Use of an absorbable haemostatic gauze product to control bleeding in 20 horses

The objective of this study was to report our experience with an absorbable haemostatic gauze product in 20 horses with traumatic or surgical haemorrhage. The product is made from oxidised, regenerated cellulose (ORC) and is approved for external use and currently being studied to control internal bleeding in surgical settings in human subjects. Treated horses were from both practice and university settings. Signalment, anatomic location, underlying cause of bleeding and outcome were recorded in the medical record. The size of gauze, approximate time until bleeding stopped, and pre- and post-ORC adjunctive treatments were also recorded. The ORC was used in a variety of anatomic locations, including castration site, foot, flank incisions, distal limb, tooth extraction sites and the perineal region. The bleeding stopped or slowed dramatically within 90 s in 15 of 20 cases. There were no recorded complications in any of the cases. While this clinical report does not attempt to prove efficacy of the product in horses, it does show that this ORC product, which has been approved for use as a haemostatic agent in human subjects, is safe and of practical value, and may be a useful and viable option for the control of haemorrhage in a variety of equine clinical settings.     

Electron microscopy of equine respiratory viruses in organ cultures of equine fetal respiratory tract epithelium

Organ cultures of equine fetal tracheal and nasal turbinate epithelium were inoculated with equine influenza virus-A1 (EIV-A1), equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), or equine rhinovirus-1 (ERV-1). Infected organ cultures were processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy at various intervals and were compared with noninfected controls. Organ cultures inoculated with ERV-1 appeared normal with the exception of rare island-like lesions in infected nasal turbinate. Virus particles were not seen in thin sections of organ cultures infected with ERV-1. The EHV-1 caused extensive loss of the epithelial layer in tracheal and nasal turbinate organ cultures. The classic stages of herpesvirus morphogenesis were seen in thin sections of organ cultures infected with EHV-1. The EIV-A1 caused a scattered loss of cilia that was only apparent in infected tracheal organ cultures. Cilia were also seen bound in bundles. In thin sections, EIV-A1 particles were seen budding from the bases of microvilli.     

Milk fever in the cow--course of disease in relation to the serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase and gamma-glutamyltransferase

The serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), creatine kinase (CK), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was determined at the time of first and subsequent treatments in milk fever cows which responded differently to treatment, and in a number of healthy, periparturient cows. Serum ASAT, ALAT and CK levels were lower in the healthy cows than in the milk fever cows at first treatment. Serum ASAT and serum CK were, at first treatment, higher in the milk fever cows which did not recover than in those which recovered. At second and subsequent treatments, serum ASAT and serum ALAT were higher in the cows which failed to recover, and these cows also showed the highest levels of serum CK up-to and including fourth treatment. After an overall assessment of serum activity of the various enzymes, it is concluded that muscle damage was a significant complication both in cows which recovered and in those which failed to recover, while liver damage was of little importance.     

Rapid diagnosis of Aujeszky's disease in pigs by immunofluorescence

Direct immunofluorescence on impression smears of brain and pharynx was compared with virus isolation in cell culture for the diagnosis of Aujeszky's disease in experimentally and naturally infected pigs. Pharyngeal impression smears were more sensitive than virus isolation in two pigs killed 10 and 12 days after experimental infection. Both methods were of similar sensitivity in the detection of virus from field cases of disease. Smears of brain and pharynx were more sensitive than virus isolation for tissue which had been stored at room temperature (approximately 20 degrees C) for up to 48 hours. Some reduction in the amounts of virus recovered from tissues and the intensity of fluorescent staining occurred in these samples.     

Thirteen cases of botulism in horses fed big bale silage

An outbreak of pharyngeal and limb paresis involving four horses and nine ponies in the south east of England is described. Nine of the animals died or were destroyed on humane grounds. The clinical features suggested a diagnosis of botulism and mouse innoculation tests confirmed the presence of type B toxin in the serum of one case. All animals were fed big bale silage. It is describe how, in plastic wrapped silage manufacture, conditions of fermentation may be inadequate to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulism. Examination of a sample of silage fed to the affected horses suggested that this was probably the source of the toxin.     

Multiple apparent Sarcocystis abortion in four bovine herds

Foetuses recovered from multiple abortions in four dairy herds had multifocal nonsuppurative encephalitis, myocarditis and hepatitis. Focal placentitis was usually present. Sarcocystis-like protozoa were found in the brains of foetuses from two of the outbreaks. Apart from excess salivation in a few cows in one herd, farmers reported no clinical abnormalities prior to the abortions, and all cows remained normal after the abortions. Dogs and cats fed an affected foetus and neonatal calves from the affected herds failed to excrete protozoa in their faeces. The identity of the protozoa in the foetal brain was not confirmed.     

Infectious nature of Clostridium spiroforme-mediated rabbit enterotoxaemia

Newly weaned rabbits had diarrhoea only if they were infected with Clostridium spiroforme. In adult rabbits exposure to both clindamycin and C. spiroforme was necessary to induce disease. All diseased animals harboured C. spiroforme and its toxin. Adult rabbits given a course of clindamycin survived when held in a protected environment as did those challenged with C. spiroforme alone. At necropsy none of these apparently healthy animals showed signs of diarrhoea or caecitis. These findings suggest that, in the development of enterotoxaemia, weaning or clindamycin treatment and infection with C. spiroforme are separate events and that disease follows infection with this organism from the environment, as opposed to overgrowth by undetectable levels of C. spiroforme resident in the gut. Our data indicate that C. spiroforme is not a normal component of the rabbit gut flora and that the normal bowel ecology of the adult must be disrupted before C. spiroforme will colonize.     

Efficacy of fenbendazole against inhibited larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi in yearling cattle

Efficacy of fenbendazole, at doses of 7.5 and 10.0 mg/kg of body weight, against inhibited early 4th-stage larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi and other nematodes of the abomasum and intestinal tract, was investigated in naturally infected yearling heifers in late May 1982. In Louisiana, this is near the end of the period (March to May) in which maximal numbers of inhibition-prone larvae are acquired. The mean numbers of O ostertagi in 10 untreated control cattle were: adults, 4,880; developing 4th-stage larvae, 12,546; and inhibited early 4th-stage larvae, 167,931. At the 7.5 mg/kg dose level (10% liquid suspension) in 10 cattle, percentage reduction of O ostertagi in comparison with controls was: adults, 95.7%; developing 4th stages, 91.1%; and inhibited 4th stage, 55.0%. Percentage reductions of other genera were as follows: abomasum--Trichostrongylus axei, 99.6%; Haemonchus sp, 95.1%; intestinal tract--Cooperia spp, 97.8%; Trichostrongylus colubriformis, 100.0%; and Oesophagostomum radiatum 4th stage and adults, 100.0%. At the 10.0 mg/kg dose (10% liquid suspension) in 11 cattle, the percentage reduction of O ostertagi in comparison with controls was: adults, 98.6%; developing 4th stages, 92.9%; and inhibited 4th stage, 80.0%. Percentage reductions of other genera were: abomasum--T axei, 99.9%; Haemonchus sp, 98.8%; intestinal tract--Cooperia spp, 99.3%; T colubriformis, 100.0%; and Oes radiatum 4th stage and adults, 100.0%. Variability of efficacy against inhibited larvae was observed, particularly at the 7.5 mg/kg dose; at this dose, 7 of the 10 heifers in the group yielded in excess of 54,000 surviving larvae.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Influence of dietary niacin on volatile fatty acids in rumen liquid of sheep and rumen dry matter degradability of untreated and ammonia-treated wheat straw

Three rumen fistulated sheep were fed with roughage (1200 g artificially dried grass) or a concentrate/roughage diet (600 g concentrate, 400 g artificially dried grass per animal and day). The diets were unsupplemented or 0.5, 1 and 2 g niacin per animal and day were added. After a 14-day adaptation period samples of rumen liquid were taken 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 h after morning feeding. In a second experiment untreated and NH3-treated wheat straw were incubated in nylon bags for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h in the rumen of 5 sheep fed with 1.2 kg artificially dried grass and unsupplemented or supplemented with 1 g niacin per day. Niacin did not significantly influence the total concentration of volatile fatty acids, acetate and branched chain fatty acids in both types of diet (P less than 0.05). 0.5 and 1 g niacin in the roughage and 0.5 g niacin in concentrate/roughage diet increased the propionic acid concentration and reduced the butyric acid concentration in rumen liquid of sheep (P less than 0.05). Niacin resulted in a small decrease (P greater than 0.05) of dry matter degradability in rumen. After 48 h incubation time, the dry matter disappearance of untreated and NH3-treated wheat straw amounted to 35.4 and 46.2% resp. The effects of niacin on rumen fermentation may be useful in avoiding ketogenic situations in dairy cows.