Bronchopulmonary Disease in the Cat: Historical, Physical, Radiographic, Clinicopathologic, and Pulmonary Functional Evaluation of 24 Affected and 15 Healthy Cats

The results of clinical and pulmonary functional evaluation of 24 cats with bronchopulmonary disease and 15 healthy cats are presented. Affected cats had historical evidence of excessive reflexes (coughing, sneezing); physical evidence of airway secretions (crackles), obstruction (wheezing), and increased tracheal sensitivity; radiographic evidence of bronchial and interstitial lung disease; and cytological evidence of airway inflammation or mucous secretions. Bacterial isolates from healthy and affected cats were predominantly Gram-negative rods, indicating that bronchi of cats are not always sterile and that normal flora should be considered in interpreting cultures from cats with suspected bronchopulmonary disease. Cats were grouped according to relative disease severity based on scored historical, physical, and radiographic abnormalities. The mean (± standard deviation) baseline lung resistance measurement in healthy cats was 28.9 cm H₂O/L/s (±6.2 cm H₂O/L/s), whereas in mildly, moderately, and severely affected cats it was 38.3 cm H₂O/L/s (±21.5 cm H₂O/L/s), 44.8 cmH₂O/L/s (±7.7 cm H₂O/L/s), and 105.2 cm H₂O/L/s (±66.9 cm H₂O/L/s), respectively. In healthy cats, dynamic lung compliance was 19.8 (±7.4), whereas in mildly, moderately, and severely affected cats it was 14.7 mL/cm H₂O (±3.8 mL/cm H₂O), 17.7 mL/cm H₂O (±6.9 mL/cm H₂O), and 13.0 mL/cm H₂O (±7.9 mL/cm H₂O), respectively. Thus, airway obstruction was present in many of the affected cats. Based on acute response to the bron-chodilator, terbutaline, airway obstruction was partially reversible in many affected cats, although the degree of reversibility varied. Furthermore, based on bronchoprovocation testing, 6 (of 7) affected cats evaluated also had increased airway responsiveness to aerosolized methacholine.     

Ultrastructural morphologic evaluation of the phenotype of valvular interstitial cells in dogs with myxomatous degeneration of the mitral valve

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate morphologic changes in valvular interstitial cells of dogs and to find evidence for disease-associated phenotypic changes in these cells. ANIMALS: 5 clinically normal dogs and 5 dogs with severe mitral valve endocardiosis. PROCEDURE: Mitral valve leaflets were evaluated by use of transmission electron microscopy. Differences in cell type and cell location were identified. RESULTS: A change in cell type toward a myofibroblast or smooth muscle cell phenotype was detected, with the smooth muscle cell type being most common. These cells had long amorphous cytoplasmic extensions, fibrillar cytoplasm, incomplete basal lamina, few mitochondria, and eccentrically placed nuclei but lacked smooth endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi complexes. Remaining valvular interstitial cells had heterochromatic nuclei and produced only minimal quantities of collagen. Compared with normal valves, myxomatous valves ha many interstitial-like cells located adjacent to the endothelium. Deeper within the abnormal valves, cells with a heterogenous phenotype formed groupings that appeared to be anchored to adjacent collagen. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Myxomatous degeneration of the mitral valve in dogs is associated with phenotypic alteration, changing from an interstitial to a mixed myofibroblast or smooth muscle cell phenotype. A closer association between interstitial cells and the endothelium is evident in diseased valves. In response to the disease process, valvular interstitial cells of dogs appear to change toward a smooth muscle phenotype, possibly in an attempt to maintain valve tone and mechanical function.     

Measurements of the acid-binding capacity of ingredients used in pig diets

: Some feed ingredients bind more acid in the stomach than others and for this reason may be best omitted from pig starter foods if gastric acidity is to be promoted. The objective of this study was to measure the acid-binding capacity (ABC) of ingredients commonly used in pig starter foods. Ingredients were categorised as follows: (i) milk products (n = 6), (ii) cereals (n = 10), (iii) root and pulp products (n = 5), (iv) vegetable proteins (n = 11), (v) meat and fish meal (n = 2), (vi) medication (n = 3), (vii) amino acids (n = 4), (viii) minerals (n = 16), (ix) acid salts (n = 4), (x) acids (n = 10). A 0.5 g sample of food was suspended in 50 ml distilled de-ionised water with continuous stirring. This suspension was titrated with 0.1 mol/L HCl or 0.1 mol/L NaOH so that approximately 10 additions of titrant was required to reach pH 3.0. The pH readings after each addition were recorded following equilibration for three minutes. ABC was calculated as the amount of acid in milliequivalents (meq) required to lower the pH of 1 kg food to (a) pH 4.0 (ABC-4) and (b) pH 3.0 (ABC-3). Categories of food had significantly different (P < 0.01) ABC values. Mean ABC-4 and ABC-3 values of the ten categories were: (i) 623 (s.d. 367.0) and 936 (s.d. 460.2), (ii) 142 (s.d. 79.2) and 324 (s.d. 146.4), (iii) 368 (s.d. 65.3) and 804 (s.d. 126.7), (iv) 381 (s.d. 186.1) and 746 (s.d. 227.0), (v) 749 (s.d. 211.6) and 1508 (s.d. 360.8), (vi) 120 (s.d. 95.6) and 261 (s.d. 163.2), (vii) 177 (s.d. 60.7) and 1078 (s.d. 359.0), (viii) 5064 (s.d. 5525.1) and 7051 (s.d. 5911.6), (ix) 5057 (s.d. 1336.6) and 8945 (s.d. 2654.1) and (x) -5883 (s.d. 4220.5) and -2591 (s.d. 2245.4) meq HCl per kg, respectively. Within category, ABC-3 and ABC- 4 values were highly correlated: R2 values of 0.80 and greater for food categories i, iv, v, vi, vii and viii. The correlation between predicted and observed ABC values of 34 mixed diets was 0.83 for ABC-4 and 0.71 for ABC-3. It was concluded that complete diets with low ABC values may be formulated through careful selection of ingredients. The final pH to which ABC is measured should matter little as ABC-3 and ABC-4 are highly correlated.     

Investigation of pulmonary deposition of a nebulized radiopharmaceutical agent in awake cats

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether conscious, unsedated cats will inhale a nebulized material administered via a facemask and whether this material will reach the lower airways. ANIMALS: 20 healthy adult cats. PROCEDURE: Technetium Tc 99m-diaminetriaminopentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) was nebulized into a spacer and administered to the cats via a closely fitting facemask. By use of a gamma camera, images were then immediately obtained to determine the distribution of 99mTc-DTPA within the lower airways. RESULTS: Images obtained by use of the gamma camera revealed that all 20 cats had inhaled 99mTc-DTPA from the facemask. In each cat, deposition of the radiopharmaceutical agent was evident throughout the lung fields. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Awake cats that were not used to the application of a facemask did inhale substances from such a device. Aerosolization of medications may be a feasible route of administration for cats with lower airway disease.     

The application of ecological theory toward an understanding of the human microbiome

The human-microbial ecosystem plays a variety of important roles in human health and disease. Each person can be viewed as an island-like "patch" of habitat occupied by microbial assemblages formed by the fundamental processes of community ecology: dispersal, local diversification, environmental selection, and ecological drift. Community assembly theory, and metacommunity theory in particular, provides a framework for understanding the ecological dynamics of the human microbiome, such as compositional variability within and between hosts. We explore three core scenarios of human microbiome assembly: development in infants, representing assembly in previously unoccupied habitats; recovery from antibiotics, representing assembly after disturbance; and invasion by pathogens, representing assembly in the context of invasive species. Judicious application of ecological theory may lead to improved strategies for restoring and maintaining the microbiota and the crucial health-associated ecosystem services that it provides.     

Genome-wide analysis of mitral valve disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) is prone to severe early onset mitral valve disease. In this study, 36 purebred CKCS dogs were evaluated for mitral valve murmur and divided into early and late onset groups. A genome-wide genetic approach was used to assess whether the condition is determined by a small number of genetic factors. There were no regions of highly discrepant homo/heterozygosity in the two groups. Similarly, there was no evidence for loci associated with mitral valve murmur in a genome-wide association study. This analysis suggests that familial occurrence of mitral valve murmur in the CKCS breed is not due to a single major gene effect, indicating that breeding strategies to eliminate the disease cannot be based on genotype information at this time.     

Coarse bed material patch evolution in low-order,ephemeral channels

In river channel beds composed of a wide range of grain sizes, the bed material is often arranged in discrete patches discernable by relative texture. These bed material patches are the primary source of entrainable coarse sediment within the channel system and their composition and size have been found to influence the composition and rate of sediment transport. Twelve coarse (gravel–cobble) sediment patches distributed throughout the channel network within a 4.53 ha watershed in southeastern Arizona were monitored for 2 years. Changes in patch area and grain size were measured and painted patch grains were monitored to confirm that patch grains were mobilized during flow. Individual coarse bed material patches exhibited variable persistence during flows with return frequencies ranging from approximately 1 year to 4.6 years. While no patch fully dispersed during the study period, two new patches formed. Most coarse patches remained relatively stable in area and grain-size distribution despite the entrainment of patch grains as lost grains were sufficiently replaced with sediment from upstream. Because of the grain replacement process and the effect of other sediment supply dynamics, the changes in patch area and grain-size distribution display a complex relationship with the magnitude of predicted grain mobilization within each patch. Results indicate that relative stability varies from patch to patch, influenced by the balance of patch grains transported out of the patch and the deposition of new grains into the patch. Predictive models of coarse sediment transport and yield that assume the channel bed is a fixed source of sediment supply may not adequately capture the sediment dynamics within patchy channel beds and should be used with caution when applied to these environments due to the possibility of patch instability as documented in this study.     

Sampling design and its effect on population monitoring: How much monitoring do turtles really need?

Marine turtles are a taxon of world-wide conservation concern. Effective long-term monitoring is hampered by the fact that populations are widely dispersed except during the breeding season. Thus most monitoring programmes focus on nesting beaches, necessitating resource intensive studies, often over months, that could conceivably, be less comprehensive and focus on more parsimonious sampling. We analyse 11 years of exhaustive monitoring data for two species of Mediterranean marine turtles (Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta). We resample using a variety of plausible sub-sampling regimens to estimate the total annual nesting population. We project our dataset into the future applying a range of population change rates to explore how adopting a monitoring programme based on sub-sampling would, for example, affect our ability to detect population decline. We show that accurate annual population estimates can be achieved with as few as 14 days of survey effort providing monitoring spans the peak of nesting. Furthermore, the modelled impact of sampling-based monitoring suggests that the duration to detect population change is not increased greatly. Our findings have implications for all marine turtle monitoring and have applicability to other animal groups. It is often considered desirable to perform exhaustive monitoring, with aversion of basing policy recommendations on partial data. However, comprehensive long-term monitoring programmes, particularly in developing nations, although presenting a number of advantages, are often impossible. Accurate total annual censuses can be achieved through a variety of sub-sampling regimens without sacrificing the ability to detect changes in the population trends over time. In this example, a solid block of at least 3 weeks sampling that encompasses the peak of the nesting season is advised.     

First evidence of spawning migration by goldfish (Carassius auratus); implications for control of a globally invasive species

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) was one of the first fishes to be domesticated and has been widely introduced across the globe, but is now considered one of the world's worst invasive aquatic species. Surprisingly, there is a dearth of information on its spatial and temporal movement patterns, which hampers the development of effective control programmes. We examined the movement patterns of an introduced population of C. auratus in a south‐western Australian river using passive acoustic telemetry. The study population had a high residency index within the array (i.e. proportion of all days at liberty that, on average, each fish was detected by a receiver) with fish being detected on 64% of days. The individuals were also reasonably mobile, travelling a mean of 0.30 km (linear river kilometres).day^‐1 within the array, and one fish moved 231.3 km over the 365‐day study period (including 5.4 km in a 24 hr period). Importantly, C. auratus displayed significant seasonal movement patterns including a clear shift in habitats during its breeding period with most mature individuals being detected in an off‐channel wetland during that time. The results of this study strongly suggest that C. auratus undertook a spawning migration into a lentic habitat. These results have important implications for developing control programmes for the species, such as targeting connections to off‐channel lentic systems during its breeding period.     

Nasopharyngeal turbinates in brachycephalic dogs and cats

This retrospective study reports the presence and incidence of nasal turbinates in the nasopharynx (nasopharyngeal turbinates) in a population of brachycephalic dogs and cats exhibiting signs of upper respiratory disease. Medical records were reviewed for 53 brachycephalic dogs and 10 brachycephalic cats undergoing upper airway endoscopy. Nasopharyngeal turbinates were identified in 21% of brachycephalic animals, including 21% of dogs and 20% of cats. Pugs accounted for 32% of all dogs in the study population and 82% of dogs with nasopharyngeal turbinates. The presence of nasopharyngeal turbinates may play a role in upper airway obstruction in the brachycephalic airway syndrome.