Laboratory animal euthanasia using intra-medullary injection of air

Background and Objective: Globally, millions of rodents are used for various researches annually. These animals must be euthanised with a minimum of physical and mental suffering. We describe intramedully injection of air as safe, reliable and humane method of euthanasia for rodents. Design: A prospective study of the effectiveness of intramedullary injection of air was conducted on thirty six Wister rats in the histology laboratory of the Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria between April to October 2004. Methodology: Thirty six pregnant Wister rats were euthanised by injecting 1ml of air into the medulla through foramen magnum. The time lag between the intramedullary injection of air and achievement of adequate euthanasia was documented for each rat using a stop watch. Results: Out of thirty six rats euthanised through intramedullary injection of air, thirty (83.3%) rats died within 10 seconds after the injection and the remaining 6(16.7%) rats died within 20 seconds after the injection. Conclusion: Intramedullary injection of air is effective, cheap, reliable and humane method of euthanasia in small rodents and requires inexpensive personnel training and is therefore advocated for use in small laboratory animals

Clinical trial of long-acting oxytetracycline and piroxicam in the treatment of canine ehrlichiosis.

Forty-three dogs with canine ehrlichiosis were treated with long-acting oxytetracycline (TLA) at a dose of 20 mg/kg. In order to eliminate pain at the site of injection of TLA, varying doses of piroxicam were administered intramuscularly to the treated dogs. A minimum of 15 mg of piroxicam proved effective in eliminating pain and swelling at the TLA-injection sites, while fever was eliminated with a minimum of 10 mg of piroxicam 24 hours post-treatment. Rapid restoration or improvement of appetite in treated dogs was also observed after treatment with piroxicam and TLA. Both TLA and piroxicam were found to be suitable for use in dogs.

Single-drug chemotherapy of canine transmissible venereal tumor with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, or vincristine.

During a 21-month period, 48 dogs with spontaneous canine transmissible venereal tumor (clinical stage, T1-T3) were presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and were divided into one control and four treatment groups to test the efficacy of single-agent chemotherapeutic drugs. The dogs were not randomly assigned to groups because each chemotherapeutic agent was not continuously available during the test period. Group I consisted of four dogs that received oral cyclophosphamide (50 mg/M2 body surface area [BSA]) on the first four days for six weeks. No therapeutic response was noted in any of the four dogs. Group II consisted of ten dogs that received intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (50 mg/M2 BSA) for four consecutive days per week for six weeks. Two of the ten had a partial remission. Group III consisted of eight dogs that received oral methotrexate (2.5 mg/M2 BSA) every other day for six weeks. No therapeutic response was noted in any of the eight dogs. Group IV consisted of 20 dogs that were administered IV vincristine sulfate (0.5 mg/M2 BSA) weekly until a response was noted. Complete remission occurred in each of the 20 dogs. One dog had recurrence within 12 months. Group V was the untreated control group, consisting of six dogs among which no spontaneous remission was seen. Instead, tumor progression was noted. Adverse responses to medication, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss were seen only with dogs treated with cyclophosphamide and methotrexate.

Histological assessment of puberty in dogs in the Zaria area of northern Nigeria.

The ages of puberty and sexual maturity were histologically determined in 300 dogs, comprising 115 local Nigerian dogs and 185 crosses of local with exotic breeds. The ages ranged from six months to eight and a half years. The age at puberty was estimated to be seven to eight months and the age of sexual maturity to be 10 to 11 months for all the dogs, both local and exotic. Testicular and epididymal dimensions and weights, on average, increased progressively from before puberty until sexual maturity. The same trend was observed in the diameters of seminiferous tubules, the percentage of spermatogenesis and the epididymal sperm reserves. At puberty an average of 51.8 per cent of the caudal epididymal sperm cells of the local dogs had morphological defects compared with 54.5 per cent in the exotic cross breeds. The defects were mostly coiled tails and proximal cytoplasmic droplets. These defects had decreased to an average of 12.8 per cent in all breeds by the time the dogs had attained a mean age of one and a half years. In general the post-pubertal pattern of spermatogenesis in the dogs resembled that of the bull, and the ages at onset of puberty and sexual maturity fall within the range determined for exotic breeds of dogs. There were no significant differences between the local Nigerian dogs and the local cross exotic breeds in the parameters studied.

Viral-like particles associated with naturally occurring transmissible venereal tumor in two dogs: preliminary report.

Naturally occurring canine transmissible venereal tumors in 2 dogs were examined ultrastructurally, using a transmission electron microscope. Typical nondegenerating cells of various shapes with normal cytoplasmic organellae were seen. Degenerating and necrotic cells characterized by loss of normal organellae with vacuolations of the cytoplasm were in all sections studied. Icosahedral electron-dense particles (22 nm diameter) were in the degenerating and necrotic cells. The uniqueness of this finding is not known. The shape and size of the particles indicate that there may be viral involvement.

Experimental and clinical trials of long acting oxytetracycline in the treatment of canine ehrlichiosis.

Four splenectomized dogs were experimentally infected with Ehrlichia canis and treated at the point of illness with long acting (LA) Oxytetracycline at different dosages. Terramycin LA, when given at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight (deep intramuscularly) twice, at a four-day interval, was found to have effectively controlled the disease and has replaced the usual 7-14 successive days' treatment regimen when other groups of tetracycline drugs are used. Predef 2X at the rate of 2 mg given intramuscularly concurrently eliminated the local inflammatory reaction caused by the injection of Terramycin LA. Twenty-four out of the 26 naturally infected dogs which were treated in a similar way were completely cured; one died before it could receive the full treatment, and another received a second medication five weeks after the first treatment, showing recurrent epistaxis; blood samples taken from this dog were negative for E. canis.

Phenol toxicity in a dog.

A case of mild phenol toxicity resulting from percutaneous absorption in a dog is reported. The clinical signs observed were transient and included anorexia, excessive salivation, muscular twitching and skin lesions which persisted. Following treatment, the skin lesions healed in 7 days.

Common diseases of pet animals in West Africa.

A brief review of the major disease of exotic pet animals in West Africa is presented, based on experience, mainly in Nigeria; with pet animals imported from Europe. The conditions mentioned are: ticks, and tickborne diseases, rabies, distemper, feline panleukopenia, trypanosomiasis, hookworm and tumbu-fly infections. The control measures before departure are emphasized.

Common diseases of pet animals in West Africa.

Summary A brief review of the major disease of exotic pet animals in West Africa is presented, based on experience, mainly in Nigeria, with pet animals imported from Europe. The conditions mentioned are: ticks and tickborne diseases, rabies, distemper, feline panleukopenia, trypanosomiasis, hookworm and tumbu-fly infections. The control measures before departure are emphasized.