Surgical management of laryngeal collapse associated with brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome in dogs

Objective: To describe the use of cricoarytenoid lateralisation combined with thyroarytenoid caudo- lateralisation (arytenoid laryngoplasty) for the management of stage II and III laryngeal collapse in dogs. Methods: A retrospective study of a consecutive series of 12 dogs suffering from life-threatening stage II or III laryngeal collapse associated with brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome. Results: Pre-operatively, either stage II collapse (2/12) or stage III collapse (10/12) was confirmed on visual examination. In all cases, a left-sided arytenoid laryngoplasty was performed. Two dogs were euthanased postoperatively as a result of persistent life-threatening respiratory compromise. The procedure resulted in subjective enlargement of the rima glottidis and an associated improvement in respiratory function in the remaining 10 dogs. Follow-up, long-term outcome (median, 3·5 years) in these dogs indicated that all owners considered that the surgery had resulted in marked improvements in their dog's respiratory function, tolerance to exercise, and quality of life. Clinical Significance: Combined cricoarytenoid and thyroarytenoid caudo-lateralisation may be a useful procedure for treatment of stage II and III laryngeal collapse in the dog.     

Objectives and applications of phenotyping network set‐up for livestock

Providing phenotypic information, which is accurate, reliable, repeatable and comparable across countries or laboratories, is critical to gain a better understanding of the relationship between genes and phenotypes. So far, it is indeed extremely difficult to combine different sources of phenotypic data from multiple origins, partly because of the variability in the methods of phenotyping. The phenotyping program of livestock involves the definition of complex phenotypes obtained from data integration at different levels (from molecules to herds), the implementation of the latest technologies to accurately characterize at high speed and low cost, the greatest number of animals in a better characterized environment, and the development and sharing of large databases for data analysis and modeling. Such a program also involves the construction of a coordinated network of research and professional facilities and a common language with shared definition of unambiguous animal traits and of methods to assess them. To this end, it will build on the ‘Animal Trait Ontology of Livestock’ (ATOL) project with the objective of defining precisely the phenotypes of interest for farm animals. Then, it will be necessary to combine an environmental information system related to animal husbandry and associated methods to capture the phenotypic differences between animals.     

Characterization of eae+ Escherichia coli isolated from healthy and diarrheic calves.

Strains of Escherichia coli from 101 healthy and 114 diarrheic calves were screened by PCR for the eae (intimin) gene and Shiga toxin genes (stx). Each eae+ and eae/stx+ strain was examined for antimicrobial susceptibility, enterohemolysin activity, and the somatic O antigen was determined. An immunoassay was used to detect Shiga toxin antigens for the eae/stx+ E. coli. Significantly more (p = 0.005) of the healthy calves carried eae+ and eae/stx+ E. coli in their feces when compared to strains from diarrheic calves. Moreover, Shiga toxin antigens were detected significantly more (p = 0.001) often among the eae/stx+ strains from healthy calves when compared to eae/stx+ strains from diarrheic calves. However, significantly more (p = 0.001) of the eae+ and eae/stx+ strains from diarrheic calves were resistant to at least one of the antimicrobials tested, and the strains from diarrheic calves had a significantly (p = 0.05) higher rate of antimicrobial resistance to at least two different antimicrobial classes. No significant difference (p> or =0.05) was detected among the eae+ and eae/stx+ strains from healthy and diarrheic calves for enterohemolysin production. Serogroups O-negative, O5, O26, and O111 were predominate among both healthy and diarrheic calves.     

Accuracy of open magnetic resonance imaging for guiding injection of the equine deep digital flexor tendon within the hoof

Lesions of the distal deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) are frequently diagnosed using MRI in horses with foot pain. Intralesional injection of biologic therapeutics shows promise in tendon healing; however, accurate injection of distal deep digital flexor tendon lesions within the hoof is difficult. The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate accuracy of a technique for injection of the deep digital flexor tendon within the hoof using MRI‐guidance, which could be performed in standing patients. We hypothesized that injection of the distal deep digital flexor tendon within the hoof could be accurately guided using open low‐field MRI to target either the lateral or medial lobe at a specific location. Ten cadaver limbs were positioned in an open, low‐field MRI unit. Each distal deep digital flexor tendon lobe was assigned to have a proximal (adjacent to the proximal aspect of the navicular bursa) or distal (adjacent to the navicular bone) injection. A titanium needle was inserted into each tendon lobe, guided by T1‐weighted transverse images acquired simultaneously during injection. Colored dye was injected as a marker and postinjection MRI and gross sections were assessed. The success of injection as evaluated on gross section was 85% (70% proximal, 100% distal). The success of injection as evaluated by MRI was 65% (60% proximal, 70% distal). There was no significant difference between the success of injecting the medial versus lateral lobe. The major limitation of this study was the use of cadaver limbs with normal tendons. The authors conclude that injection of the distal deep digital flexor tendon within the hoof is possible using MRI guidance.     

Surface soil hydraulic properties in four soil series under different land uses and their temporal changes

The concepts of “genoform” and “phenoform” distinguish the genetically-defined soil series and the variation of soil properties resulted from different land uses and management practices. With the repeated field measurements over time, we attempted to understand the difference of soil hydraulic properties among different land uses for a given soil series, and their temporal dynamics. Four soil series (Glenelg, Hagerstown, Joanna, and Morrison) in Pennsylvania with contrasting textures, structures, and parent materials were investigated. Within each soil series, four common land uses (woodland, cropland, pasture, and urban) were examined. At each site of soil series–land use combination, field-saturated and near-saturated hydraulic conductivities, K(ψ), were measured at the soil surface using standard tension infiltrometers at water supply potentials (ψ) of − 0.12, − .06, − 0.03, − 0.02, − 0.01, and 0 m. Surface infiltration measurements were repeated at each site in May and October from 2004 to 2006. The analysis of variance indicated that the measurement time (May or October) had the greatest impact on all measured hydraulic conductivities (p < 0.001), followed by the land use (p < 0.05 for K_ψ = 0 and K_{ψ = − 0.06}) and soil series (p < 0.06 for K_{ψ = − 0.01} to K_{ψ = − 0.03}). The interactions between the time and land use and between the soil series and land use were statistically significant for K_ψ = 0 and K_{ψ = − 0.01.} When separated by the measurement time, land use showed greater impacts in October than in May, while soil series had greater impacts in May than in October. Among the four land uses, woodland showed less obvious temporal change compared to the other three land uses because of less human-induced impacts and more consistent ground cover. Other three land uses generally showed a higher hydraulic conductivity in May than in October due to the drier initial soil moisture condition and related management practices in the spring that gave rise to more significant macropore flow. The results suggested that the initial soil moisture is an important variable that drives the temporal variation of the surface soil hydraulic properties.     

Therapy of Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) in naturally infected and artificially inoculated piglets using BW B759U (9-[1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl] guanine)

Two experimental porcine models of Aujeszky's disease (AD) were compared for assessing the efficacy of potential antiviral compounds. While signs were the same following intranasal inoculation and in-contact transmission of the causal herpesvirus, SHV-1 (Suid herpesvirus), the time-course of the disease was different. There was less variation in clinical signs between pigs following artificial infection, but the disease was more severe, making this a consistent but also more stringent test system. A nucleoside analogue, BW B759U (9-[1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy-methyl] guanine), was administered intramuscularly in divided twice daily doses at 50 mg kg-1 to three-week-old piglets in these two SHV-1 disease models. In artificially infected animals, in which treatment was begun 1.5 hours preinfection and continued for six days, there was a delay in the onset of clinical signs (4.8 compared with 3.2 days), a 1 log10 reduction in virus shedding, and a 1 to 2 log10 reduction in virus recovered from tissues, but all the treated piglets died from AD. In contrast, none of the BW B759U-treated piglets in the in-contact model system died during the eight-day medication period, although two piglets died subsequently. Mean serum concentrations of BW B759U two hours after intramuscular dosing were about 45 microM, at nine hours 15 to 20 microM and at 17 hours 3.5 microM. The in vitro IC50 of BW B759U against SHV-1 varies from 1.5 to 80 microM depending on the cell line in which the assay is carried out. There were no overt signs of BW B759U toxicity in the treated piglets.     

Ethanol inhibits NMDA-activated ion current in hippocampal neurons

The ion current induced by the glutamate receptor agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in voltage-clamped hippocampal neurons was inhibited by ethanol (EtOH). Inhibition increased in a concentration-dependent manner over the range 5 to 50 mM, a range that also produces intoxication. The amplitude of the NMDA-activated current was reduced 61 percent by 50 mM EtOH; in contrast, this concentration of EtOH reduced the amplitude of current activated by the glutamate receptor agonists kainate and quisqualate by only 18 and 15 percent, respectively. The potency for inhibition of the NMDA-activated current by several alcohols is linearly related to their intoxicating potency, suggesting that alcohol-induced inhibition of responses to NMDA receptor activation may contribute to the neural and cognitive impairments associated with intoxication.     

Suspected botulism in cattle associated with poultry litter

Botulism was diagnosed clinically in grazing cattle on three closely sited dairy farms. The evidence suggests that the source of the toxin was poultry carcases containing types C and D Clostridium botulinum. These organism were also found in the alimentary tract of affected animals. Silage is suspected as having acted as a vehicle for the organisms and, or, toxins in cases which occurred later in housed cattle on one of the farms.