Effects of season and level of grazing on the utilization of heather by sheep. 2. Diet selection and intake

The effect of level of removal of current season's shoots of heather (0,40 and 80% of the dry matter of the shoots) in the summer and autumn on the intake and diet selection by grazing Scottish Blackface wether sheep was examined in an experiment conducted over two years in which all combinations of level and season of grazing were provided. The treatment plots were grazed for 5 weeks at any one time and measurements made of intake and diet selection in weeks 2 and 5. In both the summer and autumn grazing periods level of removal in week 2 had little effect on the quality of the diet selected. In week 5, digestibility of organic matter was higher for the 40% than the 80% level of removal in the summer (0·543 vs 0·508) and particularly in the autumn (0·503 vs 0·449). Digestibility of the diet selected was higher in week 2 than in week 5 in both the summer (0·555 vs 0·525) and in the autumn (0·511 vs 0·476). Mechanisms of diet selection are discussed. In the summer grazing period only small differences existed in intake of organic matter between levels of removal but in the autumn intakes were higher at the 40% than the 80% level of removal. In a clipping experiment in which 0, 40 or 80% of the length of current season's shoots was removed in May, July and September in 3 consecutive years the nitrogen content of clippings in May and July was higher and the cell wall constituent lower at the 40% level in comparison to the 80% level of removal. Higher levels of removal at the previous clipping increased the nitrogen content of the clippings in May, July and September and reduced the cell wall constituent content in September.     

Acquired Aurotrichia ("Gilding Syndrome") of Miniature Schnauzers

Abstract— Eighteen miniature schnauzers which developed a hair coat color change from normal to a golden color are reported. Average age of onset was 2.5 years, with no discernable sex predilection. The discoloration was not associated with endocrine dysfunction or other health problems. Eight of the dogs shared common ancestors. Fifty-five per cent of the dogs regrew their grey hair coats within two years. Résumé— Dix huit Schnauzer nains ayant présente une modification de la couleur de la robe de normal à fauve sont dérits. L'âge moyen d'apparition était de deux ans et demi, sans prédisposition sexuelle. La discoloration n'était pas associée à une dysendocrinie ni tout autre maladie. Huit de ces chiens avaient des ancètres communs. Cinquante cinq pourcent des animaux ont retrouvé un pelage gfis normal au bout de deux ans. Zusammenfassung— Es wird über achtzehn Zwergschnauzer berichtet, deren Fellfarbe sich in einen goldenen Farbton veränderte. Das durchschnittliche Alter bei Beginn der Veränderung waren 2,5 Jahre, eine Geschlechtsprädisposition lag nicht vor. Die Farbveränderung stand nicht im Zusammenhang mit endokrinen Funktionsstörungen oder anderen Gesundheitsproblemen. Acht der Hunde wiesen gemeinsame Vorfahren auf. Bei fünfundfünfzig Prozent der Hunde wuchsen innerhalb von zwei Jahren die grauen Haare nach. Resumen En el présente artículo se estudian diecioncho schnauzers miniatura, los cuales desarrollaron un color dorado del pelo de la capa. La media de edad de aparcición fue de 2.5 años, sin evidente predilección por el sexo. La decoloració no se asoció con malfunción endocrina u otros problemas de salud. Ocho de los perros tenían progenitores en común. Cincuenta y cinco por ciento prensentó crecimiento de pelo gris característico de su capa en un periodo de 2 años.     

Biologic Behavior and Clinical Outcome of 25 Dogs with Canine Appendicular Chondrosarcoma Treated by Amputation: A Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology Retrospective Study

Objective— To characterize biologic behavior, clinical outcome, and effect of histologic grade on prognosis for dogs with appendicular chondrosarcoma treated by amputation alone. Study Design— Case series. Animals— Dogs (n=25) with appendicular chondrosarcoma. Methods— Medical records were searched to identify dogs with appendicular chondrosarcoma treated by limb amputation alone. Information recorded included signalment, anatomic location, radiographic appearance, and development of metastasis. Histopathologic diagnosis was confirmed and graded (1, 2, or 3). Survival curves were generated by the Kaplan–Meier method and the association between covariates (gender, age, weight, and tumor grade) and survival were evaluated using the univariate proportional hazards model. Results— Histopathology slides were available for 25 dogs. Rates of pulmonary metastasis were as follows: grade 1–0%, grade 2–31%, and grade 3–50%. Overall median survival time (MST) was 979 days. Age, weight, and sex were not significantly associated with survival (P=.16; .33; and .31, respectively). Survival was significantly associated with tumor grade (P=.008), with dogs with tumor grade of 1, 2, and 3 having MSTs of 6, 2.7, and 0.9 years, respectively. Conclusion— Canine appendicular chondrosarcoma can be treated effectively with amputation alone. Low to intermediate grade chondrosarcoma has a good prognosis, whereas high‐grade tumors appear to behave aggressively. Clinical Relevance— The overall prognosis for appendicular chondrosarcoma is better than that of appendicular osteosarcoma treated by amputation alone or in combination with chemotherapy.