Skin blackening during the cooking of spent laying fowls

1. Blackening of the skin in factory processed cooked hens has been associated with elevated copper levels.

2. The degree of blackening was not directly related to copper content although the latter level was always higher than in control hens.

3. Simulated factory procedures, using scald water at 53 °C or 60 °C containing 50 mg Cu²⁺/1 and 50 mg C1₂/1, produced blackened skins of varying intensity on cooking.

4. It is suggested that the problem arose from a malfunction of the chlorination plant which produced excessive levels of chlorine and low pH, followed by erosion of copper from water pipes and subsequent interaction of copper and chlorine with the chicken skin.     

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in veterinary ophthalmology.

Uveitis is a common sequela to many ocular diseases. Primary treatment goals for uveitis should be to halt inflammation, prevent or control complications caused by inflammation, relieve pain, and preserve vision.Systemic and topical NSAIDs are essential components of the pharmaceutic armamentarium currently employed in the management of ocular inflammation by general practitioners and veterinary ophthalmologists worldwide. NSAIDs effectively prevent intraoperative miosis; control postoperative pain and inflammation after intraocular procedures, thus optimizing surgical outcome; control symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis;alleviate pain from various causes of uveitis; and circumvent some of the unwanted side effects that occur with corticosteroid treatment. Systemic NSAID therapy is necessary to treat posterior uveitis, because therapeutic concentrations cannot be attained in the retina and choroid with topical administration alone, and is warranted when diseases, such as diabetes mellitus or systemic infection, preclude the use of systemic corticosteroids.Risk factors have been identified with systemic and topical administration of NSAIDs. In general, ophthalmic NSAIDs may be used safely with other ophthalmic pharmaceutics; however, concurrent use of drugs known to affect the corneal epithelium adversely, such as gentamicin, may lead to increased corneal penetration of the NSAID. The concurrent use of NSAIDs with topical corticosteroids in the face of significant preexisting corneal inflammation has been identified as a risk factor in precipitating corneal erosions and melts in people and should be undertaken with caution[8]. Clinicians should remain vigilant in their screening of ophthalmic and systemic complications secondary to drug therapy and educate owners accordingly. If a sudden increase in patient ocular pain (as manifested by an increase in blepharospasm, photophobia, ocular discharge, or rubbing)is noted, owners should be instructed to contact their veterinarian promptly.     

Management of ureteral obstruction.

The most common cause of ureteral obstruction in dogs and cats is ureteral calculi. Common clinical signs associated with ureteral obstruction include abnormalities in urination, persistent urinary tract infection, abdominal pain, vomiting, anorexia, weight loss,and depression or lethargy. Medical management of ureteral obstruction includes fluid diuresis, muscle relaxants, and treatment of azotemia using nephrostomy tubes or hemodialysis. Surgical techniques used to restore patency to the ureter include ureterotomy,partial ureterectomy and ureteroneocystostomy, and ureteral resection and anastomosis. Lithotripsy has been used in dogs to remove ureteral calculi. Renal function can be preserved if complete ureteral obstruction is relieved within several days of onset.     

C-reactive protein concentrations in canine acute pancreatitis

Objective: To determine if C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentration is elevated in spontaneously occurring canine acute pancreatitis (AP), and to measure changes in CRP during the course of hospitalization. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Foster Hospital for Small Animals. Animals: Sixteen client‐owned dogs with AP and 16 healthy controls. Interventions: Blood samples were obtained from the AP group on the day of diagnosis (Day 1), and on Days 3 and 5, unless the dog died or was discharged from the hospital. Blood was obtained from the control dogs once. Measurements and main results: Serum CRP was measured using a commercial immunoassay for each dog with AP and for healthy controls. Day 1 CRP concentrations were significantly higher in the AP group (56.1±12.7 μg/mL) compared with controls (2.8±1.3 μg/mL; P<0.001). For the 7 dogs that had samples collected on all 3 days, the mean CRP concentrations decreased significantly (P=0.043) over the 5 days of measurement. Of the 16 dogs with AP, 14 were discharged from the hospital and 2 were euthanized. Conclusions: Serum CRP concentrations were elevated in this group of 16 dogs with spontaneously occurring AP. In the 7 dogs that had measurements on all 3 days, the mean CRP concentration decreased from the day of diagnosis to the measurement made 5 days later.     

Bovine viral diarrhea virus subgenotype 1b in water buffalos (Bubalus bubalis) from Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Serological studies have characterized the presence of the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in water buffalo herds worldwide. However, the...     

Influences of population density,temperature and latitude on the growth of invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva

Plasticity in life‐history traits provides advantages for introduced fish in overcoming demographic bottlenecks that would otherwise inhibit establishment. Here, the influence of population density, temperature and latitude was tested on the growth increments and growth rates of invasive populations of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, a small Asian cyprinid fish that is invasive across Europe. Aquaria experiments tested the roles of fish number and temperature on growth increments under a fixed food supply, pond experiments tested the role of density on growth increments, and a field study completed in England and Wales tested the influence of density and latitude on growth rates. In aquaria experiments, whilst growth increments were higher at 21 and 23 °C than at 19 and 25 °C, fish number had a greater influence on growth than temperature. Higher growth increments were produced at lower densities. In experimental ponds, growth increments were significantly higher in ponds with low densities of P. parva compared with those at elevated densities. In the field study comprising 10 wild populations across a latitudinal gradient of 4.0°N, a difference in mean air temperatures of approximately 3 °C, and estimated densities between 0.5 and 65.0 m^?2, population density was the only significant predictor of growth rates. Whilst populations at very low densities comprised of significantly faster growing individuals, there were no significant differences when densities were between 15 and 65 m^?2. Thus, invasive P. parva populations have considerable growth plasticity, especially at low densities, with this likely to be important in their ability to colonise new environments.     

Projecting future habitat quality of three midwestern reservoir fishes under warming conditions

Rising temperatures caused by climate change are likely to affect cool‐water and warm‐water fishes differently. Yet, forecasts of anticipated temperature effects on fishes of different thermal guilds are lacking, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Towards this end, we used spatially explicit, growth rate potential (GRP) models to project changes in seasonal habitat quality for a warm‐water piscivore (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides), a cool‐water piscivore (walleye Sander vitreus) and a hybrid piscivore (saugeye S. vitreus × S. canadensis) in two Midwestern reservoirs. We assessed habitat quality for two periods (early and middle 21st century) under two realistic greenhouse gas emission scenarios (a mid‐century emissions peak and a rapid continuous increase in emissions). Largemouth bass were projected to experience enhanced or slightly reduced habitat during all seasons, and throughout the mid‐21st century. By contrast, walleye habitat was projected to decline with anticipated warming, except during the spring in the smaller of our two study reservoirs and during the fall in the larger of our two study reservoirs. Saugeye habitat was projected to either increase modestly or decline slightly during the spring and fall and declines in habitat quality and quantity that were smaller than those for walleye were identified during summer. Collectively, our findings indicate that climate warming will differentially alter habitat suitability for reservoir piscivores, favouring warm‐water species over cool‐water species. We expect these changes in habitat quality to impact the dynamics of reservoir fish populations to varying degrees necessitating the consideration of climate when making future management decisions.     

Hand-assisted laparoscopic cystotomy for cystic calculus removal in male horses (3 cases)

A technique for hand-assisted laparoscopic removal of cystic calculi in male horses is described. Three cystic calculi ranging from 5 to 10 cm in diameter were removed successfully using bilateral para-inguinal laparoscopic portals assisted by a human hand within the abdomen, effectively sealing the midline incision. Long-term follow-up information obtained from referring veterinarians and owners indicated that the patients returned to their previous activity level and had no recurrence of clinical signs in the following 6 to 12 months.Key clinical message:Hand-assisted recumbent laparoscopy is a satisfactory surgical technique for removal of cystic calculi in horses which cannot be operated on standing or whose body condition would make the parainguinal approach difficult.