Effects of exercise on the hemostatic system of thoroughbred horses displaying post-exercise epistaxis

Hemostatic parameters in 5 Thoroughbreds which had recently displayed post-exercise epistaxis, and 4 normal horses, were assessed using blood samples taken when the animals were at rest, immediately before exercise, and 5 minutes after galloping 1.2. km at maximum speed. Exercise resulted in marked depression in the adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced aggregation response of platelets from both groups of horses. No significant differences were detected when comparing the results from each group. However, there was a tendency for the platelets from the bleeder group to be less responsive to ADP. Because not all aspects of platelet function were studied the possible role of platelet abnormalities in the pathogenesis of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage could not be completely discounted.     

Exophthalmia associated with paranasal sinus osteoma in a Quarterhorse mare.

An 11-year-old Quarterhorse mare developed a paranasal sinus osteoma that extended into the right orbit and led to ipsilateral exophthalmia. Although the tumor was radiographically evident in the paranasal sinuses, ultrasonography was used to demonstrate extension of the tumor into the retrobulbar space, and endoscopy was used to identify its extension into the nasopharynx. Biopsies were obtained using both fine-needle aspiration and paranasal sinus trephination. Despite numerous antemortem diagnostic tests, only postmortem histologic analysis of the mass afforded the diagnosis of osteoma.     

Ultrasound diagnosis: intra-abdominal torsion of a non-neoplastic testicle in a cryptorchid dog

A 6-month-old male bilaterally cryptorchid Boxer was examined for acute abdominal pain. The results of physical examination, laboratory testing, and ultrasonographic examination are presented. Intra-abdominal testicular torsion was suspected and confirmed at surgery. No evidence of neoplasia was found at histopathologic examination of the twisted testicle. A discussion of testicular torsion is presented.     

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERACTIVE PATIENT-BASED MULTIMEDIA COMPUTER PROGRAMS IN VETERINARY ORTHOPEDIC RADIOLOGY

Three computerized multimedia programs on large and small animal veterinary orthopedic radiology were developed and implemented for the radiology curriculum as an alternative to traditional film-based laboratory learning. Programs utilized "hot words" (colored text words that displayed an overlaid image label that highlighted lesions) and interactive quizzes which responded appropriately to selected answers. "Hot words" helped students develop confidence in accurate lesion detection and the interactive quizzes transformed learning from a passive to an active process. Multiple examples were provided for reinforcement and concepts were incorporated from other clinical disciplines for curriculum integration. Programs were written using a presentation software program, Toolbook® for DOS based platform, and contained radiographic images made by laser-scanning digitization. Multiple students could simultaneously access the programs through a network server. These pilot programs were implemented successfully and computerized multimedia presentation proved to be well suited to teaching radiology. Development of the programs required attention to a number of hardware, software, time and cost factors.     

Coagulation Abnormalities in 22 Cats with Naturally Occurring Liver Disease

Twenty-two cats with liver disease were evaluated for coagulation abnormalities including alterations in prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, factor VII activity, and platelet count. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of coagulation abnormalities in this population of cats, classify abnormalities according to underlying pathogenesis, and determine if serum biochemical parameters typically used as indicatiors of liver disease showed any correlation with the coagulation abnormalities present. Study results indicated that at least 1 coagulation abnormality was present in 82% of the cats. Prolongation of prothrombin time was most common (16/22 cats) and factor VII activity was below reference range (<60%) in 15 cats. When classified according to underlying pathogenesis, vitamin K deficiency was the most common abnormality found (11/22). Other abnormalities were less common and included hepatic synthetic failure (3/22), indeterminate (3/22), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (1/22). Increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was the only biochemical abnormality that showed statistically significant correlation with coagulation abnormalities ( P = .023). Cats with marked increases in ALP activity were more likely to have coagulation abnormalities than those with only mild increases in ALP activity.     

Isolation of a gammaherpesvirus similar to asinine herpesvirus-2 (AHV-2) from a mule and a survey of mules and donkeys for AHV-2 infection by real-time PCR

Equids are commonly infected by herpesviruses, but isolation of herpesviruses from mules has apparently not been previously reported. Furthermore, the genomic relationships among the various equid herpesviruses are poorly characterized. We describe the isolation and preliminary characterization of a mule gammaherpesvirus tentatively identified as asinine herpesvirus-2 (AHV-2; also designated equid herpesvirus-7 (EHV-7)) from the nasal secretions (NS) of a healthy mule in northern California. The virus was initially identified by transmission electron microscopic examination of lysates of cell culture inoculated with NS collected from the mule. A 913 nucleotide sequence of the DNA polymerase gene was amplified using degenerate primers, and comparison of this sequence with those of various other herpesviruses showed that the mule herpesvirus was most closely related to EHV-2 (AHV-2 sequences were not available for comparison). The sequence of a shorter portion (166 nucleotides) of the mule herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene was identical to that of the published sequence of an asinine gammaherpesvirus, previously designated as AHV-4-3 (AY054992). AHV-2 was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction assay in the NS of approximately 8% of a cohort of 114 healthy mules and 13 donkeys.     

West Nile Virus Antibody Titers and Total Immunoglobulin G Concentrations in Foals from Mares Vaccinated in Late Gestation

This study was conducted to determine whether prepartum vaccination of mares would enhance passive transfer of West Nile virus (WNV)-specific antibodies and to characterize the pattern of decline for maternally derived WNV antibodies in foals. Seventeen light horse mares were allocated to WNV or control treatments. At 30 days before expected foaling, mares were vaccinated for encephalomyelitis, tetanus, herpesvirus, and influenza. At this time, WNV mares were vaccinated with a killed WNV vaccine. Blood samples were taken from mares 30 days before expected foaling, from mares and foals within 24 hours of foaling (0 days), and from foals at 7, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days of age as well as 30 days after an initial (PV1) and subsequent (PV2) WNV vaccination. Serum was analyzed for titer to WNV and total immunoglobulin G (IgG). Although WNV titer did not change over time in control mares, an increase (P < .05) was observed in WNV titer for WNV mares vaccinated 30 days before expected foaling. Foals of WNV dams had greater (P < .05) WNV titers than foals of control dams. Mean WNV titers of all foals increased from 0 to 7 days and declined through 180 days of age. Total IgG of foals increased from days 0 to 7, declined from days 30 to 120, and increased from days 150 through PV2. These results suggest that vaccination of mares for WNV in late gestation has a beneficial effect on foal WNV titer.     

Evaluation of Indicators of Weight-Carrying Ability of Light Riding Horses

To answer the question of whether horse height, cannon bone circumference, and loin width can be used as indicators of weight-carrying ability in light horses, eight mature horses underwent a submaximal mounted standard exercise test under four conditions: carrying 15, 20, 25, or 30% of their body weight. Heart rate was monitored, plasma lactate concentration was determined in jugular blood samples pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, and 10 minutes post-exercise, with serum creatine kinase activity determined at the same times as plasma lactate concentrations, with additional samples collected at 24 hours and 48 hours post-exercise. Muscle soreness and muscle tightness scores were determined using a subjective scoring system 24 hours before and 24 hours after exercise. Heart rates remained significantly higher when the horses carried 25 and 30% of their body weight. Plasma lactate concentrations immediately and 10 minutes after exercise differed when horses carried 30% of their body weight compared with 15, 20, and 25% weight carriage. Horses tended to have a greater change in muscle soreness and muscle tightness when carrying 25% of their body weight, and a significant change in soreness and tightness scores was found in horses carrying 30% of their body weight. Loin width and cannon bone circumference were found to be negatively correlated to the changes in muscle soreness and tightness scores. In conclusion, the data suggest that horses with wider loin and thicker cannon bone circumference became less sore when carrying heavier weight loads.     

Equal Outcomes with and without Human-to-Horse Eye Contact When Catching Horses and Ponies in an Open Pasture

Each of 104 horses and ponies was approached for catching at pasture by the same human handler in a standard manner, either maintaining human-to-animal eye contact (EC+; n = 51) or avoiding eye contact (EC−; n = 53). A subset of 74 of these subjects were reevaluated 3 weeks later under similar standard conditions except with the eye contact condition opposite to that used in the first round. Nonparametric statistical methods were used to evaluate between subjects (round 1, n = 104) and within subjects (rounds 1 and 2, n = 74) comparisons of successful or unsuccessful catching outcome with EC+ and EC−. Catching outcomes were similar with eye contact condition. Although this study represents a single handler at one study site, results suggest that human-to-horse eye contact may not be an important influence on catching pastured horses. Certainly, further work is needed to better understand the role of eye contact in horse handling.     

Effect of ultrasonic cavitation on small and large organisms for water disinfection during fish transport

Motivated by the need for additional tools to disinfect discharge water from well boats, and to prevent distribution of salmon lice, the effect of ultrasonic cavitation on the planktonic stages of the salmon louse, nauplii and copepodids, as well as marine heterotrophic bacteria, and the marine green microalgae Tetraselmis suecica, has been investigated. Survival and morphology were registered after different exposure times. Efficacy of the ultrasonic cavitation treatments varied with exposure time. A reduction in survival was registered even for the shortest exposure time (5 seconds) for both naupliar and copepodid stages of the salmon louse (36.7 ± 11.5 and 67.20 ± 7.2% survival respectively). Survival reached zero after exposure times of 20 and 60 seconds for the nauplii and copepodid stages, respectively. A reduction in 70% was observed for bacteria at all exposure times (5 to 300 s), while a reduction of 95% was observed after 300 s for algal cells. The logged energy transfer to the samples was on average 17.5 J/s. In conclusion, cavitation treatment is destructive for the planktonic stages of salmon lice, and may contribute to reduce discharge of pathogens and parasites from well boats when adapted for this purpose and combined with existing water disinfection methods.