ATAXIA AND URINARY INCONTINENCE IN CATTLE GRAZING SORGHUM

After grazing forage sorghum and grain sorghum regrowth, 54 of 330 breeding cows became ataxic and developed urinary incontinence. Three cows became recumbent, 2 of which died and the third was killed and autopsied. Wallerian degeneration of the white matter of the spinal cord, cerebellar peduncles and cerebellum was seen histologically. Other affected animals began to recover on removal from the crop, complete clinical recovery taking from a few days to over a month. About 5% of affected cows develped purulent cystitis.     

Education needs in veterinary epidemiology in the Caribbean

This paper reviews the livestock situation in the Caribbean countries including animal populations, common disease problems and some of the factors relating to disease control. It refers to the particular training needs of veterinarians that would best serve the type of epidemiological investigations required to control diseases in the area. It emphasizes the practical approach and considerations that veterinarians must exercise in dealing with the particular sociological and cultural factors of each country. Reference is also made to the problems of training and then retaining an adequate number of veterinarians in the area.     

Techniques and success of embryo transfers in Angora goats

Thirty-five mixed-age Angora does were subjected to superovulation and oestrous synchronization and of the 34 which were subsequently entire mated, 33 were subjected to surgical egg recovery approximately five days after oestrus. These 33 donors averaged 8.8 ovulations and 2.5 large (>5 mm) follicles. All corpora lutea in six donors were undergoing premature regression. The average donor egg recovery rate, egg fertilization rate and percent of eggs transferable was 82,87 and 81%, respectively, giving 6.8 eggs, 6.0 embryos and 5.5 transferable embryos per donor. Egg recovery was reduced dramatically when premature regressing corpora lutea were present. Recipient feral does were synchronized and 183 embryos transferred surgically to 133 recipients. Eighty-eight (66%) of the recipients kidded producing 118 kids (64% embryo survival). The 35 potential donors produced 36 kids from their natural mating which occurred shortly after surgery. Thus the donors produced a total of 154 kids from embryo transfer and natural mating, an average of 4.4 kids/doe/breeding season. This rate of reproduction is four to five times faster than normal and confirms that the technique achieves its objective of rapidly increasing the number of offspring from selected animals.     

A technique for the conduct of nutritional balance experiments in horses

Standardbred geldings were used in a number of nutritional balance experiments. These consisted of 28-day cycles each of an 18-day equilibration period in yards and a 10-day settling and collection period in metabolism crates. The crates were made of galvanised metal tubing over wooden flooring covered by rubber matting and rubber sheets. Total faeces were collected in trays at the rear of crates and total urine by canvas funnels slung beneath the sheath of each horse.     

Hearts and flowers: Bryophyllum poisoning of cattle

Findings from natural cases and experiments with cattle emphasise that flowering plants are the most important form of Bryophyllum (Kalanchoe) spp in poisonings in Australia. The main life-threatening lesion is myocardial. The effects on the alimentary tract are less important than was believed previously. B. tubiflorum, B. daigremontianum x B. tubiflorum, B. pinnatum and B. proliferum caused 41 recorded poisoning incidents affecting 379 cattle in Queensland between 1960 and 1984. Poisoning occurred between May and October--the flowering season of these plants. Experimental B. tubiflorum poisoning and natural poisonings produced anorexia, depression, ruminal atony, diarrhoea, heart rate and rhythm abnormalities, dyspnoea and death. Increased plasma concentrations of urea, creatinine and glucose and decreased chloride were measured experimentally. Both natural and experimental cases had myocardial degeneration and necrosis with haemorrhages of the heart and alimentary tract. Cattle with severe dyspnoea had atelectasis and emphysema of the lungs. Some cattle had mild nephrosis. The median lethal doses of B. tubiflorum flowers, roots and leaf plus stem were 0.7, 2.3 and 5.0 g dry matter/kg liveweight respectively (7, 7 and 40 g wet weight/kg). Bufadienolides have been isolated recently from B. tubiflorum flowers and the syndrome is consistent with cardiac glycoside poisoning.     

Inheritance of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis in thoroughbreds

OBJECTIVE: To develop a diagnostic test for recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) in Thoroughbreds that relied on in vitro contracture of muscle biopsy specimens and determine whether the inheritance pattern of RER diagnosed on the basis of this contracture test was consistent with an autosomal dominant trait. DESIGN: Clinical trial. ANIMALS: 8 adult horses with RER and 16 control adult horses for development of the contracture test; 23 foals for inheritance of RER. PROCEDURE: External intercostal muscle biopsy specimens from the 24 adult horses were tested for contracture in response to halothane and caffeine, and criteria for a positive test result were determined. These criteria were then applied to results for the 23 foals to determine whether they had RER. Simple segregation analysis was performed to determine whether results were consistent with a dominant pattern of inheritance. RESULTS: Results of the contracture test were positive for 5 of the 12 colts and 4 of the 11 fillies. Results of segregation analysis were consistent with an auto-. somal dominant pattern of inheritance. Two sires with RER produced colts with RER, supporting the hypothesis that RER had an autosomal, rather than an X-linked, inheritance pattern. In addition, in 1 instance, an unaffected colt was produced by 2 affected parents, which was not consistent with a recessive mode of inheritance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although the expression of the RER trait is influenced by sex, temperament, and diet, among other factors, results from the in vitro muscle contracture test and this breeding trial suggest that RER in Thoroughbreds can be modeled as a genetic trait with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance.