Clinical comparison of dexmedetomidine and medetomidine for isoflurane balanced anaesthesia in horses

Objective

To compare the effects of two balanced anaesthetic protocols (isoflurane–dexmedetomidine versus medetomidine) on sedation, cardiopulmonary function and recovery in horses.

Adaptation and limitations of established hemagglutination inhibition assays for the detection of porcine anti-swine influenza virus H1N2 antibodies.

Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) has been a reliable method for determining porcine antibody levels to the well-characterized swine influenza virus (SIV) H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes. However, the recent emergence of the novel H1N2 serotype of SIV and the persistence of 2 other serotypes (H1N1 and H3N2) in the United States swine population represents a significant challenge to diagnostics. Both standardized and modified HI protocols were used in a blinded study to examine a collection of 50 control sera representing a total of 12 swine that were experimentally inoculated with one of the 3 SIV subtypes. Using these control sera data, a statistical basis for analysis was established in an attempt to classify 30 field sera with known case histories or seroprevalance into SIV serotype categories. By this approach 57% of the field sera could be classified into specific categories. The remaining samples that could not be classified reliably were most likely composed of heterogeneous anti-SIV antibody populations. These results indicate that although serological differentiation might be possible in a controlled environment, applications of these methods to field samples are currently problematic. Approaches other than HI will be required to fulfill the current need for SIV diagnostics and surveillance when specific serotype identification is required.     

Detection of Helicobacter spp. DNA in the oral cavity of dogs

The mode of acquisition of gastric Helicobacter spp. infection in dogs has not been determined. It is suspected that oral-oral and faecal-oral transmission may be involved. The present study sought to determine if Helicobacter spp. DNA is present in the oral cavity of healthy and vomiting dogs. Thirty-eight pet dogs (27 vomiting and 11 clinically healthy) were studied. The presence of Helicobacter spp. was determined by single and nested PCR evaluation of DNA extracted from saliva, dental plaque and gastric biopsy samples. Helicobacter spp. DNA was detected by nested PCR in 36 (94.7%) gastric biopsies, 17 (44.7%) dental plaque and 19 (50%) saliva samples out of the 38 dogs examined. Overall 27 (71.1%) dogs screened by nested PCR were found to harbour Helicobacter spp. DNA in the oral cavity (dental plaque and/or saliva). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter spp. DNA in the oral cavity of vomiting and healthy dogs, and the time from vomiting to oral sampling did not have significant impact. This study confirms the high prevalence of gastric Helicobacter spp. infection in dogs, and reveals that Helicobacter spp. DNA is detectable in the oral cavity of over 70% of dogs. These findings support the possibility of oral-oral transmission between dogs and that the canine oral cavity may act as source of non-pylori Helicobacter spp. infection for humans.     

Cardiorespiratory and blood gas alterations during laparoscopic surgery for intra-uterine artificial insemination in dogs

Cardiorespiratory and blood gas alterations were evaluated in 6 healthy dogs that underwent a laparoscopic procedure using isoflurane anesthesia and carbon dioxide (CO(2)) pneumoperitoneum for 30 min. Heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, venous blood pH, partial pressure of CO(2) and oxygen, oxygen saturation, total carbon dioxide (TCO(2)) and bicarbonate were monitored. Significant alterations were hypercapnia, hypoventilation, and respiratory acidosis.     

Ultrasonographic differentiation between portal venous and parenchymal gas may be important for the prognosis of canine and feline hepatic emphysema: 37 cases

The aim of this retrospective, cross‐sectional, study was to evaluate clinical findings and outcomes for different ultrasonographic patterns of hepatic emphysema in dogs and cats. Dogs and cats with an ultrasonographic diagnosis of hepatic emphysema and a known outcome, from January 2010 to January 2018, were enrolled. The following data were recorded from medical and ultrasonographic records: ultrasonographic patterns of hepatic emphysema (parenchymal, portal venous, biliary), clinical signs, laboratory findings, and outcomes (favorable, poor). A total of 33 dogs and four cats met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 23 cases were classified as hepatic portal venous gas, 10 as parenchymal emphysema, and four as biliary emphysema. Clinical diagnosis categories were as follows: infection/sepsis (9), gastro‐intestinal disease (9), iatrogenic (9), trauma (5), and liver neoplasia (5). An increase in serum liver enzymes was significantly associated with parenchymal emphysema (P = .03). Other clinical and laboratory findings were not associated with the type of hepatic emphysema. Hepatic portal venous gas was mostly transient in patients with ultrasonographic follow‐up. The overall mortality was 40.5%. A significant difference was found between mortality by portal venous gas (21.7%) and mortality by parenchymal emphysema (90%) (P = .003). In conclusion, the ultrasonographic differentiation of hepatic emphysema between hepatic portal venous gas and parenchymal emphysema may be important for the prognosis of hepatic emphysema. The presence of parenchymal emphysema may be a poor prognostic indicator, while hepatic portal venous gas may be more benign. However, ultrasound findings should be carefully evaluated in the context of clinical findings.     

Sera from dams of calves with bovine neonatal pancytopenia contain alloimmune antibodies directed against calf leukocytes

Bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) is a bleeding and pancytopenic syndrome in neonatal calves, which recently emerged all over Europe. The present study tested whether antibodies directed against calf leukocytes are present in sera from known BNP dams. Sera from BNP dams (n=11) were combined with leukocytes from 11 calves (5 BNP survivors and 6 controls). After adding a fluorescein conjugated F(ab')(2) fragment of rabbit anti-bovine IgG (H&L) the level of antibody binding was measured by flow cytometry. As control groups both sera from dams from BNP affected (n=48) as from unaffected (n=54) herds were combined with leukocytes from the same calves. With sera from BNP dams, antibody binding could be visualised by immunofluoresence in both peripheral blood as in bone marrow smears. Mean fluoresence intensity values of all leukocyte subpopulations were significantly higher for the BNP dams compared to both control groups (P<0.01). BNP dams showed significantly more antibody binding on multiple leukocyte subpopulations of both BNP survivors and control calves and this from cut off values of MFI 100 onwards (P<0.01). The BNP survivor calves reacted significantly more often with sera from the BNP dams than the control calves (P<0.01). In conclusion the present study supports the hypothesis that BNP is an immune-mediated disease.     

The Influence of Landscape Structure on Female Roe Deer Home-range Size

Animal distribution and abundance are greatly affected by the availability of their food resources, which also depends on landscape structure. Lothar hurricane in 1999 had profoundly modified the structure of the forests in France, affecting the habitat quality of ungulates. We tested whether the variations in home-range size of 23 female roe deer were influenced by the fragmentation of the landscape caused by Lothar in the Chizé forest, namely by the increase in heterogeneity associated with the localized massive tree felling. Home-range size was studied in the summers of 2001 and 2002 and we found that variation in home-range size was mainly explained by only one landscape variable: edge density. Home-range size decreased as edge density increased, which is consistent with the fact that edges are good browsing habitats for roe deer. The result of this study suggests that, after 2 years, the hurricane had improved the quality of the home ranges by creating more forest heterogeneity and increasing the contacts between the different vegetation patches within the home range. These results highlight the fact that spatial heterogeneity is likely to be a key factor influencing the distribution and local population density.     

Immunological changes in canine peripheral blood leukocytes triggered by immunization with first or second generation vaccines against canine visceral leishmaniasis

In this study, we summarized the major phenotypic/functional aspects of circulating leukocytes following canine immunization with Leishvaccine and Leishmune?. Our findings showed that Leishvaccine triggered early changes in the innate immunity (neutrophils and eosinophils) with late alterations on monocytes. Conversely, Leishmune(?) induced early phenotypic changes in both, neutrophils and monocytes. Moreover, Leishvaccine triggered mixed activation-related phenotypic changes on T-cells (CD4+ and CD8+ and B-lymphocytes, whereas Leishmune(?) promoted a selective response, mainly associated with CD8+ T-cell activation. Mixed cytokine profile (IFN-γ/IL-4) was observed in Leishvaccine immunized dogs whereas a selective pro-inflammatory pattern (IFN-γ/NO) was induced by Leishmune? vaccination. The distinct immunological profile triggered by Leishvaccine and Leishmune? may be a direct consequence of the distinct biochemical composition of these immunobiological, i.e. complex versus purified Leishmania antigen along with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) versus saponin adjuvant. Both immunobiologicals are able to activate phagocytes and CD8+ T-cells and therefore could be considered as a putative vaccines against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL).