Blood thiamine levels in normal cattle and sheep at pasture

Analysis of whole blood samples from 174 cattle and, 174 sheep from 3 geographical regions of New Zealand over a 10 month period showed a mean (range) thiamine level of 122 nmol/l (71-237 nmol/l) for cattle and 118 nmol/l (67-227 nmol/l) for sheep. Regional and seasonal differences were noted with levels tending to rise over the summer period. A reference range of 75-185 nmol/l is proposed for both cattle and sheep to cover these variations. Levels below 50 nmol/l are considered indicative of deficiency.     

The detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in bovine faeces by isolation and the comparison of isolation with the examination of stained smears by light microscopy

The detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis organisms in bovine faeces by isolation was compared with that by the microscopical examination of Ziehl-Neelsen stained faecal smears for the presence of clumps of acid-fast M. paratuberculosis organisms. Faeces were obtained from cattle naturally or experimentally infected with M. paratuberculosis as well as from uninfected cattle. Microscopical examination was an unreliable method for the detection of M. paratuberculosis organisms, since the organisms were only detected in 99 (=55.9%) of 177 culturally positive faecal samples. 1111 addition, clumps of acid-fast organisms indistinguishable from M. paratuberculosis were also observed iin three of 18 samples from cattle free from Johne's disease and in 18 of 37 culturally negative samples from paratuberculous cattle. When M. paratuberculosis organisms were added to faeces from an uninfected cow, results showed that isolation attempts should be positive when 15 or more M. paratuberculosis organisms per gram of faeces are present.     

The pathogenesis of excessive wear in the deciduous teeth of sheep

The teeth and various supporting and ancillary tissues were examined post mortem from two flocks of sheep, one of which had previously shown high deciduous incisor wear. Sheep were killed in groups selected on clinical signs at equivalent ages from birth to 116 weeks of age. At the end of this time the lengths of clinical crowns of the remaining deciduous incisor teeth in the high wear flock were not measurable, whereas the other flock had up to 5.5 mm in visible crown. Using the cingulum as a marker, measurements were made from extracted teeth of the attrition of the crown and size of the root. The tooth root did not grow substantially longer after the 13th week of the sheep;s life. Wear facets were just visible in some sheep at six weeks. More rapid wear occurred three times in the high wear flock. The first of these was relatively small and occurred between the 13th and 27th week of age in I1 and I2. The second was larger and occurred between the 38th and 57th week of age in the winter/spring period. A third period of wear, which was not measured from the cingulum, because this structure had by then been worn away, was seen in the remaining deciduous teeth between the ages of 91 and 110 weeks of age, i.e., during the second winter and spring. In the low wear flock the first of these periods of wear did not occur, the second was of shorter duration and smaller size, and the third equivocal. Eruption of the teeth after the 6th week was principally passive. There was no difference in the degree of wear of the molar teeth from the two flocks. Histological examination showed that the wear was compensated for by the deposition of reparative dentine in the pulp cavity. This usually gave the appearance of an ordered process. However, when wear was excessively rapid, a different, less orderly form of reparative dentine was laid down. In a few cases the reparative process was not fast enough, and a connection developed between the mouth and the pulp causing pulpitis. There was no histological evidence that the supportive tissues of the teeth, or the upper dental pad, contributed to the excessive wear.