Adonis microcarpa (pheasant''s eye) toxicity in pigs fed field pea screenings

Seed of Adonis microcarpa (pheasant's eye) fed at 5.6 g/kg of the diet induced virtually total feed refusal within 3 d in growing and finishing pigs. It also caused vomiting, rapid and shallow breathing and death in a minority. These effects were probably caused by cardiac glycosides whose structure and effects closely resemble those of digoxin. Feed intake and growth recovered within 2 weeks of removal of the seed.     

Arthrodesis of the equine proximal interphalangeal joint: a mechanical comparison of 2 parallel 5.5 mm cortical screws and 3 parallel 5.5 mm cortical screws

OBJECTIVE: To compare the biomechanical characteristics and mode of failure of 2 techniques using parallel 5.5 mm screws for pastern joint arthrodesis in horses. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized block design, for horse (1-5), method of fixation (two 5.5 mm screws versus three 5.5 mm screws), side (right, left), and end (front, hind). Constructs were tested to failure in 3-point bending. SAMPLE POPULATION: Twenty limbs (5 cadavers). METHODS: A combined aiming device was used to facilitate screw placement. Two parallel 5.5 mm screws were inserted in lag fashion in 1 limb of a pair, and three 5.5 mm screws were inserted in the contralateral limb. Constructs were then tested in 3-point bending in a dorsal-to-palmar (plantar) direction using a materials testing machine at a loading rate of 19 mm/s. Maximal bending moment at failure and stiffness were obtained from bending moment-angular deformation curves. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between two and three 5.5 mm screw constructs for bending moment and stiffness (P<.05). All constructs ultimately failed by bone fracture or screw bending. For proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthrodesis constructs loaded in 3-point bending, no significant effect of treatment, side, or end on maximal bending moment or stiffness was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Two 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in parallel should provide a surgically simpler and equally strong PIP joint arthrodesis compared with three 5.5 mm cortical screws. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Two 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in parallel for PIP joint arthrodesis should perform similarly under conditions used in this study, as three 5.5 mm screws inserted in a similar manner, when loaded under bending.     

Unsuccessful treatment of disseminated protothecosis in a dog

Systemic protothecosis was diagnosed in a 7-year-old dog that had only ocular manifestations. During the 3-month course of disease, a variety of drugs was administered, including amphotericin B, gentamicin, and ketoconazole. The ocular signs initially abated, but subsequently worsened during this period. The dog was found dead 3 months after initial examination, and systemic protothecosis was confirmed at necropsy.     

Effects of treatment with and without adjuvant radiation therapy on recurrence of ocular and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma in horses: 157 cases (1985-2002)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of treatment with and without adjuvant radiation therapy on recurrence of ocular and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at specific anatomic locations in horses. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 91 horses. PROCEDURES: Medical records of horses with histologically confirmed ocular and adnexal SCC evaluated from 1985 to 2002 were reviewed. Sex, breed, age, type of treatment, location, and recurrence of SCC were recorded. Two treatment groups determined by recurrence of SCCs treated with and without adjuvant radiation therapy were established. RESULTS: The anatomic site with the highest recurrence rate was the limbus (junction of the cornea and sclera) or bulbar conjunctiva (477%), independent of treatment group. There was a significant difference in recurrence rates of ocular and adnexal SCCs between the 2 treatment groups, independent of anatomic location. Recurrence rates of SCCs treated with and without adjuvant radiation therapy were 11.9% and 44.1%, respectively. Recurrence rates for SCCs of the eyelid, limbus or bulbar conjunctiva, and cornea treated with adjuvant radiation therapy were significantly different from those for SCCs treated without adjuvant radiation therapy. The most frequently represented anatomic site for ocular and adnexal SCCs was the eyelid (28.7%). Coat color, breed, and the interaction of age and breed had a significant effect on tumor recurrence regardless of treatment type and anatomic location. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that ocular and adnexal SCCs treated with adjuvant radiation therapy had a significantly lower recurrence rate, compared with SCCs treated without adjuvant radiation therapy, independent of anatomic location.