Splenic Infarction in 16 Dogs: A Retrospective Study

Sixteen dogs with splenic infarction due to causes other than splenic torsion were identified. Dogs with splenic infarction often had multiple concurrent diseases, and surgical management of splenic infarction was associated with high mortality. Splenic infarction occurred in dogs with hypercoagulable conditions associated with liver disease, renal disease, and hyperadrenocorticism, or as a consequence of uniform splenomegaly, neoplasia, or thrombosis associated with cardiovascular disease. Clinical signs and common laboratory findings generally reflected the underlying disease process. A variety of splenic abnormalities were detected by abdominal ultrasound in 15 dogs, with the ventral extremity of the spleen being most often abnormal. Four dogs were euthanized or died because of the presence of severe systemic disease, whereas 12 dogs underwent laparotomy. Complete splenectomy was performed in 9 dogs and partial splenectomy was performed in 2 dogs. Seven dogs died in the immediate postoperative period, 3 required chronic veterinary care, and 2 had uncomplicated long-term recoveries. Splenic infarction should be regarded as a sign of altered blood flow and coagulation, rather than as a primary disease, and surgical management should be reserved for patients with life-threatening complications such as hemoabdomen or sepsis.     

Radical Lateral Body-Wall Resection for Fibrosarcoma With Reconstruction Using Polypropylene Mesh and a Caudal Superficial Epigastric Axial Pattern Flap: A Prospective Clinical Study of the Technique and Results in 6 Cats

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate a technique for radical resection of the lateral body wall for treatment of fibrosarcoma with reconstruction using polypropylene mesh and a caudal superficial epigastric axial pattern flap in cats. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, clinical study. ANIMALS OR SAMPLE POPULATION: Six client-owned cats with fibrosarcoma. METHODS: Six cats with histologically confirmed fibrosarcoma of the lateral body wall were staged using radiography and/or computer tomography scanning. Preoperative radiotherapy was used in 3 cats. All cats had the lateral abdominal wall resected and reconstructed with polypropylene mesh. A caudal superficial epigastric flap was mobilized and rotated to close the skin deficit. The animals were evaluated after surgery for wound complications, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. Outcome was assessed by patient examination and client consultation. RESULTS: Minor dehiscence of the skin flaps occurred in 2 cats, and 1 other cat was successfully resuscitated from respiratory and cardiac arrest after surgery. All tissue specimens were tumor-free at the surgical margins. Follow-up times ranged from 12 to 21 months, with a mean time of 17.2 months. None of the cats had evidence of local tumor recurrence or metastasis; outcome was judged good to excellent in all cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Radical lateral body-wall resection and reconstruction is an effective technique for achieving local tumor control with acceptable patient morbidity. Further studies are needed to assess whether the technique will result in improved tumor-free intervals and survival times.     

Oral biology and disease in invertebrates.

It is hoped that this article has shown some of the amazing breadth of research into invertebrate mouthpart anatomy, development and pathology, and its relation to important disease processes that impinge on fields as diverse as environmental toxicology and antimalarial therapeutics, while also highlighting the need for further study in this field.     

The fate of dinobuton and dinoseb on growing apples

After topical application of dinobuton or dinoseb to apple fruits approximately 75% and 72% respectively of the applied material was lost after 28 days. From apples treated with dinobuton the unchanged compound was the major component present up until 8 days but at later times the amounts of polar transformation products and water-soluble compounds predominated. Only small amounts of dinoseb were found at all times. A similar pattern of results was obtained from apples treated with dinoseb. The maximum amounts of material absorbed through the fruit skin were 3% from dinobuton-treated apples and 7% from dinoseb-treated applies.     

An introduction to biosecurity of cattle operations.

Recent world events have heightened awareness for the need to safeguard our livestock industries from disease agents. Biosecurity is the outcome of all activities undertaken to preclude introduction of disease agents into an animal population. The concepts of biosecurity are not new. Activities directed at ensuring biosecurity include controlling exposure and optimizing resistance. Programs for biosecurity must be individually tailored to specific situations to account for varying risks and perceptions of risk by decision makers. It is important for practitioners to take a holistic approach to disease control, considering the epidemiology of the disease in addition to the available vaccines and therapeutics.     

Structure-activity relationships in fungitoxicants related to triforine and chloraniformethan. III. A quantitative hansch analysis

Quantitative structure-activity relationships in several series of fungitoxic N-(1-substituted-2,2,2-trichloroethyl)formamides and bis[1-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)formamides] were investigated by the Hansch method, employing partitioning data determined by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography and electronic parameters calculated by the Hückel Molecular Orbital method. The activity of compounds applied as root-drenches against Erysiphe graminis on barley correlated with their partitioning properties alone, but electronic properties of the aromatic derivatives were also influential in leaf-spray tests. Possible factors governing the activity of the compounds are discussed. It is tentatively proposed that the biologically active centre of triforine and related aliphatic compounds includes the XCHNHCO grouping (where X = heteroatom), whereas that of chloraniformethan and its aryl analogues incorporates the grouping RXCHNHCO (where RX = a conjugated system capable of accepting pi-electrons from an electron donating receptor).     

Influence of block and cell size,growing medium and insecticide dose on the behaviour and uptake of phorate by lettuce and uptake of carbofuran and chlorfenvinphos by calabrese

Phorate residues in peat blocks and lettuce were determined following incorporation of the insecticide into different block and ‘Speedling’ cell sizes. Between-block variability was influenced little by block size. Phorate oxidation was most extensive in the largest blocks containing the smallest dose. Total residue concentrations in the lettuce declined from the time of planting to harvest, although accumulation of insecticide continued and was related more to dose than to block or cell size. Residues in the lettuce at harvest exceeded the proposed maximum limit of 0.2 mg kg^?1 in some treatments. Residues at planting comprised mainly the parent sulphoxide and sulphone, but by harvest, the oxygen analogue sulphoxide and sulphone predominated. Lettuce weight was not influenced by dose but was related directly to block size. Carbofuran and chlorfenvinphos residues were determined in calabrese sown into two sizes of blocks. At planting time, carbofuran residue concentrations were 100 times greater than those of chlorfenvinphos but residues of both insecticides in the mature heads were < 0.01 mg kg^?1. Seedling weights in both sowings declined with increasing concentrations of the insecticides. It was concluded that manipulations of block size and the dose of insecticide need to be evaluated for individual insecticide/crop combinations to exploit the technique fully.     

The persistence and activity of insecticide spary deposits on woven polypropylene fabric

Wettable powder formulations of the organophosphorus insecticides, fenitrothion and pirimiphos-methyl, and the pyrethroids, permethrin and deltamethrin, have been compared for persistence and activity on woven polypropylene fabric; the residues produced in maize kept under the test sheets have also been measured. The test insects were Sitophilus oryzue (L.) and Tribolium custuneum (Herbst). Permethrin at 41 and 83 mg m^?2 was completely effective for the full 12 weeks of the experiment. Deltamethrin at 6.2 and 12.5 mg m^?2 was almost equally effective but after 4 weeks the deposit was slower acting against S. oryzae. The organophosphorus compounds were effective only up to 2 weeks at 250 mg m^?2 and up to 4 weeks at 500 mg m^?2. No residues could be detected under the pyrethroids but the organophosphorus insecticides gave residues of 2–4 mg kg^?1 on a thin layer of grain. This residue was biologically effective against the test insects.     

Uptake of phorate by lettuce

Following experimental and commercial applications to soil of a granular formulalation of phorate (O,O-diethyl S-ethylthiomethyl phosphorodithioate), residues in the soil and in lettuce were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. When applied by the bow-wave method as a continuous logarithmically-changing dose ranging from approximately 0.9 to 16.0 kg a.i. ha^?1, the proportional rate of oxidation in soil of phorate sulphoxide to phorate sulphone was inversely related to dose. Ten weeks after application, total phorate residues in the soil had declined by about 35% at all dose levels. Residues in mature lettuce, from the 1-5 kg ha^?1 dose-range, comprised the parent and oxygen analogue sulphoxides and sulphones; the relative proportions of the individual metabolites were independent of dose. Over this dose-range, total residue concentrations in the crop became proportionally slightly greater with increasing dose. When single doses of 1.1, 2.0 or 2.2 kg a.i. ha^?1 were applied at drilling, the total residue concentrations in the lettuce declined from 5 mg kg^?1 in seedlings from some treatments to <0.05 mg kg^?1 at harvest. In plants raised in peat blocks containing 10 or 20 mg a.i. per block, however, residues in seedlings totalled 45-47 mg kg^?1 and declined to only 0.7 mg kg^?1 at harvest. It was concluded that bowwave applications of phorate when field-sowing lettuce were unlikely to lead to unacceptable residues in the harvested crop, but that residues in lettuce raised in phorate-treated peat blocks may be unacceptably high.