Environmental and behavioural factors affecting the prevalence of foot lameness in New Zealand dairy herds - a case-control study

A case-control study of environmental and behavioural factors influencing foot lameness was undertaken on 62 dairy herds comprising an average of 185 milking cows in Taranaki, New Zealand. Thirty two case herds were identified as having had at least 10 per cent of the cows lame during the milking season in which the herd was studied, and thirty control herds were selected on the basis that no more than 3 per cent of cows in these herds had been lame per year for at least two years immediately prior to investigation. Each herd was visited at both a morning and an afternoon milking, and 58 risk factors were measured between the time the farmer began to assemble the cows for milking and the completion of milking. Comparison of single variables between case and control herds identified 24 which showed differences (p<0.10). These variables were then subjected to stepwise multivariate logistic regression, and statistically significant variables in this analysis were used to create a tentative path diagram of possible causal web relationships between the various risk factors and the outcome variable, the lameness prevalence level. Information from a review of the published literature was used to include further variables to the 24 into the initial (or null hypothesis) path model. Logistic path analysis was then used to eliminate non-significant paths from the diagram, leaving 19 arrows joining 13 variables in the final path diagram, compared with 33 joining 20 variables in the initial version. The most influential variables in explaining variation between case and control herds were the average level of maintenance of the track and the degree of patience shown by the farmer in bringing the cows in for milking. Overall, factors associated with the movement of animals to the milking shed explained 40 per cent of the variation (deviance) with regard to the lameness prevalence level. Risk factors associated with characteristics of the milking process explain 24 per cent, and risk factors associated with characteristics of the cows in the herd explain 9.5 per cent. Recommendations are made on management changes which deserve further investigation as ways of reducing lameness problems in dairy herds.     

Selenium supplementation of young red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Two selenium (Se) supplementation trials were conducted in successive years involving a total of 70 red deer calves 3-15 months of age grazing pasture containing 30-57 ppb of Se on a dry matter basis. The trials compared growth rate, whole blood Se and glutathione peroxidase (GSHpx) concentrations of calves which received periodic doses of oral Se or a single injection of barium selenate (equivalent to 50 mg Se) or no Se supplementation. There were no significant weight gain differences between treated and untreated groups in either trial. Whole blood GSHpx levels were strongly correlated with blood Se levels (r = 0.9278) and produced the following regression equation: GSHpx = 0.0155 Se - 2.292. In both years the 3 month old calves had GSHpx levels of 6-9 kU/I which probably derived from maternal transfer of Se. The GSHpx levels in unsupplemented calves declined from these levels to a minimum in winter (group means approximately 2.6) and then progressively rose the following spring and summer. Periodical oral dosing with Se or a single injection of barium selenate significantly elevated blood Se and GSHpx levels throughout the trials.     

Effect of saturated fat on growth,body fat composition and carcase quality in chicks

1. The effects of feeding two fats with different degrees of saturation on skin tearing, carcase quality and body fat composition were examined in male and female chickens.

2. No differences in growth or efficiency of food utilisation were apparent on feeding the more saturated fat. Skin tearing was slightly reduced and carcase quality slightly improved on feeding the more saturated fat for 28 d.

3. Decreases in linoleic acid content in intra‐abdominal fat were apparent after 14 d feeding the diet containing saturated fat. These decreases were greater after feeding the saturated fat for 28 d.     

An alternative representation of proportionality among nutrients in least‐cost diet formulation

1. Some computer programs for least‐cost diet formulation include a facility for allowing variable diet density. A commonly used approach in such programs has been criticised for not maintaining nutrient proportions.

2. One proposed method of ensuring proportionality among nutrients involves numerous calculations during matrix construction, hampering matrix interpretation and revision.

3. An alternative, more convenient approach is presented and discussed.     

The problem of the pathomorphological diagnosis "death by drowning"--case histories

The paper describes pathomorphological findings in two dogs and one cat with the intention to clarify whether these animals died by drowning. The investigations are supplemented by experimental results of water instillation into the lung to induce signs of emphysema aquosum post mortem. Additionally, histopathology of the skin lesions due to water exposition after death are demonstrated by systematic investigations of four different localizations for 10 days. Critical evaluation of the results and literature references in human forensic pathology indicate that post mortem findings as described in this paper, especially those of the so called "drowning lung" can be attributed to death by drowning.     

An osteodystrophy apparently caused by vitamin D deficiency in growing pigs

An osteodystrophy with features of both rickets and fibrous osteodystrophy was diagnosed in growing pigs housed indoors and fed on a diet deficient in vitamin D. Affected pigs were severely lame and preferred to remain recumbent. At necropsy, the long bones had reduced breaking strength and in one five-month-old pig the articular surfaces of both proximal humeri were indented due to collapse of subchondral bone. Microscopic changes in the bones included prominent osteoclastic activity in the proximal metaphyses, variable myelofibrosis, trabecular microfractures, and focal thickening of the hypertrophic zone in some growth plates. Treatment consisted of an injection of Vitamin D3, addition of dicalcium phosphate to the diet for 18 days and long-term supplementation of the diet with fat-soluble vitamins. This is the first report of an osteodystrophic disease in pigs in New Zealand.     

Organochlorine insecticide problems in livestock

1. Antidotal therapy for acute OC intoxications is symptomatic and supportive. Use sedatives to control convulsions and AC to adsorb any pesticide remaining in the gut, and wash topical exposures. 2. Published kinetics should be applied to field situations with caution. In general, residues decline relatively quickly immediately following the last exposure; thereafter, the rate slows considerably. The elimination-rate constant and, hence, the half-life of any given OC is dependent on many variables that usually are not known under field conditions. This fact may result in serious errors if literature values are relied on too heavily in predicting the outcome of "natural" contamination. As a rule of thumb, elimination data derived from animals experimentally fed to plateau concentrations may be regarded as fairly conservative for such purposes, if the contaminated animals are maintained in a normal fashion. Probably the least risky method of predicting return to marketability is using frequent samples, taken at regular intervals (for example, 1 to 2 weeks) during the first month after last exposure, to adjust literature values. 3. Residues from larger dosages and shorter exposures tend to be smaller in proportion to dose and are eliminated more quickly than those resulting from longer exposures and smaller doses. 4. Activated charcoal is of universal benefit only if given immediately after exposure. 5. Pharmaceutical modifiers of xenobiotic metabolism such as phenobarbital are of very limited value. The particular type and amount of residual OC and the potential economic benefit of therapy should be considered thoroughly before undertaking such therapy. In most cases, the expense won't be justified. 6. Mineral oil increases the fecal excretion of some OC. Fecal excretion, however, is so small in relation to total body burdens that even a several-fold increase may not be useful economically except when residue concentrations are low to start with. 7. Nutritional strategies have the advantage of being very cheap. Practitioners should remember, however, that tissue concentrations actually may increase as body fat decreases. The costs of maintaining animals for an extra 6 to 10 months should be considered before undertaking such an effort.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Ultrastructural analysis of platelets and megakaryocytes from a dog with probable essential thrombocythemia

Blood platelets and bone marrow megakaryocytes from a dog with essential thrombocythemia were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and compared with those of control dogs. Platelets varied in size and shape and contained enlarged and dilated open canalicular systems. Megakaryocytes were dysmorphic and had evidence of abnormal maturation, with large numbers of megakaryoblasts containing alpha granules and poorly organized and reduplicated demarcation membranes. The fewer, more mature megakaryocytes lacked normal cytoplasmic organization. Most notable was the absence of well-demarcated "platelet fields," due to the excessive and disorderly array of demarcation membranes.     

Selenium, vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in goat kids with and without nutritional myodegeneration

Mean selenium and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) concentrations in the liver, myocardium and skeletal muscle of nine goat kids with nutritional myodegeneration (NMD) were significantly lower than those in a group of nine kids dying from other causes. Each of the 18 kids was from a different property in the southern half of the North Island. The polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of the liver, myocardium and skeletal muscle was not significantly different between the two groups, but the overall level of peroxidisable polyunsaturated fatty acids appeared high in both groups. A further 21 kids with confirmed NMD and live 'controls', submitted as routine cases to Palmerston North Animal Health Laboratory, were included with the above 18 kids in a comparison of liver selenium and alpha-tocopherol concentrations. Kids with NMD had liver selenium concentrations ranging from 170-1100 (mean = 380) nmol/kg and alpha-tocopherol from 0.7-11.0 (mean =2.2) micromol/kg. In control kids, the liver selenium concentration ranged from 530-4300 (mean = 1220) nmol/kg and a-tocopherol from 1.7-14.0 (mean = 5.6) pmollkg. Although these ranges overlapped, the results suggest that liver selenium concentrations <500 nmol/kg and alpha-tocopherol concentrations <2.5 micromol/kg should be regarded as deficient. Liver selenium concentrations from 500-1100 nmol/kg and alpha-tocopherol concentrations from 2.5-10 micromol/kg should be considered marginal. Goat kids appear to require more selenium than lambs or calves which may explain the higher prevalence of NMD in kids. In some cases, however, the disease is associated with low alpha-tocopherol suggesting that supplementation with selenium alone may not always be sufficient.     

The cervical vertebral column of horses--a clinico-radiological study

For various anamnestic reasons the cervical vertebral column of 78 horses was examined radiologically. Statistical comparisons showed that male "warmbloods" were more frequently affected than was expected. Our horses were older than comparable animals in the international literature. Independently of their history the radiologic diagnosis of "cervical spondylarthrosis" was established in 56 horses. Arthrosis and other conditions were clinically manifested by spinal ataxia (44 horses) or mechanical impairment of the neck's mobility (21 horses). 10 of the arthrotic patients had synovial cysts causing compression of the spinal cord. 79 percent of all dorsal intervertebral arthrotic joints were found in the caudal column (C6/7 to C7/Th1). With 38 percent, C6/7 was the most frequently affected joint. Clinical and radiological findings could be compared with patho-anatomic results in 29 horses. The correlation was satisfactory.