Diagnosis of liver diseases in the horse

This abstract gives a survey of the clinical signs and the currently used methods for the diagnosis of liver diseases in horses. The laboratory diagnostic procedures are related with emphasis on the analysis of enzyme activities as a primary diagnostic aid and in addition to the evaluation of substrates. The diagnostic procedures are completed by liver biopsy and sonography.     

Radiographic diagnosis of abdominal diseases in foals and ponys. II. Pathologic findings in 60 cases

A diagnostic approach based on clinical and radiographic examinations for evaluation of young foals and small ponies with acute abdominal discomfort is presented. Standing right to left lateral abdominal radiographs were taken of 54 foals and 6 ponies using a previously described technique. Interpretation of the radiographs was in conjunction with all clinical and laboratory findings and patient management. Using this approach, the site and cause of acute abdominal discomfort could be diagnosed accurately in 55 of 60 (91%) patients as confirmed by clinical, surgical or necropsy findings. Typical radiographs and photographs taken at surgery or at necropsy are presented. Typical radiographic findings, their interpretation and possible underlying gastrointestinal diseases are listed. The incorporation of standing lateral abdominal radiography in the clinical evaluation of foals and ponies with acute abdominal diseases gives findings of high diagnostic significance and should contribute to clinical decision-making. Abdominal radiography can replace data from rectal palpation in foals and ponies.     

B超诊断技术在动物繁殖上的临床使用

B超诊断技术是一项最为快速、安全的、最有效的活体诊断方法。该诊断技术已广泛用于医学疾病的诊断,而且在畜牧兽医领域也开始应用。本文就其在动物繁殖上的临床使用进行简单概述,为这项新技术在动物繁殖上快速的运用和推广提供参考,从而为促进动物养殖业更稳定、健康和快速的发展提供理论和实际指导。     

Dysphagia as the result of disorders of esophagus function in dogs and cats

Disturbances of the oesophageal function in dogs and cats lead to the clinical symptoms of dysphagia. An oesophageal dilatation of various degree can result from this and can be categorized as primary, i.e. idiopathic form, or secondary form, if its cause is known. This present study of our own patient population gives a survey of the symptomatology, diagnostic measures, incidence, pathogenesis, and therapy of oesophageal dilatation.     

The diagnosis of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in the dog]

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is characterized by polyuria, hyposthenuria and compensatory polydipsia. With conventional clinical and laboratory examinations the diagnosis can be established and the differential diagnostic diseases excluded. In order to verify the diagnosis, differentiate the condition from central and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and rule out psychogenic polydipsia, additional laboratory studies are required: of these, the concentration test, modified Carter-Robbins test and AVP stimulation test are described.     

一种基于Ⅱ型鲤疱疹病毒衣壳蛋白72的免疫学检测方法

Ⅱ型鲤疱疹病毒(cyprinid herpesvirus 2,Cy HV-2)是引起养殖异育银鲫(Carassius auratus gibelio)造血器官坏死症的致病病原。在临床筛查中基于病毒核酸的PCR和real time PCR技术已经建立,但是稳定性更强的免疫学诊断技术国内外尚无报道。本研究目的是利用Cy HV-2编码的ORF72基因(Gen Bank登录号:AFJ20502.1)所编码的衣壳蛋白作为捕获抗原,通过识别感染病毒的鱼体中的相应抗体,从而对样本进行临床免疫学检测。首先采用PCR方法从纯化的Cy HV-2基因组中扩增ORF72基因,并把该基因克隆至原核表达载体PGEX-4T-3,并转化到大肠杆菌中诱导表达,诱导表达的产物通过SDS-PAGE进行鉴定,对表达的重组蛋白进行纯化。用已纯化的72重组蛋白对小鼠进行免疫,制得72重组蛋白的抗体。Western blot检测表明所制备的多克隆抗体既能识别原核表达的重组蛋白,也可以识别Cy HV-2病毒粒子上的衣壳蛋白72。在上述基础上建立了基于Western blot技术的Cy HV-2抗体检测技术:用纯化的72重组蛋白作为检测抗原,鲫鱼血清用作一抗,兔抗鲫Ig M多克隆抗体作为二抗,酶标羊抗兔作为三抗鉴定鲫鱼是否存在Cy HV-2特异性抗体。在对急性感染期的临床样本检测中,本方法能在所有样本中检测出ORF72特异性抗体存在,表明72重组蛋白作为相应抗体捕获原可以用于确诊鲫鱼是否感染Cy HV-2。本研究建立的实验室免疫学检测方法为商品化免疫学检测技术的开发奠定了基础,对Cy HV-2的检验检疫具有一定的临床应用价值。     

Poxvirus infection in a cat

For the first time, a poxvirus infection was diagnosed as an etiologic agent of dermal disease in a living domestic cat in Germany. A literature survey, the clinical symptoms of the infection and the diagnostic procedures are described. Poxvirus infections should be considered as a differential diagnosis in feline dermatologic problems.     

Clinical chemistry. Use of clinical chemistry as an aid in the diagnosis of diseases of small pets

This abstract gives a survey of the currently used methods in clinical chemistry for the diagnosis of diseases in dog and cat. The laboratory diagnostic methods are presented with emphasis on diseases of liver, kidney, exocrine and endocrine pancreas, thyroid, adrenal gland, muscles, bones and joints and the water and electrolyte metabolism.     

大鲵细菌性疾病研究进展

为深入了解和治疗大鲵(Andrias davidianus)细菌性疾病,针对已知的大鲵细菌性疾病的致病病原菌、发病的临床特征及诊断防治措施进行了简单概述,并提出了相应研究展望。     

Pathogenesis, clinical aspects and diagnosis of the most important enteric bacterial diseases in animals

There are adhesive and invasive species among enteropathogenic bacteria for animals. Most frequently isolated adhesive bacteria are enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Salmonella, T. hyodysenteriae, M. paratuberculosis, Y. enterocolitica, Cl. perfringens and C. jejuni bacteria represent the most important invasive germs. The main clinical finding connected with bacterial enteritis is diarrhoea resp. dysentery. Evaluation of feces consistency, time of appearance and accompanying symptoms (e.g. fever, colic) allow a clinical suspective diagnosis, however a definitive diagnosis must be based on the demonstration of the causative agent. In addition to known cultural, microscopic, biochemical and serological diagnostic methods, the demonstration of virulence factors (enterotoxin formation, adhesive pili) plays an important role in diagnosis of enteropathogenic bacteria.     

The diagnostic value of sonography in the clinical picture of pyometra in the dog]

Experiences of the diagnostic value of ultrasonography of pyometra in the bitch are reported. The different ultrasound scans of the uterus are illustrated. Results are compared with clinical diagnosis and pathophysiological findings after laparotomy and surgical removal of the uteri. Very close correlation (r: 0.985, p < 0.001) was found between the postoperative macroscopic and the ultrasound scan measurements of the uterus. Accuracy of the ultrasound diagnosis and reasons for false and questionable results are discussed. In summary, ultrasonography is an accurate procedure for the qualitative and quantitative examination and diagnosis of canine pyometra.     

Sonography in pleural effusion of horses

Pleural effusion in the horse can be caused by diseases such as pneumonia, trauma, pulmonary abscesses and thoracic neoplasms. Besides clinical (auscultation, percussion) and radiographic diagnostic procedures, the ultrasonic examination represents a method that supplies detailed information on quantity and location of fluid in the pleural space. By means of ultrasonic examination the most favourable position for a thoracentesis can be determined. Control of thoracentesis' efficiency as well as exact supervision of the disease's course are made feasible by repeated sonographic examinations.     

Detection methods of Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 infection in silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) via a pORF72 monoclonal antibody

Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV‐2) is the main pathogen responsible for causing haematopoietic necrosis disease in Carassius auratus gibelio. Although many nucleic acid‐based diagnostic methods have been applied, no stable and sensitive immunological diagnostic approaches have been reported. In this study, to detect CyHV‐2 in clinical samples using immunological methods, recombinant ORF72 protein (pORF72), encoded by the CyHV‐2 ORF72 gene, was used as a capture antigen to identify blood and tissues infected with CyHV‐2. First, ORF72 gene was amplified from the CyHV‐2 genome and cloned into a PGEX‐4t‐3 expression vector to produce pORF72 in Escherichia coli. The purified pORF72 was used as an immunogen to prepare monoclonal antibodies. The Western blotting assays revealed that the monoclonal antibody could specifically identify the pORF72. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical protocol and a blood smear method were established to detect CyHV‐2 in carps. The results indicate that the monoclonal antibody against pORF72 could be utilized as an effective detection tool for haematopoietic necrosis disease in Carassius auratus gibelio.     

Technical pre‐analytical effects on the clinical biochemistry of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Clinical biochemistry has long been utilized in human and veterinary medicine as a vital diagnostic tool, but despite occasional studies showing its usefulness in monitoring health status in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), it has not yet been widely utilized within the aquaculture industry. This is due, in part, to a lack of an agreed protocol for collection and processing of blood prior to analysis. Moreover, while the analytical phase of clinical biochemistry is well controlled, there is a growing understanding that technical pre‐analytical variables can influence analyte concentrations or activities. In addition, post‐analytical interpretation of treatment effects is variable in the literature, thus making the true effect of sample treatment hard to evaluate. Therefore, a number of pre‐analytical treatments have been investigated to examine their effect on analyte concentrations and activities. In addition, reference ranges for salmon plasma biochemical analytes have been established to inform veterinary practitioners and the aquaculture industry of the importance of clinical biochemistry in health and disease monitoring. Furthermore, a standardized protocol for blood collection has been proposed.     

Case definition for clinical and subclinical bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) in New Brunswick,Canada

Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) is considered an important cause of loss in salmon aquaculture in Atlantic Canada. Causative agent of BKD is the Gram‐positive bacteria Renibacterium salmoninarum. Infected salmon are often asymptomatic (subclinical infection), and the disease is considered chronic. One of the challenges in quantifying information from farm production and health records is the application of a standardized case definition. Case definitions for farm‐level and cage‐level clinical and subclinical BKD were developed using retrospective longitudinal data from aquaculture practices in New Brunswick, Canada, combining (i) industry records of weekly production data including mortalities, (ii) field observations for BKD using reports of veterinarians and/or fish health technicians, (iii) diagnostic submissions and test results and (iv) treatments used to control BKD. Case definitions were evaluated using veterinarians’ expert judgements as reference standard. Eighty‐nine and 66% of sites and fish groups, respectively, were associated with BKD at least once. For BKD present (subclinical or clinical), sensitivity and specificity of the case definition were 75–100% varying between event, fish group, site cycle and level (site pen). For clinical BKD, sensitivities were 29–64% and specificities 91–100%. Industry data can be used to develop sensitive case definitions.     

Infection with equine herpesvirus and its manifestation in the central nervous system of the horse

Infections with EHV1 can lead to manifestation at the CNS of horses followed by encephalomyelitis and "equine stroke". Horse experiments could confirm the clinical picture and gave links to the potential pathogenesis of the disease. We also have been in the position to isolate and characterize an EHV4 virus out of the brain of a horse with CNS disorders. The two viruses carry different biological properties which obviously dominate the pathogenesis. These properties as well as experimental and field cases are described and different diagnostic tests are discussed.     

Clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis in ornamental birds

Clinical diagnosis in companion birds consists of well established procedures such as case history, clinical observation, physical examination and further special investigations, e.g. radiology, endoscopy or clinical chemistry. Also some peculiarities of the numerous bird species have to be taken into consideration. These are, for example, certain characteristics of the different species, the varieties of husbandry and environment as single caged birds or flocks in zoos and aviaries and, especially, the lack of typical clinical symptoms in most cases. In regard to those aspects, case history concerning aspects such as age, sex, feeding or course of the disease and special investigations in the case of single caged birds and diagnostic dissections and etiological laboratory examinations, e.g. microbiology, parasitology and toxicology, in the case of flock problems are of major significance. Examples of differential diagnosis in single caged birds, e.g. abnormal behaviour ("feather plucking"), gout, intestinal foreign bodies, tumors or pneumomycosis, and flock health problems, e.g. acariasis, canary pox, coccidiosis or bacterial infections complete this paper.     

Small intestinal ileus in the dog and cat--catamnestic observations of 704 patients

Following an introductory review of the literature, the symptoms, diagnostic procedures and aetiology as well as treatment, long-term results and prognosis of the individual forms of ileus are described and discussed, based on the clinical histories of 704 patients with ileus of the small intestine. Whereas ileal obstipation and other forms of obstructive ileus were revealed to have a fair prognosis, a long-term cure could be achieved in only half of the patients with either a string foreign body, intussusception or an intestinal adhesion. The prognosis in cases of malignant intestinal tumours, intestinal adhesions resulting from intra-abdominal tumours and mesenteric volvulus was hopeless.