Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is one of the main pathotypes causing gastroenteritis, particularly in young immunocompromised hosts. The study reports the prevalence, characterisation, and molecular epidemiology of EPEC from piglets in northeastern India. A total of 457 faecal samples were collected, from which 1,286 E. coli strains were isolated and screened by PCR. The resultant EPEC strains were serotyped and phenotypically characterised for resistance against 15 antimicrobials. Also, the phylogenetic sequence was analysed for 11 selected strains. A total of 42 strains (3.26%) belonged to atypical EPEC, of which, 15 (35.71%, and 2.29% of the 654 strains from this farm type) were isolated from organised and 27 (64.29%, and 4.27% of the 632 strains from this farm type) from unorganised farms; further, 5 (11.90% of the EPEC strains and 1.51% of the 330 strains from this breed) were isolated from the indigenous breeds and 37 (88.10%, and 3.87% of the 956 strains from this breed) from crossbred piglets. Serogroups O111 (11.9%) and O118 (7.14%) were the most prevalent of the 10 present. Sequence analysis of a length of the eaeA gene of 11 isolates of the region showed them to have 100% homology with each other and their identity ranged from 99.4% to 99.7% with GenBank reference sequences. All the EPEC isolates were multi-drug resistant, showing the highest resistance to amoxicillin (80.9%) and cephalexin (76.19%). The study highlighted the association of EPEC with piglet’s diarrhoea in northeastern India. EPEC isolates belonged to many serotypes and phenotypically all were multi-drug resistant with close genetic homology.

Ocular biometry, using A-scan ultrasonography and ultrasonographic pachymetry, was performed in 52 Samoyeds, 2 months to 13 years old, without intraocular or systemic diseases. Furthermore, the relative depth of the opening of the ciliary cleft was estimated from goniophotographs. The values were analyzed, and statistical models of changes in ocular distances with increasing age were identified. It was found that the changes in corneal thickness, axial anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, relative lens position, length of the vitreous body, and axial length could best be described by 1 of the 2 nonlinear models (...). The course began with a period of rapid increase, after which the ocular distance either increased at a progressively slower rate toward infinity (corneal and lens thickness) or to a finite limit (relative lens position and axial length), or ceased to grow and finally started to decrease toward minus infinity (axial anterior chamber depth and length of the vitreous body). However, suitable model for determining relative depth of the opening of the ciliary cleft could not be established. Results indicated that age-related changes, mainly in lens thickness, cause a shallow anterior chamber, and it was suggested that this may be of importance for development of a relative pupillary block and, thus, primary angle-closure glaucoma, at least in preconditioned eyes of Samoyeds.

Urethral pressures profiles (UPP) obtained by use of microtransducer catheters were determined in 8 anestrous sexually intact female Beagles during general anesthesia. A UPP study consisted of 3 consecutive recordings, and 4 UPP studies were repeated at an interval of 5 days in each dog. Maximal urethral pressure (cm of H2O), bladder pressure (cm of H2O), and anatomic urethral length (cm) were recorded. Maximal urethral closure pressure (cm of H2O) was calculated. Mean +/- SD (for all measurements) maximal urethral closure pressure was 12.8 +/- 5.6 cm of H2O (range, 2.4 to 25.2 cm of H2O). Maximal urethral closure pressure was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased during the first recording period (11.4 +/- 5.8 cm of H2O), Compared with the second (13.0 +/- 5.2 cm of H2O) or third 14.1 +/- 5.7 cm of H2O) recording periods within a UPP study (3 consecutive recordings). Mean maximal difference in urethral closure pressure during a single UPP study was 4.8 +/- 2.4 cm of H2O. Significant difference in maximal urethral closure pressure was not observed between studies. Mean (for all measurements) anatomic urethral length was 6.2 +/- 0.9 cm (4.1 to 7.8 cm). Anatomic urethral length was significantly (P < 0.05) less during the first recording period (6.1 +/- 0.9 cm), compared with values for the second and third periods (6.3 +/- 0.9 cm, 6.4 0.9 cm respectively). Anatomic urethral length for time 3 was significantly (P < 0.05) less than the value for time 1 (5.8 +/- 0.7 cm vs 6.6 +/- 0.8 cm). We conclude that the microtransducer catheter technique for measurement of UPP was reproducible during a single study and between successive studies. This method is useful in documenting maximal urethral pressure, maximal urethral closure pressure, and anatomic urethral length in clinically normal sexually intact female dogs.

Urethral smooth muscle tone in response to treatment with phenylephrine, a selective alpha 1-adrenergic receptor agonist, and prazosin a selective alpha 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, was evaluated in 12 anesthetized healthy adult sexually intact male cats. Intravenous administration of prazosin (20 to 30 micrograms/kg of body weight) decreased the average preprostatic and prostatic intraurethral pressure, compared with baseline and postphenylephrine (20 to 30 micrograms(kg) administration, values. Neither prazosin nor phenylephrine administration had an effect on functional urethral length. Results have implications for the pharmacologic management of lower urinary tract disorders in male cats.

Axial length and corneal curvature were determined by use of A-scan ultrasonography and keratometry on both eyes of dogs of various breeds, sizes, and ages. Mean axial length was 20.43 +/- 1.48 mm; axial length was not related to age or sex, but was significantly greater (P = 0.047) in dogs of larger breeds. Mean corneal curvature was 39.94 +/- 2.61 diopters. Dogs of large breeds had significantly (P < 0.001) flatter corneas. Mild, roughly symmetric astigmatism was detected in a majority of dogs. Use of mean values in a theoretic artificial intraocular lens power equation suggests that aphakic dogs require an implant of approximately 40 diopters to achieve emmetropia.

In a group of 65 dogs, radiographic liver length, the length of the axis from the most cranial part of the diaphragm to the apex of the liver tip, was correlated significantly (P less than 0.000001) with real liver volume. Within this group, radiograhic liver length, compared with the length of the eleventh thoracic vertebra, was correlated with liver volume per kilogram of body weight. In a group of 30 dogs, with histologically normal liver, this measurement was not affected by thoraic conformation. These findings suggest that radiographic liver length is a reliable measurement for estimating liver volume in dogs and that it is not influenced by thoracic conformation. For 60 of the 65 dogs, a method of assessment of liver volume was formulated that required 2 measurements to be made on the lateral abdominal radiograph and 1 to be made on the dog itself.

Dermal microfilariae recovered form specimens obtained from umbilical and cervical sites of cattle infected with adult Onchocerca gutturosa alone or with adults of O gutturosa and O lienalis were measured and compared with uterine microfilariae obtained directly from gravid female worms of each species. Uterine microfilariae of O gutturosa were longer than dermal microfilariae obtained from cattle harboring only adults of O gutturosa. Dermal microfilariae were recovered from umbilical and cervical sites in these cattle. Those found at the cervical site had lengths equal to or greater than lengths of microfilariae recovered from the umbilical site. There was a significant (P less than 0.0001) shift in length across populations of microfilariae of O gutturosa from various sites in its bovine host, with a progressive decrease in length between microfilariae recovered from the worm's uterus, microfilariae from the cervical dermis, and microfilariae from the umbilical dermis, respectively. A similar direct comparison was not possible for microfilariae of O lienalis, because none of the cattle was infected with only adult worms of this species. In an indirect comparison, microfilariae of O lienalis were identified at the umbilicus, but their presence in the cervical region could not be determined unequivocally because of confounding of microfilariae length by concurrent infection with O gutturosa. Uterine microfilariae from O lienalis were longer than uterine microfilariae of O gutterosa, although a degree of overlap in the range of measurements existed between species.

A retrospective study was employed to investigate the effect of dry period length on reproduction, incidence of reproductive and metabolic disorders and milk production in Holstein cows belonging to a commercial dairy. Over a 5 year period (2000- 2005), data about reproductive performance, postpartum and metabolic disorders were collected on 1914 multiparous Holstein cows. Out of the obtained data production performance were available only for 793 cows. According to the obtained data the dry period was categorized into 10 groups of different lengths. Reproductive performances including the interval to 1st service, service period, number of inseminations per conception, day’s open, calving interval and percentage of pregnant cows within 100 days in milking (DIM) were recorded as a function of dry period length. The incidence of postpartum reproductive and metabolic disorders included retained fetal membranes (RFM), endometritis, cystic ovarian disease (COD), mastitis, milk fever (MF), ketosis and abomasal displacement were recorded as a function of dry period length. Milk production was also studied in relation to dry period length. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was performed. The most important notifiable results were: cows with dry period less than 28 days showed the best reproductive performance and the highest incidence of abomasal displacement among all groups. In general, the incidence of MF and RFM were higher in short dry period cows, while the incidence of ketosis was higher in cows with long dry period length. A highly significant difference was recorded between daily milk yield of cows with dry period less than 64 days (27.23 kg) and those of cows with dry period > 64 days (25.20 kg). Finally, it is recommended to keep the dry period of 40-60 day lengths to obtain optimum reproduction, health and production of Holstein cows.

Effects of the neuromuscular blocking agent succinylcholine (n = 9), the centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant diazepam (n = 11), and the direct-acting skeletal muscle relaxant dantrolene sodium (n = 8) on the urethral pressure profile were evaluated in anesthetized, healthy, sexually intact, adult male cats. Intravenous administration of succinylcholine (0.075 mg/kg of body weight) significantly decreased mean absolute pressure in the prostatic and post-prostatic/penile intraurethral segments by -9.5 and -6.5 mm of Hg, respectively (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.0006, respectively). Dantrolene (1.0 mg/kg, IV) significantly decreased mean prostatic and postprostatic/ penile intraurethral segmental pressures by -3.5 and -2.8 mm of Hg, respectively (P = 0.005 and P = 0.0181, respectively). Diazepam (0.8 mg/kg, IV) did not significantly alter mean intraurethral segmental pressures. None of the drugs caused a change in segmental lengths of the urethra. These results indicate that skeletal muscle makes a substantial contribution to intraurethral tone in anesthetized, healthy, sexually intact male cats and that skeletal muscle relaxation may be successful in reducing prostatic and post-prostatic/penile urethral segmental tone in male cats. These results also suggest that dantrolene sodium may be valuable for the pharmacologic management of urethral disorders in male cats.