Pathological fractures secondary to metaphyseal osteopathy in a dog.

A four-month-old German Shepherd Dog (GSD) was admitted with bilateral non-weight bearing hindlimb lameness and pyrexia. A diagnosis of bilateral distal femoral fractures secondary to metaphyseal osteopathy was made on the basis of clinical signs, radiography and biopsy. The dog returned to normal function following conservative management. As far as the authors are aware there are no previous reports of pathological fractures secondary to this condition.     

A complex malformation in a pig: case report and review of the literature

Congenital defects like myofibrillar dysplasia (splayleg), umbilical and inguinal hernias, cryptorchism, intersexes, and anal atresia occur relatively frequently in swine. On the other hand, some developmental anomalies like double monsters are very rare. The present paper reports a rare case of a congenital complex malformation including polymelia, duplicitas coli partialis et recti, atresia ani et fistula rectogenitalis, duplicitas corpori uteri, cervicis, vaginae et vulvae and duplicitas vesicae, urethrae et renalis. A plausible interpretation concerning the etiology is that the anomalies arose from unequal partial twinning. The pig has been healthy and inconspicuous. Although no anus was formed defecation took place via a fistula to one of the vaginas. Posture and behaviour of the pig were normal. Cytogenetic analysis of blood lymphocytes revealed no numerical or gross structural anomalies. There have been no further piglets with developmental disorders in the same litter, in a second litter of the same parents and in other twelve litters by the same boar.     

Interaction between the effects of evaporation rate and amount of simulated rainfall on development of the free-living stages of Haemonchus contortus

A factorial experiment (3 x 4 x 2 x 3) was conducted in programmable incubators to investigate interaction between the effects of rainfall amount, rainfall distribution and evaporation rate on development of Haemonchus contortus to L3. Sheep faeces containing H. contortus eggs were incubated on sterilised soil under variable temperatures typical of summer in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Australia. Simulated rainfall was applied in 1 of 3 amounts (12, 24 or 32 mm) and 4 distributions (a single event on the day after deposition, or the same total amount split in 2, 3 or 4 equal events over 2, 3 or 4 days, respectively). Samples were incubated at either a Low or High rate of evaporation (Low: 2.1-3.4 mm/day and High: 3.8-6.1 mm/day), and faeces and soil were destructively sampled at 4, 7 and 14 days post-deposition. Recovery of L3 from the soil (extra-pellet L3) increased over time (up to 0.52% at day 14) and with each increment of rainfall (12 mm: <0.01%; 24 mm: 0.10%; 32 mm: 0.45%) but was reduced under the High evaporation rate (0.01%) compared with the Low evaporation rate (0.31%). All rainfall amounts yielded significantly different recoveries of L3 under Low evaporation rates but there was no difference between the 12 and 24 mm treatments under the High evaporation rate. The distribution of simulated rainfall did not significantly affect recovery of infective larvae. Faecal moisture content was positively associated with L3 recovery, as was the ratio of cumulative precipitation and cumulative evaporation (P/E), particularly when measured in the first 4 days post-deposition. The results show that evaporation rate plays a significant role in regulating the influence of rainfall amount on the success of L3 transmission.     

Apparent clinical resolution of pinnal actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma in a cat using topical imiquimod 5% cream

Imiquimod is a topical immune response modifier and stimulator used in humans to treat a number of cutaneous neoplasms. This case report describes a cat with actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma of the pinnae. The pinnal lesions were treated with topical 5% imiquimod three times per week. Treatment was discontinued after 82 days of therapy. Twelve weeks of topical imiquimod application resulted in clinical resolution of the pinnal lesions. Although no post-treatment biopsies were performed, there was no relapse of the pinnal lesions in 5 months of clinical follow-up. Expected side effects were limited to erythema, crusting, alopecia, and mild discomfort at the sites of application during the first 3 weeks of application. These results suggest that topical imiquimod, although unproven, might be a therapeutic option or adjunct to therapy for cats with actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma, especially those cats for whom surgery and radiation therapy are not an option.     

A randomised,blinded, crossover study to assess the efficacy of a feed supplement in alleviating the clinical signs of headshaking in 32 horses

Reasons for performing study: Feed supplements are commonly used by owners to alleviate headshaking; however, randomised, controlled trials are required to assess their efficacy. Objective: To determine the efficacy of a feed supplement for alleviation of the clinical signs of headshaking using a randomised, blinded, placebo‐controlled trial. Methods: Using a crossover design, 44 horses previously diagnosed with chronic idiopathic headshaking received both the supplement and a matching placebo per os for 28 days with a washout period between of 14 days. Video recordings were taken at rest and exercise prior to the study and at the end of both periods of treatment. The degree of headshaking was assessed in a blinded, randomised manner by 2 veterinary surgeons. At the same time points, owners completed a questionnaire to assess the severity of headshaking signs. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the scores while on supplement and placebo. Results: Using the video assessments, there was no significant difference between scores while on supplement compared with placebo (P = 0.7). Using the questionnaire responses, there was no significant difference between scores for any activity when the placebo and the supplement were compared with each other. However, owners reported significant improvement during all activities for both placebo and supplement compared with pretreatment scores. Conclusions and potential relevance: The supplement offered no benefit over a placebo in alleviating the clinical signs of headshaking. There appeared to be a significant proxy placebo effect when the outcome was based on subjective owner perception of clinical signs. This study demonstrated no beneficial effect of this supplement on the clinical signs of headshaking. The study did show a significant placebo effect, thereby highlighting the necessity of properly conducted, randomised controlled trials, with blinding, to assess true treatment effects in trials in animals.