Macrozamia toxicosis in a dog

A case of Macrozamia riedlei seed poisoning is described in a young Dachshund. Vomiting and depression commenced within 6 h of ingestion; other signs that developed included severe hepatopathy, jaundice, abdominal pain that was unresponsive to analgesics, severe gastro-intestinal haemorrhage and thrombocytopenia as well as crystalluria and marrow dyserythropoiesis. The dog was euthanased 6 days after ingestion of the seeds.     

Diagnostic ultrasound in veterinary practice: How safe is it?

This paper provides information on the safety of ultrasonic diagnostic procedures as currently used in veterinary practice. The known mechanisms of action are described and selected literature on biological effects of ultrasound is reviewed. Current international consensus is presented on the safety of medical ultrasound with respect to thermal effects. To date, there is no independently verified clinical evidence that the level of exposure delivered to the tissues during scanned grey-scale (‘B-mode’) imaging has any adverse effects. Lung haemorrhage has been observed in animal experiments using diagnostic exposures, but the effects have not been reported in the foetus. Equipment that uses pulsed Doppler transmits higher acoustic outputs in a stationary beam, and can produce temperature increases that may have significant biological consequences. When considering sonographic and pulsed Doppler examinations of the prenatal animal, the safety margins are small and the operator should be aware of the acoustic output of the equipment, the exposure time, and the sensitivity of target tissues.     

Pyrethroid toxicology: Mouse intracerebral structure-toxicity relationships

Mouse intracerebral (ic) toxicity studies with 29 pyrethroids confirm earlier mouse intraperitoneal (ip) and rat oral and intravenous findings in three respects: α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl esters produce choreoathetosis, convulsions, and salivation, whereas compounds lacking the α-cyano group yield tremors and convulsions; high stereospecificity is involved in inducing both poisoning syndromes; large toxicity differences for (1R,trans) vs (1R,cis) resmethrin and permethrin do not extend to ethanomethrin and the cyanophenoxybenzyl esters. The ic investigations further establish that: profuse salivation is not unique for pyrethroids with the α-cyano group; the inactivity of (1R,trans) resmethrin in the brain is not due to detoxification; pyrethroids acting most rapidly in the brain are those with the highest knockdown activity for insects; the cyanophenoxybenzyl esters, in comparison with the non-cyano pyrethroids, have a high ic toxicity relative to their synergized ip toxicity indicating the importance of the brain in the Type II poisoning syndrome.     

Evaluation of Methods for Determining In Vivo Digestion Coefficients for Adult Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Adult red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) were held in fecal collection chambers and fed common feedstuffs isosubstituted in experimental diets. Apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) and apparent crude protein digestibility (ACPD) coefficients were determined by the total collection and indicator (chromic oxide) methods. Feedstuffs tested were menhaden fish meal, soybean meal, alpha-soy protein, casein, gelatin, wheat bran, rice bran, wheat gluten, shrimp meal, crab chitin, cellulose, squid meal, corn starch and diatomaceous sand. Rate of consumption of plant feedstuffs was generally higher than feedstuffs of animal origin. Consumption of fish meal and shrimp meal was low (0.59 and 0.44% body weightlday, respectively). Fecal chromium concentrations were lower than chromium concentrations of experimental diets and precluded calculation of realistic coefficients by the indicator method. Analysis of refused feed samples indicated that crayfish did not consume the indicator in the same proportion as the remainder of the diet; therefore, the total collection method was judged the better approach to determining digestion coefficients. ADMD and ACPD coefficients of plant feedstuffs were generally higher than coefficients determined for animal feedstuffs. ADMD coefficients indicated substantial carbohydrate digestion by crayfish.     

The effect of dietary protein level on exercising horses

Six mature Quarter Horse mares were used in a crossover design to assess the effect of dietary protein level on metabolic response to exercise. After a 2-wk adaptation period to either a 12.9% (control) or an 18.5% CP (high-protein) diet, each mare performed a standard exercise test. The test consisted of a 15-min exercise period at 4.5 m/sec on a 9% grade motorized treadmill. Exercise resulted in an increase in heart rate (P less than .001), but there was no difference (P less than .05) between dietary treatments. In the jugular vein, lactate increased (P less than .01) from 6.3 to 52.0 mg/100 ml in the control group and increased from 6.3 to 45.6 mg/100 ml in the high-protein group. There was an interaction (P less than .05) between diet and exercise for lactate. Plasma NH3 increased (P less than .001) during exercise, but not until the 15th min, at which time NH3 increased over fourfold in both groups. Dietary protein did not affect NH3; however, urea-N was higher (P less than .001) in horses receiving the high-protein diet. Plasma alanine increased from 13.6 to 30.3 mumol/100 ml and glutamine increased from 49.3 to 62.5 mumol/100 ml in the control group. In the high-protein group, alanine increased from 10.2 to 25.8 mumol/100 ml, whereas glutamine increased from 39.3 to 49.2 mumol/100 ml. Our study detected no metabolic evidence for a detrimental effect of excess dietary protein in horses exercising on a graded treadmill at 4.5 m/sec for 15 min.     

Alphaxalone/alphadolone anaesthesia in reptiles

The use of alphaxalone/alphadolone in 40 reptiles of 13 species is described. In lizards and chelonians the effect of the drug combination varied from sedation to deep anaesthesia, depending on the dose. For other reasons, the effect in snakes varied, from none at all to deep anaesthesia. No fatalities occurred and there were no apparent clinical side effects in healthy reptiles. The results are discussed and attention is drawn to the apparently equivocal results in snakes.     

Hyperadrenocorticism in three teddy bear hamsters

Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed in three related teddy bear hamsters with presenting complaints of alopecia and hyperpigmentation of the skin. Treatment was attempted in two of the hamsters and was successful in one case. Metyrapone and o,p′-DDD (1,1-dichloro-2-2bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethane) were the drugs used. Necropsy and histopathological examinations revealed a pituitary chromophobe adenoma in one hamster and an adrenocortical adenocarcinoma in a second hamster. The third related hamster was clinically diagnosed as having hyperadrenocorticism but the origin of the disease has not yet been determined.