Coprophagy in animals: a review

Coprophagy is performed by rodents and lagomorphs and to a lesser degree by piglets, foals, dogs and nonhuman primates. Due to the construction of the digestive system of rodents and rabbits, coprophagy is necessary to supply many essential nutrients. Bacterial synthesis of nutrients occurs in the lower gastrointestinal tract in these animals where little absorption is realized. The eating of their feces provides a method for obtaining these nutrients.     

Coprophagy by foals: effect of age and possible functions

In colts and fillies observed from birth to 24 weeks old, coprophagy occurred from Weeks 1 to 19. Its frequency was greatest during the first two months. Coprophagy was rarely observed in mares and stallions. Foals usually ate the faeces of their mother but were observed to eat their own and those of a stallion and another unrelated mare. Urination by the foal occurred before, during or after 26 per cent of the coprophagy incidents. It is hypothesised that foals may consume faeces in response to a maternal pheromone which signals the presence of deoxycholic acid or other acids which the foal may be deficient in and which it may require for gut immuno-competence myelination of the nervous system. Such a pheromone may also serve to accelerate growth and sexual maturation. Coprophagy may also provide nutrients and introduce normal bacterial flora to the gut.     

Neosporosis in dogs

A bitch was inoculated subcutaneously and intramuscularly with Neospora caninum tachyzoites on Day 35 of pregnancy. Eight pups were born 28 days later. Five pups became ill and necropsies were performed before 20 days of age. Three pups and the bitch remained clinically normal for 7 weeks after parturition when they were intramuscularly injected with 40 mg kg-1 methylprednisolone acetate weekly to activate chronic N. caninum infection. Necropsies were performed 48, 17, 18, and 18 days respectively after administration of corticosteroids. Hepatic necrosis, pneumonia, encephalomyelitis, and myonecrosis were the main changes seen in these dogs.     

Panosteitis in dogs

The clinical and radiographic signs of panosteitis in seven dogs are described and also the histological and fluorochrome-labelled appearance of the lesions in one of them. The condition was seen in three immature German Shepherd dogs, three immature mongrels, of which two were littermates, and an adult Doberman Pinscher which presented with lesions of its metacarpus.     

Ketamine in dogs

The cardiopulmonary consequences of ketamine (10 mg/kg, IV) were evaluated in 18 dogs. Heart rate, cardiac output, systemic blood pressure, left ventricular work, oxygen transport, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and core temperature increased. Breathing rate, minute ventilation, and arterial partial pressure of oxygen transiently decreased. Arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide, alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient, and venous admixture transiently increased. The duration of action of ketamine for surgical anesthesia was short. Muscle tone and salivation were excessive, and spontaneous muscular activity was prominent.     

犬木糖醇中毒的研究进展

木糖醇是一种天然的五碳糖醇,在自然界中分布范围广,在各种水果和蔬菜等中存在,常作为甜味剂用于无糖的糖果和口香糖、甜点、饮料和牙膏等中。木糖醇虽对绝大部分哺乳动物安全性高,但对犬类却具有致命的毒性作用。犬摄入超过0.1 g/kg的木糖醇会有低血糖的风险,摄入超过0.5 g/kg可能产生肝毒性,会危及生命且木糖醇中毒无特效解毒剂。由于人类消费木糖醇各种产品的扩大以及宠物产业的发展,使得犬类接触木糖醇并引起中毒的几率大大增加。本研究主要从犬木糖醇中毒的毒代动力学、临床症状与病理变化及救治和检测等方面予以综述,以期引起重视并为中毒的预防和救治提供参考。