The ability of biochemical and haematological tests to predict recovery in periparturient recumbent cows

Blood samples from 433 periparturient recumbent cows submitted by veterinary practitioners to Ruakura Animal Health Laboratory during 1983 and 1984 were analysed and results related to whether cows recovered, died or were euthanased. Generally cows were sampled only once and the time varied from 15 minutes to 20 days after becoming recumbent. During 1983 serum calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, creatine phosphokinase (CK), aspartate amino transferase (AST), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were analysed. In 1984 serum urea, creatinine, fibrinogen and haematological examination (haemoglobin, haematocrit, total and differential white cell counts) were added to the panel. Overall 39% of cows recovered, 30% died and 32% were destroyed. Precalving cows had 111% more deaths and 7% less survivors than postcalving recumbent cows (P<0.1). There was little difference (3%) in euthanasia prevalence. Tests that were most useful in predicting a lack of recovery were serum urea and muscle enzymes. Using these tests and duration of recumbency when sampled a model was produced to predict the probability of recovery from 254 cases.     

The nutritional value of low lathyrogenic Lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus) for growing chicks

1. The feeding value of new low β‐N‐oxalyl‐amino‐L‐alanine (BOAA) lines of Lathyrus sativus (lathyrus) and the benefits of dehulling the seed or of pre‐adapting chicks to lathyrus‐based diets were examined in several experiments.

2. Chicks fed on diets containing 400 g/kg of the low (1.3 g BOAA/kg seed) and medium (2.2 g BOAA/kg seed) BOAA lines did not differ (P>0.05) in weight gain (WG) or in apparent fat and protein digestibilities compared to birds fed on a wheat‐based diet.

3. Consumption of 600 g low BOAA lathyrus/kg diet caused a slight, but significant (P< 0.05), decrease in WG. Food efficiency decreased as the amount of dietary lathyrus was increased, suggesting that lathyrus may contain an antinutritive factor(s) other than BOAA.

4. Removal of the hull (70 g hull/kg seed) from the seed did not affect chick performance (P> 0.05).

5. Pre‐adapting chicks for 7 d to diets containing up to 600 g medium line lathyrus/kg diet did not reduce the detrimental effects of the lathyrus.

6. Although dehulling and pre‐adaptation of chicks to lathyrus were not beneficial, the low and medium lines of lathyrus tested show potential for use in chick diets up to at least 400 g lathyrus/kg diet.     

A blind test of the serological response of dogs to infection with Taenia ovis

Fifty six dogs of mixed age and sex were acquired from farms in the Otago/Southland region, and maintained at the Hydatid Research Unit, Taieri, where 43 were each fed two Tueniu ovis cysts. All were bled fortnightly for six or 12 weeks. Coded sera were sent to Wallaceville Animal Research Centre for testing using ELISA, with antigen from T. ovis scoleces. Dog treatments were identified after all tests were complete. A discriminant level was derived from the mean absorbance value plus three standard deviations of 56 sera taken at time zero and 78 sera from serially bled uninfected dogs. None of these 134 sera registered as a false positive using this discriminant level. The data showed no significant deviation from normality, and the expected frequency of the occurrence of false positives is therefore less than 0.14%. Four weeks after infection 63% of dogs proved to be infected were serologically positive, rising to 78% after 6 weeks. When worms were removed by anthelmintic treatment, ELISA absorbance levels decreased. Four weeks after removal 70% of previously infected dogs remained positive, decreasing to 30% after 6 weeks. Six weeks after infection the sensitivity of the test was 78%, and the specificity 63%. However, if dogs with positive ELISA absorbance levels, but which did not purge worms, were regarded as having had worms, the respective figures would be 82% and 100%. The latter figures are similar to our previously published laboratory results. The test is of comparable efficiency to arecoline purgation for surveillance, and has the additional advantage of detecting infection in the majority of those dogs that have been infected for three weeks or more but fail to pass worms on purgation, and a substantial proportion of those infected dogs that were treated by their owners prior to presenting them for purgation in order to avoid detection of infection.     

An outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus)

Thirteen (54%) of 24 Père David's deer (Eluphurus duvidianus) imported from England died of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) within a year of arrival at Invermay Agricultural Centre. The duration of clinical illness was from one to approximately 33 days, and the most common clinical signs were depression, a hunched stance and diarrhoea. On post-mortem examination, most deer showed recent localised haemorrhages, often into the large intestine. In all deer there was histological vasculitis especially in the brain.