A Case Report of A Urinary Bladder Marsupializatiojm to correct Obstructive Urolithiasis in a 3-Month-Old Boer Goat (Capra hircus)

A 3-month-old intact male Boer caprine kid weighing 22.3Kg. presented to the Large Animal Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), with a primary complaint of stranguria for approximately 8 days. The animal had been treated one week prior to presentation by a private clinician who amputated the vermiform appendage which offered temporary resolution of the clinical signs. Within twodays however, the animal was once again observed with stranguria and the clinician referrred the animal to the SVM for further treatment. On presentation, the patient had multiple anomalies including, paraphimosis. a swelling at the base of the penile shaft and tachycardia. Radiographic examination revealed a distended bladder. No radio-opaque calculi were noted along the urethra. The patient required urgent surgical intervention during which he was maintained under anaesthesia using continuous rate indusion of ketamine and lidocaine to which xylazine was subsequently added after a cystotomy was performed. The patient recovered with minimal post-operative complications. Although not a common procedure in farm animals due to its aftercare, bladder marsupialization was deemed feaseible in this case since the patient was reared with some sentimental value rather than entirely for production. This procedure shpuld thus be considered for pet livestock animals or in salvage situations where a perineal urethrostomy is deemed non-curative,

A Case Report of A Hybrid External Fixator for Fracture Repair in a 3-Month-Old Boer Goat (Capra hircus)

A 3-month-old male intact crossbred Boer Anglo Nubian caprine kid weighing 20.50Kg. presented to the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) with a history of acute onset lameness of the left hind limb. Initial examination at a private veterinary clinic revealed a fracture of the left tibia. The patient was referred to the SVM for treatment. Physical and radiographic examination of the animal revealed a closed, complete, short oblique fracture of the distal metaphysis of the left tibia with moderate cranio-proximal displacemnt of the distal segment, The limb was temporarily immobilized using a pre-made bivalve cast until the surgery. Surgical intervention involved using hybrid external fixator best described as a maximal bilateral uniplanar (Type II) fixator frame with a distal fabricated aluminum ring. The post-operative regimen included antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, frequent cleaning of the pin-skin interface and apparatus bandage changes, The animal was also confined to pen rest initially with gradual increase in exercise. Since surgery, the patient has progressively increases weight bearing on the affected limb and was fully weight bearing upon external fixator removal, 6-weeks post operatively. This method of external fixatiojm has not been commonly used foe repair of fractured limbs in goats, however in this scenario it proved ecomonical and highly effectively in provideing the stability required for fracture repair. Veterarians with limited resourcs and financially conservative clients should consider this method for repairing similar type fractures in small ruminant animal species.

Isolation of Aerococcus viridans from an outbreak of hepatitis in a broiler flock in Grenada

Five week-old broiler chickens from an outbreak of bacterial hepatitis on a poultry farm in Grenada were examined. The predominant gross lesions included multiple pinpoint light yellow foci in the liver, moderate splenomegaly, and ulcerative pododermatitis. The hepatic lesions were characterised by multifocal necrotising hepatitis with intralesional bacterial colonies. Culture of the liver lesions yielded a heavy growth of Aerococcus viridans and a moderate growth of Escherichia coli. The A. viridans isolates showed typical biochemical properties, susceptibility to vancomycin, and moderate resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics. It appears that dual infection with A. viridans and E. coli caused hepatitis in these chickens which had earlier history of coccidiosis.

Isolation of Aerococcus viridans from an outbreak of hepatitis in a broiler flock in Grenada

Five week-old broiler chickens from an outbreak of bacterial hepatitis on a poultry farm in Grenada were examined. The predominant gross lesions included multiple pinpoint light yellow foci in the liver, moderate splenomegaly, and ulcerative pododermatitis. The hepatic lesions were characterised by multifocal necrotising hepatitis with intralesional bacterial colonies. Culture of the liver lesions yielded a heavy growth of Aerococcus viridans and a moderate growth of Escherichia coli. The A. viridans isolates showed typical biochemical properties, susceptibility to vancomycin, and moderate resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics. It appears that dual infection with A. viridans and E. coli caused hepatitis in these chickens which had earlier history of coccidiosis.

Porcine meningoencephalocoele in Trinidad

Congenital anomalies have been linked to many factors (genetic, nutritional and toxic, among others) including environmental pollution, and consequently engender interest worldwide as a potential gauge of environmental abuse. Bovine epigastric heteropagus, caprine perosomus elumbis, ovine cephalothoracopagus and bovine craniopagus have been previously reported in Trinidad. A four-footed broiler chicken has been reported in Grenada. This case of porcine meningoencephalocoele is, to our knowledge, the first reported in Trinidad. In addition to environmental pollution, a genetic component to this anomaly has been suggested in two previous reports. We report here a case of meningoencephalocoele in a newborn piglet presented at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of the West Indies, Trinidad.

MEDCARIB Evaluation of performance indices for broiler raised in conventional versus tunnel-ventilated houses and the cost effectiveness of the two types of housing in Barbados.

Retrospective data from 18 tunnel-ventilated and 41 conventional houses in Barbados were evaluated in order to compare the effects of the two types of housing using the following indices: feed conversion ratio at 1500 grammes (FCR 1500), European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF), and net income per bird (NIPB). The data were obtained from the records of 200 and 282 grow-outs for tunnel-ventilated and conventional houses, respectively. The effects of season of placement and month of placement on the above performance variables were also evaluated. The analyses revealed that the performance variables NIPB, EPEF, and FCR 1500 were superior for tunnel -ventilated housing (P=0.02, 0.0001 respectively); were less variable from month to month for tunnel- ventilated housing; and except for NIPB, were better when birds were placed during the dry season (P=0.08, 0.0005 and 0.007 respectively). Financial anlaysis also showed that tunnel -ventilated house was more profitable venture than the conventional house. The net profit margin (15.38vs 3.59%) net profit per kg, (0.51 vs 0.12 BDS$, (BDS$1.00~ US $0.50)), and net profit per m squared (94.83vs13.13BDS$) were also higher for the tunnel-ventilated house.

MEDCARIB Evaluation of performance indices for broiler raised in conventional versus tunnel-ventilated houses and the cost effectiveness of the two types of housing in Barbados.

Retrospective data from 18 tunnel-ventilated and 41 conventional houses in Barbados were evaluated in order to compare the effects of the two types of housing using the following indices: feed conversion ratio at 1500 grammes (FCR 1500), European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF), and net income per bird (NIPB). The data were obtained from the records of 200 and 282 grow-outs for tunnel-ventilated and conventional houses, respectively. The effects of season of placement and month of placement on the above performance variables were also evaluated. The analyses revealed that the performance variables NIPB, EPEF, and FCR 1500 were superior for tunnel -ventilated housing (P=0.02, 0.0001 respectively); were less variable from month to month for tunnel- ventilated housing; and except for NIPB, were better when birds were placed during the dry season (P=0.08, 0.0005 and 0.007 respectively). Financial anlaysis also showed that tunnel -ventilated house was more profitable venture than the conventional house. The net profit margin (15.38vs 3.59%) net profit per kg, (0.51 vs 0.12 BDS$, (BDS$1.00~ US $0.50)), and net profit per m squared (94.83vs13.13BDS$) were also higher for the tunnel-ventilated house.

Introduction to veterinary and comparative forensic medicine

Introduction to veterinary and comparative forensic medicine is ground-breaking book in an emerging new spciality. It reflects the increasing demand for expert opinion by veterinarians and others in courts of law and elsewhere on such matters as: wildlife conservation, welfare of, and alleged cruelty to, animals, insurance, certification and malpractice, the indentification of live and dead species or their derivatives. It also discusses and analyses current concern over possible links between domestic violence and abuse of animals. Throughout the book the emphasis is on the need for a systematic and thorough approach to forensic work. A particular feature is practical advice, with protocols on dealing with common problems, together with case studies, various appendices and an extensive bibliography. A vital reference for members of the veterinary profession, lawyers, enforcement bodies and welfare and conservation organisations. The comparative aspects provide an important source of information for those working in human forensic medicine and the biological sciences (AU)

Investigation of skin diseases in non- domestic animals.

The skin is a readily accessible organ and dermatological disorders are commonly seen in a wide variety of species. In order to investigate skin diseases of non-domestic animals, the veterinarian must have some understanding of their varied biology and natural history. Sample- taking may require anaesthesia and techniques must be appropriate to the type of lesion and the species in question. Processing of samples is usually carried out in a similar way to those from domestic animals. Interpretation of the findings need caution. The establishment of databases will help in the progression of comparative dermatology in the West Indies and elsewhere.

Investigation of skin diseases in non- domestic animals.

The skin is a readily accessible organ and dermatological disorders are commonly seen in a wide variety of species. In order to investigate skin diseases of non-domestic animals, the veterinarian must have some understanding of their varied biology and natural history. Sample- taking may require anaesthesia and techniques must be appropriate to the type of lesion and the species in question. Processing of samples is usually carried out in a similar way to those from domestic animals. Interpretation of the findings need caution. The establishment of databases will help in the progression of comparative dermatology in the West Indies and elsewhere.

Screening thoroughbreds for antibodies to the Equine infectious anemia virus.

One hundred and seventy two Thoroughbreds were screened for the presence of anitbodies to the capsid protein, p26 of the equine infectious anemia (EIA)virus using agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGOD) Coggins test. Horses ranged in age from 1 month to 21 years old and were either imported or locally bred. The majority were involved in racing and breeding and were housed either at the Santa Rosa Racing Complex at Arima or at privately owned farms. Complete blood counts (CBCs) were performed on all horses. Low haemoglobin concentrations were found in 18(10.5%), high white blood cell counts in 17 (9.9%) with neutrophilia in 13 (7.6%). Low red blood cell counts were seen in 11 of 154 horses (7.1%). At least 12 horses had evidence of clinical babesiosis, but only 7 were confirmed infected by examination of Giemsa stained blood smears. Racehorses from trinidad and Tobago occasionally move inter-island for racing and increasingly come in contact with foreign horses with the increasing importation of horses from countries known to harbour the virus. All 172 horses tested negative for antibodies to EIA virus. This implies that the strict adherence to import and quarantine regulations may have contributed to keeping the country free from EIA virus. This ongoing study is the first to provide sero-prevalence data and document the prevalence of EIA in the equine population in Trinidad and Tobago.

Screening thoroughbreds for antibodies to the Equine infectious anemia virus.

One hundred and seventy two Thoroughbreds were screened for the presence of anitbodies to the capsid protein, p26 of the equine infectious anemia (EIA)virus using agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGOD) Coggins test. Horses ranged in age from 1 month to 21 years old and were either imported or locally bred. The majority were involved in racing and breeding and were housed either at the Santa Rosa Racing Complex at Arima or at privately owned farms. Complete blood counts (CBCs) were performed on all horses. Low haemoglobin concentrations were found in 18(10.5%), high white blood cell counts in 17 (9.9%) with neutrophilia in 13 (7.6%). Low red blood cell counts were seen in 11 of 154 horses (7.1%). At least 12 horses had evidence of clinical babesiosis, but only 7 were confirmed infected by examination of Giemsa stained blood smears. Racehorses from trinidad and Tobago occasionally move inter-island for racing and increasingly come in contact with foreign horses with the increasing importation of horses from countries known to harbour the virus. All 172 horses tested negative for antibodies to EIA virus. This implies that the strict adherence to import and quarantine regulations may have contributed to keeping the country free from EIA virus. This ongoing study is the first to provide sero-prevalence data and document the prevalence of EIA in the equine population in Trinidad and Tobago.

The extracellular Ca++ -independent component of luteinzing hormone (LH) secretion is manifest under the steroidal conditions known to induce gonadotrophine-releasing hormone (GnRH) self-potentiation

Quartered pituitaries obtained from intact males or gonadectomized males and females (72h) ± estradiol (24h) and/or testosterone (72h) implants were perifused at 0.25 ml/minute with Ca++ -free medium at 37°C, and sequential effluent fractions collected every 10 minutes, in an attempt to determine if the steroidal conditions known to induce or prevent GnRH self-potentiation would activate or inhibit the extracellular Ca++ -independent component of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Continuous infusions (4h) of 1nmol GnRH or 1µmol of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) did not stimulate LH secretion from the pituitaries of castrated males, intact males, estradiol-treated intact males or ovariectomized females. In contrast, estradiol induced delayed (20-30 minutes), protein synthesis-dependent components of LH secretion in response to both GnRH and PMA from pituitaries of gonadectomized males and females. Implantation of testosterone capsules immediately following gonadectomy resulted in an inhibition of the estradiol- induced GnRH- and PMA-stimulated responses from pituitaries of castrated or ovariectomized animals. These results suggest that estradiol can induce extracellular Ca++ -independent components of LH secretion from pituitaries of gonadectomized animals; responses which depend on de novo protein synthesis and which could involve protein kinase C. Additionally, the effects of estradiol are prevented by testosterone, indicating that this component of LH secretion is only apparent under the steroidal conditions known to facilitate GnRH self-potentiation.

A retrospective study of the treatment of toad poisoning in dogs in Trinidad.

A retrospective study of 143 cases of dogs poisoned by toads in Trinidad revealed that for the 81 cases for which the clinical signs were recorded, cardiac toxicity may have been missed due to the aggressive use of atropine therapy and/or lack of equipment. The most common clinical signs were hypersalivation and vomiting (31 reports) and convulsive seizures (14) - each ascribed to the effects of certain components present in the toad's glandular secretions (producing irritation and neurotoxicity); and hyperthermia (11). For 42 cases, treatment records indicated that atropine was the favoured pharmacological intervention (30 instances), followed by corticosteroids (20), antibiotics (19), benzodiazepines (15) and fluid therapy (14). These treatment strategies, based on symptomatic support, seemed to be successful even though they appeared to lack coherence. Of the 90 cases for which outcome data were available, 85 dogs recovered fully and 5 died. Early attention to cardiac abnormalities, using electrocardiograms, is required especially in severe cases. The use of propranolol is also warranted in these cases. The standard management of toad poisoning must also include decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract involving the washing of the mouth and the use of adsorbents. The usefulness of corticosteroids and antibiotic therapies should be re-examined.

The extracellular Ca++ -independent component of luteinzing hormone (LH) secretion is manifest under the steroidal conditions known to induce gonadotrophine-releasing hormone (GnRH) self-potentiation

Quartered pituitaries obtained from intact males or gonadectomized males and females (72h) ± estradiol (24h) and/or testosterone (72h) implants were perifused at 0.25 ml/minute with Ca++ -free medium at 37°C, and sequential effluent fractions collected every 10 minutes, in an attempt to determine if the steroidal conditions known to induce or prevent GnRH self-potentiation would activate or inhibit the extracellular Ca++ -independent component of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Continuous infusions (4h) of 1nmol GnRH or 1µmol of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) did not stimulate LH secretion from the pituitaries of castrated males, intact males, estradiol-treated intact males or ovariectomized females. In contrast, estradiol induced delayed (20-30 minutes), protein synthesis-dependent components of LH secretion in response to both GnRH and PMA from pituitaries of gonadectomized males and females. Implantation of testosterone capsules immediately following gonadectomy resulted in an inhibition of the estradiol- induced GnRH- and PMA-stimulated responses from pituitaries of castrated or ovariectomized animals. These results suggest that estradiol can induce extracellular Ca++ -independent components of LH secretion from pituitaries of gonadectomized animals; responses which depend on de novo protein synthesis and which could involve protein kinase C. Additionally, the effects of estradiol are prevented by testosterone, indicating that this component of LH secretion is only apparent under the steroidal conditions known to facilitate GnRH self-potentiation.

A retrospective study of the treatment of toad poisoning in dogs in Trinidad.

A retrospective study of 143 cases of dogs poisoned by toads in Trinidad revealed that for the 81 cases for which the clinical signs were recorded, cardiac toxicity may have been missed due to the aggressive use of atropine therapy and/or lack of equipment. The most common clinical signs were hypersalivation and vomiting (31 reports) and convulsive seizures (14) - each ascribed to the effects of certain components present in the toad's glandular secretions (producing irritation and neurotoxicity); and hyperthermia (11). For 42 cases, treatment records indicated that atropine was the favoured pharmacological intervention (30 instances), followed by corticosteroids (20), antibiotics (19), benzodiazepines (15) and fluid therapy (14). These treatment strategies, based on symptomatic support, seemed to be successful even though they appeared to lack coherence. Of the 90 cases for which outcome data were available, 85 dogs recovered fully and 5 died. Early attention to cardiac abnormalities, using electrocardiograms, is required especially in severe cases. The use of propranolol is also warranted in these cases. The standard management of toad poisoning must also include decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract involving the washing of the mouth and the use of adsorbents. The usefulness of corticosteroids and antibiotic therapies should be re-examined.

Perceptions of veterinarians regarding privatization of veterinary services delivery in Ghana and Jamaica

There are on-going reforms in the delivery of veterinary services in many developing countries, with privatization of certain veterinary activities as one of the approaches. In Jamaica, with the support of veterinarians, clinical aspects of veterinary services were privatized in 1992. In contrast, Ghanian veterinarians are generally wary of the government's on-going privatization process. The objective of this study is to find out if perceptions of the veterinarians from these two countries on certain issues of privatization were sufficiently different to explain the willingness or reluctance to go into private practice. The response proportions for predominantly self-administered questionnaires were 83 percent (121/145) and 92 percent (35/38) for Ghana and Jamaica, respectively. There was a very good (92 percent) agreement in the perceptions of veterinarians in Ghana and Jamaica on a battery of 24 responses pertaining to privatization of veterinary services. Generally, the perceptions of the veterinarians in Ghana and Jamaica were similar even though the predominant delivery systems for animal health services were different. Therefore, reasons other than those examined in this study may explain the differences in willingness.(Au)

Financing the delivery of public-sector animal health services in Jamaica: pre- and post-privatization

Lack of adequate financing was a major reason for the privatization of veterinary services in Jamaica in 1992. The belief was that, with privatization, funding of animal health services delivery would improve, since staff numbers and clinical activities undertaken by the Veterinary Division were reduced. However, analyses of data revealed that, in most cases, privatization neither improved nor stemmed the declines, that had started before privatization, in the measures or indicators used. It was concluded that privatization of veterinary services did not result in any appreciable improvement in the financing of the delivery of public-sector animal health services in Jamaica in the short term (Au)

Ethnoveterinary medicines used for ruminants in Trinidad and Tobago

Ethnoveterinary research was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago in 1995, in order to document existing ethnoveterinary practices. This paper describes 20 medicinal plants and used to treat ruminants. The main plants used were Azadirachta indica and Curcuma longa. Medicinal plants were used predominantly for endoparasities, internal and external injuries and pregnancy-related conditions. A 4-stage process was used to conduct the research and document the ethnoveterinary practices. This documentation could provide a foundation for the further scientific study and verification of those practices which merit such study(AU)