechanisms of resistance to levamisole and the macrocyclic lactones remain unknown. Resistance detection is important because it enables the appropriate management strategies to be put in place. The development of resistance is delayed by keeping sufficient parasites in refugia (not exposed to anthelmintic), but the necessary management details have not yet been validated in the field. It is probably too late to use combination products to delay the development of resistance, except in cattle but quarantining animals to prevent introduction of resistant helminths onto a farm is important. Dilution of resistant worms with susceptible ones is only at the preliminary research stage and the application of non-chemical methods of control to delay resistance is not yet a practical option. Extensive research is required to manage resistance, especially in the control of resistance in Fasciola hepatica.     

Animal welfare in prevention and therapy of laminitis

Laminitis is a systemic disease which is manifested as a non infectious condition in the foot. The management of feeding and housing conditions is necessary to treat the endocrinological and metabolic disturbances of laminitic horses. The Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is predisposing for developing laminitis, and it is characterised by obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. A genetical predisposition is supposed and EMS is accompanied by a lack of exercise and inadequate energy intake. Laboratory examinations are of great importance for diagnosis. Analyses of insulin, glucose and ACTH are of interest. Several approaches to treat laminitis are available, including pharmacological and orthopaedic strategies as well as the management of the feeding and housing conditions. However, the prophylaxis to prevent laminitis has to be emphasised. Predisposed horses should be detected and adequately treated; especially weight reduction in obese horses is in the focus of interest. Horses in the acute stage of laminitis have to be stabled. Furthermore redistributing weight from the most stressed wall is necessary to prevent pain and to minimise laminar damage and displacement of the distal phalanx. In cases of displacement of the distal phalanx a close communication between the veterinarian and the authorised farrier is necessary, in these cases treatment should be supported by x-ray diagnosis. Horses have to be treated with NSAISs to ensure a proper therapy to consider animal welfare. Horses have to be fed with hay and supplemented with minerals and vitamins. Feeding exclusively straw and feed restriction has to be avoided.     

Why Are Mares with Pneumovagina Susceptible to Bacterial Endometritis? A Personal Opinion

Pneumovagina is the abnormal presence of air in the vagina, which may lead to pneumometra and endometritis. Predisposing factors are abnormal perineal conformation and weakness of the vestibulovaginal sphincter. This report examines why ponies and some other breeds are less susceptible to pneumovagina than Thoroughbreds and consequently less susceptible to endometritis. Observations on vaginal ballooning during vaginoscopic examination led to the conclusion that there is a fundamental difference in intra-abdominal pressures between horses and ponies, and between mares with high or low body condition scores. This difference in the extreme cases, for example, a small fat pony versus a large thin Thoroughbred, means that the pressure gradient in the former is from the uterus through the vagina to the exterior, whereas the case is reversed in the latter. Although the uterus is at a negative pressure relative to the exterior, evacuation of fluids is seriously disadvantaged, leading to an inability to resolve uterine infections.     

Cryptosporidium infection in dogs in Osaka,Japan

Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic pathogen composed of genetically distinct but morphologically identical genotypes. Recent molecular study indicates that dogs may transmit the cattle genotype, which is known to be pathogenic to humans. Although large-scale studies of Cryptosporidium infection in dogs have been performed in several countries, the isolates were not accurately identified because of the lack of a method for molecular analysis. It is important to identify the isolates harbored in dogs, which come in close contact with humans, in order to control human cryptosporidiosis. The aim of the present study was to calculate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in dogs in Osaka city, Japan, and to characterize the isolates molecularly. The prevalence was determined to be 9.3% (13/140) by PCR. All isolates were found to be Cryptosporidium canis (previously known as the dog genotype), which is thought to be non-pathogenic in humans, based on the sequencing of diagnostic fragments. These results indicate that PCR-based diagnostic methods are a useful tool for the diagnosis and molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection in dogs, and that dogs living in Osaka are not a significant reservoir for human cryptosporidiosis. It is unclear why C. canis is dominant in dogs. Further study is required to understand this partial parasitism.