Trilostane treatment of a dog with functional adrenocortical neoplasia

A 13-year-old, crossbreed dog presented with a history of recent onset polydipsia, progressive lethargy, weakness and reduced appetite. Blood tests showed raised concentrations of alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase with marginally low serum potassium. There was a leucocytosis with a mature neutrophilia and no eosinophils. Endocrine tests showed a normal aldosterone concentration and an exaggerated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test, consistent with a diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). A diagnosis of adrenal-dependent HAC was made, based on the presence of a calcified mass involving the left adrenal gland, and hepatomegaly, on radiography and ultrasonography. The owners declined surgical adrenalectomy. Medical management with trilostane rapidly improved the clinical signs and normalised the serum chemistry. ACTH stimulation tests showed an improvement in post-ACTH cortisol concentrations and were used to make dose adjustments where necessary. At the time of writing, no adverse side effects had been seen and the dog remained well after 80 weeks of treatment.     

关于冬枣冷藏的几点看法

采收成熟度直接影响贮藏效果。根据果面着色比例，可将冬枣成熟度分为白熟(无着色)、初红(着色25％以下)、半红(着色50％左右)和全红(着色95％以上)。一般来说成熟度越低贮藏期越长，白熟果贮藏时间最长、最耐贮，但白熟期采摘含糖量较低、风味淡，而半红果和全红果贮期较短，     

影响鲜食枣贮藏的因素

鲜食枣具有独特的采后生理特点,极不耐贮藏。枣果采摘后,在常温下只有几天的鲜脆状态,很快就会失水萎蔫或腐烂。在低温贮藏条件下,如果没有完善的措施,烂果率也很高。因此,了解鲜食枣贮藏的影响因素,把握好贮藏条件具有重要意义。1品种鲜食枣的品种不同,其耐贮性有很大差异。曲泽洲(1987)比较了采自河北省和北京市的19个枣品种的贮藏性,结果表明:在(0±1)℃条件下,结合有孔的聚乙烯袋包装,以西峰山小枣和西峰山牙枣最耐贮;其次为北车营小枣、长辛店脆枣和金丝小枣等;婆枣和斑枣最不耐贮。经45d(天)贮藏后三类品种的好果率分别为79.4%～98.7%…     

Incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis in polo horses in the USA and the United Kingdom in the 1999/2000 season

A questionnaire was used to determine the incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis and the factors that might have contributed to its occurrence among 423 polo horses in 11 yards. The yards were selected at random, six of them with 111 horses, in north-eastern USA, and five with 312 horses in south-east England. During the 1999/2000 season the incidence of the condition was 7.3 per cent (9 per cent in the USA and 6.7 per cent in England). The incidence in mares was similar in the two countries, 8.4 per cent in the USA and 8.0 per cent in England, but the incidence in geldings in the USA (10 per cent) was much higher than in England (1.5 per cent). A more excitable than average temperament was reported in 71 per cent of the horses with the condition, and most cases occurred after a game (chukka) in which the horse was perceived to be not fit enough for the level of play demanded. Sixty-four per cent of the cases occurred early in the season and on average each episode resulted in the loss of 7.6 training days.     

Production and immunological responses associated with controlled-release-capsule vs 5-drench preventive anthelmintic programmes for parasite control in lambs

AIMS: To determine whether: a) using a controlled-release anthelmintic capsule (CRC) instead of a programme of 5 oral drenches administered at 3-4 week intervals, would delay the development of anti-parasite immunity in lambs; b) the use of ivermectin instead of albendazole, administered either as a CRC or as a programme of 5 oral drenches, would delay the development of anti-parasite immunity in lambs; c) lambs treated with CRCs would have higher liveweight gains than lambs drenched orally 5 times at 3-4 week intervals, and; d) delayed onset of anti-parasite immunity is associated with reduced liveweight gains in the period following anthelmintic treatment. METHODS: Three field trials were conducted, 1 on a research farm and 2 on commercial sheep farms, in which groups of 30 lambs were treated with either a CRC containing albendazole, a CRC containing ivermectin, 5 oral drenches with albendazole, or 5 oral drenches with ivermectin, administered at 3-4 week intervals. Liveweights and faecal nematode egg counts (FECs) were recorded in all trials. Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) antibody levels to Ostertagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colubriformis adult and larval antigens were measured in Trials 1 and 3, and fleece weights and resistance of animals to nematode challenge infection were measured in Trial 1. RESULTS: CRC-treated lambs had higher levels of antibodies to O. circumcincta infective-stage larvae (L3) than orally drenched lambs in Trial 3, but no other immunological differences due to mechanism of delivery were detected. Antibody levels were lower in lambs treated with ivermectin than albendazole, as a CRC or oral drench in Trial 1, but this was not associated with any measurable effects on FEC or productivity. No significant differences (p>0.05) were detected between drench types (albendazole vs ivermectin) or delivery mechanisms (CRC vs oral drenching) in any of the production parameters measured, in any of the trials. Albendazole-CRCs failed to control FECs in all 3 trials. CONCLUSIONS: Although some differences between treatments in antibody levels were detected these were not associated with measurable differences in level of parasitism or productivity of lambs. CRC use did not appear to offer substantial gains in productivity over a structured programme of 5 oral drenches administered at 3-4 week intervals.     

Preference and motivation of laying hens to eat under different illuminances and the effect of illuminance on eating behaviour

1. In experiment 1, 10 laying hens were given the choice to eat food pellets from any of 4 food bowls illuminated by overhead, incandescent luminaires at <1, 6, 20 or 200 lux. During a trial hens were allowed to eat for 5 min. After each minute had elapsed (from the start of eating) the light sources were extinguished and the illuminances re-assigned to the food bowls in a random manner. Each hen received two trials, one where the food was freely available and another where it was hidden in a sand and gravel mix. 2. The hens chose to eat for most time in the brightest (200 lux) and least in the dimmest (<1 lux) environments for both free and hidden food (free: 5.9, 10.5, 10.4, 15.7s for increasing illuminance; Hidden: 5.5, 9.8, 9.1 and 15.7s. 3. In experiment 2, 9 hens were trained to peck at either an illuminated or unilluminated panel to access a food reward behind a guillotine door for 3 s. Five hens were trained to peck the illuminated panel to access food brightly lit (200 lux) or the unilluminated panel to access food dimly lit (<1 lux); 4 hens were trained vice versa. The flock was then divided into three groups of three, and three treatments imposed on each group in a Latin-square arrangement. In treatment 1, one peck at either panel allowed access to the chosen light environment (F1:F1). In treatment 2, 5 pecks were required to access food brightly lit on a variable ratio, but only one to access food dimly lit (ratio V5:F1). In treatment 3, the variable ratio was increased to V10:F1 to access food in the light. 4. Over 40 trials for each hen, the mean number of attempts to eat food in the light (where the panel which allowed access to food brightly lit was pecked at least once) was 34.5 for F1:F1, 12.1 for V5:F1 and 8.5 for V10:F1. The mean number of food rewards taken in bright light was 34.5, 3.1 and 1.8, respectively. For both variables, the difference between F1:F1 and V5:F1 was significant but not between V5:F1 and V10:F1. By interpolation of the 'attempts' data, it was estimated that hens would work 2.3 times harder to gain access to food brightly lit than for food dimly lit. 5. In experiment 3, the influence of the same illuminances applied over a food bowl as in experiment 1 (<1, 6, 20 or 200 lux) on the number of pecks/min, food consumed/min, food consumed/peck and the force of pecks was examined. 6. The amount of food consumed was lowest in the dimmest environment (3.1 vs 7.5, 7.4 and 7.1 g/ min for increasing illuminance, respectively); as was the number of pecks (35.6 vs. 125.0, 123.1, and 125.4 pecks/min respectively for increasing illuminance). The amount consumed per peck did not vary significantly with illuminance. The mean peck force showed a trend to be lowest in the dimmest environment (5.3 vs. 6.6, 7.0 and 6.6 N respectively, for increasing illuminance). 7. Overall, the hens showed a preference and appeared motivated to eat in bright as opposed to dim light. The hens were unwilling to eat at low illuminances although the 'efficiency' of eating (g/peck) was not impaired significantly. These data may have implications for novel lighting systems and those where hens are required to eat in the dark or in very dim light.     

Supplemental betaine and peroxide-treated feather meal for finishing cattle

These studies evaluated the effects of betaine, provided either as feed-grade betaine or as concentrated separator by-product (CSB; desugared beet molasses), on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing cattle. In Exp. 1, 175 steers (410 kg initial BW) were fed a finishing diet based on steam-flaked and dry-rolled corn, and treatments included 10.5 and 21 g/d feed-grade betaine and 250 and 500 g/d CSB (supplying 15.5 and 31 g/d of betaine, respectively). Steers fed feed-grade betaine had greater (linear and quadratic effects, P < 0.1) DMI than control steers, but ADG and gain efficiencies were not affected by treatment. Dressing percent and backfat thickness was greater (P < 0.1) for steers that received feed-grade betaine than for controls. Longissimus muscle area was lower (P < 0.1) for steers supplemented with either feed-grade betaine or CSB than for control steers. Yield grades were higher for cattle receiving feed-grade betaine (quadratic effect, P < 0.1) than for control steers. Marbling scores were not affected by supplemental betaine, but the percentage of carcasses grading USDA Select was lower (linear and quadratic effects, P < 0.1) for steers fed feed-grade betaine than for control steers, predominantly due to a greater percentage grading USDA Choice. In Exp. 2, 312 heifers (343 kg initial BW) were used in a finishing study to evaluate the effects of graded levels of feed-grade betaine and peroxide-treated feather meal on performance and carcass characteristics. Treatments included two finishing diets (containing peroxide-treated or untreated feather meal) and four levels (0, 4, 8, and 12 g/d) of feed-grade betaine arranged in a 2 x 4 factorial. No significant interactions occurred between treatment of feather meal and betaine. Treatment of feather meal with hydrogen peroxide (5% wt/wt) increased in situ protein degradability but did not alter DMI, ADG, gain efficiencies, or carcass characteristics of heifers when it replaced untreated feather meal in the diet. Top-dressing feed-grade betaine to the diets had no effect on DMI, ADG, and gain efficiencies. Marbling scores were greater (cubic effect, P < 0.05) for heifers fed diets top-dressed with 4 and 12 g/d of feed-grade betaine, but other carcass characteristics were not altered significantly. Overall, feed-grade betaine and CSB did not alter growth performance, but did have minor effects on carcass characteristics.     

The influence of soy oligosaccharides on apparent and true ileal amino acid digestibilities and fecal consistency in growing pigs

Fourteen ileally cannulated pigs (BW = 35 +/- 2 kg) were randomly allotted to a replicated 7 x 7 Latin square design experiment to evaluate the influence of the soybean oligosaccharides (OS), raffinose and stachyose, on ileal nutrient digestibility and fecal consistency. Semipurified diets containing soy protein concentrate (SPC) or soybean meal (SBM) as the sole protein sources were fed. Soy solubles (SS), a by-product of SBM processing containing 3.5% raffinose and 11.5% stachyose, were used to increase dietary raffinose and stachyose concentrations. The seven dietary treatments were SPC, SPC + 9% SS, SBM, SBM + 9% SS, SBM + 18% SS, SBM + 24,000 U alpha-galactosidase enzyme preparation/kg diet, and a low-protein casein (LPC) diet used to calculate true digestibility. Diets, with the exception of the LPC diet, were formulated to contain 17% CP. All diets contained 0.5% chromic oxide as a marker for ileal digestibility determination. The experimental periods were divided into a 5-d diet adaptation followed by 2-d of ileal digesta collection. Diets and digesta were analyzed for DM, N, Cr, amino acids (AA), raffinose, and stachyose. Fecal consistency was determined on d 6 and 7 of each experimental period. The apparent and true ileal AA digestibilities were not different (P < 0.05) for the SPC and SBM control diets. When SS was added to the SPC diet, apparent and true N and AA digestibilities were depressed (P < 0.05) with the exception of Trp and Pro. The apparent and true ileal N and AA digestibilities were not different (P > 0.05) between the SBM control and SBM + 9% SS diets with the exception of Glu. There was a linear decrease (P < 0.05) in apparent and true DM, Val, Gly, and Tyr digestibilities when increasing levels of SS were added to the SBM diet. The addition of alpha-galactosidase did not improve apparent or true ileal N or AA digestibilities except for apparent and true Val and Tyr. Ileal raffinose digestibility was improved (P < 0.05) by addition of a-galactosidase, but was not affected by any other dietary treatment. Ileal stachyose digestibility was not affected (P > 0.58) by treatment. Fecal consistency likewise was not affected (P > 0.36) by dietary treatment. In conclusion, soy OS reduced nutrient digestibilities, but the reductions were small, ranging from approximately 1.1 to 7.4 percentage units. This suggests that other factors may be negatively impacting SBM digestibility.