Osteoarthritis in the cat: 1. how common is it and how easy to recognise?

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Osteoarthritis (OA) is very common, particularly in older cats, but its clinical significance has largely gone unrecognised until recently. As in other species, OA is often painful and appropriate treatment is required to improve the animal's quality of life. Most cases appear to be primary or idiopathic. It is important for the clinician to actively seek these cases in the practice population. CLINICAL CHALLENGES: The recognition of chronic arthritic pain is a major challenge since most cats will not exhibit lameness. The main features of feline OA are changes in behaviour and lifestyle, which develop gradually and which owners tend to interpret as simply being the effects of old age. A meaningful physical orthopaedic examination can be difficult to achieve. A lack of familiarity with feline joint radiographs, and the fact that major cartilage pathology can be present in the absence of any bony change, mean that radiographic identification of OA in the cat can also be problematic. CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE: The recognition of chronic arthritic pain in the cat is based on owner questionnaires designed to elicit information about changes in mobility, activity levels, grooming habits and general demeanour. EVIDENCE BASE: Several publications now report on the significance of behavioural and lifestyle changes as indicators of chronic arthritic pain in the cat. However, there is not as yet a fully validated owner-based questionnaire for recognising chronic pain in the cat. Furthermore, the aetiopathogenesis of feline OA still requires detailed investigation. Such studies are likely to make a major contribution to comparative rheumatology, since feline OA, more so than the canine disease, shows many similarities with human OA.     

Multi-temporal analysis of terrestrial laser scanning data to detect basal stem rot in oil palm trees

Terrestrial laser scanning technology is an advanced active remote sensing ranging method that is well suited for yielding high-resolution scans of the morphology of a tree, which is an indicator of the health of the plant. The Ganoderma boninense fungus causes basal stem rot (BSR), which threatens the oil palm industry in Malaysia. To date, the current practice of inspection in a plantation is conducted every 6 months. Monitoring the progress with a closer gap is required to comprehend if any changes can be seen earlier than 6 months. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify the most suitable parameters of the oil palm trees to detect the BSR disease based on temporal laser scanning data and to identify suitable time frames for monitoring the progress of the symptoms of the disease. Terrestrial laser scanning data was used to analyse changes in the crown and frond metrics of oil palm trees with two different scan durations i.e., 2- and 4-months after the first scan. This spatio-temporal data is important in the precision agriculture field for better oil palm management, to understand the disease development for long-term solutions and also to provide a fast response so that appropriate treatment can be given to the palm as early as possible. Statistical analyses, i.e., the Kruskal–Wallis test with α?=?0.05 and the Wilcoxon post-hoc test, were conducted to determine significant differences in the parameters at different points in time. The results show that crown strata number 17 (850 cm from the top) and the crown area were the most suitable parameters to be used. Furthermore, the oil palm trees with BSR can be detected by comparing the 4-month scan or the second 2-month scan. The results have shown that the effect of Ganoderma boninense infection can be differentiated at the later stage. In conclusion, the changes can be measured at 4-months after the first inspection, thus helping to preventing crop losses.

     

Biomass,proximate biochemical composition and fatty acid profiles associated with the growth phase of Chlorella salina Butcher and Isochrysis maritima Billard and Gayral isolated from the coastal waters of Penang,Malaysia

Choosing the right algae with the relevant properties and optimal harvest time for specific culture conditions and products is essential. As such, biomass, biochemical composition and fatty acid (FA) profile at different growth stages of locally isolated strains, suitable for aquaculture, Chlorella salina and Isochrysis maritima, were determined. Biomass and moisture content of both species were affected by the growth phase. A particular accumulation trend of proximate biochemical compounds was observed in these two strains. Protein content decreased whereby, as culture aged, more carbohydrate and lipid accumulated in C. salina and I. maritima, respectively. Variations in FA profile were exhibited in C. salina where PUFA was the highest, followed by SFA and MUFA throughout the growth phases. I. maritima had the highest SFA content, followed by PUFA and MUFA during the exponential phase. The essential PUFAs in C. salina were linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) with a low occurrence of γ-linolenic acid (GLA; 0.49–0.78%) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 0.21–0.45%). I. maritima recorded relatively high ALA (4.73–6.71%), GLA (5.05–7.80%) and DHA (5.15–7.02%) with minor presence of arachidonic acid (ARA; 0.45–0.59%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 0.43–0.58%). Both C. salina and I. maritima are suitable for aquaculture feeds, but I. maritima was more superior by having EPA and higher DHA in their cells. Harvesting regime at a specific phase must be taken into account to achieve maximum yields of a target compound; thus, for feeding purpose, harvesting both strains at stationary phase is recommended as better PUFA compositions were obtained.

     

Control ofDitylenchus dipsaci in garlic by bulb and soil treatments

Garlic bulbs heavily infected withDitylenchus dipsaci were chemically treated to control the nematode. Treatment with ethoprop resulted in greatest reduction of nematodes early in the season; oxamyl provided good control; methomyl was ineffective. Treating the soil with aldicarb or phenamiphos was also effective. Later in the season, nematode populations increased with all treatments and crop damage was severe. In a soil heavily infested with this pathogen, nematode populations in the untreated plots were initially low but had increased rapidly 100 days after planting, resulting in total loss of plants by the end of the season. Excellent control was obtained by treating the soil with methyl bromide (MB) or solar heating with transparent polyethylene sheets prior to planting, although MB treatment caused severe stunting of the plants. Treatment with ethylene dibromide (EDB) controlled the pathogen initially, but later in the season the population level increased. The yields (kg/m²) were: untreated, 0; solar heating, 2.325; EDB, 0.813; and MB, 1.152.     

Prevalence of lameness,claw lesions,and associated risk factors in dairy farms in Selangor,Malaysia

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to estimate the prevalence of lameness, claw lesions, and associated risk factors in dairy farms in...     

Analysing the effect of dietary prebiotics and probiotics on gut bacterial richness and diversity of Asian snakehead fingerlings using T‐RFLP method

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of three prebiotics (β‐glucan, galacto‐oligosaccharide [GOS], mannan‐oligosaccharide [MOS]) and two probiotics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus) on the microbiome of snakehead during growth of fingerlings. In addition, the experiment evaluated the capacity of Channa striata fingerlings to retain the benefits derived from these supplements after withdrawal. Throughout the study, it was observed that supplementation with dietary prebiotics and probiotics led to significant (p < 0.05) change in gut bacterial profile and improvement in gut morphology. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) was used for the comparative analysis of gut communities and all 46 of the T‐RFLP detected phylotypes were present in the Lactobacillus supplemented fish, while significantly fewer were detected in controls and other experimental supplement regimes. Histological studies and electron microscopy revealed that both the prebiotic and probiotic treated fish had significantly longer and wider villi and deeper crypts compared to the controls. The microvilli length, as evaluated with electron microscopy, was also longer in all treated fish compared to controls. Furthermore, this study is the first to report the absence of differences in sustaining the efficacies attained after intake of β‐glucan, GOS, MOS and live yeast upon post‐feeding with an unsupplemented feed, over a prolonged period.     

Respiratory Epithelium,Production Performance and Behaviour of Formaldehyde-exposed Broiler Chicks

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of formaldehyde vaporization of a hatcher on the tracheal epithelium of chick embryos, and on the production performance and behaviour of commercial broiler chicks. In experiment 1, chick embryos were exposed to 23.5 ppm of formaldehyde vapour during the last 3 days of incubation. Tracheal samples were taken at 0, 6, 30 and 54 h after exposure to formaldehyde and examined by scanning electron microscopy for pathological changes. Observable lesions included excessive accumulation of mucus, matted cilia, loss of cilia and sloughing of the epithelium. The lesions were more severe in chicks exposed for 54 h as compared to those exposed for 6 or 30 h.In experiment 2, 60 chicks that had been exposed to formaldehyde vapour as above and 60 control chicks were used to investigate the effect of formaldehyde fumigation on production performance and behaviour. Formaldehyde vaporization resulted in higher weekly (days 0–6 and 21–27) and total (days 0–41) feed intake and poorer weekly (days 0–6, 7–13, 21–27 and 28–34) and overall (days 0–41) feed conversion ratios. Body weight, mortality and behaviour (eating, drinking, sitting and standing activities) were not affected by formaldehyde fumigation.     

Investigation of chlamydophilosis from naturally infected cats

Background Chlamydophila felis, formerly known as Chlamydia psittaci var. felis, is frequently associated with ocular, respiratory, and occasionally reproduction tract infections. Even though the infection is sometimes asymptomatic, it potentially results in a latent immunosuppressive infection.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify occurrences of feline chlamydophilosis, rarely reported in cats in Indonesia.MethodsThe observation was conducted in three cats with clinical signs of Cp. felis infection, particularly relapsing conjunctivitis. The cats'' histories were recorded based on owners'' information. Conjunctival swabs were sampled for cytology examination and molecular assay detection. A phylogenetic tree was generated using MEGA-X software to reveal group clustering. A post-mortem examination was performed on the cat that died during an examination.ResultsCp. felis was detected in both cytological examination and polymerase chain reaction assay. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that the Cp. felis isolated in this study clustered with several other isolates from the other countries. Cp. felis can be isolated from cats with different clinical manifestations and levels of severity. The chronic fatal infection demonstrated interstitial broncho-pneumonia under histopathological examination.ConclusionsMolecular assay of Cp. felis is always recommended to obtain a definitive diagnosis of feline chlamydophilosis since the disease can have various clinical manifestations. Even though it may be subclinical and is often not fatal, an infected cat may be a carrier that could spread the pathogen in the surrounding environment. Serious disease management is suggested to avoid high costs associated with regularly relapsing disease.     

Comparison on growth performance,body coloration changes and stress response of juvenile river catfish,Pangasius hypophthalmus reared in different tank background colour

The effects of different tank background colours (green, black and white) on the growth performance and body coloration of juvenile river cafish, Pangasius hypophthalmus, were examined in this study. The experimental fish with an initial body weight (BW) 0.13 ± 0.05 g and total length (TL) 2.54 ± 0.37 cm were used, and groups of 15 fish per tank were randomly distributed. The experiment was conducted for 20 days as a triplicate for each treatment. Survival, growth in BW, body weight gain (BWG), total length (TL), total length gain (TLG), specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor, feed conversion ratio (FCR), swimming speed, body coloration and stress response were evaluated. River catfish reared in white and green tanks attained significantly higher BW, BWG, TL, TLG and SGR compared to the black tank. The white tank attained significantly better FCR compared to the black tank. River catfish showed the most active swimming behaviour in the green tank (5.49 ± 1.32 cm/s) while the least in the white tank (3.37 ± 0.93 cm/s). Body coloration of river catfish in the black tank showed almost pure black body coloration (75.59 ± 9.08), followed by the green tank (126.23 ± 17.46) and the white tank (148.19 ± 10.51). However, there was no significant difference in the stress level of river catfish reared in white and black tanks and insignificant to those reared in the green tank. The findings in this study showed that the white and green background colour tanks can be used for promoting growth of river catfish culture while the black background colour tank can enhance body coloration that is suitable as ornamental fish.     

Flesh characteristics: estimation of genetic parameters and correlated responses to selection for growth rate in the GIFT strain

Flesh characteristics comprising chemical composition (protein, fat and moisture percentages and pH) as well as a sensory attribute (colour) were measured in 1951 fillet samples from two generations of two populations (a selection line, selected for increased harvest weight, and a control line, selected for average breeding values for harvest weight) of the genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) strain of Nile tilapia. These data were jointly analysed with 5331 harvest weight records from three generations to estimate genetic parameters and correlated selection responses. Multiple trait animal models were used in the analyses. The potential for correlated responses was evaluated by estimating heritabilities and genetic correlations between body traits (weight, length, depth and width) and fillet traits (weight and yield) with the above mentioned flesh characteristics. The heritabilities for protein%, fat% and colour were low (0.06–0.11), whereas for moisture% and pH they were moderate (0.15–0.20). Genetic correlations among some flesh characteristics (moisture% with protein%, fat% and pH and with fat%) as well as between body and fillet traits with flesh characteristics, were significantly different from zero but low (?0.34 to 0.31). Correlated responses were evaluated by comparing the least squares means between the Selection and Control lines. Our results indicate that selection for high growth increased harvest weight in the Selection line relative to the Control line but it did not change the flesh characteristics of the GIFT strain.