Comparison of radial immunodiffusion, turbidimetric immunoassay, and Brix refractometry for determining bovine colostrum quality.

Determining the concentration of IgG in colostrum is critical for assessment of colostrum quality. On-farm use of a Brix refractometer to estimate colostrum IgG concentration is widespread, whereas radial immunodiffusion (RID) is the laboratory reference method. Turbidimetric immunoassay (TIA) might offer an alternative method to quantify IgG in colostrum, but the agreement with RID, as well as critical thresholds to determine high-quality colostrum, remain uncertain.

Clustering analysis of lipoprotein profiles to identify subtypes of hypertriglyceridemia in Miniature Schnauzers.

Background: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is prevalent in Miniature Schnauzers, predisposing them to life-threatening diseases. Varied responses to management strategies suggest the possibility of multiple subtypes.

Hypothesis/objective: To identify and characterize HTG subtypes in Miniature Schnauzers through cluster analysis of lipoprotein profiles.

Evaluation of a point-of-care calcium device in bovine plasma and serum.

Hypocalcemia is a common metabolic disease in dairy cows, and it is defined as total calcium (tCa) blood concentration <2.0 mmol/L. The alternatives for the gold standard test to measure tCa in bovine blood are limited.

Bone marrow iron scoring in healthy and clinically ill dogs with and without evidence of iron-restricted erythropoiesis.

Background: There are few reports in dogs that have evaluated the utility of semi-quantitative scoring of bone marrow iron stores in conjunction with reticulocyte hemoglobin (CHr) to identify iron-restricted erythropoiesis due to absolute iron deficiency or iron sequestration.

Objectives: An established system for scoring iron stores in human bone marrow samples was applied to dogs. The objectives were to evaluate interobserver agreement (Κ ), determine marrow iron scores in dogs without detectable hematologic abnormalities, and assess combined interpretation of iron scores and CHr to evaluate for iron-restricted erythropoiesis.

Eucalcemia during lipopolysaccharide challenge in postpartum dairy cows: I. Clinical, inflammatory, and metabolic response.

Hypocalcemia induced by immune activation is a conserved response across mammalian species; however, administration of Ca is discouraged in other species as it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Early postpartum cows experience a decrease in circulating Ca concentration following acute inflammation. Corrective Ca therapy during the transition period, particularly in dairy cows experiencing acute disease, is common practice.