Isolated conjugate gaze palsy after frontal lobe tumour surgery

Isolated conjugate gaze palsy following unilateral frontal lobe surgery is uncommon. When it does occur, usually it recovers within hours. We report a case of isolated conjugate gaze palsy which persisted for four weeks post-operatively before recovery commenced.

Factors associated with hare mortality during coursing

Hare coursing is a widespread but controversial activity. In an attempt to reduce hare mortality and mitigate the activity's impact on hare welfare, the Irish Coursing Club introduced measures including the compulsory muzzling of dogs in 1993. However, the efficacy of these measures remained the subject of heated debate. Official records, corroborated by independent video evidence, were used to assess the fate of individual Irish hares (Lepus timiclus hibernicus) during coursing events from 1988-2004. Muzzling dogs significantly reduced levels of hare mortality. In courses using unmuzzled dogs from 1988189-1992193 mean hare mortality was 15.8%, compared to 4.1% in courses using muzzled dogs from 1993194-2003104. Further reductions in mortality could not be accounted for by muzzling dogs, supporting the efficacy of other factors such as improved hare husbandry. The duration of the head start given to the hare prior to the release of the dogs significantly affected the outcome of the course. Hares that were killed had head starts of greater duration than those that were chased but survived, suggesting the former may have been slower. The selection of hares by assessment of their running ability may provide means to reduce hare mortality during courses further. Our findings support the efficacy of measures taken to mitigate the impact of coursing on individual hares. However, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of removing hares from the source population and of returning coursed hares to the wild before the wider impact of coursing on wild hare populations can be determined.

Cataract surgery induces retinal pro-inflammatory gene expression and protein secretion

To investigate the effect(s) of cataract surgery on the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins in the retina using an experimental rodent model. An extracapsular lens extraction was performed in one eye of C57BL/6 mice (n=24); the contralateral unoperated eyes (n =24) as well as eyes from unoperated animals (n = 9) served as controls. The neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid were collected postoperatively. Expression of genes involved in the acute inflammatory/ injury response, including IL-1ß, fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor ß, chemokine CCL2, SDF-1, and complements C3, C4, and factor B (CFB), were examined by real-time PCR and, selectively, by immunohistochemistry. The expression of IL-1 ß and CCL2 genes was markedly upregulated (>0-fold, P >0.01) in the neurosensory retina 30 minutes postoperatively and maintained for the 2-week postoperative period of observation; IL-1 ß expression was also upregulated in RPE/choroid. The expression of complement C3 (>-fold) and CFB (>0-fold) genes in the neurosensory retina was also significantly upregulated (P

Comparison of three adjuvants used to produce polyclonal antibodies to veterinary drugs

Two commercially available adjuvants, Gerbu LQ 3000 and Montanide ISA 50V, were assessed as potential replacements for Freund's adjuvant by evaluating their efficacy in the production of polyclonal antibodies to veterinary drugs in rabbits. The aim was to find an adjuvant that could produce a similar (or enhanced) immune response in the host animal without the undesirable side effects associated with Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvant. The assessment involved the examination of each injection site and the characterisation of the resultant antibodies with regards to antibody titre and sensitivity. It was found that the rabbits immunised with Gerbu adjuvant produced some of the most sensitive antibodies. However, titres were relatively low and adverse effects at injection sites were relatively common. Montanide adjuvant produced no adverse effects and the related antibodies were found to be of adequate sensitivity when compared to those from rabbits immunised with Freund's. It was concluded that Montanide ISA 50V could be considered as a suitable replacement to Freund's for the production of polyclonal antibodies, to low molecular weight compounds in rabbits. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Welfare epidemiology as a tool to assess the welfare impact of inherited defects on the pedigree dog population

The effect that breed standards and selective breeding practices have on the welfare of pedigree dogs has recently come under scrutiny from both the general public and scientific community. Recent research has suggested that breeding for particular aesthetic traits, such as tightly curled tails, highly domed skulls and short muzzles predisposes dogs with these traits to certain inherited defects, such as spina bifida, syringomyelia and brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome, respectively. Further to this, there is a very large number of inherited diseases that are not related to breed standards, which are thought to be prevalent, partly as a consequence of inbreeding and restricted breeding pools. Inherited diseases, whether linked to conformation or not, have varying impact on the individuals affected by them, and affect varying proportions of the pedigree dog population. Some diseases affect few breeds but are highly prevalent in predisposed breeds. Other diseases affect many breeds, but have low prevalence within each breed. In this paper, we discuss the use of risk analysis and severity diagrams as means of mapping the overall problem of inherited disorders in pedigree dogs and, more specifically, the welfare impact of specific diseases in particular breeds.