Radiographic measurement from the lateromedial projection of the equine foot with navicular disease.

Radiographic measurements from the lateromedial projection of the equine foot were compared in three groups of horses. Group 1 consisted of 143 normal horses, group 2 were 60 horses with clinical navicular disease and group 3 were 161 horses with clinical and radiographic navicular disease. Several measurements tended to be larger in group 3 than group 1. An enlargement of the navicular bone was observed in proximodistal and dorsopalmar directions. Partial enlargement of the pedal bone was observed in groups 2 and 3. Few differences were observed between age classes. All horses aged four years and over had an increased length of the hoof in the dorosopalmar direction and a decrease of the cranial angle of the hoof. Enlargement of the navicular bone fits well into the concept of osteoarthrosis. The pedal bone was partly engaged. These findings may be an expression of a regional acceleratory phenomenon.

Immunity and effect of clopidol/methyl benzoquate and robenidine before and after weaning on rabbit coccidiosis in the field.

For 15 months the anticoccidial effect of 200 ppm clopidol/methyl benzoquate and of 50 ppm robenidine, and the development of immunity against five different species of Eimeria were followed in a closed rabbit population. In unmedicated rabbits, oocyst output decreased progressively with increasing age to a very low level in animals older than four months, but none of the species present disappeared completely in adult animals. No clinical symptoms nor mortality from coccidiosis was noted in reproduction stock. In field conditions E magna and E perforans seemed to induce the weakest resistance, whereas a more marked resistance has been found for E intestinalis and E irresidua. E media appeared to have an intermediate position. Robenidine reduced oocyst output of E magna, E intestinalis, E irresidua, E media and E perforans significantly, whereas clopidol/methyl benzoquate reduced oocyst output of the latter four species only and was least active against E magna. Both drugs also reduced coccidiosis-induced mortality significantly. Medication only before weaning had no distinct influence on coccidial infection, or on mortality by coccidiosis after weaning; nor did those parameters differ significantly between continuously medicated rabbits and rabbits medicated after weaning only. As reproductive stock is protected by immunity, this makes the necessity of medicating does and bucks with anticoccidials questionable in intensive or semi-intensive reproduction systems.