Showing papers in "Veterinary Record in 1987"
1,072 citations
229 citations
TL;DR: The results of a study of the economic losses caused by paratuberculosis in dairy cattle are reported and the determination of lost future income due to premature disposal are emphasised.
Abstract: The results of a study of the economic losses caused by paratuberculosis in dairy cattle are reported. The losses in production and the determination of lost future income due to premature disposal are emphasised. A decrease in milk production of 19.5 per cent compared with the lactation two years before culling was recorded in animals showing clinical signs of paratuberculosis. The decrease in production in the last lactation but one compared with the previous lactation was 5 per cent. In animals with non-clinical forms of paratuberculosis these decreases in production were 16 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.
208 citations
TL;DR: A condition of digital dermatitis causing lameness in a dairy herd and topical treatment, consisting of excoriation and application of a gentian violet and tetracycline aerosol spray, was effective.
Abstract: A condition of digital dermatitis causing lameness in a dairy herd is described. The lesion was a small circumscribed area of epidermal inflammation in the skin immediately above the coronet between the bulbs of the heel. Topical treatment, consisting of excoriation and application of a gentian violet and tetracycline aerosol spray, was effective. Although the high incidence and rapid onset of the condition suggested an infectious cause, no organism was isolated consistently.
182 citations
TL;DR: A morbillivirus was isolated and using monoclonal antibodies and biological tests in cattle, sheep and goats the virus of peste des petits ruminants was identified.
Abstract: Peste des petits ruminants virus was suspected to be the cause of a disease outbreak in a zoological collection at Al Ain in the Arabian Gulf. Clinically the outbreak affected gazelles (Gazellinae), ibex and sheep (Caprinae) and gemsbok (Hippotraginae); subclinical involvement of Nilgai (Tragelaphinae) was suspected. A morbillivirus was isolated and using monoclonal antibodies and biological tests in cattle, sheep and goats the virus of peste des petits ruminants was identified.
152 citations
TL;DR: The quiet, rapid and complete recovery proved to be most valuable in cases where the animal had to be returned to the owners' care with the minimum of delay.
Abstract: Studies in dogs with an emulsion formulation of the intravenous anaesthetic, propofol, showed that induction of anaesthesia was smooth and it was possible to maintain anaesthesia by intermittent injection. The mean dose for induction of anaesthesia in unpremedicated dogs was 5.95 mg/kg body-weight. When no premedication was administered anaesthesia was maintained by a total dose of approximately 0.806 mg/kg/minute. Premedication with between 0.02 and 0.04 mg/kg of acepromazine reduced the mean induction dose by about 30 per cent and the maintenance dose by more than 50 per cent. In 68 unpremedicated dogs given one dose, recovery was complete in a mean time of 18 minutes and after maintenance of anaesthesia by intermittent injection in 65 dogs the mean recovery time was 22 minutes from administration of the last dose. Premedication with acepromazine did not produce statistically significant increases in these recovery times. The quiet, rapid and complete recovery proved to be most valuable in cases where the animal had to be returned to the owners' care with the minimum of delay.
144 citations
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TL;DR: The results show that protection against respiratory disease can be achieved by parenteral vaccination of calves with the appropriate inactivated microorganisms.
Abstract: A field trial to assess the ability of two vaccines to protect calves against respiratory disease was carried out on a large beef rearing unit in southern England over the two winters of 1983 to 1984 and 1984 to 1985. A quadrivalent vaccine containing the killed antigens of respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus type 3, Mycoplasma bovis and M dispar or a vaccine containing only the respiratory syncytial virus component were inoculated into 246 and 245 calves, respectively; 245 calves remained as unvaccinated controls. The calves were reared in seven batches and outbreaks of disease occurred in five; significant protection was achieved in the four batches in which disease was associated with respiratory syncytial virus and M bovis infection, together or independently. The death rate from pneumonia was 9 per cent in the control group, 2 per cent in the calves inoculated with the quadrivalent vaccine (P less than 0.001), a protection rate of 77 per cent, and 3 per cent in the calves inoculated with the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine (P less than 0.01), a protection rate of 68 per cent. The proportion of calves receiving treatment for respiratory disease was 38 per cent in the control group, 25 per cent in the calves inoculated with the quadrivalent vaccine (P less than 0.001) and 27 per cent in the calves inoculated with the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine (P less than 0.01). The results show that protection against respiratory disease can be achieved by parenteral vaccination of calves with the appropriate inactivated microorganisms.
77 citations
TL;DR: Retarded growth rates and delayed onset of egg production were recorded in 22-week-old pullets reared on deep litter and with indirect contact with pigs and the histopathological changes are described and the significance of the findings is discussed.
Abstract: Retarded growth rates and delayed onset of egg production were recorded in 22-week-old pullets reared on deep litter and with indirect contact with pigs. Birds reared in cages or transferred to cages were unaffected. Spirochaetes were isolated and identified from the intestines of the pullets reared on deep litter but not from those reared in cages. Birds kept solely on deep litter were more severely affected, with 24 per cent immature birds and 10 per cent mortality compared with those transferred from deep litter to cages where no mortality was recorded but 15 to 22 per cent were found to be immature. The histopathological changes are described and the significance of the findings is discussed.
TL;DR: In most cases, maedi-visna virus infection is characterised by a subclinical, persistent virus-carrier state, but in heavily infected flocks, economically significant disease does occur, mainly apparent as ill-thrift and chronic respiratory disease in older ewes and as an indurative mastitis, which can result in delayed weight gain of suckled lambs.
Abstract: In most cases, maedi-visna virus infection is characterised by a subclinical, persistent virus-carrier state. However, in heavily infected flocks, economically significant disease does occur, mainly apparent as ill-thrift and chronic respiratory disease (maedi) in older ewes and as an indurative mastitis, which can result in delayed weight gain of suckled lambs. Meningoencephalitis (visna) and arthritis may also occur. Maedi-visna virus, a lentivirus, replicates via proviral intermediary DNA copies of its RNA genome in circulating monocytes, in which replication is highly restricted, and in tissue macrophages, where viral genome expression is more evident. The presence of macrophages expressing viral antigens on their surface in lungs, udder, joints or central nervous system tissues provides a focus for a local mononuclear cell inflammatory response. Factors which may contribute to macrophage activation and the development of the inflammatory response are discussed in the context of virus replication, transmission of infection and disease susceptibility.
TL;DR: An acute outbreak of mastitis and arthritis in a herd of 700 goats required the destruction of all but the few animals that were held for observation, and M putrefaciens was isolated in pure cultures and large numbers from joints, tissues and fluid not previously known to harbour this mycoplasma.
Abstract: An acute outbreak of mastitis and arthritis in a herd of 700 goats required the destruction of all but the few animals that were held for observation. The milk of nearly all of about 400 lactating does contained almost pure cultures of Mycoplasma putrefaciens with counts in 150 samples up to 1 X 10(9) colony forming units/ml. At post mortem examination the joints of both the adults and kids contained a fibrinopurulent discharge. M putrefaciens was isolated in pure cultures and large numbers from joints, tissues and fluid not previously known to harbour this mycoplasma: brain, kidneys, lungs, lymph nodes, uterus and urine. The outbreak was milkborne and initiated by infusion of the pathogen into the teat canal by poor hygiene in the milking parlour and by feeding raw colostrum to kids. All but 12 of the herd of 700 goats were killed or sold for slaughter.
TL;DR: Protozoan encephalomyelitis was diagnosed post mortem in a five-day-old Friesian calf which had shown nervous signs from birth and was unlikely to have been either Sarcocystis species or T gondii.
Abstract: Protozoan encephalomyelitis was diagnosed post mortem in a five-day-old Friesian calf which had shown nervous signs from birth. The lesion was a subacute necrotising multifocal encephalomyelitis associated with protozoan bodies (6 X 6 microns to 16 X 30 microns). Ultrastructurally these bodies corresponded to apicomplexan meronts composed of eight to 89 merozoites which reproduced by internal budding to form paired daughter cells (endodyogeny). The merozoites were indistinguishable from Toxoplasma gondii; they reacted weakly with anti-Sarcocystis species serum and did not cross react with anti-T gondii serum. The generic identity of the sporozoan was not established, but it is unlikely to have been either Sarcocystis species or T gondii.
TL;DR: Therapy was successful when used for periocular or solitary and smaller sarcoid treatment and for sarcoids previously treated with cryosurgery, therapy appeared to be less efficient.
Abstract: Clinical observations on the use of BCG cell wall fraction in oil for treating seven horses with periocular sarcoids and five horses with sarcoids in other regions are described. Therapy was successful when used for periocular or solitary and smaller sarcoids. For sarcoids previously treated with cryosurgery, therapy appeared to be less efficient. A horse with a sarcoid on the stifle developed a septic gonitis due to necrosis of the sarcoid tissue adjacent to the joint. Sarcoids of the axilla appeared to be more aggressive than sarcoids at other locations and did not respond favourably to this form of therapy.
TL;DR: The most frequent clinical features were vomiting, polydipsia and weight loss, and a predisposition to the tumour was found in the rough collie and Staffordshire bull terrier.
Abstract: Over a five year period 31 dogs were diagnosed as having advanced gastric carcinoma. The most frequent clinical features were vomiting, polydipsia and weight loss. A predisposition to the tumour was found in the rough collie and Staffordshire bull terrier. In 18 dogs the main finding endoscopically was a large deep ulcer with thickened, irregular rims and walls. Fluoroscopically a marked irregularity of the mucosal surface was noted in 10 dogs. Pathologically, large ulcers with thickening of the stomach wall and involvement of the serosal lymphatics were evident in 17 dogs, and similar ulcers with involvement of the gastric lymph nodes were evident in 18 dogs.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that an effective vaccine for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia could be made with inactivated F38 mycoplasma and a single immunisation produced a protective immune response in goats that lasted for longer than one year.
Abstract: The results from several experiments demonstrated that an effective vaccine for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia could be made with inactivated F38 mycoplasma. Evaluation of the amounts of lyophilised F38 mycoplasma plus saponin showed that the optimum formulation was 0.15 mg of mycoplasma in saponin. Saponin inactivates the mycoplasma and provides the adjuvant effect necessary to stimulate a protective immune response. The lyophilised F38 mycoplasma could be stored for 14 months at either 4 degrees C or 22 degrees C without losing its immunising potential. A single immunisation with the optimum formulation produced a protective immune response in goats that lasted for longer than one year.
TL;DR: Monitoring of lambs born on a low-ground farm in the Scottish Borders with a history of substantial perinatal mortality found that the rectal temperature, birthweight and plasma concentrations of fructose, insulin, thyroxine and the third component of complement at birth, and the weight at four months of age, decreased with litter size.
Abstract: The birth and fate of 818 lambs born to 571 ewes on a low-ground farm in the Scottish Borders with a history of substantial perinatal mortality were monitored with a range of physiological, biochemical and pathological measurements. In lambs which survived, the rectal temperature, birthweight and plasma concentrations of fructose, insulin, thyroxine and the third component of complement at birth, and the weight at four months of age, decreased with litter size. One hundred and thirty-seven lambs were stillborn or died within four days and seven others died later. The mothers of 77 per cent of these lambs had low condition scores, but the lamb deaths did not correlate significantly with the condition scores. From data relating to birthweight, temperature, packed cell volume and plasma composition it was deduced that placental insufficiency was involved in 24 per cent of these deaths; acute hypoxaemia at birth accounted for 35 per cent, inadequate thermogenesis for 12 per cent and starvation for 13 per cent. The remaining 16 per cent of dead lambs could not be assigned to any of these categories. Using only clinicopathological criteria, 37 per cent of the lamb deaths were attributed to antenatal influences which included immaturity, developmental anomalies, and degenerative or inflammatory changes. Thirty-three per cent of the deaths were due to post natal factors which included, in declining order of frequency, starvation, enteritis, misadventure, pneumonia, navel infections and septicaemia. No conclusions could be drawn from the pathological examinations alone in the remaining 30 per cent, although almost half of these had low rectal temperatures after birth, death being attributed to hypothermia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TL;DR: There was no evidence that the abomasal erosions and ulcers found in the majority of veal calves affected their growth rate or were deleterious to their welfare, and it is suggested that pyloric ulceration may be related to the diet ofVeal calves.
Abstract: Abomasal ulceration was found in 264 of 304 commercially reared veal calves at slaughter. The incidence and severity of lesions were greatest in loose housed calves with access to straw and fed milk substitute ad libitum. The majority of lesions were located in the distal pylorus. There was no evidence that the abomasal erosions and ulcers found in the majority of veal calves affected their growth rate or were deleterious to their welfare. It is suggested that pyloric ulceration may be related to the diet of veal calves.
TL;DR: Results lend support to the view that the respiratory effect of these drugs is mediated via alpha 2-adrenoceptor activity.
Abstract: Administration of either xylazine (50 micrograms/kg) or detomidine (10 micrograms/kg) caused a significant degree of arterial hypoxaemia in six conscious sheep. This effect was independent of any changes produced by changes in posture as all the sheep remained standing. Administration of the specific alpha 2-antagonist drug idazoxan (0.1 mg/kg bodyweight) five minutes before injection of either of the drugs completely abolished the hypoxaemia. These results lend support to the view that the respiratory effect of these drugs is mediated via alpha 2-adrenoceptor activity.
TL;DR: The ELISA kit proved to be acceptable for the analysis of progesterone in the plasma of each species, and in particular for the detection of the low concentrations found during the follicular phase and of the subsequent rise during the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle.
Abstract: A commerical kit designed to measure the concentration of progesterone in bovine plasma using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been assessed for measuring progesterone in the plasma of horses, sheep and dogs Without validation, an immunoassay developed for progesterone in one species should not be used to measure progesterone in the plasma of other species The kit was assessed by using the criteria of parallelism to a standard curve, the recovery of added progesterone, the correlation with an established radioimmunoassay and the detection of physiological change for each of the species tested The ELISA kit proved to be acceptable for the analysis of progesterone in the plasma of each species, and in particular for the detection of the low concentrations found during the follicular phase and of the subsequent rise during the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle
TL;DR: Ionophore toxicity is rarely reported in horses they appear to be particularly susceptible, and it should therefore be considered as a differential diagnosis of digestive upsets or locomotory disorders at establishments where ionophore-treated feeds are used therapeutically in other species.
Abstract: Six cases of accidental salinomycin poisoning in horses are described. The horses were fed a contaminated ration and presented clinical signs which were extremely varied in nature and severity. However, the range of signs, including anorexia, colic, weakness and ataxia bore similarities to those described in horses poisoned with the related ionophore monensin. Other similarities became apparent in serum biochemical profiles of the clinical cases. Although ionophore toxicity is rarely reported in horses they appear to be particularly susceptible, and it should therefore be considered as a differential diagnosis of digestive upsets or locomotory disorders at establishments where ionophore-treated feeds are used therapeutically in other species.
TL;DR: Blood coagulation tests were performed on dairy cattle in a herd with haemorrhagic problems on a farm in Gloucestershire and the characteristic pattern of prolonged partial thromboplastin time was shown to be associated with a partial factor XI deficiency, a congenital defect previously identified in cattle in North America.
Abstract: Blood coagulation tests were performed on dairy cattle in a herd with haemorrhagic problems on a farm in Gloucestershire. The characteristic pattern of prolonged partial thromboplastin time with normal prothrombin time and thrombin time was shown to be associated with a partial factor XI deficiency, a congenital defect previously identified in cattle in North America.
TL;DR: Forty-two lambs were born from 72 frozen embryos which had been transferred without any attempt to evaluate them after the thawing and sucrose dilution process, which resulted in an overall survival rate of 58.3 per cent.
Abstract: Embryos collected from ewes six days after oestrus were frozen in straws using ethylene-glycol as a cryoprotectant. The efficiency of the simplified freezing and thawing procedure was assessed after transfer, which resulted in an overall survival rate of 58.3 per cent. Forty-two lambs were born from 72 frozen embryos which had been transferred without any attempt to evaluate them after the thawing and sucrose dilution process.
TL;DR: Two experimental models of acute non-immune inflammation have been developed to enable studies of the biochemical composition and cellular content of exudates to be undertaken and the relationships between eicosanoid formation at the site of inflammation and leucocyte accumulation, enzyme release, total protein content ofExudates and the temperature of the lesions have been investigated.
Abstract: Two experimental models of acute non-immune inflammation have been developed to enable studies of the biochemical composition and cellular content of exudates to be undertaken. Both are based on the creation of a mild, reproducible and reversible inflammatory reaction, which is free from uncontrolled incidental factors and which causes minimal distress to the experimental animals. The polyester sponge model involves the insertion of small polyester sponge strips soaked in sterile carrageenan solution into subcutaneous neck pouches and their serial removal. The tissue-cage model is based on the initial insertion of a spherical tissue-cage subcutaneously in the neck and the subsequent stimulation with carrageenan of the granulation tissue which lines and permeates the cage. The acute inflammatory exudates have been shown to contain eicosanoids with prostaglandin E2 predominant. Polymorphonuclear leucocyte numbers increased progressively in the polyester sponge model, whereas cell numbers were maximal at 12 hours in the tissue-cage model. The relationships between eicosanoid formation at the site of inflammation and leucocyte accumulation, enzyme release, total protein content of exudates and the temperature of the lesions have been investigated.