Effect of age on sensory nerve conduction velocity in the horse

This study aimed to establish a clinically reproducible method of evaluation of sensory nerve conduction in the horse and to provide reference values in a group of normal horses. Age-related changes in the sensory nerve conduction velocity were of particular interest. Sensory nerve conduction was performed in the lateral palmar nerve. The results revealed an increase in velocity over the first year of life and a subsequent decrease in velocity in older horses. The effect of age must be considered if results from horses in which peripheral nerve disease is suspected are to be interpreted correctly. The results reflect similar findings in man and other domestic species.     

BCG treatment of periocular sarcoid

Twenty-six horses and five mules with periocular sarcoids were treated with intralesional injections of a purified bacillus of Calmette and Guerin (BCG) cell walls in oil suspension. All sarcoids were cured and the horses and mules remained free from recurrence of sarcoid during the two-year follow-up period.     

Reproductive Performance and Reconception of Nellore Cows According to Their Pure‐ or Cross‐Bred Calves

The objective of the present research was to evaluate the effect of a calf's genetic group on the productive and reproductive efficiency of its Nellore dam. Fixed‐time artificial insemination was applied to 800 cows using semen extracted from Nellore, Simmental and Angus Red bulls. Four hundred eleven cows calved, producing 119 Nellore, 103 ½Simmental–½Nellore and 189 ½Nellore–½Angus Red calves. The second mating period, which paired Nellore cows with Simmental bulls, was initiated 10 days after parturitions began and lasted for 5 months. Based on the two successive parturitions, the cumulative parturition rate for calving periods of 3, 4 and 5 months was calculated. Although no significant difference was observed for birth weight among the genetic groups, cross‐bred calves weighed, on average, 10% more than did pure‐bred calves at the age of 205 days. Nellore dams experienced a gestation period that was 7 days longer than did the cross‐bred dams, and the former showed a higher parturition rate at 90 and 120 days of the calving season, but not at 150 days (calving rates of 80.6, 76.4 and 76.2% for mothers of Nellore, ½Nellore–½Angus Red and ½Nellore–½Simmental, respectively, p > 0.05). At 90 and 120 days, Nellore dams produced more kg of calf per mated dam. In conclusion, in a short breeding season, Nellore dams nursing pure‐bred Nellore calves were found to have a higher biological efficiency compared with Nellore dams nursing cross‐bred calves.     

Physiological and biochemical consequences of electroimobilisation in conscious sheep

An electroimmobilisation device has been developed to facilitate the automated shearing of sheep, but there is little information on its effects on the body. We have studied its effects on the cardiovascular system and on intermediary metabolism in sheep. Electroimmobilisation caused statistically significant increases in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, renal and hepatic and hindquarter glucose and lactate flux, organ and whole body oxygen flux, hindquarter blood flow and core temperature and decreases in arterial and posterior vena cava blood pH, renal and hepatic blood flow and PaCO2. Notably, no change occurred in PaO2. The metabolic changes demonstrated the capacity of sheep to respond to the increased muscular and cardiovascular work induced by electroimmobilisation. Pulmonary function was not compromised during electroimmobilisation as judged from blood gas changes, and the acid/base changes were rapidly reversed after electroimmobilisation. The recovery to control conditions for all perturbations generally took no longer than 30 min, consistent with a rapid and physiologically adequate reversal by the animal's homeostatic mechanisms.     

Effects of calcium chloride injection and hot boning on the tenderness of round muscles.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of CaCl2 injection on round muscles obtained from Bos indicus bulls and late-castrate steers. In Exp. 1, the biceps femoris (BF) muscle from the left side of each of 15 bull carcasses was injected within 30 min postexsanguination with .3 M CaCl2 at 10% by weight while either intact (n = 8) on the carcass or after hot boning (n = 7). The right sides served as controls. In Exp. 2, the semimembranosus (SM) muscles from the carcasses of nine steers (castrated at 16 mo of age) were hot-boned within 30 min postexsanguination and one-half were injected with CaCl2 as described above. Hot boning had no effect (P greater than .05) on shear force values. Calcium chloride injection dramatically reduced shear force requirements at 1, 8, and 14 d postmortem compared with noninjected controls in both experiments. Cooking traits of the SM muscle were not affected (P greater than .05) by CaCl2 injection. However, BF muscles injected with CaCl2 required more (P less than .05) time to cook and had greater (P less than .05) cooking losses than BF controls. Calcium chloride injection of prerigor round muscles reduced aging time needed for normal tenderization to 1 d postmortem. Hot boning was successfully used in conjunction with CaCl2 injection to facilitate the injection process.