Introduction: The thyroid and parathyroid glands play a major role in maintaining physiological homeostasis in all vertebrates. Reptiles have plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones far lower than mammals. Low levels of these hormones in reptiles impede thyroid hormone detection with assays designed for the higher levels of mammals. The aim of this study was to explore teaming this with ultrasound imaging of the thyroid to appraise glandular function. Material and Methods: Thyroid function of four pond sliders was evaluated based on the results of T4 analyses and ultrasound. Results: The concentrations of T4 varied considerably between the examined animals from <9 nmol/L to >167.3 nmol/L. Ultrasound examination revealed uniform echogenicity and a smooth outline of the thyroid gland in all animals. Conclusion: Monitoring of thyroid function based on T4 and electrolyte concentrations is helpful in assessing the health and living conditions of reptiles, which is important in veterinary practice but problematic. Ultrasound examinations are useful in diagnosing changes in gland structure, such as tumours and goitres, and a combination of both methods supports comprehensive assessments of the anatomy and function of the thyroid gland.

The aim of this study was to investigate Q fever seroprevalence in sheep and goats in the Marmara region. Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. In ruminants, the disease causes reproductive disorders, premature births and stillbirths. Blood samples of sheep and goats were collected from the Marmara region of Turkey and a commercial ELISA was used for detection of specific antibodies to C. burnetii. A total of 832 samples (627 from sheep and 205 from goats) obtained from 126 herds located in 110 villages in 63 municipalities across all 11 provinces were utilised. Total seroprevalence was found to be 13.22%, while the proportion of seropositive herds was determined to be over threefold higher at 42.85%. The seroprevalence for sheep was found to be 14.19%, and for goats 10.24%. The herd seropositivity rate for sheep of 46.31% and for goats of 32.25% were also over threefold higher than the species-level seroprevalences. The provincial seroprevalence varied between 1.38% and 21.79%. This study confirms the presence of C. burnetii in sheep and goat herds in the Marmara region and provides original seroprevalence data in hitherto uninvestigated provinces. The data gathered are beneficial for evaluation and elaboration of the seroprevalence of Q fever in sheep and goats in the Marmara region. Surveillance studies should be maintained, particularly in provinces with high seropositivity rates.

The use of growth promoters in animal husbandry to increase weight gain and efficiency of feed conversion into muscle has been banned in the European Union since 1988, and under Directive 96/23/EC, surveillance for anabolic steroid hormones is obligatory. The hormones present in animal tissues may be of endogenous origin or may result from illegal administration. Steps have been taken to determine selected steroids in the form of esters in the alternative matrix of animal hair. Their detection in biological material is direct proof of the illegal use of anabolics. The procedure for the determination of steroid esters in animal hair, based on digestion, extraction, purification, and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was validated under the current regulations. In total, 348 samples of animal hair were examined using this method. Good recoveries and precision values (RSD) were obtained during validation. Decision limits (CCα) and detection capabilities (CCβ) were in the ranges of 2.57–4.18 μg kg⁻¹ and 4.38–7.12 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The method met the criteria for confirmation techniques with respect to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Testing for steroid esters in animal hair was introduced into the National Residue Control Programme in 2017. Steroid esters were not found in any hair samples above the CCα, which indicates that illegal use of anabolics was not confirmed.

Medicinal products in Europe are under the strict control of many organisations headed by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM) in Strasbourg and its related General European Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCLs) Network (GEON). The EDQM works in cooperation with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). All of these institutions have one main goal – to protect public health in Europe and around the world. One of the more important effects of the harmonisation of pharmaceutical law in Europe was the introduction of the mutual recognition principle for the Official Control Authority Batch Release (OCABR)/Official Batch Protocol Review (OBPR) certificates in the European Union. The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Poland is an example of an OMCL laboratory within the Veterinary Batch Release Network (VBRN) that issues the European certificates. The NVRI is actively involved in the batch release of immunological veterinary medicinal products (IVMPs), with approximately 1,800 certificates for IVMPs issued per year. It is also one of only four veterinary OMCLs that perform Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) studies including approximately 47 IVMPs per year. All the results of the testing data are sent to the Chief Veterinary Officer, and also to the electronic Network platforms of the EDQM, which enables transparent information exchange.

OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of radiographic measurement of liver area in small-breed dogs and to assess correlations between CT liver volume measurements (reference standard) and radiographic liver size measurements. ANIMALS 107 small-breed dogs (body weight, ≤ 10 kg) that had previously undergone orthogonal thoracic and abdominal radiography and abdominal CT. PROCEDURES In a retrospective study design, dogs were allocated to groups (normal liver [n = 36], microhepatia [34], and hepatomegaly [37]) on the basis of radiographic liver size and clinicopathologic findings. Radiographic liver area (RLA) was automatically calculated from archived radiographic images by free-hand outlining of the liver margins by use of DICOM viewer software, and other standard radiographic measurements were performed. Liver volume was measured on CT images. Intraoperator repeatability of RLA and CT measurements was assessed (duplicate measurements 2 weeks apart). To control for various breed conformations, radiographic values were normalized to body weight and T11 area. RESULTS Mean ± SD ratios of RLA to T11 area and RLA to body weight for dogs with normal livers were 32.7 ± 6.2 and 7.0 ± 1.4, respectively. Excellent intraobserver agreement was observed in RLA measurements within groups (intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.861 to 0.989), and RLA measurements had the highest correlation with CT liver volume measurements (r = 0.94) of all radiographic measurements. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings indicated that RLA measurement in small-breed dogs with or without liver disease was useful and accurate for estimation of liver size, compared with CT measurement, and might be particularly useful for monitoring of changes in liver size.

OBJECTIVE To determine usefulness of skin turgor and capillary refill time (CRT) for predicting changes in hydration status of working dogs after a 15-minute exercise period. ANIMALS 9 exercise-conditioned working dogs between 8 and 108 months of age. PROCEDURES Skin tent time (SkTT; time for tented skin on the forehead to return to an anatomically normal position) and CRT (time for occluded mucous membrane capillary vessels to return to the color visible before occlusion) were measured on dogs in a field setting and by video review. Body weight (BW), SkTT, CRT, and core body temperature were measured before and after a 15-minute exercise period. Exercise challenge was performed on days 1 and 8. RESULTS Time (day 1 vs day 8) did not significantly affect results; therefore, data were pooled for the 2 trial days. Mean ± SE BW decreased (but not significantly) by 0.83 ± 0.27% after exercise. The SkTT increased significantly (both field setting and video review) after exercise. Correlation between SkTT results for the field setting and video review (r = 0.68) was significant. The CRT decreased (but not significantly) after exercise. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Dogs became mildly dehydrated (mean BW loss, 0.83%) during a 15-minute exercise period, and the mild dehydration was evident as a visually detectable change in skin turgor. Monitoring the SkTT appeared to be a useful strategy for predicting small shifts in hydration status of dogs during exercise. The CRT decreased and was not a significant predictor of a change in hydration status.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether a virulent Canadian isolate of Senecavirus A (SVA) causes idiopathic vesicular disease (IVD) in pigs. Senecavirus A, which was first isolated in the United States in 2002 as Seneca Valley Virus, was linked to cases of porcine idiopathic vesicular disease in Canada in 2007 and in the United States in 2010. Since 2014, SVA outbreaks in Brazil, the US, Canada, China, Thailand, and Colombia point to an expanding global distribution and the need to study the pathogenicity of the virus. Unlike the prototype virus, recent US isolates of SVA have been shown to cause vesicular disease in pigs. We report vesicular disease in pigs following experimental inoculation with a 2016 Canadian isolate of SVA. All inoculated pigs developed vesicular lesions regardless of route of inoculation. Virus was detected in blood and oral fluids as well as on oral and fecal swabs. In addition, all pigs seroconverted to SVA by 6 days post-inoculation (DPI). This study confirms that recent Canadian isolates of SVA cause vesicular disease in pigs and highlights the importance of monitoring SVA for increased virulence.

In Korea, for the past 30 years (1987-present), porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) has been established as an endemic situation in which multiple genogroups of classical G1 and G2b, and the recently introduced pandemic G2a, coexisted. Because of the dynamic nature of the virus, continuous field monitoring for PEDV strains is required. This study is the first to reveal prevalence of PEDV in 9 sampling provinces, with an overall detection rate of 6.70%. Porcine endemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was present in pigs of all ages, especially in the non-PED vaccinated groups. The highest detection rate was in the finisher group (2.34%), followed by that in the newborn group (1.56%). Secondly, using Sanger sequencing, this study recovered a complete genome (28 005 nucleotides long) of NB1 strain from a farm severely affected by PED. Analyses of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences showed that NB1 differed from 18 other Korean PEDV mostly in 4 protein coding genes: ORF1a, ORF1b, S, and N. Two amino acid substitutions (V635E and Y681Q) in the COE and S1D neutralizing epitopes of NB1 resulted in antigenic index alteration of the adjacent sites, one of which contributed to a mutation that escaped neutralizing antibodies.

Mycoplasma bovis is a major cause of pneumonia, arthritis, and mastitis in cattle and can lead to significant economic losses. Antimicrobial resistance is a concern and further limits the already short list of drugs effective against mycoplasmas. The objective of this study was to examine changes in in vitro minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antimicrobials of aminoglycoside, fluoroquinolone, lincosamide, macrolide, pleuromutilin, phenicol, and tetracycline classes for 210 M. bovis isolates collected from 1978 to 2009. The MIC(50) values of the various antimicrobials were also compared. The MIC(50) levels for enrofloxacin and danofloxacin remained low (0.25 μg/mL) across all 3 decades. MIC(50) levels for tetracyclines, tilmicosin, and tylosin tartrate were low in the 1980s, then increased in the 1990s and remained high. In the 1980s, MIC(50) levels were low for clindamycin, spectinomycin, and tulathromycin, increased in the 1990s to 8 μg/mL (clindamycin) and 32 μg/mL (spectinomycin and tulathromycin), then decreased again in the 2000s. Members of the fluoroquinolone class of antimicrobials had the lowest MIC(50) levels across all 3 decades, which suggests in vitro susceptibility of M. bovis to this class of antimicrobials. Statistically significant associations were observed between MIC values for chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tylosin tartrate, and tilmicosin; between clindamycin, tulathromycin, spectinomycin, and tiamulin; and between tylosin tartrate and clindamycin. Changes in MIC levels of various antimicrobials over time show the importance of monitoring the susceptibility of mycoplasmas to antimicrobials. The number of antimicrobials that showed elevated MIC(50) levels, and therefore possibly reduced in vitro effectiveness against M. bovis, supports initiatives that promote prudent use of antimicrobials in agriculture.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate and report measurements of the radiographic cardiac silhouette of healthy juvenile and adult ospreys (Pandion haliaetus). ANIMALS 54 ospreys (22 adults, 19 juveniles, and 13 birds of undetermined age) without clinical signs of cardiac disease and with adequate ventrodorsal radiographic images for cardiac silhouette assessment. PROCEDURES Radiographs of ospreys were assessed to determine cardiac width at the widest point as well as sternal width and thoracic width at the same level. Two-way mixed-effects models were used to evaluate interrater reliability for mean rating. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to create predictive models of cardiac width and to establish a theoretical reference range for healthy ospreys. RESULTS Cardiac width of healthy ospreys was approximately 90% to 92% of sternal width and 67% to 69% of thoracic width. Both sternal width and thoracic width were significant predictors of cardiac width in independent predictive models as well as in a combined model after controlling for age. Thirty-four of 41 (83%) measured cardiac widths were within the theoretical reference range. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Ospreys are sentinels used in monitoring environmental health. Environmental factors may have an impact on the cardiac health of ospreys, but reference values for healthy ospreys have not been established for use in assessing cardiomegaly in this species. The radiographic ratios and predictive model obtained in this study may be useful for objective evaluation of cardiomegaly in ospreys.