Comparison of inoculation regimes for the experimental production of swine erysipelas arthritis: II Serological findings in a gel diffusion precipitin test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

The serological response of pigs to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae inoculation was monitored by a gel diffusion precipitin test (GDPT) using a crude, serotype-specific, autoclaved antigen and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a heat-extracted, alcohol precipitated and molecular seived antigen previously shown to react with serum from pigs infected with serotypes 1 or 2. All pigs receiving 3 or 5 weekly intravenous inoculations of either a highly virulent (VRS 229) or a lowly virulent isolate (VRS 252) produced GDPT-reactive antibody within 3 weeks, but only 44% were still reactive at 8 to 9.5 weeks. The ELISA response was significantly higher in pigs inoculated with the highly virulent strain, and was similar in pigs receiving 3 or 5 doses of either strain. In a dose-response trial, after 3 doses of VRS 229, GDPT reactivity occurred earlier and was stronger in pigs given higher doses of E. rhusiopathiae, but the response peaked 3 to 5 weeks after the start of challenge and was short lived. GDPT reactivity correlated with dose, but not with the severity of arthritis. The ELISA demonstrated specific IgG antibody was present by 2 weeks, and persisted to at least 11 weeks. The ELISA reactivity was significantly higher in pigs with arthritis than in pigs that received low doses and were not arthritic. Within groups of pigs with arthritis a significant, dose dependent, linear ELISA response developed but did not correlate with the presence or degree of arthritis at slaughter. Non-arthritic pigs had similar low ELISA responses to uninoculated controls.     

Soil and agronomic factors associated with cadmium accumulations in kidneys of grazing sheep

SUMMARY Mean concentration of cadmium (Cd) in kidneys of hogget sheep from 67 flocks grazing in the Agricultural Region of Western Australia was tested for association with soil, pastoral, climatic and nutritional factors. Hoggets grazing pastures on acidic soils and soils with a sandy-textured surface had higher Cd concentrations in kidneys than hoggets grazing pastures on more alkaline soils or soils with a clay-textured surface. Application of more than 100 kg of phosphatic fertiliser during the past 3 years to loamy soils was also associated with greater Cd concentration in kidneys of the grazing animals.     

Working practices of cattle foot trimmers used for footcare in dairy cattle compared with those of veterinary surgeons for treatment of lameness in large animal practice

A questionnaire was sent to 270 veterinary surgeons and 135 cattle foot trimmers, investigating their perceptions on lameness and associated pain, with particular emphasis on dairy cattle. Response rates were 58 and 51%, respectively, but the number of respondents fully answering each question varied. Cattle foot trimming methods, opinions on pain associated with lameness and methods used to control pain were investigated. Responses of both groups were compared. No veterinary surgeon attended more than 50 lame cattle per month. The 'Dutch Method' of foot trimming was always used by 47% of veterinary respondents and 89% of trimmers. Both groups considered lameness to be potentially painful. Orthopaedic shoes were used by 79% of responding veterinary surgeons and 97% of trimmers (P < 0.001) to alleviate weightbearing by diseased digits. Housing lame cows on straw was regularly recommended by approximately one-third of both groups. Around a third of veterinary surgeons used local anaesthetics when treating lame cattle. Only 27% used analgesics when treating lame cattle.     

Increased blood mRNA expression of inflammatory and anti-fibrotic markers in dogs with congestive heart failure

Inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling contribute to the development of congestive heart failure (CHF), but the pathogenesis is still incompletely understood. Therefore, whole blood samples from eight dogs without cardiac disease and eight dogs with CHF were investigated for mRNA expression of IL1β, IL2, IL4, IL6, IL8, IL10, TNFα, IFNγ, TGFβ1-3, MMP1, -2, -3, -9 and TIMP1-4 using quantitative PCR. Dogs with CHF had significantly higher IL1β (P=0.015), IL2 (P=0.043), MMP1 (P=0.031), TIMP3 (P=0.012) and lower TNFα (P<0.001), TGFβ3 (P=0.006), TIMP1 (P=0.015) and TIMP2 (P=0.011) mRNA levels. Increased pro-inflammatory IL1β and anti-fibrotic MMP1 and reduced pro-fibrotic TGFβ and TIMP1 and TIMP2 in dogs with CHF suggest progressive left ventricular remodeling. The reduction of TNFα and increase of immunomodulatory IL2 and TIMP3 might suggest control of the inflammatory response. A better understanding of inflammation and ECM remodeling in cardiac diseases may lead to novel treatment approaches.     

Aetiology and long-term outcome of juvenile epilepsy in 136 dogs

The aetiology and outcome of dogs with juvenile-onset seizures were investigated. One hundred and thirty-six dogs whose first seizure occurred before the age of one year were investigated. One hundred and two dogs were diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (IE), 23 with symptomatic epilepsy (SE), nine with reactive seizures (RS) and two with probable symptomatic epilepsy (pSE). The outcome was known in 114 dogs; 37 per cent died or were euthanased as a consequence of seizures. The mean survival time of this population of dogs was 7.1 years. Factors that were significantly associated with survival outcome included the diagnosis of SE and the number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used before investigation. The use of one AED before investigation and a diagnosis of SE were associated with a negative outcome, whereas receiving no AED medications before referral was associated with a longer survival. For dogs with IE, survival time was shortened if the dog was a border collie or with a history of status epilepticus;receiving no AEDs before referral in the IE group was associated with a positive outcome. Seizure-free status was achieved in 22 per cent of dogs diagnosed with IE. While the survival times were longer than previously reported in canine epilepsy, similar remission rates to those reported in childhood epilepsy, where a 70 per cent remission rate is documented, were not seen in the canine juvenile population.     

The association between high milk somatic cell counts in the first lactation and somatic cell counts in the second lactation

With the advent of web-based recording and analysis systems, individual cow composite somatic cell count (SCC) data are being increasingly used for decision support in mastitis control at both the individual cow and herd level. SCC data from first and second lactation dairy cows (n=1912) from 12 farms were analysed using multinomial logistic regression to investigate possible associations between high SCC patterns in the first lactation and the subsequent lactation. Animals with three non-consecutive counts >200,000 cells/mL in their first lactation were significantly more likely to have three non-consecutive counts >200,000 cells/mL (OR 3.11; 95% CI 1.72-5.62) or three consecutive counts >200,000 cells/mL (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.09-3.68) in their second lactation. Similarly animals with three consecutive counts >200,000 cells/mL in their first lactation were significantly more likely to have three non-consecutive counts >200,000 cells/mL (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.13-3.19) or three consecutive counts >200,000 cells/mL (OR 4.14; 95% CI 2.81-6.08) in their second lactation. These findings suggest that patterns established in the first lactation may have an impact on udder health in the subsequent lactation. However, simulation modelling of positive predictive values for the first lactation cell count patterns as predictors of second lactation patterns demonstrated that, at prevalences likely to be encountered on UK dairy farms, the associations were not a sufficient basis for major management decisions such as culling.     

Parotid duct transposition in dogs: a retrospective review of 92 eyes from 1999 to 2009

Objective The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective review of parotid duct transposition (PDT) in the dog to determine the rate and nature of complications, the success and failure rates and to evaluate owner satisfaction. Methods Medical records of 56 dogs (92 eyes) that underwent PDT and subsequent follow‐up by a veterinary ophthalmologist were reviewed. Forty owners (40 dogs/66 eyes) were contacted by telephone and 37 owners (37 dogs/60 eyes) also completed a visual analog scale questionnaire. Statistical evaluation included Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests, one‐way analysis of variance and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis with Wilcoxon and Log‐rank tests. Results The mean follow‐up was 38.7 months (range 1–109 months). The surgical success rate was 92% (85/92 eyes). Total failures (8%, 7/92 eyes) were because of severe saliva intolerance (n = 5 eyes) and PDT failure (n = 2 eyes). The complication rate was 50% (46/92 eyes) of which 61% (28/46 eyes) were managed medically and 39% (18/46 eyes) required further surgery. Ninety percent (36/40) of owners indicated that they would proceed with surgery again. Statistically significant improvements in owner perception of ocular comfort, number of daily topical treatments, ocular wetness, and postoperative vision were identified. Conclusions This study shows that PDT is a successful procedure based on clinical findings and in terms of owner perception. It has also demonstrated that PDT improves ocular comfort and vision in medically refractive cases of keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and that a low level of on‐going management is required in 33% of cases.     

Thymidine kinase assay in canine lymphoma

The aim of the study was to evaluate if thymidine kinase (TK) correlated with duration of first remission (DFR) or survival in dogs with lymphoma and if initial TK levels correlated with stage and substage; and also to assess if TK level at diagnosis correlated with immunophenotype. TK was assayed in 73 dogs with treatment naïve lymphoma, then again after treatment; 47% had an initial TK above the reference interval. Dogs with B‐cell lymphoma had higher initial TK activities than dogs with T‐cell lymphoma. TK levels were not higher in dogs with higher stage disease and TK activity prior to treatment was not associated with DFR or survival. Where TK was elevated at diagnosis, it fell into the reference range during remission. TK was normal in 53% dogs at diagnosis, which is higher than previously reported. Further studies are warranted to assess the utility of TK in dogs with lymphoma.     

Presence of Ureaplasma diversum in the Australian cattle population

In cattle, Ureaplasma diversum has been associated with decreased fertility, granular vulvovaginitis, endometritis, salpingitis and spontaneous abortion in cows and seminal vesiculitis, balanoposthitis and changes in bull sperm. The presence of U. diversum within the Australian cattle population has not been established. One of the aims of this study was to determine if U. diversum was present in Australian cattle, using culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), both of which are considered to be gold standards for bacterial identification. Of 100 samples collected from 66 male and 34 female cattle, 15 were positive for U. diversum. Therefore, Australia can no longer be considered free of U. diversum. Further studies should be conducted to ascertain the effects of U. diversum within Australian cattle herds and, if warranted, to investigate prevention, treatment and eradication protocols.