Efficacy of two 65 % permethrin spot-on formulations against canine infestations of Ctenocephalides felis and Rhipicephalus sanguineus

The efficacy of two formulations of a topically applied 65% permethrin spot-on for dogs (Defend EXspot Treatment for Dogs, Schering-Plough Animal Health Corp.) was evaluated against experimental infestations of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, and the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Thirty dogs were randomly allocated to treatment with 65 % permethrin in diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (original formulation), 65 % permethrin in propylene glycol monomethyl ether (test formulation), or to an untreated control group. Dogs assigned to treatment with a permethrin formulation received either 1 or 2 ml of the formulation in accordance with label directions on Day 0. One hundred unfed, adult cat fleas and 50 unfed, adult ticks were placed on each dog on Days -1, 5, 12, 19, 26, 33, and 40. Live fleas and ticks were counted on each dog on Days 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42. Treatment of dogs with either formulation of 65 % permethrin significantly (P <.05) reduced the number of live fleas and ticks from Days 2 through 42. No statistical differences were noted between the formulations regarding efficacy against C. felis or R. sanguineus.     

Cumulative impacts of oil fields on northern alaskan landscapes

Proposed further developments on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain raise questions about cumulative effects on arctic tundra ecosystems of development of multiple large oil fields. Maps of historical changes to the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field show indirect impacts can lag behind planned developments by many years and the total area eventually disturbed can greatly exceed the planned area of construction. For example, in the wettest parts of the oil field (flat thaw-lake plains), flooding and thermokarst covered more than twice the area directly affected by roads and other construction activities. Protecting critical wildlife habitat is the central issue for cumulative impact analysis in northern Alaska. Comprehensive landscape planning with the use of geographic information system technology and detailed geobotanical maps can help identify and protect areas of high wildlife use.     

Susceptibility of Pseudomonas isolates from the ears and skin of dogs to enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin

The purpose of this study was to compare susceptibilities of ear and skin Pseudomonas spp. isolates to enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. Specimens were obtained from dogs examined in a veterinary dermatology referral hospital. Susceptibilities of ear isolates to enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 46.9%, 66.7%, and 75.0%, respectively. Susceptibilities of skin isolates to the same drugs were 76.2%, 81.0%, and 80.0%, respectively. Ear isolates were significantly less susceptible to enrofloxacin than to ciprofloxacin (P=0.021), and ear isolates were significantly less susceptible to enrofloxacin than were skin isolates (P=0.034). When fluoroquinolone resistance was present, ear isolates were significantly less susceptible to enrofloxacin than to ciprofloxacin (P<0.001) and marbofloxacin (P=0.014).     

Detection of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers based on the 16S–23S rDNA intertranscribed spacer region and comparison with PCR primers based on other gene regions

Several published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers to identify Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, the causal organism of bacterial canker of kiwifruit, were found not to be specific. Two new sets of PCR primers, PsaF1/R2 and PsaF3/R4, were designed to be complementary to a portion of the 16S–23S rDNA intertranscribed spacer (ITS) regions. These primers amplified a DNA fragment from strains of P. syringae pv. actinidiae, but not from 56 strains of bacteria from six genera and 17 species, except for a strain of the tea pathogen, P. syringae pv. theae. When tested against DNA extracted from a further 20 strains from Japan, Korea, Italy and the USA deposited in culture collections as P. syringae pv. actinidiae, all except six cultures produced the expected product of 280 bp with PsaF1/R2 and 175 bp with PsaF3/R4. Results of multilocus sequence analysis using five housekeeping genes (gyrB, acnB, rpoD, pgi and cts) showed that none of these six strains was phylogenetically similar to P. syringae pv. actinidiae. In contrast to the P. syringae pv. actinidiae type strain, these strains were positive in the determinative tests for ice nucleation and syringomycin production. It is suggested that these six strains were incorrectly identified as P. syringae pv. actinidiae. It was not possible to distinguish P. syringae pv. actinidiae from the phylogenetically similar P. syringae pv. theae using the ITS, gyrB, acnB, rpoD, pgi or cts gene regions to design PCR primers. Because P. syringae pv. theae is unlikely to be found on kiwifruit, primers PsaF1/R2 and PsaF3/R4 are recommended for screening bacteria isolated from kiwifruit tissue.     

FEMORAL OSTEOMYELITIS AND OSTEOSARCOMA IN A DOG

An eight-year-old, female, spayed Golden Retriever was referred to the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital for a persistent lameness of 9 days duration. The initial diagnosis made by cytology and culture was Clostridium spp osteomyelitis of the right femoral head and neck. After approximately 1 month of treatment with ampicillin, it was noted radiographically that the lesion was progressing. An excision arthroplasty was done. Histological examination of the surgical specimen revealed osteogenic sarcoma. This case documents the importance of bone biopsy in differentiating osteomyelitis from a primary bone tumor.