Appearance of slow-reacting and complement-requiring neutralizing antibody in cattle infected with Akabane virus

Slow-reacting complement-requiring neutralizing (NT) antibody was detected in sera from cattle 2 weeks after infection with Akabane virus. Bovine sera obtained 3 or 4 weeks after infection contained slow-reacting noncomplement-requiring NT antibody. The slow-reacting complement-requiring NT antibody was sensitive to 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), whereas the slow-reacting noncomplement-requiring NT antibody was resistant to 2-ME. The initial phase may represent the IgM response and the later phase a change to IgG. A NT test was developed in which virus-serum mixtures were incubated at 4 degrees C for 48 h and then with complement at 37 degrees C for 60 min; this gave an improved sensitivity over the previous incubation at 37 degrees C for 60 min.     

Equine chronic diarrhea: Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine review

Chronic diarrhea is a common problem in equine practice. Herbal medicine has been used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in horses for at least one thousand years. In present-day equine practice in China, the most common approach to treat chronic diarrhea is herbal medicine, or a combination of herbal medicine and acupuncture. Three types of chronic diarrhea in horses will be described in detail in term of symptoms, diagnosis and herbal treatments in this paper. Nineteen herbal formulas for treatment of different types of diarrhea will be introduced. Clinical results of each herbal formula will be evaluated. Acupuncture treatment of this problem will also be included.     

A zinc-containing intraruminal device for facial eczema control in lambs

A zinc-containing intraruminal device has been developed for protecting lambs against facial eczema. The rate of release of zinc from the device has been optimised, and its safety in use established. Under both experimental and farm conditions, the device gave excellent protection against the liver injury associated with facial eczema. The device relies upon erosion for release of zinc, and disappears completely when its charge of zinc has been released, leaving no metal or plastic residue in the rumen. This device has the potential to greatly ameliorate the problem of facial eczema in New Zealand.     

Duration of immunity in foxes vaccinated orally with ERA vaccine in a bait.

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) vaccinated orally with the ERA strain of rabies vaccine in a bait were challenged after 83 mo. Ten of 11 foxes that had seroconverted following vaccination resisted challenge with a virulent rabies virus which produced clinical signs of rabies in 6 of 6 unvaccinated foxes. Five of 11 vaccinated animals retained titers of rabies virus neutralizing antibody throughout the period. Although 6 of 11 had no detectable antibody at the time of challenge, 5 of these 6 resisted challenge and had an anamnestic response, as indicated by elevated titers of antibody when measured at day 77 postchallenge. These results show that foxes can be immunized successfully with a single oral dose of ERA vaccine, probably with protection against a lethal rabies challenge, for at least 7 y.     

CONGENITAL DISLOCATION OF THE DEEP DIGITAL FLEXOR TENDON ASSOCIATED WITH HYPOPLASIA OF THE SUSTENTACULUM TALI IN A THOROUGHBRED COLT

An 11-month-old Thoroughbred colt was presented with a hard swelling at the proximal third of the right 4th metatarsal bone. A medial dislocation of the deep digital flexor tendon ( flexor digitorum profundus ) was also observed on the same leg. On the plantaroproximal-plantarodistal projection of the calcaneus, there was flattening and shortening of the sustentaculum tali. The smooth bony proliferation at the proximal third of the right 4th metatarus was compatible with a chronic splint bone fracture. This report describes a medial deep digital flexor dislocation associated with hypoplasia of the sustentaculum tali .     

Amino acid profile during exercise and training in Standardbreds

The objective of this study is to assess the influence of acute exercise, training and intensified training on the plasma amino acid profile.In a 32-week longitudinal study using 10 Standardbred horses, training was divided into four phases, including a phase of intensified training for five horses. At the end of each phase, a standardized exercise test, SET, was performed. Plasma amino acid concentrations before and after each SET were measured.Training significantly reduced mean plasma aspartic acid concentration, whereas exercise significantly increased the plasma concentrations of alanine, taurine, methionine, leucine, tyrosine and phenylalanine and reduced the plasma concentrations of glycine, ornithine, glutamine, citrulline and serine. Normally and intensified trained horses differed not significantly. It is concluded that amino acids should not be regarded as limiting training performance in Standardbreds except for aspartic acid which is the most likely candidate for supplementation.     

Altered pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in experimental models of hepatic and renal impairment

We investigated the effects of hepatic and renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in Sprague-Dawley rats. Experimental hepatic and renal failure were induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCL₄) and 5/6 nephrectomy, respectively. After intravenous dosing of enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg), plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin were measured using liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometry. There was no significant effect of hepatic impairment on enrofloxacin pharmacokinetics. However, renal impairment markedly prolonged elimination half life (t_1/2λz) of enrofloxacin (P < 0.05), comparing with respective control. Total body clearance (Cl_b) and volume of distribution at steady state (V_ss) were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) by renal impairment. In conclusion, these results suggested that renal impairment could affect the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin.