Phase II clinical evaluation of lomustine chemotherapy for feline vaccine‐associated sarcoma

Treatment of feline vaccine‐associated sarcoma (VAS) is challenging, in part due to the high likelihood of tumour recurrence despite aggressive local therapy. Lomustine is potentially an attractive agent to add to the current treatment armamentarium. In this de‐escalating phase I/II prospective trial, 28 cats with measurable VAS were treated at target dosages of 38–60 mg m^?2 every 3 weeks until disease progression. The overall response rate was 25%, with a median progression‐free survival and median duration of response of 60.5 and 82.5 days, respectively. Haematologic toxicity, specifically cumulative neutropenia, was significant, and dose reductions and treatment delays were common. Although these data support further investigation of lomustine for the treatment of VAS, safe, multidosing protocols must first be determined.     

Diversity in horse enthusiasts with respect to horse welfare: An explorative study

A reduced level of welfare of horses is related to management factors such as low forage feeding, short feeding time, social isolation, and lack of unrestrained exercise. It has been assumed that welfare problems can be reduced and/or partly prevented by improving the knowledge and skills of horse enthusiasts. It has also been assumed that to improve the provision of information to horse enthusiasts, it is important to explore and gain more insight into horse enthusiasts’ motives, knowledge, and behavior. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify the diversity of horse enthusiasts in the Netherlands, with respect to the way they search and find out information, their emotional involvement with horses, and their attitude, their knowledge, and daily practices with regard to equine welfare. A Web-based survey using a 30-item questionnaire resulted in 4,267 respondents. Most respondents (84.6%) were female; the average age of the respondents was 34.2 (±13.5) years. More than half of the respondents (64.5%) believed that there were welfare problems throughout the whole horse industry. The most important reported source for information was the personal contact with other horse enthusiasts (82.8%), with veterinarians (74.5%), and with farriers (69.5%). It is, therefore, recommended that to disseminate relevant knowledge on equine welfare, particular attention should be paid to the acquisition and dissemination skills within the education programs of veterinarians and farriers. Although most respondents were aware of the issues that can compromise welfare, their knowledge did not always result in appropriate practices. Furthermore, a cluster analysis showed that horse enthusiasts can be categorized into 4 clusters from the way they search and find out information, their emotional involvement with horses, and their attitude, their knowledge, and daily practices with regard to the welfare of horses. To improve the provision of information to horse enthusiasts, it is recommended that the information provision to horse enthusiasts is organized around these 4 clusters of horse enthusiasts.     

The effect of combined iron-selenium treatment on erythropoiesis and weight gain of piglets

Ten sows were during their last month of gestation and first 4 weeks of lactation kept on a low Se ratio (0.014 ppm Se). Their 1-3 days old piglets (n = 108) were divided in 2 groups, the experimental and the control group. Blood samples were taken from the piglets before the age of 3 days. Each of the piglets of the experimental group (n = 54) was treated subcutaneously in connection with the blood sampling with 200 mg Fe⁺³ as iron dextran and 0,30 mg Se⁴⁴ as sodium selenite (Pigfer-Se, Orion Corporation Ltd., Orion Pharmaceutics Espoo, Finland). The piglets of the control group (n = 54) were correspondingly treated with 200 Fe⁺³ as iron dextran. Blood samples were again taken 7, 14 and 28 days after the first sample.The results showed that the mean increase in the number of erythrocytes during the first 7 days was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (p = 0.006). No significant differences between the whole groups could be found in the later blood samples.When some haematological parameters of those of the piglets of the experimental and the control group, which before the age of 3 days had the whole blood Se ^ 55 μg/1 were compared (n = 16 and n = 22 respectively) the mean increase in the number of erythrocytes was found to be significantly higher both at 7 days and 14 days in the low Se piglets of the experimental group than the corresponding means of the control group (p = 0.005 and p = 0.016 respectively). At 28 days the difference between the means was not significant.The weekly mean weight gains of the low Se piglets of the experimental group were consistently higher at the successive weekly weighings than the corresponding means of the control group.     

Proliferative glomerulonephritis and chronic active hepatitis with cirrhosis associated with Corynebacterium parvum immunotherapy in a dog

Ivermectin, a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent, was believed responsible for signs of CNS dysfunction in a dog. Within 2 hours of oral administration of ivermectin, the dog had hind limb ataxia. Neurologic signs progressed rapidly until the dog was in a semicomatose state at admission 20 hours later. The dog improved gradually under supportive care. The ivermectin had been given for suspected endoparasitism. Clinical signs were similar to those reported in dogs with clinical and experimental exposure to ivermectin.     

Methionine and lysine uptake by cattle small intestine in vitro

Incubations of bovine intestinal mucosa were characterized for location of maximal uptake of amino acid, steady-state accumulation time of the amino acids, methionine and lysine. Photomicrographs validated that cattle intestinal mucosa was isolated by the technique described. Methionine and lysine uptake was expressed as micromoles of amino acid per milliliter of cell water. The most active site of methionine and lysine uptake was the mid-ileum, while the proximal jejunum was the least active site. Both methionine and lysine uptake showed high correlation relative to intestinal region. Methionine uptake was shown to be saturated with concentrations greater than 1 mM. Lysine transport appeared to be approaching saturation at concentrations between .5 mM to 1 mM, revealing that cattle intestinal mucosa has a lower transport capacity for lysine than methionine. These results indicate the usefulness of a technique through which substrate uptake (amino acid, carbohydrate, etc.) can be characterized in cattle small intestine.     

Osteofascial Compartment Syndrome in the Dog

Experimentally induced osteofascial compartment syndrome (OFCS) has been reported in the craniolateral compartment of the canine crus. In this study, anatomic dissections and contrast radiographs were used to describe three additional osteofascial compartments in canine limbs. Experimental OFCS was produced in four different compartments, and caused muscle and nerve pathology in each. When compartment pressures were evaluated in traumatized animals, moderate elevations in compartment pressures were found. A compartment syndrome that developed in one dog was surgically decompressed, returning elevated pressures to a safe level.     

Evaluation of reconstitution of immunodeficient mice by partially purified thymic extracts.

Partially purified thymus products were used to evaluate the maturation of T lymphocytes in immunodeficient mice. Three different bovine thymic extracts, designated thymic extracts A, B, and C, were successful in increasing the longevity of conventionally raised nude mice. Daily injection of bovine thymic extracts A, B, and C and mouse thymus extracts failed to mature a population of T lymphocytes and restore the capacity to reject heart allografts. Preincubation of normal syngeneic bone marrow with thymic extract B in vitro before injection into nude mice also failed to reconstitute the host's ability to reject heart grafts. The number of antibody plaque-forming cells of sheep red blood cells in lethally irradiated, bone marrow-reconstituted mice could be increased by preincubating the bone marrow cells with bovine thymic extract fraction B before injection followed by daily injections. A similar but less marked increase in plaque-forming cells was obtained by the daily injection of bovine thymic extract fraction C. Complete functional maturation of T lymphocytes in immunodeficient animals appears to require more than thymic extract stimulation of bone marrow cells or pre-T lymphocytes.     

Nonneurogenic urinary incontinence in a canine female pseudohermaphrodite

Nonneurogenic incontinence was observed in a 1-year-old Pekingese X Poodle with female pseudohermaphroditism. The dog had male external genitalia as well as a well-developed vagina, uterus, and ovaries. Urinary incontinence was caused by an anomalous communication of the prostatic urethra with the vagina. Ovariohysterectomy and surgical correction of the urethrovaginal fistula was followed by remission of urinary incontinence. Subsequently, the dog developed estrogen responsive urinary incontinence. Nonneurogenic incontinence to be a common finding in canine pseudohermaphroditism associated with abnormalities of the vagina or urethra (or both). Surgical correction should be considered to correct anomalous communications between the genital and lower urinary tracts.     

Studies on a sheep freemartin

A case of intersexuality in a Dorset horn ewe is described. Although possessing female external genitalia this animal had a male internal reproductive tract with inguinal testes, epididymes, vasa deferentia and seminal vesicles. No traces of cervix or uterus were present and the vagina was represented in its caudal part only. Chromosomal studies revealed chimaerism in peripheral leucocytes of the type 54, XX/54, XY, while other tissues revealed the normal female karyotype 54, XX. The ewe was born in a set of triplets with one dead male fetus and one living male. It was therefore concluded that the animal was a freemartin. The significance of this case and of the phenomenon of freemartisism in sheep is discussed.