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- Author or Editor: David S. Miller x
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Abstract
Objective—To determine accuracy of the use of triaxial accelerometry for measuring daily activity as a predictor of maintenance energy requirement (MER) in healthy adult Labrador Retrievers.
Animals—10 healthy adult Labrador Retrievers.
Procedures—Dogs wore an accelerometer for two 2-week periods, with data on daily activity successfully collected for 24 to 26 days. These data, along with body weight, were used as independent variables in a multiple linear regression model to predict the dependent variable of daily MER. The predictive accuracy of the model was compared with that of a model that excluded activity. Dietary energy intake at a stated amount of body weight stability was used as an equivalent measure of MER in these analyses.
Results—The multiple linear regression model that included body weight and daily activity as independent variables could be used to predict observed MER with a mean absolute error of 63.5 kcal and an SE of estimation of 94.3 kcal. Removing activity from the model reduced the predictive accuracy to a mean absolute error of 129.8 kcal and an SE of estimation of 165.4 kcal.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Use of triaxial accelerometers to provide an independent variable of daily activity yielded a marked improvement in predictive accuracy of the regression model, compared with that for a model that used only body weight. Improved accuracy in estimations of MER could be made for each dog if an accelerometer was used to record its daily activity.
Abstract
Objective—To determine effect of route of challenge and strain of rabies virus on efficacy of inactivated rabies vaccines in mice.
Animals—3,056 mice.
Procedure—Challenge was performed with fixed and street rabies virus strains by use of footpad and intracerebral routes as well as IM injection into the hip, shoulder, neck, and masseter muscles. Intraperitoneal and IM vaccination was performed with 1 or 2 doses of 1 of 3 vaccine-strain inactivated rabies vaccines. For 2 of the vaccine strains, the vaccines were adjuvanted and nonadjuvanted.
Results—Incubation periods were dependent on route, dose, and virus strain used for challenge. Use of an intramasseter challenge route with challenge virus-strain rabies virus, which more accurately models natural exposure to rabies virus, resulted in reproducible mortality rates in mice. Use of this route revealed that differences among vaccines and challenge virus strains affected mortality rate less than that observed in the National Institutes of Health potency test, even when street isolates of widely variant origin were used for challenge.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—These results, combined with earlier data, support a proposal for a new rabies potency test that more closely models current vaccine administration practices and natural infection routes. (Am J Vet Res 2003;64:499–505)
Abstract
Objective—To evaluate the effect of various routes of administration and number of doses of 3 commercially produced rabies vaccines on serum antibody responses and protection in mice challenged by intracerebral injection with fixed-strain rabies virus.
Animals—2,213 mice.
Procedure—Inactivated, adjuvanted rabies vaccines were administered to mice in either 2, 1, or 0 (control) doses via IP, IM, and SC routes, and mice were challenged intracerebrally with fixed-strain rabies virus.
Results—Vaccination route and dose number significantly influenced serum antibody responses and protection from rabies virus challenge, independent of vaccine strain origin and mouse strain, although mouse age significantly affected results. Extended challenge studies revealed that IM vaccination of mice resulted in the highest serum neutralizing antibody responses and protection levels equivalent to IP vaccination. Even multiple doses administered SC (a vaccination route used in dogs) resulted in poor serum anti-rabies neutralizing antibody responses in mice and were far less protective than other routes.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Findings suggest possible improvements for the current rabies vaccine potency test in mice by using 1 dose, the IM route, and a delayed time of challenge. These modifications would more closely model vaccination practices in target species and yield more accurate information regarding primary immunogenicity of a vaccine. (Am J Vet Med 2003;64:491–498)
Abstract
Objective
To estimate sensitivity and accuracy of subjective evaluation of mild lameness in horses during treadmill locomotion and to correlate subjective evaluation with kinematic analysis.
Animals
19 lame and 5 clinically normal horses.
Procedure
Lameness was evaluated by subjective score and kinematic analysis before and after palmar digital nerve block (PDNB). Evaluations were made by 6 clinicians and 7 interns or residents. Within- and between-observer agreement analyses (κ values) were calculated and compared, using a Student’s t-test. Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated between clinician’s change in score and the change in kinematic variables after PDNB.
Results
Within-observer agreement was within the range expected for conditions of moderate diagnostic difficulty. Within-observer agreement was higher for clinicians than for interns or residents. Between-observer agreement was acceptable for scores within 1 value of each other. Between-observer agreement of change in lameness score after PDNB was poor. When kinematic variables were ranked with each clinician’s subjective change in score, only 2 were among the top 3 for the majority of clinicians. Asymmetry of vertical head movement between contralateral forelimb stance phases and the point of maximum hoof height during swing decreased as lameness subjectively improved.
Conclusion
Mild lameness may be difficult to evaluate during treadmill locomotion. Although clinicians were more repeatable in their subjective evaluation of lameness than interns or residents, they were not more reliable at detecting the true state of lameness.
Clinical Relevance
Lack of agreement between clinician scoring of mild lameness emphasizes the need to use more objective measures for quantifying lameness. (Am J Vet Res 1998;59:1370–1377)
Abstract
Objective—To elucidate the species and biovariants of Pasteurellaceae isolated from clinically normal bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) or bighorn sheep with evidence of respiratory disease.
Sample—675 Pasteurellaceae isolates from 290 free-ranging bighorn sheep in Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.
Procedures—Nasal and oropharyngeal swab specimens were inoculated onto selective and nonselective blood agar media. Representatives of each colony type were classified via a biovariant scheme. The association of respective β-hemolytic isolates with respiratory disease was evaluated via χ2 analyses.
Results—Bacterial isolates belonged to 4 species: Histophilus somni, Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Bibersteinia (Pasteurella) trehalosi. Within the latter 3 species, 112 subspecies, biotypes, and biovariants were identified. Bibersteinia trehalosi 2 and B trehalosi 2B constituted 345 of 675 (51%) isolates. Most (597/618 [97%]) isolates from adult sheep were from clinically normal animals, whereas most (47/57 [82%]) isolates from lambs were from animals with evidence of respiratory disease. Twenty-two Pasteurellaceae biovariants were isolated from sheep with respiratory disease; 17 of these biovariants were also isolated from clinically normal sheep. The ability of isolates to cause β-hemolysis on blood agar was associated with respiratory disease in adult bighorn sheep (OR, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.10 to 6.07).
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Bighorn lambs appeared more susceptible to respiratory disease caused by Pasteurellaceae than did adult sheep. β-Hemolytic Pasteurellaceae isolates were more likely to be associated with respiratory disease than were non–β-hemolytic isolates in adult sheep. Identification of Pasteurellaceae with the greatest pathogenic potential will require studies to estimate the risk of disease from specific biovariants.
Abstract
Objective—To compare recoveries from anesthesia of horses placed on a conventional padded stall floor or on a specially designed air pillow.
Design—Prospective study.
Animals—409 horses (> 1 year old) that were anesthetized for surgical procedures during a 37-month period.
Procedures—By random allocation, horses were allowed to recover from anesthesia in either a foammat–padded recovery stall or an identical recovery stall equipped with a rapidly inflating-deflating air pillow. All recoveries were videotaped for subsequent analysis by an independent evaluator. Times to first movement, first attempt to attain sternal recumbency, attainment of sternal recumbency, first attempt to stand, and successful standing were recorded. The numbers of attempts before achieving sternal recumbency and standing were counted, and scores for quality of standing and overall recovery were assigned. Recovery-related variables were compared between groups.
Results—Compared with horses allowed to recover in a conventional manner, horses that recovered from anesthesia on the air pillow had a significantly longer rest period before attempting to attain sternal recumbency and rise to standing. Once the pillow was deflated, horses were able to stand after significantly fewer attempts and the quality of their standing was significantly better. Between the 2 groups of horses, there was no significant difference in overall recovery quality scores. The air pillow and padded floor systems were equally safe.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggested that use of a rapidly inflating-deflating air pillow promotes a longer period of recumbency and a better quality of standing after anesthesia in horses.