Severe carpometacarpal osteoarthritis in older Arabian horses

OBJECTIVE: To report a severe form of carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC-OA) affecting primarily older Arabian horses. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: Thirty-one horses with CMC-OA. METHODS: Carpal radiographs (405 sets) from 3 hospitals were evaluated to identify horses with marked osteoproliferative reaction across the medial aspect of the CMC joint. Owners were contacted to obtain detailed histories and status updates. Necropsy specimens of the CMC joint were evaluated at 2 hospitals to determine the prevalence of 2 variations in the articulation between the proximal second and third metacarpal bones. RESULTS: Thirty-one horses were identified as having marked osteoproliferative reaction at the CMC joint. Twenty-three (74%) were Arabian horses. Of the Arabian horses, the average age at admission was 14.4 years. Eight (34.8%) Arabian horses had a known history of trauma. Most were no longer rideable at presentation. Ten of the horses were subsequently euthanatized because of lameness. The dorsal and palmar articulations between the second and third metacarpal bones were examined in 177 horses. The palmar articulation was absent in 48% of Arabian horses and 12.5% of non-Arabian horses at 1 center, including 4 horses with CMC-OA. At the second center, the palmar articulation was present in 8 of 8 Arabian horses but was absent in 22 of 92 (24%) non-Arabian horses. CONCLUSIONS: An increased frequency of this crippling form of OA was observed in Arabian horses. It may reflect an increased prevalence, in some geographical regions, of an absent palmar articulation between the second and third metacarpal bones. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Carpal trauma in some Arabian horses may result in unexpectedly severe carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.     

Seaturtles nesting at Melbourne beach,Florida, II. Post-nesting movements of Caretta caretta

Recaptures of 34 loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta tagged at Melbourne Beach, Florida, indicate post-nesting dispersal to widely distributed foraging grounds in the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, along the eastern seaboard of the United States, in the Florida Keys, and in the Gulf of Mexico. The most distant recovery was made 1500 km from Melbourne Beach in the Dominican Republic. Three turtles were captured in the Port Canaveral Ship Channel, which was recently discovered to be a hibernation site for Caretta. Travel against the Gulf Stream current is suggested by the recapture of a loggerhead on the north coast of Pinar del Río, Cuba, 11 days after it was tagged at Melbourne Beach. A minimum speed of travel of 70 km day^?1 is indicated by this return, which constitutes the most rapid migratory speed reported for Caretta. At least 14 of the 34 turtles were captured in nets intended for other marine species.     

Technical note: sampling technique and drying method effects on chemical composition of tall fescue or fescue-ladino clover pasture samples

Although esophageal extrusa is the most readily accepted representation of forage consumed by grazing ruminants, esophageal sampling is demanding from the standpoint of animal care and maintenance and extrusa processing. This experiment was conducted with a split-plot design to evaluate the effects of pasture type, pasture sampling technique and drying method on estimation of grazed forage composition. Ten esophageally fistulated steers grazed pastures of either tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) or tall fescue interseeded with ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.); steers were closely observed during four collection periods to determine their exact grazing location. Forage samples were collected either directly from the esophageal fistula (E) or hand-gathered (HG) from the immediate perimeter of the grazed area. Samples of E and HG from each steer were divided and oven-dried at 40 degrees C or lyophilized. Fescue samples had lower (P less than .01) N and ADF N concentrations than fescue-ladino clover samples, and E-collected fescue samples had lower (P less than .05) in vitro digestible OM than E-collected fescue-ladino clover samples. Sampling x drying method interactions were detected (P less than .01) for OM, NDF, ADF, hemicellulose (HEMI), ADL, alkaline peroxide lignin (APL), ADFN and indigestible ADF (IADF). Oven-dried E had higher (P less than .05) NDF, ADF, HEMI, ADL, APL and ADF N than lyophilized E; ADF N and IADF were higher from oven-dried HG than from lyophilized HG. In vitro digestible OM was not modified by oven drying. Hand-gathered samples, whether lyophilized or oven-dried, did not simulate E dried by lyophilization. Standardized collection techniques and drying procedures should be implemented to minimize damage to fibrous components.     

Health in fishing communities: A global perspective

In resource‐dependent communities such as fishing communities, human health underpins the ability of individuals and families to maintain viable livelihoods. Fishing is a dangerous occupation, in which fishers are exposed to health risks both on and offshore. Many of these risks and associated health concerns also extend to fishing families and wider communities. Despite the importance of health, there is a lack of understanding of the breadth of health issues affecting people associated with fishing. This study presents the findings of a scoping review of peer‐reviewed literature that identifies the range of health issues and health determinants studied in fishing communities around the world. The findings reveal a wide variety of documented health issues, but with greater emphasis on physical health and occupational and behavioral factors, with limited attention paid to mental health. The majority of studies focused on fishers themselves, as opposed to other subgroups within fishing communities. Geographic differences in the health topics investigated highlight prevalent concerns and offer potential to share insights and solutions across contexts. The breadth of findings illustrates the complexity of health for people dependent on fishing, and the relevance of the many health determinants in maintaining viable fishing communities. We propose that a social well‐being approach offers an integrative lens through which a better understanding of human health in fisheries can be achieved and used to inform fisheries management that is ecologically and socially sustainable.     

Ophthalmic examination findings of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia

OBJECTIVE: To record the prevalence and document the types of eye disease in population of Thoroughbred racehorses in Victoria, Australia. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: Two hundred four Thoroughbred racehorses. PROCEDURE: All horses and both eyes were examined at four metropolitan and two country racing stable complexes. Ophthalmic exam was performed following dark adaptation with a transilluminator, biomicroscope, and direct ophthalmoscope. Intraocular pressures were measured when indicated. Both pupils were dilated with tropicamide when indicated. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-two (89.2%) flat-racing and 22 (10.8%) jump-racing (hurdle or steeple) horses were examined. Age range: 2-9 years (mean 3.7 years, median 3); 97 (47.5%) male-neuter, 74 (36. 3%) female, 33 (16.2%) male. Potential vision-threatening eye disease was present in 15 (7.4%) different horses: complete lenticular cataracts 3, posterior lens luxation and cataract 1, large peripapillary 'butterfly' inactive lesions 3, large peripapillary 'butterfly' active lesions 2, peripapillary focal inactive 'bullet hole' chorioretinal lesions (> 20) 5, optic nerve atrophy 1. Non-vision threatening eye disease was present in 117 (57.4%) different horses, involving one or more ocular structures: lower eyelid scars 3; periocular fibropapillomatous disease 1; third eyelid squamous cell carcinoma 1; corneal scars 6; corneal band opacity 2; anterior iris synechia 1; developmental cataracts 36 (17.2%); peripapillary focal inactive 'bullet hole' chorioretinal lesions (< 20) 103 (50.0%); linear peripapillary hyperpigmentation bands 16 (7.9%). Unusual variations of normal ocular anatomy and colobomata was recorded in 11 (5.4%) different horses: granular iridica hypoplasia 3, granular iridica hyperplasia 2, multilobular granular iridica cyst 1, microcornea 1, hyaloid remnant 1, rotated optic nerve head 1, coloboma of the lens 1, atypical coloboma of the retina 1. CONCLUSIONS: This survey demonstrates that the prevalence of vision-threatening eye disease in racing horses may be greater than previously perceived, and highlights the importance of ocular examination within any routine physical examination of horses.