Pharmacokinetic, biochemical and tolerance studies on carprofen in the horse.

Carprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was administered to three Thoroughbred geldings and three Shetland ponies to determine its plasma disposition and tolerance. The main pharmacokinetic characteristics of carprofen in horses and ponies were a volume of distribution of 0.08 to 0.32 litres/kg (mean +/- se = 0.23 +/- 0.04) a systemic clearance of 26.4 to 78.5 ml/min (mean +/- se = 44.9 +/- 8.0) and a plasma elimination half-life of 14.5 to 31.4 h (mean +/- se = 21.9 +/- 2.3). There was no evidence of any accumulation of carprofen in plasma when the drug was given orally at a dose rate of 0.7 mg/kg for 14 consecutive days. Carprofen was well tolerated following intravenous (iv) and oral administration. Intramuscular (im) administration resulted in elevated levels of plasma creatine kinase suggesting muscle cell damage. According to the results of this study carprofen can be regarded as a long-acting NSAID in horses from a pharmacokinetic point of view. Either iv, im or the oral route of administration could be used to achieve high carprofen plasma concentrations.

Copper heptonate for the treatment of hypocupraemia in sheep.

Trials were carried out to compare the efficacy of copper heptonate with other available therapeutic products. On nine farms with a copper deficiency problem, over 2000 ewes were treated in mid-pregnancy. All the treatments increased whole blood copper levels and plasma caeruloplasmin (ferroxidase) activity in ewes, and protected their lambs from swayback. The lambs from ewes treated with copper heptonate and copper oxide needles had significantly higher blood copper levels than lambs from untreated control ewes. Treatment with copper heptonate was shown to have a therapeutic index of at least 5 in Swaledale ewes of normal copper status. In two groups of Welsh mountain sheep from different backgrounds, both with normal blood copper levels before treatment, the therapeutic indices were 3 to 5.

Trials with a long acting parenteral selenium preparation in ruminants: sheep.

Barium selenate was developed as a long-acting subcutaneous injection for selenium treatment. The results from trials using this product show that it is a safe preparation for treating and preventing selenium deficiency in sheep. It produces a satisfactory selenium status which will be maintained for at least six months and, when injected into pregnant ewes, results in the transfer of selenium from the ewe to its progeny.

Management, nutrition and housing of farmed fish.

To obtain optimum production in fish farming the oxygen level, pH and temperature of the water are important as well as proper feeding. Various systems ranging from extensive to intensive are used for holding fish. In the UK salmonid fish are farmed most commonly. The different methods used for farming carp, turbot, eels and shellfish as well as trout and salmon are described.

Sudden death in calves associated with acute myocardial degeneration and selenium deficiency.

A syndrome on four dairy farms in which calves up to two months of age died suddenly during a period of excitement usually precipitated by feeding was investigated. The description given by owners was that during, or shortly after milk feeding, the calves grunted, fell and died within one minute. Post mortem examinations revealed patchy myocardial pallor but no other lesions or evidence of infectious disease. Histopathological studies revealed peracute myocardial degeneration. Biochemical examinations have shown a selenium deficiency in in-contact calves and since this was corrected, no further cases have occurred. It is suggested that this is an additional manifestation of the selenium deficiency syndrome and that in certain circumstances, a deficiency of available selenium renders cardiac muscle vulnerable to stresses which induce severe peracute damage and leads to cardiac failure and sudden death.