Alkaline heating of canola and rapeseed meals reduces toxicity for chicks.

A simple method for improving the nutritive quality of canola and high glucosinolate rapeseed meals for monogastric animals (chicks) was developed; the meals were mixed with NaHCO3 and NH4HCO3, then heated in a conventional oven. Chicks fed untreated canola or rapeseed meals gained less weight than those fed a soybean meal diet, whereas chicks fed the alkaline-heated meals had weight gains not significantly different than those fed the soybean diet. The antithyroid effect of the untreated rapeseed meal was reduced by alkaline treatment of the meals, as shown by improved T4 and free T4 levels in chicks fed the processed products. In chicks fed untreated or alkaline-treated canola or alkaline heated rapeseed meal, all thyroid hormone levels were similar to those of birds fed the soybean meal diet. However, heart tissue of chicks fed diets containing rapeseed or canola meals showed muscle fiber degeneration, although relative heart weights were the same in all groups. Liver tissue from most of the chicks in all dietary groups appeared normal or only slightly abnormal. The nutritive value of both rapeseed and canola meals was improved by this simple processing technique.

Hereditary syndactyly in Angus cattle.

Twenty-five syndactylous Angus cattle, characterized pathologically, were reported from 16 herds in 10 states from 1979 to 1994. Twenty-one (84%) had all 4 legs syndactylous, 3 (12%) had 3 legs syndactylous, and 1 (4%) had 2 legs syndactylous. All syndactylous cattle walked with considerable difficulty. Hooves of aged animals became curled and bent laterally or medially. Affected hooves had the appearance of a truncated cone, the base of which was located at the coronary band. Most hooves were fused completely with no indication of dual anlage. An occasional hoof had a distal notch, and other hooves had a dorsally located groove indicating dual embryonic origin. Lateral dewclaws were enlarged in most cases. Radiographs and dissections of limbs of 19 animals revealed a consistent pattern of fusion in most affected calves. Lesions included 1 or more of the following: disappearance of the large metacarpal and metatarsal intertrochlear notches, horizontal fusion of 1 or more carpals and tarsals, fusion of proximal sesamoids, 1 distal sesamoid, and fusion of paired phalanges. Evidence of a genetic cause consisted of 11 syndactylous calves among 70 offspring of 4 3/4 sib families, 8 preterm syndactylous fetuses among 148 preterm fetuses and 13 calves in progenies of 19 animals tested for possible heterozygosity, and 5 syndactylous calves from matings of an Angus syndactylous bull with 1 Angus and 4 Holstein syndactylous cows. Data were consistent with recessive inheritance at a single locus. Angus cattle with sydactytly had a larger number of affected limbs than did syndactylous Holsteins and their Angus crosses, suggesting existence of 2 recessive alleles. The allele of Holsteins (syH) appeared to influence phenotypic expression in a dominant pattern over the Angus allele (syA). Both syA and syH alleles acted as recessives to the normal SY allele. Phenotypic effects on limb development were most dramatic in calves with the syA/syA genotype.

Protective effects of cruciferous seed meals and hulls against colon cancer in mice.

Protective effects of diets containing cruciferous seed meals or hulls against chemically-induced colon tumors were examined in male CF1 mice. When commercial crambe meal, autolyzed crambe meal, crambe hulls, high glucosinolate rapeseed meal, or canola meal were fed as 12% of the diets of mice injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, 25-80% of the animals developed colon tumors. Animals fed a soybean meal control diet had a 100% tumor rate. Data suggest that cruciferous seed meals may contain a number of compounds that can exert protective effects against tumor formation and growth.

An ovarian teratoma in a cat.

A 5-month-old, intact female, domestic shorthaired cat was presented for evaluation of abdominal distension. Abdominal radiographs revealed a midabdominal mass that contained multiple, irregular, mineralized opacities. The mass was surgically removed, and an ovariohysterectomy performed. The mass was located at the tip of the left uterine horn and was covered partially by haired skin. Histologically, the mass was diagnosed as a mature ovarian teratoma based on the presence of well-differentiated somatic structures derived from three primary embryonal germ-cell layers. Germ-cell tumor classification and feline ovarian teratomas are reviewed.

Gross and light-microscopic features of ovine pulmonary hydatidosis and verminous pneumonias in Morocco.

Verminous pneumonias appear to be common in sheep in Morocco, therefore, a systematic study was undertaken to classify the pulmonary changes induced by various parasites in Morocco. A total of 613 pairs of lungs with parasitic pneumonias were diagnosed in 1152 young and adult sheep either slaughtered at two abattoirs in Morocco (487 out of 1152 sheep) or received at necropsy services (126 out of 1152 sheep) over a 15-month period. Based on gross and microscopic findings, four types of pulmonary changes were classified. Included were those associated with: 1. The larvae of Taenia echinococcus (Echinococcus granulosus (canine tapeworm); 520 out of 613 lungs (84.8%)); 2. Muellerius capillaris (450 out of 613 lungs (79.9%)); 3. Protostrongylus rufescens (375 out of 613 lungs (61.1%)); and 4. Dictyocaulus filaria (285 out of 613 lungs (46.4%)). Mixed infestations, involving the presence of two, three, or four species of parasites in the same lung, were encountered in 325 out of 613 (53%) lungs studied. Red-to-brownish consolidated areas, confined to the cranial parts of the lung, were observed frequently in some lungs affected with M. capillaris and P. rufescens. In most of the lungs, co-existent emphysematous, atelectatic, and abscessed areas were seen.

Septicemic salmonellosis in two llamas.

At necropsy, Salmonella choleraesuis var kunzendorf was recovered from the lungs of a 6-year-old female llama that died within a few days of onset of illness. The llama had had fence-line contact with 40 sows at a farm. Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from a blood sample of a 6-day-old male cria that also died after a short illness.

Type I congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lungs in a Hereford calf.

A 3-day-old Hereford calf was presented for general weakness and severe dyspnoea. Lateral radiographs projections showed several compartmentalized gas filled structures in the caudodorsal thorax. At necropsy each diaphragmatic lung lobe contained a large cyst. Gross and histopathologic findings were consistent with a congenital type I cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lungs.

An ultrastructural study of pulmonary bronchiolar and alveolar epithelium in sheep.

The cellular population lining the bronchiolar and alveolar epithelium of the lower respiratory tract of three clinically healthy, purebred Suffolk lambs of both sexes and 3-4 months old was studied using a transmission-electron microscope. The epithelium of primary and secondary bronchioles consisted of four cell types: basal cells, intermediate cells, ciliated cells, and non-ciliated (Clara) cells, whereas the epithelium of terminal and respiratory bronchioles consisted of only two kind of cells: ciliated and Clara cells. The alveolar wall, including alveolar ducts and saccules, was covered by type I and type II pneumocytes. In addition, the presence of pulmonary intravascular macrophages was a constant in most of the alveolar capillaries. The morphologic characteristics of all these cells are described in detail and discussed.

Multifocal subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy in Simmental calves.

In 24 cases of multifocal necrotizing encephalopathy (MNE) in Simmental and Simmental-cross cattle, clinical features varied, consisting of mild rear limb ataxia, caudal paresis, and, less often, sudden death. Bilateral and symmetric malacic lesions were present in the brain stem (olivary nucleus) of all affected calves. Foci of malacia affecting thoracic spinal cord and additional brain stem sites were common. Neuronal cell bodies and hypertrophied capillaries were present within malacic foci. Rarefaction of neuropil, progressing to complete parenchymal loss, characterized advanced lesions. Pathologic features were similar to those of Leigh syndrome in humans, and a similar defect in aerobic metabolism is hypothesized. Occurrence of the syndrome within 1 breed over a wide geographic area suggests that hereditary factors contribute to development of MNE.

Congenital defects in the llama.

When faced with the question of what you should do as a veterinary practitioner, when presented with a congenital defect in a llama, one answer is to seek qualified help from your state veterinary diagnostic laboratory. But most importantly, encourage the owners of such animals to report the defect to their llama association, including pedigree information. The better we understand the pathogenesis of such defects, the better we will be able to control their incidence.

Ovine lentiviral infection (maedi/visna) in Morocco: a serologic and postmortem survey.

In an attempt to estimate the importance of maedi/visna virus infection in Moroccan sheep and to assess the relationship, if any, between seroreactivity and pulmonary lesions, an abattoir-based serologic survey was undertaken over a period of 2 years. A total of 1000 blood samples and related lungs were collected from sheep of different breeds and ages slaughtered at three major municipal abattoirs in Morocco (Casablanca, Kénitra and Rabat). The agar gel immunodiffusion test showed that the seropositivity for all samples was 24.8%. At post-mortem examination, 107 out of the 248 (43.1%) sheep scored seropositive had gross lesions of maedi; typical microscopic lesions were observed in 125 (50.4%) seropositive sheep, including the 107 with gross lesions. Of the 752 seronegative animals, only 13 (1.7%) sheep had macroscopic maedi-like lesions. Seventeen (2.2%) of these seronegative cases, including those with gross lesions, had histologic pulmonary changes consistent with maedi. No other maedi/visna-associated lesions were found during this study; however, coexisting secondary bacterial bronchopneumonia was frequently encountered. The association between serologic and pathologic findings is reported and discussed.

Reduced numbers and intense anti-ubiquitin immunostaining of bovine motor neurons affected with spinal muscular atrophy.

Motor neurons in the spinal cord affected with bovine spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) were investigated immunohistochemically using antibodies against bovine ubiquitin. Anti-ubiquitin immunostained many chromatolytic and swollen degenerating motor neurons in the ventral horn of the SMA-affected spinal cord. The most severely swollen cells showed a lightly-stained center and a strongly-stained periphery after immunostaining. However, there were many dark, shrunken neurons in a more advanced stage that showed a completely negative reaction when immunostained. Motor neuron counts differed significantly between SMA-affected and normal animals at the lumbar intumescence and at the fourth lumbar neuromere, but not at the brachial intumescence or the second cervical level.

Epidemiologic findings in congenital anemia, dyserythropoiesis, and dyskeratosis in polled Hereford calves.

Congenital dyserythropoiesis and dyskeratosis occur within certain lines of Polled Hereford cattle. Eighty-nine of 90 alleles in 45 affected calves had a mechanism in which they could be identical by descent from an identified common ancestor. The line allele may have been a recurrence of the mutation, or the mutation may have occurred earlier in the breed's history and been distributed throughout the breed by the extensive use of several ancestors. No evidence of disease has been identified in sire and dams of affected calves, suggesting that the allele is not acting in a dominant or incompletely dominant manner. Even distribution of cases between sexes suggests that the disease is not sex linked or sex influenced. A higher degree of inbreeding in the affected calves and temporal and spatial features that separated individual cases also suggest a genetic cause. Segregation ratios were not significantly different from those of the hypothesized simple autosomal recessive inheritance.

Congenital defects of the bovine musculoskeletal system and joints.

A variety of structural and functional congenital defects affecting the central nervous system of cattle have been identified. This article discusses specific defects of the central nervous system. Spastic and paralytic, metabolic, and storage diseases are reviewed.

Congenital defects of the bovine central nervous system.

What should you do if you observe a defective calf in a herd? Our suggestion is to seek qualified help to examine and diagnose the condition. Parentage should be verified by blood typing. But, most important, you can keep cattle genetically clean by having your clients report all defects in calves to their breed association and artificial insemination centers.

Electron microscopic studies of bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy in brown Swiss cattle.

Selected peripheral nerves from animals affected with Bovine Progressive Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy (BPDME) were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Changes in axons were both degenerative and reactive in nature and included axonal swelling in conjunction with accumulation of altered organelles and various forms of vesicles. Affected axoplasm was often vacuolated and shrunken, with loss of microtubules and microfilaments and separation of the axoplasmic membrane from the myelin sheath. Segmental disorganization of the normal lamellar pattern of myelin sheaths was observed. Affected myelin sheaths exhibited intramyelinic vacuoles or myelin bubbles often in association with concurrent axonal changes. Schwann cells occasionally contained swellen and vacuolated mitochondria and membrane-bound vesicles. Axonal and myelin changes were considered similar, if not identical, to those described in the central nervous system of affected animals reported in the literature. Collectively, the changes described in the axons and myelin sheaths of the peripheral nerves studied were considered to be compatible with the "dying back" process described in various distal axonopathies. A metabolic defect in the enzyme systems associated with axonal transport was postulated to explain these peripheral nerve lesions.