The use of echocardiography as a health assessment tool in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)

There are limited techniques available to assess the health of sea turtles as physical examination has little correlation to clinical findings, and blood reference intervals are broad and provide limited prognostic significance. Advances in the portability of ultrasound machines allow echocardiography to be increasingly used in the health assessments of wild animals. This study performed blood analysis and echocardiograms on 11 green sea turtles upon admission to a rehabilitation clinic and six animals before release. Significant differences were seen between groups, with admission animals having significantly smaller diameters of the cavum arteriosum at systole and diastole, smaller E‐waves and an increased fractional shortening. Pre‐release animals displayed significant increases in the maximum blood velocities of both the pulmonary artery and the left aorta. Significant negative correlations were seen between fractional shortening and uric acid and between the velocity time integral of the pulmonary artery and urea. The pulmonary artery velocity time integral was also significantly correlated to the E wave. Furthermore, there was asynchrony between the cavum arteriosum and the cavum pulmonale and the detection of a parasitic granuloma in the ventricular outflow tract of one animal. Overall, the results suggest that cardiac function in stranded green sea turtles is significantly impaired and that echocardiography has applications in the health assessments of green sea turtles.     

Long-lasting prevention against blowfly strike using the insect growth regulator dicyclanil

OBJECTIVE: To assess a ready-to-use formulation of dicyclanil to prevent blowfly strike on Merino sheep under Australian conditions. DESIGN: Randomised clinical trials conducted in an environment house and in the field. PROCEDURE: Two environment house trials were used to measure the protection against flystrike provide by a jetting or a ready-to-use 5% spray-on formulation of dicyclanil over 22 and 31 weeks respectively. Oviposition and strikes were recorded weekly for each sheep. In two field trials the occurrence of strike in Merino sheep treated off-shears or in long wool with dicyclanil or with cyromazine was compared for up to 38 weeks after treatment. Efficacy was assessed by calculating the cumulative percentage of sheep struck. RESULTS: Under environment house conditions, sheep jetted with dicyclanil at 1.50, 0.75 and 0.30 g per sheep developed 0, 8 and 9 strikes respectively during the 22 weeks of the trial, whereas there were 358 strikes present in the placebo group. Sheep sprayed with dicyclanil at 2.25, 1.50 and 0.75 g per sheep developed 5, 11 and 29 strikes respectively between weeks 15 and 31 after treatment, whereas there were 185 strikes present in the untreated controls. In field trials the cumulative percentage of sheep struck reached 1% between weeks 12 to 13 after sheep had been treated with cyromazine. Sheep treated with dicyclanil reached the 1% limit at week 21 after treatment. CONCLUSION: Under Australian field conditions, a ready-to-use 5% spray-on formulation of dicyclanil applied off-shears or to long wool protected Merino sheep from blowfly strike for a period of at least 20 weeks.     

Intravenous administration of hypertonic sodium chloride solution with dextran or isotonic sodium chloride solution for treatment of septic shock secondary to pyometra in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine effects of i.v. administration of hypertonic saline (7.5% NaCl) solution with 6% dextran 70 (HSSD) or isotonic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (ISS) to dogs with septic shock secondary to pyometra. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, clinical study. ANIMALS: 14 client-owned dogs with septic shock secondary to pyometra. PROCEDURE: Prior to emergency ovariohysterectomy, catheters were placed in pulmonary and femoral arteries of each dog to evaluate hemodynamic and oxygenation status. Immediately prior to surgery, 7 dogs received HSSD (4 ml/kg [1.82 ml/lb] of body weight, i.v.) and 7 dogs received ISS (32 ml/kg [14.54 ml/lb], i.v.) during a 5-minute period. Measurements of hemodynamic and oxygenation variables were obtained before and 5 and 20 minutes after administration of fluids. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased significantly 5 and 20 minutes after administration of HSSD, whereas ISS did not affect MAP. However, cardiac output, cardiac index, and oxygen delivery increased and hematocrit decreased after both treatments. Oxygen consumption and extraction rate and degree of acidosis did not improve after either treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intravenous administration of small volumes of HSSD to dogs with septic shock secondary to pyometra resulted in improvement of hemodynamic and oxygenation status. Although cardiac output, cardiac index, and oxygen delivery improved after administration of a volume of ISS equal to 8 times that of HSSD, MAP increased to > 80 mm Hg only after treatment with HSSD. Administration of HSSD may be an effective treatment for septic shock in dogs.     

Fullerene pipes

Single-wall fullerene nanotubes were converted from nearly endless, highly tangled ropes into short, open-ended pipes that behave as individual macromolecules. Raw nanotube material was purified in large batches, and the ropes were cut into 100- to 300-nanometer lengths. The resulting pieces formed a stable colloidal suspension in water with the help of surfactants. These suspensions permit a variety of manipulations, such as sorting by length, derivatization, and tethering to gold surfaces.     

A comparison of preoperative tramadol and morphine for the control of early postoperative pain in canine ovariohysterectomy

Objective To compare morphine with tramadol for the management of early postoperative pain following ovariohysterectomy after pyometra in dogs. Study design Prospective randomized blinded clinical trial. Animals Thirty female dogs, 2–14 years old. Methods Animals were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group 1 received 0.2 mg kg^?1 of morphine IV and group 2 received 2 mg kg^?1 of tramadol IV after the induction of anesthesia. The dogs were premedicated with acepromazine, and anesthesia was induced with intravenous midazolam and ketamine. Isoflurane was used for the maintenance of anesthesia. The variables measured were: analgesia; sedation; cardiac and respiratory rates; arterial blood pressure; end‐tidal isoflurane and carbon dioxide (Pe ′CO₂); oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO₂); plasma catecholamines; serum cortisol and glucose concentrations; pH and blood gases. The animals were monitored for 6 hours after the administration of the analgesic agent. Results There were no differences between the two groups with regard to analgesia, sedation, SpO₂, pH and blood gases, cardiovascular variables, glucose, catecholamine and cortisol concentrations. Forty minutes postopioid administration, the end‐tidal isoflurane concentration was significantly lower in the morphine‐treated group as compared to the tramadol group. At 30 minutes following opioid injection, Pe ′CO₂ was significantly higher in the morphine group than in the tramadol group. Two dogs in the tramadol group and one in the morphine group were given morphine postoperatively because of increasing pain scores. Conclusion and clinical relevance Morphine and tramadol, administered preemptively can be used safely in dogs to control early pain after ovariohysterectomy without significant adverse effects.     

Cyclooxygenases 1 and 2 inhibition and analgesic efficacy of dipyrone at different doses or meloxicam in cats after ovariohysterectomy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the cyclooxygenases (COX) inhibition, adverse effects and analgesic efficacy of dipyrone or meloxicam in cats undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy.Study designProspective, blinded, randomized, clinical study.AnimalsA total of 30 healthy young cats.MethodsThe cats were randomly assigned to three postoperative groups: D25 (dipyrone 25 mg kg^?1 every 24 hours), D12.5 (dipyrone 12.5 mg kg^?1 every 12 hours) and M (meloxicam 0.1 mg kg^?1 every 24 hours). In the first 24 hours, the drugs were administered intravenously (IV), and then orally for 6 (dipyrone) or 3 days (meloxicam). Prostanoids thromboxane B₂ and prostaglandin E₂ concentrations served as indicators of COX activity and, with physiological variables and pain and sedation scores, were measured for 24 hours after first analgesic administration. Rescue analgesia (tramadol, 2 mg kg^?1 IV) was provided if Glasgow feline composite measure pain scale (CMPS-Feline) ≥5. Laboratory tests included symmetric dimethylarginine and adverse effects were evaluated regularly up to 7 and 10 days after surgery, respectively. Parametric and nonparametric data were analyzed with two-way anova and Kruskal-Wallis tests, respectively (p < 0.05).ResultsIn the first half hour after analgesic administration, COX-1 activity was close to zero and remained significantly lower than before drug administration for 24 hours in all groups. The inhibition of COX-2 activity was significant for 30 minutes in all groups and up to 4 hours in group M. No alterations in laboratory tests or significant adverse effects were observed. Pain scores and need for rescue analgesia did not differ statistically among groups.ConclusionsDipyrone at both doses and meloxicam provided a nonselective inhibition of COX-1 and -2 activities and effective analgesia without causing significant adverse effects or laboratory tests alterations.Clinical relevanceDipyrone at both doses provides equally effective analgesia without causing adverse effects in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy.