Use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in dogs and cats

SUMMARY: Responses (486) were collated from a survey of 5054 Australian veterinarians on their use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in dogs and cats. Almost all respondents used glucocorticoids (usually prednisolone) to treat allergic, pruritic dermatoses in dogs, while two-thirds also gave fatty acid supplements and one-half used antihistamines. Almost 60% of respondents initially injected a glucocorticoid (frequently a long-acting preparation) when treating inflammatory skin diseases in dogs. More than 90% of respondents used glucocorticoids to treat immunemediated haemolytic anaemia or thrombocytopenia, and about one-third also gave cytotoxic drugs. Administration of prednisolone on alternate days was generally favoured for long-term enteral steroid therapy. Phenylbutazone was the most preferred treatment for painful or inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders of dogs, but aspirin and pentosan polysulphate were also used widely. Regarding the use of analgesics drugs generally, both narcotic analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were used more widely in dogs than in cats, but alpha-2 agonists were used similarly in both species. The most commonly used narcotic analgesics were pethidine and buprenorphine in both species, while the NSAIDs used most often were flunixin and dipyrone in dogs and ketoprofen in cats. More than 80% of respondents generally used analgesic drugs with potentially painful surgical procedures, with doses given usually before anaesthetic recovery. Analgesic use rates varied with the condition, ranging from 94% for patients with acute severe trauma, through 60% for cruciate ligament repair and 29% for perineal herniorrhaphy, to about 5% for ovariohysterectomy and dog castration. The three clinical signs most frequently nominated as indicators of pain in dogs and cats were (in descending order) vocalisation, response to handling or palpating the affected area, and mental depression. Other items mentioned frequently were behavioural changes and immobility (in both species), inappetence/anorexia in cats, and altered respiration in dogs.     

Exogenous DNA Uptake of Boar Spermatozoa by a Magnetic Nanoparticle Vector System

The sperm‐mediated gene transfer method is applicable to transgenesis in many species that use spermatozoa for reproduction recently, which has been shown various results. In the current study, we show that transgenic porcine embryos can be efficiently produced by employing a simple transfection method that uses magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The complexes formed between plasmid DNA and MNPs were bounded on ejaculated boar spermatozoa at a higher efficiency compared to methods using DNA alone or lipofection. Using confocal microscopy, rhodamine fluorophore‐labelled MNPs were detected on external surfaces of the spermatozoa membrane, which were bounded on zona pellucida of in vitro maturated oocyte during in vitro fertilization. Electron microscopy revealed that clusters of MNPs were detected in inside of plasma membrane and nucleus of the spermatozoa head. Additionally, we found that magnetofected boar spermatozoa could be fertilized with oocytes in vitro and that the resulting gene of green fluorescent protein was detected in fertilized eggs by genomic PCR analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that MNPs can be used to efficiently introduce a transgene into embryo via spermatozoa.     

Prevalence of Leptospira serogroup-specific antibodies in cattle associated with reproductive problems in endemic states of India

Tropical Animal Health and Production - In this study, the seroprevalence and distribution of Leptospira in dairy cattle in endemic states of India were investigated in association with...     

Nutrient digestibilities,microbial populations,and protein catabolites as affected by fructan supplementation of dog diets

Fructans are fermentable carbohydrates and include short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), inulin, and hydrolyzed inulin (oligofructose, OF). Two studies with dogs were designed to examine the effects of low concentrations of fructans on nutrient digestibilities, fecal microbial populations, and endproducts of protein fermentation, and fecal characteristics. In Exp. 1, 11 adult male beagles were fed corn-based, kibbled diets supplemented with or without OF to provide 1.9 +/- 0.6 g/d. Dietary inclusion of OF decreased (P < 0.05) nutrient digestibilities, but did not affect fecal characteristics. Increasing OF concentration tended (P < 0.06) to linearly decrease fecal ammonia concentrations, but not those of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA), amines, indole, or phenols. Fecal concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and butyrate tended to be higher in OF-supplemented dogs (P < 0.10), as was the ratio of bifidobacteria to total anaerobes (P = 0.15). In Exp. 2, ileally cannulated adult female hounds were fed a meat-based kibbled diet and were assigned to four scFOS treatments (0, 1, 2, or 3 g/d) in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Ileal nutrient digestibilities tended to increase (P < 0.15) with increasing concentrations of scFOS. On a DMI basis, fecal output tended to decrease linearly (P < 0.10) in response to increasing scFOS supplementation, whereas fecal score tended to exhibit a quadratic response (P = 0.12). In general, fecal concentrations of SCFA, BCFA, ammonia, phenols, and indoles were not altered by supplemental scFOS. Supplementation of scFOS increased fecal concentrations of total aerobes (P < 0.05) and decreased concentrations of Clostridium perfringens (P < 0.05). From these data, it seems that low levels of supplemental fructans have divergent effects on nutrient digestibility and fermentative endproducts, but do not adversely affect nutrient digestibility or fecal characteristics and may improve colonic microbial ecology in dogs.     

Nasopharyngeal cryptococcosis

Naturally occurring cryptococcosis in five cats, a dog and a koala is described. Involvement of the nasopharynx was documented in all patients, and nasopharyngeal mass lesions accounted for the major presenting complaints in four. Signs referable to nasopharyngeal disease included snoring, stertor, inspiratory dyspnoea and aerophagia. Diagnoses were made by caudal rhinoscopy using a retroverted flexible endoscope, vigorous orthograde flushing with saline, or at necropsy. Concurrent cryptococcal rhinitis was present in all cases, although involvement appeared limited to the caudal nasal cavity in most cases. Typical signs of nasal cavity disease, such as sneezing and nasal discharge, were often absent. Treatment of nasopharyngeal cryptococcosis should include physical dislodgement or debulking of lesion(s) to provide immediate alleviation of upper airway obstruction, followed by systemic antifungal therapy to eliminate residual infection from the nasal cavity. Infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans var gattii accounted for a disproportionately large number of these cases.