Pharmacokinetics of carprofen and firocoxib for medication control in racing greyhounds

Animals used in sport should be treated as required to ensure animal welfare but any such use of medication should also be controlled to ensure integrity. Pharmacokinetic studies on groups of six greyhounds were performed to measure plasma and urine levels of carprofen and firocoxib to inform medication control advice. Using the standard methodology for medication control the Irrelevant Plasma Concentration was determined as 20 and 2 ng/mL for carprofen and firocoxib, respectively. The Irrelevant Urine Concentration was also determined as 0.3 and 2 ng/mL for carprofen and firocoxib, respectively. These Irrelevant Plasma and Urine Concentrations will allow laboratory Screening Limits, Detection Times and Withdrawal Time advice to be determined and publicised by regulators of greyhound racing. The Screening Limits will also inform Recommended Limits of Detection if meat-containing residues of these medications are fed to greyhounds.     

Residues of endosulfan in the tissues of lactating goats

SUMMARY: The sites of tissue accumulation in lactating goats of the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan were studied. Twelve lactating goats were dosed orally with endosulfan (1 mg/kg body weight per day) for 28 days. Groups of 3 animals were killed on days 1, 8, 15, and 21 after endosulfan treatment ended and their tissues examined for the presence of endosulfan. Total residues of α and β endosulfan and endosulfan sulphate (mg/kg) were detected in kidney (0.29), gastro-intestinal tract (0.20), liver (0.12), brain (0.06), muscle and spleen (0.04), lung and heart (0.01) and milk (0.02) on the flrst sampllng day but within 15 days, concentrations had fallen to < 0.01 mg/kg in all tissues except kidney (0.20). Endosulfan could not be detected in animals 21 days after dosing had ceased. The residue in milk could only be detected on day 1 of sampling. This study indicates that kidney rather than fatty tissue should be used to monitor the presence of endosulfan in animals intended for human consumption.     

Hemostatic studies in racing standardbred horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Hemostatic parameters at rest and after moderate exercise.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a defect in hemostasis might be a factor in the etiology of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Hemostatic parameters were evaluated in 22 EIPH-positive and ten EIPH-negative racing horses while in a rested state. Nineteen EIPH-positive and ten EIPH-negative horses were further evaluated just before and immediately after a 15 min exercise period on a 260 m oval track. When EIPH-positive and EIPH-negative horses were compared at rest, there was no significant difference in any of the coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters studied. There was however, a significant difference in platelet function as assessed by aggregometry. The platelets from affected horses were significantly less responsive than those from nonaffected horses when exposed in vitro to the platelet agonists adenosine diphosphate, collagen and platelet activating factor. Exercise tended to increase the packed cell volume and factor VIII/von Willebrand factor and to decrease platelet aggregation responses to low concentrations of adenosine diphosphate. These effects of exercise however were quantitatively similar in both EIPH-positive and EIPH-negative horses. Reduced platelet function may therefore be a contributing factor in the bleeding characteristic of horses with EIPH.     

The current status and outlook for insecticide,acaricide and anthelmintic resistances across the Australian ruminant livestock industries: assessing the threat these resistances pose to the livestock sector

The Australian ruminant livestock industries are faced with the need to control parasitic infectious diseases that can seriously impact the health of animals. However, increasing levels of resistance to insecticides, anthelmintics and acaricides are substantially reducing the ability to control some of these parasites. Here we review the current situation with regard to chemical resistances in parasites across the various sectors of the Australian ruminant livestock industries and assess the level of threat that these resistances pose to the sustainability of these sectors in the short to long terms. We also look at the extent to which testing for resistance occurs across the various industry sectors, and hence how well-informed these sectors are of the extent of chemical resistance. We examine on-farm management practices, breeding of parasite-resistant animals, and non-chemical therapeutics that may act as short to long term means to reduce the current reliance on chemicals for parasite control. Finally, we look at the balance between the prevalence and magnitude of current resistances and the availability and adoption rates of management, breeding and therapeutic alternatives in order to assess the parasite control outlook for the various industry sectors.     

Portable weighing system for monitoring picker efficiency during manual harvest of sweet cherry

Harvest costs are significant for tree fruit producers and, yet, not well studied. In this paper a prototype system for measuring harvest worker efficiency in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is presented. This weighing system consists of a digital weighing platform compatible with standard commercial fruit bins and a data logger interfaced to a wireless radio. Weight data were transmitted every 5 s, filtered and stored to a laptop computer (database). System functionality and reliability were evaluated in five orchards in cooperation with three commercial growers. Preliminary tests showed that the system did not interfere with normal harvest activities and that the efficiency of pickers and picking teams varied within and across orchard blocks, (e.g. 0.75 to 2.87 kg/min), depending on their experience and skills (e.g. 1.37 kg/min for skilled workers vs. 0.64 kg/min for unskilled). Further, the mean picking rate of ‘Skeena’ without pedicels (stem-free) was 1.15 kg/min, almost 50 % greater than fruit with stems (mean = 0.75 kg/min) when picked by the same crew and orchard.