Effects of feeding sows fat or fructose during late gestation and lactation

The effects of dietary fat or fructose supplementation during late gestation and lactation on sow milk production and composition and on progeny were examined. On d 88 of gestation, 24 sows were allotted by parity to three dietary treatments (eight sows/treatment). Treatments were 1) a 12.5% crude protein, corn-soybean meal control, 2) the control + 10% added fat or 3) the control + 23% high fructose corn syrup. All treatments were fed to supply 1.82 kg/d of the control diet from d 89 of gestation to parturition with sows in treatments 2 or 3 receiving .18 kg of additional fat or .53 kg of additional high fructose corn syrup, respectively. Feed was gradually increased from d 1 to 7 of lactation to 4.54 kg/d of the control diet (plus .45 kg of added fat and 1.33 kg of added fructose for treatments 2 and 3) and remained at these levels for the remainder of the 21 d lactation period. All treatments were iso-nitrogenous; treatments 2 and 3 were iso-caloric. Litter birth weights, number of pigs born alive, weaning weights and piglet survival rate were not affected by sow treatment. Stillbirths were less (P less than .05) for sows fed fat. Lipid content of milk 24 h post-farrowing was greater (P less than .05) from sows fed fat compared with sows fed fructose. Milk production estimates indicated that multiparous sows fed fat produced more (P less .05) milk than sows fed the control diet. On d 112 of gestation and d 15 of lactation, serial blood samples were drawn to monitor sow response to a glucose challenge (1 g/kg body weight).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Ethology and canine practice

The importance of the identification of the ancestral species of a domestic animal, together with a study of its behaviour, is emphasized. Practical implications of the critical period of socialization are appraised. Two examples of social behaviour, eliminative and sexual, are dealt with in some detail and clinical problems associated with sexual behaviour are discussed. The complexity of the interspecific relationship between man and the domestic dog is outlined. Brief consideration is given to the interaction between psycho-behaviour and organic disease. Hope is expressed that small animal clinicians will be stimulated to take an interest in psycho-behavioural aspects of canine practice. Résumé. L'auteur souligne l'importance de l'identification de la lignée ancestrale et de l'étude simultanée du comportement d'un animal domestique. Il discute des implications pratiques de la période ‘critique’ de la socialisation, et donne deux exemples de comportement social éliminatif et sexuel qu'il étude en détail notamment quant aux problèmes cliniques relevant du comportement sexuel. On met en évidence fa complexité des rapports entre l'espèce humaine et le chien domestique. Quelques brèves considérations sont évoquées à propos des interactions entre le psycho-comportement et les affections organiques, et on exprime l'espoir d'une stimulation de l'intérêt de la part des praticiens des petits animaux pour l'aspect psycho-comportemental de l'exercice de la médecine vétérinaire canine. Zusammenfassung. Die Bedeutung der Identifizierung der Speziesvorfahren eines Haustiers zusammen mit einer Untersuchung seines Verhaltens wird betont. Die praktischen Folgerungen aus der kritischen Periode der Vergesellschaftung werden benannt. Zwei Beispiele des Gruppenver-haltens, des eliminativen und des sexuellen, werden mit einigen Einzelheiten behandelt und klinische Probleme, die mit dem sexuellen Verhalten in Beziehung stehen, besprochen. Die Komplexität der zwischenartlichen Beziehung zwischen dem Menschen und dem domestizierten Hund wird umrissen. Die Wechselwirkung zwischen psychischem Verhalten und organischer Erkrankung wird kurz betrachtet. Es wird der Hoffnung Ausdruck gegeben, dass tierärztliche Kliniker sich angeregt fühlen, sich für die psychischen Verhaltensfragen im Zusammenhang mit der Behandlung von Hunden zu interessieren.     

Initiation of Plant Disease Resistance by Physical Interaction of AvrPto and Pto Kinase

Resistance to bacterial speck disease in tomato occurs when the Pto kinase in the plant responds to expression of the avirulence gene avrPto in the Pseudomonas pathogen. Transient expression of an avrPto transgene in plant cells containing Pto elicited a defense response. In the yeast two-hybrid system, the Pto kinase physically interacted with AvrPto. Alterations of AvrPto or Pto that disrupted the interaction in yeast also abolished disease resistance in plants. The physical interaction of AvrPto and Pto provides an explanation of gene-for-gene specificity in bacterial speck disease resistance.     

Patterns of stem water potential in field grown potatoes using stem psychrometers

Summary The first large scale outdoor measurements of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) stem water potential (SWP) usingin situ temperature-corrected stem psychrometers were performed on three cultivars common to Ontario, Canada (Atlantic, Monona and Norchip). Potato plants were examined under three soil water treatments which included rainfed, irrigated and stressed through the use of rain shelters. Cultivar variations in SWP under both irrigated and rainfed conditions were slight (P>0.05), although some significant (P<0.05) differences in mid-day SWP were evident, especially under conditions conducive to high atmospheric water demand. Under these conditions. cv. Atlantic maintained the lowest SWP with cv. Monona highest and cv. Norchip was intermediate. Few differences in pre-dawn SWP were detected between the three cultivars under well watered and rainfed conditions. Under low soil water, significant differences (P<0.05) were observed. The similar trend of Atlantic maintaining the lowest SWP with Monona the highest was consistent.     

Comparison of acid-detergent lignin,alkaline-peroxide lignin,and acid-detergent insoluble ash as internal markers for predicting fecal output and digestibility by cattle offered bermudagrass hays of varying nutrient composition

Camelina sativa is an oil seed crop which can be grown on marginal lands. Camelina seed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (>35%) and γ-tocopherol but is also high in erucic acid and glucosinolates. Camelina meal, is the by-product after the oil has been extracted. Camelina meal was fed to 28 d old weaned pigs at 3.7% and 7.4% until age 56 d. The camelina meal supplements in the soy based diets, improved feed efficiency but also significantly increased the liver weights. Gene expression analyses of the livers, using intra-species microarrays, identified increased expression of phase 1 and phase 2 drug metabolism enzymes. The porcine versions of the enzymes were confirmed by real time PCR. Cytochrome 8b1 (CYP8B1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (Aldh2), and thiosulfate transferase (TST) were all significantly stimulated. Collectively, these genes implicate the camelina glucosinolate metabolite, methyl-sulfinyldecyl isothiocyanate, as the main xeniobiotic, causing increased hepatic metabolism and increased liver weight.     

Comparison of two insulin protocols for diabetic dogs undergoing cataract surgery

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of two insulin doses to maintain an acceptable range of blood glucose concentrations (70–200 mg dL^?1) in the peri‐operative period in diabetic dogs. Animals Twenty‐four diabetic dogs with a median weight of 20.6 kg and a median age of 8 years old. Methods The dogs were randomly assigned to receive either 25 or 100% of their normal insulin dose subcutaneously on the morning of surgery. The anesthetic and feeding protocols were standardized. On the day before surgery, venous blood was collected for measurement of β‐hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, hematocrit, total plasma protein and urea nitrogen. On the day of surgery, blood glucose concentrations were measured prior to anesthesia, prior to the start of surgery, 1 and 2 hours after beginning of surgery, 1 hour after extubation, at 16 : 00 hours and at 20 : 00 hours. β‐hydroxybutyrate concentrations were measured at 20 : 00 hours that day. At 08 : 00 hours the following day, β‐hydroxybutyrate and glucose concentrations were measured. The significance of differences between groups was tested with Wilcoxon's two‐tailed rank‐sum test, Chi‐square test and Fisher's exact test. Results There were no differences in insulin treatments, clinical signs, concurrent diseases and most clinicopathological parameters between the two groups of dogs at entry to the study. The 25% dose group had blood glucose values of 296 (102–601) mg dL^?1 at 16 : 00 hours and 429 (97–595) mg dL^?1 at 20 : 00 hours on the day of surgery. The 100% insulin dose group had lower corresponding values of 130 (55–375) mg dL^?1 (p = 0.04) and 185 (51–440) mg dL^?1 (p = 0.004). No other differences (p < 0.05) were detected between the two groups. Conclusions The administration of a full dose of insulin is only marginally advantageous for reducing glucose to normal (70–120 mg dL^?1) after anesthesia but neither dose consistently induced glycemic values in an acceptable range (70–200 mg dL^?1) or normoketonemia. Clinical relevance Blood glucose should be measured immediately before anesthesia and periodically throughout the peri‐operative period in all diabetic dogs because presurgical subcutaneous administration of 25 or 100% of the normal insulin dose resulted in unpredictable blood glucose concentrations.     

Assessment of the Hemocue-b for measuring hemoglobin in horse blood

Our purpose was to assess the accuracy and precision of a point of care hemoglobinometer (HemoCue‐B hemoglobin photometer) for measuring hemoglobin concentration in horse blood. Samples of jugular venous blood from 12 healthy adult horses were collected in EDTA. In order to test the device over a wide range of values, each sample was divided into nine aliquots, and autologous plasma was added or removed from the aliquots to produce blood with PCV values that approximated 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80%, respectively. The aliquots were rocked to ensure mixing of plasma and cells. Then hemoglobin by HemoCue‐B (Hb_HQ) and hemoglobin by the cyanmethemoglobin method (Hb_CY) were measured on each aliquot. The PCV of each aliquot was also measured and this value was used for subsequent analyses. To test repeatability, hemoglobin was measured twice by the HemoCue‐B on approximately 40% samples. Samples with Hb_HQ >25.4 g dL^?1 required dilution prior to analysis. Hb_CY ranged from 1.6 to 33.4 g dL^?1. After regression, Hb_CY = ?0.16 + 1.04 Hb_HQ (n = 101; r² = 99.6%). By inspection of a modified Bland‐Altman plot, Hb_HQ values <16 g dL^?1 closely approximated Hb_CY; however, at greater values, Hb_HQ underestimated Hb_CY by as much as 3.2 g dL^?1. The difference between repeated measurements with the HemoCue‐B was 0.02 ± 0.16 g dL^?1 (mean ± SD; n = 10) and nonsignificant. After regression, PCV = ?0.76 + 2.78 Hb_HQ (n = 101; r² = 99.4%). We conclude that HemoCue‐B can be used to measure hemoglobin concentration in horse blood, and that it is accurate when hemoglobin is <16 g dL^?1. PCV can be estimated by multiplying Hb_HQ by 2.8 and then subtracting 0.8.     

Progressive ataxia and seizures in a Cocker Spaniel: a new type of neurodegenerative disease with novel intra-neuronal inclusions

AIMS: To describe the histopathological lesions of a new canine disease characterised by progressive ataxia, head tremor and seizures, and to deduce the cause of the lesions.

METHODS: Formalin-fixed tissues were processed into paraffin wax and epoxy resin for light and transmission electron microscopy of variously stained tissue sections.

RESULTS: Significant lesions relevant to the disease were found only in the brain. They consisted of hypoplasia of the cerebellum and the presence of large pale inclusions in the perikaryon of neurons in the neocortex and in macrophages. The inclusion material was not compartmentalised and did not stain for carbohydrate, mucopolysaccharide or lipid. This material displaced nuclei to the periphery of the cells where they were seen as basophilic distorted crescent-shaped structures.

CONCLUSIONS: The inclusions were probably made of polymerised protein similar, though not identical, to those of Pick, Lewy and Collins bodies that characterise a variety of chronic neurodegenerative diseases of humans. A genetic basis to this disease was considered probable.