Survival and Complications After Large Colon Resection and End‐to‐End Anastomosis for Strangulating Large Colon Volvulus in Seventy‐Three Horses

Objective— To report complications and survival after large colon resection and end‐to‐end anastomosis in horses with strangulating large colon volvulus. Study Design— Retrospective case series. Animals— Horses (n=73) with strangulating large colon volvulus. Methods— Records (January 1995 to December 2005) of horses that had large colon resection and anastomosis for strangulating large colon volvulus were reviewed for complications. Follow‐up data were obtained by telephone questionnaire at least 1 year postoperatively. Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate association with survival time. Variables included admission date, age, temperature, heart rate, packed cell volume, total plasma protein concentration, white blood cell count, breed, and sex. Significance was set at P<.05. Results— The most common postoperative complication was diarrhea. None of the 9 variables of interest were significant for survival. Short‐term survival rate (to discharge) was 74%. Overall survival rates at 1, 2, and 3 years postoperatively were 67.8%, 66.0%, and 63.5%, respectively. Four horses died of colic in the first year after surgery. All horses surviving long‐term (>1 year) returned to their intended use (37 brood mares, 2 racehorses, and 1 show horse) with no chronic problems related to the surgical procedure. Conclusion— None of the variables examined were associated with survival. Outcomes were similar to other large studies of surgical colic in the horse. Self‐limiting diarrhea is common after large colon resection and the prognosis for survival after hospital discharge is favorable. Clinical Relevance— Horses that survive the early postoperative period and are discharged after large colon resection and anastomosis have a good chance for long‐term survival with minimal negative impact on quality of life and use.     

Investigation of bovine haemoplasmas and their association with anaemia in New Zealand cattle

CASE HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A dairy cow, from a herd in the Waikato region of New Zealand, was reported with regenerative anaemia on 12 September 2014. Testing of blood from the animal using PCR assays for Theileria orientalis produced a negative result for both Chitose and Ikeda types.

LABORATORY FINDINGS: Using PCR and DNA sequencing, blood from the cow was positive for Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos. Further testing of another 12 animals from the case herd, 27 days after the affected cow was first reported, showed 11 animals were positive for Candidatus M. haemobos or Mycoplasma wenyonii in the PCR. None of these cattle were clinically anaemic or positive for T. orientalis Ikeda type using PCR.

A convenience sample of 47 blood samples from cattle throughout New Zealand, submitted to the Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (Ministry for Primary Industries) for surveillance testing for T. orientalis Ikeda, was selected for further testing for bovine haemoplasmas. Of these samples, 6/47 (13%) and 13/47(28%) were positive for M. wenyonii and Candidatus M. haemobos, respectively. There was no difference in the proportion of samples positive for the bovine haemaplasmas between cattle with anaemia that were negative for T. orientalis (6/20, 33%), or without anaemia or T. orientalis (10/18, 56%), or from cattle herds experiencing anaemia and infection with T. orientalis Ikeda type (3/9, 33%).

DIAGNOSIS: Bovine haemoplasmosis.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The presence of bovine haemoplasmas in blood does not establish causality for anaemia in cattle. Diagnosis of anaemia associated with haemoplasmosis would require exclusion of other causes of regenerative anaemia and an association of the agent with anaemia in affected cattle herds. The data collected in this study did not provide evidence that bovine haemoplasmas were associated with a large number of outbreaks of anaemia in cattle in New Zealand.     

兔球虫与大肠杆菌病混合感染的诊治

阐述了兔球虫与大肠杆菌病混合感染的临床症状、实验室检验及防治方法,力求为科学防控两病提供有益的参考。     

Healing of Canine Autogenous Cancellous Bone Graft Donor Sites

Autogenous cancellous bone was procured from the proximal ends of one humerus and the contralateral tibia of eight adult mixed-breed dogs. Greater weights of bone were consistently harvested from the humerus than from the tibia. Restoration of cancellous bone was more rapid and complete in the humerus than in the tibia. The tibia harvest site filled primarily with fibrous tissue rather than with cancellous bone.     

Distinct Effects of Boar Seminal Plasma Fractions Exhibiting Different Protein Profiles on the Functionality of Highly Diluted Boar Spermatozoa

The aim of this study was to evaluate how different protein profiles of seminal plasma (SP) fractions affect sperm functionality in vitro. Ejaculates from three boars were separated into six fractions. The fractions differed from each other in their sperm content, in their total SP protein content, and their spermadhesin PSP-I/PSP-II and heparin-binding protein (HBP) concentrations. Spermatozoa were mainly recovered in fraction 2 (sperm-rich fraction, >1800 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/ml), whereas the pre-sperm fraction 1 and the post-sperm fractions 4–6 contained low numbers of spermatozoa (<500 × 10⁶/ml). Except in fraction 2, the total SP protein concentration and the concentration of both, spermadhesin PSP-I/PSP-II and the HBPs increased with fraction order. Distinct time-dependent effects were observed on motility characteristics and membrane integrity of highly diluted boar spermatozoa upon incubation with a 10% dilution of the SP from each fraction. The highest sperm viability was recorded after exposure for 5 h to fraction 2, followed by fractions 1 and 3. The percentages of motile spermatozoa also differed significantly among fractions after 5 h of incubation. Spermatozoa incubated with SP of fractions 1–3 showed the highest percentage motility. We conclude that different SP fractions exert distinct effects on the functionality of highly diluted boar spermatozoa. Fractions 1–3 appear to promote sperm survival, whereas fractions 4–6 seem to be harmful for preserving the physiological functions of highly diluted boar spermatozoa.     

Effect of Estradiol and Progesterone on Metabolic Biomarkers in Healthy Bitches

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association between hormonal changes that occur during oestrus and biomarkers related with glucose metabolism (glucose and insulin), lipid metabolism (lipidic profile and BChE) and adipokines (adiponectin and ghrelin) in healthy bitches. For this purpose, we measured these analytes in serum of bitches, at two times: before (T1) and after (T2) the LH peak that were established according to progesterone concentrations. Increased levels of total cholesterol (p < 0.01), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) (p < 0.01), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) (p < 0.01), adiponectin (p < 0.01) and ghrelin (p < 0.05) were observed at T2 in comparison with T1. No statistically significant changes were observed in serum glucose, insulin, homoeostasis model assessment for insulin sensitivity (HOMA), triglycerides and BChE. When all data of T1 and T2 were pooled, serum adiponectin showed positive correlation with progesterone (r = 0.353; p = 0.022) and HDL‐C (r = 0.307; p = 0.048), and negative with insulin (r = ?0.429; p = 0.005), HOMA (r = ?0.446; p = 0.003) and BChE (r = ?0.522; p < 0.001). Ghrelin showed negative correlation with estradiol (r = ?0.701; p = 0.004). BChE was negatively correlated with estradiol (r = ?0.441; p = 0.018) and glucose (r = ?0.343; p = 0.028), and positively with insulin (r = 0.460; p = 0.003) and HOMA (r = 0.505; p < 0.001). In conclusion, changes in metabolic biomarkers occur in bitches after LH peak, characterized by increased lipids (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol) without changes in BChE activity, and increased adiponectin and ghrelin concentrations, without significant changes in glucose and insulin.     

Comparison of the Johne''s absorbed EIA and the complement-fixation test for the diagnosis of Johne''s disease in cattle

A commercially available absorbed ELISA for the diagnosis of Johne's disease (JD) (paratuberculosis) in cattle, the Johne's Absorbed EIA, was compared with the conventional complement-fixation test (CFT) used in Australia. Stored plasma from 3 Victorian dairy herds with a history of JD, sera from specimens submitted from animals showing clinical signs of JD and sera from the US National Repository for Paratuberculosis Specimens were used to determine the sensitivity of each test. The EIA detected 48.8% of 43 Australian animals with subclinical JD, while the CFT detected only 12 (21.4%) of 56 subclinically affected cattle. Of 150 subclinically infected US cattle, the EIA detected 47.3% and the CFT detected 52.0%. The EIA detected 59.7% of animals which at the time of sampling were shedding Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in their faeces, but showed no clinical signs of JD, while the CFT detected 57.3%. The EIA correctly identified 88.2% of 136 histologically confirmed clinical cases, and the CFT detected 83.4%. The specificity of each test was determined by testing sera collected at slaughter from animals residing in a known JD-free area of Australia, and from samples from the US National Repository of Paratuberculosis Specimens collected from certified-free herds in Wisconsin. The EIA was found to have a specificity of 99.8% when 998 Australian animals were used as the test population, and 99.0% when 196 US animals were used. The specificity of the CFT using Australian samples was 96.9% and 95.2% using American samples.