Ocular distribution and toxicity of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide in normal equine eyes

Objective  To determine ocular distribution and toxicity of a single injection of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in normal horses.
Animals studied  Six adult horses, donated to North Carolina State University.
Procedures  Six horses were injected intravitreally with either 10, 20, or 40 mg ( n  = 2 each) of TA. The opposite eye of each horse was injected with balanced salt solution (BSS). Ocular toxicity was assessed by biomicroscopy, tonometry, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and electroretinogram. Aqueous humor (AH), vitreous humor (VH), and plasma samples were collected. Horses were euthanized 7 or 21 days after injection and eyes enucleated for histopathology. TA concentrations in AH, VH, and plasma were measured by HPLC.
Results  Three control eyes and one TA eye developed inflammation after injection or collection of AH. Positive bacterial cultures ( Corynebacterium spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp.) were obtained from three of these eyes. Other than transient corneal edema in TA injected eyes, which resolved by 7 days after injection, no other changes were observed. TA crystals were visible within the vitreous body. No evidence of TA toxic effect was noted on histopathology. TA was detected in all AH and VH samples from treated eyes following injection. Drug was not detected in the plasma.
Conclusions  There was no evidence of overt toxicity from intravitreal TA in normal horses and a single intravitreal injection resulted in TA ocular levels for 21 days. However, the risk for bacterial infections with intravitreal injection or anterior chamber aspirations in horses is high. Use of topical and systemic antibiotics after injection is recommended.     

Genetic parameters for maternal behaviour traits in sows

Data from 32 nucleus and multiplier herds in Germany was used to estimate variance components and breeding values for five maternal behaviour traits in sows. The estimation was performed univariately using an animal threshold model. About 31,000 farrowings recorded from December 2003 until July 2005 were included. The heritability coefficients were 0.07 (0.06) for group behaviour, 0.06 (0.03) for attitude to people, 0.05 (0.01) for maternal ability, 0.03 (0.01) for crushing of piglets and 0.02 (0.02) for savaging of piglets. Additionally, genetic correlations between the behaviour traits and between the behaviour traits and litter size, respectively, were estimated multivariately by REML with a linear model. Low heritability and weak genetic correlation to litter size at birth indicate that it may be difficult to genetically improve the maternal behaviour, and that selection for better mothering ability is not necessarily accompanied by reduced litter size at birth.     

Feeding Acacia etbaica and Dichrostachys cinerea fruits to smallholder goats in northern Ethiopia improves their performance during the dry season

Acacia etbaica Schweinf. and Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight et Arn. are among the common woody browse plants that naturally grow in many arid and semi-arid rangelands in sub Saharan Africa. An experiment was conducted to compare the voluntary dry matter intake, body weight gain, nitrogen balance, carcass composition and sensory attributes of goats supplemented with different levels of A. etbaica and D. cinerea fruits. Average initial body weight of the goats was 20.4 kg (± 0.8SE) and received one of the following fruit supplementation regimes for 120 days (on body weight basis, n = 4 goats per group): (1) Control, no supplement; (2) 0.5% of A. etbaica; (3) 0.5% of D. cinerea; (4) 1.0% of A. etbaica; (5) 1.0% of D. cinerea; (6) 1.5% of A. etbaica; (7) 1.5% of D. cinerea. All groups were allowed to graze/browse during the day. Compared to A. etbaica, D. cinerea fruits contained higher amounts of crude protein (182 vs 135 g/kg DM), metabolizable energy (11 vs 8.4 MJ/kg DM), and in vitro dry matter digestibility coefficient (0.7 vs 0.6). The concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF), sulphuric acid solubulized lignin, and tannin (soluble and condensed) were lower (P < 0.05) in D. cinerea than in A. etbaica fruits. A. etbaica fruits, however, contained higher amounts of Na, K, Fe, and Zn concentrations than D. cinerea fruits. Dry matter intake was markedly higher in supplemented groups than in the control group without supplement. Similarly, body weight gain in the control group was negative and lower (P < 0.05) than any of the supplemented groups. During the course of the experimental period (120 days) the group placed in the 1.5% D. cinerea fruit diet gained 2.6 kg whereas the control group lost 2.0 kg. Thus, the difference between these two groups was 4.6 kg, which suggests about 22.5% increment of the goats' initial body weight. N retention was negative for the control group and varied little among the remaining treatment groups. Dressing percent increased with increased level of either type of fruit supplement, the highest (51.8%) being achieved at the 1.5% D. cinerea level. There was no difference in bone tissue across treatment groups. D. cinerea fruit intake also resulted in juicy/watery flavor and tender carcass. D. cinerea fruits appeared to have no adverse effects when included at the highest level (1.5%) and could be collected and stored as dry season supplement to smallholder goats. This study shows that poor farmers can increase goat performance substantially through supplement feeding with wild fruits. Areas in Ethiopia originally set aside for provision of ecological services and biodiversity protection can also be used for wild fruit production and feeding of small stock. The effect of increasing D. cinerea fruits above the 1.5% body weight level should be a focus of future investigation. Further work on deactivation mechanism of tannins is required for A. etbaica fruits included at levels higher than 1.0%.     

Urinary aldosterone to creatinine ratio in cats before and after suppression with salt or fludrocortisone acetate

Background: The endocrine diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism in cats currently is based on an increased plasma aldosterone to renin ratio, which has several disadvantages for use in veterinary practice. Objectives: To establish a reference range for the urinary aldosterone to creatinine ratio (UACR) and to determine whether oral administration of either sodium chloride or fludrocortisone acetate is effective for use in a suppression test. Animals: Forty‐two healthy cats from an animal shelter and 1 cat with primary hyperaldosteronism from a veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Morning urine samples for determination of the basal UACR were collected from 42 healthy cats. For the suppression tests, urine samples for the UACR were collected after twice daily oral administration for 4 consecutive days of either sodium chloride, 0.25 g/kg body weight (n = 22) or fludrocortisone acetate, 0.05 mg/kg body weight (n = 15). Results: The median basal UACR was 7.2 × 10^?9 (range, 1.8–52.3 × 10^?9), with a calculated reference range of <46.5 × 10^?9. Administration of sodium chloride resulted in adequate salt loading in 10 of 22 cats, but without significant reduction in the UACR. Administration of fludrocortisone resulted in a significant decrease in the UACR (median, 78%; range, 44–97%; P < .001) in healthy cats. In the cat with an aldosterone‐producing adrenocortical carcinoma, the basal UACR and the UACR after fludrocortisone administration were 32 × 10^?9 and 36 × 10^?9, respectively. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Using the UACR for an oral fludrocortisone suppression test may be useful for the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism in cats.     

Meningomyelitis in dogs: a retrospective review of 28 cases (1999 to 2007)

Objectives : To characterise dogs with meningomyelitis and to compare signalment, body temperature and vaccination status to a representative control group. Methods : Dogs with meningomyelitis were identified retrospectively. Signalment, history, vaccination status, body temperature, severity of neurological dysfunction (modified Frankel score), diagnostic procedures, aetiology, survival to discharge and long‐term survival were analysed. Results : Affected dogs were younger (P<0·05) and more frequently hound or toy breeds (P<0·05) when compared with controls. Hound and toy breed dogs less than or equal to three years of age had a 13 times higher odds of meningomyelitis compared with other breeds (P<0·001). General proprioceptive ataxia, limb paresis and paraspinal hyperaesthesia were the most common clinical signs. Meningomyelitis of unknown aetiology and granulomatous meningomyelitis were the most common diagnoses. The median time to death or continued follow‐up in dogs alive at discharge was 213 days. Meningomyelitis resulted in death or euthanasia in 14 of 28 dogs. Clinical signs improved or resolved in seven of 28 dogs. Clinical Significance : Meningomyelitis is a differential diagnosis for dogs with clinical signs of myelopathy. Young dogs and toy or hound breeds seem to be predisposed. Clinical signs of meningomyelitis improve or resolve in some dogs.     

Physiological and immunological responses to weaning and transport in the young pig: modulation by administration of porcine somatotropin

To examine the effects of exogenous porcine (p) ST on measures of stress and immune function in weaned pigs with or without transport, pigs (20 +/- 1 d of age) received daily injections of pST (0.5 mg/kg; n = 16) or saline (n = 16) for 5 d. On d 5, a blood sample was collected immediately before injection. At 4 h postinjection, pigs were weighed, sampled for blood, injected with di-nitrophenyl-conjugated keyhole limpet hemocyanin, and weaned. One half of the pigs in each group were transported for 3 h before placement in the nursery. Pigs were weighed, and blood was collected on 1, 7, and 14 d postweaning. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Serum IGF-I concentrations were increased by pST and decreased by weaning, but not affected by transport. The free cortisol index was elevated in all pigs 1 d postweaning, although less in transported versus nontransported pigs. By 7 d postweaning, the free cortisol index returned to prewean values. Serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G increased in all pigs by 14 d postweaning, but were not affected by pST or transport. Serum IgM concentrations were elevated at 7 and 14 d postweaning. Before weaning and again 1 d postweaning, pigs treated with pST had greater concentrations of IgM than did control animals. Circulating neutrophils increased in pST-treated pigs 4 h after the final pST injection. Improved immune function in weaned pigs by pST may lead to greater health and growth in a commercial setting.     

Naked oats: metabolisable energy yield from a range of varieties in broilers, cockerels and turkeys

1. Naked oats belong to the same species as 'common oats', Avena sativa, but have a non-lignified husk which readily becomes detached during harvesting. The absence of the indigestible husk can be predicted to give an increased metabolisable energy (ME) content for poultry. 2. Measurements of true metabolisable energy (TME(N)) were performed on 3-week-old broiler chicks (Cobb males), adult cockerels (ISA Brown, greater than one year old) and 7-week-old turkeys (BUT T8 males). The measurements were repeated in 2000, 2001 and 2002, with some measurements on a subset of varieties in 2004. 3. High-oil naked oat lines yielded 12% more energy (TME(N)) than wheat. Naked oats, excluding the experimental high-oil lines, yielded 8.5% more energy than simultaneously assayed wheat samples. 4. In samples from the 2004 harvest, conventional oats gave TME(N) values about 13% lower than those of wheat. 5. The addition of beta-glucanase produced an increase of about 4% in the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) of oats for broiler chickens. This effect was associated with a 70% decrease in the jejunal viscosity of broilers receiving a 500 g/kg naked-oat diet. 6. The oil content of naked oats was about 5 times greater than that of wheat, with the high-oil lines rising to more than 6 times greater. Naked oats had a lower starch content than wheat but not sufficiently lower to negate the energy benefits of the higher oil content. The crude protein (CP) contents of naked oats were similar to those of wheat, with the high-oil varieties tending to be higher in CP also.     

Effect of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber on embryo survival and sow performance

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of soluble (SF) and insoluble (ISF) dietary fiber during gestation on embryo survival and sow performance. In Exp. 1, 43 gilts were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 experimental diets: a corn-soybean meal control (C; 1.16% SF, 9.98% ISF); a 30% oat bran high in SF (HS; 3.02% SF, 10.06% ISF); a 12% wheat straw diet high in ISF (HIS; 1.08% SF, 18.09% ISF); and a 21% soybean hull diet (HS + HIS; 2.46% SF, 24.55% ISF). Gilts were fed the experimental diets based on their initial BW to meet their daily nutrient requirements. At estrus, gilts were inseminated artificially 3 times using pooled semen. Reproductive tracts were harvested 32 d postmating (range = 28 to 35 d). Statistical analysis of data included the effects of diet with days of gestation as a covariate. There were no differences in ovulation rate among gilts fed the experimental diets (avg. = 14.1). Number of live embryos was less for HIS and HS + HIS gilts compared with C and HS (9.9 and 9.1 vs. 11.9 and 10.6, respectively; P < 0.05). Total embryo survival rate (P < 0.05) was less for gilts fed HS + HIS compared with those fed the C and HS diets. These results suggest that high dietary ISF might decrease the total embryo survival rate without affecting ovulation rate. In Exp. 2, 716 sows were used in 3 concurrent trials. In trial 1, diets included a corn-soybean meal control (C; 0.43% SF, 10.50% ISF; n = 122) or a 31% oat bran diet (HS; 1.93% SF, 8.87% ISF; n = 124). In trial 2, diets included a C (n = 97) or a 13% wheat straw diet (HIS; 1.10% SF, 17.67% ISF; n = 119), and in trial 3 sows were fed a C (n = 123) or a 21% soybean hull diet (HS + HIS; 1.50% SF, 17.77% ISF; n = 131). All diets were offered to sows beginning 2 d postmating. All sows had ad libitum access to a standard lactation diet. Statistical analysis included the effects of diet, parity group, genetic line, and season as well as their interactions. The inclusion of SF and ISF in gestation diets did not affect litter size. Sows fed the HS + HIS diet had a greater ADFI and lost less BW during lactation (P < 0.01) than sows fed C. Under the conditions of this study, feeding gestating sows increased levels of SF and ISF from d 2 after breeding to d 109 of gestation did not increase litter size.