The experience of dog bites: A survey of veterinary science and veterinary nursing students

AIM: To investigate the circumstances of dogs biting people in New Zealand.

METHODS: Veterinary science and veterinary nursing students enrolled at Massey University in 2003 completed a questionnaire detailing their lifetime experience of dog bites and their opinions of dog control legislation.

RESULTS: The response rate was 100%. There were 228 completed responses to the survey, and 87 (38%) respondents had been bitten by a dog. Most bites caused minor injury, but 17 (20%) required medical attention. Male respondents were more likely to have been bitten. The highest proportion of respondents (27; 31%) had been bitten while between 6 and 10 years of age, and the hand was the part of the body most often injured. Eighteen (21%) bites involved a stranger's dog, but most bites were by a dog known to the victim. Respondents from rural areas were three times more likely to have been bitten than city dwellers. The victim's home was the place where most (31; 36%) bites occurred. Male dogs were responsible for a larger proportion of bites (38; 44%) than females (24; 28%); respondents were unsure about the sex of the remainder of the dogs (25; 29%) that bit them. Protecting the home, play, accidents, rough handling and pain were identified as the common reasons for dogs to bite. Most (46; 52%) respondents did not believe legislation could have prevented their bite. Only four (5%) bites were reported to authorities.

CONCLUSION: Rural dwellers, people with more experience of dogs, children <11 years of age, and male respondents were bitten by dogs most often. Only legislation relating to the fencing of dog owners′ properties may have prevented a reasonable proportion (25; 29%) of the bites reported here.     

Sulphonamides: updates on use in veterinary medicine

Sulphonamides are the oldest class of antimicrobials and are still the drug of choice for many diseases in veterinary patients. They are classified based on their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This article presents an overview of various sulphonamides in each classification, the mechanisms of bacterial resistance, and the effectiveness and maintenance of skin concentrations. Clinical indications, routes and frequency of administration, duration of therapy, compliance factors, cost, adverse drug reactions and drug interactions are described. Controversial topics such as current usage and recommendations for sulphonamide use in dermatology are also discussed.     

Prevalence of intercurrent disease in dogs and cats presented for vaccination at a veterinary practice

A prospective study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of intercurrent disease in dogs and cats presented for vaccination in general practice. Fifty-two percent of animals were found to suffer from intercurrent disease and 3% had severe debilitating disease. A thorough clinical examination conducted at the time of routine vaccination appears to be an important element in maintaining companion animal health and welfare.     

Experience and confidence of final year veterinary students in performing desexing surgeries

AIMS: To describe the level of experience and confidence of veterinary students in performing canine and feline desexing procedures at the end of their final clinical year.

METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with veterinary students at Massey University in November 2017 after completion of their final clinical year. The questions included career plans after graduation, number of assisted and unassisted desexing procedures performed, approximate time to complete desexing surgeries, level of confidence with different aspects of desexing surgeries, what aspects of their desexing surgery training were most helpful, and what could be done to improve training in desexing surgical skills in veterinary school.

RESULTS: The survey was completed by 70/95 (74%) students in their final clinical year. Among respondents, 55/70 (70%) had performed >2 unassisted feline neuters before graduation. However 38/70 (54%) students had never performed an unassisted feline spay, 31/70 (44%) had never performed an unassisted canine neuter, and 44/70 (63%) students had never performed an unassisted canine spay. The median reported times to complete a feline neuter, feline spay, canine neuter, and canine spay were 9, 40, 30 and 60 minutes, respectively. The median level of confidence for these procedures were 9, 6, 7 and 5 (on a scale from 1=least confident to 10=most confident), respectively. The reported time to complete procedures and the confidence in performing procedures did not change markedly with increasing total number of procedures performed. Students were most concerned about their ability to perform the desexing procedures in a reasonable amount of time and to prevent post-operative bleeding from occurring. Students were least concerned with their ability to manage post-operative pain in patients and to select the appropriate suture material. Free-text comments revealed that 62/70 (89%) students wanted more hands-on surgical experience prior to graduation.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVENCE: Many students are currently completing veterinary school with limited experience and low confidence with performing routine canine and feline desexing procedures. Further research is needed to identify the most effective ways for addressing this issue within the constraints of the veterinary curriculum and teaching hospital resources.     

Campylobacter species in cats and dogs in South Australia

BACKGROUND: Campylobacter enteritis was the most frequently notified infectious disease in Australia in 1996 and Campylobacter species have been associated with extra-intestinal infections such as purulent arthritis and Guillian-Barré syndrome. Dogs and cats are known to carry campylobacteria and contact with household pets have been implicated as possible sources of human infection. OBJECTIVE: To provide information on the species of campylobacter carried by cats and dogs in South Australia. METHODS: Faecal samples were collected from stray and owned cats and dogs and feral cats. Campylobacter-like organisms were isolated using selective media and filtration methods. They were then characterised by biochemical tests, antibiotic resistance and growth patterns under various conditions. Husbandry factors that could have influenced the carriage rates were examined both as single variables and in a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Campylobacter upsaliensis and C jejuni were found in 11% and 4% of cats, respectively, whereas 34% dogs carried C upsaliensis, 7% C jejuni and 2% C coli. Intensive housing and open drains were found to be significant risk factors and increased the carriage rate by 2 and 2.6 times, respectively. CONCLUSION: Dogs and cats are a potential reservoir for human enteric infections with campylobacters.     

Animal abuse and intimate partner violence: researching the link and its significance in Ireland - a veterinary perspective

Research on domestic violence has established a substantial association between intimate partner abuse and the abuse of children within the home. It is only recently however, that researchers have demonstrated the correlation between non-accidental injury in animals, and abuse of women by their intimate male partners. A growing body of evidence suggests that animal abuse can be an early indicator for other forms of violent behaviour. This research includes the responses of a sample of 23 women using refuge services in the Republic of Ireland. It investigates the connection between domestic violence and animal abuse, and ascertains if there is sufficient support service for animals and people relevant to domestic abuse. In the survey population, 57% of women reported witnessing one or more forms of abuse, or threats of abuse, of their pets. Five of which were reported to have resulted in the death of the pet. Eighty seven per cent of women felt a facility to accommodate pets would have made their decision to leave the family home easier. Four women disclosed that lack of such a service and concern for the welfare of their companion animals caused them to remain in their abusive relationships for longer than they felt appropriate. Nine families placed pets in the care of family or friends, one woman is unaware of the fate of her pet, while the pets of six families remained with the abusive male after his partner entered a refuge. The majority of women felt unable to talk to anyone about their fears for their pets' welfare. Many felt that there is no service which can provide temporary accommodation for womens' pets while they are in refuge. The results obtained support those found elsewhere in larger studies in the USA and UK, and demonstrate an association of animal abuse in households where there is reported domestic violence.     

Clinical evaluation of the CA530-VET hematology analyzer for use in veterinary practice

BACKGROUND: The CA530-VET is a completely automated impedance cell hematology analyzer, which yields a 16-parameter blood count including a 3-part leukocyte differential. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the operational potential of the CA530-VET and its value for use in veterinary practice. METHODS: The analyzer was tested for blood carry-over, precision, and accuracy. Comparison methods included the CELL-DYN 3500, microhematocrit centrifugation, manual platelet (PLT) counting for feline and equine species, and a 100-cell manual WBC differential. Blood samples for comparison of the methods were obtained from 242 dogs, 166 cats, and 144 horses. RESULTS: The carry-over ratio (K) was 0.28% for RBC, 0.59% for PLT, 0.32% for WBC, and 0.18% for hemoglobin (HGB) concentration. Coefficients of variation (CVs) for within-batch precision and duplicate measurement of blood samples were clearly within the required limits, except for duplicate platelet counts in cats (8.7%) and horses (9.5%). The WBC count was in excellent agreement for dogs and horses and RBC count was in excellent agreement for horses. The accuracy of feline WBC counts was not acceptable, with the exception of values at the high end of the range. RBC counts in dogs and cats, and HGB concentration and MCV in all 3 species were sufficiently accurate. The CA530-VET HCT results were in excellent agreement with microhematocrit results in horses but exceeded the maximum allowed inaccuracy for cats and dogs. In all species, PLT counts established mechanically and manually were not in adequate agreement. Large differences were found between the CA530-VET and the manual differential percentage for lymphocytes and "mid-sized cells" (monocytes and basophilic granulocytes). CONCLUSIONS: The CA530-VET can be considered useful for routine canine, feline, and equine blood cell analyses. It should not be considered accurate, however, for PLT counts, feline total WBC counts in the subnormal and normal range, and leukocyte differentials, except for granulocytes.     

虎斑颈槽蛇肾脏存在两性差异

虎斑颈槽蛇 (Rhabdophistigrina)雌、雄性的肾脏在形态和结构上存在明显的差异 ,雌性虎斑槽蛇的肾脏呈暗红色且较细小 ,雄性的肾脏呈橙黄色且较粗壮 ;雄性肾脏具有明显肾性节(Sexualsegment) ,而雌性不具有此结构。     

中国蛇类的物种多样性及保护现状

中国是蛇类物种多样性十分丰富的国家,但是由于环境的破坏和人们对蛇类资源需求的增加,致使许多蛇类处于濒危状况。本文阐述了中国蛇类的物种多样性及分布、濒危现状及原因、保护措施及养殖现状等情况,并提出了保护和管理的建议。     

Prevalence of Bordetella bronchiseptica in cats attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region

dAims:To determine the prevalence by isolation of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in healthy cats and in cats showing signs of upper respiratory tract (URT) disease attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region.

dMethods: The nasal cavity and oropharynx of 100 cats of mixed sex and age were swabbed and the swabs cultured for B. bronchiseptica. The population of cats surveyed was that attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and included healthy cats, cats with clinical signs of URT disease, cats with a recent history of URT disease, cats from single cat households, cats from multiple-cat households, and cats from a colony.

dResults: Bordetella bronchiseptica was recovered from 7 cats (5 from pharyngeal samples and 2 from nasal samples). Five of the 7 cats appeared to be healthy at the time of sampling, whilst 2 showed clinical signs of URT disease. Six of the 7 culture-positive cats were from a cat colony.The prevalence of B. bronchiseptica in healthy cats sampled was 7% and in cats with URT disease was 8%.

dConclusion: This study confirms that B. bronchiseptica infection is present, but the prevalence of infection is low, in both healthy cats and in cats with URT disease attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is unlikely that B. bronchiseptica infection is a frequent cause of feline URT disease of cats in this region.     

Assessment of the measurement of canine and feline serum fibroblast growth factor-23 concentrations by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay

This study compared canine and feline fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 concentration measurements between automated chemiluminescence assay (CLEIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Seventy serum samples each from dogs and cats were evaluated. FGF-23 measurements by CLEIA significantly correlated with those of ELISA in both dogs and cats. The Bland–Altman test showed that FGF-23 between CLEIA and ELISA had fixed and proportional biases, respectively, in both dogs and cats. Measurements by CLEIA were lower than those of ELISA, especially in higher serum FGF-23 concentrations. This study showed that FGF-23 concentrations in dogs and cats can be evaluated by automated CLEIA. However, FGF-23 cannot be directly compared between CLEIA and ELISA.