Bone tumors in a population of 400 000 insured Swedish dogs up to 10 y of age: incidence and survival

The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of, survival until, and survival after the diagnosis of canine bone tumors by breed, sex, age, and geographic location of residence. Dogs under 10 y old and insured by a Swedish insurance company between 1995 and 2002 were studied. In total, 764 dogs had claims for bone tumors, and the incidence rate was 5.5 cases per 10 000 dog-years at risk (DYAR). At ages 6, 8, and 10 y, the proportions of dogs with bone tumors were 0.13%, 0.30%, and 0.64%. The top 3 breeds at risk were Irish wolfhound, St. Bernard, and leonberger (incidence rates 99, 78, and 53 cases per 10 000 DYAR, respectively). Median survival time after diagnosis was 56 d in the 419 dogs that survived > or = 1 d. With a Cox regression model controlling for breed and age, females were shown to be at decreased risk of bone tumors, with a hazard ratio of 0.71 (99% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.87).     

Growth of Moulds and Production of Mycotoxins in Wheat during Drying and Storage

Abstract

Studies were carried out on the growth of mould and the production of mycotoxins in grain during drying and storage. Various amounts of forced ambient air, 800, 600, 400, 200 and 0 m³ (air)/(hour ton), were used to dry wheat, which contained 32% moisture at harvest. Samples for mycological examination and determination of mycotoxins and moisture content were taken weekly. At harvest the mould flora consisted of various field fungi with less than 10% Fusarium spp. An increasing proportion of Aspergillius and Penicillium spp. were recorded in the bins at 0 and 200 m³ (air)/h t. The mycotoxin analysis indicated that the Fusarium spp. were also metabolically active until at least five weeks after the grain was put into the store room. The concentration of deoxynivalenol (DON) reached about 10 mg/kg after three weeks in the bins with no air flow, and about 2 mg/kg in the bins at 200 m³ (air)/h t. The zearalenone concentration also increased considerably, to about 5 mg/kg, in the bins with no air flow. The present results show that drying of grains using forced ambient air may produce good conditions for growth of field fungi as well as storage fungi if the flow of air is too low.     

Circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 in dogs with naturally occurring mitral regurgitation

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which mediates most effects of growth hormone, has effects on cardiac mass and function, and plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone. In humans, an inverse relationship between degree of heart failure (HF) and circulating IGF-1 concentrations has been found in several studies. In dogs with HF, few studies have focused on IGF-1. We examined circulating IGF-1 concentrations in dogs with mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by myxomatous mitral valve disease. Study 1 included 88 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs) with a broad range of asymptomatic MR (median serum IGF-1: 76.7 microg/L; 25-75 percentile, 59.8-104.9 microg/L). As expected, standard body weight and percentage under- or overweight correlated directly with IGF-1. MR (assessed in 4 different ways) did not correlate with IGF-1. In study 2, 28 dogs with severe MR and stable, treated congestive HF had similar serum IGF-1 concentrations (median, 100.8 g/L; 25-75 percentile, 74.9-156.5 microg/L) as 11 control dogs (79.6 microg/L; 25-75 percentile, 64.1-187.4 microg/L; P = .84). In study 3, the plasma IGF-1 concentration of 15 untreated CKCSs with severe MR was 16.4 +/- 24.2 microg/L lower (P = .02) at the examination when decompensated HF had developed (80.8 +/- 30.9 microg/L) than at a visit 1-12 months earlier (97.2 +/- 39.8 microg/L), possibly in part due to an altered state of nutrition. The studies document that circulating IGF-1 concentrations are not altered before development of congestive HF in dogs with naturally occurring MR, but decrease by approximately 20% with the development of untreated HE In treated HF, circulating IGF-1 concentrations apparently return to within the reference range.     

Description of empirical movement data from Canadian swine herds with an application to a disease spread simulation model

We report the methods and findings of a survey of Canadian swine producers summarizing farm-types at-risk of foreign animal disease (FAD) and the routine movement of animals, semen and workers among swine farms, as observed during a 42-day period. Of the 311 producers who returned completed questionnaires, 17% represented swine-herds with no swine or semen movement on or off the farm during the 42 days, 57% were sow herds or farrow-to-finish herds with limited movement onto the farm but movement off the farm, and 26% were swine-herds with movements on and off the farm. A substantial number of premises (>50% in some provinces) with swine also kept other animal species on the same premises. We applied the empirical movement data from the survey in a stochastic simulation model to estimate the number of herds infected and the basic regional distribution of infection that could be expected to occur if the FAD was not detected and routine movements were permitted to occur up to 42 days after infection with a FAD of a single randomly selected herd. Forty-five percent of the simulations did not involve spread beyond the index farm, whereas 34.8% involved spread among five or more farms after 42 days of routine movement.     

Assessing long-term sustainable environmental impacts of agri-environment schemes on land use

The lack of generic methods to assess the environmental consequences of agricultural practices and the lack of consensus on monitoring and evaluation of environmental, agricultural and socio-economic effects of agri-environment schemes (AES) in EU Member States call for better evaluation methods. The ‘Agri-environmental Footprint’ project proposed to deal with these problems by establishing a new evaluation method, the Agri-Environmental Footprint Index (AFI). The AFI is an index customised to local stakeholder preferences, using expert knowledge for assessment of impacts and sensitivity, and indicators of the environmental state at farm level. In a Danish test case, agricultural practices at twenty-five farms in two groundwater protection zones were assessed. Data was collected from databases, registers, maps and interviews with farmers. The index was calculated for 1996/7 and 2006/7 to track temporal development and effects of entering an agri-environmental scheme. The Danish case demonstrated that the index can be used to track changes in environmental impacts and that entering agri-environmental scheme had a positive impact on the index value. However, the index should be used with caution. It is important to consider the robustness of each indicator: to assess whether changes will occur over time; whether changes are linked to management practices or external factors; and whether data are available up to date. Indicators dependent upon uptake data from agri-environmental schemes should be used with great caution. Retrospective use of stakeholder preferences is subject to uncertainty because preferences may have changed over time.     

Clonal diversity of Staphylococcus aureus originating from the small ruminants goats and sheep

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen in humans and many animal species. The prevalence of different clonal types in animal species remains largely unknown. We analyzed 267 S. aureus from intramammary infections in goats (47) and sheep (220) by spa typing, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility. The most frequent spa types in goats were t337 (N=9), t759 (N=6) and t1534 (N=5). Sheep isolates mainly belonged to spa types t1534 (N=72), t2678 (N=29) and t3576 (N=20). Eighteen novel spa-types were observed; two from goat strains, 13 from sheep and three in both species. The majority of the goat strains grouped in MLST CC133 (N=10) and ST522 (N=10), followed by CC9 (N=9), while the majority of the sheep strains were of ST522 (N=108) followed by CC133 (N=86) and CC130 (N=11). Nine new MLST types were detected; three in goat and sheep isolates (ST1739, ST1758 and ST1780), two identified in goats only (ST1740 and ST2061) and four in sheep only (ST1742, ST1743, ST1781 and ST2011). Strains showed resistance below 20% against penicillin and tetracycline; a strong association between CC-types and penicillin resistance was observed. No resistance was detected to cefoxitin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampicin and vancomycin. This study suggests that ST522 is the most common S. aureus clone associated with small ruminants followed by CC133.     

The distribution pattern of Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse is suggestive of a haematogenous spread of the nematode

The majority of Halicephalobus gingivalis-infections in horses have been fatal and are usually not diagnosed before necropsy. Therefore, knowledge about the nematode and the pathogenesis of infection in horses is limited. This has resulted in an on-going discussion about the port of entry and subsequent dissemination of H. gingivalis within the host. The present case of H. gingivalis-infection in a horse was diagnosed ante mortem. Post mortem findings, the distribution pattern of H. gingivalis nematodes in the brain, a high prevalence of inflammation in close relation to blood vessels, and the presence of the nematode in multiple organs with a disseminated pattern of distribution strongly suggested a haematogenous spread of the nematode in the horse.     

Recent decline in cod stocks in the North Sea–Skagerrak–Kattegat shifts the sources of larval supply

Cod stocks in the North Sea, including the Kattegat and the Skagerrak, have declined dramatically since the 1970s. Occasionally there is a high recruitment of juveniles in Kattegat/Skagerrak, without leading to the rebuilding of adult cod stocks despite reduced fishing mortality. In a biophysical model of egg and larval drift, we examined the potential importance of extant and historical spawning grounds for recruitment of cod in the Kattegat/Skagerrak seas using data of spawning stock biomass from the 1970s and from today's reduced stocks. The results suggest that Kattegat in the 1970s relied on largely locally retained (83%) larvae with little annual variation in recruitment. Kattegat also provided a substantial proportion of larvae recruiting in Swedish Skagerrak (72%). This is in contrast to present conditions where the Kattegat spawning stock has been reduced by 94%, and Kattegat only provides 34% of locally retained larvae and 30% to Swedish Skagerrak. Instead, the protected area in the Öresund and the Belt Sea are expected today to provide most larvae recruiting in Kattegat. Also, the inflow of larvae from the North Sea to Skagerrak and Kattegat can be significant although highly variable between years, with a positive correlation to the North‐Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO). The rebuilding of healthy spawning areas in the Kattegat may be key for restoring local cod stocks in both Kattegat and along the Skagerrak coast. This poses a management challenge if cod with local ‘Kattegat’ adaptations, e.g., in terms of egg density and migration patterns, are lost or reduced to non‐resilient densities.     

Evaluation of a questionnaire regarding nonphysical aspects of quality of life in sick and healthy dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of a questionnaire regarding the nonphysical aspects of quality of life (QOL) to differentiate sick and healthy dogs. ANIMALS: 120 dogs. PROCEDURE: The questionnaire was administered by telephone to owners of 120 dogs with appointments at a veterinary teaching hospital. A QOL score was calculated for each dog on the basis of questions relevant to the dog during the 7 days before the interview. Scores were recorded as bar graphs, and linear regression was used to examine the effect of health status and other variables on QOL score. Certain questions were eliminated post hoc, on the basis of defined criteria, and the analyses were repeated. RESULTS: Scores were similar for sick (range, 670% to 93.8%) and healthy (range, 68.0% to 89.8%) dogs. Environment (suburban vs rural) and duration of ownership were significant explanatory variables and accounted for 10.5% of the variation in the QOL score. Eleven questions were eliminated post hoc. The scores derived from the 2 versions of the questionnaire were highly correlated (r = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There was no evidence that the QOL questionnaire could differentiate healthy dogs from sick dogs; environmental and owner factors appeared to be more important.