Anticonvulsant activity and tolerance of ELB138 in dogs with epilepsy: a clinical pilot study

A new antiepileptic and anxiolytic drug, ELB138, was evaluated in a clinical pilot study in dogs with newly diagnosed or chronic idiopathic epilepsy. The purpose was to verify clinically the anticonvulsant effectiveness of this substance, which had already been demonstrated experimentally. Data from 29 dogs treated with ELB138 were compared with results obtained retrospectively from 82 dogs treated with conventional antiepileptic medication. The reduction in seizure frequency using ELB138 in dogs with newly diagnosed idiopathic epilepsy was comparable to the reduction in dogs treated either with phenobarbital or primidone. In dogs with chronic epilepsy and add-on therapy with either ELB138 or potassium bromide, such supplementation reduced the seizure frequency and the duration and severity of seizures. The most obvious difference between ELB138 treatment and conventional medications became clear in the evaluation of side effects, which in those dogs treated with ELB138 were rare, and consisted mostly of transient polyphagia. This pilot study confirmed that ELB138 has a potent anticonvulsant effect in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. These results will form the basis for a multicentre, blinded study.     

Comparative evaluation of six different body regions of the dog using analog and digital radiography

In this study the quality of digital and analog radiography in dogs was compared. For this purpose, three conventional radiographs (varying in exposure) and three digital radiographs (varying in MUSI-contrast [MUSI = MUlti Scale Image Contrast], the main post-processing parameter) of six different body regions of the dog were evaluated (thorax, abdomen, skull, femur, hip joints, elbow). The quality of the radiographs was evaluated by eight veterinary specialists familiar with radiographic images using a questionnaire based on details of each body region significant in obtaining a radiographic diagnosis. In the first part of the study the overall quality of the radiographs was evaluated. Within one region, 89.5% (43/48) chose a digital radiograph as the best image. Divided into analog and digital groups, the digital image with the highest MUSI-contrast was most often considered the best, while the analog image considered the best varied between the one with the medium and the one with the longest exposure time. In the second part of the study, each image was rated for the visibility of specific, diagnostically important details. After summarisation of the scores for each criterion, divided into analog and digital imaging, the digital images were rated considerably superior to conventional images. The results of image comparison revealed that digital radiographs showed better image detail than radiographs taken with the analog technique in all six areas of the body.     

Field evaluation of moxidectin/praziquantel oral gel in horses

The safety and efficacy of 2% moxidectin/12.5% praziquantel oral gel administered at a rate of 0.4 mg moxidectin and 2.5 mg praziquantel/kg was studied in client-owned horses under field use conditions. Four hundred horses (300 treated with moxidectin/praziquantel oral gel and 100 treated with vehicle) were enrolled, feces were collected, and eggs were counted. Investigators as well as horse owners were masked to treatment assignment. No adverse reactions to treatment were observed in any horses. Moxidectin/praziquantel gel reduced Anoplocephala spp by more than 99% and provided a significant (P <.05) reduction (> 98%) in the strongyle egg count of treated horses.     

Vitamin and mineral supplementation and rate of gain during the first trimester of gestation affect concentrations of amino acids in maternal serum and allantoic fluid of beef heifers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding vitamin and mineral (VTM) supplement and (or) rate of gain (GAIN) during early gestation on amino acid (AA) concentrations in allantoic fluid (ALF) and amniotic fluid (AMF) and maternal serum. Seventy-two crossbred Angus heifers (initial BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with main effects of VTM supplement (VTM or NoVTM) and rate of gain (GAIN; low gain [LG], 0.28 kg/d, vs. moderate gain [MG], 0.79 kg/d). The VTM treatment (113 g•heifer⁻¹•d⁻¹, provided macro and trace minerals and vitamins A, D, and E to meet 110% of the requirements specified by the NASEM in Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/19014, 2016) was initiated 71 to 148 d before artificial insemination (AI). To complete the factorial arrangement of treatments, at breeding heifers were either maintained on the basal diet (LG), or received MG diet which was implemented by adding a protein/energy supplement to the LG diet. Thirty-five gestating heifers with female fetuses were ovariohysterectomized on d 83 of gestation and maternal serum, ALF, and AMF were collected. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of neutral AA: Ala, Asn, Cys, Gln, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val; cationic AA: Arg, His, and Lys; and anionic AA: Asp and Glu. In serum, a VTM × GAIN interaction (P = 0.02) was observed for Glu, with greater concentrations for VTM-LG than VTM-MG. Concentrations of serum Cys, Met, and Trp were greater (P ≤ 0.03) for MG than LG. In ALF, concentrations of Glu were affected by a VTM × GAIN interaction, where VTM-MG was greater (P < 0.01) than all other treatments. Further, ALF from VTM had increased (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of His, Asp, and 12 of the 14 neutral AA; whereas GAIN affected concentrations of Arg, Cys, and Asp, with greater concentrations (P ≤ 0.05) in MG heifers. In AMF, AA concentrations were not affected (P ≥ 0.10) by VTM, GAIN, or their interaction. In conclusion, increased concentrations of AA in maternal serum and ALF of beef heifers were observed at d 83 of gestation in response to VTM supplementation and rate of gain of 0.79 kg/d, which raises important questions regarding the mechanisms responsible for AA uptake and balance between the maternal circulation and fetal fluid compartments.