Canine obesity: is there a difference between veterinarian and owner perception?

Objectives : The overall aim of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between dog‐ownership and canine obesity, explored in two cohorts of overweight/obese or non‐overweight dogs (n=125). This paper concentrates on the owners’ perception of dog weight. Methods : A researcher‐mediated questionnaire was used to collect data from dog owners attending a small veterinary practice. Interviewees (n=121) were asked qualitative and quantitative questions, designed to examine the owners’ views of their relationship with their dogs. Results : Although a high proportion of owners claimed to have discussed the dog's weight with their veterinarian, some discrepancies were apparent between owner perception of animal weight and the veterinarian's evaluation of body condition score. Owner disagreement was significantly greater for the veterinarian‐defined overweight dogs (P=0·005). Owners often provide personal narratives to account for their dog's weight status. Clinical Significance : This study confirms the important role of the vet in providing information about the issue of dog weight but also suggests that providing verbal information is sometimes insufficient. The study also indicates the potential value of qualitative research methods to further understand client perception of complex animal care issues and highlights the need for further in‐depth research.     

A modified live PRRSV vaccine and the pathogenic parent strain induce regulatory T cells in pigs naturally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Rhodococcus equi is an important respiratory pathogen of young foals for which a vaccine has long been sought. Two major impediments to effective vaccination are the functionally immature type I immune responses of neonatal foals and early exposure to the bacterium via the environment. Despite these obstacles, it appears that under specific circumstances foals can develop a protective immune response. In this study we investigated the protective mechanisms behind oral inoculation of foals with virulent R. equi bacteria. Two foals receiving an oral inoculum demonstrated accelerated development of R. equi specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) as evidenced by significant lysis of R. equi infected, ELA-A mismatched cells at 3 weeks of age. As in a previous study, CTL were not detected until 5-6 weeks of age in two control foals. At each time point the ability of foal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to produce IFN-γ following stimulation with live R. equi or extracted cell wall lipids was similar to that of an adult horse control and between foals, regardless of treatment. These results provide a potential mechanism of protection which has previously been shown to occur following oral inoculation, and suggest that the early detection of CTL may be a useful marker for induction of protective immunity.     

Prospective randomized clinical trial assessing the efficacy of Denamarin for prevention of CCNU-induced hepatopathy in tumor-bearing dogs

Background: Increases in liver enzymes occur in up to 86% of dogs receiving CCNU and can result in treatment delay or early discontinuation of treatment. Denamarin contains S‐adenosylmethionine and silybin, both of which have been investigated as treatments for various liver diseases. Hypothesis: Dogs on CCNU receiving Denamarin have lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity than dogs not receiving Denamarin. Dogs on Denamarin are less likely to require treatment delay because of hepatopathy and are more likely to complete their prescribed course of CCNU. Animals: Dogs with lymphoma, mast cell tumor, or histiocytic sarcoma that were prescribed CCNU with or without corticosteroids and with normal ALT activity were eligible for enrollment. Methods: Dogs were prospectively randomized to receive either concurrent Denamarin during CCNU chemotherapy or to receive CCNU alone. Liver‐specific laboratory tests were run before each dose of CCNU. Results: Increased liver enzyme activity occurred in 84% of dogs receiving CCNU alone and in 68% of dogs on concurrent Denamarin. Dogs receiving CCNU alone had significantly greater increases in ALT, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin and a significantly greater decrease in serum cholesterol concentrations than dogs receiving concurrent Denamarin. Dogs receiving CCNU alone were significantly more likely to have treatment delayed or discontinued because of increased ALT activity. Conclusions: Increased liver enzyme activity occurs commonly in dogs receiving CCNU chemotherapy. These results support the use of concurrent Denamarin to minimize increased liver enzyme activity in dogs receiving CCNU chemotherapy. Denamarin treatment also increases the likelihood of dogs completing a prescribed CCNU course.     

Irrigation and Drainage Systems Maintenance: Needs for Research and Action

Irrigation system maintenance hastraditionally played second chair to systemoperations. This relative neglect hassquandered economic benefits and depletedthe value of capital assets. Recentprograms transferring operation andmaintenance responsibility to water usergroups offer an opportunity to redress thisbalance and create a more systematic andsustainable program of system maintenancein transferred systems. This paperidentifies important research needs thatform the basis for an action researchintervention program. The need to linkmaintenance inputs to hydraulic performance isclearly important, as is the need toprioritize inputs in terms of both cost andexpected impact on performance. Thefunding of maintenance is closely linked toasset management so that water user groupscan develop long-term strategies forprioritizing and financing theiractivities. Factors that lead water usergroups to choose between a self-helpstrategy towards O&M and the hiring ofprofessional staff to undertake these tasksalso requires additional research andinvestigation. Finally, the relationshipbetween regular maintenance and frequentrehabilitation needs to be defined and thetwo linked through policy, agreements, andfunding arrangements.     

Protocol: Optimised methodology for isolation of nuclei from leaves of species in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanaceae</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosaceae</Emphasis> families

In this study, a protocol is described for rapid preparation of an enriched, reasonably pure fraction of nuclear proteins from the leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), potato (Solanum tuberosum) and apple (Malus domestica). The protocol gives reproducible results and can be carried out quickly in 2 hours. Tissue extracts clarified with filtration were treated with non-ionic detergent (Triton X-100) to lyse membranes of contaminating organelles. Nuclei were collected from a 60% Percoll layer of density gradient following low-speed centrifugation. Western blot analysis using antibodies to marker proteins of organelles indicated that the nuclear protein fractions were highly enriched and free or nearly free of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and chloroplasts.     

Platelets in equine recurrent airway obstruction

Platelets contribute to the pathogenesis of human allergic airway disease. The aim of this study was to compare platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation and thromboxane (Tx) production, plasma Tx and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in ponies with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), an hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens, and normal ponies, before and after antigen exposure. Plasma 5-HT was significantly higher in ponies with RAO but was not further increased by antigen challenge. There was no difference between PAF-induced platelet aggregation or Tx production, or in plasma Tx before or after challenge. These data suggest there may be a difference between platelet 5-HT uptake in RAO and normal ponies but do not provide evidence of platelet activation following antigen exposure.     

Spinal deformation in commercially cultured Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.: a clinical and radiological study

A clinical and radiographic study was carried out on 2016 randomly selected Atlantic salmon parr from six farms, which weighed between 55 and 100 g. In addition, 86 fish from six marine farms were similarly studied. Radiographically detectable vertebral lesions were found in 3.8-8.8% of the parr. The changes ranged from a single vertebra showing features, such as demineralization, increased density and slight loss of structure, to fish with multiple vertebrae affected by collapse, fusion and change in intervertebral space that could give rise to lordosis or kyphosis or abnormal vertebrae at several locations. The predominant location was the vertebral region V21-27, and rarely V44 caudad. The radiographic changes in seawater salmon mirrored those found in parr, but vertebrae V35 caudad were more frequently involved. Very few parr were found to have abnormal vertebrae in the peduncle area which suggests that the development of lesions at this location occurs de novo in the seawater phase, given that 'stumpy' fish are most frequent reported deformity at slaughter. It was concluded that minor vertebral change could be detected radiographically in many parr with no observable effect on external morphology. Whether such minor radiographic alteration would proceed to observable morphological change at slaughter weight is open to question.     

Site fidelity and movement patterns of short‐finned pilot whales within the Canary Islands: Evidence for resident and transient populations

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The diet of harbour and grey seals around Britain: Examining the role of prey as a potential cause of harbour seal declines

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