Incidence and prognostic value of low plasma ionized calcium concentration in cats with acute pancreatitis: 46 cases (1996-1998).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and prognostic significance of low plasma ionized calcium concentration in cats with clinical signs of acute pancreatitis (AP). DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 46 cats with AP and 92 control cats with nonpancreatic diseases. PROCEDURE: Medical records were reviewed, and results of clinicopathologic testing, including plasma ionized and total calcium concentrations, acid-base values, and electrolyte concentrations, were recorded. Cats with AP were grouped on the basis of outcome (survived vs died or were euthanatized), and plasma ionized calcium concentrations, acid-base values, and electrolyte concentrations were compared between groups. RESULTS: Serum total calcium concentration was low in 19 (41%) cats with AP, and plasma ionized calcium concentration was low in 28 (61%). Cats with AP had a significantly lower median plasma ionized calcium concentration (1.07 mmol/L) than did control cats (1.12 mmol/L). Nineteen (41%) cats with AP died or were euthanatized; these cats had a significantly lower median plasma ionized calcium concentration (1.00 mmol/L) than did cats that survived (1.12 mmol/L). Ten of the 13 cats with AP that had plasma ionized calcium concentrations < or = 1.00 mmol/L died or were euthanatized. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that low plasma ionized calcium concentration is common in cats with AP and is associated with a poorer outcome. A grave prognosis and aggressive medical treatment are warranted for cats with AP that have a plasma ionized calcium concentration < or = 1.00 mmol/L.     

Surgical management of gallbladder mucoceles in dogs: 22 cases (1999-2003)

OBJECTIVES: To describe preoperative, surgical, and postoperative findings and determine prognostic indicators and treatment recommendations in dogs treated surgically for gallbladder mucocele. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 22 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs with gallbladder mucoceles that were treated surgically were reviewed. History, clinical signs, results of selected clinicopathologic analyses and abdominal ultrasonography, surgical procedure performed, results of histologic examination of a liver biopsy specimen, and survival time were recorded. Follow-up information was obtained via telephone interview with owners and referring veterinarians. RESULTS: Dogs were 7 to 15 years of age and had non-specific clinical signs (vomiting, anorexia, and lethargy). Physical examination findings included icterus, signs of depression, and signs of discomfort on palpation of the abdomen. Sixteen dogs had a definitive diagnosis and 6 dogs were strongly suspected of having a gallbladder mucocele on the basis of results of abdominal ultrasonography. Fifteen dogs survived after surgery; 3 of these dogs had bile-induced peritonitis, and 4 had pancreatitis. One dog was euthanatized as a result of severe pancreatitis, and 1 was euthanatized because of acute renal failure; 5 dogs died as a result of pancreatitis, cholecystitis, or bile-induced peritonitis. Hepatic abnormalities were detected histologically in all dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: No predictors of survival were identified. No associations between outcome of surgical treatment (survival vs nonsurvival) and preoperative findings, biliary rupture, surgical procedure performed, results of histologic examination of the liver, or development of pancreatitis were found. Cholecystoduodenostomy and cholecystectomy appear to be acceptable treatments for gallbladder mucocele.     

Effect of dietary fumonisin B1 on laying Japanese quail

1. A 28-d experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on egg production and egg quality of young laying Japanese quail fed on fumonisin-contaminated rations. 2. To this end, 128 7-week-old birds were randomly distributed into 4 experimental groups (32 birds per group) and given rations containing 0 (control), 10, 50 and 250mg FB1/kg feed. Each treatment consisted of 4 replicates of 8 quail. Egg production and egg weight were checked daily. Feed consumption and feed conversion were determined weekly. Eggs laid on the last day of each 7-d period were collected and subjected to individual analysis for specific gravity, Haugh units and percentage eggshell. 3. Compared with controls, quail given > or = 50 mg FB1/kg had reduced feed intake and lower body weight gain. Feed conversion was reduced only in birds given 250 mg FB1/kg. 4. Mean egg production and egg weight were lower in birds given 250mg FB1/kg. Eggshell weight was reduced in birds given > or =50mg FB1/kg. However, mean specific gravity, Haugh units and percentage eggshell were not affected by FB1. 5. No histopathological changes were observed in liver, kidney or heart samples from any treatment group. 6. The results indicated that exposure to FB1 at concentrations > or = 50 mg/kg could adversely affect quail performance, emphasising the importance of controlling fumonisin contamination of quail rations.     

A Bayesian meta-analysis of the effects of administering an intra-vaginal (CIDR) device in combination with other hormones on the reproductive performance of cycling, anoestrous and inseminated cows

AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment programmes that included controlled internal drug-releasing (CIDR) devices containing progesterone (P4) in improving synchrony of oestrus, and conception and pregnancy rates in cycling, anoestrous and inseminated dairy cows, using meta-analysis. To describe the difference in response between cycling and anoestrous cows to CIDR-based synchrony programmes. METHODS: Scientific papers written in the English language between 1989 and 2002 that investigated the effects of treatment programmes including CIDR devices on reproductive performance in dairy heifers or lactating dairy cows were identified using a computerised literature search. The criteria for inclusion incorporated evidence that treatment allocation was completely randomised; the population studied was lactating dairy cows; and that data were available on submission, conception and pregnancy rates and their associated measures of variability. Reproductive outcomes from 25 synchrony trials (total n=11,058 cows) were analysed. Summary measures of the effect of treatment on reproductive outcome were assessed using fixed- and random-effects Bayesian meta-analysis models. RESULTS: Treatment programmes including a CIDR device increased the risk of submission in cycling cows (predicted Bayesian RR=2.86, 95% credible interval=1.46-5.67). Compared with controls, synchrony programmes including CIDR devices in cycling dairy cows had no effect on the risk of conception to first service post-treatment (predicted Bayesian RR=1.00, 95% credible interval=0.80-1.24). Compared with controls, synchrony programmes including CIDR devices had no effect on the risk of pregnancy throughout the mating period (predicted Bayesian RR=1.02, 95% credible interval=0.89-1.17). In anoestrous cows, CIDR treatment had no effect on the risk of conception to first service post-treatment and no effect on the risk of pregnancy throughout the mating period, compared with anoestrous, untreated controls (predicted Bayesian RR=0.91 and 0.97, respectively; 95% credible interval=0.68-1.26 and 0.59-1.60, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis showed that synchrony programmes using CIDR devices combined with other hormones reliably enhanced submission rates in lactating dairy cows. The relatively small number of trials with data suitable for analysis and the heterogeneity of results at the individual trial level limited our ability to confirm either a beneficial or deleterious effect of treatment on conception or pregnancy rates. Further randomised, controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of this form of reproductive therapy in commercial dairy farms are needed.     

RNA‐transfected CD40‐activated B cells as a vaccine strategy in canine malignancies

Introduction: Cell‐based vaccine strategies using dendritic cells as cellular adjuvant have entered phase III trials in humans and have been found to be safe, feasible, and potentially efficacious. Canine patients are generally smaller than adult human patients, which makes production of canine dendritic cell (DC) vaccines problematic, given patient size and the small number of available DC precursors. Here we describe feasibility studies of a novel cell‐based vaccine strategy which uses CD40‐activated B‐cells (CD40‐B) loaded with RNA. This strategy is based on our observations that RNA‐transfected human CD40‐B can drive anti‐tumor T cell responses. One advantage of using CD40‐B cells is the ability to expand this cell population ex vivo, allowing for the numbers of cells required for therapeutic vaccines. Methods: Twenty milliliters of blood were drawn from 6 normal dogs and 5 canine lymphoma patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated by Ficoll centrifugation. Culture conditions for B cell activation were optimized using CD40‐ligand, canine IL‐4, and Toll‐like receptor stimulus with CpGoligodinucleotides (ODN). Cyclosporine was added to eliminate peripheral T lymphocytes. Proliferation and activation of CD40‐B cells were demonstrated by CFSE dilution of B cells quantified by flow cytometry. Gene transfer was achieved by mRNA electroporation. Results: Marked in vitro stimulation and proliferation of canine peripheral B cells were achieved with soluble trimeric CD40L, canine IL‐4, and ODN. CD40‐B cells showed dramatic upregulation of MHC class II molecules and CD21 (B‐cell activation marker). After two weeks in culture, cells were negative for CD3 and CD4. Canine CD40‐B cells were efficiently transfected with mRNA, with >60% of CD40‐B expressing green fluorescent protein after GFP mRNA electroporation. Conclusion: RNA‐transfected CD40‐B cells can be efficiently generated from normal and tumor‐bearing dogs. These results provide rationale to test tumor RNA‐transfected CD40‐B as a novel therapeutic approach to treating canine malignancies. Clinical trials in canine lymphoma have been proposed.     

Association of markers in the bovine CAPN1 gene with meat tenderness in large crossbred populations that sample influential industry sires

Two previously identified single-nucleotide polymorphism markers located within the micromolar calcium-activated neutral protease gene (CAPN1) were evaluated for their association with variation in meat tenderness using one commercial sample of Simmental x Angus crossbred calves and one multibreed, crossbred research herd. The commercial sample included 362 animals sired by 23 registered Simmental bulls bred to unregistered Angus cows and represented current industry animals in which to test the predictive merit of the markers. The second sample was a research herd including 564 steers from the Germplasm Evaluation Cycle VII population at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, produced with semen from popular sires of the seven Bos taurus beef breeds with the most registrations in the United States (Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Red Angus, and Simmental) on Angus, Hereford, and MARC III cows. These animals form a relatively outbred population that constituted a stringent test of the predictive merit of the genetic markers, although small groups were half-sibs. Warner-Bratzler shear force measurements were used to determine tenderness phenotypes for all animals. The populations were genotyped for two markers that predict variation at amino acid positions 316 and 530 of the mu-calpain polypeptide, produced by the CAPN1 gene. Minor allele frequencies for markers 316 and 530 in the commercial sample were 0.17 and 0.37, respectively, and in the Cycle VII animals, were 0.20 and 0.28, respectively. Both markers showed association with shear force in the commercial sample (P = 0.04) and the Cycle VII population (P = 0.02), supporting the hypothesis that they represent potential markers to aid selection for improved meat tenderness in commercial populations of beef cattle in the United States.     

Effect of Endobronchial Challenge with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Serotype 10 of Pigs Vaccinated with Bacterins Consisting of A. pleuropneumoniae Serotype 10 Grown under NAD‐Rich and NAD‐Restricted Conditions

The efficacy of two bacterins containing an Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 10 strain was evaluated. The bacterial cells constituting bacterin 1 and 2 were grown under nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)‐rich (low‐adherence capacity to alveolar epithelial cell cultures) and NAD‐restricted (high‐adherence capacity to alveolar epithelial cell cultures) conditions, respectively. Ten pigs were vaccinated twice with the bacterin 1 and nine pigs with the bacterin 2. Ten control animals were injected twice with a saline solution. Three weeks after the second vaccination, all pigs were endobronchially inoculated with 106.5 colony‐forming units (CFU) of an A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 10 strain. In the bacterin 1 and 2 group, three and two pigs died after inoculation, respectively. Only two pigs of the control group survived challenge. Surviving pigs were killed at 7 days after challenge. The percentage of pigs with severe lung lesions (>10% of the lung affected) was 100% in the control group, 70% in the bacterin 1 group and 22% in the bacterin 2 group. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was isolated from the lungs of all animals. The mean bacterial titres of the caudal lung lobes were 7.0 × 10⁶ CFU/g in the control group, 6.3 × 10⁵ CFU/g in the bacterin 1 group and 1.3 × 10⁶ CFU/g in the bacterin 2 group. It was concluded that both bacterins induced partial protection against severe challenge. Furthermore, there are indications that the bacterin 2, containing A. pleuropneumoniae bacteria grown under conditions resulting in high in vitro adhesin, induced better protection than the bacterin 1.     

Dairy Production and Reproduction by Crosses of Holstein,Jersey or Brown Swiss Sires with Holstein-Friesian/Gir Dams

The performance was compared of cows sired by Holstein, Jersey or Brown Swiss bulls out of Holstein-Friesian×Gir dams of 1/2 to 3/4 Holstein-Friesian content. The animals were kept in a single herd under the same management. The data were analysed by least-squares techniques under a model that included the fixed effects of breed of sire, Bos taurus fraction of the dam, parity, year and season of calving, and a random cow effect. Based on 480 observations, the milk yields per lactation for the Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss sired groups were 2821±163, 2320±61 and 2418±119 kg, respectively. The corresponding means for fat yield per lactation were 96.9±6.6, 86.8±2.5 and 92.8±4.8 kg; for protein yield per lactation were 85.3±5.1, 71.3±1.9 and 76.3±3.7 kg; for lactation length, 339±18, 283±7 and 313±14 days for fat percentage, 3.37±0.10, 3.73±0.04 and 3.77±0.07%; and for protein percentage, 3.02±0.05, 3.10±0.02 and 3.16±0.04%. The respective calving intervals were 487±24, 408±11 and 461±245 days. The yields of milk and protein per day of calving interval were similar in the Jersey and Holstein sired groups, while the former had higher yields of fat, implying that production economics might favour the smaller Jersey crosses in production systems in which the males were not reared. Crossing with Brown Swiss did not improve performance over the Holstein sired crosses.     

Common virus infections in cats, before and after being placed in shelters, with emphasis on feline enteric coronavirus

The purpose of this study was to determine the origin and subsequent spread of feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus (FHV), and feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) in cats relinquished to shelters. FCV was isolated from the oral fauces of 11% of healthy cats upon entry, and isolation rates were highest for kittens (33%). FHV shedding was very low (4%) at the time of entry and occurred mainly in juveniles. FECV shedding was also common among newly relinquished cats (33%), especially older kittens and juveniles (90%). The subsequent spread of all three viruses was rapid and efficient in the shelter environment. Fifteen percent of cats were shedding FCV, 52% FHV, and 60% FECV after 1 week. More detailed studies were done with FECV shedding, which could be accurately quantitated. The amounts of FECV shed by infected cats ranged from 10(2)to 10(16)particles/swab of feces. FECV shedding was several logs higher in young kittens with primary infection than adult cats with primary infections. The mean levels of FECV shedding among adults were the same for primary and chronic infections. Although shelters were not the primary source of these viruses for many relinquished cats, factors intrinsic to the shelter environment were critical in amplifying shedding and spread to susceptible individuals. Extrinsic factors were especially important for the spread of FHV and FECV. FHV shedding rates increased from 4% to 50% in 1 week's time. The speed and magnitude of the increase in FHV shedding suggested that there was reactivation of latent infections as well as acquisition of new infections. FECV shedding increased 10 to 1,000,000 fold in 1 week among cats that were already infected at entry, and more than one-half of initially negative cats were shedding FECV a week later. Feline calicivirus infection was the least likely to spread in the shelter. The infection rate only increased from 11 to 15% in 1 week.     

Wild ostrich (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Struthio camelus australis</Emphasis>) reproduction in Orbata,a nature reserve in Tunisia

The aim of the current investigation was to determine wild ostrich reproductive behaviour in Orbata Nature Reserve by observing 16 hens and 28 cocks over a seven-year period. Intense laying commenced in January, one month after the cessation of the rainy season, and 92% of the eggs were produced during the dry season (January to May, peaking in March). Over the seven years, 1,322 eggs were laid in 69 nests, which corresponded to an annual average production of 19.2 ± 9.1 eggs/nest and 11.8 eggs/hen. 24 nests (34.78%) were non-brooded, 17 nests (24.64%) were deserted in the course of incubation, and 28 nests (40.58%) possessed hatched eggs. All the non-incubated nests had egg losses equivalent to 46.6 ± 12.6%. Hatchability success of incubated eggs was 41.9 ± 12.0%. Ostriches tended to dig their nests adjacent to the reserve enclosure which had direct access by road and track, the latter subjecting them to human disturbance and predation. The systematic obstruction of these nests stimulated ostriches to build additional nests within the reserve perimeter. The authors discussed the results recorded in an ostrich flock in relation to the environmental factors (climatic factors, food disponibility and predation) and suggested possibilities for improved wildlife management.