Chronic Idiopathic Neutropenia in a Cat

Persistent neutropenia (0-0.6 X 10(9) neutrophils/l) was documented during a 10-month period in a 4-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat that was presented for anorexia and depression. Salient abnormalities detected on physical examination were fever (40.3 degrees C), dehydration, and gingivitis. The cat was neutropenic (0.5 X 10(9) neutrophils/l) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for feline leukemia virus was negative. A bone marrow aspirate showed decreased numbers of mature granulocytic cells. In vitro bone marrow cultures for colony-forming units-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) were performed comparing bone marrow from the patient with that of a normal cat. The patient had fewer CFU-GM than the control. The number of CFU-GM increased when bone marrow mononuclear cells were cultured in the presence of 10(-5) and 10(-6) mol/l of hydrocortisone, but the cat did not respond to oral prednisolone therapy. The pathogenesis of the neutropenia in this cat remains obscure, but resembles the chronic idiopathic neutropenia syndrome of man.     

猪圆环病毒2型的自然感染、免疫和遗传多样性研究综述

猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)是一个基因保守的猪病原体。PCV2感染最早发生在子宫内的胎儿发育期间或出生后通过接触感染病毒的母猪以及被病毒污染的产仔环境而感染,其传播不受病毒血症水平或免疫水平的影响。PCV2及其抗体很容易进入初乳、母乳和口鼻分泌物中,但在这些液体中的抗体水平不会影响仔猪病毒血症的水平。仔猪在断奶时常已经感染PCV2或已有母源抗体。目前还不清楚早期PCV2感染或母源抗体的存在对疫苗免疫效果会产生多大的影响,但它们有可能受到PCV2相关疫病(PCVAD)的干扰。对怀孕前的母猪进行免疫,可使其血清、初乳均能获得较高的抗体水平,但加强母源免疫不会影响病毒向仔猪传播或母猪中的病毒量。在美国的流行病学调查显示,从2006年实施大规模免疫后,猪群PCV2流行率出现大幅下降,这说明PCV2或许可以根除。     

An observational study of mortality on bison farms in Saskatchewan with special emphasis on malignant catarrhal fever

In December 2011, the Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) Task Force in Saskatchewan recommended that research be conducted on the relationship between the proximity of bison and sheep under typical commercial production settings and bison deaths due to MCF. The objective of this study was to evaluate all causes of death in bison herds and compare the incidence of MCF in herds at varying distances of exposure from sheep operations. Necropsies were completed on 76 of 133 bison reported to have died during the 18-month study period. A total of 7 MCF deaths was reported from 2 large herds within 1.0 km of sheep operations. Although there was a greater risk of MCF deaths in bison herds within 1.0 km of sheep operations than in herds more than 1.0 km away, the overall incidence of MCF deaths within the study period was very low. Most deaths were attributed to non-infectious causes, including copper deficiency.     

GLP1 and GIP are involved in the action of synbiotics in broiler chickens

Background: In order to discover new strategies to replace antibiotics in the post-antibiotic era in meat-type chicken production, two new synbiotics were tested:(Lactobacillus salivarius IBB3154 plus galactooligosaccharide(Syn1) and Lactobacillus plantarum IBB3036 plus raffinose family oligosaccharides(Syn2).Methods: The synbiotics were administered via syringe, using a special automatic system, into the egg air chamber of Cobb 500 broiler chicks on the 12 thday of egg incubation(2 mg of prebiotics + 105 cfu bacteria per egg).Hatched roosters(total 2,400) were reared on an experimental farm, kept in pens(75 animals per pen), with free access to feed and water. After 42 d animals were slaughtered. Blood serum, pancreas, duodenum and duodenum content were collected.Results: Syn2 increased trypsin activity by 2.5-fold in the pancreas and 1.5-fold in the duodenal content. In the duodenum content, Syn2 resulted in ca 30% elevation in lipase activity and 70% reduction in amylase activity.Syn1 and Syn2 strongly decreased expression of m RNA for GLP-1 and GIP in the duodenum and for GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas. Simultaneously, concentrations of the incretins significantly diminished in the blood serum(P 0.05). The decreased expression of incretins coincides with changed activity of digestive enzymes in the pancreas and in the duodenal content. The results indicate that incretins are involved in the action of Syn1 and Syn2 or that they may even be their target. No changes were observed in key hormones regulating metabolism(insulin, glucagon, corticosterone, thyroid hormones, and leptin) or in metabolic indices(glucose,NEFA, triglycerides, cholesterol). Additionally, synbiotics did not cause significant changes in the activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in broiler chickens. Simultaneously, the activity of alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transferase diminished after Syn2 and Syn1, respectively.Conclusion: The selected synbiotics may be used as in ovo additives for broiler chickens, and Syn2 seems to improve their potential digestive proteolytic and lipolytic ability. Our results suggest that synbiotics can be directly or indirectly involved in incretin secretion and reception.     

Leading the pack: Best practices in comparative canine cancer genomics to inform human oncology

Pet dogs develop spontaneous cancers at a rate estimated to be five times higher than that of humans, providing a unique opportunity to study disease biology and evaluate novel therapeutic strategies in a model system that possesses an intact immune system and mirrors key aspects of human cancer biology. Despite decades of interest, effective utilization of pet dog cancers has been hindered by a limited repertoire of necessary cellular and molecular reagents for both in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as a dearth of information regarding the genomic landscape of these cancers. Recently, many of these critical gaps have been addressed through the generation of a highly annotated canine reference genome, the creation of several tools necessary for multi-omic analysis of canine tumours, and the development of a centralized repository for key genomic and associated clinical information from canine cancer patients, the Integrated Canine Data Commons. Together, these advances have catalysed multidisciplinary efforts designed to integrate the study of pet dog cancers more effectively into the translational continuum, with the ultimate goal of improving human outcomes. The current review summarizes this recent progress and provides a guide to resources and tools available for comparative study of pet dog cancers.     

Large trunk wounds.

Management of large trunk wounds begins with good wound management and bandaging. When a healthy wound bed exists and adequate tissue is present, the wound is closed. Fortunately, there is an abundance of loose trunk skin in most animals, and wound closure can be accomplished by simple reconstructive techniques, such as undermining and tension or "walking sutures." Nevertheless, some wounds and areas of the torso may require more advanced tension-relieving techniques, skin stretching, and tissue implants or flaps to achieve tension-free closure and successful wound healing. Use of these techniques allows wound closure and good cosmetic results for even those wounds that initially may seem foreboding.     

Accuracy of computed tomography in determining lesion size in canine appendicular osteosarcoma

Multidetector contrast enhanced computed tomography with acquisition of 0.625-mm thick transverse images was used to measure the extent of appendicular osteosarcoma in 10 dogs. The measured length of tumor based on CT was compared to the true length of tumor using histopathology. There was a statistically significant association with good correlation between the true length of osteosarcoma compared to the length of intramedullary/endosteal abnormalities on CT with a mean overestimation of 1.8% (SD = 15%). There was not a statistically significant association between the true tumor length and the length of periosteal proliferation on CT with a mean overestimation of 9.7% (SD = 30.3%). There was a statistically significant association, but with poor correlation, between the true tumor length compared to the length of abnormal contrast enhancement with a mean overestimation of 9.6% (SD = 34.8%). The extent of intramedullary/endosteal CT abnormalities assessed from submillimeter transverse images may be of value in assessing patient candidacy and surgical margins for limb-sparing surgery.     

Medicinal plants used in British Columbia, Canada for reproductive health in pets

In 2003, semi-structured interviews were conducted in British Columbia, Canada with participants obtained using a purposive sample on the ethnoveterinary remedies used for animals. Twenty-nine participants provided the information in this paper on the ethnoveterinary remedies used for reproductive health in dogs and cats. The plants used for pregnancy support and milk production in pets were raspberry-leaf (Rubus idaeus), motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale). Uterine infections were treated with black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) and goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Most of the studies conducted on these plants have not been conducted on companion animals.     

Prevalence and risk factor investigation of Campylobacter species in beef cattle feces from seven large commercial feedlots in Alberta,Canada

This fecal prevalence study targeted cattle from 7 large (10 000 to > 40 000 head) commercial feedlots in Alberta as a means of establishing Campylobacter levels in cattle just prior to animals entering the food chain. Overall, 87% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 86–88] of 2776 fresh pen-floor fecal samples were culture positive for Campylobacter species, with prevalences ranging from 76% to 95% among the 7 feedlots. Campylobacter spp. prevalence was 88% (95% CI = 86–90) in the summer (n = 1376) and 86% (95% CI = 85–88) in the winter (n = 1400). In addition, 69% (95% CI = 66–71) of 1486 Campylobacter spp. positive samples were identified as Campylobacter jejuni using hippurate hydrolysis testing. Of those, 64% (95% CI = 58–70) of 277 and 70% (95% CI = 67–72) of 1209 Campylobacter isolates were identified as C. jejuni in winter and summer, respectively. After accounting for clustering within pen and feedlot, feedlot size and the number of days on feed were associated with Campylobacter spp. isolation rates. The high isolation rates of Campylobacter spp. and C. jejuni in feedlot cattle feces in this study suggest a potential role for feedlot cattle in the complex epidemiology of campylobacters in Alberta.     

Lafora disease as a cause of visually exacerbated myoclonic attacks in a dog

An 8-year-old, castrated male, miniature wire-haired dachshund was presented with a 4-month history of intermittent facial twitching (myoclonus). The myoclonic episodes progressed over a 16-month period. Generalized seizure activity was infrequent. Clinical examination revealed visually stimulated myoclonus. Response to therapy with antiepileptic drugs was equivocal. Genetic testing identified the dog as being affected by Lafora disease.