Metastatic transmissible venereal tumour in dogs

This report presents six cases of canine transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) in the genital organs with metastasis to extragenital locations. These extragenital sites were the skin, lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, liver and lung. Foci of metastasis were found in six different organs in one case, two organs in another case and one organ in the remaining four cases. Multiple tumour nodules were, however, found in certain organs such as the skin and spleen. The extragenital tumours were identified as TVT on the basis of their histological similarity to the primary genital tumours. Metastasis appeared to be mainly by lymphatic pathways and by oral implantation. Résumé. Ce rapport présente six cas de tumeur vénérienne transmissible (TVT) dans les organes génitaux avec métastase aux endroits extragénitaux. Ces endroits extragénitaux étaient la peau, les nouds lymphatiques, la rate, les amygdales, le foie et les poumons. Des foyers de métastase ont été trouvés dans six organes différents dans un cas, dans deux organes dans un autre cas et dans un organe dans les quatre cas restant. On a, cependant, trouvé des tumeurs multi-nodulaires dans certains organes tels que la peau et la rate. Les tumeurs extragénitales ont été identifiées comme TVT en se basant sur leur similarité histologique aux tumeurs génitales primaires. La métastase semblait ětre principalement par voies lymphatiques et par implantation orale. Zusammenfassung. Dieser Bericht stellt sechs Fǎlle dar von ùbertragbar venerischem Hunde-Tumor (TVT) in den Geschlechtsorganen mit Métastase an extragenitalen Stellen. Dièse extragenitalen Stellen waren die Haut, Lymphknoten, Milz, Mandeln, Leber und Lunge. Herden von Metastasen fand man in sechs verschiedenen Organen in einem Fall, zwei Organen in einem anderen Fall und in einem Organ in den ùbrigen vier Fǎllen. Zahlreiche Tumorknǒtchen (Noduli) wurden jedoch in gewissen Organen wie Haut und Milz gefunden. Die extragenitalen Tumoren waren als TVT identifiziert auf Grund ihrer histologischen ǎhnlichkeit mit den primaren Geschlechtstumoren. Metastasen traten hauptsàchlich durch lymphatische Bahnen und durch orale Einpflanzung ein.     

Ultrasonography of the urinary tract in 29 female Saanen goats

The left and right kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra of 29 female clinically healthy Saanen goats were examined via transcutaneous and transrectal ultrasonography. In order to establish reference values the examinations were performed using a 5.0 MHz linear transducer to scan the right caudal costal part of the abdominal wall, right and left dorsal flanks and right and left inguinal regions of standing goats. A 5.0 MHz intracavity probe was used for transrectal ultrasonographic examination of the urinary bladder and urethra. The kidneys were examined in longitudinal and cross section and assessed subjectively. They could usually be seen from the 12th intercostal space on the right side and dorsal right flank. The right kidney was 8.0 ± 0.67 cm long and the left was 8.4 ± 0.64 cm long. The ureters could not be visualized in any of the goats. The length of the urinary bladder was 5.1 ± 1.38 cm, and its largest cross-sectional diameter was 2.6 ± 1.01 cm. The urethra was seen in 23 goats and appeared as echogenic lines with no visible lumen. The transition from the neck of the bladder to the internal urethral orifice extended beyond the brim of the pelvis in only one goat.     

Implications of using an average relationship matrix in genetic evaluation for a population using multiple-sire matings

SUMMARY: Ambiguous paternity can be incorporated into the mixed model equations (MME) by including the average numerator relatinship matrix (average A), which averages the true sire-offspring relationship over the putative sires. A previous study has shown that some overestimation of genetic trend results from this substitution. A population of 40 breeding females and 2 breeding males was simulated 1,000 times with either random mating or sequential selection continuing for 8 breeding cycles. In the selection case candidates were ranked on estimated breeding values (EBVs) calculated from the MME with an animal model and the average A. Variances of the EBVs and prediction errors were computed. The results showed the average A incorrectly perceives both the variance of family sizes among males and the variance loss due to selection to be smaller. This will lead to an overestimation of genetic trend. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Folgerungen aus der Anwendung einer durchschnittlichen Verwandtschaftsmatrix bei der Zuchtwertsch?tzung für eine Population mit mehreren V?tern in einer Paarungsgruppe In den Mischmodellgleichungen kann eine unklare v?terliche Abstammung durch die Verwendung einer durchschnittlichen Verwandtschaftsmatrix, die die Abstammung zu gleichen Teilen über die m?glichen V?ter aufteilt, berücksichtigt werden. Eine frühere Arbeit hat gezeigt, da? diese Ma?nahme zu einer gewissen übersch?tzung des genetischen Fortschritts führt. Eine Population mit 40 weiblichen und 2 m?nnlichen Tieren wurde 1000mal über 8 Paarungsperioden simuliert und zwar mit und ohne gerichteter Selektion. Im Falle der Selektion wurden die Tiere aufgrund der mit einem Tiermodell und der durchschnittlichen Verwandtschaftsmatrix gesch?tzten Zuchtwerte geordnet. Die Varianzen der Zuchtwerte und der Sch?tzfehler wurden berechnet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, da? durch eine durch-schnittliche Verwandtschaftsmatrix die Varianz der Gr??e der Nachkommensgruppen der V?ter und der Verlust an genetischer Varianz aufgrund der Selektion untersch?tzt wird. Dies führt zu einer übersch?tzung des genetischen Fortschritts.     

Treatment of temporary upward fixation of the patella in an alpaca by abrasion trochleoplasty and imbrication of the medial retinacular fascia

A two-year-old female alpaca suddenly became lame on its right hindlimb. Eight days later clinical and radiographic examinations showed that the patella had become temporarily fixed within the supratrochlear notch of the femur. Under general anaesthesia an abrasion trochleoplasty followed by fascial imbrication was carried out. After two weeks in supporting slings, the animal put full weight on the leg, and six months after the surgery it showed no signs of lameness or recurrence of the upward fixation.     

Assessment of a commercial sandwich ELISA in the diagnosis of aspergillosis in falcons

A commercial sandwich elisa (Platelia Aspergillus EIA; Bio-Rad) developed for the detection of galactomannan, a major cell wall constituent of Aspergillus species, was tested for its efficacy in the diagnosis of aspergillosis in falcons. Ninety serum samples from 50 aspergillosis-positive falcons and 182 samples from 142 aspergillosis-negative falcons were tested. The sensitivity of the test was only 12 per cent and its specificity was 95 percent. The test was therefore unsatisfactory for detecting galactomannan in the serum samples and cannot be used as a screening test for aspergillosis in falcons.