Australian Veterinary Journal最新文献

Over the past few decades, the emergence of resistance amongst intestinal parasites of horses to all available anthelmintic classes has emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in parasite control approaches within the Australian equine industry. Findings of a recent Australia-wide research project have provided new insights into intestinal parasites (i.e. strongyles and ascarids) and parasite control from the perspectives of Australian horse breeders and equine veterinarians. The published data have revealed recent trends in parasite prevalence and distribution, breeders' and veterinarians' attitudes and perspectives on controlling horse internal parasites, the efficacy of commonly used anthelmintic products and post-treatment egg reappearance periods. These studies have formed the basis of newly developed guidelines managing and treating gastrointestinal nematodes in horses. Tailored for equine veterinarians, these guidelines contain information on target parasites and risk factors for their transmission, as well as practical advice for surveillance, anthelmintic choice, timing of treatment, testing for anthelmintic resistance and managing refugia. The Australian Guidelines for Equine Internal Parasite Management (AGEIPM) will serve as a pocket companion for equine veterinarians, providing best-practice recommendations grounded in locally conducted scientific research. Dissemination and extension of the AGEIPM to industry will strengthen the client–practitioner relationship. The aim is to reduce reliance on blanket deworming in equine parasite management programs and help curb the progression of resistance to the limited anthelmintic classes available for treating horses.

Veterinary professionals are often confronted with moral conflicts from which moral distress can develop. Moral distress can lead to a cascade of deleterious processes and outcomes including emotional anguish, distress, reduced patient care, and attrition from both the workplace and workforce. The current study established a pilot measure for moral distress in Australian veterinary clinicians, as well as reporting additional sources of moral and ethical conflicts in veterinary practice. The pilot scale was based on adapting the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP) to the veterinary context and analysing responses from 643 veterinarians in Australia to create the Measure of Moral Distress for Veterinary Clinicians (MMD-VC). The MMD-VC comprised three sub-scales: (1) team communications that compromise patient care, (2) conflicting client interactions and (3) situations perceived as a personal threat. The additional sources of moral and ethical conflict that were reported by respondents to an open-ended survey question reflected two themes: (1) Animal Health, where the conflict arises from the effect of a situation on the animal patient and (2) Human Interactions, where the conflict relates to interpersonal relationships rather than to the animal patient. The results contribute towards developing comprehensive measures of moral and ethical conflict in clinical practice, and these measures can inform and evaluate intervention strategies designed to mitigate the harmful effects of moral distress in veterinarians.

This observational study highlights the apparent lower severity of footrot in goats compared with sheep, the risk of false negative results from elastase tests, the need to clean contractors' equipment between properties and indicates the potential use of kidding (or lambing) time and individual mob biosecurity in managing footrot.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious transboundary emergency animal disease posing a significant threat to the global economy. Australia strengthened border security following the 2022 FMD outbreak in Indonesia allocating resources to promote biosecurity awareness and engagement. This study qualitatively investigated the impact of this extension on the biosecurity perceptions and practices of sheep producers in New South Wales, Australia. Eighteen sheep producers participated in semi-structured interviews during August-September 2023. Thematic analysis revealed biosecurity to be perceived as important for industry and enterprise productivity; however, on-farm biosecurity practices were mostly associated solely with bioexclusion. Seven producers engaged directly with post-Indonesian FMD outbreak extension and reported increased FMD awareness. Changes to on-farm biosecurity were made by half the participants following the 2022 Indonesian FMD outbreak, with three of these having received extension engagement. The main explanations for lack of change were the perceptions that no change to disease risk had occurred, that current practices adequately mitigated risk and that change would be impractical. Future studies aimed at further understanding the factors that influence both the immediate and long-term effectiveness of extension activities would be beneficial to the development of future biosecurity extension and policy.

This report describes the development of oesophagitis and oesophageal stricture in a dog secondary to anaphylaxis. A 9-month-old male entire Brussels Griffon presented in anaphylactic shock after exposure to Hymenoptera species (Sp). The dog had a history of an anaphylactic reaction after exposure to Hymenoptera, successfully managed with antihistamines and dexamethasone. On this presentation, the dog was vomiting, lethargic, hypotensive and hyperlactatemic, with a mild elevation in serum alanine transaminase (ALT) concentration and gall bladder wall oedema. An adrenaline constant rate infusion was required for 48 h; however, persistent vomiting and regurgitation occurred despite prokinetic and antiemetic therapy. The dog developed hypersalivation and discomfort around the neck on day 6 of hospitalisation. Oesophagitis was suspected and confirmed by endoscopic examination. The dog remained in hospital for a total of 10 days with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG) placed. He was discharged and managed as an outpatient for 1 month while deescalating therapy and could not eat orally during this time. Repeat endoscopy and an oesophagogram performed 5 weeks post-discharge revealed a 2 mm oesophageal stricture 9.8 mm in length proximal to the lower oesophageal sphincter. The dog required four endoscopic guided ballooning procedures before the oesophageal diameter was deemed acceptable. After the first procedure, the dog could eat orally and gastrointestinal signs resolved. His PEG tube was removed after the fifth endoscope, 93 days from initial presentation, and further ballooning was not required. Gastrointestinal signs are commonly seen with anaphylaxis; however, these are usually self-limiting. This was the first description in the veterinary literature of severe oesophagitis and stricture formation secondary to anaphylaxis.

This study aimed to identify and compare risk factors associated with canine leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity in New South Wales, Australia. Seventy-nine canine cases of confirmed leptospirosis (clinical cases) and 16 healthy dogs seropositive to Leptospira (seropositive cases) were included in the study; these were separately compared to 394 healthy dogs seronegative to Leptospira (controls) in at-risk areas. A questionnaire investigated rat contact, stagnant water, dog park access and household number of dogs and cats. Associations between these factors, signalment and risk of leptospirosis or Leptospira seropositivity were screened using Pearson Chi-Square test and logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios of association. Significantly associated with both leptospirosis risk and seropositivity risk was rat contact (P < 0.01) which increased the risk 4.3- and 4.5-fold, respectively. Other factors significantly associated with leptospirosis risk were breed (P < 0.01) and age (P < 0.01). Being a herding dog or Terrier increased leptospirosis risk 27.2-fold and 8-fold, respectively and being a young adult dog increased leptospirosis risk 3.9-fold. Frequenting dog parks decreased leptospirosis risk (OR 0.12). In contrast, no other significant risk factors were identified for seropositivity risk. Exposure to Leptospira through contact with reservoir hosts resulted in seropositivity as well as clinical leptospirosis. However, host factors like breed and age seem to be important factors in determining if exposure results in clinical disease. Increased urbanisation and landscape fragmentation could result in increased exposure to reservoir hosts. Environmental sampling is needed to identify sources of infection. Risk mitigation includes reducing contact with reservoir hosts and contaminated environments and increased pest control.

A wild, adult male pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) accidentally ingested 263 mg/kg of oral phenobarbital. Pronounced sedation was observed by 30 mins, followed by altered consciousness, marked ataxia and increased respiratory effort. The serum phenobarbital level on admission to a wildlife hospital was 84.3 μg/mL; this declined to 29.3 μg/mL at 24 h and 1.7 μg/mL at 48 h (indicative of a phenobarbital serum half-life of approximately 24 h). Supportive treatment with activated charcoal, and nutritional and fluid support led to a full recovery over 5 days. The bird was successfully released.

The aim of this non-blinded, randomised, controlled study was to determine the efficacy of toltrazuril for the prevention of oriental theileriosis in calves. Thirty calves were infected with Theileria orientalis Ikeda genotype through the application and retention of infected female bush ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis). 15 Group 1 calves were treated with a single, oral dose of toltrazuril at the dose registered in Australia for coccidiosis (15 mg/kg), concurrently with tick infection, and 15 Group 2 (control group) calves were untreated. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in mean parasitaemia, packed cell volume (PCV) or bodyweight between the toltrazuril treated and untreated groups at any timepoint up to Day 64 after infection, apart from a higher mean PCV for the toltrazuril treated group at Day 20. In this study, the calves treated with a single oral dose of toltrazuril (15 mg/kg) at the time of infection were not prevented from becoming infected with oriental theileriosis.