Post-mortem findings in 54 cases of anesthetic associated death in cats from two spay-neuter programs in New York State

Anesthetic-associated death (AAD) in cats is infrequent, but occurs far more frequently than in people. Post-mortem investigations of AAD in cats are uncommon, and results only sporadically published. Here we report the findings in 54 cases of AAD in cats. Significant gross and/or microscopic pre-existing disease, including pulmonary, cardiac, and systemic disease, was detected in 33% of cases. Pulmonary disease was most frequently diagnosed (24% of cases), and included cases of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection (9% of cases). Heart disease, including two cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, was less frequent (11% of cases). Four percent died from surgical complications. No?significant gross or microscopic disease was detected in 63% of cases. Additional studies are needed to determine if these findings are representative of AAD in cats in other geographic areas or with access to veterinary care. This study demonstrates that post-mortem investigation of AADs is an important and worthwhile endeavor.     

Phenotype management: a new approach to habitat restoration

The goal of habitat restoration is to provide environmental conditions that promote the maintenance and growth of target populations. But rarely is it considered how the allocation of resources influences the diversity of phenotypes in these populations. Here we present a framework for considering how habitat restoration can shape the development and expression of phenotypes. We call this approach phenotype management as it entails restoring the resources in a habitat to manage phenotypic diversity. Phenotype management is achieved by manipulating the spatial and temporal distribution of resources to alter the degree of competition among individuals. Differences in competition, in turn, lead to changes in phenotypic and life history expression that affect population parameters including demography and effective population size (N_e). To illustrate how phenotype management can be applied, we explore how resource distributions shape variation in phenotypes in two imperiled fishes, Pacific salmon and desert pupfish. In both examples, modulating male reproductive phenotypes changes the allocation of reproductive success among population members to subsequently affect N_e. These examples further demonstrate that whether to increase or decrease phenotypic diversity depends on the primary conservation pressures faced by the species.     

Distribution of Metal Extractable Fractions during Anaerobic Sludge Treatment in Southern Spain WWTPs

A new European Union legislation on sludge treatment isbeing introduced that will replace the one currently in force.The control of heavy metals is an important aspect of this newlegislation. The most common methodology to examine the metalcontent of sludges is determination of total metal contentafter total or pseudo total digestion of the sludge samples.Nevertheless, this kind of analysis is not informative on theavailability or mobility of the metals; a metal speciationanalysis is therefore required. In this study, sludge samplesfrom conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants(WWTP) were collected at different stages of an anaerobicsludge treatment process. In these samples, the total metalcontent and the distribution of metal species were determined(Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, Zn) followinga protocol of sequential extraction. Only 14% of the metalwas present in readily available forms in the treated sludges.In composted sludges, this value dropped to 6%.     

Supplementation of swine feed rations with zeolite during cage rearing

The effect of the addition of zeolite to pig feed ration was studied in the cage rearing system under production conditions. Zeolite was mixed in the COS I and COS II feed mixtures directly in the feed plant, the mixing ratio being 100 kg feed mixture + 5 kg zeolite. The feed mixture was administered in granular form ad libitum. The test group had 648 weanlings and the control group 674 weanlings; the piglets, kept in two-story cages in four sections, were arranged so that the test group could be a mirror-like reflection of the control group. The trial lasted 45 days. The piglets given the fortified feed ration had daily weight gains higher by 0.017 kg and feed consumption lower by 0.234 kg per 1 kg of gain, as compared with the control animals. The costs of the feed ration required for producing a kilogram of gain were 8.55 Cz. crowns in the zeolite group and 9.422 crowns in the control group.     

A three year herd health and management program on thirty Dutch dairy farms. III. Economic evaluation of fertility control

Fertility control was part of a herd health and management program on thirty dairy farms in the province of Overijssel. A comparable control group of thirty-one farms was available. After two years of application of the program the improvement in income feedcosts margin per cow on the program farms exceeded that on control farms by Dfl. 176. Within the large variation in income between the farms it was not possible to accurately distinguish the effects of the different aspects of the program, despite the use of detailed techniques such as Factor Analysis: thus another approach to determine the income effect of fertility control was necessary. The total loss per farm due to sub-optimal fertility was determined, using calving interval data, forced replacement data and norm-loss rates. From computation of this loss on program and control farms, the income effect of fertility control was deduced. Excluding the cost of the program, a significant (P less than 0.01) positive effect of fertility control on the total calculated loss due to sub-optimal fertility was determined (average Dfl. 25.50 per cow, or about Dfl. 1,700 per farm, after two years of program application). This income effect differed considerably between farms with an initial good or poor situation regarding fertility. The program contributed more to the improvement of insufficient or moderate fertility than to the prevention of a deterioration in herds with excellent fertility, although on the latter farms the total program had a considerable positive effect.     

Somatostatin receptor imaging in vivo by planar scintigraphy facilitates the diagnosis of canine insulinomas

Somatostatin receptors expressed by insulinomas in 5 dogs were imaged in vivo by means of indium in 111 pentetreotide (OctreoScan) scintigraphy. The diagnosis in each dog was supported by the presence of hypoglycemia (<60 mg/dL), hyperinsulinemia (>20 microU/mL), and histopathologic review of neoplastic tissue. All insulinomas expressed high-affinity somatostatin receptors of subtype sst2, as shown by receptor autoradiography in vitro using 125I-[tyrosine3]-octreotide and 125I-[leucine8, Dtryptophan22, tyrosine25]-somatostatin-28 with an sst2 subtype-selective analogue. Scintigrams were obtained at 1, 4, 12, and 24 hours after the i.v. administration of 74-222 MBq of OctreoScan to each patient. Abnormal foci of activity were 1st observed from 1 hour after administration of the radioligand in dog 3, to 24 hours after its administration in dog 4; in dogs 1 and 2, abnormal foci of activity were visible from 12 hours. Dog 5 showed a questionable abnormal focus of activity at 12 hours, but not at 24 hours. Scintigraphy enabled accurate prediction of the anatomical location of the primary tumor in 1 of 4 dogs, but was unable to differentiate a right- from a left-pancreatic lobe tumor, or vice versa, in 3 dogs; the 5th dog had equivocal results. 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy is a useful diagnostic adjunct to the clinical evaluation of the insulinoma patient, but is unable to localize the tumor in some cases.     

Giant unruptured aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva in the left ventricular outflow tract of a young dog

A young adult, 28 kg, intact female Siberian husky-mixed breed dog was presented to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) Emergency Service for evaluation of a dysrhythmia and an abnormal cardiac structure. The dog had been adopted from an animal shelter approximately 3 months before presentation. The dog occasionally showed exercise intolerance, and the owners suspected that she had impaired vision. Initial clinical signs appeared 2 days before presentation during strenuous activity—the dog uncharacteristically stopped and lay down while tachypneic. The dog produced dark liquid feces and was lethargic and anorexic overnight.     

Outcomes and complications associated with ventral screws, pins, and polymethyl methacrylate for atlantoaxial instability in 12 dogs

Clinical outcomes and complications of a technique used for atlantoaxial stabilization were evaluated in a group of 12 dogs. At surgery, the atlantoaxial joint was realigned and rigidly fixated using cortical bone screws, K-wire, and polymethyl methacrylate. Results in nine dogs were graded as excellent. Results in two dogs were judged as good. One dog was euthanized 17 months after surgery for recurrent cervical pain. Eight dogs had no postoperative complications. The surgical technique described provided an adaptable method for the correction of atlantoaxial instability.     

Practical aspects at drying-off

Drying off cows with antibiotics is an effective method to cure existing infections at drying off and to prevent new infections during the dry period. In the recent years, a shift has been observed from contagious to environmental pathogens. This influences the general preventive measures and the choice for the drying off treatment. Important factors influencing the efficacy of dry cow products are general hygienic measures, length of the dry period, production at drying-off, somatic cell count at drying-off and the udder pathogens circulating on the farm.     

Monoclonal antibody analysis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus epitopes associated with antibody-dependent enhancement and neutralization of virus infection

Enhanced infection and replication of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus in the presence of specific antibody has been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, a phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). ADE is considered to be a significant obstacle to developing effective vaccines for many viruses for which ADE has been reported, since virus-specific antibodies of maternal origin or those conferred by vaccination can facilitate the entry of the virus into target cells, sometimes resulting in increased severity of the disease. In this study, the role of specific PRRS viral epitopes in ADE and/or virus neutralization (VN) was assessed in vitro using 14 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to 4 PRRS viral proteins: nucleocapsid (N), matrix (M), glycoprotein (GP) 5, and GP3. Each mAb recognized a distinct epitope on one of these proteins. One-way ADE and VN assays were performed in vitro using homologous PRRS virus isolates in the presence or absence of each mAb. ADE activity was determined by detecting a significant increase of progeny virus yield in porcine alveolar macrophage cultures in the presence of individual mAbs. Neutralizing activity was determined by detecting a significant reduction or complete blocking of virus replication in MARC-145 cells in the presence of individual mAbs. mAbs could be categorized into 3 groups: enhancing, neutralizing and neither. Viral epitopes which are capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies appeared to reside on the M, GP3 and GP5 proteins, while epitopes that may induce ADE-mediating antibody were associated with the N and GP5 proteins. Identification of the viral proteins and antigens and epitopes responsible for ADE- and VN-mediating antibodies may provide the basis for developing efficacious second-generation vaccines for the control of PRRS virus; yet, further epitope mapping remains to be done.