Progressive polysystemic immune-mediated disease in a dog

A dog with polyarthritis, angular joint deformities, and a high serum antinucleolar antibody titer was treated over a period of 20 months. During the clinical course, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, Coombs' positive hemolytic anemia, and a pemphigus-type skin disorder developed, all of which responded to immunosuppressive therapy. It is not known whether the polysystemic disease in this dog represents a pleomorphic manifestation of canine systemic lupus erythematosus or multiple autoimmune disorders occurring in the same animal.     

Ova transport and fertility after resection of the oviductal isthmus in pigs

The effect upon the reproduction of total resection of the oviductal isthmus, including the uterotubal and ampullary-isthmus junctions followed by end-to-end ampullo-cornual anastomosis was studied in pigs. Normal cycling gifts of proved fertility were submitted to bilateral isthmus deletion (Group I). Other gilts were submitted only to unilateral isthmic resection, while their contralateral medial isthmus was transversally cut and reanastomosed (Group II). A significantly lower nidation index was obtained after bilateral isthmic resection. The gilts in Group I which did not become pregnant and those in Group II were successfully mated during forthcoming standing oestruses, and were in association to that slaughtered on days 3, 4, or 5 of the cycle, and the characteristics and location of ova were determined. Spermatozoa fertilized the ova, and those cleaved normally in the isthmic-resected tube as well as in the sham-operated oviducts. The isthmic-resected oviduct, however, did not transport cleaved ova into the uterus at the time expected as normal. The findings suggest that the fertilized pig ova cannot reach the uterus at the normal expected time in case of total absence of the isthmic part of the oviduct, resulting in impaired fertility.     

The occurrence of and organisms concerned with bovine mycotic abortion in some counties of Ireland

Bovine mycotic abortion in some counties of the Irish provinces of Leinster and Ulster was estimated at 1–2% of all abortions for which a causal agent was identified in the years from 1969 to 1978. The organism most commonly isolated from diseased specimens wasAspergillus fumigatus, followed byAbsidia corymbifera. There was no relationship between the incidence of the disease in any year and the rainfall or number of raindays during the previous summer. The data obtained are discussed in relation to the occurrence of the disease in the United Kingdom.     

Pathogenesis of canine parvovirus-2 in dogs: histopathology and antigen identification in tissues

The pathogenesis of canine parvovirus-2 was studied in orally inoculated conventional dogs using histopathological and peroxidase anti-peroxidase staining techniques. Lymphoid necrosis and depletion of lymphocytes from lymphoid tissues were most notable on days 5 and 6 after exposure. Lymphocyte hyperplasia occurred following day 7. Epithelial cell changes in segments of the small intestine were more severe on days 6 to 9 after exposure in areas associated with Peyer's patches and in the upper segments of the small intestine. The lymphocyte was the primary infected cell. Virus infected cryptal epithelial cells were not detected until 24 hours after the identification of infected cells in lymphoid tissues on day 4 after exposure. The majority of virus infected epithelial cells were found in crypts intimately associated with or adjacent to Peyer's patches in the upper segments of the small intestine.     

Breed-related risk factors for canine parvovirus enteritis

Case records of 305 dogs with canine parvovirus (CPV) enteritis, seen at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from July 1, 1981 to Aug 31, 1982, were selected on the basis of admitting diagnoses or signs of diarrhea and vomiting. The case records were subdivided into 3 diagnostic categories, based on final diagnoses and laboratory test results. There were 96 dogs with definite CPV enteritis, 139 with possible CPV enteritis, and 70 with unlikely CPV enteritis. These cases were then stratified by animal's age (less than or equal to 6 months or greater than 6 months) and specific hospital service (medicine or emergency). A control group was selected from all canine case records from the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for conditions other than the criteria used in selecting the case group. Approximately 2 hospital patients were selected for each CPV enteritis case by frequency matching for hospital service and age. The proportion of dogs with definite CPV enteritis that had each of the clinical signs that were studied was greater than that of dogs in the other CPV enteritis diagnostic categories. The overall survival rate for dogs with definite CPV enteritis was 64.0%; survival was not associated with any given clinical sign of disease. Odds ratios (OR) for the risk of CPV enteritis were calculated for breeds with 3 or more dogs with definite CPV enteritis. The Doberman Pinschers (OR = 3.1), Rottweilers (OR = 6.0), and English Springer Spaniels (OR = 8.1) had a significantly increased risk of CPV enteritis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Necrotizing hepatitis associated with a reo-like virus infection in a parrot

A young African grey parrot was presented for necropsy following a 3-to-4-day illness consisting of lethargy, anorexia, and diarrhea. A disseminated necrotizing hepatopathy was evident upon histologic examination of the liver. Aggregates of approximately 70-nm-diameter viral particles having morphology consistent with the family Reoviridae were demonstrated by thin-section and negative-staining electron microscopy.     

Stimulation of swine growth by porcine growth hormone

Highly purified porcine growth hormone (pGH; USDA-B1) was administered by im injection (22 micrograms X kg body weight-1 X d-1) to rapidly growing Yorkshire barrows for 30 d. Growth hormone significantly increased growth rate (10%), feed efficiency (4%), cartilage growth and muscle mass. However, pGH did not affect carcass adipose tissue mass. Intramuscular lipid content of the longissimus was increased 50% by pGH administration. Plasma pGH concentration was elevated (7- to 11-fold) for 3 to 5 h post-injection. Chronic administration of pGH depressed pituitary GH content and concentration approximately 45%. No GH antibodies were detected in the plasma of GH-treated swine. Plasma somatomedin-C concentration was increased 55% by GH treatment 3 h post-injection. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were both significantly increased in GH-treated swine, suggesting that the animals had developed a state of insulin resistance. Plasma-free fatty acid concentration tended to be higher in GH-treated animals. Treatment of swine with pGH significantly decreased plasma blood urea nitrogen. Assessment of animal health during the trial and postmortem indicated that pGH administration did not have any adverse effects. In summary, treatment of young, rapidly growing swine with pGH stimulated growth performance without affecting animal health or inducing the production of GH antibodies.     

In vitro properties of diffuse cytoplasmic esterase-positive canine mononuclear leukocytes

Depletion of cytoplasmic esterase-positive canine peripheral blood monocytes from mononuclear cell suspensions was attempted using plastic adherence, carbonyl iron ingestion and/or Sephadex G-10 filtration. An esterase-positive, nonadherent, nonphagocytic subpopulation was identified and further characterized by the presence or absence of cell membrane receptors for the Fc portions of immunoglobulin and the activated third component of complement. The majority of these nonadherent cells lacked these receptors. The data suggests that canine peripheral blood monocytes are a heterogenous cell population.