To investigate the prevalence of edema disease (ED) in Taiwan, fecal samples were collected from nursery and finishing pigs across six counties with the highest pig populations. The fecal samples were cultured in enrichment medium, and the virulence genes and serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were analyzed using a PCR assay. Among the positive farms, the prevalence rates of stx1, stx2, and eae genes in nursery and finishing pigs were 0%, 88.9% (40/45), and 97.8% (44/45), respectively. A significantly higher prevalence of stx2 was observed in nursery pigs fed self-formulated feed compared to those fed commercial feed (p ¡ 0.01). High crude protein (CP) levels in feed may contribute to indigestion and malabsorption, increasing the risk of compromised intestinal health. Excess dietary protein can alter the gut microbial community by reducing beneficial bacteria and promoting pathogenic bacterial proliferation. Notably, serogroup O8 (86.6%) was the most prevalent among STEC strains, followed by O91 (64.4%) and O174 (60.0%). Both O8 and O91 have been previously isolated from human patients. Our findings indicate that STEC is widespread in Taiwanese pig farms and that inappropriate CP formulations in feed may increase the prevalence of ED in nursery pigs. Additionally, some STEC serogroups associated with human infections pose a critical public health concern.
An 11-year-old unneutered male Corgi dog was referred to the Animal Teaching Hospital of National Chiayi University for surgical treatment of the recurrence of an eyelid tumor. The patient continued to scratch the affected area, causing severe damage to the surface of the mass and plenty of bloody fluid and was unwilling to cooperate with physical examination. Through fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology under anesthesia, the patient was diagnosed with a malignant spindle cell tumor. Since the tumor had expanded to two-thirds of the upper eyelid and adhered the bulbar conjunctive and the cornea, the veterinarian suggested surgical removal of eyelid mass and enucleation. During surgery, the mass was first freed from the ocular surface and excised along a 1-cm margin, followed by transpalpebral enucleation. Histopathological and immunochemical staining was positive for vimentin and [Formula: see text]-SMA and negative for desmin, CD31, S100 and Melan-A. Therefore, the tumor was identified as leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the eyelid. After surgery, the dog received metronomic chemotherapy for 30 days. At the 10.5-month follow-up, no sign of recurrence was noted. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report of LMS of the eyelid in canine.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous constant rate infusion (CRI) of three different doses of a Ketamine–Xylazine (KX) combination in maintaining anesthesia and to explore its application in end-to-end intestinal anastomosis in rabbits. Study design: Prospective, randomized, blinded trial. Animals: Seventeen healthy female New Zealand white rabbits weighing 3.2 ± 0.1[Formula: see text]kg. Methods: Seven rabbits were induced anesthesia via intramuscular administration of a KX admixture (32.5[Formula: see text]mg kg[Formula: see text] + 6.5[Formula: see text]mg kg[Formula: see text]; 1× KX). A catheter was placed in the lateral ear vein within 10[Formula: see text]min of anesthesia induction. Each rabbit received all treatments in a random order for anesthesia maintenance through intravenous CRI of 0.5 ×, 0.75 × and 1 × doses of KX. The calculated dose of KX was diluted in 0.85% saline to a total volume of 40[Formula: see text]mL and administered over a 2[Formula: see text]h period. Cardiorespiratory parameters and anesthetic depth were recorded every 5[Formula: see text]min during this period. The 0.5 × KX regimen was further evaluated in other 10 rabbits undergoing end-to-end intestinal anastomosis. Results: After intramuscular anesthesia induction by 1 × KX, heart rate, respiratory rate and SpO2 (peripheral oxygen saturation) all decreased significantly ([Formula: see text]). During the 2[Formula: see text]h CRI period, all three KX regimens maintained physiological parameters within acceptable ranges, except SpO2. SpO2 did not exceed 90% until 60, 45 and 120 min in the 0.5 ×, 0.75 × and 1 × groups, respectively. All groups maintained a surgical depth of anesthesia effectively during the 2[Formula: see text]h CRI period. Ten surgical procedures were performed using the 0.5 × dose of KX maintained anesthesia for 125 ± 16[Formula: see text]min, and only one rabbit needed an additional dose at 104[Formula: see text]min. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Intravenous CRI of the KX combination appears to be an alternative approach for maintaining anesthesia in rabbits. Also, oxygen supplementation is required to improve hypoxemia during the anesthesia period.
Cytotoxic drugs do not contain preservatives; therefore, they are intended for single-use or disposal on the same day in human medicine. It may lead to medication wastage, increased treatment costs, and environmental pollution in veterinary medicine because veterinary patients are usually much smaller than humans. Mitoxantrone is an expensive anthracycline cytotoxic drug widely used in medical oncology. According to the literature, mitoxantrone can be stored at [Formula: see text]C for up to one year after opening, but it may not be a convenient option for clinical storage. Therefore, we used four different canine tumor cell lines: B-cell lymphoma (CLBL-1), T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (UL-1), mammary gland tumor (CMT-1), and osteosarcoma (D17) to evaluate the efficacy of mitoxantrone with different storage time. Three parallel experiments of mitoxantrone efficacy testing were conducted for each cell line at weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12. After opening, mitoxantrone was stored in the dark at [Formula: see text]C. Drug aspiration and handling were performed under aseptic conditions. The results showed no significant differences in antineoplastic efficacy between different time points in four cell lines ([Formula: see text] 0.42, 0.16, 0.12, and 0.10, respectively). In conclusion, mitoxantrone maintains its effectiveness on all cell lines for up to three months, allowing for a longer shelf life in practical applications.
Although most surgical techniques, such as the treatment of abdominal displacement, cesarean section, ruminal bloating and obstetrical complications, have been effectively performed, insufficient equipment to manage surgical conditions in Taiwan’s wild animals and ruminants poses significant challenges. Vaginal prolapse is often regarded as an emergency. The limited literature on performing successful vaginal prolapse surgery without adequate equipment makes the procedure particularly challenging in wild environments, especially in Formosan sika deer. This paper presents a modified surgical technique for successfully managing vaginal prolapse in a hind, using an 18G needle instead of the traditional straight, Buhner or S needles to perform the Minchev pexy surgery.
Canine parvovirus (CPV) and feline parvovirus (FPV), the most prevalent infectious pathogens in dogs and cats, frequently induce lethal outbreaks in shelters through introducing the preclinical-stage infected animals. Commercialized in-house assays may not be able to effectively and accurately identify the CPV/FPV infections in the early stage. In this study, a CPV/FPV/Actin multiplex PCR assay targeting the VP genes and a housekeeping gene ([Formula: see text]-actin) was developed to simultaneously detect CPV and FPV. The multiplex PCR assay was able to specifically detect CPV/FPV as low as 10 copies. In screening the feces of shelter dogs and cats, the multiplex PCR successfully identified all infected animals, in either overtly sick or subclinical condition. However, the three commonly used commercialized kits exhibited distinctly lower sensitivity in diagnosing the parvoviral infections, especially in animals clinically normal or with mild/moderate diarrhea; their detection sensitivity was 75.0% for dogs and 37.5–50.0% for cats. Therefore, to prevent the infected animals, especially those preclinically infected ones, into shelters, the CPV/FPV/Actin multiplex PCR assay should be a powerful tool to screen all animals prior to their entry into the shelters. In combination with the sample-pooling strategy, the multiplex PCR testing would be a cost-effective, practical and highly reliable health monitoring method used in shelters.
This study aimed to evaluate the combinatorial effects (24 treatments) of different cryoprotectants (3% glycerol alone [G], 3% glycerol with 1% dimethylacetamide (DMA) [GD]), straw volume (0.5 and 5[Formula: see text]mL), freezing methods (dry ice or liquid nitrogen) and thawing methods on boar semen cryosurvival. Six semen samples were manually collected from two or three Duroc boars and pooled. A total of 24 treatments were applied to each batch of pooled semen. Post-thaw semen quality analysis was done to evaluate the combinatorial effects of the various factors. After thawing, the highest semen quality indicators were observed with treatment 9G (3% glycerol, dry ice, 0.5[Formula: see text]mL, 60 ∘ C/8[Formula: see text]s), followed by treatment with 8G (3% glycerol, dry ice, 0.5[Formula: see text]mL, 50 ∘ C/12[Formula: see text]s), 9GD (1% DMA with 3% glycerol, dry ice, 0.5[Formula: see text]mL, 60 ∘ C/8[Formula: see text]s) and 12G (3% glycerol, dry ice, 0.5[Formula: see text]mL, 60 ∘ C/8[Formula: see text]s). There were no significant differences ([Formula: see text]) among the four treatments in post-thawed sperm motility ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively) and sperm viability ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively). In conclusion, the combination of glycerol, low straw volume, low freezing rate and high thawing rate is suitable for cryopreservation of boar semen. In addition, a higher thawing rate could improve the drawbacks of freezing rate, cryoprotectant and straw volume on sperm cryosurvival.
An outbreak of a disease with multiple erosive papules and ulcers on the lips, noses, and tongues of calves was reported in Taiwan in August 2023. Five of 11 2–4-month-old dairy calves were affected. Oral swabs, nasal swabs, and esophageal–pharyngeal fluid were collected and tested positive for bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (qPCR) for all of the affected calves. All of the positive calves remained positive for BPSV after 1 month of the outbreak, and the viral loads of the affected calves did not decrease within this period. To determine the genetic characteristics of this outbreak strain, phylogenetic analysis was performed with the partial B2L sequence of BPSV. The results revealed that the virus strain was closely related to isolates from Japan, the United States, and France. This is the first report on an outbreak in this particular region since 1988 and the first molecular characterization of BPSV in Taiwan.
Ovariohysterectomy (OHE) is a common surgical procedure in small animals that causes significant postoperative pain. Tuning Element Relief Patches (TERPs) are silicone patches containing titanium salts, believed to relieve pain by resonating pain-related ion channels. In this experiment, 12 dogs undergoing OHE surgery received subcutaneous robenacoxib (group R, [Formula: see text]) injection or two sheets of TERPs (group T, [Formula: see text]) as postoperative analgesia to assess the analgesic effect of TERPs. The results demonstrated no significant differences in physiological parameters, pain scores and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) between groups postoperatively, indicating that the TERPs provide comparable results to robenacoxib in managing postoperative pain in dogs undergoing OHE. While this study provides evidence of the pain-relieving effects of TERPs, further studies are required to evaluate their long-term safety and efficacy in various clinical conditions.
Image-guided stereotactic techniques can display the locations of surgical instruments and biopsy targets in real time, allowing minimally invasive brain biopsies with reduced risk. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of an optical frameless neuronavigation system in feline cadavers and describe potential influencing factors. Phantom lesions were created in different brain regions and depths in 15 feline cadavers. After installing eight fiducial markers in the frontal bone and zygomatic arches, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, and the images were imported into the neuronavigation system. Following patient and instrument registration, diluted gadolinium was injected into the phantom lesion (target), guided by the neuronavigation system. The coordinates of the target and contrast points were determined on repeated MRI scans and the distance between them was defined as the targeting error. The time from target selection to the completion of gadolinium injection was recorded as the required time. The targeting error and required time were compared between the initial 30% and final 30% of the collected data to assess the influence of operator experience. Among 76 lesions, the mean targeting error was [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm (95% confidence interval 2.76–3.15[Formula: see text]mm). Lesion location, lesion depth, and operator experience did not affect the accuracy; however, operator experience reduced the required time. This frameless optical neuronavigation system is potentially feasible for feline brain biopsy. The demonstrated accuracy substantiates its clinical utility for feline brain lesions [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm, and is comparable to that of other neuronavigation systems described in dogs.
Si-Shen decoction is a mild medicinal dietary material composed of lotus seeds, gorgon, poria and yam. In vitro studies have proved the biological activity of four individual medicinal materials, but the effects of the combination prescription have yet to be evaluated in vivo in the past. This study prepared the Si-Shen extracts (SSE) by heating reflux with 50% alcohol. The prepared extracts contained functional components, including [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mg of QE/g of flavonoids and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mg of GAE/g of polyphenols. The antioxidant activity of SSE was verified by the DPPH and FRAP assays. Moreover, the prepared SSE is not cytotoxic below the concentration of 2[Formula: see text]mg/mL according to the ISO10993-5 test method. Feeding the SSE for 28 days is sufficient to prevent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced spatial memory impairment and anxiety symptoms, and SSE improves physical fitness. Further experiments demonstrated that SSE elevated the level of acetylcholine in the brain and serum superoxide dismutase activity. This research demonstrated the apparent efficacy and safety of the SSE, which will be further developed into innovative health products related to disease prevention.
Importance: This case report describes a rare presentation of scrotal herniation and strangulation of the small intestine in a 3-year-old intact male mixed-breed dog. This condition is noteworthy due to its potential for severe complications and the scarcity of documented cases in the veterinary literature, contributing to the limited body of knowledge on scrotal hernias in dogs, especially those involving intestinal strangulation. Case Presentation: The dog presented with unilateral scrotal swelling, persistent vomiting and inappetence for 10 days. Physical examination revealed inflamed and tender scrotal regions, with the left side more prominently affected. Radiographic findings indicated dilated small intestines and increased radiopacity in the scrotal area. Surgical intervention revealed a swollen left testicle and a hemorrhagic loop of small intestines within the scrotum. A midline celiotomy was performed to resect and anastomose the devitalized intestinal segment, followed by herniorrhaphy. Conclusions and Relevance: The patient recovered uneventfully and resumed normal activities within a week post-surgery. This case highlights the clinical importance of timely diagnosis and surgical management of scrotal hernias in dogs to prevent life-threatening complications, underscoring the need for awareness of such presentations among veterinarians. The successful outcome in this case supports the efficacy of surgical intervention in similar scenarios, potentially guiding future clinical practices.
A 11-month-old intact male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) dog was presented at the Teaching Hospital of National Chung Hsin University (NCHU-VMTH) due to thrombocytopenia without relevant clinical signs and no significant improvement after medication treatment. As per the complete blood profile, there was significant thrombocytopenia (platelet count 1–[Formula: see text] L) with mean platelet volume (MPV) ranging from 20.3 to 25.7[Formula: see text]fl. Tests for Babesia canis, B. gibsoni, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum yielded negative results. Despite treatment with antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs, the dog’s condition did not improve. The dog’s platelet morphology and absence of symptoms raised the suspicion of inherited macrothrombocytopenia. Genomic DNA sequencing analysis of the [Formula: see text]1-tubulin gene revealed a single-point mutation, specifically c.745[Formula: see text]G>A. This genetic analysis confirmed the presence of a [Formula: see text]1-tubulin mutation, marking the first reported case of such a mutation in a CKCS in Taiwan. Despite the diagnosis of this condition, both partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and active partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were within normal ranges before neutering. When diagnosing the causes of thrombocytopenia in young patients, especially when there are no related clinical signs, it is crucial to consider prioritizing inherited macrothrombocytopenia, then thrombocytopenia secondary to parasite infection, or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT) to minimize unnecessary medication.
This study reports on diseased Chelidonichthys spinosus fish that were originally obtained from the Taiwan Strait for exhibition in an aquarium. These fish showed abnormal swimming behavior, eye damage and skin lesions. Gross examination and histopathology revealed that the C. spinosus was suffering from severe nematode infections in the pyloric caeca, liver and mesentery. Marine nematodes from internal organs were verified by partially sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene. Sequencing results revealed that the nematodes shared 99.75% sequence identity with Raphidascaris lophii (GenBank accession No. MW132926). Additionally, secondary Vibrio harveyi infections were also detected in some C. spinosus. This is the first report of R. lophii infection in C. spinosus.
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a vector-borne disease of cattle and water buffalo caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) of the Capripoxvirus genus. LSD mainly affects the skin and the lymphatics of animals, and manifests as firm skin nodules, low feed intake, and a drop in milk production. Animal-to-animal contact, blood-feeding insects, animal products, stable flies, and mosquitoes can facilitate the transmission of LSD across herds and borders. The first case of LSD was reported in 1929 in Zambia. It was endemic to Africa until 1985 and later spread to Eastern Europe and Asia. The latest outbreak of LSD was reported in the Asia-Pacific region. At present, biosafety measures (control of animal movement, vectors, and animal products) are being devised by authorities to tackle LSD. Vaccines are also being developed for LSDV in recent decades. Live attenuated vaccines of both homologous and heterologous (of the Capripoxvirus genus) virus strains were utilized. A few side effects of the live vaccines were observed, such as skin nodules, low feed intake, and a drop in milk production. Inactivated LSDV vaccines were produced, showing a higher safety profile than live vaccines, yet offering only partial protection and lacks cross-protection. Recombinant LSDV vaccines are also under development; however, challenges remain in terms of the best vaccine delivery methods and antigen selection from the large poxvirus genome. Overall, mass vaccination with an effective vaccine may play a central role in the control of LSDV.
Although salmonellosis has been considered an important problem in the ruminant farm from 10 weeks to 14 months old, there is no information about the disease in goats, especially in 2 to 3-day-old kids, in recent years. The goat farmers complained that the 2 to 3-day-old kids showed clinical signs of depression, weakness, lameness, and diarrhea. The kids might die within one week after the symptoms appeared. The mortality reached 60% (48/80). After many antimicrobial agents were dosed, no better outcome was expected. The farmer sent one kid to the official deputy for further investigation. By helping with bacterial and molecular biological techniques, autopsy, serotyping, and histopathological diagnosis, the kids were infected by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Havana strain. After a farm visit, a moldy floor contaminated by 2 to 3[Formula: see text]cm thick feces was identified on the floor. After removing the mold and implementing disinfection, the outbreak was stopped. In conclusion, this report proves that salmonellosis has recently been identified in goat farms, especially in kids, within one week. Moreover, good hygiene and keeping feces out of barns are essential to preventing salmonellosis.
An intact male terrier dog aged 6.25 years was referred with a history of dysuria and intermittent hematuria for the past 2 years. Clinical examination, abdominal radiography and ultrasonography revealed the presence of prostatomegaly and cystolithiasis. A large radio-opaque calculus was observed inside the urinary bladder and ultrasonographic size of the prostate gland was [Formula: see text]. The animal was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia based on anamnesis, physical examination findings and paraclinical investigations. The presence of a single large calculus within the urinary bladder was associated with incomplete voiding resulting from enlargement of the prostate. The bladder calculus which was removed by cystotomy was a mixed type of stone consisting of ammonium (10%), phosphate (20%), calcium (20%), oxalate (40%) and magnesium (10%). The enlargement of the prostate gland was also confirmed by intraoperative examination. Cystolithiasis associated with canine benign prostatic hyperplasia has not been previously reported in the literature.
We introduce a model for the prognosis of the population of cells during the development of tumors. Also, we introduce an analytical approach for analysis of the introduced model. The approach gives a possibility to take into account the changing conditions of the considered processes.
Two female goats with infertility were reported in December during the breeding season. Both patients showed normal physiology on the day of presentation. Patient A, a 2.5-year-old primiparous lactating alpine with a history of blurred signs of estrous behavior, refused to mate with a buck since the breeding season in August. Patient B, a 2-year-old nulliparous alpine, failed to conceive after three times of natural mating and did not return to estrus. Two protocols of estrus synchronization were prescirbed for each patient and the changes of progesterone (P4) profile were monitored. Hormones integrating eCG (400 IU) plus hCG (200 IU) on Day 1, GnRH (0.1[Formula: see text]mg gonadorelin) on Day 6, PGF2[Formula: see text] (0.125[Formula: see text]mg clopostenol sodium) on Day 13, and eCG (400 IU) plus hCG (200 IU) on Day 14 were used in patient A. The increasing P4 concentrations from 0.16[Formula: see text]ng/mL to 24.14[Formula: see text]ng/mL during the treatment course were detected, then an estrous induction was performed, followed by natural mating with a buck for 2 days. Pregnancy was confirmed by abdominal ultrasonography 50 days after mating. Patient B failed to respond to the treatment of 5 consecutive injections of GnRH (a total of 0.5[Formula: see text]mg gonadorelin) as all the P4 values were less than 1[Formula: see text]ng/mL. Furthermore, vaginal speculum revealed a stenosis of vagina, possibly elucidating a case of infertility in this young goat. Our results demonstrated that an eCG-based protocol without pretreatment of progesterone was beneficial to help restore cyclicity for breeding in an alpine goat with seasonal anestrus.
The renal cells were isolated from the kidney of different week-age of healthy rabbits by a single two-stage pass perfusion method and suspended in Hanks’ balanced salt solution ([Formula: see text]-, [Formula: see text]-free). The field strains of RHDV were inoculated into the suspension and incubated for 4 days at 37∘C. After incubation, the HA titer of each strain of RHDV in supernatant of virus growth was measured using human erythrocyte O type. There were differences in the HA titers of RHDV strains according to the renal cell of different week-age of rabbits, the number of hepatocyte, the strain of virus (RHDV-1, RHDV-2, RHDV-3) and the duration of incubation. The HA titer was highest when the virus was cultured in the renal cells isolated from more than 12 week-aged rabbits. And the HA titer of RHDV propagated in isolated renal cell was higher than hepatocytes. When immunized rabbits by inactivated virus strains (RHDV-1, RHDV-2 and RHDV-3), two strains, RHDV-1 and RHDV-3, showed the same level of HI titers with inactivated homogenate, but RHDV-2 did lower level of titer than the homogenate.
