Acute ibuprofen toxicosis in a ferret

A 20-month-old 1.44-kg (3.2-lb) castrated male ferret was examined because of vomiting, defecating in an abnormal location, dyspnea, and signs of depression. Within 5 minutes of initial evaluation, the ferret became nonresponsive to all stimuli except deep pain. Despite intensive supportive treatment, the ferret died. Toxicologic analyses for ibuprofen were performed on serum, urine, and liver, using gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometry. Serum ibuprofen concentrations were 245 micrograms/g before and 269 micrograms/g after death. Acute ibuprofen toxicosis may cause severe lethargy progressing to coma, apnea, and death in ferrets. Ibuprofen toxicosis should be considered in differential diagnoses for ferrets with signs of depression, with or without clinical signs of gastrointestinal tract dysfunction.     

Evaluation of ground grain versus pre- and post-pellet whole grain additions to poultry diets via a response surface design

1. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of pre- and post-pellet whole grain wheat additions to diets on growth performance, gizzard and pancreas development, nutrient utilisation and starch and protein (N) digestibility coefficients in broiler chickens via an equilateral triangle response surface design.

2. The three apical treatments of the equilateral triangle comprised (1A) a standard diet containing 600 g/kg ground wheat, (2B) the same diet containing 600 g/kg pre-pellet whole wheat and (3C) the same diet containing 300 g/kg ground wheat and 300 g/kg post-pellet whole wheat. Seven blends of the three apical diets were located within the triangle to complete the design and a total of 360 male Ross 308 chicks were offered the ten experimental diets from 7 to 28 d post-hatch. Model prediction and response surface plots were generated with R 3.0.3 software.

3. The most efficient FCR of 1.466 was observed in birds offered an almost equal mixture of the pre- and post-pellet whole grain apical dietary treatments, which corresponded to 172 g/kg ground grain, 256 g/kg pre-pellet whole grain, 172 g/kg post-pellet whole grain in a diet containing 600 g/kg wheat.

4. The most efficient energy utilisation (ME:GE ratio of 0.766) was observed in birds offered a blend of the ground grain and pre-pellet whole grain apical dietary treatments which corresponded to a mixture of 384 g/kg pre-pellet whole grain and 216 g/kg ground grain.

5. Pre-pellet whole grain feeding generated the most pronounced responses in increased relative gizzard contents, reduced gizzard pH and increased relative pancreas weights. Consideration is given to the likely differences between pre- and post-pellet whole grain feeding.     

Digestion and metabolism of low and high residual feed intake Nellore bulls

Understanding the reasons why animals of similar performances have different feed requirements is important to increase profits for cattle producers and to decrease the environmental footprint of beef cattle production. This study was carried out aiming to identify the associations between residual feed intake (RFI) and animal performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood metabolites related to energy balance of young Nellore bulls during the finishing period. Animals previously classified as low (n?=?13) and high RFI (n?=?12), with average initial body weight of 398 kg and age of 503 days were used. Cattle were fed a high energy diet and were slaughtered when rib fat thickness measured by ultrasound between the 12th and 13th ribs reached the minimum of 4 mm. A completely randomized design was adopted, being data analyzed with a mixed model that included the random effect of slaughter group, the fixed effect of RFI class, and linear effect of the covariate feedlot time. No differences were found (p?>?0.10) between RFI classes for performance, dry matter, and nutrients intake. However, dry (p?=?0.0911) and organic matter (p?=?0.0876) digestibility tended to be lower, and digestibility of neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (p?=?0.0017), and total digestible nutrients (p?=?0.0657) were lower for high RFI animals, indicating lesser capacity of food utilization. Difference between low and high RFI animals was also found for blood cortisol at the end of the trial (p?=?0.0044), having low RFI animals lower cortisol concentrations. Differences in the ability to digest food can affect the efficiency of transforming feed into meat by Nellore cattle.     

In vitro evaluation of protein degradability in the rumen and digestibility of undegraded protein

A three-phase laboratory procedure suitable for predicting protein degradability in the rumen and digestibility of undegraded protein is reported. In the first phase the feed was incubated with starch and buffered rumen fluid. In the incubation mixture the viability of protease-active bacteria was checked by anaerobic culturing, whereas changes in protease activity were monitored by azocasein degradation. In the second and third phase rumen undegradable protein (UDP) was digested with pepsin and pancreatin, respectively. The measurements showed that 63.2, 5.2 and 4.7% of the crude protein of green lucerne was decomposed by rumen fluid, pepsin and pancreatin, respectively. Degradability of the crude protein of extracted sunflower meal was 68.3, 17.7 and 5.5% in the three phases, respectively. Repeated determination yielded crude protein degradabilities of 66.7, 27.1 and 5.1% for the three phases, respectively.     

Efficacy of ivermectin in the treatment of induced Parascaris equorum infection in pony foals

Eighteen pony foals inoculated with 1,500 +/- 109 infective Parascaris equorum eggs were given 0.02 ml of ivermectin vehicle (liquid)/kg of body weight, PO, (control); 0.2 mg of ivermectin paste/kg, PO; or 0.2 mg ivermectin liquid/kg, PO, on postinoculation day (PID) 28. Foals were euthanatized on PID 42, and the small intestinal contents were examined for P equorum larvae. The mean number of fourth-stage P equorum larvae in foals treated with ivermectin paste and liquid were 3.5 and 6, respectively. Significantly (P less than 0.01) higher mean numbers of larvae (1,250) were detected in foals treated with ivermectin vehicle. Larvae recovered from foals treated with ivermectin vehicle were of significantly (P less than 0.002) longer mean length than those from foals treated with ivermectin paste or liquid. Gross examination of lungs and liver revealed similar pathologic changes from the migration of P equorum in all foals. Adverse reaction to treatment was not observed.     

Properties of the immunosuppressive factor induced by murine cytomegalovirus

Murine cytomegalovirus infection of spleen cultures induced the production of a small (less than 10,000 molecular weight) immunosuppressive factor (VISF), which suppressed concanavalin-A mitogenesis in fresh mouse spleen cells, and in fresh human peripheral blood leukocytes. The factor did not affect the growth of two murine T-cell lines or of mouse fibroblasts. A similar factor was also found in the serum of infected mice, at the time of maximum immune suppression. The properties of VISF indicate that the mechanism of MCMV immune suppression is different from that caused by several other viruses which are important in human and veterinary medicine.     

Xeroradiographic evaluation of the equine larynx

The normal radiographic anatomy of the equine larynx was determine by use of xeroradiography and dissection. The body and laminae of the thyroid cartilage, the muscular process of the arytenoid cartilages, and the dorsal lamina and arch of the cricoid cartilage had radiographic evidence of mineralization (calcification) and/or ossification in clinically normal horses. There was a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the degree of mineralization of the thyroid and arytenoid cartilages with advancing age. Horses with diagnosis of arytenoid chondrosis (arytenoid chondral dysplasia, arytenoid chondropathy) by use of endoscopy had radiographic changes that included: enlargement with increased density of the arytenoid cartilage region, abnormal patterns of mineralization (dystrophic mineralization or osseous metaplasia), abnormal contour of the corniculate process(es) and laryngeal masses, sometimes obliterating part or all of the lateral laryngeal ventricles.     

Efficacy of an in-feed ivermectin formulation against gastrointestinal helminths, lungworms, and sarcoptic mites in swine

The efficacy of ivermectin as an in-feed formulation was evaluated against naturally acquired gastrointestinal helminths, lungworms, and sarcoptic mites (experiment 1; n = 24) and against induced infection with intestinal nematodes (experiment 2; n = 24) in pigs. Treatments consisted of ivermectin administered in feed at concentrations calculated to provide 100 or 200 micrograms/kg of body weight/d for 7 days or of nonmedicated feed (controls) for 7 days. At concentration of 100 micrograms of ivermectin/kg/d, efficacy against naturally acquired infections was 97.7% for Ascaris suum, 97.8% for Metastrongylus spp, greater than 99% for Oesophagostomum spp, 100% for Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus, and 89.7% for Ascarops strongylina. Against induced infections (fourth-stage larvae), efficacy was 100% for A suum and 96.9% for Oesophagostomum spp. At concentration of 200 micrograms of ivermectin/kg/d, efficacy against naturally acquired infections was 100% for A suum, Hyostrongylus rubidus, Metastrongylus spp, and Ascarops strongylina; greater than 99% for Oesophagostomum spp; and 85.9% for Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus. Against induced infections (fourth-stage larvae), efficacy was 100% for A suum and 95% for Oesophagostomum spp. At concentrations of 100 and 200 micrograms of ivermectin/kg/d, efficacy against Sarcoptes scabiei var suis was evidenced by elimination of the mite by posttreatment day 14.     

Organochlorine insecticide problems in livestock

1. Antidotal therapy for acute OC intoxications is symptomatic and supportive. Use sedatives to control convulsions and AC to adsorb any pesticide remaining in the gut, and wash topical exposures. 2. Published kinetics should be applied to field situations with caution. In general, residues decline relatively quickly immediately following the last exposure; thereafter, the rate slows considerably. The elimination-rate constant and, hence, the half-life of any given OC is dependent on many variables that usually are not known under field conditions. This fact may result in serious errors if literature values are relied on too heavily in predicting the outcome of "natural" contamination. As a rule of thumb, elimination data derived from animals experimentally fed to plateau concentrations may be regarded as fairly conservative for such purposes, if the contaminated animals are maintained in a normal fashion. Probably the least risky method of predicting return to marketability is using frequent samples, taken at regular intervals (for example, 1 to 2 weeks) during the first month after last exposure, to adjust literature values. 3. Residues from larger dosages and shorter exposures tend to be smaller in proportion to dose and are eliminated more quickly than those resulting from longer exposures and smaller doses. 4. Activated charcoal is of universal benefit only if given immediately after exposure. 5. Pharmaceutical modifiers of xenobiotic metabolism such as phenobarbital are of very limited value. The particular type and amount of residual OC and the potential economic benefit of therapy should be considered thoroughly before undertaking such therapy. In most cases, the expense won't be justified. 6. Mineral oil increases the fecal excretion of some OC. Fecal excretion, however, is so small in relation to total body burdens that even a several-fold increase may not be useful economically except when residue concentrations are low to start with. 7. Nutritional strategies have the advantage of being very cheap. Practitioners should remember, however, that tissue concentrations actually may increase as body fat decreases. The costs of maintaining animals for an extra 6 to 10 months should be considered before undertaking such an effort.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)