Isolation of Cokeromyces recurvatus, initially misidentified as Coccidioides immitis, from peritoneal fluid in a cat with jejunal perforation.

Cokeromyces recurvatus, a zygomycete, was isolated by fungal culture from the peritoneal fluid of a cat with jejunal perforation secondary to intestinal lymphosarcoma. This organism has not been recovered previously from a veterinary patient. The tissue form of C. recurvatus is morphologically similar to those of Coccidioides immitis and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and may be misdiagnosed as 1 of these organisms on the basis of cytologic or histopathologic specimens, particularly in geographic regions where these organisms are not endemic.     

Bilateral ear canal neoplasia in three dogs

Bilateral ear canal infections are common in dogs. Ear canal neoplasia is usually associated with unilateral problems, and is uncommon in dogs. To the best of the author's knowledge, bilateral aural neoplasia has not been reported in dogs, and only four case reports were found in the human literature. This report presents three dogs that had bilateral tumours in their ear canals. They were presented with bilateral otitis externa. All three dogs exhibited tissue proliferation of both ear canals that did not respond to glucocorticoids. Treatment consisted of total ear canal ablation, and tissues were submitted for histopathological evaluation. Case # 1 (a 10-year-old, male cocker spaniel) was diagnosed as ceruminious gland carcinoma. Cases # 2 and 3 were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. Case # 1 was diagnosed 4 years earlier as having keratinization disorder, which was causing its chronic ear problems. Case # 2 (a 5-year-old, female French bulldog) was diagnosed 4 years earlier as having atopic dermatitis, which did not respond to hyposensitization, and only partially responded to glucocorticoids therapy. Case # 3 (a 9-year-old, male German shepherd) was diagnosed by the referring veterinarian as having unilateral ear canal proliferation 2 months prior to presentation. However, otoscopic examination showed bilateral proliferation that obstructed both canals. In summary, bilateral ear canal neoplasia should be considered in cases of nonresponsive, proliferative aural pathology.     

The(13)C-octanoic acid breath test for detection of effects of meal composition on the rate of solid-phase gastric emptying in ponies

The aim of this study was to apply the(13)C-octanoic acid breath test for detection of alterations in the rate of solid-phase gastric emptying, induced by changes in test meal composition, in ponies. After a 14 hour fast the ponies (n = 4) ingested a test meal with 0, 35 or 70 ml soya oil, and labelled with 250 mg(13)C-octanoic acid. Each pony was given each of the three test meals on three separate occasions, in a randomised order. Exhaled breath samples were collected for 12 hours after ingestion of the test meal. Breath samples were analysed by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Three indices of breath(13)C-enrichment were computed, half-dose recovery time (t 1/2), gastric emptying coefficient (GEC) and time to peak breath(13)C-excretion t(max). The(13)C-octanoic acid breath test was a reliable means of assessing the significantly decreased rate of gastric emptying in the pony, associated with addition of soya oil to the test meal.     

Ovarian response to PMSG and GnRH in ewes immunised against oestradiol-17 beta

Forty-six adult merino ewes were immunised against oestradiol-17 beta-6 carbomethyloxime:human serum albumin and 48 comparable ewes were used as controls in an experiment to study the effects of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) on ovulatory responses after treatment with pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). All the ewes were treated with progestogen sponges for 14 days and received 1500 iu PMSG on the 12th day. Twenty-four control and 24 immunised ewes received 25 micrograms GnRH 21.5 hours and 23 hours after the sponges were withdrawn. Plasma samples were collected between 17 and 50 hours after the sponges were withdrawn and assayed for luteinising hormone (LH). Immunisation reduced the proportion of ewes which ovulated and their rate of ovulation. Injection of GnRH increased the proportion of immunised ewes ovulating (P less than 0.0005) and their rate of ovulation (P less than 0.0001). More unovulated follicles were observed in immunised ewes regardless of GnRH treatment (P less than 0.0001). The rate of recovery of eggs was reduced after immunisation. Treatment with GnRH produced a surge of LH of equal magnitude in the control and immunised ewes although not as many immunised ewes ovulated.     

A review of methods for assessment of the rate of gastric emptying in the dog and cat: 1898-2002

Gastric emptying is the process by which food is delivered to the small intestine at a rate and in a form that optimizes intestinal absorption of nutrients. The rate of gastric emptying is subject to alteration by physiological, pharmacological, and pathological conditions. Gastric emptying of solids is of greater clinical significance because disordered gastric emptying rarely is detectable in the liquid phase. Imaging techniques have the disadvantage of requiring restraint of the animal and access to expensive equipment. Radiographic methods require administration of test meals that are not similar to food. Scintigraphy is the gold standard method for assessment of gastric emptying but requires administration of a radioisotope. Magnetic resonance imaging has not yet been applied for assessment of gastric emptying in small animals. Ultrasonography is a potentially useful, but subjective, method for assessment of gastric emptying in dogs. Gastric tracer methods require insertion of gastric or intestinal cannulae and are rarely applied outside of the research laboratory. The paracetamol absorption test has been applied for assessment of liquid phase gastric emptying in the dog, but requires IV cannulation. The gastric emptying breath test is a noninvasive method for assessment of gastric emptying that has been applied in dogs and cats. This method can be carried out away from the veterinary hospital, but the effects of physiological and pathological abnormalities on the test are not known. Advances in technology will facilitate the development of reliable methods for assessment of gastric emptying in small animals.     

Comparative trial of the canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus type 2 fractions of two commercially available modified live vaccines

The results of vaccinating two groups of puppies with commercial vaccines, both of which claimed to provide adequate protection with a final vaccination at 10 weeks of age, were compared. Groups of 19 and 20 puppies with similar titres of maternally derived antibodies against canine parvovirus (cpv), canine distemper virus (cdv) and canine adenovirus type 2 (cav-2) at four weeks of age were vaccinated at six and 10 weeks of age and their responses to each vaccination were measured by comparing the titres against cpv, cdv and cav-2 in the serum samples taken immediately before the vaccination and four weeks later. After the vaccination at six weeks of age, all 19 of the puppies in group 1 had responded to cpv and cdv, and 14 had responded to cav-2; in group 2, 17 of the 20 had responded to cpv, 19 to cdv and 15 to cav-2. In both groups the puppies that did not respond to the first vaccination had responded serologically to cpv, cdv and cav-2 at 10 weeks of age.     

Lunar regolith at tranquillity base

The regolith at Tranquillity Base is a layer of fragmental debris that ranges in thickness from about 3 to 6 meters. The thickness of the regolith and the exposure histories of its constituent fragments can be related, by means of a relatively simple model, to the observed crater distribution.     

The refractometric determination of the total protein concentration in some animal plasmas

Abstract

Extract

Refractometry has been used for serum or plasma total, protein determination since the beginning of this century and while at times the value and accuracy of the technique has been open to question (see Lines and Raine, 1970a Babul, J. and Stellwagen, E. 1969. Measurement of protein concentration with interference optics. Analyt. Biochem., 28: 216–221. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar],b Barry, K. G., McLaurin, A. W. and Parnell, B. L. 1960. A practical temperature-compensated hand refractometer (the TS-meter). Its clinical use and application in estimation of total serum proteins. J. lab. din. Med., 55: 803–808.  [Google Scholar]), many studies have shown close agreement between refractometric determination of serum total protein and estimation by such techniques as the Biuret method and the Kjeldahl nitrogen determination (Lines and Raine, 1970b Drickman, A. and McKeon, F. A. 1962. Determination of total serum protein by means of the refractive index of serum. Am. f. clin. Path., 38: 392–396.  [Google Scholar]; Barry et al., 1960 Harboe, M. 1959. A method for determination of haemoglobin in plasma by near-ultraviolet spec-trophotometry. Scand, J. clin. lab. Invest., 11: 66–70. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]; Drickman and McKeon, 1962 Henry, R. J. 1974. Clinical Chemistry, 177–177. New York, Evanston and London: Harper &; Row. John Weatherhill, Tokyo [Google Scholar]).