Muscular and collagenous cerebellar choristoma in a dog

This report aims to describe the first case of muscular and collagenous choristoma in a dog. A 10-yr-old female mixed-breed dog presented with lateral recumbence, vocalization, positional vertical nystagmus, divergent strabismus, anisocoria, and status epilepticus. The clinical condition evolved to stupor and ultimately, death. Necropsy revealed a white mass causing an irregular increase in the volume of the cerebellar vermis. In histological analysis, a well circumscribed, unencapsulated mass was observed in the cerebellum, consisting of fibers of striated skeletal muscle and collagen fibers, mostly mineralized. Based on the histopathological and histochemical findings, a diagnosis of muscular and collagenous cerebellar choristoma was made.     

Evaluation of vaginal discharge with the Metricheck device and the relationship to reproductive performance in postpartum dairy cows

Vaginal mucus during estrus was examined with the Metricheck device and the relationship to the reproduction of high‐yielding dairy cows was studied. The study was conducted in 99 dairy herds located in Western Germany and 1348 Holstein‐Friesian heifers and cows showing spontaneous estrus were examined. Independent of the Metricheck result, the animals were inspected by professional insemination technicians and those suitable for insemination (n = 989) were bred by artificial insemination (AI). Reproductive performance was characterized by non‐return rate at 90 days (NRR90). The discharge of the animals predominantly had a clear appearance (70%) and a stringy consistency (80%). Animals with clear vaginal discharge had higher NRR90 (56%; n = 697) than animals with abnormal (turbid, mucopurulent, purulent, sanguineous) vaginal secretion (48%, n = 292; P < 0.05). NRR90 was lower in animals with short calving to AI interval (< 70 days; 39%) than with medium (70–130 days; 54%) or long (> 130 days; 62%) intervals (P < 0.05). NRR90 decreased by 12% from the lowest (< 15 kg) to the highest (> 45 kg) milk yield class. In conclusion, the use of the Metricheck device integrated into the insemination procedure is recommended to identify dairy cows suffering severely from uterine disease.     

Serum C-reactive protein concentrations in dogs with multicentric lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration is high in dogs with multicentric lymphoma, whether CRP concentration changes in response to chemotherapy, and whether CRP concentration can be used as a marker for relapse in dogs with multicentric lymphoma. DESIGN: Cohort study. ANIMALS: 20 dogs with multicentric lymphoma and 8 healthy control dogs undergoing chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP) or with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and L-asparaginase (VCMA) and 20 other healthy dogs. PROCEDURES: Serum CRP concentration was measured weekly during the first month of chemotherapy and then at 3-week intervals until relapse in dogs with multicentric lymphoma, weekly for 16 weeks in healthy dogs undergoing chemotherapy, and once in the healthy dogs not undergoing chemotherapy. RESULTS: For both groups of dogs with lymphoma, mean serum CRP concentration during week 1 (prior to treatment) was significantly higher than mean concentrations following induction of chemotherapy and at the time of relapse. Mean serum CRP concentration in the healthy dogs undergoing chemotherapy was not significantly different at any time from mean concentration for the healthy dogs not undergoing chemotherapy. No significant differences were observed between dogs treated with CVP and dogs treated with VCMA. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that serum CRP concentration is high in dogs with multicentric lymphoma but that serum CRP concentration is not a useful marker for relapse and that chemotherapy itself does not affect serum CRP concentration.     

Ventilation distribution assessed with electrical impedance tomography and the influence of tidal volume,recruitment and positive end-expiratory pressure in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs

Objective

To examine the intrapulmonary gas distribution of low and high tidal volumes (V_T) and to investigate whether this is altered by an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) and 5 cmH₂O positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) during anesthesia.

The effect of pH on the retention of Cu,Pb, Zu and Cd by clay-humic acid mixtures

The amount of metal ion sorbed by the solids increased with increasing pH over the range 3 to 6, and with mixtures of clay-cellulose or illite-humic acid the uptake corresponded to the direct addition of individual substrate adsorption values. When the humic acid samples were admixed with Na⁺-form kaolinite or montmorillonite, there was some reduction in adsorption, attributable to component interactions, and this effect was most marked in the presence of Cu and Zn ions. In alkaline media there was competition between the ability of the organic material to form soluble metal humates and the tendency of the clays to strongly retain the sparingly soluble metal hydroxy species formed at pH > 6. In most systems studied retention by the solid phase predominated. In the presence of tannic acid there were distinct pH regions in which the four metal ions formed compounds of limited solubility, with the pH for maximum precipitation ranging from 4.5 (Cu) to 7 (Cd). The introduction of clay suspensions increased the amount precipitated/sorbed in these pH regions. The amount of Cu, Pb, Zn or Cd retained by mixed suspensions varied markedly with pH, nature of the clay and the chemical nature of organic components.     

The evolution of bovine viral diarrhea: a review

The economic importance of bovine viral diarrhea is increasing with the emergence of seemingly more virulent viruses, as evidenced by outbreaks of hemorrhagic syndrome and severe acute bovine viral diarrhea beginning in the 1980s and 1990s. It appears that evolutionary changes in bovine viral diarrhea virus were responsible for these outbreaks. The genetic properties of the classical bovine viral diarrhea virus that contribute to the basis of current diagnostic tests, vaccines, and our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms are now being reevaluated because of these "new" virus strains. This shift in virulence has confounded both nomenclature and the significance of current bovine viral diarrhea virus categorization. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current understanding of bovine viral diarrhea virus with a chronological review of prevailing scientific tenets and practices as described in clinical and scientific North American veterinary journals and textbooks. The first part of this review describes how we have arrived at our current understanding of the viruses, the diseases, and their nomenclature. The second part of the review deals with current concepts in virology and how these concepts may both explain and predict bovine viral diarrhea virus pathogenesis. By reviewing how knowledge of bovine viral diarrhea has evolved and the theories of how the virus itself is able to evolve, the interpretation of diagnostic tests are more effectively utilized in the control and treatment of bovine viral diarrhea virus associated disease.