Usefulness, completeness, and accuracy of Web sites providing information on osteoarthritis in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of information regarding osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs currently available on the World Wide Web. DESIGN: Survey study. PROCEDURE: 5 search engines were searched with the keywords "dog," "degenerative joint disease," "canine," and "osteoarthritis," and the first 50 sites listed by each search engine were analyzed. Unique Web site addresses were distributed to 3 diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, who provided a standardized evaluation of each site. RESULTS: 30 unique Web sites were evaluated. Twenty (66%) provided information consistent with conventional knowledge as outlined in textbooks and peer-reviewed literature, 8 (27%) provided experimental or anecdotal information in addition to conventional knowledge, and 2 (7%) provided misleading information. Mean scores for overall usefulness of the information provided in regard to clinical features of and treatment for OA were 1.3 and 1.5, respectively (1 = information of minimal use; 5 = very useful information). Twenty-three (77%) sites encouraged pet owners to seek the advice of a veterinarian. Twenty-three (77%) sites were given overall quality scores < 2, and 7 (23%) were given scores between 2 and 3 (1 = site was counterproductive; 5 = site was very valuable). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that the quality of information currently available on the Web that addresses OA in dogs is questionable. Although most of the sites conveyed some conventional information with reasonable accuracy, the information was incomplete, of minimal use, and often considered counterproductive.     

Effects of supplemental vitamin E during the mature period on the reproduction performance of Taiwan Native Chicken cockerels

One-day-old Taiwan native male chicks were fed with maize-soybean rearing diets without supplemental vitamin E to 23 weeks of age. From 23 to 52 weeks of age, the cockerels (n = 90) were assigned at random to 5 dietary treatments and fed with maize-soybean diets supplemented with 0, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg of vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate). Pullets (225) of the same age were fed with standard diets throughout. They were artificially inseminated with one dose of 0.04 ml/bird intact and 5-fold diluted pooled semen at 31 to 43 weeks of age and at 49 weeks of age, respectively. The criteria evaluated included: semen quality, fertility and maximum and effective duration of fertility, blood characteristics, body and testes weight. Supplemental vitamin E did not affect cockerels' effective duration of fertility and percentage of fertility. However, when pullets were inseminated with diluted semen, supplementing 160 mg/kg vitamin E increased the maximum duration of fertility at 49 weeks of age. Cockerels receiving 40 to 160mg/kg supplements had higher sperm viability and motility after 39 weeks of age and those fed 80 mg/kg had higher sperm concentration at 39 weeks of age. Cockerels receiving supplements of more than 40 mg/kg vitamin E had higher body weight gain. Plasma cholesterol and testosterone were not affected by supplemental vitamin E. However, plasma luteinising hormone (LH) concentration was lower in cockerels fed 160 mg/kg. Lack of supplemental vitamin E over 39 weeks was associated with lower semen quality but did not reduce the proportion of fertile eggs laid by inseminated hens, perhaps because the insemination dose compensated for low sperm quality. We found that the maximum duration of fertility might be improved by supplementing 160 mg/kg vitamin E at 49 weeks of age.     

Deal stem disease of asparagus caused by Fusarium culmorum

Deal stem disease in asparagus is characterized by yellow dead stems with reddish lesions, mostly at soil level. There are two types of infection. The first one with lesions on the base of the stem at soil level, as a result of which the stem dies off. In the second type of infection the lesions appear higher up on the stems, while stems remain mostly green. The disease was proved to be caused byFusarium culmorum. This fungus is mainly spread through the soil. Air dispersal was demonstrated but seems of little importance to disease incidence.     

Effect of sodium bicarbonate and sodium bentonite on digestion, solid and liquid flow, and ruminal fermentation characteristics of forage sorghum silage-based diets fed to steers

Six ruminally cannulated steers, five Holsteins and one Hereford (250 to 295 kg), were fed 84% forage sorghum silage plus 16% supplement or 50% forage sorghum silage plus concentrate and supplement diets containing either no addition (controls), 1% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or 2% sodium bentonite in a 2 X 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a 6 X 6 Latin-square experiment with 3-wk periods. Sodium bicarbonate increased dry matter (DM) intake when concentrate was included, but neither compound affected intake of the 84% silage diet. Bentonite lowered DM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibilities, but NDF disappearance from nylon bags was unchanged. Ruminal pH, osmolality and L(+) and D(-) lactate were not affected by treatment. Both NaHCO3 and bentonite tended to lower ruminal NH3-N concentrations. Bentonite lowered the molar proportion of isobutyrate in ruminal fluid relative to controls, but proportions of other volatile fatty acids (VFA) and total VFA concentrations were unchanged. Neither NaHCO3 nor bentonite affected ruminal liquid or solid volumes, dilution rate constants or ruminal outflow rates. Markers overestimated volumes, but correction with measured volumes did not change interpretation of treatment effects. It was concluded that control diets had sufficiently high baseline values of pH, dilution rate and acetate proportion to preclude changes induced by either compound, especially at 1 or 2% of DM intake. An effect on palatibility through neutralization of silage acids may have been responsible for the intake response to NaHCO3.     

Campylobacter monitoring in German broiler flocks: an explorative time series analysis

Campylobacter, a major zoonotic pathogen, displays seasonality in poultry and in humans. In order to identify temporal patterns in the prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in a voluntary monitoring programme in broiler flocks in Germany and in the reported human incidence, time series methods were used. The data originated between May 2004 and June 2007. By the use of seasonal decomposition, autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions, it could be shown that an annual seasonality is present. However, the peak month differs between sample submission, prevalence in broilers and human incidence. Strikingly, the peak in human campylobacterioses preceded the peak in broiler prevalence in Lower Saxony rather than occurring after it. Significant cross-correlations between monthly temperature and prevalence in broilers as well as between human incidence, monthly temperature, rainfall and wind-force were identified. The results highlight the necessity to quantify the transmission of Campylobacter from broiler to humans and to include climatic factors in order to gain further insight into the epidemiology of this zoonotic disease.     

Pythiosis with bone lesions in a pregnant mare

A 9-year-old pregnant mare was referred for evaluation of a nonhealing wound of 8 weeks' duration on the lateral aspect of the left forelimb. A soft tissue mass encircled the proximal two thirds of the metacarpus; radiography revealed a moderate periosteal reaction affecting metacarpal bone i.v. Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations revealed eosinophilic granulomatous inflammation and Pythium sp in the soft tissues. The mare was treated for 12 days with antimicrobials, medicated wound dressings, debridement, and i.v. administration of sodium iodide; radiography revealed progression of the bone lesions. The mare was treated by regional arterial perfusion with miconazole and excision of affected soft tissues and the distal two thirds of metacarpal bone i.v. The mare recovered without complications and gave birth to a healthy foal. Regional perfusion of antifungal agents provides high concentrations in soft and osseous tissues and permits use of low dosages of agents administered by other routes, which reduces cost, adverse effects, and teratogenic effects.