Veterinary Science & Technology

Monitoring phenobarbital levels in dogs has not traditionally taken free-to-bound serum phenobarbital levels into consideration. This study was designed to evaluate free-to-bound phenobarbital in healthy research dogs during the initiation of therapy with phenobarbital. These findings were compared with the levels obtained during routine therapeutic monitoring of phenobarbital in epileptic dogs. This appears to be the first descriptive study which has looked at free-to-bound phenobarbital in clinical canine patients. During the first week of therapy in healthy canine subjects, the free-to-bound ratio was 0.7 due to the high degree of protein-binding of serum phenobarbital. This was in contrast to the level of protein-binding in epileptic patients receiving phenobarbital chronically, with a free-to-bound ratio of 3.0 ± 2.7. Moreover, during the initiation of therapy with phenobarbital, some of the bound fraction could be displaced with sulfadimethoxine indicating that free-to-bound phenobarbital may have significance during this period. On the other hand, chronic therapy in epileptic dogs leads to reduction in the bound fraction for serum phenobarbital. This leads to a strong, direct correlation of total and free phenobarbital in these patients. This relationship is consistent over a wide range of serum concentrations and does not appear to be affected by the age of the patient, the length of chronic therapy or the presence of other anticonvulsant medications. There was an inverse relationship with total plasma proteins and free phenobarbital concentrations, but it was not statistically significant. Routine monitoring of free-to-bound phenobarbital may not be warranted except under specific conditions.

The aim of this study was to comparative of two therapies pharmacological based ivermectin and febendazole by Strongyles control intestinal in Thoroughbreds horses. Were study 110 horses all of 2 years old (55 Stallion and 55 Mares), in the Racetrack “La Rinconada” Caracas-Venezuela. A stool test was performed prior to treatment to each horse. Group 1: 50 horses were evaluated before treatment, using a stool test, then was given Ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) 1% 7 ml, with reassessment intramuscularly coprological at 7 days. Group 2: 50 horses were evaluated before treatment, using a stool test, Fenbendazole was later administered (5 mg/kg) 18.8% oral paste 12 g. With reassessment coprological at 7 days. Group 3: 10 equines those not administered drug therapy, alone parasite burden was assessed using a fecal examination by Willis test. Anthelmintics effectiveness was conducted by counting fecal drug-treated group and the untreated control group. The results Group1 with Ivermectin 2.38 EPG showed pre-treatment and post treatment 7 days EPG 0.48. The group2 with Fenbendazole obtained 2.66 EPG and 7 days post treatment was obtained 0.06 EPG. Group 3 without medication present the following day 1.9 EPG value and then at 7 days 2 EPG. Comparing the effectiveness of both drug treatment and fenbendazole ivermectin antiparasitic indicate that fenbendazole base is more effective against the equine intestinal Strongylus, taking a percentage of 97% in comparison with specifically macrocyclic lactones which Ivermectin obtained a much lower drug efficacy throwing only 76%.

Background: Bovine herpes virus 5 (BoHV-5) is a neurovirulent alpha herpes virus that causes fatal meningoencephalitis and huge economic losses in the livestock and associated industries worldwide; its diagnosis in the laboratory is essential for disease control, immunologic surveillance and effective monitoring programs in endemic areas.

Materials and Methods: In this study, brain samples from 21 Colombian cattle that died of neurological disease, were negative for rabies and were diagnosed with nonspecific encephalitis were processed by real-time PCR (qPCR) in the laboratory of virology at the Institute of Biosciences, Sao Paulo State University, Brazil, to detect BoHV-5 genetic material in tissue preserved in paraffin blocks. Tissues were considered positive for BoHV-5 if ampliï¬Âcation occurred at or before 30 PCR cycles, inconclusive if amplification occurred between 30 and 40 cycles and negative otherwise.

Results and Conclusion: Two cases were positive, demonstrating that qPCR may be useful for confirming herpes encephalitis in acid formalin-fixed tissues with an inconclusive diagnosis.