Predictors of owner response to companion animal death in 177 clients from 14 practices in Ontario

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of grief and client desires and needs as they relate to pet death. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mail survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: 177 clients, from 14 randomly selected veterinary practices, whose cat or dog died between 6 and 43 days prior to returning the completed questionnaire. PROCEDURE: Veterinary practices were contacted weekly to obtain the names of clients whose pets had died until approximately 200 clients were identified. Clients were contacted by telephone, and a questionnaire designed to measure grief associated with pet death was mailed to those willing to participate within 1 to 14 days of their pet's death. The questionnaire measured potential correlates and modifiers of grief and included three outcome measures: social/emotional and physical consequences, thought processes, and despair. Demographic data were also collected. RESULTS: Approximately 30% of participants experienced severe grief. The most prominent risk factors for grief included level of attachment, euthanasia, societal attitudes toward pet death, and professional support from the veterinary team. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Bivariate and multivariate analyses highlighted the impact owners' attitudes about euthanasia and professional intervention by the veterinary team had on reactions to pet death. Owners' perceptions of societal attitudes, also a predictor of grief, indicate that grief for pets is different than grief associated with other losses.     

Gonadal function, sexual behavior, feedlot performance, and carcass traits of ram lambs actively immunized against GnRH

The effect of active immunization against GnRH on production, carcass, and behavioral traits was examined in ram lambs fed to a uniform slaughter weight. Lambs (initial BW = 32.6+/-1 kg) were stratified by BW and assigned at random to one of four treatment groups (n = 12 lambs/group). Lambs were untreated, castrated, or actively immunized against GnRH using a GnRH-keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate (1 mg) emulsified with either Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) or another oil-based adjuvant (ISA). Animals were housed individually and slaughtered at 58 kg BW. Immunoneutralization of GnRH reduced (P < .05) testes weight and the concentration of testosterone in serum at slaughter. Suppression of testicular size and function was most clearly evident in animals immunized using FCA. Final anti-GnRH titer was also highest in lambs immunized using FCA. Several measures of sexual behavior (frequency of mounts and ejaculations) were also reduced (P < .05) in animals immunized using FCA. The duration of the feeding period was greater (P < .05) for castrated lambs than for untreated lambs, and intermediate feeding periods were required for FCA and ISA lambs. Average daily gain was greater (P < .05) in untreated than in castrated, FCA, or ISA lambs. Similarly, feed efficiency for untreated lambs was greater (P < .05) than for castrated, FCA, or ISA lambs, but feed efficiency did not differ among castrated, FCA, or ISA lambs. Longissimus muscle area, lean and bone maturity, overall quality, muscling score, flank streaking, and color of fat did not differ among treatments. Intact, FCA, and ISA lambs had more (P < .05) desirable yield grades, less (P < .05) backfat, and less (P < .05) marbling than castrated lambs. In summary, immunization against GnRH decreased testicular weight and reduced (P < .05) feedlot performance and sexual behavior to levels comparable to those of castrated males. Partitioning of nutrients for growth and deposition of fat, however, seems to differ among immunologically castrated and physically castrated lambs. This difference in nutrient partitioning may be due to residual testicular activity in immunized lambs.     

Prevalence and genotypic characterisation of Giardia in dairy calves from Western Australia and Western Canada

In this study, the prevalence of Giardia duodenalis infections was determined in Western Canadian and Western Australian dairy calves. Faecal samples were collected from Holstein calves located on a commercial dairy near Lethbridge, Alta., Canada (N=28) and from calves located on two commercial dairies located near Perth, WA, Australia (N=36). Faecal samples were examined for the presence of Giardia cysts using sucrose gradient centrifugation, followed by immunofluoresence microscopy. DNA was then extracted from Giardia isolates obtained from positive samples. A PCR based method was employed to amplify and sequence a 292bp region of the 16S-rRNA gene. Genetic sequences obtained from Giardia isolates were compared to each other and to previously sequenced isolates. Following a single faecal sample, 58% of Western Australian calves and 57% of Western Canadian calves were positive for Giardia. Geometric mean cyst counts/g of faeces were 839 for Western Australian calves and 3475 for Western Canadian calves, but these values did not differ significantly. Genetic sequences were obtained from 10 calves from Western Canada, while six sequences were obtained from Western Australian calves. Of the Western Canadian isolates, eight aligned with the proposed 'Hoofed livestock' genotype. Of the five isolates obtained from Western Australian calves, four sequences were identical to the 'Hoofed livestock' genotype. Two isolates from the Western Canadian calves and one isolate from the Western Australian calves had the identical genetic sequence to the Genotype (Assemblage) A sequence, a common human genotype. The results of this study demonstrate, for the first time, that Giardia infections occur in Western Australian calves. Also, calves from different geographical locations appear to be primarily infected with a Giardia genotype unique to hoofed livestock. However, calves can shed Giardia cysts potentially infective for humans. Thus, Giardia infections should be considered important to Australian dairy producers, and infections in calves may pose a risk to public health regardless of geographical location.     

Vinblastine and prednisolone chemotherapy for surgically excised grade III canine cutaneous mast cell tumours

The effect of treatment with vinblastine and prednisolone chemotherapy in dogs undergoing only surgical excision of Patnaik grade III cutaneous mast cell tumours is reported. Potential explanatory variables were explored using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis with log‐rank tests. During a median follow‐up period of 429 days, the overall median survival time (MST) was not reached (lower 95% CI = 322 days). The 1‐year survival probability was 0.71 (standard error 0.1), remaining unchanged at 2 years. Secondary disease at presentation was an independent risk factor for survival (P= 0.045). The MST of dogs presenting with secondary disease was 322 days, with a lower 95% confidence interval of 142 days and a 1‐year survival of probability of 0.47 (standard error 0.19). Adverse effects were recorded in 6 of the 108 (5.6%) vinblastine doses given. This chemotherapy regimen is a well‐tolerated adjunct to surgery for grade III mast cell tumours and appears to prolong survival compared with that expected with surgery alone.     

Genetic heterogeneity of leucostoma species in michigan peach orchards

ABSTRACT The pathogens causing perennial canker of peach, Leucostoma spp., were characterized in Michigan orchards to identify which species and subgroups (cryptic species) were prevalent on a highly susceptible peach cultivar, Loring, and a less susceptible cultivar, Redhaven. Four hundred and three strains of Leucostoma were isolated from cankers in three southwest Michigan orchards where 'Loring' occurred adjacent to 'Redhaven' in side-by-side plots. Based on colony morphology and small nuclear rDNA size polymorphisms, three cryptic species were detected; 89% of the isolates were identified as L. persoonii phenetic group 1, 10% were L. cincta group 4, and 1% were L. persoonii group 2. Pathogen profiles differed significantly between cankers on small branches of 'Loring' and 'Redhaven', and between cankers on small branches and trunks. Of 1,232 random pairings among isolates of L. persoonii group 1, 95% were vegetatively incompatible. A minimum of 11 and a maximum of 17 maternal lines were identified based upon mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms among 69 isolates of L. persoonii group 1 from one split-cultivar block of 72 trees. Vegetative compatibility loci were randomly associated with maternal lines. Evidence of clonality was absent in L. persoonii group 1, as no correlation occurred between these two sets of independent genetic markers and no genotype was over-represented. The number of cryptic species, the number of maternal lines, and the frequency of incompatibility within maternal lines indicate that considerable genetic variation exists within the Leucostoma populations in Michigan peach orchards, and that sexual recombination is common.     

Preliminary characterization of a serum viral inhibitor in goats

A serum viral inhibitor (SVI) was isolated from goats and partially characterized. The inhibitor prevented the cytopathic effects of vesicular stomatitis virus, encephalomyocarditis virus, and a caprine herpesvirus, indicating broad antiviral activity. The SVI was distinct from interferon because SVI did not induce an antiviral state in cells (ie, lack of protection of SVI-treated cells from virus challenge). The SVI had activity on heterologous cells, including human, bovine, and ovine cells. The lack of antiviral activity in mouse cells indicated that SVI was not an antibody. Like fibroblast interferon, however, SVI was sensitive to trypsin, was acid stable at pH 2 and 4 C for 4 days, was heat stable at 56 C for 1 hour, and could not be sedimented by centrifugation at 100,000 X g for 4 hours.     

Using phenotypic variation to determine conservation value: application of a novel approach to Arctic charr

Abstract –  There is a very high degree of discrete variation in phenotype between populations of Arctic charr. This takes the form of variation not only in morphometric and meristic characters traditionally used to distinguish species, but also in characteristics of life-history, behaviour, coloration and ecology. This variability has a number of consequences, one of these is that there is a strong case for the conservation of populations with extreme phenotypes. However, if variation is discrete between populations but continuous across many populations, this poses difficulties in separating those populations of high conservation value from those of lower conservation value. In this paper we describe a statistical technique which enables populations on the extreme edges of the range of phenotypic variation to be identified and apply this to the morphometric characters of charr from 25 populations from across Scotland and Ireland. The technique enables the identification of any proportion of the most extreme phenotypes. When applied to our data, one population (Loch More) was in the top 2 percentile of the most extreme phenotypes from across the range of all populations included. Three populations were within the top 10% most extreme phenotypes (Lochs More, Uaine and Earn) and a further five within the top 20% (previously mentioned lochs plus Lochs Eck, Merkland, Uaine, Talla and Lough Nalughraman). This technique can potentially be used on any species and on any suite of characteristics as an objective measure of conservation value of a population within a continuous phenotypic range.