Clinical manifestations in sheep with plastic bags in the rumen

Sixteen 1-year-old castrate Dorper sheep were used for the study. The animals were divided into four groups of four animals (n = 4). Three groups were implanted with 129 g, 258 g and 387 g of thin plastic bags into the rumen through rumenotomy, while the fourth group was subjected to rumenotomy without implanting plastic bags, and served as control. All the animals were monitored daily for 6 weeks following implantation. Presence of plastic bags in the rumen was characterized by anorexia, severe depression, discomfort, dehydration, firmness and asymmetrical distension of the abdomen, ruminal hypomotility and diarrhoea with intermittent constipation, weight loss, terminal recumbency and death. The severity of these clinical manifestations increased with increased quantities of plastic bags and their duration in the rumen. Sheep implanted with 258 g and 387 g lost 7.8 percent and 14.2 percent of their initial mean body weight, respectively, by the end of 6 weeks. Presence of plastic bags in the rumen could interfere with digestion, with a gradual loss in body weight, productivity and occasional mortality. Plastic bags in the rumen should be considered as a differential diagnosis in sheep presenting the observed clinical signs, especially in urban and periurban areas

Effect of ruminal plastic bags on haematological and biochemical parameters of sheep and goats

A study was carried out with the objective of determining the haematological and blood biochemical parameters in sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen for a period of 42 days. This was to indicate the possible influence of plastic bags in the rumen on blood parameters. 16, one-year old castrate Dorper sheep with a mean body weight of 26.8 kg (± 0.3 kg) and 16 one-year old castrate small East African goats with a mean weight of 24.5 kg (± 0.3 kg) were used for the study. The 16 sheep and 16 goats were divided into 4 groups of 4 animals each (n = 4). Three groups of each species were implanted with 129 g, 258 g and 387 g of plastic bags, respectively, in the rumen through rumenotomy and the fourth group of each species was control on which rumenotomy was done but with no implanting of plastic bags. Blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture from all sheep and goats every 2 weeks for analysis. The only haematological parameter that had significant change was platelets, which significantly (p < 0.05) increased in both sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen. However, mean values of erythrocytes, packed cell volume, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume decreased but not significantly in the sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen. The sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen had hyponatraemmia, hypochloridaemia and decreased aspartate aminotransferase enzyme activity. The changes observed in haematological and biochemical parameters could be an indication of adverse effects on the production and well-being of sheep and goats that ingest these plastic bags. These finding may be of diagnostic importance in cases of rumen impaction with indigestible foreign bodies, particularly, plastic bags

A Multifaceted Intervention to Implement Guidelines and Improve Admission Paediatric Care in Kenyan District Hospitals: A Cluster Randomised Trial

Philip Ayieko and colleagues report the outcomes of a cluster-randomized trial carried out in eight Kenyan district hospitals evaluating the effects of a complex intervention involving improved training and supervision for clinicians. They found a higher performance of hospitals assigned to the complex intervention on a variety of process of care measures, as compared to those receiving the control intervention

Anaesthesia in the new millennium; new drug, routes and delivery systems

Researchers in both human and veterinary anaesthesia continue searching for better and safer anaesthetics substances which can cause damage and even death if given in incorrect doses or concentrations. Apart from looking for newer drugs, research is going on to find better routes of administration and drug delivery systems. The anaesthesia of millennium will focus on the development of substances that mimic the proteins and peptides made by the body. Newer delivery systems include patches, ionotrophoretic techniques and transmucosal delivery are being tested and/ or being practiced. This paper highlights on some of the developments and the possible future directions in anaesthesia. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 27 2004: pp. 49-5

Influence of Atropine Premedication on Cardiac Rate in Donkeys Injected with Xylazine and Xylazine - Ketamine Combination

The study was carried out in four groups of 5 donkeys each to evaluate the influence of atropine sulphate premedication on cardiac rate in donkeys injected with xylazine and xylazine –ketamine combination. Where atropine was given, it was injected subcutaneously at a dosage of 0.1 mg /kg. Xylazine hydrochloric (2.0 mg/ kg) and the drug combination xylazine (2.0 mg/ kg) – ketamine hydrochloride (4.4 mg/kg) were injected intramuscularly. Where the drug combination xylazine –was given, the two drugs were mixed together and given in the same syringe. Group 1- animals were injected with xylazine, group2 with atropine and xylazine, group 3 with xylazine and group 4 with atropine- xylazine-ketamine. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 21 2001: pp. 26-2

Pain and Its Management in Animals

Pain is a perception experience associated with actual or potential damage. It is usually caused by mechanical, chemical or thermal stimulation of specialized pain receptors (nociceptors).in tissues. In routine veterinary practice, such acute insults causing intense stimulation encountered include tissue trauma, including surgery, burns and fractures. As veterinary practitioners, we are ethically obliged to prevent pain and suffering where possible and alleviate it, should it occur, as it contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. In order to do this, we need to be able to assess pain in animals and manage it appropriately. Pain assessment can be made based on anthropomorphism, behavioral responses of the patient and clinical sign. The behavioral responses of the patient and clinical sign. The behavioral and physiological responses that accompany pain such as vocalization, withdrawal reflex, guarding of the affected area and increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system are measurable. Pain control in animals can be achieved through limitation of nociceptor stimulation, interruption of peripheral transmission, inhibition of nociceptive transmission at the level of the spine cord modulation of brain pathways by systemic administration of analgesia by simultaneous use of a number of the above strategies. Although the selection and techniques of administration of individual analgesic drugs vary, local and opioid analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tranquilizers and other combination therapies when used appropriately can control pain and alleviate suffering in animals experiencing pain. This paper looks at pain and its management in animals. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 27 2004: pp. 10-1

Alpha-2-Adrenoceptor agonists in Veterinary Practice

Since the first a2- adrenoceptor agonist xylazine (Rompun) was synthesized in 1962 in Germany, and subsequent development of others in this group, a2-adrenoceptor agonists have been used for decades for their sedative, analgesic and muscle relaxant properties in laboratory, domestic and wild animal species. Although drugs in this group induce physiologic alterations in many species whose magnitude depends on the dose, rate of administration and concomitantly administered drugs, they have proven to be safe adjunctive agents in augmenting central nervous system depression, analgesia and muscle relaxation in healthy patients. One of the more significant advances in veterinary anesthesiology during the last decade has been the utilization of antagonists for the reversal of injectable anesthetic regimens. Most notable of these is the clinical application of a2-antagonists such as yohimbine, telazoline, midazoxam, and atipamazole for the reversal of the sedative –muscle relaxant action actions induced by xylazine and other a2- adrenoceptor agonists. This advance has made the use of drugs in this group safer and they will continue to play an important role in the evolution and development of reliable synergistic receptor mediated analgesia and anesthesia. This paper looks at the role a2-adrenoceptor agonists have played and continue to play in veterinary practice. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 22 2001: pp. 82-9

An Overview of Animal Welfare Issues in Kenya

Animal welfare is the physical and psychological state of an animal as regards its attempt to cope with the environment. An animal\'s welfare is compromised if it does not enjoy the five fundamental freedoms, namely: freedom from hunger or thirst; freedom from thermal or physical discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; freedom from fear and distress and; freedom to indulge in normal behavior patterns. In recent times, animal welfare has developed into a science with growing amount of research whose outcomes have led to reforms in animal welfare legislation and improved conditions for production animals, research animals and those kept in captivity or as companion animals. Animal welfare abuse in Kenya results from: neglect; malicious physical injury; starvation; confinement; use of inappropriate modes of transportation/transportation facilities; manhandling during transportation; overcrowding; overloading; overworking; inhumane treatment at slaughter/slaughter facilities; inhumane treatment during capture; branding and; inappropriate working tools, among others. Animal welfare abuse in Kenya has been occasioned by: inadequate legal and policy provisions; inadequate capacity to monitor and minimize cruelty to animals; limited animal extension services and; inadequate training in animal welfare and supervision of service providers. Given that veterinarians influence how animals are treated at local, national and international levels, their training should include a good grounding in animal welfare education. The same should be extended to all other animal scientists. Through this, they can lead in bringing about improvements in animal welfare as well as helping to change attitudes towards animals. This paper looks at animal welfare issues in Kenya with respect to abuse, policy, legislation and education, and gives recommendations on the way forward. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 48-5

A systematic review of analgesia practices in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy

Aim: This was a systematic review conducted to evaluate the analgesic drugs and techniques used in the management of pain in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Materials and Methods: Systematic searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were conducted for peer-reviewed articles written in English and published from 1995 to 2015. The key search words were dogs, ovariohysterectomy, pain, and analgesics. This was followed by a manual search of the references within the primary data sources. Inclusion and exclusion of studies and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. All randomized studies evaluating the effects of analgesics during ovariohysterectomy in dogs were included. Results: A total of 31 trials met the criteria and were, therefore, included in the study. Data on the type of analgesic drugs used, the technique of administration, and the need for rescue analgesia were extracted from the papers. Individual analgesic protocols were used in 83.9% of the studies compared to multimodal drug therapy, which was used in 16.1% of the studies. Opioids were used in 39.0% of studies, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in 19.4%, a combination of NSAIDs and opioids in 19.4%, local analgesics in 6.5%, and acupuncture in 3.2% of the studies. Drug administration was done using three approaches that included pre-operative (64.5%), post-operative (22.6%) as well as combined pre- and post-operative approach (12.9%). In 77.4% of the studies, administration of analgesics was done once, while in 12.9%, it was done as a 72-h post-operative course. 24-h and 48-h courses of post-operative pain therapy were done in 6.5% and 3.2% of the studies, respectively. About 57% of the dogs in the control groups required rescue analgesia as compared to 21.6% in the single and 11.3% in multimodal drug therapy groups. The requirement for rescue analgesics was highest in dogs treated using acupuncture (43.8%) and lowest in dogs treated using NSAID-opioid combination (8.6%). Fewer dogs among those that received pain medication preoperatively and postoperatively required rescue analgesia compared to those in groups given drugs before and after surgery only. More dogs (26.4%) among those given analgesics only once postoperatively required rescue analgesia as compared to those that received analgesics daily for 72 h (4.4%). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that opioids are the mainstream analgesic drugs used in managing acute post-operative pain in dogs' post-ovariohysterectomy. In addition, multimodal drug therapy, particularly, NSAID-opioids combination is more effective for pain management than single drug administration. Administering analgesics both before and after surgery is associated with better outcomes and so is a protracted course of post-operative pain therapy. Although these practices should be encouraged, controlled studies should be conducted to conclusively determine the best practices for pain management in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy

Some Constraints and Opportunities in the Privatization of Animal Breeding Services in Kenya

The objective of the dairy development policy is to develop and promote an efficient and self-sustaining dairy industry with the aim of achieving the development goals of poverty alleviation, industrialization and employment creation especially in the rural areas, thereby enhancing the per capita income in the country. With respect to animal breeding which is central to the attainment of these objectives, short term policy objectives will be geared towards development of action programme to enhance effective delivery of artificial insemination (AI) services is one such measure, which was instituted in 1991. Available data between 1990 and 1998 show a decrease in the total number of insemination and disparity in the performance of the A.I services in different parts of the country since the advent of privatization. Total national inseminations decreased in total from 394,361 in 1990 to 104,661 in 1997, a decrease of 73.5% despite the bringing on board of the private sector. The contribution of the private in 1992. In 1992, private sector inseminations stood at 3.9% of the total national inseminations, increasing to 94.3% in 1997. With this in mind, the performance of animal breeding services is reviewed with a view of establishing the reasons for the decrease in total national inseminations and explores some opportunities for improvement. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 27 2004: pp. 45-4