Ultrasonographic evaluation of vitreous degeneration in normal dogs.

Vitreous degeneration is common in dogs and may be associated with cataract formation. Vitreous degeneration may be identified using B-mode ultrasonography and appears as multiple, small, motile, point-like echoes within the vitreous cavity. In humans, vitreous degeneration has also been observed in normal aging eyes but the incidence of vitreous degeneration in dogs without cataract has not previously been documented. The purpose of this study was to describe the ultrasonographic appearance of vitreous degeneration and to investigate its incidence in a population of dogs without cataract or other apparent eye disease. The eyes of 62 dogs were evaluated as part of a prospective study. All dogs underwent ophthalmological and ultrasonographic examinations and vitreal changes were graded on ultrasonography using a predetermined grading scheme. Vitreous degeneration was found in 20% (23/114) of the eyes on ultrasonographic examination but in only 8% (9/114) of eyes on direct ophthalmoscopy. Sensitivity and specificity of ophthalmoscopy using ultrasonography as a gold standard were respectively, 39% and 100%. Vitreal syneresis and asteroid hyalosis could be distinguished according to their ultrasonographic characteristics. The probability of having vitreous degeneration increased with the age of the dog (odds ratio = 6.7 for dogs of 7 + years compared with 0-6 years) and also increased in females compared with males (odds ratio = 3.6). Vitreous degeneration, especially mild vitreal syneresis, is not uncommon in normal dogs; it was shown to be an age-related condition and its significance should not be overinterpreted on ocular ultrasonography.     

Unusual systemic signs in a dog with sterile neutrophilic-macrophagic lymphadenitis and nodular panniculitis

A 7 mo old female English springer spaniel was presented with diarrhea, vomiting, apathy, and hyperthermia. Further examinations revealed generalized lymphadenomegaly consistent with sterile neutrophilic-macrophagic lymphadenitis and pulmonary involvement. Subcutaneous nodules developed one day after presentation. Histology was consistent with sterile idiopathic nodular panniculitis and vasculitis. No infectious organism was isolated. The dog responded to prednisolone, but relapsed during medication tapering. Cyclosporine had to be added to control the disease. No further relapse had occurred 98 wk after the first presentation. This is an unusual presentation of a systemic sterile neutrophilic-macrophagic lymphadenitis with nodular panniculitis and vasculitis associated with gastrointestinal and pulmonary signs.     

Coexisting invasive gobies reveal no evidence for temporal and trophic niche differentiation in the sublittoral habitat of Lake Erhai,China

Niche differentiation facilitates the coexistence of species within a community through avoidance of competition via mechanisms involving spatial, temporal and/or trophic dimensions. Where invasive species coexist in their non‐native range, niche differentiation could allow their persistence at higher levels of abundance. Here, we tested whether there was temporal and/or trophic niche differentiation between two congeneric invasive goby species (Rhinogobius cliffordpopei and Rhinogobius giurinus) in the sublittoral habitat of Lake Erhai (south‐west China) through quantifying their diel and seasonal rhythm of locomotion activities, feeding activities and diet composition. Both species displayed two similar diel peaks in activity and two main feeding periods (6:00–10:00 and 18:00–22:00), with rhythms of locomotion and feeding activity not differing significantly between the species in each season. Their diets had a high degree of overlap, being primarily composed of macrozooplankton, aquatic insects and shrimp larvae, with no diel changes across the seasons. Thus, in this habitat, there was no clear temporal or trophic niche differentiation between the invasive congeners, indicating their coexistence with high temporal and trophic overlap. In conjunction with data from the littoral and profundal habitats, the gobies revealed different strategies across the habitats (e.g. spatial segregation, trophic niche differentiation) that minimised their competitive interactions and promoted their coexistence. This suggests that the interactions of invasive fishes during the integration into native communities can be context dependent, varying according to factors including habitat and the availability of food resources.     

Efficiency of Northern pike (Esox lucius) stocking in metropolitan France at large spatial and temporal scales

Stocking and electrofishing occurrence and abundance data for northern pike Esox lucius L. in >3800 km of French rivers across 7 years were compared to assess the effect of recreational fisheries stocking programmes on wild pike populations. A positive relationship was found between the additive effect of stocking and the size of the stocked pike. However, the stocking programmes implemented in France by recreational fishery managers from 2008 to 2013 increased the probability of pike occurring in the river network, without increasing abundance in well-established pike populations, because pike stocked in their early-life stages were used in most of the stocking programmes.