Predicting behavioral changes associated with age-related cognitive impairment in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To monitor the progression of age-related behavioral changes in dogs during a period of 6 to 18 months and to determine whether signs of dysfunction in any of 4 behavioral categories can be used to predict further impairment. DESIGN: Age-stratified cohort study. ANIMALS: 63 spayed female and 47 castrated male dogs 11 to 14 years of age. PROCEDURE: Data were collected from randomly selected dog owners who were interviewed by telephone twice at a 12- to 18-month interval; data were included if the dog had lived > or = 6 months between interviews. The interview focused on signs of impairment in the following behavioral categories: orientation in the home and yard, social interactions with human family members, house training, and the sleep-wake cycle. Dogs were determined to have impairment in 0 behavioral categories (on the basis of < or = 1 sign for each category), impairment in 1 category (> or = 2 signs of dysfunction in that category), or impairment in > or = 2 categories. RESULTS: Between interviews, 22% (16/73) of dogs that did not have impairment in a category at the time of the first interview developed impairment in that category by the time of the second interview. Forty-eight percent (13/27) of dogs that had impairment in 1 category at the time of the first interview developed impairment in > or = 2 categories by the time of the second interview and were significantly more likely to develop impairment in > or = 2 categories, compared with dogs that initially had impairment in 0 categories. Dogs with 1 sign of dysfunction in orientation were significantly more likely to develop impairment in that category, compared with dogs that had 0 signs of dysfunction in orientation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Age-related behavioral changes in dogs are progressive. Clinicians should consider trying to predict which dogs are most likely to become progressively impaired during the subsequent 6 to 18 months.     

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for distinguishing Taylorella equigenitalis from Taylorella equigenitalis-like organisms.

It is difficult to distinguish isolates of Taylorella equigenitalis, the cause of contagious equine metritis, from a T. equigenitalis-like organism isolated from asymptomatic donkeys and horses. Although T. equigenitalis is responsible for a severe, contagious disease of the reproductive tract of equids, the T. equigenitalis-like organism, although contagious, does not appear to produce disease. Because of the economic consequences of correctly distinguishing isolates of these 2 microorganisms, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay was developed that will distinguish isolates of T. equigenitalis from the T. equigenitalis-like microorganism. The primers used in the PCR assay were designed to amplify unique regions of the gene encoding the 16S ribosomal RNA.     

Rumen-protected choline administration to transition cows: effects on milk production and vitamin E status

We investigated the influence of rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation on milk production, lipid metabolism and vitamin E status in dairy cows receiving a silage-based diet. Twenty-six Italian Holstein multiparous cows were assigned by weight and average production in the previous lactation, to one of two groups: control (no RPC supplementation) and RPC (supplemented with 20 g/day rumen-protected choline chloride). Treatment began 14 days before expected calving and continued for 30 days after parturition. Choline administration significantly increased milk production during the first month of lactation and also the concentration (and total secretion) of choline in milk, but did not affect fat or protein concentrations in milk, or plasma levels of glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). However, around parturition, NEFA concentrations in plasma were lower in treated animals than in controls, suggesting improved lipid metabolism as a result of choline supplementation. Choline supplementation also increased alpha-tocopherol plasma concentrations, suggesting a novel aspect in dairy cows.     

电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定乳粉中铅的检出限方法优化

对电感耦合等离子体质谱法检测铅的检出限进行研究,通过对实验过程中所用器皿、试剂等因素进行分?析,建立超声清洗处理方式,有效降低空白值,使电感耦合等离子体质谱仪法测定乳粉中铅的检出限由0.02 mg/kg降?低到0.005 mg/kg。当铅的添加水平为0.005～0.015 mg/kg时,样品的加标回收率为86.9%～119.0%,相对标准偏差为?3.1%～12.3%,满足方法学验证要求,说明了整体方案的可行性。降低检出限后的方法适用于乳粉中铅的检测。     

The REFLECT Statement: Methods and Processes of Creating Reporting Guidelines for Randomized Controlled Trials for Livestock and Food Safety

The conduct of randomized controlled trials in livestock with production, health, and food-safety outcomes presents unique challenges that might not be adequately reported in trial reports. The objective of this project was to modify the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement to reflect the unique aspects of reporting these livestock trials. A 2-day consensus meeting was held on November 18–19, 2008 in Chicago, IL, to achieve the objective. Before the meeting, a Web-based survey was conducted to identify issues for discussion. The 24 attendees were biostatisticians, epidemiologists, food-safety researchers, livestock production specialists, journal editors, assistant editors, and associate editors. Before the meeting, the attendees completed a Web-based survey indicating which CONSORT statement items would need to be modified to address unique issues for livestock trials. The consensus meeting resulted in the production of the REFLECT (Reporting Guidelines for Randomized Control Trials) statement for livestock and food safety and 22-item checklist. Fourteen items were modified from the CONSORT checklist, and an additional subitem was proposed to address challenge trials. The REFLECT statement proposes new terminology, more consistent with common usage in livestock production, to describe study subjects. Evidence was not always available to support modification to or inclusion of an item. The use of the REFLECT statement, which addresses issues unique to livestock trials, should improve the quality of reporting and design for trials reporting production, health, and food-safety outcomes.     

Hookworm dermatitis due to Uncinaria stenocephala in a dog from Saskatchewan

Uncinaria stenocephala hookworm dermatitis (uncinariosis) was diagnosed on fecal examination and macerated skin biopsy in a 1.5-year-old greyhound dog from Saskatchewan. This is the first reported case in Canada. Treatment with moxidectin cleared gastrointestinal and dermal infections.