Incarcerated umbilical hernia in the horse: a case with a review of the literature

Umbilical hernias are common in foals. This article provides a review of the literature and presents a case of an 1.5-year-old Friesian mare with an incarcerated umbilical hernia. After reposition of the incarcerated intestine (with a lot of effort), the practising veterinarian referred the mare to the Department of Equine Sciences. Preperforative peritonitis was diagnosed, presumed to be caused by necrotic bowel. After laparotomy, this tentative diagnosis was confirmed. The necrotic part of the small intestine was resected and intensive medical treatment was started. Initially, the mare recovered well, but seven days after surgery her general condition deteriorated and she had to be euthanized. At necropsy, impaction of the stomach and rupture of the stomach wall were found. The impaction was probably a result of the generalized peritonitis.     

Amitraz intoxications in the horse: cases and backgrounds

Since the only registrated anti-ectoparasiticum for horses (foxim) is no longer available in The Netherlands, some cases of amitraz intoxication of the horse have occurred. In this article the literature concerning amitraz intoxications and experiments will be discussed and some cases will be described.     

Association between liver copper concentration and subclinical hepatitis in Doberman Pinschers

The prevalence of subclinical hepatitis was investigated in a group of 106 randomly selected 3-year-old Doberman Pinschers. Histopathologic examination of liver samples from 65 dogs (52 dogs with high bile acids, alkaline phosphatase activity, or alanine aminotransferase activity or with copper granules in hepatocytes in a liver aspirate and 13 normal dogs) revealed subclinical hepatitis in 22 dogs (19 females and 3 males). Liver copper concentrations measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis was significantly higher (mean +/- SD; 419 +/- 414 microg/g dry matter) in dogs with hepatitis than those without liver disease (197 +/- 113 microg/g; P = .0008). At 2.6 +/- 0.6 years hepatitis persisted in 5 of 16 dogs available for examination. One dog with a high copper concentration but normal liver subsequently developed subclinical hepatitis after 3 years. During the follow-up period, the average copper concentration of the 6 dogs with persistent subclinical hepatitis was 939 +/- 299 microg/g and had continued to rise significantly (P = .02). The hepatitis in these dogs was associated with apoptotic hepatocytes and copper-laden Kupffer cells in centrolobular regions. The results of this study suggest that there is a relationship among copper storage, hepatocellular damage, and hepatitis in Doberman Pinschers.     

Studies on the efficacy of different adjuvants in live stock specific bacterial vaccines for turkeys against Bordetella infection and onset of antibody titers in respect to the age of the turkey poults

For evaluating the influence of the age of the vaccinated birds on the development of antibodies, five groups of turkey poults were inoculated subcutaneously at day 1, 7, 10, 14 and 21 of life with vaccine containing inactivated Bordetella avium and Freund's incomplete adjuvant. No matter which vaccine schedule was used, serum antibodies with the ELISA were first detected at the 28th day of life and increased continuously until the 49th day, when it exhibited either a peak or a plateau. Aluminium hydroxide, Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvant and a mineral oil-arlacel-tween-mixture being permitted adjuvants (appendix II EWG 2377/90) and the adjuvant Gerbu 100 were evaluated for their suitability. Turkeys were vaccinated at the age of three weeks and examined clinically as well as serologically up to the 11th week. Humoral antibodies were detected quantitatively using an ELISA for IgG and a microagglutination test for IgM and qualitatively using immunodiffusion. The damage at the application site was rated by measurement of the swelling of the tissue. In the 10th week, the animals were infected with the agent for challenge. The serological examination for IgG antibodies in the ELISA both treatments with Freund's adjuvants resulted in high titers, which differed significantly from the unvaccinated control after 21 days. IgM could be detected from day 7 onwards in all vaccinated groups and showed the highest titers when aluminium hydroxide was used as adjuvant. In the immunodiffusion assay, precipitating antibodies could be found from the first week after vaccination onwards. There was no correlation between the occurrence of precipitating antibodies and ELISA titers. The measurements of the swelling of the tissue in the beginning showed the largest swellings in the animals injected with Freund's incomplete adjuvant and differed significantly from the unvaccinated control. In the 10th week, the animals were infected with Bordetella avium for challenge. In comparison to the unvaccinated animals, all vaccinated turkeys, no matter which adjuvant was used, showed a distinct and significant reduction of the reisolation rate.     

Growth performance, carcass composition, quality, and enhancement treatment of fresh pork identified through deoxyribonucleic acid marker-assisted selection for the Rendement Napole gene

Progeny (n = 70) from unrelated, DNA tested, Rendement Napole carrier (RN-/rn+) Hampshire sires, and DNA tested, Rendement Napole normal (rn+/rn+) Yorkshire dams were genotyped for the segregating RN- allele via DNA marker-assisted methodology. Six slaughter groups ensued, with littermates all being represented within the same slaughter group. Boneless pork loins were removed from right carcass sides after a 48-h chill at 2 degrees C. The anterior portions of the loins were not enhanced, whereas the posterior sections were enhanced with a solution containing 0.5% sodium chloride and 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate to 110% of their initial weight. Carcasses of carrier pigs had less (P < 0.05) 10th rib fat depth and a greater (P < 0.01) percentage carcass lean than carcasses of normal pigs. Postmortem LM pH of carrier pigs was lower (P < 0.002) at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, and tended to be lower (P = 0.062) at 48 h compared with that of normal animals. Samples of LM from carrier pigs had greater (P < 0.01) glycolytic potential values, drip loss percentages, and a* values, and lower pH values at fabrication than LM from normal pigs. No genotype differences (P > 0.05) were found for LM lactate, L*, or b* values. Nonenhanced semimembranosus samples from carrier pigs exhibited greater (P < 0.05) purge loss percentages and L* values, and lower (P < 0.01) pH values than samples from normal pigs. Enhanced LM samples exhibited greater (P < 0.05) drip and purge loss percentages, greater pH, and lower L* values at fabrication, regardless of Napole status. These findings suggest that the Napole gene has a positive influence on carcass leanness but detrimental effects for lean quality, which were often further compounded when meat was subjected to enhancement treatment.