Equine chronic diarrhea: Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine review

Chronic diarrhea is a common problem in equine practice. Herbal medicine has been used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in horses for at least one thousand years. In present-day equine practice in China, the most common approach to treat chronic diarrhea is herbal medicine, or a combination of herbal medicine and acupuncture. Three types of chronic diarrhea in horses will be described in detail in term of symptoms, diagnosis and herbal treatments in this paper. Nineteen herbal formulas for treatment of different types of diarrhea will be introduced. Clinical results of each herbal formula will be evaluated. Acupuncture treatment of this problem will also be included.     

A zinc-containing intraruminal device for facial eczema control in lambs

A zinc-containing intraruminal device has been developed for protecting lambs against facial eczema. The rate of release of zinc from the device has been optimised, and its safety in use established. Under both experimental and farm conditions, the device gave excellent protection against the liver injury associated with facial eczema. The device relies upon erosion for release of zinc, and disappears completely when its charge of zinc has been released, leaving no metal or plastic residue in the rumen. This device has the potential to greatly ameliorate the problem of facial eczema in New Zealand.     

Pharmacokinetics of diacetoxyscirpenol in cattle and swine: effects of halothane

In swine and cattle given 0, 0.1, or 0.5 and 0, 0.5 mg of diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS)/kg of body weight, IV, respectively; DAS had a large volume of distribution and total body clearance. The shortness of the interval between halothane and DAS exposures significantly (P greater than 0.05) decreased DAS biotransformation. Urinary excretion of DAS as a parent compound was not an important route of elimination. In swine and cattle, DAS was transformed by sequential deacetylation to monoacetoxyscirpenol and scirpentriol.     

Bacterial meningitis and diseases caused by bacterial toxins

Bacterial meningitis most commonly occurs in young calves secondary to septicemia. Clinical signs of hyperirritability are usually seen. Meningitis can be confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis and culture or by necropsy. Intoxications by the exotoxins of Clostridium perfringens types C and D, C. botulinum, and C. tetani are difficult to confirm. The clinical signs of these intoxications vary from flaccid paralysis (botulism) to muscular rigidity (tetanus). Treatment of affected cattle has been unrewarding in botulism and enterotoxemia, whereas early aggressive treatment of tetanus cases can often be successfully resolved. Botulism and enterotoxemia can be proved using mouse inoculation tests, whereas tetanus is diagnosed largely by ruling out other diseases.     

Copper toxicosis in cattle fed chicken litter

Cattle from 2 herds developed copper toxicosis after the ingestion of chicken litter. The affected animals were adult Holstein cows and crossbred steers that ate 9 to 16 kg of litter/day. These cattle developed a sudden onset of weakness, depression, anorexia, icteric mucous membranes, and dark reddish brown urine. Liver copper concentrations in 2 cattle (1 from each herd) were 436 and 730 ppm. Results of copper analyses of chicken litter ranged from 620 to 920 ppm. Sodium molybdate and sodium thiosulfate were added to the ration of the dairy herd. Two cows with clinical signs of copper toxicosis recovered after being given additional sodium molybdate and thiosulfate supplements, orally.     

Suckling behavior of calves with dams varying in milk production

Two experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that suckling behavior of calves with similar growth potential varies depending on cows' level of estimated milk production and stage of lactation. Eleven mature cows, which varied in estimated 205-d milk production (996 to 2354 kg/205 d), nursing heifer calves of similar growth potential were used in Exp. 1. Suckling behavior of calves was observed for two 24-h periods at three stages of lactation (average of 52, 104 and 167 d postpartum). Suckling frequency (suckling bouts/24 h) declined as milk production increased at 52 d of lactation (-.00382 bouts/kg milk) but was unrelated to milk production at later stages. Duration of suckling (minutes/suckling bout) increased with estimated level of milk production at all stages of lactation (means = .001556 min/kg milk). Total time suckling tended to increase as estimated level of milk production decreased at 52 d of lactation, but this component of suckling behavior was unaffected by milk level at later stages. Suckling frequency declined from 8.6 bouts/24 h at 52 d of lactation to 4.5 bouts/24 h at 167 d of lactation when averaged across all cows. Total minutes nursed/24 h declined in a similar manner (64 min/24 h to 44 min/24 h) between 52 and 167 d of lactation. Duration of each suckling bout did not change with stage. In the second experiment the relationship of suckling behavior to estimated milk production was evaluated at four early stages (average of 17, 38, 59 and 80 d postpartum) of lactation using 20 mature cows.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis in a dog

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis was diagnosed in a 9-year-old spayed dog that had a series of epileptic convulsions a day before death. About 6 weeks before her death, she had been treated for severe demodectic mange. During this period, persistent leukopenia, lymphocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia were found by blood analyses. At necropsy, multiple large pyogranulomatous lesions were found in the cerebrum and meninges. Dematiaceous fungi with brown, branching, septate hyphae and budding yeasts were found within tissue cells and in the necrotic areas.     

Cytotoxic capabilities of bovine lymphocytes after lectin stimulation

Bovine peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) were stimulated in vitro with the mitogenic lectins concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin. Their cytotoxic capabilities were evaluated in a 51Cr release assay. Lectin-activated bovine effector cells did not mediate antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) nor direct killing against cultured tumor target cells. Nevertheless, activation of PBML with lectins consistently generated effector cells able to mediate lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Cultivation of Con A stimulated-PBML for 3 to 4 weeks in the presence of lymphokines-containing IL-2 generated cells with the ability to mediate lysis without using Con A-coated target cells. However, cytotoxic cultures capable of mediating direct lysis of target cells were not able to mediate ADCC.     

Seasonal occurrence and distribution of Gasterophilus intestinalis and Gasterophilus nasalis in the stomachs of equids in Texas

Stomachs of 271 horses and ponies from 2 sources were evaluated for the presence of Gasterophilus intestinalis and G nasalis larvae, through 2 overlapping 12-month periods of bot fly activity in southern Texas. Equids (n = 140) from one source had nearly 96% of their stomachs infected, whereas equids (n = 131) from another source had 44% of their stomachs infected by Gasterophilus spp. Seasonal dynamics of the bot infection indicated the highest average number of bot larvae per infected stomach occurred in the winter and spring. The smallest average number of bots per infected stomach occurred in the fall. Higher percentages of early (2nd instar plus young 3rd instar) larvae of G intestinalis were observed in the fall in equids from both sources. The late (more fully developed older 3rd instar) G intestinalis larvae outnumbered the early larvae in the winter, spring, and summer. Seasonal variation in numbers and development status of the larvae was consistent with the largest period of adult bot fly activity occurring during the fall. The 2 species of bots had different predilection sites of attachment. Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae concentrated in the nonglandular portions of the stomach near the margo plicatus on the cranial (parietal) surface of the stomach and in the most dorsal extent of the saccus cecus. Gasterophilus nasalis larvae attached almost exclusively in the first ampulla of the duodenum. Predilection sites for both Gasterophilus spp occurred in dorsally positioned areas in the alimentary tract favoring increased availability of oxygen.