Quasiamidostomum fulicae (Rudolphi, 1819) Lomakin, 1991, is a species of which the systematic position is still unclear, and it is reported in the literature under many synonyms. In the present study, an attempt has been made at establishing the ultimate systematic position of Quasiamidostomum fulicae against the backdrop of selected Amidostomatinae species. The parasites were identified based on measurements of external and internal structures. Ecological analysis of Q. fulicae was carried out using the quantitative indices (frequency, prevalence, mean intensity, relative abundance, and dominance index). Statistical analyses (discriminant analysis) were performed on measurement data. The intestines of 77 coots were examined. They yielded a total of 398 parasites, including 67 identified as Q. fulicae. Both males and females were located in the muscular gizzard. The morphometric analysis of Q. fulicae in this study showed the dimensions of all the internal organs to be in agreement with measurements reported by other authors. The discriminant analysis, used to find the differences between the examined nematode species (Amidostomoides acutum, A. petrovi, A. monodon, Amidostomum anseris, and Quasiamidostomum fulicae), gave highly significant results (P < 0.0001) with respect to both males and females. The results justify the separation of Q. fulicae from the genus Amidostomum.

Five-minute heart-rate variability (HRV) measurement is a useful tool for assessing the autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance in humans, but there are no studies on healthy dogs. The aim of the study was, therefore, to provide the reference ranges in small and medium-sized breeds for short-term HRV time and frequency domain (TFD) analyses. A total of 79 healthy dogs were included in the study between 2015 and 2019. Grouping by age with the breakpoint at six years and subgrouping by reproductive status and sex was imposed. All the dogs were included after physical and cardiological examinations and blood analyses. The TFD of HRV were analysed from a five-minute-long digital ECG recording after removal of non-sinus complexes. There were no statistically significant differences in any TFD parameters between age, reproductive status or sex groups. A mild increase in all time domain parameters and the high-frequency (HF) band was observed in older dogs, and the low frequency (LF):HF ratio decreased in these dogs. In males, the time domain parameters and HF band increased slightly. The normal ranges for HRV derived from short-term ECG recording in the usual clinical environment now have proposed reference ranges. Our findings suggest that accommodation time, age, sex, or reproductive status do not influence the results derived from these recordings, indicating that this method is reliable for assessing the ANS function in small and medium-sized dog breeds.

An effective way of preventing undesirable boar taint in pork meat caused by the presence of androstenone, skatole and indole is surgical castration of piglets. This, however, arouses growing social opposition. An alternative method of inhibiting the development of unpleasant odour is immune castration. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of both methods of castration for the elimination of the compounds responsible and to assess the suitability of oral fluid for pre-slaughter predictive testing for boar taint. The research material was pooled oral fluid and fat samples taken from gilts and surgically and immunologically castrated piglets. The samples were tested with a liquid chromatography– tandem mass spectrometry method developed in this research. The compounds giving rise to boar taint were found only sporadically above the accepted limits; only one sample of oral fluid contained skatole at a concentration above 200 μg L⁻¹ and one contained indole more concentrated than 100 μg L⁻¹. Indole above the limit value was also detected in one fat sample. In none of the tested samples was androstenone found. The results indicate the similar effectiveness of both methods of piglet castration on the reduction of compounds generating boar taint. The usefulness of testing oral fluid for the ante-mortem prediction of boar taint has not been fully confirmed and further investigation is needed.

This study determined the presence of nitric oxide synthesis isoforms (nNOS, iNOS, and eNOS) in thoracic spinal cord segments and nodose ganglia of rats with gamma-irradiated livers. Male rats (n = 32) were divided into equal groups A, B, C, and D. In group A, the controls, no radiation was applied, while groups B, C, and D received 10 Gy of ionising gamma radiation. The rats of group B were euthanized at the end of the first day (d1), those of group C on the second day (d2), and those of group D on the third day (d3). The liver, spinal cord segments, and nodose ganglion tissues were dissected and fixed, and the liver sections were examined histopathologically. The other tissues were observed through a light microscope. Regeneration occurred at the end of d3 in hepatocytes which were radiation-damaged at the end of d1 and d2. On d1, some nNOS-positive staining was found in the neuronal cells of laminae I–III of the spinal cord and in neurons of the nodose ganglion, and on d3, some staining was observed in lamina X of the spinal cord, while none of note was in the nodose ganglion. Dense iNOS-positive staining was seen on d1 in the ependymal cells of the spinal cord and in the glial cells of the nodose ganglion, and on d3, there was still considerable iNOS staining in both tissues. There was clear eNOS-positive staining in the capillary endothelial cells of the spinal cord and light diffuse cytoplasmic staining in the neurons of the nodose ganglion on d1, and on d3, intense eNOS-positive staining was visible in several endothelial cells of the spinal cord, while light nuclear staining was recognised in the neurons of the nodose ganglion. The nNOS, iNOS, and eNOS isoforms are activated in the spinal cord and nodose ganglion of rats after ionising radiation insult to the liver.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether luteinizing hormone receptors (LHRs) are expressed in canine femoral head subchondral bone (FHSB), hip joint round ligament (RL), cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), and femorotibial joint synovium (FJS) specimens. SAMPLE 1 specimen each of the FHSB, RL, CCL, and FJS obtained from the left hind limbs of 19 fresh canine cadavers. PROCEDURES 1 section of each FHSB, RL, CCL, and FJS specimen was processed with rabbit polyclonal IgG anti-human LHR antibody, and 1 section was treated with negative control reagents. Percentage immunoexpression of LHRs in FHSB and FJS sections was analyzed by assessment of 100 bone marrow cells or synoviocytes in 3 adjacent hpf (400×). In each RL and CCL section, immunoexpression of LHRs in fibrocytes was semiquantitatively analyzed on the basis of the mean of the product of percentage staining score (from 0 [no staining] to 3 [> 50% of cells stained]) and staining intensity score (from 0 [no staining] to 2 [moderate to strong staining]) for 3 adjacent hpf. RESULTS All tissues examined had variable LHR expression. Expression of LHRs in FHSB, CCL, or FJS specimens did not differ between sexes or between sexually intact and gonadectomized dogs. However, RL specimens from female dogs had significantly greater LHR expression scores, compared with findings for male dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that LHRs are expressed in structural support tissues of canine hip and femorotibial joints. Further research is required to determine the LHRs' function, mechanism of action, and potential contribution to the pathogenesis of hip dysplasia or CCL rupture in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine the change in mean hepatic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and hepatic fat fraction (HFF) during body weight gain in cats by use of MRI. ANIMALS 12 purpose-bred adult neutered male cats. PROCEDURES The cats underwent general health and MRI examination at time 0 (before dietary intervention) and time 1 (after 40 weeks of being fed high-energy food ad libitum). Sequences included multiple-echo gradient-recalled echo MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI with 3 b values (0, 400, and 800 s/mm2). Variables (body weight and the HFF and ADC in selected regions of interest in the liver parenchyma) were compared between time points by Wilcoxon paired-sample tests. Relationships among variables were assessed with generalized mixed-effects models. RESULTS Median body weight was 4.5 and 6.5 kg, mean ± SD HFF was 3.39 ± 0.89% and 5.37 ± 1.92%, and mean ± SD hepatic ADC was 1.21 ± 0.08 × 10−3 mm2/s and 1.01 ± 0.2 × 10−3 mm2/s at times 0 and 1, respectively. Significant differences between time points were found for body weight, HFF, and ADC. The HFF was positively associated with body weight and ADC was negatively associated with HFF. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Similar to findings in people, cats had decreasing hepatic ADC as HFF increased. Protons associated with fat tissue in the liver may reduce diffusivity, resulting in a lower ADC than in liver with lower HFF. Longer studies and evaluation of cats with different nutritional states are necessary to further investigate these findings.

OBJECTIVE To assess the extent of damage to the skull and brain of cadaveric dairy goat kids caused by a .22-caliber, 16-g pellet fired from a multipump air pistol at various power levels. SAMPLE Cadavers of 8 male and 7 female dairy goat kids ≤ 5 days old. PROCEDURES Each cadaver was positioned in sternal recumbency with the head and neck extended on a straw bale. A multipump air pistol was held with the barrel perpendicular to and 2.5 cm from the head at the intersection of 2 imaginary lines that extended from the lateral canthus of each eye to the middle of the contralateral ear base and fired at half (5 pumps; n = 2), intermediate (7 pumps; 2), or full (10 pumps; 11) power. The head and neck were removed from the carcass for CT imaging and gross sectioning to determine the location of the pellet and extent of damage caused to the skull and brain. RESULTS The pellet successfully penetrated the skull of all 13 heads shot at full or intermediate power and 1 of the 2 heads shot at half power. The pellet did not fragment after entering the skull of any cadaver and penetrated the brainstem (necessary for instantaneous death) in only 7 cadavers. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The described technique was insufficient for use as a stand-alone method for euthanizing young dairy goat kids. Modification of the technique warrants further research to determine whether air pistols can be used to effectively euthanize young goat kids.