Pathological findings in dogs naturally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Fifty-six dogs from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, were evaluated for Angiostrongylus vasorum infection. Small numbers of nematodes were found within pulmonary arteries of 6 dogs. Larvae were identified in fecal samples in 2 of 6 dogs. All 6 dogs had multifocal granulomatous pneumonia and sometimes foci of chronic thrombosis, which varied from very mild to severe. One dog had extensive pulmonary lesions resulting in cor pulmonale. Right heart failure was characterized by right ventricular hypertrophy, hepatic congestion, ascites, and hydrothorax. Microscopically, in most cases, eggs, larvae, and sometimes intravascular adults, were present within lung tissue sections. Small foci of granulomatous inflammation with and without larvae were present in kidney and brain in 4 dogs. An additional dog, diagnosed antemortem with angiostrongylosis via fecal examination, was also examined. Pathological findings consisted of severe pyogranulomatous interstitial pneumonia with myriad eggs, larvae, and numerous intravascular pulmonary adult nematodes with extensive arterial thrombosis. Five hundred and seventy-two adult worms were removed from pulmonary arteries. Foci of granulomatous inflammation, often associated with larvae and/or eggs, were present in tracheobronchial lymph nodes, adrenal gland, brain, and kidneys. Severe seizuring noted antemortem was attributed to several large, discrete areas of acute hemorrhagic infarction within the cerebrum and cerebellum. Natural A. vasorum infection in domestic dogs in eastern Newfoundland causes lung pathology of variable severity, which in some cases, may progress to cor pulmonale and which may be associated with extrapulmonary lesions and clinical signs.     

Metapopulation analysis indicates native and non‐native fishes respond differently to effects of wildfire on desert streams

Ash flows and flooding associated with wildfires represent important but understudied sources of disturbance for fish populations. Knowledge concerning these disturbances is especially limited for larger streams where warm water species dominate. Fire‐related disturbances have been hypothesised to differentially affect native and non‐native fishes, although this hypothesis has only been tested for salmonids. The objective of our research was to contrast effects of uncharacteristically large wildfires followed by flooding on metapopulations of native and non‐native fishes in the Gila River of southwest New Mexico. Probabilities of occupancy, colonisation and local extinction of fishes were calculated across sites before and during disturbance and were also measured across a broader spatial scale during disturbance to identify potential refuge locations. Occupancy was higher for native fishes than non‐natives, but multiple wildfire and flood events increased extinction probabilities of native species. Responses of non‐native species to wildfires were mixed; extinction of non‐native salmonids increased during disturbance, while extinction of several warm water species remained unchanged or decreased. Several undisturbed sites were poor refugia for natives as they were impacted by non‐native piscivores, dewatering, and fragmentation. However, despite exposure to multiple disturbances, sites located in large tributary and valley reaches were consistently occupied by native species, suggesting these habitats provided refugia. We suggest that management actions (forest thinning; prescribed burning) that restore a more natural disturbance regime of small and less severe fires coupled with habitat remediation activities (non‐native removal; decreased water withdrawal; improved connectivity) might diminish extinction risk for native fishes exposed to wildfire disturbance.     

Aggregate Recovery in Reclaimed Coal Mine Soils of SW Virginia

Sustainability of mined‐land reclamation is of growing importance, with over 600,000 ha of the Appalachian coal region disturbed since 1977. Long‐term evaluation of soil under various reclamation strategies is also important. Aggregation and organic matter (OM) influence both soil structure and function and can be of use in evaluating reclaimed systems. The objective of this study was to examine these two parameters in a long‐term experiment (27 years) where various types (control‐CON, topsoil‐TS, sawdust‐SD and biosolids‐BS) and rates of soil amendments (biosolids: BS‐22, BS‐56, BS‐112 and BS‐224 Mg ha⁻¹) have been applied. Macroaggregates (>250 µm) comprised >95% of total aggregation across all treatments, indicating the importance of this size class for soil development. Macroaggregate carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools contributed more to stabilization of OM in these soils than microaggregate pools. All BS treatments contained higher concentrations of aggregate C (96·8–127 g C kg⁻¹ aggregate) and N (6·80–8·22 g N kg⁻¹ aggregate) relative to CON; however, mass of C and N did not vary among application rates. Though few differences were expressed in C and N pool sizes among treatments, there was some indication that amendments impact reclaimed sites early in soil development (~ < 10 years), while vegetation may exert more dominance in subsequent years. It is important to select appropriate management strategies to favor not only the establishment of desirable vegetation but also preservation of soil macroaggregate structure to improve long‐term nutrient supply, physical soil properties and potential C‐sequestration in reclaimed soils. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultrasonographic and laboratory screening in clinically normal mature golden retriever dogs

Wellness and pre-anesthetic screening of blood and urine of geriatric companion animals are routinely recommended. In addition, there are occasional references to the use of imaging in clinically normal geriatric patients. However, the utility of wellness testing is not known, and there is limited information regarding the value of pre-anesthetic testing. Wellness testing, including complete blood cell count, biochemical profile, urinalysis, and abdominal ultrasound, was performed on 53 clinically normal, mature golden retriever dogs. Laboratory analysis revealed abnormalities in 54.7% (29/53) of the dogs. Abdominal ultrasound screening demonstrated abnormalities in 64.2% (34/53) of the dogs. As only a small number of dogs had follow-up diagnostic testing available, the significance of these abnormalities is unknown. Further study involving a larger cohort of animals and analysis of follow-up data is necessary to determine the utility of laboratory and imaging studies in clinically normal geriatric patients.