Thoracic high-resolution computed tomographic findings in dogs with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

OBJECTIVES: To identify features of canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and to correlate these features with clinical stages of the disease. METHODS: Ten dogs with signalment, history and clinical signs highly suggestive of CIPF were investigated. Thoracic radiography, haematology and biochemistry profiles, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage and HRCT were performed in each case. The dogs were classified as having mild, moderate or severe stages of the disease based on their clinical presentation and radiographic signs. Features identified by HRCT were correlated with these disease stages. RESULTS: HRCT showed a spectrum of pulmonary changes and it was possible to match some of these to the stage of CIPF. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: HRCT is used extensively in humans in the diagnosis and treatment planning of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This preliminary study identifies the high-resolution computed tomographic features of CIPF in a small group of dogs. With further work it may be possible to use HRCT as a non-invasive tool for diagnosing, staging and therapeutically monitoring CIPF.     

Effect of wetting a chicken's feathers on the effectiveness of electrical stunning.

Chickens were electrically stunned either when their bodies and feathers were wet or when they were dry. The time to recovery of muscular activity following stunning with 81 mA was assessed, and it was found that it was quicker in the wet birds. When hens which had previously been implanted with electroencephalogram electrodes were stunned with 119 mA it was found that the prevalence of somatosensory evoked responses during the first 60 seconds after applying the current was not significantly influenced by the wetness of the birds. It was concluded that electrical stunning with low currents in wet birds leads to a lower prevalence of ventricular fibrillation at stunning and a shorter lasting stun in the non-fibrillated birds. This effect is possibly due to some of the current tracking over the bird's wet body rather than through the brain.     

Effects of salinity and the use of shackle/leg sprays on the electrical conductivity of a commercial waterbath stunner for broilers

The effect of salinity and temperature on the electrical conductivity of a waterbath stunner was assessed in a commercial broiler processing plant. During a break in production, the waterbath was emptied and filled with either cold water, cold water plus sodium chloride, warm water, or warm water plus sodium chloride. Different concentrations of sodium chloride in distilled water at different temperatures were prepared in the laboratory and their conductivities were compared with the results obtained in the processing plant. No significant increase in conductivity was achieved through an increase in water temperature in either the laboratory or the processing plant, but there was an increase in conductivity after the addition of sodium chloride. However, the increase in conductivity was lost after 20 to 30 minutes of birds passing through the waterbath. The effects of the use, the location and the water temperature of the shackle/leg sprays on electrical conductivity were also studied, but under the conditions of the experiment none of these factors increased the electrical conductivity.     

Vaginal isolation of beta‐haemolytic Streptococcus from bitches with and without neonatal deaths in the litters

The aim of the study was to identify beta‐haemolytic streptococci in the vagina of bitches who had delivered healthy litters and bitches who had delivered litters in which neonatal deaths occurred. Fifty‐one bitches divided into two groups were used. Group 1 (G1) included 28 bitches that had delivered healthy litters and group 2 (G2) included 23 bitches that had delivered puppies who died in the neonatal period. Two vaginal samples were taken, one in proestrus and the other at the end of gestation (EG). Beta‐haemolytic Streptococcus (BS) was isolated from 16 bitches (57%) in G1 and from 21 bitches (91%) in G2. The bacteriological cultures, serological tests (Streptex^®) and PCR assay allowed identification of Streptococcus canis and Streptococcus dysgalactiae in G1 and G2. Ultramicroscopic studies allowed the observation of M Protein and capsules in strains of S. dysgalactiae and S. canis in G1 and G2. The S. canis strains isolated from G2 showed thicker capsules than S. canis strains isolated from G1 (234 ± 24.2 vs 151.23 ± 28.93 nm; p < .001.). No differences were observed in capsule thickness between strains of S. dysgalactiae isolated from G1 and G2 (210 ± 13.54 vs 211.66 ± 19.67 nm; p > .70). All strains of beta‐haemolytic Streptococcus isolated were penicillin sensitive. Penicillin was administered from EG to 5 days post‐partum in 10 G2 females with isolation of BS (G2A). Saline solution was administered in eleven G2 females with isolation of BS (G2B). Ninety per cent of the puppies survived in G2A and 25% survived in G2B. Our results suggest BS is involved in canine neonatal deaths.     

Effect of slaughter by removal from water on visual evoked activity in the brain and reflex movement of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The effects of removal from water and death by anoxia on brain function and reflex movement were examined in conscious trout. Visual evoked responses (VERS) were measured in fish with a body temperature of 20 degrees C, 14 degrees C and 2 degrees C. On average the fish took 2.6 minutes at 20 degrees C, 3.0 minutes at 14 degrees C and 9.6 minutes at 2 degrees C to lose VERS, and 11.5, 27.7 and 197.6 minutes, respectively, to lose all movement. VERS were absent from fish anaesthetised with MS222. From a humanitarian standpoint these results indicate that fish killed by anoxia could be exposed to periods of distress or suffering, and that cooling them in ice prolongs this period.     

Effectiveness of electrical stunning applied using a variety of waveform-frequencycombinations and consequences for carcase quality in broiler chickens

1. The effectiveness of electrical stunning of poultry was assessed where the recommended current of 105 mA per bird was applied using a range of waveform-frequency combinations. In addition the effect of the treatments on subsequent carcase quality was investigated. 2. The use of frequencies greater than 50 Hz was associated with a failure to induce ventricular fibrillation. 3. All waveform-frequency combinations were equally effective in producing a stunned state; the time to recovery was not affected by stunning treatment but was significantly longer in heavier birds. 4. The use of high frequency (500 Hz and 1500 Hz) stunning currents resulted in a decrease in carcase downgrading and a marked reduction in the occurrence of breast muscle haemorrhages, which represent significant commercial benefits to be gained by their use.