Poisoning of cattle by amaranthus

Extract

Sir, — The July issue of the journal contained a letter on the above subject that caught my attention. It seems that the author is unaware of reports of poisoning by redroot in New Zealand and I thought it appropriate to draw his attention to them. Brackenridge (1956 Brackenridge, D. T. 1956. Nitrate poisoning caused by turnips and red-root. N.Z. vet. J., 4: 165–166.  [Google Scholar]) reported an outbreak of nitrate poisoning in cattle grazing redroot and turnip tops and the following year Coup and I published on poisoning by these two plants and green oats. We also reported experimental poisoning of three cows with red root. Duckworth's findings are similar to those reported in previous outbreaks. As I recall, in the 9 years I was in the diagnostic section at Ruakura, these were the only recorded cases of nitrate poisoning in cattle. The infrequency of redroot poisoning may be a reflection of the small chance that all the conditions necessary to induce it rarely occur at the same time.     

The experimental production of hyperkeratosis in young calves by the use of a pentachlorinated naphthalene compound

Abstract

Extract

Following the occurrence in the field of typical cases of hyperkeratosis (Haughey and Cooper, 1953 Haughey, K. G. and Cooper, B. S. 1953. N.Z.vet.J., 1: 99–103. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) which was associated with the use of a pentachlorinated naphthalene wood preserving compound, it was decided to attempt to reproduce this disease under experimental conditions.     

A case of miliary bovine tuberculosis in a dog

Extract

Ethiopia is an agricultural and stock-raising country, some six times the size of Italy, and with climates ranging from tropical desert to temperate highlands. Until recently, its isolation was profound. A year ago Eritrea was added as a Federated State, and with it came the fine port of Massawa. A road also exists to the coast to the port of Assab, and this in future may be developed into a useful cargo route. The present railway line from Djibouti to Addis is very expensive running, as it goes over much desert country without hope of picking up freight. The people, 18,000,000 in number, are made up of many tribes, the senior being the Amharic, while the religions are mainly Coptic and Moslem. Food customs vary a little but are simple, mainly consisting of bread made from teff or dhura, called indjerra, and a highly-spiced and hot stew known as “wott.” Feast days are meat-eating days of beef, mutton, goat, and poultry in varying degrees of preparedness and in that order of value.     

A specific suppurative epididymitis of rams

On the basis of worm counts in naturally infected Angora-X goats, albendazole at either 3.8mg/kg repeated after 24 hours or as a single dose at 7.6mg/kg, was >99% effective in removing adult Ostertagia and Trichostrongylus spp. Small numbers of adult Haemonchus contortus, Cooperia sp. and Chabertia ovina were present in control but not treated animals. The single dose of 7.6mg/kg removed > 99% of adult Oesophagostomum venulosum whereas the repeated dose of 3.8mg/kg removed only 96%.