Citrullinaemia in Friesian calves

Six Friesian calves from a pedigree herd died or were killed within 1 week of birth because of progressive central nervous disease in which the only consistent lesion was cerebral oedema. The cause was citrullinaemia, resulting from an autosomally inherited dysfunction of the urea cycle enzyme arginosuccinate synthetase. Citrullinaemia was diagnosed by demonstrating markedly elevated concentrations of citrulline in the blood of one calf and in the cerebral spinal fluid of another. One of two sires used in the herd was a heterozygous carrier of the disease. Heterozygocity was demonstrated using a polymerase chain reaction/restriction endonuclease test designed to detect the genetic mutation that causes citrullinaemia in cattle.     

Noninfectious nonerosive arthritis in two dogs

Two cases of noninfectious, nonerosive arthritis are presented. The diagnostic features, clinical course and treatment are reviewed. Potential etiologies are discussed in the light of relatively little current material on this subject in the veterinary literature.     

A bacteriological investigation of subcutaneous abscesses in cats

Ten out of eleven subcutaneous abscesses in cats harboured anaerobic bacteria. Seven of the ten abscesses contained a mixture of obligate anaerobes and facultative anaerobes or microaerophilic bacteria. All of the anaerobic isolates were sensitive to the antibiotic metronidazole, but were resistant to streptomycin. Three isolates from one abscess were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin. Clinical resolution of subcutaneous abscesses was poor when procaine penicillin was used alone as treatment.