Sacral osteochondrosis dissecans in a Bernese Mountain Dog: diagnosis and treatment

A 18-month-old female Bernese Mountain Dog with chronic pain at jumping, extension of the right hind leg and paresis of the tail was referred to the Neurological Service of the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Zurich. Upon radiological examination a mineralised fragment at the dorsal aspect of the endplate of S1 was detected. The diagnosis of Osteochondrosis dissecans was confirmed by linear and computed tomography as well as histologic examination of the fragment, which was surgically removed. Preoperative imaging allowed a minimal surgical approach using a unilateral, modified dorsal laminectomy. Outcome was evaluated by neurological reevaluation and a CT scan performed 6 months after surgery.     

Signs of metastatic disease on thoracic radiographs of dogs suffering from mammary gland tumours: a retrospective study (1990-1998)

A mammary gland tumour (MGT) was clinically diagnosed in 136 dogs. Histologically 71% were malignant and 29% benign. Intrathoracic metastatic disease was noted or suspected radiographically in 13.5% of the dogs with malignant and in 2.5% of the dogs with benign MGT. Six dogs with malignant MGT were necropsied, 5 had pulmonary metastases but only 1 had radiographic signs of intrathoracic metastatic disease. We conclude that radiographs are not very sensitive for detection of early intrathoracic metastatic disease of MGT.     

Histiocytic sarcomas in flat-coated retrievers: a summary of 37 cases (November 1998–March 2005)

Thirty‐seven cases of histiocytic‐like sarcomas (HLSs) in flat‐coated retriever dogs were evaluated retrospectively. This tumour accounted for 36% of the malignant tumours seen in this breed during the study period. The median age at presentation was 8.2 years. Thirty‐four dogs presented with a swelling or mass in a muscle group or surrounding a joint. The remaining three presented for rib (1), cutaneous (1) or primary splenic origin (1). A high rate of metastasis to local lymph nodes (45%), thorax (20%) and abdominal organs (20% confirmed) was seen. Overall metastastic rate by the time of death was 70%. The median survival for all dogs was 123 days. The most significant prognostic indicator was presence of distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis with median survival of 68 or 200 days, with or without metastasis, respectively. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy significantly improved survival. Dogs given chemotherapy survived a median of 185 versus 34 days for dogs that were not (P = 0.0008). Dogs treated with radiation survived a median of 182 versus 60 days for those that were not (P = 0.0282). Dogs receiving only palliative therapy survived a median of 17 versus 167 days in dogs receiving any kind of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery or combinations. A set protocol of radiation and CCNU (RTCCNU) induced minimal toxicity and provided a median survival of 208 versus 68 days for all other dogs. While this tumour carries a poor long‐term prognosis in flat‐coated retrievers, it is reasonable to treat these dogs for palliation of signs and extension of life.     

Glucagon-producing neuroendocrine tumour associated with hypoaminoacidaemia and skin lesions

A nine-year-old neutered female crossbred Bernese mountain dog was diagnosed with superficial necrolytic dermatitis and a glucagon-producing islet cell tumour. Laboratory findings included hyperglucagonaemia and hypoaminoacidaemia. The dog was euthanased because of progression of the disease, and necropsy revealed liver metastases of a neuroendocrine carcinoma with immunohistochemical expression of glucagon and somatostatin. This report represents a case of canine glucagonoma syndrome; the previously reported cases in dogs are also briefly described.     

Pansteatitis and severe hypocalcaemia in a cat

A 13-year-old Siamese cat was presented for investigation of lethargy and progressive abdominal enlargement. Serum chemistry revealed severe reduction of total and ionised serum calcium. The omentum appeared hyperechoic with scattered hypoechoic foci on abdominal ultrasound examination. Elevated serum parathormone and low fractional excretion of calcium excluded a parathyroid disorder and renal loss of the electrolyte. During laparotomy the omentum appeared opaque, white and firm. Post-mortem examination revealed that the thoracic and subcutaneous fat was also affected. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of pansteatitis with diffuse calcium soaps formation. While, severe hypocalcaemia is occasionally seen in cats, the association with pansteatitis has not been reported previously. In man, a cause-and-effect relationship between calcium soaps and hypocalcaemia is recognised, though the association is rare.     

Yam tuber and maize grain yield response to cropping system intensification in south-west Nigeria

Four factorial trials were conducted with yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) at Ibadan, Nigeria from 2013 to 2015, investigating effects of (1) tillage (2) fertilizer (3) intercropping (4) yam plant densities. Yam tuber yields varied between years (2013: 16.44 Mg ha^?1; 2014: 10.08 Mg ha^?1; 2015 26.61 Mg ha^?1). In 2013 neither tillage nor fertilizer affected tuber yields. In 2014 tillage increased yields (+25.4%, P < 0.0001), fertilizer reduced yield (?10.5%; P = 0.0046). In 2015 tillage increased tuber yields by 8.1% (ns), fertilizer application increased yield (+17.5%, P = 0.0017). Across the years, tuber yields increased (P < 0.01) with increasing yam density with a constant increase in 2013 up to the highest density, yet yields leveled out above 14,815 plants ha^?1 in 2014 and 2015. Intercropping with maize (66,667 plants ha^?1) reduced tuber yield by 42.62% in 2013, 44.52% in 2014 and 30.68% in 2015 (P < 0.01 all years) across all yam densities. Maize grain yield was higher in sole crop in 2 years. Fertilizer increased yields in all years (P < 0.0001). Maize yield had no response to the yam densities. Ridging had a negative effect on grain yield in 2015 (?0.3 Mg ha^?1, P = 0.0002). Increasing plant density appears a safe measure to increase yam yields.     

Performance of risk analysis at the Federal Veterinary office

The risk management at the Federal Veterinary Office (FVO) is responsible for the arrangement and initiation of actions to minimize or prevent risks in the fields of animal health and food safety of animal products. In absence of a scientific basis, the risk management may initiate a formal risk assessment according to a standardised protocol. The risk assessment is conducted by an assigned team of risk analysts, according to scientific criteria, international standards and methods. The "Basic principles for risk analysis at the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office" describe the principles and the procedure of a risk analysis (risk management, risk communication and risk assessment), furthermore the interactions of concerned divisions at the FVO are laid down. Experience at the FVO confirms, that risk analyses may be performed efficiently, if the following decisive conditions are met. The responsibilities of all parties involved are defined, the risk profile and the precise question are amicably phrased, necessary resources are provided, well-trained risk analysts with experience in project management coordinate the risk assessment and interdisciplinary expertise is available.     

Spatial and temporal gradients of earthworm casting activity in alley cropping systems

The amounts of earthworm surface casts were monitored for 200 days after commencement of casting in three alley cropping experiments of different ages and hedgerow species. Casts were collected twice per week in transects from under the hedgerow to the middle of the interrow space. Average annual cumulative amounts of casts were higher in alley cropping systems with one to five years of cropping than in the no-tree control. After five years of cropping, amounts of casts were similar in all treatments. Within the alley cropping systems, casting activity was highest immediately under the hedgerows and decreased towards the middle of the interrow space. In systems using Leucaena leucocephala as hedgerow species, the hedgerow to interrow space gradient of casting activity became more pronounced with increasing length of cropping. Casting activity in the interrow space was reduced by 12%, 55%, 80% and 86% in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh year of cropping, respectively, compared to the casting activity under the hedgerows. Senna siamea, which produced a more recalcitrant mulch, did not show such a strong decline in casting in the interrow space. In a Dactyladenia barteri system, the difference in casting between interrow space and hedgerows was insignificant. With perpendicular distance from the hedge, largest gradients in casting activity occurred close to the hedgerows with up to −4.00 Mg ha⁻¹ cm⁻¹ in L. leucocephala but only −1.23 and −0.76 Mg ha⁻¹ cm⁻¹ in S. siamea and D. barteri, respectively. The shading effect of trees and a relatively low level of soil disturbance is apparently more beneficial for earthworms in a cropped system than a high supply of readily available food from fast decomposing L. leucocephala prunings. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by maize as affected by particulate organic matter quality, soil characteristics, and land-use history for soils from the West African moist savanna zone

 The impact of land use (unfertilized continuous maize cropping, unfertilized and fertilized alley cropping with maize, Gliricidia sepium tree fallow, natural fallow) on the soil organic matter (SOM) status and general soil fertility characteristics were investigated for a series of soils representative for the West African moist savanna zone. Three soils from the humid forest zone were also included. In an associated pot experiment, relationships between maize N and P uptake and SOM and general soil characteristics were developed. Soils under natural fallow contained the highest amount of organic C (1.72%), total N (0.158%), and had the highest effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) [8.9 mEq 100 g^–1 dry soil], while the Olsen P content was highest in the fertilized alley cropping plots (13.7 mg kg^–1) and lowest under natural fallow (6.3 mg kg^–1). The N concentration of the particulate organic matter (POM) was highest in the unfertilized alley cropping plots (2.4%), while the total POM N content was highest under natural fallow (370 mg N kg^–1) and lowest in continuously cropped plots (107 mg N kg^–1). After addition of all nutrients except N, a highly significant linear relationship (R ²=0.91) was observed between the total N uptake in the shoots and roots of 7-week-old maize and the POM N content for the savanna soils. POM in the humid forest soils was presumably protected from decomposition due to its higher silt and clay content. After addition of all nutrients except P, the total maize P uptake was linearly related to the Olsen P content. R ² increased from 0.56 to 0.67 in a multiple linear regression analysis including the Olsen P content and clay content (which explained 11% of the variation in P uptake). Both the SOM status and N availability were shown to be improved in land-use systems with organic matter additions, while only the addition of P fertilizer could improve P availability. Received: 9 April 1999