Cryptococcosis with ocular and central nervous system involvement in a 3-year-old dog.

To date, cryptococcosis remains sporadic in Europe, and this is a case of canine cryptococcosis with ocular and CNS involvement in continental Europe with identification of the organism on cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) cytology and description of the clinical and MRI features, and outcome.

Association of missense variants in GDF9 with litter size in Entlebucher Mountain dogs.

In the past two decades, average litter size (ALS) in Entlebucher Mountain dogs decreased by approximately 0.8 puppies. We conducted a GWAS for ALS using the single-step methodology to take advantage of 1632 pedigree records, 892 phenotypes and 372 genotypes (173 662 markers) for which only 12% of the dogs had both phenotypes and genotypes available.

Cone-beam computed tomography of the head in standing equids.

Background: Computed tomography in standing horses has revolutionized diagnostic imaging. The O-arm®, a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner with a gantry opening of 96.5 cm is routinely used for image-guided spine and neurosurgery in humans.

Population genetics of ectoparasitic mites suggest arms race with honeybee hosts.

The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, is the most severe biotic threat to honeybees (Apis mellifera) globally, usually causing colony death within a few years without treatments. While it is known that a few A. mellifera populations survive mite infestations by means of natural selection, the possible role of mite adaptations remains unclear.

Evaluation of C-reactive protein and its kinetics as a prognostic indicator in canine leptospirosis.

Objective: To evaluate C-reactive protein at presentation and during hospitalisation in dogs with acute kidney injury resulting from leptospirosis to compare C-reactive protein at presentation in dogs with acute kidney injury of different aetiology and to study its correlation with markers of inflammation, azotaemia and survival.

Materials And Methods: Prospective observational study of 41 dogs with acute kidney injury secondary to leptospirosis and 15 control dogs with acute kidney injury of different aetiology. C-reactive protein was measured at presentation in both groups and daily for 7 days in a subgroup of 28 dogs with leptospirosis.

Evaluation of plasma angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in healthy dogs and dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis.

Background: Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are regulators of endothelial permeability.

Objective: Plasma concentrations of Ang-2 and VEGF are increased in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis and are correlated with disease severity and outcome.

Animals: Healthy dogs (n = 18) and client-owned dogs with SIRS (n = 34) or sepsis (n = 25).

Developing reduced SNP assays from whole-genome sequence data to estimate introgression in an organism with complex genetic patterns, the Iberian honeybee ().

The most important managed pollinator, the honeybee ( L.), has been subject to a growing number of threats. In western Europe, one such threat is large-scale introductions of commercial strains (C-lineage ancestry), which is leading to introgressive hybridization and even the local extinction of native honeybee populations (M-lineage ancestry).

Effect of Different Sources of Supplemental Zinc on Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Lambs.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element in the growth of all animals and plays structural and catalytic roles in many enzymes and functional proteins. Two completely randomized trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of different sources of zinc on performance, nutrient digestibility, blood mineral profile, and antioxidant enzyme activities in male growing lambs on a barley-based diet. The first trial was conducted for 70 days and consisted of 30 lambs (30.

Antibody response to Influenza booster vaccination in Franches-Montagnes stallions supplemented with Equi-Strath : a randomized trial.

Bio-Strath is a plasmolyzed yeast product enriched with herbs, malt, honey and orange juice. In this study, the effect of Equi-Strath , the adapted product for horses, on the equine immune system was evaluated. A routine influenza booster vaccination was used as a model to study the effects of Equi-Strath supplementation on the immune response.

Effects of oxytocin and PGF2α on uterine contractility in cows with and without metritis-An in-vitro study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PGF and oxytocin in vitro on myometrial contractility in puerperal uteri. Thirteen puerperal uteri were removed and perfused after euthanasia of cows with (n=7) and without metritis (n=6). Measurement of uterine contractility was done using four piezoelectric crystals, which were implanted into the myometrium along the greater curvature of the uterine horn where fetal implantation occurred during the previous pregnancy.

Norwegian honey bees surviving mite infestations by means of natural selection.

Background: Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, , are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite , that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee to the Western honey bee , is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produced European honey bee colonies that can survive infestations without the need for mite control.

Honey bee-collected pollen in agro-ecosystems reveals diet diversity, diet quality, and pesticide exposure.

European honey bees are important commercial pollinators that have suffered greater than normal overwintering losses since 2007 in North America and Europe. Contributing factors likely include a combination of parasites, pesticides, and poor nutrition. We examined diet diversity, diet nutritional quality, and pesticides in honey bee-collected pollen from commercial colonies in the Canadian Maritime Provinces in spring and summer 2011.

Hydrocortisone therapy in a cat with vasopressor-refractory septic shock and suspected critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.

A 27-month-old female cat was presented with septic peritonitis secondary to a ruptured pyometra and subsequent pyothorax. Vasopressor-refractory septic shock led to a suspicion of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency, successfully treated with intravenous hydrocortisone. Previous megestrol acetate administration may have played a role in the development of adrenocortical dysfunction.

Plasma Symmetric Dimethylarginine Concentration in Dogs with Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is considered a biomarker for early detection of renal dysfunction in human patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). At present, no studies exist analyzing the relevance of SDMA in dogs with AKI.

Hypothesis/objectives: SDMA would correctly identify dogs with renal disease but would not be able to differentiate between AKI and CKD.

Host sharing by the honey bee parasites and .

The trypanosome and the microsporidian are common parasites of the honey bee, , intestine, but the nature of interactions between them is unknown. Here, we took advantage of naturally occurring infections and quantified infection loads of individual workers ( = 408) originating from three apiaries (four colonies per apiary) using PCR to test for interactions between these two parasites. For that purpose, we measured the frequency of single and double infections, estimated the parasite loads of single and double infections, and determined the type of correlation between both parasites in double infections.

A reaction norm sire model to study the effect of metabolic challenge in early lactation on the functional longevity of dairy cows.

Due to the discrepancy of the high energy demand for rapidly increasing milk production and limited feed intake in the transition period around parturition, dairy cows require considerable metabolic adaptations. We hypothesize that some cows are genetically less suited to cope with these metabolic needs than others, leading to adverse follow-up effects on longevity. To test this, we designed a reaction norm model in which functional lifetime was linked to the metabolic challenge in the beginning of the first lactation.

The Darwin cure for apiculture? Natural selection and managed honeybee health.

Recent major losses of managed honeybee, colonies at a global scale have resulted in a multitude of research efforts to identify the underlying mechanisms. Numerous factors acting singly and/or in combination have been identified, ranging from pathogens, over nutrition to pesticides. However, the role of apiculture in limiting natural selection has largely been ignored.

Technical note: Effects of attachment of hind teats before cleaning and attachment of front teats on milking characteristics in automatic milking systems.

Milking characteristics differ between the 4 quarters of a dairy cow udder. In particular, milking time is mostly prolonged in hind quarters compared with front quarters because of the usually higher amount of stored milk. The standard milking routine (STDMR) in both conventional and automatic milking systems (AMS) consists of teat preparation of all 4 quarters, followed by attachment of the 4 teat cups, regardless of the distribution of milk between quarters.

Quarter vs. composite colostrum composition assessed by Brix refractometry, specific gravity and visual color appearance in primiparous and multiparous dairy cows.

The control of colostrum quality is essential for successful calf rearing. Instruments for on-farm colostrum quality determination are mostly utilized for testing composite colostrum samples, but do not take potential variation between quarters into account. In cases of low composite colostrum quality, feeding of better quality colostrum from individual quarters might be beneficial.

Supraphysiological oxytocin increases the transfer of immunoglobulins and other blood components to milk during lipopolysaccharide- and lipoteichoic acid-induced mastitis in dairy cows.

Bacterial mastitis causes pathogen-dependent changes of the blood-milk barrier, and these changes can influence the differential transfer of blood components to milk. It is well known that gram-negative pathogens such as Escherichia coli can cause a greater activation of the immune system and thus a more comprehensive transfer of blood components including IgG than gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Supraphysiological doses of oxytocin (OT) have been shown to increase the permeability of the blood-milk barrier; however, the effect of OT during experimentally induced mastitis has not been investigated.

Metabolic adaptation recorded during one lactation does not allow predicting longevity in dairy cows.

Metabolic and health disorders account distinctly for culling in dairy cows. This study investigated if metabolic status obtained once in life during a negative energy balance in early lactation allows to predict age and lifetime performance animals achieved at culling. Metabolically stressed cows entering at least their 3rd lactation (n = 200, parity: 5.

Whole-Genome Draft Sequences of Six Commensal Fecal and Six Mastitis-Associated Escherichia coli Strains of Bovine Origin.

The bovine gastrointestinal tract is a natural reservoir for commensal and pathogenic Escherichia coli strains with the ability to cause mastitis. Here, we report the whole-genome sequences of six E. coli isolates from acute mastitis cases and six E.

Evidence of cardiac injury and arrhythmias in dogs with acute kidney injury.

Objectives: Cardiac involvement in the course of acute kidney injury is described in humans as cardiorenal syndrome type 3 but has received only limited attention in dogs. This study was designed to evaluate cardiac injury and dysfunction in acute kidney injury in dogs and its association with outcome.

Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 24 client-owned dogs with acute kidney injury.

Hit-and-run trophallaxis of small hive beetles.

Some parasites of social insects are able to exploit the exchange of food between nestmates via trophallaxis, because they are chemically disguised as nestmates. However, a few parasites succeed in trophallactic solicitation although they are attacked by workers. The underlying mechanisms are not well understood.

Short communication: Differential loss of bovine mammary epithelial barrier integrity in response to lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid.

In the mammary gland, the blood-milk barrier prevents an uncontrolled intermixture of blood and milk constituents and hence maintains the osmotic gradient to draw water into the mammary secretion. During mastitis, the permeability of the blood-milk barrier is increased, which is reflected by the transfer of blood constituents into milk and vice versa. In this study, we aimed to investigate changes in the barrier function of mammary epithelial cells in vitro as induced by cell wall components of different pathogens.