Risk Factors for the Development of Hypokalemia in Neonatal Diarrheic Calves

Background

Neonatal diarrheic calves have a clear negative potassium balance because of intestinal losses and decreased milk intake but in the presence of acidemia, they usually show normokalemic or hyperkalemic plasma concentrations.

Objectives

To assess whether marked hypokalemia occurs in response to the correction of acidemia and dehydration and to identify factors that are associated with this condition.

Animals

Eighty‐three calves with a clinical diagnosis of neonatal diarrhea.

Methods

Prospective cohort study. Calves were treated according to a clinical protocol using an oral electrolyte solution and commercially available packages of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate, 0.9% saline and 40% dextrose infusion solutions.

Results

The proportion of hypokalemic calves after 24 hours of treatment (19.3%) was twice as great as it was on admission to the hospital. Plasma K⁺ after 24 hours of treatment was not significantly correlated to venous blood pH values at the same time but positively correlated to venous blood pH values on admission (r = 0.51, P < .001). Base excess on admission (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70–0.94), duration of diarrhea (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.05–1.80), milk intake during hospitalization (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.37–0.79) and plasma sodium concentrations after 24 hours (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.01–1.25) were identified to be independently associated (P < .05) with a hypokalemic state after 24 hours of treatment.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Findings of this study suggest that marked depletion of body potassium stores is evident in diarrheic calves that suffered from marked metabolic acidosis, have a low milk intake and a long history of diarrhea.     

Effect of Chronic Administration of Phenobarbital,or Bromide,on Pharmacokinetics of Levetiracetam in Dogs with Epilepsy

Background

Levetiracetam (LEV) is a common add‐on antiepileptic drug (AED) in dogs with refractory seizures. Concurrent phenobarbital administration alters the disposition of LEV in healthy dogs.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of LEV in dogs with epilepsy when administered concurrently with conventional AEDs.

Animals

Eighteen client‐owned dogs on maintenance treatment with LEV and phenobarbital (PB group, n = 6), LEV and bromide (BR group, n = 6) or LEV, phenobarbital and bromide (PB–BR group, n = 6).

Methods

Prospective pharmacokinetic study. Blood samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after LEV administration. Plasma LEV concentrations were determined by high‐pressure liquid chromatography. To account for dose differences among dogs, LEV concentrations were normalized to the mean study dose (26.4 mg/kg). Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed on adjusted concentrations, using a noncompartmental method, and area‐under‐the‐curve (AUC) calculated to the last measured time point.

Results

Compared to the PB and PB–BR groups, the BR group had significantly higher peak concentration (C _max) (73.4 ± 24.0 versus 37.5 ± 13.7 and 26.5 ± 8.96 μg/mL, respectively, P < .001) and AUC (329 ± 114 versus 140 ± 64.7 and 98.7 ± 42.2 h*μg/mL, respectively, P < .001), and significantly lower clearance (CL/F) (71.8 ± 22.1 versus 187 ± 81.9 and 269 ± 127 mL/h/kg, respectively, P = .028).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Concurrent administration of PB alone or in combination with bromide increases LEV clearance in epileptic dogs compared to concurrent administration of bromide alone. Dosage increases might be indicated when utilizing LEV as add‐on treatment with phenobarbital in dogs.     

Naltrexone does not affect isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration in cats

ObjectiveTo test whether naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, affects the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in cats, a species that is relatively resistant to the general anesthetic sparing effects of most opioids.Study designRandomized, crossover, placebo-controlled, blinded experimental design.AnimalsSix healthy adult cats weighing 4.9 ± 0.7 kg.MethodsThe cats were studied twice. In the first study, baseline isoflurane MAC was measured in duplicate. The drug (saline control or 0.6 mg kg^?1 naltrexone) was administered IV every 40–60 minutes, and isoflurane MAC was re-measured. In the second study, cats received the second drug treatment using identical methods 2 weeks later.ResultsIsoflurane MAC was 2.03 ± 0.12% and was unchanged from baseline following saline or naltrexone administration.Conclusion and clinical relevanceMinimum alveolar concentration was unaffected by naltrexone. Because MAC in cats is unaffected by at least some mu-opioid agonists and antagonists, spinal neurons that are directly modulated by mu-opioid receptors in this species cannot be the neuroanatomic sites responsible for immobility from inhaled anesthetics.     

Risk ratio as parameter for the genetic characterization of complex binary traits in cattle. A simulation study under various genetic models using halfsib families

The risk ratio (λ_R) is defined as ‘the recurrence risk for a relative of an affected individual divided by the prevalence in the general population’ and is considered as the most important parameter when designing mapping experiments for diseases in humans. In this paper, the risk ratio was introduced as a parameter to genetically characterize complex binary traits such as mastitis in cattle. Simulations were applied to evaluate the properties of λ_R under different genetic models (monogenic, digenic, polygenic and mixed models) and in dependency of their parameters for a design consisting of unbalanced halfsib families typically found in dairy cattle. Population prevalences of the simulated data ranged from 5 to 40% and λ_R was estimated on a phenotypic level. In the discrete loci models complexity of the traits was introduced through different levels of penetrance and the proportions of phenocopies within each genetic background. The risk ratio and the power to reject the null hypothesis of independent halfsibs (λ_R=1) were influenced by the prevalence in all genetic models chosen. Absolute values for λ_R were higher for lower prevalences, for example, λ_R=2.77 and 1.62 for a pure monogenic recessive model with 5 and 20% prevalence, respectively, whereas the power decreases in the case of lower prevalences. For all the prevalences investigated, higher risk ratios were found for discrete loci models compared with the polygenic models, with higher values for the monogenic relative to the digenic models in general. For the mixed models, λ_R was intermediate between the polygenic and discrete loci models. Genes with dominant relative to recessive inheritance for susceptibility caused higher risk ratios in monogenic and mixed models, for example, λ_R=5.16 and 2.77 for a pure monogenic model with 5% prevalence. In the discrete loci models, λ_R decreased with lower penetrance and a higher proportion of phenocopies. Risk ratios increased with the heritability in the polygenic and in addition with the effect of the major gene in mixed models. Consistent patterns of risk ratios were observed under the analysed genetic models and parameters, which indicate that the risk ratio is a parameter well suited to genetically characterize binary traits in unbalanced halfsib families.     

Whole body vibration affects the cross‐sectional area and symmetry of the m. multifidus of the thoracolumbar spine in the horse

Whole body vibration (WBV) has been used as an adjunctive therapy to improve the strength and size of paraspinal muscles as well as postural control in people with lower back pain. It has been proposed that activation of the m. multifidus plays a key role. As the function and anatomy of the m. multifidus in the horse is comparable to that in man, the authors investigated whether WBV might also be a valuable physiotherapeutic modality in horses. The effects of WBV on the cross‐sectional area (CSA) and left to right symmetry of the m. multifidus at various locations of the thoracolumbar spine of the horse was evaluated in a single‐subject quasi‐experimental time‐series design with repeated measure. Nine horses were subject to WBV, 30 min, twice daily, 5 days a week, for 60 days in addition to their regular exercise routine. The CSA of the left and right m. multifidus was measured ultrasonographically at four levels (T15–T16, T16–T17, T18–L1 and L1–L2) along the thoracolumbar spine at Days ?30, 0, 30 and 60 of the study. Changes in the CSA and CSA symmetry (left to right) of the m. multifidus were analysed using nonparametric, repeated measures, comparison of mean ranks with post‐hoc analysis as necessary. A significant increase (P<0.05) in m. multifidus CSA was found at all spinal levels after 30 and 60 days of WBV and a statistically significant improvement in m. multifidus symmetry (becoming more symmetrical) was found after 60 days of WBV, indicating that WBV may be a valuable alternative to dynamic mobilisation exercises when an increase in size and improvement in left to right symmetry of the m. multifidus is sought.