Papillomavirus-induced dermatofibroma in cattle following tuberculin testing

Papillomavirus was identified in two fibromatous dermal nodules which were representative of those present in the caudal fold skin of the tail in 25 of 145 beef cattle tuberculin tested 3 months earlier. Bovine warts were endemic on the property and it is hypothesised that the papilloma virus was introduced intradermally by a virus-contaminated tuberculin syringe. At palpation, the well-circumscribed hard nodular lesions were atypical of the diffuse caudal fold swelling usually present in reactions to tuberculin. Provided tuberculin testing officers are aware of the risk of fibroma and papilloma induction by transmission of papillomavirus, and they are careful to prevent equipment coming into contact with warts at time of inoculation, this source of inaccuracv mav be avoided.     

Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA (Sanfilippo syndrome) in a New Zealand Huntaway dog with ataxia

Aim: To investigate the nature of a progressive ataxia in a New Zealand Huntaway dog.

Methods: The affected dog was examined clinically before being humanely killed and necropsied. Selected tissues were submitted to light and electron microscopy and to biochemical analyses.

Results: The histological lesions were interpreted as indicative of one of the forms of mucopolysaccharidosis type-III (dMPS-III), a lysosomal storage disease. Biochemically there was a deficiency of heparan sulphamidase. All the heparan sulphate chains had non-reducing-end glucosamine-N-sulphate residues.

Conclusion: The disease is dMPS-IIIA (Sanfilippo syndrome). An autosomal recessive mode of inheritance can be provisionally assumed from the nature of this disease in other species.     

Urinary Markers in Healthy Young and Aged Dogs and Dogs with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine concentrations only detect a decrease of >75% of renal functional mass. Therefore, there is a need for markers that allow early detection and localization of renal damage.
Hypothesis: Urinary albumin (uALB), C-reactive protein (uCRP), retinol binding protein (uRBP), and N -acetyl-β- d -glucosaminidase (uNAG) concentrations are increased in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with healthy controls and in healthy older dogs compared with young dogs.
Animals: Ten dogs with CKD, 10 healthy young dogs (age 1–3 years), and 10 healthy older dogs (age > 7 years) without clinically relevant abnormalities on physical examination, hematology, biochemistry, and urinalysis.
Methods: Urinary markers were determined using an ELISA (uALB, uCRP, and uRBP) or a colorimetric test (uNAG). Results were related to urinary creatinine (c). The fixed effects model or the Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to compare the different groups of dogs.
Results: uALB/c, uRBP/c, and uNAG/c were significantly higher in CKD dogs than in healthy dogs. No significant difference was found for uCRP, which was not detectable in the healthy dogs and only in 3 of the CKD dogs. Between the healthy young and older dogs, no significant difference was detected for any of the markers.
Conclusion: The urinary markers uALB/c, uRBP/c, and uNAG/c were significantly increased in dogs with CKD compared with healthy controls. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the ability of these markers to detect renal disease before the onset of azotemia.     

Age resistance and acquired immunity to Taenia pisiformis infection in dogs

An experiment was carried out using five groups of five beagle puppies each to measure age resistance to T. pisiformis infection and acquired immunity resulting from exposure to antigens released by adult tapeworms and/or oncospheres. Resistance was gauged by the number of worms established from challenge infections, and by the degree of development of those worms established (relaxed lenght, segment number, eggs per terminal proglottis).Age of puppies had a marked effect upon worm development, excluding the number of eggs per terminal proglottis, but not upon the number of worms established. Acquired immunity could not be demonstrated by any of the methods used.     

Behavioural and Physiological Aspects of Cardiac Development in the Dog

Abstract— Aspects of development of the canine heart were investigated. During postnatal growth, a linear relationship between heart weight and total body weight was found. There was a decrease in heart rate after 2 weeks of age which was not correlated with alterations in size of the heart but with increasing vagal tone for atropine caused the greatest increase in heart rate from the resting level at 2 weeks of age. Rearing pups under conditions of stress (supra-normal stimulation or “handling”) abolished the vagal-slowing which occurred in normal pups at 2 weeks of age. A marked increase in heart rate (increased sympathetic tone) was observed in these handled subjects and it was surmised that early experience (e.g. stress factors in early life) can significantly modify the ontogeny of the heart. The clinical significance of these observations is discussed. Résumé— Les aspects du developpement du coeur du chien ont été investigués. Durant la croissance postnatale, une relation linéaire entre le poids du coeur et le poids total du corps a été trouvée. Il y a eu un décroissement dans le taux du coeur après 2 semaines, décroissement qui n'est pas en corrélation avec les alterations dans la taille du coeur mais avec un accent pneumogastrique augmentant car l'atropine a causé la plus grande augmentation des battements du coeur du repos à 2 semaines. Elever des chiots sous des conditions de contrainte (stimulation supra-normale ou “maniement’) abolit le ralentissement pneumogastrique qui survient chez des chiens normaux à 2 semaines. Une augmentation marquée des battements du coeur (accent sympathique augmenté) a été observed chez ces sujets manipulés et il a été conjectureé qu'une expérience précoce (c.a.d. des facteurs de contrainte dans le jeune ǎge) peut modifier d'une maniere significative Pontogenèse du coeur. La signification clinique de ces observations a été discutée. Zusammenfassung— Einige Faktoren über die Entwicklung des Hundeherzes wurden untersucht. In den Tagen nach der Geburt, eine linealische Beziehung zwischen dem Herzgewicht und Körpergewicht wurde festgesetzt. Abnahme der Herzfrequenz tratt nach 2 Wochen an, und hatte keine Beziehung mit den Anderungen der Herzgrösse. Diese Abnahme ist mit zunehmenden Vagustonus verbunden, Atropine verursachte die grösste Herzfrequenz im Alter von 2 Wochen. Vagustonus konnte man nicht in jungen Hunden finden welche unter Aufstrengung aufgezogen waren (supra-normale Reizung oder “handling’). In diesen Hunden eine auffallende Verstarkung der Herzfrequenz wurde gefunden, (erhöht sympathischer tonus) und man kann vermuten dass früheErfahrung die Ontogenese des Herzes bedeutend modifiziert.