2004 - 73 (2)

This report describes a case of a severely lame horse referred for an obvious muscular swelling at the level of the right crus. The horse was in poor condition. An initial diagnosis of trauma with intramuscular hemorrhage was made. Nineteen days following the first examination, the horse was euthanized because of disseminated hemangiosarcoma. The clinical findings, the therapeutic possibilities and the observations at necropsy are discussed.

A 19-month-old, male Shih Tzu dog was examined for psoriasiform lesions on the concave aspect of both ear pinnae. On histopathology a band-like superficial dermatitis with lympho-plasmacytic infiltrate was observed. A coagulase-positive hemolytic Staphyloccoccus (S. intermedius) was isolated from the skin lesions. Treatment with cephalexin resulted in complete resolution of the lesions. This case showed similarities with the psoriasiform lichenoid dermatitis in English Springer Spaniels.

Early pregnancy diagnosis is a useful tool in the management of sheep breeding. In this study different methods for pregnancy diagnosis in sheep, including the assessment of ovine Pregnancy-Associated Glycoproteins (ovPAGs), are briefly discussed. Subsequently, in a field trial the use of transrectal ultrasound is compared with the assessment of the concentration of ovPAGs for early pregnancy diagnosis. At the start of the breeding season in 2002, 192 Texel ewes at 4 different farms were synchronized and afterwards mated or artificially inseminated (AI). At the moment of synchronization (D-14) and at 25 (D25), 35 (D35) and 45 (D45) days after mating/AI, transrectal ultrasound was performed and blood was collected by jugular vein puncture. The ovPAG concentration in the plasma of the ewes was measured by means of a homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA). The specificity of transrectal ultrasound was 85%, and the sensitivity was 92% at D25, 94% at D35 and 95% at D45. The specificity of the homologous RIA was 100%, and the sensitivity was 99% at D25, and 100% at D35 and D45. Higher ovPAG concentrations were detected at D35 and D45 than at D25 (P<0.01). An interesting finding was that within the same breed (Texel), ovPAG concentrations were significantly affected by the farm (P<0.01). In conclusion, determination of ovPAG concentration by means of homologous RIA can be used for early pregnancy diagnosis in sheep and is more reliable than transrectal ultrasound at 25, 35 or 45 days of gestation.

Worldwide dairy herd fertility has been stated to decline drastically during the latest decades leading to significantly increased calving intervals. The principal likely component of an increased calving interval is the prolongation of the interval parturition-insemination. The latter might be caused by problems related to the modern high yielding dairy cow herself (postpartum endocrinopathies leading to ovarian disturbances), or may reflect serious shortcomings in the management (inadequate heat detection). While bovine practitioners are frequently faced with this problem nowadays, they should be fully aware of the underlying causes of this problem in order to be able to help their clients to attain economically optimal calving intervals. As modern herd health control programs mainly focus on the adjustment of management practices on the herd instead of advising a widespread use of drugs, practitioners should be fully aware of the management practices which influence overall fertility and resumption of ovarian activity in peculiar. The present article reviews the current state of knowledge about the postpartum anoestrus problem in high yielding dairy cows, and hence may serve as a practical guide for the practitioners who want to advice their clients on how to tackle this major fertility problem.