Efficacy of eprinomectin pour-on against Dictyocaulus arnfieldi infection in donkeys (Equus asinus).

A trial to assess the efficacy of eprinomectin (EPM) against the lungworm Dictyocaulus arnfieldi was carried out on 15, naturally-infected donkeys. Ten animals were treated with a 'pour-on' EPM preparation (at a dose of 0.5mg/kg bodyweight), and five animals acted as controls. EPM was 100% effective in eliminating faecal larvae from day 7, until the end of study at day 28. No adverse drug-reactions or side-effects were observed in any of the treated donkeys

Cardiac biomarkers in clinical practice of dog and cat - a review

A biomarker is an indicator of a normal or pathologic process, or a pharmacologic response to a therapeutic intervention. Nowadays, in veteriary cardiology, the most used biomarkers for assessing the pathological status of the cardio-vascular system, are B-type natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponins. These biomarkers have been very well studied in cardiac pathology in order to assess their diagnostic potential. The aim of the present paper was to discuss the structure, metabolism, function, applicability, reference values and variations in different diseases and to review some practical aspects of the two cardiac biomarkers, used nowadays in small animal cardiology

Effect of Pegbovigrastim on Hematological Profile of Simmental Dairy Cows during the Transition Period

Pegbovigrastim is a long-acting analog of recombinant bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, that promotes and increases the count and functionality of polymorphonuclear cells in dairy cows. The present study aimed to explore, for the first time in Simmental cows, the clinical and hematological effect of pegbovigrastim during the transition period (TP). Cows were randomly assigned into two groups: treated group (PEG; n = 16) received pegbovigrastim at approximately 7 days before expected parturition and within 6 h after calving, and control group (CTR; n = 16) received saline solution. Blood samples were obtained at −7, 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days relative to calving. PEG group showed white blood cells (WBC) count consistently higher compared with CTR group (p < 0.001) until to 3 weeks after calving. Neutrophils remained higher in PEG group (p < 0.001) up to three weeks after calving, compared with CTR group, with slight increment of band cells. Moreover, PEG group displayed a lower index of myeloperoxidase at 1, 3, and 7 days after calving (p < 0.01) compared with CTR. Basophils and lymphocytes showed a similar trend to those observed for neutrophils at 1 day after calving in PEG group. Finally, monocytes remained markedly elevated until 3 days after calving in PEG compared to CTR group (p < 0.001), whereas in PEG group, eosinophils population showed lower percentage values at 1 and 3 days after calving but higher values at 30 days compared with CTR group. PEG group was characterized by lower red blood cells (RBCs) count compared with CTR group (p < 0.05) and higher % of red cell volume distribution width (RDW) from week 2 and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) at 30 days after calving. In addition, the mean platelet volume (MPV) was significantly higher in PEG group at calving, 1, 3, and 7 days after calving compared with CTR group (p < 0.05). For the first time, we described the effect of pegbovigrastim in a breed not specialized exclusively in milk production as Holstein, but with dual purpose (meat and milk), evaluating the complete hematological profile in cows during the transition period. These results provide evidence on the proliferative effect of pegbovigrastim on WBC in Simmental breed highlighting its possible side effect on RBCs

Assessment of foot health and animal welfare: clinical findings in 229 dairy Mediterranean Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) affected by foot disorders.

BACKGROUND Lameness represents the third most important health-related cause of economic loss in the dairy industry after fertility and mastitis. Although, dairy Mediterranean Buffaloes (MB) and dairy cows share similar breeding systems predisposing to similar herd problems, published studies exploring its relevance and role in these ruminants are still rare and incomplete. The aims of this study were to describe the clinical findings of foot disorders (FDs) in dairy MB and their influence on animal welfare, determined by assessment of locomotion score (LS), body condition score (BCS) and cleanliness score (CS). RESULTS Of 1297 multiparous MB submitted to routine trimming procedures, 229 buffaloes showed at least one FD. The prevalence of buffaloes affected by FDs was 17.7 %, while motility and lameness indexes were 84.1 % (1091/1297) and 15.9 % (206/1297), respectively. Overgrowth was present in 17.0 % (220/1297), corkscrew claw in 15.8 % (205/1297), interdigital phlegmon in 0.9 % (12/1297), white line abscess in 0.8 % (11/1297), digital dermatitis in 0.1 % (1/1297) and interdigital hyperplasia in 0.1 % (1/1297). Simultaneous presence of FDs was recorded in 17.0 % of MB (221/1297): overgrowth and corkscrew claw occurred together in 15.8 % of cases (205/1297), overgrowth and interdigital phlegmon in 0.3 % (4/1297), overgrowth and white line abscess in 0.8 % (11/1297), digital dermatitis and interdigital hyperplasia in 0.1 % (1/1297). The presence of FDs was always associated with lameness (LS > 2), except from 23 MB with simultaneous overgrowth and interdigital phlegmon occurrence. The majority of MB within the under-conditioned group (95.5 %, 43/45) and all those with CS > 2 (122/122) had a locomotion score above the threshold of normality (LS > 2). Furthermore, foot diseases such as interdigital hyperplasia, white line abscess and digital dermatitis or interdigital hyperplasia seemed to occur more frequently associated with decreased BCS and increased CS scores. CONCLUSIONS This study describes for the first time the involvement of white line disease, interdigital phlegmona, digital dermatitis and interdigital hyperplasia in foot disorders of dairy Mediterranean buffalo and shows their association with an impairment of animal welfare

Studio su alcuni marker emocoagulativi (Trombomodulina, Proteina C e Antitrombina III) in gatti affetti da cardiomiopatia primitive a diverso stadio clinico

Trombomodulina (TM) è un proteoglicano di membrana dell’endotelio vasale, presente sulla superficie endoteliale che presenta una elevata affinità nei confronti della trombina. Il complesso trombomodulina/trombina possiede un alto potere anticoagulante attraverso l’attivazione della proteina C, che a sua volta inattiva i fattori plasmatici Va e VIIIa della via intrinseca, impedendo, come fine ultimo, la formazione di ulteriori molecole di trombina. L’antitrombina III è una glicoproteina sintetizzata a livello epatico ed appartenente alla famiglia delle cosiddette serpine. Si tratta della principale proteasi inibitrice della trombina e degli altri fattori della coagulazione. Negli ultimi anni il dosaggio plasmatico di TM, Proteina C e AT III ha assunto un importante ruolo, nel meglio definire gloi stati di ipercoagulabilità spesso associata a fenomeni tromboembolici. Nelle cardiomiopatie primitive del gatto è ampiamente noto che vi è un aumentato rischio di formazione di trombi a livello atriale, con possibili complicazioni tromboemboliche sistemiche (STE). Scopo del presente studio è quello di valutare le concentrazioni plasmatiche di tali marker emocoagulativi in animali affetti da cardiomiopatia primitiva a diverso stadio clinico e in funzione delle dimensioni atriali, al fine di verificare se tali sostanze possano essere considerate, anche nel gatto, un valido marker predittivo di una condizione di ipercoagulabilità, al pari di quanto riportato in medicina umana. Si sono valutate le concentrazioni plasmatiche di TM, ATIII e Proteina C in 50 gatti affetti da cardiomiopatie primitive a diverso stadio clinico. Nei gatti del II gruppo (sintomatici) i livelli plasmatici di TM sono apparsi più bassi (3.86 1.2 ng/ml), statisticamente significativi (p< 0.01) sia rispetto a quelli osservati nei soggetti sani che a quelli degli animali asintomatici. Nei gatti del I gruppo (asintomatici) i livelli plasmatici di Antitrombina III sono apparsi più bassi (112 17.9 %), statisticamente significativi (p< 0.01), sia rispetto a quelli osservati nei soggetti sani che a quelli degli animali sintomatici. Le variazioni della concentrazioni di Proteina C non sono apparse statisticamente significative all’interno di tre gruppi considerati. I livelli plasmatici di TM più bassi nei pazienti sintomatici rispetto a quelli asintomatici e agli animali di controllo, potrebbero essere interpretati come una conseguenza di una disfunzione endoteliale, responsabile di una minore produzione di TM, oppure di un possibile aumentato consumo, finalizzato a garantire l’omeostasi del processo emocoagulativo. Alcuni studi tendono a spiegare tale riduzione attraverso l’azione endotelio lesiva operata da TNF alfa e IL 1, che risultano aumentate in modo significativo in pazienti umani con HCM e/o CHF (Penicka e coll., 2001; Chong e coll., 2003), oppure in associazione ad una condizione di ipossia cronica (Cacoub e coll., 1996) o in corso di fibrillazione atrale (Kutotobi e coll., 1998). Nei soggetti asintomatici l’attività procoagulante indotta dalla riduzione di ATIII (nei soggetti asintomatici) potrebbe essere contrastata dalla via trombina-TM-Proteina C, i cui valori plasmatici non tendono ad modificarsi. L’azione inveterata propria del processo cronico, porterebbe ad una disfunzione essenzialmente di carattere endoteliale, che si esprime con una riduzione di TM o con una minore espressione recettoriale; i livelli plasmatici di tale sostanza sembrano comunque essere sufficienti a mantenere inalterata l’omeostasi del processo emocoagulativi, come mostra anche l’assenza di trombi e di rilievi ecografici indicativi di una condizione di maggiore ipercoagulabilità. In conclusione il nostro studio lascia ritenere che nelle condizioni sperimentali considerate, i gatti affetti da cardiomiopatie primitive a diverso stadio clinico presentano una disfunzione sia dei meccanismi emocoagulativi che del sistema endoteliale, ancorchè non si evidenzi un’ attivazione del processo trombogenetico, in conseguenza dell’attivazione dei diversi meccanismi di equilibrio messi in atto dall’organismo, tra il sistema pro-coagulante ed il sistema anti-coagulante. Sono comunque necessari ulteriori studi, volti ad approfondire gli intimi meccanismi del processi emocoagulativo e l’esatto ruolo che l’endotelio svolge in tali affezioni, soprattutto in animali in cui vi sia una chiara attivazione del processo trombogenetico, al fine di identificare uno o più marker utilizzabili nella normale routine clinica

Vitamin B12 in Cats: Nutrition, Metabolism, and Disease

Cobalamin is a water-soluble molecule that has an important role in cellular metabolism, especially in DNA synthesis, methylation, and mitochondrial metabolism. Cobalamin is bound by intrinsic factor (IF) and absorbed in the ileal tract. The IF in cats is synthesized exclusively by pancreatic tissue. About 75% of the total plasma cobalamin in cats is associated with transcobalamin II, while in this species, transcobalamin I is not present. In cats, the half-life of cobalamin is 11–14 days. Diagnostic biomarkers for B12 status in cats include decreased levels of circulating total cobalamin and increased levels of methylmalonic acid. The reference interval for serum cobalamin concentrations in cats is 290–1500 ng/L, and for the serum methylmalonic acid concentration, it is 139–897 nmol/L. Therapy for hypocobalaminemia mainly depends on the underlying disease. In some cases, subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of 250 μg/cat is empirically administered. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that oral cobalamin supplementation can also be used successfully in dogs and cats as a less invasive alternative to parental administration. This review describes the current knowledge regarding B12 requirements and highlights improvements in diagnostic methods as well as the role of hypocobalaminemia in its associated diseases

Situs inversus totalis associated with subaortic stenosis, restrictive ventricular septal defect, and tricuspid dysplasia in an adult dog

A rare association between situs inversus totalis (SIT), restrictive ventricular septal defect, severe subaortic stenosis, and tricuspid dysplasia was observed in an adult mixed-breed dog. Primary ciliary dyskinesia and Kartagener’s syndrome were excluded. After 15 mo the dog died suddenly. The association between SIT and congenital heart diseases is discussed