Articular fractures of the distal portion of the humerus in Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs: six cases (1988-1992)

Medical records of 6 Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs with articular fractures of the distal portion of the humerus were reviewed. Evaluation of the medical records did not reveal a sex predilection. All fractures were associated with minor traumatic episodes in young pigs. Of 6 fractures involving the humeral condyle, 4 involved the medial portion, 1 involved the lateral portion, and 1 was a Y-shaped fracture. Five of the pigs underwent surgical repair of the fracture, and all 5 did not have signs of lameness at follow-up evaluations (mean, 11 months). Of 4 pigs that had follow-up radiography, all had evidence of mild to moderate degenerative joint disease. Articular fractures of the distal portion of the humerus should be considered as a differential diagnosis in all Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs with forelimb lameness, even if the trauma sustained appeared mild. Surgical repair in Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs is straightforward, and excellent clinical results can be expected.

Potbellied pigs. Miniature porcine pets.

The potbellied pig was introduced into the United States in 1985 and has since become a desirable pet throughout the country. When seeking medical or husbandry advice, pig owners often seek the counsel of their local small animal practitioner. The practitioner may feel at a loss to adequately respond to requests for veterinary care because they do not remember pig medicine from veterinary school. Large animal practitioners, who have knowledge of the medicine and surgery of commercial pigs, often do not like caring for potbellied pigs because they are pets and not production animals. This article is intended to provide the small animal practitioner with some practical knowledge in the husbandry and medical care of the pet pig, also known as the yuppy puppy.

Abnormalities of the tubular genital organs.

Abnormalities of the tubular reproductive tract are responsible for decreased fertility in the cow. Typically, these are related to congenital defects such as segmental aplasia or to acquired conditions resulting from infections or trauma caused during breeding or parturition. Infection of the tubular tract may result in vaginitis, cervicitis, metritis, endometritis, pyometra, or salpingitis. Trauma to the tract may result in urovagina, pneumovagina, or prolapse of the vagina or uterus. Retained placenta may result in metritis. Potentially, all of these conditions, unless properly treated, may result in reduced fertility or, in the extreme, sterility. Judicial and properly timed use of antibiotics and ecbolic agents should return the tract to proper function with little or no reduction in fertility. Some conditions, such as prolapse, retained placenta, and pneumovagina, may call for manual or surgical intervention for successful resolution.

Control of FSH, follicular development and estrus synchronization in the mare with steroid-free follicular fluid.

Twenty-two pony mares were used in a project designed to determine the effectiveness of different treatments in controlling FSH, follicular development and synchronization of estrus and ovulation. Mares in Group 1 (n=8) received daily oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg); those in Group 2 (n=7) received daily altrenogest (0.044 g/kg) and, during the last 4 days of treatment they received steroid-free follicular fluid, (15 cc) intravenously (I.V.) two times a day; Mares in Group 3 (n=7) received daily intramuscular (I.M.) injections of progesterone (80 mg) and estradiol valerate (7 mg). All treatments lasted for 10 days, at the end of which prostaglandin (PgF(2)alpha, 10 mg) was administered. Sexual behavior, follicular development and FSH concentrations were monitor daily. Concentrations of FSH in Group 2 mares, were not significantly different (P>0.05) from those of Group 1 until the mares in Group 2 were treated with follicular fluid (P<0.05). Concentrations of FSH in Group 3 mares, were significantly lower than those of Groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05) until the mares in Group 2 were treated with steroid-free follicular fluid. At this point there was no significant difference between groups 2 and 3 (P>0.05). Steroid-free follicular fluid appears to induce atresia in larger follicles (>11 mm), and the initiation of new follicular wave. The combination of progesterone and estradiol valerate appears to delay follicular growth and not to induce atresia, since larger follicles (>11 mm) continued to grow after treatment. Both treatments (groups 2 and 3) resulted in ovulations within 5 days period. The treatment in Group 1 did not have any effect on FSH or follicular development and ovulations were dispersed through a 9-day period. We concluded that steroid-free follicular fluid offers a new possibility to synchronize ovulation in the mare by controlling FSH and follicular development.

Estrus induction in the bitch using a combination diethylstilbestrol and FSH-P.

The purpose of the study was to induce estrus and ovulation in normal bitches using a combination of diethylstilbestrol (DES) and follicle stimulating hormone of porcine pituitary origin (FSH-P). Thirteen mature mongrel female dogs were divided into two groups, the first group was treated for estrus induction during late anestrus and the second group during mid-anestrus. The dogs were monitored by teasing, vaginal cytology, and hormonal assay during the induced (n=13) and the previous spontaneous estrous cycle (n=9). Six of eight and three of five bitches came into standing estrus in the first and second group, respectively. Of the bitches that came into estrus, three conceived in the first group and one in the second. The average induced litter size was 7.0 versus 7.5 for the colony. Based on vaginal cytology the induced proestrus and estrus lasted 1.7 (0 to 3) and 12.9 (4 to 24) d, respectively, while the spontaneous proestrus and estrus lasted 5.8 (0-17) and 12.8 (9-15) d, respectively. Progesterone profiles were similar between the induced and spontaneous estrous cycles, although the progesterone peak was higher during the spontaneous cycle. The preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge was observed in only one induced estrous cycle. Modest results were obtained with this therapy. However, the litter sizes were normal and the induced cycles were very similar to the physiologic ones. No side effects were seen with the oral form of DES.

Influence of rete testis fluid deprivation on the kinetic parameters of goat epididymal 5 alpha-reductase.

A surgical technique to cannulate the rete testis of the goat was utilized to examine the effects of rete testis fluid (RTF) deprivation on the enzymatic activity of epididymal 5 alpha-reductase. Kinetic techniques were used to determine whether the regional enzymatic effect of RTF deprivation is to decrease the apparent number of 5 alpha-reductase active sites or the catalytic activity of each active site within the epididymal epithelium. Paired comparisons of (Vmax)app and (Km)app values between control and RTF-deprived epididymides indicated that RTF deprivation affected the value of (Vmax)app with no apparent change in the values of (Km)app in caput, corpus, and cauda epididymal regions. We conclude that RTF deprivation in the goat epididymis for 7 days results in a decreased number of apparent 5 alpha-reductase active sites within the epididymal epithelium.

Characterization of the caprine estrous cycle using enzyme immunoassay for the determination of whole blood progesterone concentration.

Eighteen mature female dairy goats were used to determine the feasibility of enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of progesterone in this species. Both quantitative and qualitative enzyme immunoassay kits were used to measure progesterone concentration in unextracted whole blood. Progesterone profiles were similar to those previously reported using either protein-binding or radioimmunoassay as the test. A Pearson's correlation coefficient comparison of our enzyme immunoassay values with radioimmunoassay values gave a correlation coefficient of 0.95. Using the qualitative test, 100% of the samples with high progesterone concentrations had quantitative values greater than 4.00 ng/ml progesterone with a mean of 12.13 ng/ml. Estrus samples had a mean progesterone concentration of 0.70 ng/ml.

Characterization of infertility and bovine leukemia virus infection in beef bulls on southwestern Louisiana coastal range.

One hundred and twenty-six beef bulls on southwestern Louisiana coastal range were evaluated for breeding soundness. Samples were taken to determine the incidence of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection, and the prepuce was cultured for potential pathogens. A high incidence (47.6%) of questionable and unsatisfactory potential breeders resulted mainly from 37.0% of the bulls exhibiting high numbers of abnormal sperm cells in the semen. Only bulls in the 4-to 5-yr age group exhibited the expected incidence of normal spermiograms. Genital campylobacteriosis was not diagnosed but there was genital trichomoniasis in three of the seven herds. Hemophilus somnus , mycoplasma and ureaplasma were isolated from the prepuce of 13.3, 48.8 and 36.7% of the bulls, respectively. Isolation of these organisms from the prepuce did not appear to be associated with abnormal spermiograms. Of the bulls studied, 34.4% had positive AGID reactions for BLV. Bulls seropositive to BLV had an increased incidence of leukocyte counts that were above the normal range. There was no apparent relationship between BLV infection and abnormal spermiograms.

Electroencephalogram and evoked potentials in naturally occurring scrapie in sheep.

Electroencephalogram (EEG), brain stem auditory-evoked potential, and flash visual-evoked potential recordings were taken from healthy sheep and from 3 sheep with scrapie, a CNS slow virus infection. The EEG changes included semi-periodic, polyphasic, high-voltage sharp waves (bilaterally synchronous and symmetric in all channels), and a cyclic alternating pattern consisting of a high-voltage low-frequency phase, followed by a low-voltage high-frequency phase. The high-voltage phase occurred with increased arousal, and the low-voltage phase occurred with decreased arousal. Myoclonic jerks were coincident with EEG sharp waves in one sheep with scrapie. Several spontaneous focal seizures were observed. Wave-form amplitudes were greatly reduced in the brain stem auditory-evoked potential and flash visual-evoked potential; degree of reduction did not always correlate with disease severity. The EEG and evoked potential changes were seen in an exposed sheep that had not yet developed clinical signs of scrapie.

Unilateral scrotal hernia repair in a ram lamb.

A hemilateral scrotal enlargement in a 5-month-old Hampshire ram lamb was diagnosed as a scrotal hernia. Surgical intervention revealed the herniation to involve only the omentum, with some testicular atrophy. The cause of this condition was thought to be trauma.

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of immunoglobulin G in Suffolk sheep with scrapie.

Determinations were made by laser nephelometry of serum and CSF immunoglobulin (Ig) G concentrations in Suffolk sheep with naturally occurring scrapie. The serum IgG concentrations in 3 sheep with confirmed or suspected scrapie were between 2,140 and 3,290 mg of IgG/100 ml, and the CSF values were between less than 10 and 75 mg of IgG/100 ml. In 8 clinically healthy (control) sheep, serum IgG concentrations were 2,647 to 7,380 mg/100 ml and CSF IgG concentrations were between 0 (undetectable) and 162 mg/100 ml. A sheep with pulmonary adenomatosis had 1,445 mg of IgG/100 ml of serum. The results indicated that neither serum nor CSF IgG concentrations were increased in sheep with naturally occurring infection with scrapie and that the severity of the disease did not correspond with the IgG concentration.

A comparison of intrarectal Doppler and rectal abdominal palpation for pregnancy testing in goats.

Two methods of pregnancy diagnosis--rectal abdominal palpation and the intrarectal Doppler technique--were compared for accuracy in the female goat (does). Three veterinarians were given a short period of instruction as to the use of these methods, after which 38 does were evaluated by both methods by each veterinarian. The percentage of correct determination for pregnant does ranged from 94% to 100% for examiners using the intrarectal Doppler technique and from 94% to 97% for the rectal abdominal palpation. The percentage of correct determinations for nonpregnant does ranged from 25% to 75% for intrarectal Doppler technique and was 75% for rectal abdominal palpation; however, the number of nonpregnant does was small and did not allow a valid conclusion. The results indicated that both methods are reasonably accurate for pregnancy diagnosis in does at 55 days or more after breeding and can be learned with only brief training. However, rectal abdominal palpation appears to be more hazardous with respect to rectal injury and abortion and, therefore, would not be the preferred method.