Multiple striate keratotomy: a treatment for corneal erosions caused by epithelial basement membrane disease

Objective To study the efficacy of multiple striate keratotomy for the treatment of persistent corneal erosions suspected to be caused by primary corneal epithelial basement membrane disease.
Design A retrospective study.
Animals 16 dogs, three cats and one Australian dingo.
Procedure A technique called multiple striate keratotomy was used to treat twenty animals suffering from persistent corneal erosions.
Results All persistent corneal erosions healed with only one treatment. Most cases healed within 2 weeks. One case developed a second erosion in the same eye but in a different position to the original erosion.
Conclusions Multiple striate keratotomy is a safe, effective and well tolerated technique for the treatment of persistent corneal erosions thought to be caused by corneal epithelial basement membrane disease.     

Repair of shoulder luxation in a horse

Shoulder luxation in a 3-year-old Thoroughbred filly was treated by closed reduction, using a calf jack to provide traction on the limb. Arthroscopic examination of the shoulder allowed removal of soft tissue and bony debris. After surgery, the filly was confined to a box stall for 6 months. Eight months after surgery, the filly was doing light work and was not lame. Muscular atrophy present before surgery had resolved. Use of a calf jack may allow reduction of shoulder luxation under field conditions.     

Extensive resection and anastomosis of the descending (small) colon in a mare following strangulation by a mesenteric lipoma

A 17-year-old Quarter Horse, Arabian crossbred mare presented with a history of having had abdominal pain for 2 d. At surgery there was 2.6 m of descending colon strangulated within the pedicle of a mesenteric lipoma. The lipoma was resected and the descending colon appeared viable so was replaced, and the mare recovered from anaesthesia. Post-operatively, the mare failed to stabilise so was taken back to surgery. There was 2 m of infarcted descending colon which was resected and anastomosed. A drain and stainless steel stay sutures were incorporated into the ventral suture line. Post-operatively the ventral wound became infected but was resolved with therapy. The diagnosis, surgical and post-operative management and outcome are discussed.     

Eye diseases in Siberian husky dogs

A full ophthalmic examination was performed on 40 Siberian husky dogs using direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, gonloscopy and nasolacrimal cannulation. Eight (20%) of the dogs were found to have distichia, 10 (25%) had excessive medial caruncular hairs, 8 (20%) had absence, displacement, or narrowing of the nasolacrimal puncta, 2 (5%) had bilateral corneal crystalline opacities, and 2 (5%) had unilateral areas of lateral corneal lipidosis. Fifty percent of the dogs had some abnormality of the iridocorneal (drainage) angle. However, in only one of these was the deformity severe enough to require glaucoma prophylaxis. An association between blue iris colour and malformation of the iridocorneal angle was noted.     

Effect of dose of Brucella abortus strain 19 in yearling heifers on the relative risk of developing brucellosis from challenge exposure with strain 2308

Yearling heifers were given SC injections of 10(8) (n = 40), 10(9) (n = 44), or 10(10) (n = 44) colony-forming units of Brucella abortus strain 19 (S19). The proportion of heifers with positive serologic test results at 1 month following vaccination increased as the dose of S19 increased. These proportions decreased with time, and all heifers had negative card, rivanol, and complement fixation test results within 4 months. Positive ELISA results persisted beyond 4 months in all three S19 dose groups; however, all heifers were ELISA-negative within 9 months after vaccination. Comparable lymphocyte transformation activity was stimulated by S19 dose of 10(9) or 10(10) and approximately half of the heifers in both groups had a positive stimulation index at 9 months. Immunity of the pregnant heifers was challenged 9 months after vaccination with 10(7) B abortus strain 2308 as follows: diluent controls (n = 69); 10(8) B abortus S19 (n = 40); 10(9) B abortus S19 (n = 39); and 10(10) B abortus S19 (n = 39). Tissue specimens from heifers were obtained at parturition and necropsy for culturing of B abortus. The proportion of heifers that developed brucellosis, ie, had positive culture results, increased as gestation days at challenge exposure increased. The effect of gestational age was controlled in the analysis using logistic regression. The relative risk of brucellosis was reduced to 0.38, 0.15, and 0.06 for B abortus S19 doses of 10(8), 10(9), and 10(10), respectively, compared with diluent controls at 1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Subsequent reproduction and calf performance of nonpregnant cows compared with pregnant cows and replacement females

This study was conducted with Angus, Polled Hereford and Santa Gertrudis straightbred and crossbred cows. The subsequent cow breeding and calf performance of cows that were nonpregnant (NP) were compared with cows that were pregnant (PG) at the time calves were weaned. All NP cows had a calf the year previous to their being nonpregnant. They were diagnosed as physically sound with no detection (by rectal palpation) of an abnormal reproductive tract. The NP and PG cows were aged 4 to 9 yr. Also, the NP cows were compared with replacement females exposed to calve first as 2- and 3-yr-olds (H2 and H3, respectively), and with cows exposed for second calving as 3-yr-olds (C2). Cows were assigned within breed composition and age to sire breeding groups on pasture. Subsequent calving and weaning rates were similar for NP, PG and H2 cows, similar for H3 and H2 cows and lowest (P less than .05) for C2 cows. Calves from NP and H3 cows were born earlier (P less than .05) in the calving period than calves from PG and H2 cows, whereas calves from C2 cows were born later (P less than .05) than those from NP, PG and H3 cows. Calving difficulty was similar for NP, PG and C2 and greatest (P less than .05) for H2 cows. Calf 205-d weights were highest (P less than .05) for NP, similar for PG and H3 and lowest (P less than .05) for C2 and H2 cows. Calf weaning weight per cow exposed for breeding from NP cows was 13.8, 32.3, 55.2 and 1.0 kg higher than from PG, H2, C2 and H3 cows, respectively. Causes for cows being nonpregnant were reported. Also, calving patterns during 6 consecutive calving periods (6 yr) were evaluated.     

Ileocecal intussusception in horses: 26 cases (1981-1988)

The case records of 26 horses with ileocecal intussusception over a 7-year period were reviewed to determine clinical features of the disease and response to treatment. The median age of horses with ileocecal intussusception was 1 year and ranged from 2 weeks to 19 years. There was no apparent gender or breed predisposition to this disease. An acute form of ileocecal intussusception was diagnosed in 19 horses with signs of moderate to severe abdominal pain of less than or equal to 24 hours' duration, and a chronic form was diagnosed in 7 horses with signs of intermittent, mild to moderate abdominal pain of more than 3 days' duration. Horses with chronic ileocecal intussusception had a history of weight loss or failure to gain weight, slow growth, poor appetite, low-grade pyrexia, and postprandial signs of abdominal pain. At surgery, the involved segments of intestine (intussusceptum and intussuscipiens) in chronic cases were 2 to 10 cm long, and the ileum and much of the distal portion of the jejunum were flaccid, dilated, and thick walled. In the acute cases, the length of involved intestine ranged from 6 to 457 cm. Whereas only 1 of 7 chronic intussusceptions (14%) could be reduced, 9 of 19 (47%) acute intussusceptions were reducible. Surgical treatment included resection and jejunocecostomy (6 horses), partial resection through a cecotomy and a side-to-side jejunocecostomy (2 horses), and a side-to-side ileocecostomy or jejunocecostomy without resection (12 horses, 7 of which had chronic intussusception). Six horses with acute intussusception were euthanatized before or during surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Dicoumarol toxicity in cattle associated with ingestion of silage containing sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)

A diagnosis of dicoumarol toxicity in a herd of Friesian cattle was made following investigation of the deaths of three mature cows and eleven yearling heifers. Affected stock had been fed wrapped, bailed silage containing approximately 90% sweet vernal grass ( Anthoxanthum odoratum ). Sweet vernal grass contains coumarin, which can be converted to dicoumarol, a vitamin K antagonist, through the action of moulds. Most deaths were preceded by lethargy, severe anaemia and subcutaneous and internal haemorrhage. Dicoumarol toxicosis was suspected based on clinical signs, necropsy findings and prolonged prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times. Dicoumarol analysis of blood from affected animals and silage confirmed the diagnosis.