Extensive umbilical herniation of the large colon in a foal

A 5‐month‐old Warmblood cross colt was presented with focal swelling of the ventral abdomen extending from the umbilicus to the scrotum in the absence of colic signs. Palpation and ultrasound examination revealed the presence of incarcerated large intestine within the subcutaneous space adjacent to the caudal ventral abdomen and prepuce. Surgery was performed and revealed that the umbilical hernia sac had ruptured, and confirmed that the left dorsal and ventral colon were present in the subcutaneous space. The mild degree of vascular compromise of the large colon did not necessitate resection and so it was replaced within the abdomen. The abdominal wall defect was closed and the subcutaneous dead space was reduced by using a walking suture pattern. Herniation of the large colon through the umbilicus with dissection through the subcutaneous tissues of the ventral abdominal wall and prepuce has not been previously reported in foals. Ultrasonography permits differentiation of herniated small intestine from large intestine.     

Accidental entrapment of cats in front-loading washing machines

Two clinical cases of accidental entrapment of cats in front-loading washing machines are described. One cat died the day after presentation as a result of aspiration pneumonia and head trauma, despite supportive care. The second cat survived with supportive treatment, but developed dermatologic complications 10 d later.     

Biodiversity of mannose-specific lectins within Narcissus species

Mannose-specific lectins (MSLs) were isolated from the bulbs of 27 species of wild Spanish Narcissi and compared to the commercially available MSL from daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus, NPA). Molecular weight analysis showed the monomers of all the MSLs were at, or around, 12.5 kD. Haemagglutination assays showed that the MSLs exhibited activities at up to four times greater than that displayed by NPA and other MSLs derived from other species such as Galanthus nivalus (snowdrop) and Allium ursinum (ramson). Elution profiles from ion exchange chromatography exhibited similarities for species within the same taxonomic section suggesting that this method could aid in species classification. Further analysis by isoelectric focusing showed many isolectins are present in vivo and that even within a single peak from ion exchange chromatography there are numerous isolectins present. The basis of the isolectin heterogeneity is suggested to reside in the tetraploidy (sometime triploidy) nature of Narcissus genes.     

Suspected venous air embolism in three horses

Venous air embolism was suspected in 3 hospitalised horses on the basis of an inadvertently open jugular venous line. Subsequently the 3 horses developed clinical signs including cardiovascular collapse, cardiac dysrhythmia, pulmonary oedema, behavioural abnormalities and neurological signs consistent with central nervous system injury. Treatment included intranasal oxygen therapy, i.v. fluid administration and anti‐inflammatory therapy. Specific therapy aimed at treating air embolism in man is reviewed, with pertinent therapy potentially applicable to horses emphasised.     

Surgical stapling for repair of a rectal tear in a horse

A grade-4 rectal tear in a mare was successfully repaired per rectum, using a surgical stapling device. The mare had only minor postoperative complications. This technique has some advantages over previously described procedures, but should be reserved for use in selected cases.     

The Effects of Forced Exercise on Collagen Type II Fragments,Lysyl Oxidase Concentrations,and Total Protein Concentrations in Sera and Synovial Fluid of Lambs

Excessive exercise may induce osteoarthritis, which is a leading cause of lameness and decreased use in horses. The purpose of this study was to utilize a sheep model to determine the effects of circular and linear exercise on biochemical markers in serum and synovial fluid (SF). Twenty lambs (5 months) were assigned to three groups: circular exercise (C, 8.5 m diameter; n = 8), straight-line exercise (S, treadmill; n = 8) and nonexercised control (CON, n = 4). Lambs (C and S) were exercised up to 8 weeks at 1.3 m/s for up to 30 minutes, 6 days per week. Serum and SF from a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint was collected. Serum total protein (P = .66), Collagen Type II cleavage [3/4] fragments concentrations (P = .44) and lysyl oxidase (LOX) (P = .15) activity were not different among treatment groups throughout the study. There was a polynomial response to serum LOX over time (R² = 0.7464). There were no differences in SF total protein (P = .94, right MCP; P = .68, left MCP) or SF LOX specific activities (P = .9, right MCP; P = .93, left MCP) among groups throughout the study. However, SF LOX specific activity did increase over time (P = .001) for all treatment groups. These results indicated that the biochemical markers utilized in this study were unable to detect differences between groups with respect to exercise protocols. However, the LOX activity did increase over time possibly as a result of growth.     

Epidemiology of Salmonella enterica serovars enteritidis and Typhimurium in animals and people in Scotland between 1990 and 2001

Two serovars of salmonella which are currently of particular importance in both human and animal infections are Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4) and Typhimurium definitive type 104 (DT104). This paper describes the trends in the relationships between the levels of infection of people and a range of farm animal species with these two serovars and explores some of the reasons behind them. In 1996, there was a peak of 520 reports of S Typhimurium DT104 infection in people in Scotland, but the number has decreased every year since, to 96 in 2001. In cattle the incidence of S Typhimurium DT104 also peaked in 1996, with 138 incidents, and it has similarly decreased every year to 2001 when there were 10 reported incidents. Similar declines have been observed in its incidence in sheep and pigs. In people the number of reports of S Enteritidis PT4 peaked in 1997 at 1684 and then declined to 457 in 2001. In chickens, the number of reports of S Enteritidis PT4 peaked in 1998 at 34 incidents, but no incidents were reported in the following three years.     

Comparison of the effects of oral or subcutaneous carprofen or ketoprofen in rats undergoing laparotomy

Rats undergoing laparotomy received either carprofen (5 mg/kg) or ketoprofen (5 mg/kg) administered orally in flavoured gelatin, or by subcutaneous injection. A control group that received no analgesic showed a significant (3 per cent) fall in bodyweight (P = 0.009) after laparotomy. This decrease was greater than that seen in the groups receiving carprofen (P = 0.006) or ketoprofen (P = 0.012) administered subcutaneously, which continued to gain weight following surgery. All animals showed a significant fall in food consumption but this decrease was greater in the jelly alone group (47 per cent) than in the group receiving carprofen (17 per cent) (P = 0.015) administered subcutaneously. A significant fall in water consumption occurred in the control group (40 per cent) and in animals that received oral carprofen (13 per cent) or Ketoprofen (22 per cent). No significant decrease was seen in groups receiving either carprofen or ketoprofen administered subcutaneously (P > 0.1). This study shows that a relatively simple surgical procedure results in a major reduction in food and water consumption in rats. This reduction can be minimised by the administration of ketoprofen or carprofen (5 mg/kg subcutaneously), but higher dose rates are required if these drugs are to be administered by the oral route.