Heart disease in the dog

Heart disease in the dog is first described on the basis of the varying clininical syndromes which can occur as a result of cardiac and other lesions. The diagnostic features of the arrhythmias and lesions causing these syndromes are then elaborated with regard to their specific clinical appreciation. Mention is made of the diagnostic information which can be obtained by simple electrocardiography and simple radiology. Résumé . L'affectation du c?ur chez le chien est d'abord décrite sur la base des divers syndromes cliniques pouvant résulter de lésions, cardiaques ou autres. On élabore ensuite sur les éléments diagnostiques des arythmies et lésions causant ces syndromes, par rapport à leur estimation clinique spécifique. Il est fait mention des renseignements diagnostiques qui peuvent ětre obtenus par simple électrocardiographie et simple radiologie. Zusammenfassung . Herzkrankheiten bei Hunden werden zunächst aufgrund der verschiedenen klinischen Syndrome beschrieben, die als Folgeerscheinung von Herzbeschädigungen und anderen Läsionen auftreten können. Die diagnostischen Merkmale der Arrhythmien und Läsionen, die zu diesen Syndromen führen, werden danach mit Rücksicht auf ihre spezifische klinische Auswertung ausgearbeitet. Weiter werden Informationen zur Diagnostik der Herzbeschwerden, welche durch einfache radiologische und elektrokardiographische Untersuchungen gewonnen werden können, mitgeteilt.     

Navicular disease in the horse

Navicular disease results in a chronic, progressiveforelimb lameness that is usually bilateral. Although many different horse breeds can be affected, Quarter Horses and Warmbloods appear particularly susceptible. The peak age incidence appears to be in horses aged 6–10 years. The condition has been recognized for many years and has been the source of debate and conflict for at least the last 50 years. Much of the confusion has been caused by different criteria used to establish a diagnosis. In a large series of cases examined at the University of Sydney, only 30 percent of horses that were eventually diagnosed as having navicular disease showed a positive response to hoof testers applied across the middle third of the frog. In contrast, more than 80 percent of horses with navicular disease showed a marked increase in lameness following pastern and fetlock flexion. All horses diagnosed became sound following a palmar digital nerve block and all had positive findings on radiography. However, radiography could not be utilized as a sole diagnostic technique because some horses with radiographic abnormalities of the navicular bone did not show clinical signs of navicular disease.To establish a diagnosis of navicular disease, the following criteria should be met: 1) A chronic progressive unilateral or bilateral forelimb lameness, 2) Pain in areas proximal to the foot has been excluded as a possible cause of the lameness, 3) Other conditions that could cause pain in the palmar heel region are excluded, 4) The lameness is eliminated or substantially improved following a palmar digital nerve block, and 5) There are radiographic abnormalities on upright pedal and/or skyline views of the navicular bone.Treatment of navicular disease has usually fallen into categories of a) pain alleviation, b) drugs with vascular or hemodynamic effects, or c) changing biomechanics either by corrective trimming or corrective shoeing. None of these treatments have been universally accepted and debate about their efficacy is allied to theories about the etiology.     

Aleutian disease in the ferret

Ferrets inoculated with Aleutian disease (AD)-infective material of mink origin harbored the infective agent for at least 136 days after inoculation. In contrast, hamsters given a similar inoculum of infective material no longer harbored the infective agent at 21 days postinoculation. During the infective period, neither ferrets nor hamsters had any detectable illness. However, in certain ferrets, massive periportal lymphocytic infiltrates were observed. A survey of ferrets from different ranches revealed similar lymphocytic infiltrates only in ferrets raised on a ranch which had AD-infected mink.     

Respiratory disease in the donkey

The donkey suffers from a similar range of respiratory diseases as the horse; however, there are a number of subtle variations, knowledge of which can influence the success of treatment. As an animal adapted to a semi‐arid terrain, there are variations in physiology, anatomy and disease susceptibility. The nonathletic nature of the donkey means that delayed presentation is common with many diseases and, while there may be enhanced resistance to some transboundary and parasitic diseases, there may be equal or increased severity of illness to some endemic diseases, e.g. equine influenza. Donkeys frequently live to geriatric ages and the clinician should be aware of the increased risk of conditions such as tracheal collapse, fibrosing pneumonia and neoplasia in this age group. As with any condition that causes stress and inappetance, respiratory disease in the donkey may be complicated by hyperlipaemia and good nursing care is an essential component of treatment.     

Navicular disease in the hindlimbs of the horse

Of 124 horses determined to have navicular disease during a 5-year period, 6 had clinical and radiographic signs of the disease in both hindlimbs. These 6 were all castrated males, ranging in age from 3 to 12 years, and were used for work of similar nature: roping, cutting, and pleasure. Treatment consisted of posterior digital neurectomy and corrective shoeing in 2 cases, posterior digital neurectomy alone in 2 cases, and corrective shoeing alone in 2 cases. Following treatment, lameness subsided, and all 6 horses were returned to full use.     

Border disease of sheep: the disease in the newborn, adolescent and adult.

Border disease (BD) is a condition of newborn sheep that results from congenital infection by a non-cytopathic pestivirus occurring during the first half of gestation. The expression of the virus is largely determined by the age of the fetus at the time of infection, producing four distinct disease syndromes: (1) early embryonic death, (2) abortion and stillbirth, (3) birth of lambs with malformations, and (4) birth of small, weak lambs, lacking characteristic clinical signs, but bearing features of immunosuppression. The effects of the virus infection during the developmental stages of the fetus are most apparent as distinctive clinical signs at the time of birth but a state of specific immuno-tolerance with associated virus persistence remains for the lifetime of the sheep. Although the clinical signs disappear with time, some effects of virus persistence may continue into adolescence and often into adulthood. Characteristic lesions are found in the nervous, endocrine, skeletal and integumentary, and immune systems.     

AUS in the prevention of Marek's disease

Aminoureidosulfone (AUS) was used as a feed additive to prevent mortality in Marek's disease (MD)-infected chickens in the laboratory. Chicks infected with MD virus (5000 plaque-forming units) at 1 day of age were given AUS in the feed from 1 day of age until the experiment was terminated. AUS, at all concentrations tested, reduced mortality due to Marek's disease. Chickens receiving AUS at the 0.002% level had a 4% mortality rate, those receiving 0.005% had 9% mortality, and those receiving 0.01% had 2% mortality; mortality rates in the respective controls were 44%, 49%, and 50%. However, lesion reduction in surviving chicks was minimal. When AUS was withdrawn from the feed, MD-induced mortality increased within two weeks; average body weight decreased also.