Mid-metacarpal Deep Digital Flexor Tenotomy in the Management of Refractory Laminitis in Horses

Deep digital flexor tendon transection at the mid-metacarpus was performed in 20 horses with severe acute or chronic laminitis that was not responsive to conventional treatment. Sixteen horses improved within 72 hours, one horse worsened, and two horses were unaffected by the surgery. Eleven horses survived less than 1 month after surgery and six horses survived longer than 6 months. Three horses surviving longer than 6 months have remained lame and no horse has returned to athletic performance. Transection of the deep digital flexor tendon at the mid-metacarpus may decrease the pain associated with the acute refractory stage of laminitis and may be useful as an immediate salvage procedure; however, despite the early clinical improvement observed after tenotomy, the survival rate of affected horses may not be altered.     

Pain sensitivity,sensory deprivation and susceptibility to satiation

The results reported bear out the hypotheses that (i) pain tolerance is positively related to satiability; (ii) sensory deprivation tolerance is negatively related to satiability. It is inferred that satiability may prove to be in part the mechanism of tolerance and intolerance, and that pain tolerance is inversely related to sensory deprivation tolerance.     

Validation of ultrasonography in detecting structural disease of the urogenital tract of the koala,Phascolarctos cinereus

A retrospective review of case records of ultrasonography and necropsy outcomes of 62 koalas was used to investigate the accuracy of ultrasonography in assessing koala urogenital tract structural disease at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. The results showed high concordance, supporting ultrasonography as an effective tool for evaluating structural disease of the koala urogenital tract, most commonly seen with chlamydiosis. The study also illustrates the advances benefiting animal welfare that can be made by wildlife carer groups through using a scientific, evidence‐based approach.     

Performance of juvenile Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii peelii (Mitchell), fed with diets of different protein to energy ratio

The results of a 56‐day experiment on juvenile Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii peelii, an Australian native fish with a high aquaculture potential, of mean weight 14.9 ± 0.04 g, fed with five experimental diets, one a series of 40% protein content and lipid levels of 10, 17 and 24% (P₄₀L₁₀, P₄₀L₁₇ and P₄₀L₂₄), and another of 50% protein and 17 and 24% (P₅₀L₁₇ and P₅₀L₂₄) lipid are presented. The specific growth rate (SGR) (% day^?1) of fish maintained on different diets ranged from 1.18 to 1.41, and was not significantly different between dietary treatments, except P₄₀L₁₀ and the rest. However, there was a general tendency for SGR to increase with increasing dietary lipid content at both protein levels. The food conversion ratio (FCR) for the 40% protein series diets were poorer compared with those of the 50% protein diets, and the best FCR of 1.14 was observed with the P₅₀L₁₇ diet. The protein efficiency ratio (PER), however, was better in fish reared on low protein diets. The net protein utilization (NPU) also did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) in relation to dietary treatment. As in the case of PER the highest NPU was observed in Murray cod reared on diet P₄₀L₂₄ and the lowest in fish fed with diet P₅₀L₂₄. The carcass lipid content reflected that of the diets, when significant increases in the lipid content was observed in relation to dietary lipid content at both protein levels. However, body muscle lipid content did not increase with increasing dietary lipid content, and was significantly lower than in the whole body. The fatty acids found in highest concentration amongst the saturates, monoenes and polyunsaturates (PUFAs) were 16 : 0, 18 : 1n‐9 and 22 : 6n‐3, respectively, and each of these accounted for more than 60% of each of the group's total. The muscle fatty acid content was affected by the dietary lipid content; for example the total amount (in μg mg^?1 lipid) of monoenes ranged from 72 ± 5.1 (P₄₀L₁₀) to 112 ± 10 (P₄₀L₂₄) and 112 ± 2.8 (P₅₀L₁₇) to 132 ± 11.8 (P₅₀L₂₄) and the n‐6 series fatty acids increased with increasing dietary lipid content, although not always significant. Most notably, 18 : 2n‐6 increased with the dietary lipid level in both series of diets.     

Retinal and lenticular lesions in vitamin-C-deficient juvenile red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (L.)

Abstract Ocular pathologic findings in eyes of ascorbic acid-deficient juvenile red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (L.), are described. Abnormalities in the most severely affected eyes included: reduced globe size and lack of normal globe rigidity; vascular congestion and intraocular haemorrhage; lenticular lesions which included disorganization of posterior cortex, vacuolation of posterior subcapsular cortex and posterior migration of lens epithelium; and severe central retinal degeneration. The authors suspect that retinal degeneration was related to phototoxic injury, to which these fish had increased susceptibility as a result of ascorbic acid deficiency. The cause for lenticular lesions was undetermined, but may have been related directly to ascorbic acid deficiency, indirectly to retinal degeneration, or both.     

Kinematic Motion Patterns of the Cranial and Caudal Canine Cervical Spine

Objective: To define the kinematic motion patterns of the canine cervical spine, with a particular emphasis on identifying differences between the cranial (C₂–C₄) and caudal (C₅–C₇) segments, and to determine the significance of coupled motions (CM) in the canine cervical spine. Study Design: Cadaveric biomechanical study. Sample Population: Cervical spines of 8 Foxhounds. Methods: Spinal specimens were considered free of pathology based on radiographic, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging examinations. All musculature was removed without damaging ligaments or joint capsules. Spines were mounted in a customized pure‐moment spine testing jig, and data were collected using an optoelectronic motion capture system. Range of motion, neutral zone and CM in flexion/extension, left/right lateral bending and left/right axial rotation were established. Data were analyzed using mixed‐effects maximum likelihood regression models. Results: Total flexion/extension did not change across the 4 levels. There was no difference between flexion and extension, and no CM was identified. Lateral bending was not different across levels, but tended to be greater in the cranial spine. Axial rotation was ～2.6 times greater in the caudal segments. Lateral bending and axial rotation were coupled. Conclusions: Kinematics of the cranial and caudal cervical spine differed markedly with greater mobility in the caudal cervical spine.