Intraperitoneal Circulation and Drainage in the Dog

The patterns of dispersion and drainage of a low viscosity, oil-based contrast medium within the peritoneal cavity were examined in 12 normal dogs. Intraperitoneal injection of contrast medium was cranial or caudal and drainage was by the sump-Penrose or open peritoneal method. Radiographs were made over a 96 hour period, before and after peritoneal drainage was established. Each dog was euthanatized and necropsied. The contrast medium was dispersed throughout the peritoneal cavity 15 to 30 minutes after cranial injection and 1 to 2 hours after caudal injection. Most of the contrast medium drained within 6 hours after open peritoneal drainage and within 24 to 48 hours after sump-Penrose drainage. At necropsy, there was complete encasement of all sump-Penrose drains and partial occlusion of all open peritoneal incisions by omentum adhered to the abdominal wound edges. Peritonitis was not grossly evident, but all dogs showed histologic evidence of an acute inflammatory reaction associated with the drain or wound edge.     

Studies on the Health of Beech Trees in Surrey, England: Relationship between Winter Canopy Assessment by Roloff's Method and Twig Analysis

Trees and saplings of all sizes (total 229) were studied atthree amenity sites in Surrey representing mixed woodland, beechhigh forest and open parkland. Roloff's winter assessment ofthe twig pattern of growth demonstrated an underlying differencebetween the sites, which was consistent with an associationbetween greater deterioration and more exposure to climate extremesand pollutants. Trees showed deterioration with age but prematureageing was seen in 35–50-year-old parkland trees. Withinthe woodland the more exposed trees had worse scores. Quantitative twig analysis was carried out on twigs from theupper canopy of 19 trees and saplings. In the most severelysuppressed trees yearly growth declined from the 1976 drought.Subsidiary shoot development was markedly reduced in such treesand there were high numbers of distorted and acute angled shoots.The latter two characteristics increased with age with younghealthy trees having very few of these types of shoots, buttwo 35-year-old trees in open parkland showed premature ageingwith larger numbers of such shoots. Twig analysis defined categories of twig pattern according toage and deterioration levels. There was generally good correlationbetween these categories and the Roloff twig canopy score beforeanalysis or with canopy scores of similar sized neighbours.Objective criteria suggested for future studies were: (1) measurementof annual primary shoot growth; (2) total secondary shoot lengthrelative to a standard primary shoot length; (3) mean numberof subsidiary shoots per year; and (4) proportion of shootsgrowing at 40° or less.     

Testing the effectiveness of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines: the relationship between test infection results and corresponding neutralization titers of vaccinated cattle

In the course of vaccine controls, the potency of 25 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines was tested quantitatively in parallel in cattle using the intradermal infection and the determination of the SN titres. More than 95% of the vaccinated cattle with SN titres of greater than 1:20 were protected from generalized FMD, regardless of the virus type tested. 61.5% of the vaccinated cattle with SN titres less than or equal to 1:20 were not protected and developed generalized FMD. Comparison of the PD50 values calculated from the results of the intradermal infection and the corresponding SN titres (minimum protection titre greater than 1:20) showed that the results were in complete agreement in 56% of the tested vaccines. In a further 32% of vaccines, the PD50 calculated from the SN titre was slightly below that for the intradermal infection, in the remaining 12% it was somewhat above. The possibility of using the minimum titre determination for testing a vaccine and the significance of this titre as an expression of protection by vaccination are discussed.     

Parosteal osteosarcoma of the mandible in a dog

A mandibular parosteal osteosarcoma was diagnosed in a 7-year-old Collie with prolapse of the third eyelid. Diagnosis was made by histologic evaluation of a mass removed by surgical excision. The dog was euthanatized because of local recurrence of the tumor, with metastasis to the lungs. Parosteal osteosarcomas are rarely reported in dogs and usually involve long bones in human beings.     

Detection of mycoplasmas in experimentally-infected bull sperm

Bull sperm pellets experimentally infected with various concentrations of Mycoplasma (M.) bovis, M. bovigenitalium, and M. californicum were stored several months at -196 degrees C and were subsequently tested for mycoplasmas, using different methods and culturing media. M. bovis was reliably identified by laboratory diagnosis up to a concentration of 10(2) cfu/pellet. M. bovigenitalium and M. californicum were found to make higher demands on the quality of culturing substrates. Recommended are 1-h broth incubation and 5-d broth breeding.