Actinobacillus equuli as a primary pathogen in breeding sows and piglets

The death of over 300 sows in 2 months on a 3000 sow farrow-to-isowean operation in Manitoba was attributed to infection with Actinobacillus equuli. This pathogen commonly infects foals, and is rarely reported in swine. Our report is the second recently published case of this pathogen in North American swine.     

The glucocorticoid sparing efficacy of PhytopicaTM in the management of canine atopic dermatitis

This double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial indicates that Phytopica™ can be an effective glucocorticoid sparing agent in canine atopic dermatitis (AD). Twenty-two dogs with perennial AD [Canine Atopic Dermatitis with Severity Index (CADESI-03) ≥ 60] were given 200 mg/kg Phytopica™ or an identical placebo in food once daily for 56 days. All dogs were initially given 0.4 mg/kg methyl-prednisolone once daily, which was then adjusted according to the daily pruritus score (0–100 mm visual analogue scale). The cumulative dose and pruritus score were lower in the Phytopica™ than the placebo group. There were statistically significant time and treatment effects for the methyl-prednisolone dose and pruritus score, but there were no significant differences between the Phytopica™ and placebo groups in the proportion of dogs that achieved a > 50% reduction in dose or pruritus scores at day 56; the mean CADESI-03 scores at days 0, 28 and 56; the numbers achieving >50% reduction in CADESI-03 at days 28 and 56; or in the owners' global efficacy score at days 28 and 56. Adverse events included diarrhoea (three Phytopica™ and one placebo treated dog), polyuria/polydipsia (three dogs in each group), and polyphagia, intermittent anorexia and panting (one dog each in the placebo group). None of these by themselves required withdrawal of treatment.     

Heterogeneity of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates from atopic and healthy dogs

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is part of the normal canine flora but frequently causes pyoderma in canine atopic dermatitis (AD). This study aimed to determine whether particular S. pseudintermedius strains were associated with AD and/or pyoderma. Ninety‐six S. pseudintermedius isolates from the ear, nares, perineum and lesions of 21 atopic and 16 healthy dogs were lysed with proteinase K and digested with 40 U SmaI. Restriction products were separated using pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with an Oxford S. aureus control and lambda‐ladder DNA concatomer markers. A dendrogram was constructed by the unweighted pair group method. All isolates showed a ≥56% similarity coefficient. Nine distinct PFGE clusters were identified, as follows: five from both atopic and healthy dogs; three from atopic dogs only; and one from healthy dogs only. Nine clusters were isolated from the nares, eight from the perineum, five from the ears and six from pyoderma lesions. There were no significant differences in the frequency of isolation from atopic or healthy skin, body sites or infected lesions for any of the clusters. Two of six healthy dogs and 18 of 20 atopic dogs with multiple isolates had closely related isolates (less than three band differences) at more than one sampling site. Isolates from pyoderma lesions were closely related to at least one mucosal isolate in 11 of 16 dogs. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates appear to be heterogeneous, and colonization or infection of atopic skin was not associated with any particular strain or cluster of strains.     

Cardiovascular effects following epidural injection of romifidine in isoflurane‐anaesthetized dogs

ObjectiveTo investigate the cardiovascular effects of epidural romifidine in isoflurane-anaesthetized dogs.Study designProspective, randomized, blinded experiment.AnimalsA total of six healthy adult female Beagles aged 1.25 ± 0.08 years and weighing 12.46 ± 1.48 (10.25–14.50) kg.MethodsAnaesthesia was induced with propofol (6–9 mg kg^?1) and maintained with 1.8–1.9% end-tidal isoflurane in oxygen. End-tidal CO₂ was kept between 35 and 45 mmHg (4.7–6.0 kPa) using intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure and cardiac output (CO) were monitored. Cardiac output was determined using a LiDCO monitor and the derived parameters were calculated. After baseline measurements, either 10 μg kg^?1 romifidine or saline (total volume 1 mL 4.5 kg^?1) was injected into the lumbosacral epidural space. Data were recorded for 1 hour after epidural injection. A minimum of 1 week elapsed between treatments.ResultsAfter epidural injection, the overall means (± standard deviation, SD) of HR (95 ± 20 bpm), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) (81 ± 19 mmHg), CO (1.63 ± 0.66 L minute^?1), cardiac index (CI) (2.97 ± 1.1 L minute^?1 m^?2) and stroke volume index (SI) (1.38 ± 0.21 mL beat^?1 kg^?1) were significantly lower in the romifidine treatment compared with the overall means in the saline treatment [HR (129 ± 24 bpm), MAP (89 ± 17 mmHg), CO (3.35 ± 0.86 L minute^?1), CI (6.17 ± 1.4 L minute^?1 m^?2) and SI (2.21 ± 0.21 mL beat^?1 kg^?1)]. The overall mean of systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) (7202 ± 2656 dynes seconds cm^?5 m^?2) after epidural romifidine injection was significantly higher than the overall mean of SVRI (3315 ± 1167 dynes seconds cm^?5 m^?2) after epidural saline injection.ConclusionEpidural romifidine in isoflurane-anaesthetized dogs caused significant cardiovascular effects similar to those reportedly produced by systemic romifidine administration.Clinical relevanceSimilar cardiovascular monitoring is required after epidural and systemically administered romifidine. Further studies are required to evaluate the analgesic effects of epidural romifidine.     

Allometric models for estimation of aboveground carbon stocks in improved fallows in eastern Zambia

This paper presents allometric functions for estimation of C stocks in aboveground tree biomass in 2-year-old improved fallows in eastern Zambia. A total of 222 individual trees representing 12 tree species were destructively harvested for C analysis by LECO CHN-1000 analyzer. Allometric models relating collar diameter (D₁₀) and total tree height (H) to stem and total aboveground C stocks were developed using data from tree fallows. Logarithmically transformed power functions displayed a good ability to stabilize variance of aboveground C stocks and showed a good fit (84 < R ² < 99) with a bias of 0.7–3.6%. D₁₀ alone and in combination with H explained most of the variability in total aboveground C stocks. Validation of the species-specific and generalized models with field data indicated that they accurately predicted aboveground tree C stocks. Generalized C estimation functions were also validated and described 73–97% of variability in aboveground C stocks with an average unsigned deviation of 1.5–4.9%. The C functions will serve as a vital tool for predicting and monitoring C pool sizes in long-term studies and agroforestry projects, especially where destructive sampling is not possible.