The prevalence of tail injuries in working and non-working breed dogs visiting veterinary practices in Scotland

The aim of this paper was to estimate the prevalence of tail injuries that required veterinary examination in different breeds of dog in Scotland. The study population included all dogs that had visited one of 16 veterinary practices located in Scotland between 2002 and early 2012. The overall prevalence of tail injuries in dogs visiting one of the 16 veterinary practices was 0.59 per cent. The prevalence of tail injuries in dogs of working breeds was estimated to be 0.90 per cent. Working dog breeds that were examined by a veterinary surgeon were at a significantly greater risk of sustaining a tail injury than non-working breeds (P<0.001). To prevent one such tail injury in these working breeds approximately 232 dogs would need to be docked as puppies. To prevent one tail amputation in spaniels, 320 spaniel puppies would need to be docked. Spaniels presented after January 2009 were 2.3 times more likely to have a tail injury than those presented before April 29, 2007 (date of the legislation that banned tail docking in Scotland). Given the results of this and the accompanying paper it may be appropriate to consider changes to the current legislation for specific breeds of working dogs.

Survey of tail injuries sustained by working gundogs and terriers in Scotland

Working dog owners in Scotland were invited to take part in an internet survey regarding the 2010/2011 shooting season, which was designed to estimate the prevalence of tail injuries; assess the risk of tail injuries in docked and undocked working dogs; and identify risk factors for owner-reported tail injuries. Of 2860 working dogs, 13.5 per cent sustained at least one tail injury during the 2010/2011 shooting season. Undocked spaniels and hunt point retrievers (HPRs) were at greatest risk of tail injury with 56.6 per cent of undocked spaniels and 38.5 per cent of undocked HPRs sustaining at least one tail injury during the season. There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of tail injury in dogs with tails docked by one-third, half or shorter. To prevent one tail injury in one shooting season, between two and 18 spaniels or HPRs would need to be docked as puppies. The authors believe that this work provides the best available evidence on which to base a consultation for changes to the legislation on tail docking in working dogs in Scotland. Docking the tails of HPRs and spaniels by one-third would significantly decrease the risk of tail injury sustained while working in these breeds.

A new species of Leucocytozoon Berestneff, 1904 (Apicomplexa: Leucocytozoidae) from the avian family Artamidae

A new species of the apicomplexan genus Leucocytozoon Berestneff, 1904, L. artamidis n. sp., is described from the Australian avian family Artamidae. Gametocytes and endogenous stages of the life-cycle are described together with early erythrocytic and leucocytic developing forms rarely described for species of this genus.

Pathology associated with endogenous development of haematozoa in birds from southeast Queensland

A study was undertaken on the pathology and associated schizont morphology of apicomplexan species of avian haematozoa. Some 32 birds from the families Artamidae, Meliphagidae, Oriolidae, Podargidae, Columbidae, Alcedinidae and Psittacidae were identified as having schizonts in various tissues. Based on blood stages observed, the probable relationship to tissue stages was considered. The majority of schizonts were referable to the genera Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus. The comparative morphology of tissue stages previously described in the literature is discussed and the involvement of protozoa other than haematozoa considered. The naturally occurring infections in wild birds described in this study represent previously unreported data on the life-cycle stages involved. Some schizonts measured up to 640 microm. While pathological changes in some hosts were noticeable, in others no significant findings were observed. The role of endogenous stages in avian morbidity is discussed briefly.

Successful laserlithotripsy in Bouveret's syndrome using a new frequency doubled doublepulse Nd:YAG laser (FREDDY)

Gastric outlet obstruction as a result of gallstone (Bouveret syndrome) is a rare but serious complication of cholelithiasis. In many cases, surgery has been conducted for treatment. In recent years, minimal invasive treatment modalities (e.g. shockwave lithotripsy) have been shown to be effective in some of those patients. Laserlithotripsy has so far been described in two cases with a Rhodamine-6G dye laser. We present the case of a 90-year-old woman with duodenal obstruction due to a huge gallstone. The patient was referred to our hospital because attempts at endoscopic extraction and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy had failed. The man was treated successfully in just one session with a new cost-efficient frequency doubled doublepulse Nd:YAG laser (FREDDY) using a total of 5726 laser pulses (120 mJ pulse energy, 10 Hz pulse repetition rate) and recovered rapidly. Laserlithotripsy can be considered an effective non-invasive therapeutic alternative to surgical treatment in Bouveret's syndrome, especially in old or high-risk patients.

[Video capsule endoscopy in a group of networked users: effective and cost saving]

BACKGROUND

At present extensive application of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) as the most innovative diagnostic tool for small bowel diseases is limited by its high costs. The present study describes the first experience in the mobile use of VCE in a cooperation of associated gastroenterology departments in different hospitals.

METHODS

The VCE device was bought by a centrally located hospital. In the case of a need for VCE elsewhere the mobile equipment was brought to the respective hospital. The examination was done on site by local physicians, who additionally were responsible for the procedure itself. The evaluation of the VCE pictures was carried out exclusively by the Ophysicians of the central hospital.

RESULTS

Within 15 months VCE was performed in 40 patients (19 male, 21 female; age 61 +/- 14 years). Ten examinations were performed in the central hospital, 30 in the associated gastroenterology departments of other hospitals. Indications for VCE were obscure GI bleeding (65 %), chronic diarrhea and Crohn's disease (17.5 %) or suspected small bowel neoplasms (17.5 %). Clinically relevant pathological abnormalities were detected in 62.5 % of the patients, mainly ulcerations and erosions. Complications were non-spontaneous capsule passage in one patient. Compared to a single hospital, the multicenter use of VCE increased the frequency of investigations four times and reduced expenses to almost 30 %.

CONCLUSIONS

The mobile use of VCE makes this innovative technique available for every patient while remaining in his local gastroenterology department. Additionally, this concept accelerates amortization and improves the quality of evaluation by focusing experience.

Facilitation of social learning by treatment with an NMDA receptor antagonist

A single oral treatment with 0.3 mg/kg of the competitive NMDA receptor blocker CGP 37 849 improved the retention performance of rats in a social memory paradigm. The effect disappeared with increasing doses: at 1 mg/kg a positive trend could still be observed; at 3 mg/kg no effect whatever was detectable.

Murine anti-mouse T cell monoclonal antibodies elicit anti-antibodies in mice: intra-species immunization model for estimating potential patient sensitization against humanized anti-T cell antibodies

Humanization of immunosuppressive anti-T cell monoclonal antibodies (mAb) raises the question as to how completely it helps to avoid formation of neutralizing anti-antibodies (anti-Ab) in patients. To get more information on intra-species sensitization against anti-T cell mAb, we produced two immunosuppressive mouse IgG2a anti-mouse Thy-1.2 mAb (MmT1 and MmT5) in AKR/J mice and measured the potential of MmT1 to elicit inhibitory anti-Ab in AKR/J (H-2k), C57BL/6 (H-2b), congenic B10.BR (H-2k) and DBA/2 (H-2d) mice. After one injection once weekly for 4 weeks of 5 micrograms MmT1 (200 micrograms/kg) in C57BL/6 mice, without the use of any adjuvants, high concentrations of anti-Ab directed against MmT1 (300 micrograms/ml) and MmT5 (100 micrograms/ml) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Similar concentrations of anti-Ab were found in immunized DBA/2 and less in B10.BR mice. No syngeneic anti-Ab could be produced in AKR/J. From the C57BL/6 mice, we raised anti-MmT1+, MmT5- idiotype (IDIO1) and anti-MmT1+, MmT5+ allotype (ALLO1) mAb. An in vivo test system was adapted to measure the inhibitory effects of circulating poly- or monoclonal anti-Ab. It revealed a reduction of in vivo depletion capacity not only of the sensitizing mAb (MmT1), but also of another anti-Thy-1.2 mAb (MmT5), with identical allotype but different idiotype. From this we conclude that intra-species immunization following injection of anti-T cell mAb can produce high titer inhibitory anti-idiotype and anti-allotype antibodies. Implications for hyperchimeric or fully human anti-T cell mAb are discussed.

Pretreatment with aldosterone or corticosterone blocks the memory-enhancing effects of nimodipine, captopril, CGP 37,849, and strychnine in mice

Oral pretreatment with aldosterone or corticosterone blocked the memory-enhancing effects of the calcium antagonist nimodipine, the ACE inhibitor captopril, the NMDA blocker CGP 37,849, and the glycine antagonist strychnine in a passive-avoidance test in mice. The memory-disturbing effects of phenobarbitone, diazepam, CGP 37,849 and scopolamine were not influenced by the hormonal pretreatment. These findings could indicate the involvement of a steroid-sensitive mechanism in drug-induced improvement of memory. In the light of clinical observations showing elevated cortisol levels in Alzheimer patients, the results might also explain why only a limited number of these patients respond to therapy with memory enhancers.

Neutralization of immunosuppression by antibodies against variable as well as constant regions of monoclonal anti-Thy-1 xenoantibodies and their ability to be suppressed by initial T cell depletion

Timing, magnitude, and effect of the murine antibody response to rat pan-T-cell antibodies were studied in a bone marrow (C57BL/6-to-CBA mice) transplantation model. Prospective C57BL/6 marrow donor mice were sensitized against pan-T-cell (Thy-1, Thy-1.2, Lyt-1) monoclonal antibodies of various rat isotypes or against polyclonal rat antimouse-thymocytes (rat ATG) antibodies. Three days prior to transfer of spleen and bone marrow cells, the sensitized C57BL/6 donors received a dose of anti-Thy-1 mAb (RmT1) known to abolish graft-versus-host reactivity of unsensitized donors. The injected mAb provoked anti-antibodies reacting with RmT1. The anti-antibodies inhibited immunosuppression of the rat mAb RmT1 even if they bound only to nonidiotypic epitopes on RmT1. Avoiding cell-binding of the sensitizing rat anti-Thy-1.2 mAb by its injection into Thy-1.1 mice induced only low-titer and delayed anti-antibodies. This indicated the enhanced immunization potential of anti-Thy-1 when bound to cells. Finally, sensitization leading to the mouse antirat anti-antibodies and reversion of immunosuppression was prevented or reduced considerably by T cell depletion with a mouse IgG2a anti-Thy-1.2 mAb or high-dose cyclophosphamide or by rabbit ATG, provided it was initiated before starting the sensitizing injections of the rat antimouse T cell antibodies.

Longitudinal ultrasonic biometry of various parameters in fetuses with abnormal growth rate

The growth rate of various organs and parameters was evaluated by ultrasound examination in one group of small-for-gestational age (SGA) and another group of large-for-gestational age (LGA) fetuses. Three different patterns of growth were selected in the SGA group and two different types of growth acceleration were observed in the LGA group. On the basis of these results, it has been concluded that the type of intra-uterine growth retardation or acceleration is dependent more on the time at which the insult which brings it on, appears, and less on the specific etiological factor.