Showing papers in "Veterinary Record in 2009"
TL;DR: This review assesses the evidence for the efficacy of therapies used in the management of osteoarthritis in dogs on the basis of papers published in peerreviewed journals in English between 1985 and July 2007 to find a high level of comfort and a moderate level of Comfort for carprofen, firocoxib and meloxicam.
Abstract: This review assesses the evidence for the efficacy of therapies used in the management of osteoarthritis in dogs on the basis of papers published in peer-reviewed journals in English between 1985 and July 2007. Sixty-eight papers were identified and evaluated. They considered four alternative therapies, one use of functional food, two intra-articular agents, six nutraceutical agents, 21 pharmacological agents, two physical therapies, three surgical techniques and two combinations of weight control. There was a high level of comfort (strong evidence) for the efficacy of carprofen, firocoxib and meloxicam, and a moderate level of comfort for the efficacy of etodolac in modifying the signs of osteoarthritis. There was a moderate level of comfort for the efficacy of glycosaminoglycan polysulphate, licofelone, elk velvet antler and a functional food containing green-lipped mussel for the modification of the structures involved in the disease. There was weak or no evidence in support of the use of doxycycline, electrostimulated acupuncture, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, gold wire acupuncture, hyaluronan, pentosan polysulphate, P54FP (extract of turmeric), tiaprofenic acid or tibial plateau levelling osteotomy.
161 citations
TL;DR: To investigate the prevalence of types of meticillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus in slaughter pigs in German abattoirs, nasal swabs were collected from a total of 1026 pigs after stunning in the course of two studies, and MRSA was examined for MRSA.
Abstract: To investigate the prevalence of types of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in slaughter pigs in German abattoirs, nasal swabs were collected from a total of 1026 pigs in five abattoirs after stunning in the course of two studies, and examined for MRSA. Study 1 included four abattoirs; study 2 was carried out in one large abattoir. Isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and characterised using spa-typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and typing of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome, SCCmec. Overall, MRSA was isolated from 70.8 per cent of 520 samples in study 1 and from 49.0 per cent of 506 samples in study 2. The proportion of positive samples varied substantially between the abattoirs in study 1. Most isolates belonged to spa-types t011 and t034 and SCCmec types III and V. MLST of selected isolates revealed that they were all MLST ST398. Besides beta-lactams, 100 per cent of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 80.5 per cent were resistant to erythromycin and 80.7 per cent were resistant to clindamycin. Less than 5 per cent of the isolates were resistant to other antimicrobials.
79 citations
TL;DR: Eighty-four female cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy in a blinded, randomised, prospective clinical study were assigned to one of three groups of 28 to receive either 0.01 mg/kg buprenorphine (group B), 4 mg/ kg carprofen (group C), or the same doses of both drugs (group BC).
Abstract: Eighty-four female cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy in a blinded, randomised, prospective clinical study were assigned to one of three groups of 28 to receive either 0.01 mg/kg buprenorphine (group B), 4 mg/kg carprofen (group C), or the same doses of both drugs (group BC). A dynamic and interactive visual analogue scale (DIVAS) from 0 to 100 mm, and a simple descriptive scale (SDS) from 0 to 4 were used to evaluate the cats' degree of analgesia and sedation for 24 hours postoperatively. There was no significant difference in the cats' sedation scores by SDS or DIVAS, and no difference in their pain scores by DIVAS. By SDS, the cats in group BC had significantly lower pain scores than the cats in group C (P<0.001) and group B (P<0.05). Nine of the cats in group B, nine in group C and five in group BC required rescue analgesia, and the cats in group C required rescue earlier than those in group B (P<0.05).
77 citations
TL;DR: By examining larvae from dogs in which the adult stages had been identified, the morphology of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Filaroides osleri, Fileroides hirthi and Crenosoma vulpis from samples of faeces or bronchoalveolar lavage was compared.
Abstract: By examining larvae from dogs in which the adult stages had been identified, the morphology of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Filaroides osleri, Filaroides hirthi and Crenosoma vulpis from samples of faeces or bronchoalveolar lavage was compared. The tail morphology of the four species was distinctive: A vasorum had a typical cuticular indentation and projection on the dorsal surface of the tail (referred to as the dorsal notch and dorsal spine, respectively) and a smaller indentation on the ventral surface. The tails of the other species are described. A vasorum was significantly longer (mean [sd] 358·4 μm [10·28], range 334 to 380 μm) than the other species (range 229 to 281 μm).
74 citations
TL;DR: There was a perfect correlation between the SICCT test and culture results in all slaughtered goats, and a goat herd in south-west Wales, by then completely dispersed, was identified as the probable common source of infection.
Abstract: An outbreak of caprine tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis was disclosed in June 2008, affecting goats of the golden Guernsey breed kept on 10 separate smallholdings in south-west Wales and the west of England. Following the initial diagnosis at postmortem examination, 30 goats that reacted positively to the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test, together with five in-contact animals, were euthanased and subjected to postmortem examination and mycobacterial culture. Spoligotyping and variable number tandem repeat analysis of isolates showed that they were all of the same genotype, endemic to south-west Wales. Retrospective movement tracings identified a goat herd in south-west Wales, by then completely dispersed, as the probable common source of infection. There was a perfect correlation between the SICCT test and culture results in all slaughtered goats. Grossly visible tubercular lesions were observed at postmortem examination in all but one reactor.
70 citations
TL;DR: The percentage of pigs dead on arrival increased at temperatures above 20°C, and the percentage of pig unable to walk increased at prices of 5°C or below, while the journey time and waiting time at the processing plant influenced the percentages of dead and injured pigs and pigs unable toWalk.
Abstract: The month, average air temperature, relative humidity, number of pigs of each sex per trailer load, journey time, type of trailer and bedding, and waiting time at the processing plant were recorded from 16,323 trailers transporting 2,730,754 pigs to a packing plant in the USA during a year, together with the numbers of pigs that were dead on arrival, injured or unable to walk. The percentage of pigs dead on arrival increased at temperatures above 20°C, and the percentage of pigs unable to walk increased at temperatures of 5°C or below. The journey time and waiting time at the processing plant influenced the percentages of dead and injured pigs and pigs unable to walk.
70 citations
TL;DR: There was a significant correlation between clinical signs of illness and the load of L infantum, and Coinfections were present in seven of the dogs and they were significantly associated with L infantu infection.
Abstract: Blood samples from 153 dogs living in and around Barcelona were assayed for Leishmania infantum and Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Hepatozoon, Babesia and Theileria species by PCR amplification of DNA, and the amplicons obtained were sequenced. The prevalence of the infectious agents was L infantum (29.4 per cent), Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species (4.0 per cent), Hepatozoon canis (3.3 per cent), Babesia canis vogeli (2.0 per cent), Babesia gibsoni (2.0 per cent), Babesia canis canis (1.3 per cent) and Theileria annae (0.7 per cent). Coinfections were present in seven of the dogs and they were significantly associated with L infantum infection (P=0.024). There was a significant correlation between clinical signs of illness and the load of L infantum.
66 citations
TL;DR: The prevalence of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) was determined in 197 dairy cows in 18 herds in the Dutch province of Friesland and the stage of lactation did not influence the prevalence but the cows with the condition lost more body condition over the calving period.
Abstract: The prevalence of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) was determined in 197 dairy cows in 18 herds in the Dutch province of Friesland. Samples of rumen fluid were taken by rumenocentesis from between five and 19 animals on each farm and the pH of each sample was determined. The body condition of 139 of the cows was scored approximately three weeks before they calved and three weeks after they calved. The overall prevalence of SARA was 13·8 per cent, and the prevalence on individual farms ranged between 0 per cent (on seven of the farms) and 38 per cent (on one farm). The stage of lactation did not influence the prevalence of SARA but the cows with the condition lost more body condition over the calving period.
65 citations
TL;DR: Rectal swabs were collected from 147 household dogs and 35 household cats, including healthy animals, animals with gastrointestinal signs and animals with a variety of medical and surgical conditions to optimise the recovery of Campylobacter species.
Abstract: Rectal swabs were collected from 147 household dogs and 35 household cats, including healthy animals, animals with gastrointestinal signs and animals with a variety of medical and surgical conditions. A combination of selective culture methods was used to optimise the recovery of Campylobacter species, and a PCR was used to confirm their isolation and to identify the species. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter species was 42.9 per cent in the cats and 41.5 per cent in the dogs. Campylobacter upsaliensis was the species most commonly isolated from the dogs and cats, and Campylobacter jejuni was the second most commonly isolated. Particularly high prevalences were detected in the few cats and dogs with diarrhoea, and in the cats and dogs that were six months old or younger.
65 citations
TL;DR: Researchers suggest that there is an immunological basis for retained fetal membranes, and factors influencing normal placental maturation include downregulation of antioxidative defence mechanisms against reactive oxygen species, and an elevated steroid hormone receptor status, which reduces the rate of apoptosis occurring in the chorionic epithelium before calving.
Abstract: Approximately 5 per cent of dairy cows are affected by retained fetal membranes. Retained fetal membranes are an important risk factor for the metritis/endometritis disease complex occurring in early lactation, and costs the UK dairy industry approximately pound16 million annually in lost production. Veterinary clinicians have described the clinical signs, treatment and some associated risk factors of the condition since early Victorian times, and these have not changed over time. Research carried out within the past 20 years suggests that there is an immunological basis for retained fetal membranes. In a normal calving, the maturation of the placenta and its separation from healthy caruncles depends upon incompatibility between maternal and fetal major histocompatibility complex class I expressed on epithelium within the fetomaternal unit. Placental maturation follows stimulation of the maternal immune response and the production of neutrophil-activating factors within the epithelium in the caruncular arcade. This affects the extracellular matrix components within the placentome, breaking down collagen within the chorionic villi and assisting in separation from the caruncle. Factors influencing normal placental maturation include downregulation of antioxidative defence mechanisms against reactive oxygen species, a lower ratio of prostaglandin E(2) to prostaglandin F(2alpha) within the fetomaternal compartments of the placentome, and an elevated steroid hormone receptor status, which reduces the rate of apoptosis occurring in the chorionic epithelium before calving.
63 citations
TL;DR: The distribution of antigen and pathological changes induced by an experimental infection with Aeromonas hydrophila strain KJ99, and its extracellular products, were studied in two species of fish.
Abstract: The distribution of antigen and pathological changes induced by an experimental infection with Aeromonas hydrophila strain KJ99, and its extracellular products, were studied in two species of fish. The microorganism was disseminated systemically and the haemodynamic and tissue changes were similar to those observed in septicaemia of mammals. Intussusception, degeneration and necrosis of the nervous plexus and muscular layers of the gastrointestinal tract were common findings.
TL;DR: In the UK, human diarrhoeal disease associated with the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is caused mainly by Cryptospora parvum and CryptOSporidium hominis, which together account for 96 per cent of cases.
Abstract: IN THE UK, human diarrhoeal disease associated with the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is caused mainly by Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis , which together account for 96 per cent of cases, in approximately equal proportions ([Nichols and others 2006][1]). C parvum is
TL;DR: CANINE parvovirus is an important pathogen of dogs, which causes acute gastroenteritis, lymphopenia and high mortality in naive, unvaccinated dogs, mainly in puppies aged one to six months.
Abstract: CANINE parvovirus (CPV) is an important pathogen of dogs, which causes acute gastroenteritis, lymphopenia and high mortality in naive, unvaccinated dogs, mainly in puppies aged one to six months ([Lamm and Rezabek 2008][1]) The original CPV type 2 (CPV-2) emerged in the late 1970s and was soon
TL;DR: Analysis of data collected on cats owned by a random sample of UK households in 2007 showed that cats aged 10 months or more, with indoor access, that had been vaccinated within the last year or were currently registered with a veterinary practice, were more likely to be neutered than cats aged less than 10 months.
Abstract: Data were collected on 1260 cats owned by a random sample of UK households in 2007, by means of telephone questionnaires, which were completed by 33 per cent of the households contacted. Cats were owned by 26 per cent of these households, 42 per cent of which owned more than one cat. The owners of 622 female cats reported a total of 110 unplanned litters of kittens. Excluding cats with an unknown neutered status 92 per cent of the cats aged six months or more were neutered, but only 66 per cent of the cats aged six to 12 months were neutered. Multivariable logistic regression, based on data collected for one randomly selected cat aged four months or more in each cat-owning household, was used to identify factors affecting the cats' neutered status. Analysis of 48 sexually entire cats and 501 neutered cats showed that cats aged 10 months or more, with indoor access, that had been vaccinated within the last year or were currently registered with a veterinary practice, were more likely to be neutered than cats aged less than 10 months, without indoor access, that had been vaccinated more than one year ago or were not registered with a veterinary practice.
TL;DR: The appearance of normal tissues was similar between the two systems, but the anatomical arrangement of the structures was different due to differences in positioning, and a magic angle artefact was observed at different sites in some imaging sequences.
Abstract: Eleven limbs taken postmortem from 10 lame horses were examined by MRI in a low-field 0·27T system designed for standing horses and a high-field 1·5T system used to examine anaesthetised horses. Nine limbs were examined in the foot/pastern region and two in the fetlock region, and the results were compared with gross pathological examinations and histological examinations of selected tissues. The appearance of normal tissues was similar between the two systems, but the anatomical arrangement of the structures was different due to differences in positioning, and a magic angle artefact was observed at different sites in some imaging sequences. Articular cartilage could be differentiated into two articular surfaces in most joints in the high-field images but could generally be separated only at the joint margins in the low-field images. Abnormalities of tendon, ligament and bone detected by gross examination were detected by both forms of MRI, but some details were clearer on the high-field images. Articular cartilage found to be normal on pathological examination was also classified as normal on MRI, but lesions in articular cartilage detected on pathological examination were identified only by high-field MRI. An abnormality was detected on MRI of all the limbs that had abnormal navicular flexor fibrocartilage on pathological examination.
TL;DR: There was no significant difference in the mortality of the horses with and without LSVR, but small horses had a significantly higher risk of having LSVR than small ponies, and older horses were slightly more likely to have LS VR than young horses.
Abstract: The effect of left-sided valvular regurgitation (LSVR) on the mortality of middle-aged and older horses was investigated in a prospective cohort study involving 19 yards and 1153 horses The horses were examined to determine whether they had a cardiac murmur and its type, and their age, sex, breed type and occupation were recorded They were followed up at intervals of two years by postal questionnaire, and after four years information on 773 horses was available There was no significant difference in the mortality of the horses with and without LSVR, but small horses had a significantly higher risk of having LSVR than small ponies (odds ratio [OR] 233), and older horses were slightly more likely to have LSVR than young horses (OR 107) Twenty-nine per cent of the deaths reported by the owners were due to orthopaedic problems, 233 per cent to gastrointestinal problems, and only 79 per cent to cardiovascular problems Orthopaedic problems were the main cause of death in the horses, and gastrointestinal problems were the main cause of death in the ponies
TL;DR: Preliminary findings of an experimental study in pigs infected with a strain of the recently emerged influenza A (H1N1) virus associated with the current global epidemic in humans are reported.
Abstract: We wish to report the preliminary findings of an experimental study in pigs infected with a strain of the recently emerged influenza A (H1N1) virus associated with the current global epidemic in humans ([Irvine and Brown 2009][1]). The study is funded by the European Commission (DG SANCO) and Defra
TL;DR: Breeding herds are therefore susceptible to endemic infections with multiple Salmonella serovars, and cleaning, disinfection and vector control may be inadequate in many cases.
Abstract: Eight pig breeding units previously associated with Salmonella Typhimurium were visited during a period of up to seven years. Samples from voided faeces, surfaces, fomites and wildlife were cultured. Certain serovars (Derby, Stanley, Give, Bredeney, Mbandaka and Manhattan) were isolated repeatedly on certain units, while others (Agona, Ajiobo, Heidelberg, Meleagridis, Muenchen, Montevideo, Rissen and Senftenberg) were detected only once or intermittently. Serovars Kedougou, Newport and Typhimurium were isolated consistently on some units but only intermittently on others. There was an association between the Salmonella serovar in pens and in the immediate environment of the pens. Pens holding breeding stock destined for production herds were frequently positive for Salmonella. Herds under common ownership showed similar serovar combinations. Serovars from wildlife were typical of the associated premises. Cleaning and disinfection was frequently ineffective. On one unit, a low level of Salmonella was attributed to a small herd size, good cleaning and disinfection, and good rodent control. Breeding herds are therefore susceptible to endemic infections with multiple Salmonella serovars, and cleaning, disinfection and vector control may be inadequate in many cases. The prevalence of S Typhimurium was greater in youngstock, which may have important implications for public health.
TL;DR: Corynebacterium ulcerans is a bacterium with a worldwide distribution and broad host range and has been recovered from clinically affected and healthy wild and domesticated animal species.
Abstract: Corynebacterium ulcerans is a bacterium with a worldwide distribution and broad host range. The organism has been recovered from clinically affected and healthy wild and domesticated animal species, as reviewed by [Tiwari and others (2008)][1]. In the UK, [De Zoysa and others (2005)][2] reported the
TL;DR: Fifty-three faecal samples from yellow-legged gulls at the Berlengas nature reserve in Portugal were cultured on Levine agar plates not supplemented with antimicrobial agents, and one Escherichia coli colony was isolated and identified from each sample.
Abstract: Fifty-three faecal samples from yellow-legged gulls ( Larus cachinnans ) at the Berlengas nature reserve in Portugal were cultured on Levine agar plates not supplemented with antimicrobial agents, and one Escherichia coli colony was isolated and identified from each sample. The percentages of resistant isolates for each of the drugs were ampicillin (43·4 per cent), tetracycline (39·6 per cent), nalidixic acid (34·0 per cent), streptomycin (32·1 per cent), trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole (SXT) (26·4 per cent), ciprofloxacin (18·9 per cent), chloramphenicol (18·9 per cent), gentamicin (7·5 per cent), tobramycin (7·5 per cent) amikacin (5·7 per cent) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (1·9 per cent). All the isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, aztreonam and imipenem. The following resistance genes were detected: bla TEM (17 of 23 ampicillin-resistant isolates), tet (A) and/or tet (B) (18 of 21 tetracycline-resistant isolates), aadA (12 of 17 streptomycin-resistant isolates), cmlA (all chloramphenicol-resistant isolates), aac(3)-II with or without aac(3)-IV (all four gentamicinresistant isolates), and sul1 and/or sul2 and/or sul3 (all 14 SXT-resistant isolates). The intI1 gene was detected in 10 of 14 SXT-resistant isolates, and three of them also contained class 2 integrons; four different gene cassette arrangements were identified among class 1 integrons ( aadA , dfrA1 + aadA1 , dfrA12 + orfF + aadA2 and sat + psp + aadA2 ) and one among the class 2 integrons ( dfrA1 + sat + aadA1 ). Ninety per cent of the isolates were included in the A or B1 phylogenetic groups.
TL;DR: The gait scoring system developed by Manson and Leaver was used by five experienced observers to assess the gait of 83 milking Holstein-Friesian cows in a live recording session, and video recordings were made.
Abstract: The gait scoring system developed by Manson and Leaver was used by five experienced observers to assess the gait of 83 milking Holstein-Friesian cows in a live recording session, and video recordings were made. The agreement between the scores of the observers at the live session, and between each observer's scores at the live session and a video session, were compared at three levels of stringency. The scores of the observers were highly variable at all but the least stringent threshold - whether a cow had a score of less than 3 or 3 or more, that is, whether it was not lame or lame.
TL;DR: TICKS are the second most important group of arthropod vectors of diseases transmissible to animals and human beings and while feeding on a host may transmit a range of pathogens.
Abstract: TICKS are the second most important group of arthropod vectors of diseases transmissible to animals and human beings. They are obligate parasites, and while feeding on a host may transmit a range of pathogens, such as bacteria, spirochaetes, rickettsiae, protozoa, viruses, nematodes, and toxins. The
TL;DR: Direct amplicon sequencing failed to identify active A phagocytophilum infections, but revealed the presence of Anaplasma platys DNA in the PCR-positive animals.
Abstract: Fifty-five dogs with suspected tickborne disease were tested by immunofluorescence assay and PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. Thirty (54·5 per cent) of the dogs were seropositive and five of them fulfilled the serological criteria for an active infection, with either seroconversion or a fourfold increase in antibody titres. Fragments of DNA of the expected size were detected by PCR in two seropositive and three seronegative dogs. However, direct amplicon sequencing failed to identify active A phagocytophilum infections, but revealed the presence of Anaplasma platys DNA in the PCR-positive animals.
TL;DR: A group of 20 cows and heifers experienced poor conception rates and probable ovarian dysfunction after being artificially inseminated, with signs of vulvovaginitis, with pustular, ulcerative lesions consistent with a herpesvirus infection.
Abstract: A group of 20 cows and heifers experienced poor conception rates and probable ovarian dysfunction after being artificially inseminated. When first examined, some showed signs of vulvovaginitis, with pustular, ulcerative lesions consistent with a herpesvirus infection. They had had no contact with bulls during the current breeding season. Bovine herpesvirus type 5 (BHV-5) was isolated from samples of frozen semen from the batch that had been used for the artificial insemination programme. BHV-5 was also isolated from the semen of a second apparently healthy bull during routine screening of its semen.
TL;DR: L Laboratory and genetic analyses confirmed that the isolate recovered from the clinically affected partridges was PPMV-1, belonging to genetic lineage 4b, however, the virus could not be isolated from or detected in dead pigeons collected from the affected buildings.
Abstract: In October 2006, following an initially non-statutory disease investigation affecting 12-week-old grey partridges (Perdix perdix), an outbreak of Newcastle disease due to infection with the avian paramyxovirus type 1 virus responsible for the current panzootic in pigeons (PPMV-1) was confirmed in Scotland. Two pens of partridges were affected by signs including loss of condition, diarrhoea, progressive neurological signs and mortality totalling approximately 24 per cent, and laboratory evidence of the infection was obtained only in these groups. The premises had approximately 17,000 poultry including a collection of 375 birds of rare breeds, containing endangered breeds of significant conservation value, which were not culled but subjected to a health monitoring and testing programme. Investigations suggested that a population of feral pigeons living above the affected pens of partridges was the likely source of the outbreak. Laboratory and genetic analyses confirmed that the isolate recovered from the clinically affected partridges was PPMV-1, belonging to genetic lineage 4b. However, the virus could not be isolated from or detected in dead pigeons collected from the affected buildings.
TL;DR: Eight hundred and seventy-one dogs with thrombocytopenia were divided into the following five categories: immune-mediated throm bocy topenia, thromBocytopensia caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), thrommogenic disorders, miscellaneous disorders, neoplasia-associated thrombus and inflammatory/infectious thrombaTopenia.
Abstract: Eight hundred and seventy-one dogs with thrombocytopenia were divided into the following five categories: immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (49; 5.6 per cent), thrombocytopenia caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (52; 6.0 per cent), thrombocytopenia caused by miscellaneous disorders (222; 25.5 per cent), neoplasia-associated thrombocytopenia (244; 28 per cent) and inflammatory/infectious thrombocytopenia (304; 34.9 per cent). The incidence of thrombocytopenia among the hospital population was 6.7 per cent. The dogs with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia and thrombocytopenia caused by DIC had significantly (P<0.001) lower platelet counts (median 32.0 x 10(9)/l and 55.0 x 10(9)/l, respectively) than the dogs in the other three categories.
TL;DR: A vasorum is a metastrongylid nematode parasite that resides in the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle of dogs and other canids and has been reported in dogs in Europe.
Abstract: Angiostrongylus vasorum is a metastrongylid nematode parasite that resides in the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle of dogs and other canids Since its discovery in France in 1866 by Baillet ([Rosen and others 1970][1]), A vasorum has been reported in dogs in Europe (Denmark, France, Germany,
TL;DR: Three hundred veterinary students were divided randomly into two groups to answer a questionnaire inquiring how painful they considered 23 conditions affecting cattle to be, on either a numerical rating scale (NRS) or a visual analogue scale (VAS).
Abstract: Three hundred veterinary students were divided randomly into two groups to answer a questionnaire inquiring how painful they considered 23 conditions affecting cattle (seven of which were illustrated) to be, on either a numerical rating scale (NRS) or a visual analogue scale (VAS). The individual responses were used to assess whether cluster analysis could be used to divide the population into distinct groups. The ratios of men to women in the two groups were similar. The NRS scores ranged from 1 to 10 and the VAS scores ranged from 0 to 10. The conditions that were illustrated with a picture had a wider range of scores (2·65 to 9·0 v 2·67 to 7·93) and a slightly higher mean score (5·71 v 5·34) than those without pictures. Fracture of the tuber coxae, dystocia requiring the help of two people, and serious mastitis, were scored as the most painful conditions in adult cattle. Using the median score of each student as an outcome, their sex and year of enrolment and the scoring scale were significant. Women scored 0·9 points higher than men. Cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups in both the VAS and NRS, but the distribution was more even among the students using the VAS. This group was used in further analysis, and one cluster had the most men and more students with several siblings.
TL;DR: The Horses with a rectal temperature above 38·5°C when the catheter was introduced were four times more likely to develop complications, than the horses with a lower temperature, and the administration of a NSAID while the cathetised jugular vein was in place reduced the risk of complications developing.
Abstract: A total of 102 horses that had a catheter introduced intravenously to facilitate treatment had the catheterised jugular vein and contralateral vein examined by ultrasound every 48 hours. Subclinical complications were defined by thrombus formation or thickening of the venous wall, and the data were analysed to establish risk factors for the development of these complications. The horses with a rectal temperature above 38·5°C when the catheter was introduced were four times more likely to develop complications, than the horses with a lower temperature. The administration of a NSAID while the catheter was in place reduced the risk of complications developing.
TL;DR: The incidence of clinical respiratory disease in 698 young beef bulls kept in 68 pens, and their exposure to respiratory pathogens after their arrival at 51 fattening operations in western France were assessed, found the risk of incidence of respiratory disease was lower in the pens in which the bulls had been vaccinated against M haemolytica.
Abstract: The incidence of clinical respiratory disease in 698 young beef bulls kept in 68 pens, and their exposure to respiratory pathogens after their arrival at 51 fattening operations in western France were assessed. Antibodies against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1), Mannheimia haemolytica and Mycoplasma bovis were measured by ELISA. The incidence risk of respiratory disease was 18.5 per cent during the first six weeks. Cases occurred in 37 of the 68 pens, and in these pens 30.9 per cent of the bulls were affected. Their exposure to BHV-1 was very limited. When they arrived a high proportion of the bulls were seropositive to M haemolytica and a high proportion seroconverted to BRSV, M haemolytica and M bovis within the first six weeks. The risk of incidence of respiratory disease was lower in the pens in which the bulls had been vaccinated against M haemolytica. Higher proportions of the bulls were affected in pens in which small proportions of the bulls were seropositive to M haemolytica or BRSV on arrival, and in pens in which high proportions of the bulls were exposed to M haemolytica or BRSV during the first six weeks.