Pierre Castro Soares

Experimental ammonia poisoning in cattle fed extruded or prilled urea: clinical findings

Twelve yearling Girolando, rumen-fistulated steers never fed with urea before, were distributed randomly in 2 groups of 6 animals each. Both groups were administered intraruminally a single dose (0.5 g/kg BW) of extruded (G1) or prilled (G2) urea to induce ammonia poisoning. The clinical picture was followed for the next 240 min. Besides the classic signs the present study found 3 new additional sign: dehydration, hypothermia and ingurgitated episcleral veins. Convulsion, considered the definite sign, was seen in 5 out of 6 animals from both groups. One steer (G1) had only fasciculation, while another (G2) developed typical clinical signs, but not convulsion, and recovered spontaneously without treatment. The appearance of clinical signs such as muscle tremors, sternal recumbency and convulsive episode occurred at similar times in both groups, but when analyzed altogether they took place later in G1 (p < 0.04). The 1st sign to show up was fasciculation, followed by apathy, hyperaesthesia, pushing against obstacles, muscle tremor, rumen stasis, incoordination, sternal and then lateral recumbency, mild or severe dehydration, and convulsion. Higher heart rate was detected at the convulsive episodes. After the convulsions, 4 animals from each group had mild hypothermia. One steer from G2 fell down in coma and died suddenly before the beginning of the treatment. Although the extruded urea postponed the clinical picture, the signs were as severe as exhibited by cattle administered prilled urea. Both forms of urea offered at high dose can be harmful to cattle never fed urea.

Aspectos epidemiológicos de la criptosporidiosis en becerros de rebaños lecheros

Two groups of 200 dairy calves, from calving to the 60 th days of life, with and without diarrhoea were selected by clinical examination of 930 calves from 30 collective calf boxes, and 13 with individual boxes, chosen at random, in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Feaces smears from the calves were stained by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. A semi-quantitative score of oocysts numbers in feaces was done. The occurrence of diarrhoea was higher during the 2 nd week of life, but cryptosporidiosis was similarly found in calves from the 1 st - 3 rd week of life. Diarrhoea and cryptosporidiosis were less frequent in older calves. Calves with cryptosporidiosis excreted more oocysts and were more frequently found (38%) than asymptomatic calves (11.5%). Most of these later calves were two-weeks old. Calves shedding Cryptosporidium oocysts were seen in 58% of the farms studied, being more prevalent in those farms that kept calves in collective boxes.

Perfil energético e hormonal de ovelhas Santa Inês do terço médio da gestação ao pós-parto

ABSTRACT.- Araujo C.A.S.C., Nikolaus J.P., Morgado A.A., Monteiro B.M., Rodrigues F.A.M.L., Soares P.C. & Sucupira M.C.A. 2014. [Energetic and hormonal profile of Santa Ines ewes in the middle of gestation to postpartum.] Perfil energetico e hormonal de ovelhas Santa Ines do terco medio da gestacao ao pos-parto. Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira 34(12):1251-1257 . Departamento de Clinica Medica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil. E-mail: carolcbpr@gmail.comImportant physiological adaptations occur in the periparturient period; their failure predispose the ewe to metabolic diseases. Knowledge of normal changes makes an early recognition and treatment of mal functions possible and enables prevention of diseases and losses. The biochemical profile of Santa Ines ewes from the 88 th day of gestation until 28 days after parturition was evaluated and compared to non pregnant controls. The ewes were divided in groups according to the number of fetuses: G0, non pregnant (10); G1, one (10); G2, two and three fetuses (14). All animals had their heart and respiratory rates as well as their ruminal motility recorded. Serum and plasma was analyzed for the following parameters: glucose, non esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta hydroxibutyrate (BHB), T3, T4, insulin, glucagon and cortisol activities. Results showed changes in biochemical variables of energy and protein profile during pregnancy and parturition. During the last third of gestation, all ewes showed slightly increased NEFA, T3 and T4 levels when compared to non pregnant ewes. At lambing pregnant ewes, had higher glucose, NEFA and T3 levels. No significant differences on measured parameters comparing simple and multiple gestations were observed. Therefore, when there is adequate adaptation in this period of high meta-bolic challenge, biochemical parameters considered here are independent of the number of fetuses gestate and can be considered as reference values for a pregnant ewes from the middle third of gestation to first month postnatal period.

Avaliação de alguns tratamentos na intoxicação por amônia em bovinos

Para avaliar tratamentos na intoxicacao por amonia, 15 novilhos, infundidos com solucao de cloreto de amonio, foram distribuidos em tres grupos de cinco animais cada e tratados, como: 1 - grupo-controle (C), infundido com solucao salina fisiologica (H); 2 - grupo O+H, medicado com aminoacidos do ciclo da ureia (O) e H; 3 - grupo O+F+H, o mesmo protocolo do grupo 2 acrescido de furosemida (F). Os animais foram monitorados, colhendo-se amostras sanguineas e todo volume urinario. Os tratamentos O+F+H e O+H promoveram melhora clinica pronunciada, em relacao ao grupo H, isto e, permaneceram em estacao, retornaram o movimento de rumen e o apetite e recuperaram-se do edema pulmonar mais rapidamente. Observaram-se, nos grupos O+F+H e O+H, teores plasmaticos mais baixos de amonia e lactato-L, urina mais abundante, excrecao pela urina de maior quantidade de amonio e ureia, depuracao mais intensa de amonia do sangue e pH urinario mais baixo. Concluiu-se que os tratamentos propostos apresentaram acao efetiva principalmente por diminuirem a hiperamonemia, por meio da maior excrecao renal de amonio e maior transformacao hepatica de amonia em ureia

Avaliação laboratorial do uso de solução salina hipertônica e isotônica e de furosemida no tratamento da intoxicação por amônia em bovinos

Para testar a eficiencia de varios tratamentos de intoxicacao por amonia em bovinos, foram utilizados 25 garrotes que receberam cloreto de amonio por infusao intravenosa (iv) ate o surgimento de quadro convulsivo. Em seguida, os animais foram alocados em um dos cinco grupos experimentais e tratados da seguinte forma: 1) controle: infusao (iv) de 300mL de solucao salina isotonica (SSI), no decorrer de 4h; 2) infusao (iv) de 30mL kg-1 PV de SSI no decorrer de 4h e administracao de 4L de agua intraruminal por meio de sonda esofagica (ASE); 3) mesmo tratamento do grupo 2 e dose unica (iv) de furosemida (2mg kg-1 PV) (F); 4) injecao (iv) de 5mL kg-1 PV de solucao salina hipertonica (SSH) 7,2% nos primeiros 30min, seguida de 20mL kg-1 PV de SSI e 4L de ASE; 5) mesmo tratamento do grupo 4 e dose unica de F. No decorrer de 4h apos a convulsao, foram determinados os teores plasmaticos de amonia e glicose, ureia, creatinina, potassio e sodio sericos, volume e gravidade especifica da urina, e excrecao urinaria de amonio e ureia. No momento da convulsao, os teores de amonia plasmaticos foram muito altos e identicos em todos os tratamentos, mas no 120°min, nos grupos tratados com associacao de SSH+SSI+ASE (grupos 4 e 5), houve diminuicao desse metabolito. O uso de furosemida (grupos 3 e 5) nao aumentou a excrecao total de urina. A terapia com associacao de SSH+SSI+ASE aumentou ainda o volume urinario e a excrecao percentual urinaria de ureia e amonia durante o periodo critico da 1a hora de tratamento, mas o uso de SSI+ASE (grupos 2 e 3) teve resultados intermediarios. A eficiencia do tratamento com SSH+SSI+ASE ou SSI+ASE foi superior ao grupo controle. Embora com efeito menor que o observado com SSH+SSI+ASE, a SSI+ASE promoveu melhora no quadro clinico geral e, ao termino do experimento, promoveu tambem uma adequada desintoxicacao da amonia.