Resident forum abstractsEVALUATION OF THROMBOELASTOGRAPHY (TEG) IN NORMAL CATS

Objective: To establish normal parameters of thromboelastography (TEG) in healthy adult cats. Background: Thromboelastography (TEG) is an in vitro test of coagulation that has been shown to be useful in humans, dogs and select species to identify and quantify alterations of hemostasis (e.g., hypercoagulable and hypocoagulable states). It has also been demonstrated to be useful in monitoring effects of anticoagulant therapies. This test has not been evaluated in cats. Methods: Blood was collected from 25 clinically normal cats by venipuncture using a 21 gauge×3 1/2 inch butterfly catheter and syringe for medial saphenous or jugular venipuncture. A single 1.8 mL sample in 3.8% Sodium Citrate (9:1) was collected from each cat. Recalcified whole blood was analyzed 30 minutes following collection with the TEG® 5000 analyzer (Haemoscope, Niles, IL). Analysis temperature was 37.6°C. TEG parameters recorded included: R‐value (represents initial fibrin formation), K (time from R to standard fixed measure of clot firmness which represents contributions of platelets and fibrinogen), maximum amplitude (MA; represents absolute clot strength), and alpha angle (α; the slope of TEG tracing which represents rate of clot formation). The coagulation index (CI) was derived from the formula generated for humans to provide an overall assessment of whether the sample was hyper‐ or hypocoagulable. Results: Values for the 25 normal cat samples are reported as mean ±2 standard deviations. R=2.97; 1.23–4.72; K=1.54, 0.38–2.71; α=70.70, 57.76–83.65; MA=58.50, 45.26–71.74 and CI=2.27, 0.07–4.46. Compared to historical information obtained on normal dogs, cats have significantly shorter R and K and larger α, MA and CI. Conclusions: TEG does have reproducible performance when used to evaluate coagulation status in normal cats. Compared to dogs, normal cats favor a hypercoagulable state. Species‐specific normal values are necessary for interpretation of TEG results. This test bears potential value for use in future experimental and clinical work to investigate hemostasis in cats receiving anticoagulant therapies or in cats suffering from diseases such as cardiomyopathy which are thought to be associated with altered coagulation status.     

Pesticide degradation in a 'biobed' composting substrate

Pesticides play an important role in the success of modern farming and food production. However, the release of pesticides to the environment arising from non-approved use, poor practice, illegal operations or misuse is increasingly recognised as contributing to water contamination. Biobeds appear to offer a cost-effective method for treating pesticide-contaminated waste. This study was performed to determine whether biobeds can degrade relatively complex pesticide mixtures when applied repeatedly. A pesticide mixture containing isoproturon, pendimethalin, chlorpyrifos, chlorothalonil, epoxiconazole and dimethoate was incubated in biomix and topsoil at concentrations to simulate pesticide disposal. Although the data suggest that interactions between pesticides are possible, the effects were of less significance in biomix than in topsoil. The same mixture was applied on three occasions at 30-day intervals. Degradation was significantly quicker in biomix than in topsoil. The rate of degradation, however, decreased with each additional treatment, possibly due to the toxicity of the pesticide mixture to the microbial community. Incubations with chlorothalonil and pendimethalin carried out in sterile and non-sterile biomix indicated that degradation, rather than irreversible adsorption to the matrix, was the main mechanism responsible for the reduction in recovered residues. Results from these experiments suggest that biobeds offer a viable means of treating pesticide waste.     

Pesticide residues on the external surfaces of field-crop sprayers: environmental impact

There is increased awareness of the need to clean the external surfaces of sprayers, but the extent to which the washings may impact on the environment is not known. Quantification of the levels of external residues on sprayers could give an indication of the potential environmental impact of sprayer cleaning. The presence of azoxystrobin, carbendazim, chlorothalonil, cyanazine, cypermethrin, epoxiconazole, flusilazole, isoproturon, kresoxim-methyl, metazachlor, pendimethalin, pirimicarb and tebuconazole on thirteen sprayers, sampled on two occasions was investigated. Composite samples were taken from the boom, nozzles and spray tank (delivery system) and the mudguard, cab door, rear window and windscreen (tractor body). Despite being subject to some form of cleaning, pesticides were detected on all sprayers. Residues were found at higher quantities and with greater frequency on the nozzles and booms, but the mean dose on the spray tank was equal to that on the mudguard (7.2 mg m(-2)). Isoproturon, pendimethalin, metazachlor, chlorothalonil and azoxystrobin were all detected above 1000 mg m(-2) on the delivery system, whereas on the tractor body the highest concentrations were between 100 and 1000 mg m(-2) (isoproturon, pendimethalin, chlorothalonil and carbendazim). On the whole, azoxystrobin was detected on the least number of occasions. However, there was great variation within and between compounds and sampling sites. Generally sprayers were not cleaned frequently or efficiently, enabling residues to accumulate on the external surfaces where they can remain for years. The findings here indicate that the quantity of these residues may be sufficient to be harmful to aquatic organisms should the residues enter a watercourse. In addition, if all the residues were removed by cleaning in the field and the washings catchment area was 15 m2 or less, overdosing could occur. Further work is required to assess whether a more frequent cleaning regime would reduce the overall environmental impact of cleaning sprayers. Implications for potential occupational exposure are considered elsewhere.     

The relationship of subsequent racing performance to foreleg flight patterns during racing speed workouts of unraced 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses at auctions

Workouts of 980 unraced 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses at major U.S. auctions were videotaped using digital high-speed video equipment (ie, slow motion) and studied for signs of extraneous foreleg motion.^a Extraneous foreleg motion included, but was not limited to: 1) hyper rotation of the cannon bone on an axis parallel to the plane of the running surface (ie, moving in sagittal plane; hoof hitting an elbow in extreme cases) and perpendicular to the direction of the racetrack longitudinally; and 2) foreleg flight patterns not symmetrical and/or not parallel to the vector of the forward momentum of the horse's center of gravity (eg, winging, paddling, and/or wobbling at joints). Experienced Thorough bred racehorse industry videographers and gait analysis researchers were trained and used as film reviewers who rated foreleg motion on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating little or no extraneous motion, 3.5 indicating average extraneous motion (relative to the other unraced 2-year-olds at these auctions and to more than 20,000 similar horses at similar auctions over the past 10 years), and 5 indicating extreme extraneous motion (ie, at least 1 standard deviation or more from the mean). Because these were subjective ratings, only the more extreme rankings were used for comparison purposes in this study—that is, a minority (15.3%) of the overall study population.

A group of 73 horses with “good” foreleg motion had ratings from 1 to 3. A group of 77 horses with “bad” foreleg motion had ratings from 4 to 5. The subsequent North American racing performance of horses with good and bad foreleg motion was compared. Both groups had similar average velocity and similar distribution patterns of the velocities of the workouts, so the differences between the groups that are discussed in this study were not caused by different overall workout velocities.

Extraneous foreleg motion was shown to be related to subsequent racing earnings and the level of racing competition achieved. Horses with good foreleg motion (as defined herein) earned more and had greater stakes-level success than horses with bad foreleg motion. For example, the median earnings per start of horses with good foreleg motion was 83% higher than those of horses with bad foreleg motion, and horses with good foreleg motion were 58% more likely to win a top race (ie, one designated as a “graded” stakes) than horses with bad foreleg motion. However, the “good movers” raced less overall than the “bad movers.”

A secondary finding of this study is that although there is a widely held industry belief that horses with high action or bad foreleg motion are more suited to turf racing, horses with good foreleg motion were more likely than horses with bad foreleg motion to race at least once on turf, and, among horses to race on turf, horses with good foreleg motion were more likely than horses with bad foreleg motion to win and to finish “in the money” (ie, at least third).