Thymic hyperplasia causing right ventricular outflow tract compression following treatment for oesophageal rupture in an Arabian colt

True thymic hyperplasia has been reported sporadically in the human literature as an immunological rebound phenomenon following immunosuppressive treatment or disease. There are limited accounts in domestic species, mainly following vaccination, and thymic hyperplasia has not been a recognised condition in the horse to date. This report details a case of true thymic hyperplasia in a 10-week-old Arabian colt diagnosed by histopathology of core biopsy samples. The colt developed pulmonary stenosis caused by compression due to a space occupying lesion in the cranial mediastinum following a 3-month history of hospitalisation for treatment of traumatic oesophageal rupture with perioesophageal abscess formation. Diagnostic imaging of the cranial mediastinum was indicative of a thymic mass, and histopathology confirmed the mass was normal (hyperplastic) thymic tissue. The colt was treated with a tapering dose of corticosteroids, which led to involution of the hyperplastic tissue and resolution of pulmonary artery compression. Thymic hyperplasia may be an unrecognised sequela to chronic inflammation in horses and was only identified in this case when the size was sufficient to compress right cardiac outflow.     

A zinc-containing intraruminal device for facial eczema control in lambs

A zinc-containing intraruminal device has been developed for protecting lambs against facial eczema. The rate of release of zinc from the device has been optimised, and its safety in use established. Under both experimental and farm conditions, the device gave excellent protection against the liver injury associated with facial eczema. The device relies upon erosion for release of zinc, and disappears completely when its charge of zinc has been released, leaving no metal or plastic residue in the rumen. This device has the potential to greatly ameliorate the problem of facial eczema in New Zealand.     

Association of genetic variants of bovine growth hormone with milk production traits in Holstein cattle

SUMMARY: Gene and genotype frequencies of alleles, identified by PCR/RFLP technology, at leucine 127/valine127 (L/V) and C/D loci of the growth hormone gene of Ayrshire, Holstein and Jersey breeds were determined. The frequency of the V allele at the L/V mutation locus was 0.29, 0.09 and 0.24 for the Ayrshire, Holstein and Jersey breeds, respectively. The frequencies of the D allele at the C/D mutation locus were 0.00, 0.13 and 0.30 for the three breeds, respectively. Different growth hormone genotypes of Holstein AI bulls were compared for their estimated transmitting abilities (ETA) of milk, fat and protein yields using the samples of unrelated bulls and samples of the top, medium and bottom groups of ETA. The L/V locus was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with fat and protein ETAs of the selected groups and approached significance (p = 0.06) for milk ETA, with the V allele being more frequent in the top than in the bottom group of bulls. The C/D polymorphic locus was significantly (p = 0.02) associated with differences among the top, middle and bottom groups of bulls for milk ETA, but not significantly (p > 0.05) associated with fat and protein ETAs. The results suggest a possible association of growth hormone gene polymorphism with milk production traits in Holstein bulls. However, the results were not conclusive due to the small sample size and low frequencies of the V and D alleles. Much larger sample sizes are needed to obtain a reasonable number of VV and DD genotypes for a critical comparison. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Zusammenhang genetischer Varianten des Rinderwachstumshormons mit Milchleistungsmerkmalen bei Holstein Rindern Gene und Genotyp Frequenzen von Allelen, identifiziert mittels PCR/RFLP Technik, an Leucin(127) /Valin(127) (L/V) und C/D Loci des Wachtumshormon Genes wurden bei Ayrshire, Holstein und Jerseys bestimmt. Die H?ufigkeiten des V Alleles waren 0.29, 0.09 und 0.24, jene des D Alleles 0, 0.13, und 0.30 bei den drei Rassen. Der Vergleich verschiedener Genotypen bei Holstein KB Stieren hinsichtlich gesch?tzter Nachkommenüberlegenheit (ETA) für Milch, Fett und Protein Mengen umfa?te Stiere mit hohen, mittleren und niedrigen ETA. Der L/V Locus zeigte statistisch signifikanten Einflu? bei Fettund ProteinETA und p = 0.06 bei Milch, wobei das V Allel in der Spitzengruppe h?ufiger als bei neidrigen war. Der C/D Locus war signifikant (p<0.02) mit Unterschieden hinsichtlich Milch, nicht aber mit jenen hinsichtlich Fett und Protein assoziiert. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf Zusammenh?nge, jedoch beintr?chtigt geringe Zahl der Tiere und niedrige H?ufigkeit der V und D Allele allgemeine und bindende Schlu?folgerungen.     

Health of non-ambulatory, non-injured pigs at processing

Loss of pigs during or after transport is a welfare concern, but also an economic concern for producers. Transport losses include animals that are dead on arrival (DOA) at the plant, pigs that are injured, and pigs which are not obviously injured but unwilling or unable to walk (non-ambulatory, non-injured or NANI). The objective of this research was to assess the health of non-ambulatory, non-injured (NANI) pigs relative to control pigs at the processing plant by looking at a range of measures, including complete blood chemistry, anatomy, and pathology to determine potential factors associated with pigs going down. Data were collected from NANI and control pigs at five plants in the midwest USA. Feet and legs and internal organs were inspected and the severity of the pathology scored. Alveolar macrophages were collected and counted. Blood was collected for analysis of hematology, blood chemistry and cortisol concentrations. Titers to common porcine respiratory viruses were measured in pigs from one plant. Hoof and pad problems did not differ overall between control and NANI pigs, however the percentage of severe foot problems was greater (P < 0.05) in NANI compared with control pigs at plants A and E. The percentage of total ulcers, rhinitis, and empty stomachs differed (P < 0.05) between control and NANI pigs at individual plants, but not overall. Blood hematology and chemistry differed (P < 0.05) between NANI and control pigs. Cortisol concentrations did not differ between NANI and control pigs. Titers to swine influenza virus (SIV) H1N1 and H3N2 and porcine circovirus (PCV) were lower (P < 0.01) among NANI compared with control pigs. However, more (P < 0.01) NANI pigs were positive for SIV H1N1 and H3N2 compared with control pigs. Blood hematology, chemistry, and pathology indicate a large difference between NANI and controls pigs. No single health problem was higher among NANI pigs compared to plant-matched control pigs. Rather, several problems appear to contribute to pigs becoming NANI which may differ from one plant too another.     

Effects of Mowing and Tebuthiuron on the Nutritional Quality of Wyoming Big Sagebrush

Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) is the most abundant and widely distributed subspecies of big sagebrush and has been treated through chemical application, mechanical treatments, and prescribed burning in efforts thought to improve habitat conditions for species such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Although the response of structural attributes of sagebrush communities to treatments is well understood, there is a need to identify how treatments influence the quality of sagebrush as winter food for wildlife. Our purpose was to identify how mowing and tebuthiuron treatments influenced dietary quality of Wyoming big sagebrush in central Wyoming. Two study areas were mowed in January and February 2014, and tebuthiuron was applied in two study areas in May 2014. We constructed 6 exclosures in each of these four study areas (24 total), which encompassed 30 × 30 m areas of treated and untreated sagebrush within each exclosure. Samples of current annual growth were collected from 18 sagebrush plants from treated and 12 plants from control portions of mowing exclosures during November 2013–2015 and tebuthiuron exclosures during November 2014–2015. Samples were analyzed for crude protein and plant secondary metabolites known to influence dietary selection of sagebrush by sage-grouse and other sagebrush-occurring herbivores. Our results suggest mowing and tebuthiuron treatments may slightly increase crude protein concentrations directly after treatments without immediate changes in plant secondary metabolites. Slight increases in dietary quality of sagebrush following treatments coupled with potential trade-offs with loss of biomass associated with treatments corroborates previous research that treating Wyoming big sagebrush may have little benefit for sage-grouse and other sagebrush-dependent wildlife. Future work should evaluate not only how treatments influence sage-grouse habitat use and reproductive success but also how treatments influence other wildlife species in fragile sagebrush ecosystems.     

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in dogs from Colombia, South America and genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in 309 unwanted dogs from Bogotá, Colombia, South America was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) and found in 52 (16.8%) of 309 dogs with titers of 1:20 in 20, 1:40 in six, 1:80 in 17, 1:160 in three, 1:320 in three, 1:1280 or higher in three. Some organs obtained after necropsy of dogs (hearts, tongues and brains, either separately or pooled) were used in bioassays carried out in mice (37 samples, of which 20 were assayed with separate organs and 17 were assayed with pooled organs), cats (pooled organs from six) and pooled organs of two dogs both in mice and cat. Mice receiving dog tissues were examined for T. gondii infection. Feces of cats that received dog tissues were examined for oocyst shedding. In total, T. gondii was isolated from tissues of 20 dogs (16 by bioassays in mice, 3 by bioassay in cats and 1 by bioassay in mice and cat). All infected mice from 7 of 17 isolates bioassayed in this host died of toxoplasmosis during primary infection. Only 10 of the 20 dogs whose tissues were bioassayed separately induced infections in mice. Interestingly, dog organs varied in their capacity to induce T. gondii infection in mice, hearts and tongues producing more positive results than the brain. The 20 T. gondii isolates obtained from seropositive dogs were PCR-RFLP genotyped using polymorphisms at 10 nuclear markers including SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, a new SAG2 and an apicoplast marker Apico. Ten genotypes were revealed. These genotypes are different from the three predominant Types I, II and III lineages that are widely spread in North America and Europe. A new allele denoted u-3 at PK1 locus was identified in three isolates. This result supports previous findings that T. gondii population is highly diverse in Colombia.     

Subcutaneous neoplasms of the ventral abdomen with features of adrenocortical tumors in two ferrets

A ventral abdominal subcutaneous mass was removed from each of 2 young adult spayed female ferrets. In both cases, the neoplasms were composed of islands of polygonal cells separated by interlacing streams of spindloid cells reminiscent of ferret adrenocortical tumors with smooth muscle proliferation. Immunohistochemically, the polygonal cells demonstrated strong cytoplasmic reactivity for inhibin and weak cytoplasmic reactivity for pancytokeratin and S-100 protein. Spindloid cells demonstrated strong cytoplasmic reactivity for alpha smooth muscle actin, muscle-specific actin, desmin, and glial fibrillary acidic [corrected] protein. Ultrastructurally, the polygonal cells contained numerous intracytoplasmic clear vacuoles, mitochondria, scant rough endoplasmic reticulum, and few intermediate filaments. In one tumor, vesicular tubular mitochondria were found in polygonal cells. The spindloid cells contained numerous aggregates of parallel intermediate filaments. The histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings are suggestive of adrenocortical tumors with smooth muscle proliferation, but cannot be differentiated from an ovarian gonadal stromal tumor. Neither ferret had a clinically detected primary adrenal gland tumor or clinical signs of adrenal-associated endocrinopathy.