Primary orthostatic tremor in Great Danes

Two Great Danes were presented for an investigation of 6-month histories of incessant tremor of all 4 limbs and trunk occurring only when the dogs were standing at rest. Dog 1 was a 2-year-old intact female harlequin Great Dane living in the UK, and dog 2 was a 2-year-old castrated male fawn Great Dane living in the United States. The owners described both dogs as having constant quivering of the limbs while standing, suggestive of an involuntary dance, since the age of 18 months. The intensity of the tremors was reported in both dogs to have steadily increased since onset. In dog 1, tremors were noticed to be more pronounced in the fore limbs when she was eating and more pronounced in the hind limbs when she was trying to sit. The owner of dog 1 also reported that the dog could no longer assume a position of recumbency without manual assistance because of the severity of the tremors. Intermittently, tremors were reported to involve the facial musculature of dog 2. Vaccinations were current, and the owners of both dogs did not report any previous medical history, exposure to natural or manufactured toxins, or concurrent treatment. No familial relationship was identified between these 2 dogs.     

Pharmacokinetics of topically applied ciprofloxacin in tears of mesocephalic and brachycephalic dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of ophthalmic ciprofloxacin in the tear film of normal mesocephalic and brachycephalic dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED: Twenty mesocephalic dogs and 15 brachycephalic dogs. PROCEDURES: Thirty-five microliters of ciprofloxacin were placed on the cornea of both eyes of each dog. Five brachycephalic dogs were used twice. A tear-test strip placed in the ventral cul de sac for 30 s was used to obtain samples. The tear film of each eye was sampled once at eight time-points post administration, resulting in five samples at each time-point. Samples were evaluated using high performance liquid chromatography. Data from the two skull types were compared using the unpaired two-tailed t-test. RESULTS: The mean concentration of ciprofloxacin in the tears of mesocephalic dogs was 192.8 +/- 269.97, 140.6 +/- 91.06, 56.60 +/- 28.47, 13.6 +/- 6.3, 43.25 +/- 59.71, 16.6 +/- 10.62, 15.6 +/- 13.16 and 6.25 +/- 9.84 microg/g at 5, 10, 15, 30 min and 1, 2, 4 and 6 h, respectively. The mean concentration of ciprofloxacin in the tears of brachycephalic dogs was 272.6 +/- 106.21, 144.4 +/- 142.32, 131.2 +/- 147.07, 75 +/- 80.07, 40.8 +/- 30.35, 35 +/- 21.98, 52.75 +/- 51.87 and 8.6 +/- 12.10 microg/g at 5, 10, 15, 30 min and 1, 2, 4 and 6 h, respectively. There was no statistical difference in tear concentration at any time-point between skull types. CONCLUSIONS: Topical application of ciprofloxacin resulted in a mean tear concentration of ciprofloxacin that remained above the MIC(90) levels for most pathogenic bacteria for 6 h in normal mesocephalic and brachycephalic dogs.     

Pharmacokinetics of morphine and its metabolites in freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

In this study, we injected morphine sulfate IP into rainbow trout and measured the concentration of morphine and all potential metabolites in plasma using LC-MS/MS at a series of times after the injection. The pharmacokinetics of morphine were similar to those previously reported for seawater-acclimated rainbow trout, i.e. they were about one order of magnitude slower than in similarly sized mammals. The only metabolite of morphine present in the plasma was morphine-3-β- d -glucuronide (M3G); morphine-6-β- d -glucuronide (M6G) was not detected. M3G gradually increased after the morphine injection, peaked about 2 days later, then gradually decreased. In mammals, M3G plasma levels exceed morphine levels extremely rapidly, i.e. in less than an hour, regardless of dose, route of administration, or species. In trout, it took 2 days for M3G levels to exceed morphine levels. This is the first study of the metabolites of morphine in any ectotherm. We conclude that trout can metabolize morphine, but at a rate much slower than in mammals.     

Outcomes of dogs presented for cataract evaluation: a retrospective study

Two hundred and forty-four dogs were evaluated for cataracts at the University of Tennessee from January 2001 to December 2002. Fifty-four canine breeds were affected. Odds ratios for cataracts were significantly higher for six purebred dogs (including the cocker spaniel, miniature schnauzer, toy poodle, Boston terrier, miniature poodle, and bichon frise) compared with mixed-breed dogs. One hundred fifty-nine dogs did not have cataract surgery. The most common reason for dogs not having surgery was retinal degeneration (n=66).     

Malunion of an in utero open tibial fracture in an aborted equine fetus

An in utero tibial fracture was examined at necropsy in a seven-month-old male aborted Thoroughbred fetus. Grossly the healed fracture had a smooth cortical surface. Histologically there was no callus formation or excessive osteoclastic or osteoblastic activity.     

Detection of specific antibody responses to vaccination in variable flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus)

Megachiropteran bats are biologically important both as endangered species and reservoirs for emerging human pathogens. Reliable detection of antibodies to specific pathogens in bats is thus epidemiologically critical. Eight variable flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus) were immunized with 2,4-dinitrophenylated bovine serum albumin (DNP-BSA). Each bat received monthly inoculations for 2 months. Affinity-purified IgG was used for production of polyclonal and monoclonal anti-variable flying fox IgG antibodies. ELISA and western blot analysis were used to monitor immune responses and for assessment of polyclonal and monoclonal antibody species cross-reactivity. Protein G, polyclonal antibodies, and monoclonal antibodies detected specific anti-DNP antibody responses in immunized variable flying foxes, with protein G being the most sensitive, followed by monoclonal antibodies and then polyclonal antibodies. While the polyclonal antibody was found to cross-react well against IgG of all bat species tested, some non-specific background was observed. The monoclonal antibody was found to cross-react well against IgG of six other species in the genus Pteropus and to cross-react less strongly against IgG from Eidolon helvum or Phyllostomus hastatus. Protein G distinguished best between vaccinated and unvaccinated bats, and these results validate the use of protein G for detection of bat IgG. Monoclonal antibodies developed in this study recognized immunoglobulins from other members of the genus Pteropus well, and may be useful in applications where specific detection of Pteropus IgG is needed.     

Use of computed tomography to evaluate pathologic changes in the lungs of calves with experimentally induced respiratory tract disease

OBJECTIVE: To optimize methods for the use of computed tomography (CT) to assess pathologic changes in the lungs of calves and to determine the effect of treatment on lung consolidation. ANIMALS: 10 male Holstein calves. PROCEDURES: Calves were anesthetized to facilitate CT imaging of the thorax. After initial images were obtained, pneumonia was induced in the calves by inoculation through a bronchoscope. Two calves were used in a preliminary study to refine the inoculation dose and optimize CT images. Four calves were administered florfenicol and 4 calves were untreated control animals. Serial images were obtained 24, 48, and 72 hours after inoculation. After final images were obtained, calves were euthanized, and lung consolidation was estimated by use of lung surface area scoring and water displacement. These estimates were compared with estimated lung consolidation obtained by use of CT. RESULTS: Calves had rapid disease progression. Percentage of lung consolidation was not significantly different between treatment groups for any of the estimation methods. Results of an ANOVA of the 3 assessment methods indicated significant differences among methods. Estimates of the percentage of lung consolidation obtained by use of surface area scoring and CT correlated well, whereas water displacement estimates correlated poorly with other methods of consolidation estimation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Because of the correlation with other methods for estimation of lung consolidation, CT has the potential to be used to monitor disease progression in calves with experimentally induced respiratory tract disease.