Pulmonary function, ventilator management, and outcome of dogs with thoracic trauma and pulmonary contusions: 10 cases (1994-1998)

OBJECTIVE: To document pulmonary function, ventilator management, and outcome of dogs with thoracic trauma that required mechanical ventilation because of severe pulmonary contusions. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 10 dogs that required mechanical ventilation because of severe pulmonary contusions caused by blunt thoracic trauma. PROCEDURE: Signalment, historical data, arterial blood gas values, oxygen tension-based indices, ventilator settings, peak inspiratory pressure, positive end-expiratory pressure, tidal volume, and minute ventilation values were retrieved from medical records. RESULTS: All 10 dogs required positive-pressure ventilation because of dyspnea following trauma and had severely abnormal pulmonary function. Survival rate to discharge was 30%. Dogs were categorized into 2 groups; group A included 5 dogs in which pulmonary function improved during ventilation, whereas group B included 5 dogs that were euthanatized because of progressive lung dysfunction (n = 4) or cardiac arrest (1). Mean +/- SD body weight of group-A dogs (30.9 +/- 15.9 kg [68 +/- 35 lb]) was significantly greater than that of group-B dogs (7.6 +/- 1.8 kg [16.7 +/- 4 lb]). Dogs with improved lung function had peak inspiratory pressure that decreased progressively, whereas lung compliance deteriorated in dogs in group B. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dyspneic dogs with severe pulmonary contusions may require and benefit from positive-pressure ventilation Prognosis is better for dogs that weigh > 25 kg (55 lb).     

Hygiene at winter bird feeders in a southwestern Ontario city

To further understand the source of the epidemic of salmonellosis in some species of birds using bird feeders in southern Ontario in the winter of 1997-1998, 124 bird feeder stations were examined for their state of hygiene and for Salmonella on 5 occasions during the winter of 1999 in a city of 100,000 people in southwestern Ontario. No Salmonella were isolated from feed contaminated with feces recovered from the feeders. Squirrel-proof feeders were significantly less contaminated with feces than were other feeder types (hopper, platform, silo), which did not differ significantly in their hygiene scores. Contamination of squirrel-proof feeders increased significantly through the course of the study, but other feeder types showed no significant change. Hygiene was poorer if feeders were maintained equally by both male and female household members, particularly as they grew older, but no age or gender effect was observed if only one person was largely responsible for maintaining the feeders. We concluded that winter bird feeder stations in a southern Ontario city were not contaminated with Salmonella but that bird feeder stations could be designed better to reduce fecal contamination of feed.     

Interrelationships between dietary lysine, sex, and porcine somatotropin administration on growth performance and protein deposition in pigs between 80 and 120 kg live weight

Sixty male and 60 female crossbred pigs were allocated to an experiment to investigate the effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) administration (0 or 6 mg/d) and dietary lysine content on growth performance, tissue deposition, and carcass characteristics over the live weight range of 80 to 120 kg. Pigs receiving pST were given diets containing 6.9, 7.8, 8.8, 9.7, 10.6, or 11.5 g lysine/kg, whereas control pigs received diets containing 4.8, 5.8, 6.9, 7.8, 8.8 or 9.7 g lysine/kg. These dietary levels ranged from 0.40 to 0.70 g available lysine/MJ of DE for pST-treated pigs and from 0.28 to 0.58 g available lysine/MJ of DE for control pigs. Pigs were individually housed in pens, and there were five replicates of each treatment. All diets contained 14.5 MJ of DE/kg and were offered for ad libitum consumption to pigs between 80 and 120 kg live weight. Growth rate increased exponentially and food conversion ratio (FCR) decreased exponentially with increasing levels of lysine. In addition, there was a significant sex x pST interaction such that pST reduced the sex difference in FCR. Growth rate was faster in boars than in gilts and was increased by pST at the higher levels of dietary lysine. Similarly, FCR was lower for boars than for gilts and was decreased by pST at the higher dietary lysine levels. The optimum growth rate and FCR were defined as the lysine level at which growth rate and FCR were 95% and 105%, respectively, of the lysine plateau. The optimum growth rate and FCR were achieved at similar dietary lysine contents and were approximately 0.35 and 0.52 g available lysine/MJ of DE for control and pST-treated pigs, respectively. Protein deposition in the carcass increased exponentially with increasing dietary lysine level, was higher in boars than in gilts, and was increased by pST at the higher dietary lysine contents. Sex had no effect on dietary lysine required to maximize protein deposition. The dietary lysine contents required to ensure 95% of plateau protein deposition of 104 and 153 g/d were 0.39 and 0.55 g available lysine/MJ of DE for control and pST-treated pigs, respectively. The increase in lysine requirement with pST seems to be commensurate with the increase in protein deposition.     

Disease outbreak investigation in food animal practice.

In addition to excellent observation skills and a good understanding of production medicine, veterinarians require the tools of epidemiology for the successful investigation of disease outbreaks. Food supply veterinary practitioners are often called upon to investigate various types of disease outbreaks. In this article, the authors outline the primary questions a practitioner should address and summarize a systematic approach to determining the causes of an outbreak and minimizing further losses. The investigation of disease outbreaks provides an opportunity for the herd veterinarian to show clients the advantages of a herd health program and the value of a good record-keeping system.     

家禽生产中应用喷雾干燥血浆粉

前言喷雾干燥动物血浆粉系从政府检验的屠宰场采集的牛血或猪血,经精心汇集、加工并喷雾干燥而得的产品。喷雾干燥血浆粉有粉状和颗粒状两种。由于采集和加工喷雾干燥血浆粉时所用的方法,其产品成为一种具有多种功能性成分的混合物,其中含有免疫球蛋白、白蛋白、纤维蛋白原、脂类、生长因子、生物活性肽(防卫素、转铁蛋白)、酶以及一些其它因子而这些因子在肠道内具有独立于其营养价值之外的生物活性。这些功能性蛋白质能够提高动物的存活率、健康水平和生产性能。已有人提出了喷雾干燥血浆粉的几种作用模式。总体说来,从提出的这些作用模式…     

Comparison of 3 methods of selenium assessment in cattle.

Three tests are routinely done to assess blood status of selenium in cattle: serum selenium, whole blood selenium, and glutathione peroxidase. The objective of this study was to compare the various analytical methods for determining blood selenium status in groups of mature cows and beef calves. Twenty to 30 blood samples per herd were collected from 8 beef herds in central Alberta and 1 dairy in Alberta herd twice a year from the spring of 1992 through the fall of 1995, and once from 185 spring calves in 2 beef herds in Saskatchewan. Serum and whole blood samples were submitted to 1 laboratory and whole blood samples were submitted to a 2nd laboratory. Samples for glutathione peroxidase determinations were submitted to a 3rd laboratory. Pearson's correlation coefficients and Cohen's kappa were calculated for each possible comparison among the different measures. The best agreement was observed between serum and whole blood analysis within Laboratory A. The remaining comparisons reflected poor agreement. Comparison of herd-level assessment resulted in better agreement than comparison of individual sample results among laboratories and procedures for all combinations tested. Serum selenium analysis was the only laboratory procedure for which external reference material was utilized. Serum selenium, whole blood selenium, and glutathione peroxidase measure different compartments of the blood selenium pool. The time frame of interest, supplementation practices, and the stability of recent dietary intake determine the optimum assessment method for individual animals or herds. Determination of the serum status or of blood selenium is more consistently measured at the herd-level than for individual samples.     

Mutants of rabies viruses in skunks: immune response and pathogenicity.

In studies to develop an oral rabies vaccine for wildlife, the immune response to and pathogenicity of two types of mutants of rabies viruses were examined. Forty-five small plaque mutants were selected from cultures of ERA rabies virus treated with 8-azaguanine or 5-fluorouracil and tested for pathogenicity in mice. Two of these mutants AZA 1 and AZA 2 (low pathogenicity in mice) were given to skunks by oral (bait), intestinal (endoscope) and intramuscular routes. Additionally, challenge virus standard (CVS) rabies virus and mutants of this and ERA rabies virus (CVS 3766 and 3713, and ERA 3629) that were resistant to neutralization by specific antiglycoprotein monoclonal antibodies (and apathogenic in mice) were tested by various routes in skunks. Skunks given AZA 1 and AZA 2 were challenged at three months postinoculation with street rabies virus. After oral administration, there were very low rates of seroconversion with AZA 1 and AZA 2 and on challenge only 2/7 given AZA 1 and 1/8 given AZA 2 survived. None of the skunks given the other mutants orally seroconverted. AZA 2 produced a high rate of seroconversion (8/8) by the intestinal route and all challenged skunks in this group survived (7/7). All skunks vaccinated intramuscularly with AZA 1 (4/4) or AZA 2 (4/4) developed high levels of rabies neutralizing antibodies and survived challenge. The mutant CVS 3766, while apathogenic when given intracerebrally to adult mice, was consistently pathogenic by this route (and intranasally) in skunks. These results demonstrate that skunks are highly resistant to oral immunization by live rabies virus vaccines and that pathogenicity (by intracerebral route) of the mutant CVS 3766 is markedly different in mice and skunks.     

Fatty acid supplementation and skin disease

The importance of dietary fatty acids to the health of the skin was recognized more than 60 years ago. Fatty acids are important in providing membrane fluidity and maintaining the cutaneous water permeability barrier. Fatty acids function as precursors of eicosanoids. Eicosanoids, which include prostaglandins and leukotrienes, influence cellular interactions, cellular proliferation, and inflammation. Certain diseases, such as atopy and hypothyroidism, are characterized by abnormalities in fatty acid metabolism. Dietary manipulations may be useful in the treatment of diseases mediated by eicosanoids.     

Efficacy of paraherquamide against immature Trichostrongylus colubriformis in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Paraherquamide was 98 to 100 per cent effective against six-day-old Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections in gerbils when given as single oral doses of 1.56 mg kg-1 and above. Doses of 0.78 or 0.39 mg kg-1 were 96 and 66 per cent effective, respectively. A single oral dose of 200 mg kg-1 was well tolerated.