Urethroscopy and laser lithotripsy for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive urolithiasis in goats and pot-bellied pigs

OBJECTIVE: To explore the use of urethral endoscopy and laser lithotripsy in the diagnosis and management of urolithiasis in goats and pot-bellied pigs. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: 16 male goats and 6 male pot-bellied pigs with dysuria. PROCEDURE: Abdominal ultrasonography and urethral endoscopy were performed on all 22 animals. Endoscopic-guided holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser lithotripsy was performed in 3 goats and 2 pot-bellied pigs. RESULTS: Urolithiasis was identified in 15 goats and 5 pot-bellied pigs. Primary urinary bladder paralysis and cystitis were identified in the remaining pot-bellied pig and goat. Mean bladder diameters of obstructed small- and large-breed goats were 7 and 9.5 cm, respectively. The mean bladder diameter of obstructed pot-bellied pigs was 9.5 cm. Five of 20 animals with obstructive urolithiasis had severe urethral necrosis or stricture formation at the time of urethroscopy. All of these animals were euthanatized within 6 months because of persistent dysuria. When used, laser lithotripsy successfully fractured the distally located obstructing stones in the 3 goats and 2 pot-bellied pigs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Urethral endoscopy is useful for evaluating urethral patency in goats and pot-bellied pigs. Examination of the urethral mucosa following relief of urethral obstructions aids in the assessment of the long-term prognosis for urethral stricture. Urethral endoscopy also expands the therapeutic options for management of urolithiasis by providing a route for conducting laser lithotripsy. Laser lithotripsy proved to be safe and effective for clearing distally located calculi refractory to removal by traditional urethral flushing. Lithotripsy application is restricted to calculi lodged in the urethra.     

Neospora caninum serostatus and culling of Holstein cattle

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether time until culling or risk of culling was associated with Neospora caninum serostatus among Holstein cattle in dairy herds in Ontario. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS: 3,412 cows in 56 herds. PROCEDURE: Blood samples were collected, and serum was tested for antibodies against N. caninum. Information on cows that were culled was collected during the 1- to 2-year period that producers were unaware of serostatus of individual cows in their herds. RESULTS: Herd prevalence of N. caninum-seropositive cows ranged from 0 to 68.3% (median, 7.0%). During the time of the study, 184 of 359 (51.3%) N. caninum-seropositive cows were culled, compared with 1,388 of 3,053 (45.5%) seronegative cows. Mean time from blood sample collection to culling for seronegative cows (289 days; 95% confidence interval, 280 to 299 days) was not significantly different from mean time for seropositive cows (296 days; 95% confidence interval, 269 to 323 days). Survival analysis indicated that N. caninum serostatus was not associated with time to culling or risk of culling. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that N. caninum serostatus of Holstein cows in Ontario was not significantly associated with either time to culling or risk of culling. Thus, N. caninum serostatus alone should not be used to determine whether cows should be culled.     

Nutrient status of crop contents of rural scavenging local chickens in Tanzania

1. A total of 144 chickens purchased from peasants in Morogoro, Tanzania were slaughtered, their crops dissected and the contents analysed. The birds consisted of 48 chickens from each of three climatic zones (warm and wet, warm and dry, cool and wet). Seventy-two chickens were slaughtered in each season, that is short rainy and long rainy season. 2. Cereal grains, bran, green forages, insects/worms and kitchen food wastes were the main crop contents and their composition varied significantly with season and climate. 3. The overall mean chemical compositions (g/kg) of the crop contents were: 430.8 +/- 107.78 dry matter (DM), 104.4 +/- 43.47 crude protein (CP), 61.2 +/- 36.48 ether extract (EE), 58.2 +/- 26.29 crude fibre (CF), 125.4 +/- 58-27 ash, 6.3 +/- 5.19 calcium (Ca) and 3.6 +/- 2.41 phosphorus (P). 4. CP, EE, ash and P contents varied significantly (P<0.05) with season but contents of DM, CF and Ca were not significantly different. 5. CP content was significantly higher (P<0.05) in growers than in adults while the reverse was true for Ca content. Other variables did not differ significantly. 6. Significant differences (P<0.05) in chemical composition were observed among the zones in all parameters except for CP content. 7. The study showed that the chemical composition of feeds eaten by rural scavenging chickens was below the nutritional requirements and varied with season, climate and age of birds.     

Surgical management of true patent urachus in a cat

A five-week-old kitten presented with clinical signs consistent with a patent urachus. The urachal anomaly was revealed by exploratory celiotomy and surgically excised without complications. Follow-up radiographic evaluation confirmed the complete removal of the urachal anomaly. Twenty-five months after surgery the cat remained healthy and without problems.     

Genomic sequencing of the bovine T cell receptor beta locus

The T cell, which plays an integral role in the coordination of the immune system, has a heterodimer receptor (TCR) that can exist in one of the two forms: alpha/beta or gamma/delta. Cells displaying the gamma/delta TCR comprise less than 5% of T cell populations in humans and mice. In the bovine system, however, gamma/delta populations can reach as high as 60%. Differences in T cell populations make the bovine system an excellent candidate for genomic TCR sequencing and multi-species comparisons.In an effort to characterize the bovine TCR loci, a genomic library was screened for the beta TCR gene. A shotgun sequencing library was constructed and preliminary analysis demonstrates that the organization of the bovine TCR beta constant regions is different from both humans and mice. The bovine beta locus appears to have a third constant region. Overall, the genomic characterization of the bovine TCR genes will provide insight into the evolution of T cell receptor.     

Comparative Impact of Live Chicken Infectious Anaemia Virus Vaccine versus Natural Exposure in Meat Chicken Breeders on Immunity to Infectivity by CIA and Inclusion Body Hepatitis Viruses in Their Offspring

The immunology and histopathology and the distribution of viral antigen in infections with chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) and inclusion body hepatitis virus (IBHV) were compared in the broiler offspring of CIAV-vaccinated meat chicken breeders versus those in the offspring of breeders naturally exposed to field CIAV. No significant difference in the humoral antibody level specific for CIAV was observed between 5 and 33 weeks of age in the two breeder groups (p>0.05). The maternal humoral immunity to CIAV in the day-old offspring of the groups did not differ significantly (p>0.05). The humoral immunity to CIAV at 40 days of age indicated an absence of clinical signs of CIAV in the broiler offspring of both groups of breeders and this was associated with mean serum thymulin levels in offspring of both groups not differing significantly at 1 or 40 days of age. Histopathological and immunofluorescence observations did not differ significantly in the offspring of either group by CIAV or IBHV.     

Responses of the ultimobranchial gland to vitamin D3 treatment in freshwater mud eel,Amphipnous cuchia,kept in different calcium environments

Freshwater mud eel, Amphipnous cuchia, were injected intraperitoneally daily with 100 ng of vitamin D3/100 g body weight and maintained in media containing either no calcium or different calcium concentrations. The eels were killed after 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 days following the treatment and their serum calcium levels were measured. The ultimobranchial glands were fixed and processed using the routine paraffin method for histological studies. The results of the present study indicate that vitamin D3 can induce hypercalcaemia in eels kept in different calcium environments. Also, the ultimobranchial glands became hyperactive following vitamin D3 treatment. It is concluded that in mud eels, the gland has a calcium-regulating function.