Noncombat injury and illness prevalence and working score percentage quantify the impact on duty availability in US Army Special Operations military working dogs.

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study determined the 2-year period prevalence and quantified the impact on working status of noncombat injury and illness by a working score percentage (WSP) based on the number of duty days lost (DDL). ANIMALS: 126 dogs from 9 US Army Special Operations kennels. METHODS: Dog injury and illness events between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2023, were recorded to determine period prevalence and calculate a WSP metric to quantify loss of duty status. RESULTS: 93 health events occurred in 62 of 126 (49.2%) dogs over a 24-month period resulting in 4,130 DDL. The period prevalence was 25 of 126 (19.8%) for dental injuries, 20 of 126 (15.9%) for musculoskeletal injuries, and 13 of 126 (10.3%) for gastrointestinal illnesses. Musculoskeletal conditions resulted in the highest total DDL at 1,472 (35.6%) in 20 dogs, followed by neurologic conditions at 950 (23%) in 4 dogs and heat injuries at 521 (12.6%) in 7 dogs. The total population 24-month mean WSP was 88.1% (95% CI, 86.6 to 89.5). The mean WSP for 43 dogs with acute events was 96.0% (95% CI, 95.0 to 97.0), and the mean WSP for 14 dogs with chronic events was 55.2% (95% CI, 47.8 to 62.5). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Quantifying the impact of noncombat illness and injury on the working status of military working dogs is the first step to identify risk factors, develop preventive strategies, resource veterinary care requirements, and improve these canine athletes' health and welfare. The metrics developed in this study can be used to evaluate the population health of working, herding, and sport dogs.

Comparison of Theater Medical Data Store and Reportable Medical Event Records to Theater Animal Bite Reports Submissions, 2018-2019.

INTRODUCTION: This analysis evaluates potential reporting discrepancies of the DD2341 Form (Report of Animal Bite-Potential Rabies Exposure) submitted to a forward-deployed Rabies Advisory Board to the Theater Medical Data Store (TMDS) and Reportable Medical Event (RME) systems to identify reporting gaps that can lead to improved best practices that ensure documentation of Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) of potential rabies exposures into service members (SMs) electronic medical records. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The project compares the number of Service Member animal exposure DD2341 reports submitted to the Camp Arifjan, Kuwait Rabies Advisory Board to in-theater treatment electronic records at the same forward deployed locations from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019 recorded in the TMDS and RME databases. Records included active duty and reserve SM deployed to six countries in the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility. The analysis compared some demographic information, type of potential rabies exposure (e.g., whether a bite or scratch), and PEP to rabies with Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG), Human Rabies Vaccine (HRV), or both between the reporting systems. RESULTS: There were 44 fewer records of PEP from the TMDS data records than reported from in theater written reports. Electronic record data showed 85 coded rabies exposure diagnoses. Twenty-two received HRV and no HRIG, while four received HRIG and HRV for PEP. Only seven of the 26 SM receiving rabies PEP had a confirmed RME associated with the electronic record. There were 116 SM animal exposure written reports, with 70 reporting PEP. There were 41 records indicating the SM received HRIG and HRV as part of PEP, while 29 reports indicated that the patient received only HRV PEP. Of the 41 SM receiving HRIG, 32 of the exposures were from cat scratches or bites. Seven records specified HRIG was indicated for treatment but not available at the location; therefore, HRV was the only treatment available. The most common reason indicated on the written report for not receiving rabies PEP was that treatment was not indicated based on the risk category of animal exposure. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to compare the electronic medical record data to in theater reports for potential rabies exposure in a theater of operations. The analysis suggests that some written forms generated in the USCENTCOM theater are not entered into SM Military Health System electronic medical records, indicating that electronic medical records may be a less sensitive method than in-theatre reports for rabies program surveillance in a deployed setting. There is under-reporting in electronic medical records of rabies PEP in both TMDS and RME databases. Rabies PEP is an RME according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division guidelines and case definitions. There needs to be better integration of the DD2341 into the electronic medical records system.

Effect of method and clinician on stallion sperm morphology evaluation.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of method and clinician on stallion sperm morphology evaluation. Five clinicians evaluated 60 semen samples using wet-mount preparations with phase-contrast, eosin/nigrosin-stained semen smears, and Papanicolaou-stained semen smears. There were significant differences among methods for all sperm morphology categories and most intra-class correlation coefficients were only fair to moderate. The use of wet-mount preparations facilitated detection of acrosome defects, nuclear vacuoles, and cytoplasmic droplets when compared to stained smears. Smearing stallion semen samples onto slides increased the proportion of detached sperm heads. In addition, acrosome defects, nuclear vacuoles, rough/swollen midpieces, and cytoplasmic droplets were difficult to observe with Papanicolaou stain; this method resulted in overestimation of normal sperm when compared to other methods. There were significant differences among clinicians for all sperm morphology classification categories. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that sperm morphology evaluation results varied, depending on the evaluation method and clinician. Wet-mount preparation with phase-contrast microscopy appeared to be more sensitive for identification of abnormal stallion sperm when compared to stained smears. Veterinary andrology laboratories should invest in training, continuing education, proficiency testing, and other quality control measures to minimize the variation of sperm morphology evaluation results among clinicians.

Effects of intratesticular zinc gluconate treatment on testicular dimensions, echodensity, histology, sperm production, and testosterone secretion in American black bears (Ursus americanus).

Eight adult American black bears were used to evaluate the effects of chemical castration by intratesticular zinc gluconate treatment on testicular dimensions, echodensity, histology, sperm production, and testosterone secretion. Treatment did not affect testicular dimensions and did not result in decreased resting or GnRH-stimulated testosterone secretion. Multifocal hyperchoic areas in the testicular parenchyma were observed on ultrasound examination, and white foci were observed on gross pathology examination after zinc gluconate treatment. Histologically, there were normal seminiferous tubules containing either round or elongated spermatids, along with abnormal tubules in all bears after treatment. Vacuolation of the seminiferous epithelium, sloughing of germ cells into the tubules' lumen, presence of multinuclear giant cells, and reduced height of the seminiferous epithelium with missing generations of germ cells were commonly observed. The most severe testicular changes were multifocal and included fibrosis, complete degeneration of the seminiferous epithelium with shrinkage of the tubule, and sperm stasis. Epididymal sperm reserve was 982.74 ± 654.16 × 10(6) sperm (mean ± SEM) and motile sperm were observed in the epididymis of all but one of the bears. In conclusion, although intratesticular zinc gluconate treatment in black bears resulted in testicular degenerative changes detected by ultrasound and histology examinations, sperm production was not completely ablated. We inferred that normal fertility might have been compromised, but treatment unlikely resulted in sterility.

Physical, behavioral, endocrinologic, and cytogenetic evaluation of two Standardbred racehorses competing as mares with an intersex condition and high postrace serum testosterone concentrations.

CASE DESCRIPTION: 2 Standardbred racehorses that had been winning races while competing as mares underwent postrace drug testing and had serum testosterone concentrations above the acceptable limit for female racehorses. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Initial physical examinations by the referring veterinarian revealed ambiguous external genitalia and suspected intra-abdominally located testes leading to a preliminary diagnosis of male pseudohermaphroditism. Horses were referred for further evaluation of sex. Physical examination of the external genitalia confirmed the findings of the referring veterinarian. Transrectal palpation and ultrasonography revealed gonads with an ultrasonographic appearance of testes. On cytogenetic analysis, both horses were determined to have a 64,XY karyotype and 8 intact Y chromosome markers and 5 SRY gene markers, which were indicative of a genetic male and confirmed an intersex condition. Additionally, both horses had some male-type behavior and endocrinologic findings consistent with those of sexually intact males. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Taken together, these findings confirmed that both horses were male pseudohermaphrodites. Both horses returned to racing competition as males. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: As of October 1, 2008, the Pennsylvania Horse and Harness Racing Commissions implemented a postrace drug testing policy that included analysis of blood samples for anabolic and androgenic steroids and set maximum allowable concentrations of testosterone for racing geldings and females. Within 8 months of initiation of this drug testing policy, the 2 horses of this report were identified as having an intersex condition. This raises the possibility that intersex conditions may be more common in racing Standardbreds than was previously suspected.