Evaluation of intravenous administration of meloxicam for perioperative pain management following stifle joint surgery in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To compare preoperative administration of meloxicam and butorphanol to perioperative administration of butorphanol alone for control of postoperative signs of pain in dogs. ANIMALS: 40 client-owned dogs scheduled for surgical repair of a cranial cruciate ligament rupture. PROCEDURE: Group-1 dogs received butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg, IV) and meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg, IV) just prior to surgery. Group-2 dogs received butorphanol just prior to surgery (0.2 mg/kg, IV) and at incision closure (0.1 mg/kg, IV). Pain assessment began 1 to 2 hours before surgery and from extubation until 24 hours after surgery by obtaining the following measurements: the visual analog scale (VAS) score, cumulative pain score (CPS), adjusted cumulative pain score, modified cumulative pain score, and the adjusted modified cumulative pain score (AMCPS). Serum cortisol concentration was measured between 12 to 24 and between 1 to 2 hours prior to surgery, and at 30 minutes, and 1, 2, 4, 8, 18, and 24 hours after extubation. RESULTS: No significant differences between treatment groups were observed in CPS or VAS score. At 8, 9, 10, and 11 hours after extubation, meloxicam-butorphanol-treated dogs had a significantly lower AMCPS, compared with butorphanol-alone-treated dogs. Total serum cortisol concentration (area under the curve) during the measurement period was significantly lower in meloxicam-butorphanol-treated dogs, compared with butorphanol-alone treated dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Preoperative single dose administration of meloxicam-butorphanol is equivalent to or slightly better than the administration of 2 perioperative doses of butorphanol for the control of postoperative signs of pain in dogs.     

In utero programming of sexually differentiated gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion

It has long been recognised that steroids can have both organisational and activational effects on the reproductive neuroendocrine axis of many species, including the sheep. Specifically, if the ovine foetus is exposed to testosterone during a relatively short 'window' of in utero development (from approximately day 30-90 of a 147 day pregnancy) the neural mechanisms regulating gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion become organised in a male-specific manner. In post-natal life the consequences of foetal androgen exposure are sexually differentiated responses of the GnRH neuronal network to activation by factors such as photoperiod and ovarian steroid hormones. Studies in the gonadectomized lamb have demonstrated that elevated concentrations of oestrogen (E) are unable to trigger a preovulatory-like GnRH surge in the male and the androgenized ewe lamb. Further, these animals have markedly reduced sensitivity to the inhibitory actions of progesterone on tonic GnRH release compared with normal ewes. The reasons for these abnormal steroid feedback mechanisms may reside in sexually dimorphic inputs to the GnRH neurone, including those from oestrogen-receptive neurones in the arcuate nucleus that synthetize the neuropeptide, neurokinin B (NKB). The consequences of in utero androgen exposure are reflected in a progressive and dramatic impairment of fertility in the ovary-intact ewe.     

Cytomegalovirus infection in a pig in South Africa

An 8-week-old piglet with dyspnoea, bilateral mucopurulent nasal discharge and mouth breathing was euthanased and a necropsy was performed. Apart from histological evidence of diffuse rhinitis, large intranuclear inclusion bodies, pathognomonic forporcine cytomegalovirus infection, were detected within mucous glands on the nasal turbinates. This is the first such case to be diagnosed in South Africa.     

Evaluation of results for Schirmer tear tests conducted with and without application of a topical anesthetic in clinically normal dogs of 5 breeds

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, for clinically normal dogs, results of Schirmer tear tests in eyes without topical anesthetic (STT) and to detect differences associated with breed, sex, age, day, and time of day in eyes in which STT was performed after use of topical anesthetic (STTa). ANIMALS: 41 Beagles, 43 Labrador Retrievers, 25 Golden Retrievers, 26 English Springer Spaniels, and 22 Shetland Sheepdogs. PROCEDURE: Beagles had STT and STTa values measured twice daily for 5 days. Client-owned dogs of 4 other breeds had STT and STTa values measured once. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD values of Beagles for STT and STTa were 20.2 +/- 2.5 and 3.8 +/- 2.7 mm/min. Mean values for STT and STTa were as follows: Labrador Retriever, 22.9 +/- 4.1 and 9.6 +/- 3.8 mm/min; English Springer Spaniel; 20.7 +/- 3.2 and 5.4 +/- 3.4 mm/min; Golden Retriever, 21.8 + 3.7 and 8.8 +/- 3.1 mm/min; and Shetland Sheepdog, 15.8 +/- 1.8 and 3.6 +/- 2.8 mm/min. Overall mean values for STT and STTa were 20.2 +/- 3.0 and 6.2 +/- 3.1 mm/min. Differences for STT and STTa were detected among breeds, but significant differences were not associated with sex or age within each breed or in overall values for all dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results for the STT reported here compare favorably with reported values, except for results of Shetland Sheepdogs; however, results for the STTa differ dramatically from reported values. Clinicians should consider effects attributable to breed when evaluating results of STT and STTa in dogs.     

Comparison of the performance of linear resistance and ultrasonic pneumotachometers at rest and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea

The performance of a Fleisch No. 5 pneumotachometer (F), and two commercial ultrasonic pneumotachometers, the BRDL (B) and the Spiroson (S) systems were compared in respect to their use for determination of ventilatory parameters at rest and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea. Five clinically healthy Thoroughbred horses were tested with the three pneumotachometers in random order. Respiratory airflow, respired gas concentrations, oesophageal pressures, pressures within the mask systems and arterial blood gases were determined before and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea. Because measured peak expiratory airflow rates exceeded the stated linear range of the Fleisch pneumotachometer ( approximately +/- 25 l s(-1)) differential pressure-flow curves were determined in vitro over the range of flows recorded in vivo. Expired flows greater than the linear range were corrected according to the derived regression equation. No differences in any of the measured variables among the three systems were present at rest. At peak ventilation of lobeline-induced hyperpnoea mask pressures [Delta P(mask)(mean (SEM)): F: 9.6 (2.8) cm H(2)O, B: 0.8 (0.4) cm H(2)O, S: 1.4 (0.8) cm H(2)O] and end tidal carbon dioxide [ ET CO(2)(mean (SEM)): F: 2. 6 (0.1)%, B: 2.1 (0.2)%, S: 2.1 (0.1)%] were significantly higher in system F. Despite a tendency for respiratory frequency and peak inspired and expired flows, to be lower with system F, no significant differences in the measurements of ventilatory mechanics were detected. In conclusion, the ultrasonic flowmeters pose significantly lower resistive loads onto the respiratory system during ventilation above resting levels than Fleisch No 5 pneumotachometers. However, at the flowrates achieved during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea an in vitro calibration of the differential pressure-flow relationship allows correction for expiratory alinearity in system F. In addition, the performance of the Spiroson flowmeter is accurate in determining ventilatory mechanics at rest and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea.     

Flow cytometric evaluation of canine bone marrow differential cell counts

Abstract: Three flow cytometric techniques were evaluated for determination of differential cell counts on canine clinical bone marrow specimens. Techniques included staining bone marrow specimens with 2'7'-dichlo-rofluorescein (DCF) or 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC6) and evaluation of forward-angle light scatter vs. side-angle light scatter plots. Flow cytometric evaluation of bone marrow cells stained with DCF failed to separate bone marrow cells into distinct cell populations. Staining with DiOC6 resulted in separation of bone marrow cells into populations of mature and immature erythroid cells, mature and immature myeloid cells, and lymphocytes. The scatter plot method resulted in identification of mature and immature erythroid cells, immature myeloid cells, metamyelocytes, and bands and segmenters. Lymphocytes could not be differentiated from mature erythroid cells by the scatter plot method. When the results of the DiOC6 method and the scatter plot method were compared with manual bone marrow differential cell counts, the scatter plot method had more similar mean values and higher correlation coefficients. The scatter plot method has the potential of providing rapid semiquantitative assessment of bone marrow differential cell counts in dogs for specimens that contain low numbers of lymphocytes.     

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Volume Contents

Volume Contents     

Screening petting zoo animals for the presence of potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Several outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157 have been reported in petting zoos, resulting in hospitalization of many children. At present, no standard procedure has been adopted to monitor the presence of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) or Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in petting zoo animals. Direct detection of these strains from rectal swabs of animals in petting zoos was developed and obviated the need to culture the organisms. DNA extracted from bacteria in the swabs was tested for the presence of wecA gene specific for E. coli by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The wecA positive samples were further tested for Shiga-toxin genes stxl and stx2, and the intimin eae by multiplex PCR and for the presence of O157 and H7. Swabs (n=104) from 15 animal species in a petting zoo were tested; 7 goats and 3 cows were found to carry STEC. The method is rapid and convenient for monitoring potentially pathogenic E. coli in petting zoo animals.     

Microchip-associated leiomyosarcoma in an Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).

Microchips are commonly used in companion, research, and zoo animal medicine for easy, reliable, and cost-effective identification with relatively low risk of side effects. This report describes development of a metastatic leiomyosarcoma associated with a microchip in an Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).