Natural causes of death in non-suckling grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)

Thirty-four grey seals which died of natural causes were examined. They ranged in age from aborted fetuses to adults, but suckling pups were excluded from the study. The commonest primary cause of death was pneumonia and a variety of parasitoses occurred as secondary lesions.     

Evaluation of heparin for prophylaxis of equine laminitis: 71 cases (1980-1986)

The records of 71 horses with small intestinal disorders requiring surgical correction were disorders requiring surgical correction were reviewed to compare the prevalence of laminitis in those horses treated prophylactically with heparin and the prevalence of horses not treated with heparin. The prevalence of laminitis was 13% (9/71), and there was no significant difference (P less than 0.05) in the prevalence of laminitis between the 2 groups. The lack of significant benefit after treatment with heparin indicates that further work needs to be done on the equine coagulation system before heparin can be advocated for prevention of laminitis.     

Suspected fusariomycotoxicosis in sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis): clinical and pathological findings

In 1985 and 1986, large-scale natural die-offs of sandhill cranes in Texas were attributed to fusariomycotoxicosis. These birds demonstrated a progressive loss of motor control to the neck, wings, and legs. Based on necropsy and/or histopathology of 31 cranes, the most common lesions involved skeletal muscle and included hemorrhages, granulomatous myositis, thrombosis, and vascular degeneration. Serum chemistry results revealed that levels of creatinine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were above published normals. However, only alanine aminotransferase was higher in clinically affected cranes than in normal cranes collected from the same area.     

A Preliminary Comparison of Lidocaine and Xylazine as Epidural Analgesics in Ponies

Xylazine (0.35 mg/kg) or lidocaine (0.35 mg/kg) was injected into the epidural space of six ponies to compare their effectiveness as epidural analgesics. Each pony received both treatments at 1 week intervals with the order of treatments randomized. Xylazine produced analgesia of significantly longer duration (247 +/- 58 minutes) than that produced by an equal dose of lidocaine (135 +/- 22 minutes). Mild transient ataxia of no clinical significance developed in all ponies with both treatments. Spinal cords were removed from two ponies and examined histologically. No discernible pathologic changes were noted.     

Growth and feed utilization by yearling horses fed added dietary fat

Twenty-four yearlings were used to evaluate the efficacy of feeding feed-grade fat to growing horses. All horses were started on trial at 13-months-of-age and were fed for 112 days. The experimental diets, containing similar nutrient-to-calorie ratios, were: 1) control (no added fat; 2) 5% added fat and; 3) 10% added fat. There was a trend for yearlings fed the 10% added fat diet to grow faster and eat less feed than those on the control diet. Data from this study indicate that feed-grade fat can be safely fed to growing horses. Feeding fat to yearlings stimulated growth and efficiency of feed utilization initially, but these effects were not maintained as the yearlings grew toward maturity.     

Canine pythiosis--isolation and identification of Pythium insidiosum

Pythium insidiosum was isolated from the subcutaneous tissue of a 1-year-old tan crossbreed dog and from the intestinal tract of an 18-month-old Samoyed male. Gomori's methenamine silver stain was superior to hematoxylin and eosin in demonstrating the organism in tissue sections. The agent was identified as P. insidiosum by zoospore formation in an aqueous yeast extract solution containing grass blades. Exoantigens produced in culture were shown to be identical to known P. insidiosum antigens by microimmunodiffusion.     

Seroprevalence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella</Emphasis> antibodies in camels in Katsina State,Nigeria

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the status of Brucella infection in one-humped (Dromedary) camels in the North and Central senatorial districts of Katsina State, Nigeria. Nine hundred and eighty serum samples from live and slaughtered camels were tested. Modified Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and serum agglutination test (SAT) with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, (EDTA) were used as screening and standard tests, respectively. The prevalence of Brucella antibodies were 110 (11.2%) and 103 (10.5%) for RBPT and SAT, respectively. Of the 472 and 508 serum samples tested from the herds and abattoirs, respectively, 63 (13.3%) and 47 (9.3%) were positive by RBPT while 62 (13.1%) and 41 (8.1%) were positive by SAT, respectively. Based on the results, it was concluded that Brucella antibodies were present in camels in the study area. Poor management practices and mixing of camels with other species of livestock as well as unrestricted movement of camels were proposed to be the reasons for the prevalence of the disease in the study area. In view of the public health importance of the disease, it is recommended that there is the need to develop a strategic plan to decrease spread of brucellosis in the study area.     

从日粮中获得更多的能量

猪的内源性酶可以帮助其从传统的玉米-豆粕型生长-育肥期日粮中获取大部分能量。然而,研究表明,日粮中添加新型复合酶制剂能使日粮能量被更多地用于生长,因而可提高饲料的利用效率。     

Comparison of the Value of Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis,Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA and Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis for Subtyping Taylorella equigenitalis

Eight strains of Taylorella equigenitalis were identified by a polymerase chain reaction using a primer pair specific to the 16S rDNA of T equigenitalis. These eight strains were chosen because they had previously been shown to represent eight distinct genotypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis after separate digestion of the genomic DNA with ApaI or NotI. The eight strains could be classified into six or seven types by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using different kinds of primers. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis after separate digestion with five restriction enzymes, including AluI and MboI, of the 1,500 bp fragments of rDNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction did not discriminate the genomic variations among the eight strains of T equigenitalis. Thus, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was shown to discriminate these eight organisms better than random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, while amplified rDNA restriction analysis was found to be unsuitable for subtyping T equigenitalis.