A review of cancer chemotherapy for pet animals

A review of the principles of cancer chemotherapy for pet animals is presented. The various pharmacological classes of antineoplastic drugs are described with specific references to those drugs that have been widely used in veterinary medicine.     

A perspective on ovine footrot control

A method for the control of ovine footrot is described which utilises the most appropriate measures to suit the circumstances for individual properties. This approach was used to eradicate the disease from three Central Otago fine-wool properties wintering in excess of 35,000 sheep on widely differing classes of land. This programme incorporates the use of proven.techniques and suitable planning together with input from the rural veterinarian, who plays an important role in demonstration and advising on control measures.     

Levels of selenium in blood and tissues associated with some selenium deficiency diseases in New Zealand sheep

Whole bloods from weaned lambs with severe selenium responsive unthriftiness usually contain <5 ng Se/ml. Mildly or moderately affected lambs have blood levels of 5-10 ng/ml. Selenium responsive infertility in ewes appears to be associated with whole blood selenium levels below 10 ng/ml.     

Comparative studies of strains of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus isolated from latently infected calves

Three strains (479 C, 778 TL, 982 LE) of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus isolated from latently infected calves were compared with the prototype strain of IBR virus (LA strain) in studies which included restriction endonuclease analysis, experimental infection, and reciprocal cross protection tests in cattle. From the restriction endonuclease analysis it appeared that the 3 "latent" viruses were derived from the same isolate, and that it differed slightly from the LA strain. However, latency does not seem to have affected the pathogenicity or the immunogenicity of the virus. This is demonstrated by the identical clinical and virologic response of calves subjected to experimental infection with the various strains under study, and by the finding that when the LA strain and a "latent" strain (982 LE) were tested in cross protection tests in cattle, they proved to be mutually protective.     

Ollulanus tricuspis in domestic cats - prevalence and methods of post-mortem diagnosis

Ollulanus tricuspus is a parasite of the stomach of domestic cats and other animals, with a worldwide distribution. It can sometimes cause severe gastritis. Fifty-five cat stomachs were examined for O.tricuspis using three techniques. O.tricuspis was found in seven stomachs (13%) from adult cats; the number of parasites recovered from individual cats ranged from 9 to 119 (mean 54). The prevalence was higher than that previously recorded in New Zealand. Repeated dilution and sedimentation of the stomach contents and mucosal washings was found to be the most reliable detection method, being positive in all of the detected infections. Pepsin/HCI digestion of the stomach mucosa detected only 71% and punch sampling of the mucosa only 29% of these infections. This contrasts with an overseas study indicating that, in heavily infected cats, these techniques are similar in sensitivity. No macroscopic lesions were seen in the stomachs of infected cats.     

Hypocalcaemia associated with high dose rates of zinc oxide to lactating dairy cows

Clinical hypocalcaemia was associated with single doses of three oi more days; supply of zinc oxide to dairy cows for facial eczema control. Experimental hand dosing of a single dose of zinc oxide (40 and 120 mg Zn/kg b wt) to Jersey cows caused a significant drop in serum calcium concentration at 24 h followed by a rise to concentrations higher than controls at subsequent samplings over four days. At the highest zinc dose rate, 78% of serum calcium values were equal to or lower than the lowest control value at 24 h post dosing. Serum magnesium concentrations had a reciprocal relationship to the calcium levels at all samplings. Serum zinc concentrations were most elevated over the 48 h post dosing, returning to normal levels at the fifth day. Following the highest zinc dose milk yields were reduced by approximately 1.5 kg milk/cow/day for 48 h. Similar results were obtained when cows grazed pasture on which large amounts of zinc oxide had been sprayed.     

The pharmacokinetics of fenbendazole and oxfendazole in cattle

The pharmacokinetics of fenbendazole and oxfendazole in cattle are described. The pharmacokinetics of oxfendazole were not significantly different when administered orally and by intra-ruminal injection. At a dose rate of 4.5 mg/kg, administered orally, fenbendazole gave rise to mean peak concentrations in plasma of fenbendazole and oxfendazole of 0.11 and 0.13 g/ml respectively. Oral administration of oxfendazole, at 4.5 mg/kg body weight, gave rise to plasma peak concentrations of fenbendazole and oxfendazole of 0.10 and 0.20 g/ml respectively. Following intra-ruminal administration of oxfendazole, the peak concentrations were 0.11 and 0.18 g/ml respectively.     

Effects of three methods of restraint an in rhesus and african green monkeys intravenous glucose tolerance testing

The intravenous administration of 0.75 gm glucose per kg and the measurement of serum glucose pretest and at 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes constitute a satisfactory protocol for intravenous glucose tolerance testing of Rhesus (Macaca mulatto) and African Green (Cercopithecus aethiops) monkeys. No significant differences were noted between animals restrained with ketamine hydrochloride and those restrained with sodium pentobarbital, but the African Green males and females and the male Rhesus monkeys yielded significantly different results while being manually restrained.     

Somatic cell counts: associated factors and relationship to production.

Factors affecting somatic cell counts and the association between somatic cell counts and milk production were evaluated. Data were collected from 748 Ontario Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation supervised herds that were on production and somatic cell count programs between April 1981 and March 1983. Two data files were created; one, the lactation summary file, contained one record per cow on each of 9406 Holsteins and the other, the test day file, included results of all tests during the complete lactation on each of the above cows. The latter file contained 85,236 records. Multiple curvilinear least squares regression was used to create five separate models. The dependent variables used in the models were natural logarithms (Loge) of the geometric mean of the somatic cell count for the lactation, 305 day milk production and breed class average for milk from the lactation summary file, and loge of the 24 hour somatic cell count and 24 hour milk production from the test day file. The somatic cell count at both the lactation and test day level increased with age up to approximately ten years and thereafter slowly decreased. The variable "days in milk" was not significantly associated with the lactation average somatic cell count. A curvilinear relationship was found between days in lactation at the time of test and the somatic cell count of 24 hour milk production. The somatic cell count increased until approximately 250 days in lactation and thereafter slowly decreased. It was found that the highest cell counts occurred in summer and the lowest in winter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Do bacteria-sized marine eukaryotes consume significant bacterial production?

Up to 60 percent of the total marine primary production (or about one-fourth of the total global carbon dioxide fixation) passes through the free-living bacterioplankton. Grazing by bacteriovores is probably the predominant fate of the bacteria, although data are scarce. Evidence is presented that previously uncharacterized, small eukaryotes that are able to pass even 0.6-micrometer filters may be responsible for a large fraction (more than 50 percent) of the total grazing in coastal waters. These organisms have not yet been observed microscopically.