Influence of level and source of dietary fat on its comparative feeding value in finishing diets for feedlot steers: metabolism

Six crossbred steers (315 kg) with cannulas in the rumen, proximal duodenum and distal ileum were used to study the influence of level and source of dietary fat on characteristics of digestion. Dietary treatments consisted of a steam-rolled barley-based finishing diet containing 1) no supplemental fat; 2) 4% yellow grease (YG); 3) 4% blended animal-vegetable fat (BVF); 4)8% YG; 5) 8% BVF or 6) 6% BVF and 2% crude lecithin. Increasing level of fat supplementation resulted in linear decreases (P less than .01) in ruminal and total tract digestion of OM and ADF and intestinal digestion of fat (P less than .05). At the 4 and 8% levels of supplementation, intestinal true digestibility of fat averaged 80.1 and 69.3%, respectively. Ruminal molar proportions of acetate decreased, and propionate molar proportion, as well as DE and ME values of the diet, increased linearly (P less than .01) with level of fat supplementation. The DE and ME values for fat were 8.17 and 9.76 at the 4% level and 7.35 and 8.72 Mcal/kg at the 8% level of supplementation, respectively. Yellow grease supplementation resulted in greater (P less than .05) ruminal fiber digestion and greater ruminal molar proportions of propionate than BVF. Intestinal fat digestion was similar (P greater than .10) for YG and BVF. Adding 25% lecithin to BVF resulted in greater ruminal fiber digestion and greater ruminal molar proportions of acetate; however, lecithin tended (P less than .10) to have a lower ME value than BVF.     

Critical care cardiology

Management of the critical care cardiology patient often requires a rapid, accurate diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. A wide range of cardiovascular drugs is available for treatment of shock, congestive heart failure, and arrhythmias.     

Bacterial culture of blood from critically ill dogs and cats: 100 cases (1985-1987)

Of 100 critically ill dogs and cats, 49 (39 dogs, 10 cats) had bacteremia. Gram-negative bacilli were the most common isolates from the bloodstream of dogs with bacteremia (46%), and gram-positive cocci and anaerobic bacteria were isolated from 36% and 31% of positive cultures, respectively; 15% of positive cultures were polymicrobial. In cats, gram-negative bacilli (especially Salmonella enteritidis) and anaerobic bacteria were the most common isolates, and 30% of positive cultures were polymicrobial. Gram-positive cocci were not isolated from the blood-stream of cats. Odds ratios, adjusted for the combined effects of disease status (severe vs nonsevere), results of bacterial culture of blood result (positive vs negative), and species (dog vs cat) were calculated for mortality in animals in the study. In animals with bacteremia, severe disease increased the risk of death 11.6-fold, compared with the risk in animals with nonsevere disease. Bacteremia increased mortality 10-fold in animals with severe disease, compared with mortality in animals with severe disease without bacteremia. Animals with severe disease and bacteremia were 15.6 times more likely to die than were those with nonsevere disease and negative culture results. In animals with nonsevere disease, culture results (positive vs negative) were not related significantly to mortality. Disease status (severe vs nonsevere) in animals without bacteremia also was not significantly related to mortality. There was no significant difference in overall mortality in dogs, compared with that in cats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of vaccination with a pentavalent leptospiral vaccine containing Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis on type hardjo-bovis infection of cattle

Effectiveness of 2 pentavalent leptospiral vaccines containing Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo was evaluated for protection of steers from infection with serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis. The hardjo component of 1 vaccine was prepared from serovar hardjo type hardjoprajitno. The hardjo component of the other vaccine was prepared from serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis. Two steers were vaccinated once and 4 steers were vaccinated twice with the pentavalent vaccine containing type hardjoprajitno. Four steers were vaccinated once and 4 steers were vaccinated twice with the pentavalent vaccine containing type hardjo-bovis. Four steers were maintained as non-vaccinated controls. Steers given vaccine containing type hardjo-bovis developed higher mean serum microscopic agglutination titers against serovar hardjo than steers given vaccine containing hardjoprajitno. Six months after the first vaccination, all steers were challenge-exposed on 3 occasions by conjunctival instillation of 10(7) serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis organisms, and on 1 occasion by conjunctival instillation of urine from a steer shedding hardjo-bovis. All control and all vaccinated steers became infected and shed serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis in the urine. Lesions were detected in kidneys of 3 of 4 nonvaccinated control steers, 5 of 6 steers given hardjoprajitno vaccine, and 6 of 8 steers given hardjo-bovis vaccine. Leptospires were detected in kidneys of 4 of 4 control steers and 13 of 14 vaccinated steers.     

The normal response to repetitive motor nerve stimulation in dogs

The responses of certain muscles to stimulation at different frequencies has been studied in normal dogs. Repetitive stimulation at 10 and 20 Hz resulted in a smooth, progressive decremental response when the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was recorded from the plantar, and to a lesser extent the palmar, interosseous muscles. In contrast, there was a slight incremental response when the CMAP was recorded from the cranial tibial muscle. Studies using a competitive neuromuscular blocking agent have suggested that the plantar interosseous muscles have a greater proportion of low efficacy synapses in comparison with the other muscles studied. The cranial tibial muscle may therefore be more suitable for assessing neuromuscular transmission than the distal limb muscles.     

CLINICAL USE OF 99mTC-MDP SCINTIGRAPHY IN THE EQUINE MANDIBLE AND MAXILLA

^99mTc-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) radionuclide imaging examinations were done in four horses having clinical evidence of skull trauma or infection. Radiographs were made of each horse prior to scintigraphy. Four case histories are presented. In each instance, scintigraphy provided complementary information to that obtainable through radiography, which aided in accurately localizing and characterizing the site and extent of abnormalities, and which proved particularly valuable as an aid for therapeutic planning.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF PARAPROSTATIC CYSTS IN NINE DOGS

The ultrasonographic features of paraprostatic cysts in nine dogs are described along with historical, clinical, surgical and pathologic findings. Cysts occurred predominantly in older, large breed dogs (mean age 8 years, range 3–11 years). The most common presenting complaints were depression, inappetance, stranguria, tenesmus and bloody penile discharge. A palpable abdominal mass was the most common physical finding. Ultrasonographically, paraprostatic cysts were usually large anechoic structures; many contained internal septa. Moderately large anechoic cavities or cysts were also detected in the prostatic parenchyma of five dogs, and in two of these communication with the paraprostatic cyst was visualized. There were no clearly distinct ultrasonographic criteria to discriminate septic from nonseptic paraprostatic cysts.     

Interferon-gamma response of PBMC indicates productive pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection in swine

In Chinese Meishan/German Landrace cross-bred swine F2 generation interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was determined directly ex vivo at different time points after survival of a virulent pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection. This reactivity was compared with the reactivity of na?ve PBMC. Significant IFN-gamma production was determined in ELISA and ELISPOT only after in vitro PBMC re-stimulation with PRV and not with the closely related bovine herpesvirus BHV-1. The PRV-specific IFN-gamma secretion from re-stimulated PBMC showed high levels 6 days after infection, before the presence of serum antibodies, and it persisted at a high level over a 3 months period. The response of a group of eight piglets infected intranasally with PRV varied. Only two animals showed the expected typical fever response. PRV specific IFN-gamma production by PBMC clearly indicated that infection had occurred. Early significant IFN-gamma production by primed PBMC turned out to be a reliable and specific ex vivo marker for cellular response against productive PRV infection in swine before antibody formation.     

Expression of the cyclooxygenase isoforms in the prodromal stage of black walnut-induced laminitis in horses

OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of mRNA expression of cycooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 in the digital laminae of normal horses and horses in the developmental stages of laminitis experimentally induced by administration of black walnut extract (BWE). SAMPLE POPULATION: Samples of mRNA extracted from the digital laminae of 5 control horses and 5 horses at the onset of leukopenia after administration of BWE. PROCEDURE: Specimens of laminae were collected from anesthetized horses prior to euthanasia. Expression of COX-1 and COX-2 mRNA in laminae of control and affected horses was evaluated via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction techniques. RESULTS: Expression of COX-2 mRNA was significantly increased in the BWE-treated group, compared with that in control horses. In contrast to COX-2 regulation, COX-1 mRNA expression was not significantly different between groups. Interestingly, despite consistent clinical signs such as leukopenia in all BWE-treated horses, distinct differences in COX-2 mRNA expression were detected among those 5 horses (compared with values for control horses, the increase in COX-2 mRNA expression ranged from no increase to a 30-fold increase). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that there was a significant upregulation of COX-2 mRNA expression during the developmental stages of laminitis, with no significant change in expression of the COX-1 isoform. These data appear to provide support for aggressive use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in horses at risk for laminitis; further investigation into the clinical value of selective COX-2 inhibitors for treatment of laminitis in horses appears to be warranted.