Neoplasms of the spine.

Although the treatment of central nervous system neoplasms generally is unrewarding, some animals with spinal neoplasia may, for a variety of reasons, be successfully managed for extended periods of time. The veterinary profession has greater experience with spinal surgery than with intracranial surgery. As a result, surgeons are more willing to attempt and more successful at removing or debulking spinal neoplasms. Additionally, there are more affordable and accessible diagnostic procedures available to evaluate the spinal cord than there are to evaluate the brain. Finally, the majority of tumors that affect the spinal cord are extramedullary and are therefore amenable to attempts to remove them surgically.     

Disorders of the pharynx.

Pharyngeal disorders are complex and difficult to treat. Disorders that lead to anatomic derangement, such as trauma and neoplasia, can significantly affect the function of this organ. Pharyngeal dysfunction can manifest as dysphagia, persistent palatal displacement, or exercise intolerance. Secondary complications are serious and life threatening and include aspiration pneumonia, weight loss, and death. Pharyngeal disorders that are only recognizable during strenuous exercise are difficult to diagnose and are treated with limited success, even though they are responsible for significant economic losses with performance animals.     

Waterfowl rehabilitation: A primer for veterinarians

Ducks, geese, and swans are an easily recognized group of birds. There are approximately 50 native species in North America, all of which are considered migratory. Despite being a legally hunted family of birds, native waterfowl are federally protected, and there are federal laws associated with their rehabilitation, disposition of nonreleasable animals, and disposal of carcasses. In the United States, there are several nonnative species found with increasing frequency that many don’t realize are feral exotics. There also are state laws dealing with owning exotic waterfowl and prohibition of their release. Native waterfowl occupy a variety of wet habitats, have unique feeding requirements, have specific enclosure and substrate needs, and should be treated by someone with expertise to ensure recovery sufficient for return to the wild. If a practitioner is going to accept wild waterfowl as patients, it is important they know the laws, identify species, understand species natural history, and learn about associated common problems. This article discusses legalities, basic husbandry issues, common presentations, and basic veterinary/rehabilitation matters of waterfowl commonly found by the public. It also covers some common problems seen with feral exotic waterfowl as well.     

奶牛产后子宫感染与子宫免疫

非特异性子宫感染会降低奶牛的生产性能和奶牛场的潜在效益。发生子宫感染时常并发感染化脓性放线杆菌或混合感染其他细菌。当从产后21 d的奶牛子宫液中分离到化脓性放线杆菌时,说明奶牛发生了严重的子宫内膜炎,并且将导致产后第一个发情期不孕。然而引起子宫感染的确切原因尚不清楚,但可以肯定与多种因素有关。发生难产、胎衣不下、怀有双胎或死胎以及患有各种代谢紊乱疾病的奶牛比其他奶牛更容易发生子宫感染。分娩前后异常的免疫功能更容易导致发生严重的子宫感染。子宫感染一般不会引起奶牛死亡,但是发生子宫感染的奶牛其生产性能会受到很大影响。另外,子宫发生感染还会降低产奶量,并且对子宫感染的一些治疗措施还会对牛奶产生污染。因为感染的非特异性,所以子宫感染很难预防;注意加强卫生设施以及围产期的卫生,特别是在助产过程中的卫生,才可能是最好的预防方法。异常免疫功能导致奶牛发生子宫感染的现象,说明通过对免疫功能的调节来预防和治疗围产期奶牛子宫感染是有潜力的。     

Hypersensitivity skin testing of lambs infested with the biting louse (Bovicola ovis)

Abstract Cockle, a defect of lamb's pelts, has recently been shown to be associated with infestation of lambs with the louse Bovicoh ovis. The mechanisms by which infestation with the louse leads to cockle are not known, but immunological hypersensitivity has been suggested. The objectives of our work are to determine if lambs respond immunologically to lice and, if so, whether hypersensitivity occurs. Preliminary results are presented here.     

Seafood transmitted diseases]

This paper reviews seafood related bacterial, viral and parasitological hazards for consumers worldwide. Seafood from Europe is generally regarded as safe. Food safety risks associated with aquaculture products results from contamination with biological agents, which are greater in freshwater and coastal ecosystems than in open seas. Due to the consumption conditions and the intensive investigations of imported products with contamination of pathogenic bacteria there are little seafood risks in Europe. Viral infections are associated with consumption of raw or recontaminated shellfish. There has been speculation that more than 50% of the outbreaks of unknown aethiology are due to viruses. Foodborne parasitic hazards are associated with the consumption of raw (sushi) or insufficiently heated, marinated and salted seafood.     

Implications of mycotoxins in animal disease

Mycotoxins are formed on animal feeds when conditions of moisture and temperature permit the growth of naturally occurring toxigenic fungi. In general, mycotoxins are low molecular weight, nonantigenic substances, many of which are relatively heat stable. Mycotoxins can cause acute disease episodes when animals consume critical quantities of them. Specific toxins affect specific organs or tissues such as the liver, kidney, oral and gastric mucosa, brain, or reproductive tract. In acute mycotoxicoses, the signs of disease often are marked and directly referable to the affected target organs. Most frequently, however, concentrations of mycotoxin in feeds are below those that cause acute disease. At lower concentrations, the effects of mycotoxins are more protean. They reduce the growth rate of young animals, and some interfere with native mechanisms of resistance and impair immunologic responsiveness, making the animals more susceptible to infection. These effects on immunity and resistance are difficult to recognize because the signs of disease are associated with the infection rather than with the mycotoxin that predisposed the animal to infection. Animals vary in their susceptibility to some mycotoxins, according to the species and age of animal; young growing animals are more susceptible to certain mycotoxins than are adults. The major effects, sources, and dose response relationships of mycotoxins important to the health of food-producing animals are presented in accompanying tables.     

Equine bone scintigraphic uptake patterns related to age, breed, and occupation.

It is well known that skeletal scintigraphy is an imaging modality with high sensitivity but low specificity. Sites of IRU provide good evidence of increased bone turnover but not its specific cause. Results of lameness workups, blocks, and other imaging techniques are required to determine specific causes. Overinterpretation of causes of IRU is tempting, especially in assigning diagnoses to EIBR--adaptive or non-adaptive. Nevertheless, a quarter of a century's experience with equine skeletal scintigraphy has shown that certain patterns and locations can be fairly predictive of certain pathologic findings. It behooves the equine scintigrapher to know those patterns and how they are affected by the patient's age, breed, and occupation so that he or she can indicate how to best focus other diagnostic procedures toward a definitive diagnosis. Those who are conducting research involving equine skeletal scintigraphy are challenged to help sharpen that focus, especially in evaluating the significance of relatively mild IRUs. Equine clinicians who use scintigraphy in their lameness workups are especially challenged. Working in concert with nuclear medicine imagers, they are in the best position to garner, collate, and analyze the information that is needed to correlate IRUs and the clinical picture. As difficult as they are to design and conduct, such studies are most productive if done prospectively and are most rewarding for those who carry them through.     

Enteropathogenic bacteria in dogs and cats: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and control

This report offers a consensus opinion on the diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and control of the primary enteropathogenic bacteria in dogs and cats, with an emphasis on Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli associated with granulomatous colitis in Boxers. Veterinarians are challenged when attempting to diagnose animals with suspected bacterial-associated diarrhea because well-scrutinized practice guidelines that provide objective recommendations for implementing fecal testing are lacking. This problem is compounded by similar isolation rates for putative bacterial enteropathogens in animals with and without diarrhea, and by the lack of consensus among veterinary diagnostic laboratories as to which diagnostic assays should be utilized. Most bacterial enteropathogens are associated with self-limiting diarrhea, and injudicious administration of antimicrobials could be more harmful than beneficial. Salmonella and Campylobacter are well-documented zoonoses, but antimicrobial administration is not routinely advocated in uncomplicated cases and supportive therapy is recommended. Basic practices of isolation, use of appropriate protective equipment, and proper cleaning and disinfection are the mainstays of control. Handwashing with soap and water is preferred over use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers because spores of C. difficile and C. perfringens are alcohol-resistant, but susceptible to bleach (1:10 to 1:20 dilution of regular household bleach) and accelerated hydrogen peroxide. The implementation of practice guidelines in combination with the integration of validated molecular-based testing and conventional testing is pivotal if we are to optimize the identification and management of enteropathogenic bacteria in dogs and cats.     

Developments in management of the newborn foal in respiratory distress 1: Evaluation

Developments in evaluation of newborn foals with respiratory distress are discussed. Major causes of respiratory distress are outlined and discussed in terms of the similar respiratory signs exhibited by foals with this clinical syndrome. History, physical examination, clinical pathology, chest radiography and blood gas analyses are discussed as important elements of the evaluation of the condition of these foals. Foals with respiratory disease are grouped into three major categories on the basis of clinical signs and arterial blood gas profiles. The evaluation of foals with respiratory distress is designed not only to reach an accurate diagnosis of the aetiology but also to define the foal's need for respiratory support.     

四川畜牧业科技工作的形势和任务

本文详细阐述了四川畜牧业当前面临的形势和任务,对目前四川畜牧科技工作提出了树立"六种意识",抓好"六项工作"的意见.结合"十五"四川畜牧业的规划,在实现畜牧业现代化生产等方面,提出了建立健全"五大体系"、发展"六个优先领域"、开发"六大关键技术"的建议;在实现畜牧业现代管理与技术监控等方面,提出了建立"四大体系、六个中心";实施"八个重点科技项目"的思路.     

Societal expectations of livestock farming in relation to environmental effects in Europe

The potential environmental effects of livestock farming are mainly associated with intensification of poultry, pig and dairy cow production systems. The major impacts are mainly caused by housing of livestock, which can lead to air and water pollution associated with nitrogen and phosphorus emissions and losses from manure. European countries regulate the potential for these types of pollution through a number of mechanisms, which have received wide public acceptance. In grazing systems, nitrogen pollution, associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer, is also the subject of legislation. Perhaps because of this regulatory approach, surveys of the public have found that human food quality and animal welfare are more important issues than effects on air and water quality when considering livestock systems.Variation in stocking rates of grazing ruminants can change the structure and composition of pastures with potential impacts on biodiversity and the production of methane, a greenhouse gas. In European countries, maximum stocking rates have been set to reduce these impacts. Surveys of the European public have suggested that they are willing to pay for the mitigation of these environmental effects but that they also value strongly the cultural component of grazed livestock systems. There are few underlying concepts about how society views the environmental impacts of livestock systems. These are used to conclude that current attitudes are likely to prevail in the next decade.     

The occurrence of bacteria pathogenic for humans in freshwater fish

Freshwater fish are of minor importance as vectors of food-borne disease in humans. These diseases can only rarely be traced back to bacterial pathogens. However, there is a number of bacteria with facultative pathogenicity for man, which are part of the natural aquatic environment. Among these bacteria, the motile aeromonads (A. sp.) have become more and more important. A review is presented on A. sp. infections which have been traced back to contact with fish or water. Critical discussion of these cases reveals that the etiological relevance of A. sp. remains unclarified. However, bacteria of this group can be associated with sometimes fatal infections in humans after contact with fish or water. As A. sp. are ubiquitous in water and can survive even in chlorinated tap water, infections are not necessarily restricted to contact with fish. Persons at risk (patients with chronic or malignant diseases, immunocompromised hosts, children, people with frequent contact with water) should be informed about the perceived risks of aeromonads and how to avoid infection. Preventive measures are the wearing of gloves for work which may easily lead to skin abrasions (f. i. gutting of fish) and total abstinence of raw seafood. As their occurrence is independent of the common indicator bacteria, A. sp. are to be included in hygienic monitoring programmes for any water.     

Feline immune-based polyarthritis: a study of thirty-one cases

Non-infective polyarthritis in the cat is classified into erosive (feline rheumatoid arthritis and feline periosteal proliferative polyarthritis) and non-erosive (feline systemic lupus erythematosus, feline idiopathic polyarthritis) forms. Criteria are used to identify each group. Clinically, all forms are similar. Affected cats are stiff, unwilling to move and may resent any form of handling. Joints are usually swollen and painful on manipulation. Some cases are pyrexic and inappetent. Radiography demonstrates destructive changes within joints in the erosive forms and also the periosteal new bone, characteristic of the periosteal proliferative form. Soft tissue thickening is also demonstrated. Tests for the autoantibodies rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody are important in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Treatment is with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents (prednisolone, cytotoxic drugs). Cats with the rheumatoid and periosteal proliferative types do not recover but some manage to cope with the lameness. Cats with idiopathic polyarthritis can make a complete recovery although cases associated with myeloproliferative disease have a hopeless prognosis.     

Fertility control as a management tool for feral horse populations

This report addresses the basic reproductive biology of the North American feralhorse. With a basis of population records to establish a framework, experimental studies on specific and seasonal aspects of sexual behavior and social behavior are discussed with special attention to elimination marking (scent marking) behavior in stallions and estrus behavior in mares. In addition, the physiological basis for the hormonal control of reproduction in male and female feralhorses is presented, with discussion of specific experiments. Definite and correlated seasonal patterns of plasma testosterone and elimination marking behavior in stallions are examined, and hormonal patterns and events of the estrus cycle of the mare are presented. These aspects of feral horsereproduction are then interpreted with attention to integration of processes, and comparisons between the feral and domestic horse are made.     

Cytology of subcutaneous glandular tissues.

This article deals with the cytologic appearance of various glandular tissues located in the subcutaneous tissues. Normal cytologic features are described. In addition, inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, and hyperplastic changes are discussed. Most of these features are depicted in the 60+ photomicrographs that are distributed throughout the article. Many of the changes are similar in the glands, and it is usually possible to differentiate the gland of origin based on cytologic appearances. Subcutaneous neoplasms that are not associated with a subcutaneous gland, and lymph node cytology are not covered in this article but are addressed elsewhere.     

Diagnostic investigation of emerging viruses of companion animals.

In this article, the authors are specifically concerned with the timely and accurate detection of emerging diseases of small animals that are viral in origin. Veterinarians are bound to encounter emerging viruses in their practice. The problem is unavoidable, because viruses are highly mutagenic. Even the immune response dictates the nature of virus that evolves in a host. If the clinical signs and diagnostic methods fail to correlate, the veterinarian should work with the diagnostic laboratory to solve the diagnostic puzzle.     

Pet markets: permits and surveillance

When pets are sold on pet markets there are frequently situations that are not consistent with the laws concerned with animal welfare. Animals are not packed properly, tropical animals needing certain temperatures are sold outdoors under unsuitable weather conditions, animals are kept and transported in unsuitable containers, shy animals not used to market conditions or sick animals are being offered. Different possibilities to guarantee proper conditions for the animals are being described involving the organizer as well as the local veterinary authority surveying the market. Possible executive measures are presented.     

Antimicrobial therapy in neonatal foals

There are several differences in treatment of neonatal foals with antimicrobials, compared to mature horses. Firstly, the dose of many antimicrobials is different in the foal. For orally administered drugs, this may also affect their efficacy, due to different enteral absorption. Secondly, neonatal foals are not yet hindgut fermentors and this allows antimicrobials with a high propensity to cause colitis in mature horses to be used. Thirdly, toxicities are different and some antimicrobials used in mature horses, such as enrofloxacin, are not suitable for use in foals. Foal-specific information is therefore needed for their safe and effective treatment with antimicrobials.     

Potential environmental consequences of administration of ectoparasiticides to sheep

Sheep ectoparasiticides, which include the synthetic pyrethroids, the organophosphates, the 'insect'-growth regulators, the formamidines and the spinocyns, enter into the environment primarily through disposal of dip or fleece scours, as well as with contaminated faeces and urine. Due to the large quantities of spent dip, risks associated with environmental contamination are high. Synthetic pyrethroids and organophosphates pose risks to dung, soil and aquatic fauna; concerns over potential ecotoxicity to vertebrates and invertebrates have resulted in the cessation of their use in many countries. There is very little information regarding the ecotoxicity of 'insect'-growth regulators, formamidines or spinocyns, with no studies focussing on sheep. Here, the impact of sheep ectoparasiticides is discussed in terms of their potential to enter into the environment, their toxicity and their impact on ecosystem functioning. Where there are no data for excretion or toxicity of the ectoparasiticides used in sheep production, examples to demonstrate potential impacts are taken from laboratory ecotoxicity tests and the cattle literature, as well on work with foliar insecticides. Future research priorities are suggested to allow assessment of the environmental consequences of sheep ectoparasiticide treatments, which are essential for future sustainable sheep production.