DEGENERATIVE CHANGES IN THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN OF THE DOG

A group of 160 Beagles were studied radiographically to determine the pattern of degenerative changes within the vertebral column, especially involving the intervertebral discs. The normal radiographic appearance of both disc and surrounding vertebrae is described. Disc space narrowing and calcification of discal tissues provide radiographic patterns that assist in diagnosis and prognosis. Because of the older age of the dogs, severe degeneration of the endplates with marked instability between vertebral segments was seen.     

Urethral conformation and position in relation to urinary incontinence in the bitch.

The conformation of the urethra, the position of the bladder neck and the distance between the external urethral orifice and the cranial pubic brim were compared in 30 continent and 30 incontinent bitches with incompetence of the urethral sphincter mechanism, using the measurements made from vagino-urethrograms. The bladder neck was significantly (P less than 0.001) further caudal in incontinent dogs than in continent dogs. Its position was not affected by neutering and could not be explained by the degree of urethral curvature. The distance from the external urethral orifice to the cranial pubic brim was correlated (P less than 0.001) with bodyweight but was not significantly different in the continent and incontinent bitches. In neutered animals, the distance between the cranial pubic brim and the external urethral orifice was significantly (P less than 0.05) shorter than in entire animals.     

Temporal patterns of growth hormone in blood and seminal plasma of mature dairy bulls

This study was conducted to determine if growth hormone (GH) concentration in bovine seminal plasma would be proportional to but less variable than blood plasma GH. The relationship between GH in blood and seminal plasma was also examined critically. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 5.75 h, while semen was collected at 30-min intervals over the same time period. Average seminal plasma GH concentrations were 3.2 times higher (P less than .05) than blood plasma GH concentrations (40.4 +/- 15.8 ng/ml vs 12.6 +/- 1.2 ng/ml, respectively). The within animal correlation between blood and seminal plasma was consistently low and nonsignificant (P greater than .05). Overall blood plasma GH and seminal plasma GH concentrations were weakly correlated (r = .418; P greater than .05) among bulls. A predictable relationship between blood and seminal plasma GH concentration does not exist under the conditions of this study.     

Long-term study of partial arytenoidectomy with primary mucosal closure in 76 Thoroughbred racehorses (1992-2006)

REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY: The effectiveness and best method to perform a partial arytenoidectomy in racehorses is unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the success of and complications that can occur after a unilateral partial arytenoidectomy with primary mucosal closure in Thoroughbred racehorses. HYPOTHESIS: Partial arytenoidectomy is an effective surgical procedure to return Thoroughbred racehorses, afflicted by arytenoid chondropathy or a failed laryngoplasty, to preoperative levels of performance. METHODS: Seventy-six Thoroughbred racehorses admitted to the New Bolton Centre between 1992 and 2006 were assessed. Information was obtained from the medical records about the horse, laryngeal abnormalities, surgery and other findings during hospitalisation. Racing information was evaluated relative to those independent variables by an analysis of variance with a level of significance of P<0.05. RESULTS: Arytenoid chondropathy was the presenting complaint in 54 horses and failed laryngoplasty in 22 horses. Thirteen horses (17%) underwent a second surgery for laser excision of intralaryngeal granulation tissue at the arytenoidectomy site. Seventy-three horses were discharged from the hospital and racing outcome was evaluated. Sixty horses (82%) raced after surgery and 46 horses (63%) raced 5 or more times after surgery. The median time from surgery to the first start was 6 months. The average earnings/start was not significantly different before and after surgery. There was no association between earnings after surgery and age, gender, location of lesion, type of lesion, duration of tracheal intubation or undergoing a second surgery. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: A Thoroughbred racehorse is likely to race after a unilateral partial arytenoidectomy with primary mucosal closure and return to a preoperative level of performance.     

Swinepox--skin disease with sporadic occurrence

Swinepox virus infection results in an acute, mild or subclinical course and is characterised by typical poxvirus skin lesions in affected pigs. Additionally, sporadic vertical swinepox virus transmission leads to congenital generalised infection and subsequent abortion or stillbirth. The present report describes the occurrence of epidermal efflorescences in two piglets after intrauterine natural suipoxvirus infection. No clinical abnormalities of the gilt and littermates as well as in other pigs from this herd were present. One of the affected piglets was stillborn and submitted for necropsy, the other animal was alive at birth, but died 3 days later. Histologically, a proliferative to ulcerative dermatitis with epithelial ballooning degeneration and characteristic intracytoplasmatic inclusion bodies was observed. The pathomorphological and histopathological suspected diagnosis of a poxvirus infection was confirmed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, the agent was identified as suipoxvirus by polymerase chain reaction. As demonstrated here, obvious skin lesions in suipoxvirus infection leads to a suspected diagnosis in newborn piglets on macroscopic examination. However, further post mortem examinations, including electron microscopy as well as molecular techniques are essential for the identification of the aetiology and the exclusion of differential diagnoses. Because the disease only affected two pigs there was only a small economic loss. A valid diagnostic plays an important role in advising farmers and for herd health monitoring.     

Behavioural and physiological responses of sheep to 16 h transport and a novel environment post-transport

The effect of a novel lairage environment on the ability of sheep to recover from 16 h of transport was investigated. Sheep were transported from grass paddocks to either novel outside paddocks or inside pens, and housed groups were transported to either familiar or novel inside pens. During transport, sheep from outside paddocks lay down less than those from inside pens. In sheep transported to inside pens, those from outside paddocks spent more time lying and spent less time eating; hay and water intakes during the first 12 h post-transport were lower than those previously kept inside. There was no obvious effect of a novel environment post-transport on blood biochemistry, suggesting that the lower post-transport feed and water intakes in a novel environment did not have a significant effect on the ability of the sheep to recover from the feed and water deprivation associated with transport.     

Evaluation of success rate of laparoscopic castration without orchidectomy in 32 mature horses

The surgical success of laparoscopic castration without orchidectomy results from avascular necrosis of the testes. However, failures and subsequent production of testosterone and stallion‐like behaviour have been previously identified. Laparoscopic castration without removal of the testes was performed in 32 horses with 2 normal descended scrotal testes between July 2006 and October 2012. The objectives of our study were to evaluate the success rate of laparoscopic castration without orchidectomy on descended testes in our population and assess complications and recovery time. Endocrine tests were performed after surgery and owners also asked to report on their horse's behaviour and ability to resume exercise. Castration was deemed successful if endocrine test results were in accordance with gelding values. Failed horses were castrated using a conventional technique and histology performed when possible. Basal testosterone levels decreased below 3 nmol/l after surgery in 30/32 cases. However, in 2 horses, stallion behaviour persisted and histological evaluation after inguinal castration showed residual viable tissue. Two horses maintained high testosterone levels after surgery associated with stallion‐like behaviour. Based on these results, 12.5% of horses (4/32 horses) failed to be considered a gelding based on either endocrine tests and/or histology. All horses, with one exception, were able to resume exercise less than a week after the procedure. Laparoscopic castration without orchidectomy appears to be a safe procedure. When assessing the success of laparoscopic castration, our total failure rate was 12.5% (4/32 horses) which is significantly higher than previously reported.     

Detection of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Infection in Pigs

It is difficult to control the spread of porcine haemophilus pleuropneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae because there is no sensitive and specific way to accurately determine whether or not a pig herd is infected. This paper reports bacteriological and serological techniques used to detect A. pleuropneumoniae infection in pigs from a herd with endemic disease.

The bacteria were isolated from the anterior nasal mucosa of grower pigs, but not from younger or older pigs. Bacteriological culture of several tissues from the respiratory tract showed that nine of ten young finishing pigs were infected, but culture of lung tissue from slaughtered hogs detected infection in only 39 of 288 (13.5%). Both cooler storage temperature and use of selective medium prolonged the time that lung tissue could be stored and the organism still recovered. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected serotype-specific antibodies in serum of infected pigs.