Genetic-associated resistance to foot rot in selected Targhee sheep.

Three Targhee rams obtained from the Ohio Agricultural and Experimental Station had been identified as foot rot resistant on the basis of results of challenge exposure. In the first breeding trial, when rams were bred to 20 foot rot-susceptible ewes, the percentages of foot rot-resistant offspring from the 3 foot rot-resistant rams were 68, 82, and 100, compared with 55 and 60 for foot rot-resistant offspring from 2 known foot rot-susceptible rams. In the second year, the foot rot-resistant rams were mated with ewes of unknown foot rot status. The foot rot-resistant status of their lambs was compared with that of range-raised lambs whose parents' foot rot status was unknown. During the first year, challenge exposure to the disease consisted of confinement of the lambs in moist or wet pens with sheep affected with the naturally acquired disease. This protocol was repeated for lambs born during the second-year breeding trial. In addition, the right front foot of each lamb was inoculated with a broth culture of Bacteroides nodosus. During the second year, when data that included infected feet from all lambs were analyzed, 41% of the progeny of the foot rot-resistant rams and 17% of the offspring of parents of unknown foot rot status were unaffected by the disease. When the B nodosus-inoculated foot was not included in the analysis, however, 61% of the progeny of the foot rot-resistant rams and 29% of the others were unaffected. The resistance to foot rot undoubtedly is hereditary. The mechanism of resistance may be in the interdigital skin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Transplacental transfer and colostral concentrations of selenium in beef cattle.

Three groups of 20-month-old pregnant Hereford heifers received 3 regimens of selenium (Se) supplementation. Group 1 received pelleted alfalfa hay, soybean meal, which contained Se (0.313 mg/kg), and 90 mg of Se as sodium selenite/kg of salt-mineral mix ad libitum. Group 2 received the pelleted hay and soybean meal, and group 3 received only the pelleted alfalfa hay. At time of parturition, the mean whole blood Se concentrations were: group 1 = 0.250 mg of Se/kg of blood, group 2 = 0.162 mg/kg, and group 3 = 0.052 mg/kg, whereas the respective mean blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) values were 144, 80, and 30 mU/mg of hemoglobin. In comparison, the mean whole blood Se values for the calves were 0.242, 0.175, and 0.81 mg/kg, respectively, and their blood GSH-Px values were 154, 113, and 50 mU/mg of hemoglobin, respectively. Thus, the blood Se and GSH-Px values for each group reflected dietary intake of Se. The calf blood GSH-Px values were similar to their dams for group 1, but were 41% higher in group 2 and 67% greater in group 3. The data suggested that the fetus can sequester blood Se, accumulating values greater than the dam, and that larger amounts were concentrated in the fetus when smaller amounts were available from the dam. The colostrum contained modest to low amounts of Se proportionate to dietary intake of this element. However, milk 7 days after parturient contained inadequate amounts of Se to sustain blood Se values in calves and the milk from heifers with low normal blood Se was essentially void of Se (0.009 mg/kg). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activity in bovine whole blood.

Blood glutathione peroxidase activity and selenium levels were found to correlate well, indicating that glutathione peroxidase activity can be used to assess blood selenium levels in beef cattle. The glutathione peroxidase activity of blood is less stable than is the selenium concentration but when blood was stored at 4 degrees C, the glutathione peroxidase activity remained constant for seven days.

Selenium deficiency of beef cattle in Idaho and Washington and a practical means of prevention.

The majority of beef cattle assayed for whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in Idaho and Washington were deficient in selenium. Cattle in the more arid sections of these states tended to have higher selenium levels than those in areas with moderate and high rainfall. Animals pastured on irrigated forages had lower selenium concentrations than those grazed on dry land pasture. Cattle were supplemented by the addition of sodium selenite to a salt-mineral mixture. Ninety mg selenium per kg (ppm) salt-mineral mix fed to cattle significantly (P less than 0.001) elevated selenium (GSH-Px) levels well into normal ranges by 3 months when fed to extremely selenium deficient animals. Thirty ppm selenium was insufficient to raise GSH-Px levels into normal ranges. In addition, 20 ppm selenium was insufficient to sustain blood selenium concentrations of selenium adequate animals. Selenium given in the salt-mineral mix provided an effective, economical, and easily regulated source of dietary selenium. This supplement can be provided the entire year even under range conditions. Calves of cows placed on the 90 ppm selenium supplement had significantly (P less than 0.005) improved weaning weights (10 months) and an indication of a decreased incidence of infectious diseases.

Cardiovascular and shivering responses in hypothermic and rewarmed young calves.

Aortic blood pressure, ECG, electromyogram, and heart rate were recorded in cold-stressed and rewarmed young Holstein bull calves. The calves were anesthetized and then cold-stressed by immersion in cold water until their core body temperature (colonic) was lowered 10 C. Hypothermia was continued for 1 additional hour and then the calves were rewarmed by 3 external rewarming methods or were allowed to recover naturally (unassisted). Aortic blood pressure began to decrease in cold-stressed calves by the time their core body temperature had decreased 2 C and continued to decrease during cooling. Heart rate initially increased then decreased with cooling. Blunting of the systolic blood pressure peaks and appearance of extraneous waveforms that obscured the normal component waveforms of the ECG complex were also observed during cooling. Aortic blood pressure and heart rate of cold-stressed calves increased soon after the start of recovery and eventually returned to base line even though the rate of recovery varied depending on the method of rewarming. The component waveforms of the ECG complex became more discernible as rewarming of the cold-stressed calves progressed.

Serum chemical values in hypothermic and rewarmed young calves.

Serum chemical values were determined in cold-stressed Holstein bull calves ranging from 1 to 7 days of age. The animals were anesthetized and cold-stressed until their core body temperature (colonic) was lowered 10 C. Animals were then rewarmed in warm water, with heat pads or heat lamps, or were allowed to recover naturally (unassisted) at room temperature. Blood samples were collected at selected intervals during cooling and recovery. Increases (P less than 0.05) were observed in the concentrations of glucose, calcium, phosphorus, iron, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, total protein, albumin, total globulin, serum urea nitrogen, uric acid, total bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, and cholesterol in the cold-stressed calves during cooling. Concentrations of chloride and insulin decreased (P less than 0.05) during the same period. Changes observed in many of the serum chemical values during rewarming were generally the reverse of the respective changes that occurred during cooling, although insulin values became exceedingly high in some cases midway or near the end of recovery. Serum enzyme values also remained high during most of recovery. Data did not indicate a clear advantage of one method of rewarming over the other methods used in terms of return of the serum chemical values to normal.

Regional differences in body temperature in hypothermic and rewarmed young calves.

One- to 7-day-old Holstein bull calves were anesthetized and cold-stressed until their core body temperature (CBT; colonic) was lowered by 10 C. The calves were then rewarmed in warm water, by heat pads or heat lamps, or allowed to recover naturally (unassisted). Temperatures of peripheral tissues, muscles, and the body core were recorded. The time required to lower the CBT of the cold-stressed calves was 168 +/- 11.7 minutes (mean +/- SE). Cold exposure caused a linear decrease in blood, colonic, rectal, and oral temperatures, whereas temperature decreases in the thigh and pectoral muscles, dorsal and ventral thoracic regions, and the hock joint region were generally of greater magnitude and were curvilinear in pattern. By the time the CBT had decreased 1 C, tissue temperatures during cooling were less than (P less than 0.01) the respective temperatures obtained before cooling. The mean time required to rewarm the calves in warm water (47.1 +/- 3.5 minutes) was less than (P less than 0.05) that for the other rewarming methods. The mean rewarming times for the heat pad (128 +/- 12.8) and heat lamp (125.4 +/- 10.9) methods were greater than (P less than 0.05) that for the warm water method, but less than (P less than 0.05) that for the unassisted calves (190.7 +/- 23.1). In general, there was a linear increase in most of the tissue temperatures during recovery although temperatures in the hock joint region were variable. Temperature differences were observed between the thigh and pectoral muscles and between subcutaneous tissues during cooling and recovery. There was poor correlation between the ages of the calves and the time required to decrease their CBT during cooling and also the time required to increase their CBT, regardless of the rewarming method used.

Hematologic values in hypothermic and rewarmed young calves.

Hematologic values were determined in cold-stressed and rewarmed 1- to 7-day-old Holstein bull calves. The animals were anesthetized and then cold-stressed by immersion in water until their core body temperature (colonic) had decreased by 10 C. They were kept at the hypothermic state for an additional 1 hour and then were rewarmed by 1 of 3 external rewarming methods or by natural (unassisted) recovery. Changes observed in the hematologic values of the cold-stressed calves during cooling represented a trend, rather than a direct effect of cold exposure because the values did not differ (P greater than 0.05) from those obtained from the noncold-stressed animals. Nevertheless, a linear decrease (P less than 0.05) in the total number of leukocytes was observed in the cold-stressed calves during cooling when compared with preimmersion values. The leukopenia resulted primarily from a neutropenia (P less than 0.05) and secondarily from decreases in the number of other leukocytes. Minor increases were noticed in the total number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin concentration, and PCV, whereas mean corpuscular values generally remained unchanged during cooling. A rapid and linear increase in the total number of leukocytes was noticed in all cold-stressed calves during recovery. The increase in total leukocytes occurred in all types of leukocytes and particularly in segmented and nonsegmented neutrophils.