December 2004 - Vol 52(6)
Another super-sized issue of 120 pages including:
– Feature Review Series:
“Optimising the health and productivity of livestock on pasture”
– A review on Bartonella and Rickettsia in cats and dogs
– A host of general scientific articles
– Annual Indexes
The size of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal continues to increase to accommodate increasing numbers of submissions and invited review articles. The number of printed pages per volume has more than doubled in the last 4 years, providing an outstanding source of high-quality veterinary science uniquely relevant to New Zealand.
Leading the December issue is the annual Feature Review Series comprising five invited review articles on the breeding, feeding value and management of pasture and forages to optimise the health and productivity of cattle, sheep, deer and horses in New Zealand.
The first of these articles, by Derek Woodfield and Syd Easton from AgResearch Grasslands, reviews the incredible advances in plant breeding over the last 15 years that have revolutionised options available to farmers and the productive potential of our pastures.
Next, Garry Waghorn and Dave Clark form Dexcel elaborate the complex relationships between feeding value, pasture production, animal performance and profitability for ruminants. Similar relationships for horses are reviewed by Simone Hoskin and Erica Gee from Massey University, providing a summary unique in the equine literature, including a section on pasture-associated toxicoses.
Advances in pasture management affecting the health and productivity of grazing livestock are reviewed by Greg Lambert, Dave Clark and Annette Litherland from AgResearch and Dexcel. Finally, Scott Knowles and colleagues from AgResearch review ways of adding nutritional value to meat and milk from pasture-fed livestock, including factors affecting the commercialisation of on-farm initiatives.
Next, Pat Kelly from Massey University provides an erudite review of diseases caused by Bartonella and Rickettsia spread by the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis in cats and dogs, including risks to people. This review covers the biology of these organisms, clinical and laboratory features of infection in cats, dogs and people, diagnosis, and possible treatments and control options.
In the general scientific article section, a superb paper on the first isolation and molecular characterisation of Neospora caninum in cattle in New Zealand is presented by Chioma Okeoma, working with Norm Williamson and Bill Pomroy at Massey University. Also on cattle: Ahmed Rabiee, Ian Lean and Mark Stevenson present results of a meta-analysis of the effects of administering a CIDR device in combination with other hormones on the reproductive performance of cycling, anoestrous and inseminated cows; Gaolatlhe Thobokwe, Cord Heuer and David Hayes report on the validation of a bulk tank milk antibody ELISA to detect dairy herds likely infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus in New Zealand; and Alistair Johnstone and colleagues report a myophosphorylase deficiency (glycogen storage disease Type V) in a herd of Charolais cattle, for which a screening programme has now been established.
On sheep, Sally Mannering and colleagues describe the typing of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus isolated from sheep abortions in New Zealand, and Paul Kenyon and co-workers from Massey present results of a cross-sectional study of factors which maximise the lambing performance of hoggets.
On horses, Chris Rogers and colleagues from Massey examine the effect of two different weaning procedures on the growth of pasture-reared Thoroughbred foals.
Equine practitioners – look out for the February issue of the Journal which contains more papers in the series on physiological adaptations to training in young Thoroughbreds by the group led by Elwyn Firth.
October 2004 - Vol 52(5)
NZVJ supersized with equine research!
Twice the normal size and featuring 7 equine papers, the October issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal is a bumper one!
Elwyn Firth leads with an erudite review on current problems faced in quantifying bone response to exercise in horses. Imaging techniques are reviewed in detail and a state-of-the-art view on equine bone research, past, present and future, is presented.
The first papers from two major equine research programmes in New Zealand are then presented. In the first of these, Elwyn Firth, Chris Rogers and colleagues from Massey University report on an extensive series of studies in 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses examining the response of musculoskeletal tissues to early training on grass and sand racetracks. A key intention of these studies is to better understand both the physiological and pathological changes that occur in equine tendon, bone and joint cartilage in response to training and racing in order to develop better training regimens that minimise injury, and diagnostic methods to detect injuries before these become catastrophic.
The first paper in this first series describes the experimental set-up of the whole study and presents nutritional, workload, and clinical, radiographic and pathological outcomes, including semi-quantitative assessment of macroscopic changes in articular cartilage. The second paper describes the accuracy of a simple method for quantifying the workload of racehorses in training, and how subjective assessments of pace varied with track conditions and stage of training. The third paper uses ultrasonography to examine changes in size and echogenicity of the superficial digital flexor tendon of these horses with early race training. The fourth paper in this series then looks at morphometric, microscopic and biomechanical properties of the digital tendons of the forelimbs from these same horses.
The second series of equine research papers comes from Nigel Perkins and colleagues from the Epicentre at Massey University, and the University of Glasgow. The first two papers in this series are published in this issue, and use epidemiological methods to profile the New Zealand Thoroughbred racing industry in terms of: (1) training, racing and general health patterns; and (2) conditions interfering with training and racing.
More papers in both of these series will appear in subsequent issues, representing a substantial contribution from New Zealand to equine research in performance horses.
Also in the October issue: Chris Morris and colleagues from AgResearch reviews the inheritance of resistance to facial eczema in sheep and cattle in New Zealand. Sally Mannering and colleagues from Massey and Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd compare genotypes of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus isolates cultured from sheep abortions using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Paul Kenyon et al report effects of liveweight and condition score of ewes at mating on both mating performance and scanning percentage, and suggest threshold targets for two-tooth and mixed-age ewes. Tamara Diesch et al from Massey report on the physiological status of dairy calves at birth and the perinatal factors that might predispose newborn calves to debility and death, and in a second paper, report blood metabolites and body temperature of calves between 1 and 4 days of age in a New Zealand dairy herd. Reinhold Krametter et al from the veterinary school in Vienna report the first case abdominal mesothelioma in a goat, and finally, Mark Fisher and Eric Lamming report endocrine observations from an interesting case of behavioural oestrus that occurred mid-cycle in a cow.
Coming up in December is the 2004 Feature Review Series on the theme, “Optimising the health and productivity of livestock on pasture”. Reviews in this series will appeal to readers with interests in equine, dairy, sheep, beef cattle, deer and human nutrition!
August 2004 - Vol 52(4)
In the August issue:
– Portosystemic shunts in dogs and cats
– Mycobacterial diseases of deer
– Pneumonia in lambs
– Remuneration and demography of NZ vets
For companion animal practitioners, Cameron Broome and colleagues provide a state-of-the-art review on congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs and cats, covering signalment through to diagnosis, medical and surgical management and prognosis. Next, Richard Jerram and colleagues from the Veterinary Specialist Group in Auckland present a report on the use of omentalisation to treat a pancreatic pseudocyst in a dog, intended to help clinicians manage patients with this or related conditions.
For those interested in deer, Colin Mackintosh and colleagues present a comprehensive review of mycobacterial diseases. This includes detailed review of the epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, control and zoonotic aspects of tuberculosis, M. avium complex, and johne’s disease. A valuable reference.
For sheep practitioners, Kathy Goodwin and colleagues from Massey University report data on the prevalence of pneumonia in lambs and associated effects on liveweight gain, from studies in both the North and South Islands. Just how much could this disease be costing sheep farmers in NZ? Neville Grace and colleagues from AgResearch and Massey report that treating ewes with copper-oxide needles in early pregnancy increased both ewe and lamb copper status and will likely prevent copper deficiency from occurring in young lambs. In a rapid communication, Paul Hughes, Phil McKenna and Allan Murphy present the first report of resistance to both moxidectin and abamectin in naturally acquired Ostertagia circumcincta infections in sheep in NZ, arising out of an investigation into ill-thrift in lambs on a North Island sheep farm.
For equine practitioners, Keith Henderson and K Eayrs from AgResearch present validation of a rapid, easy-to-use pregnancy test for mares based on measurement of oestrone sulphate levels in serum, suitable for field use. This test takes less than 10 min to perform, requires no special equipment and had a sensitivity of 98.7% and specificity of 97.1% for mares >100 days post mating.
Of interest to the profession in general, Ron Jackson and colleagues from Massey University and the NZVA report results of a detailed analysis of the demography, remuneration and vacancies in the NZ veterinary profession from survey data collected in 2001/2002. These data offer valuable insights into the nature of the NZ veterinary profession.
June 2004 - Vol 52(3)
In the June issue:
– Lameness in dairy cows
– Achilles tendon repair in dogs
– Cobalt/vitamin B12 in ewes and lambs
– Dam nutrition and shearing effects on weaning weight of twin lambs
Carola Sauter-Louis, Neil Chesterton and Dirk Pfeiffer lead the June issue with a study on relationships between the incidence of lameness in dairy cows and cow behavioural characteristics including walking order, milking order and social dominance. The results of this study elaborate cow behaviours associated with increased risk of lameness and lead to recommendations for reducing the incidence of lameness in NZ dairy herds.
Andrew Worth and colleagues from the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital present a study on long-term outcomes following the surgical repair of common calcanean (Achilles) tendon injury in working farm dogs. The authors conclude that surgical treatment carries a good prognosis of return to work if an appropriate tenorrhaphy technique is used and rigid immobilisation is achieved for 6 weeks.
An excellent series of three papers from Andrew Sykes’ group at Lincoln follow, reporting on aspects of cobalt/vitamin B12 diagnosis and response to supplementation in ewes and lambs. The first paper examines concurrent changes in serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) and vitamin B12 concentrations of ewes and lambs on cobalt-deficient properties following vitamin B12 or cobalt supplementation. Supplementation of ewes with a cobalt bullet appeared to protect the growth performance of the lamb for 90 days and influence the subsequent serum vitamin B12 response of lambs to vitamin B12 supplementation. The second paper compares serum analyses of vitamin B12 and MMA as indices of cobalt/vitamin B12 deficiency in lambs around weaning. Results indicate that measurement of serum MMA and vitamin B12 appears to be of little value whilst lambs are suckling and MMA offers advantages over serum vitamin B12 concentrations in the diagnosis of a cobalt/vitamin B12 responsiveness in weaned lambs. The third paper derives new reference ranges for serum vitamin B12 and MMA concentrations for the diagnosis of cobalt/vitamin B12-responsiveness in lambs and concludes that current reference ranges are conservatively high and may lead to over-diagnosis of deficiency. Serum MMA concentrations appeared to allow better differentiation of a responsive condition than serum vitamin B12 concentrations.
Next, Paul Kenyon and others from Massey show that liveweight and condition score of ewes at mating had positive effects on growth rates to weaning of twin lambs, and that shearing of ewes mid-pregnancy increased birthweights and weaning weights of twin lambs over a wide range of ewe liveweights.
Finally, Jorge Oros from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain and colleagues present a short communication on pulmonary hyalohyphomycosis caused by Fusarium spp in a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) - an immunohistochemical study. This is the first report of a pulmonary mycotic infection in a sea turtle diagnosed using immunohistochemistry and the authors suggest that wildlife rehabilitators and pathologists should be aware of the availability of immunohistochemical techniques for identifying fungi in sea turtles.
April 2004 - Vol 52(2)
The April issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal leads with a concise review of the genetic disorders of sheep in New Zealand by Bob Jolly, Hugh Blair and Alastair Johnstone from Massey University. Understanding of these disorders can be enhanced by considering them as part of a continuum, ranging from simple monogenic diseases or malformations due to dysfunctional gene products, to monogenic disorders dependant on environmental interactions and multifactorial diseases for which genetic factors are associated with disease susceptibility. The authors also show how chromosomal aberrations, although of limited importance, have contributed to our understanding of chromosomal and gene mapping, which can be used for disease diagnosis and genetic selection.
Also on sheep, Hugh Black and colleagues from AgriQuality, NCDI and Gribbles Veterinary Pathology present results of a cross-sectional investigation of lip and gum lesions that could confuse the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease in sheep, in particular their causes, prevalence, and the clinical, pathological and epidemiological features by which they may be discriminated from FMD.
For equine practitioners there are three papers in this issue.
The first is by Alison Ineson et al and compares subjective with quantitative methods for detection of physitis in Thoroughbred foals. The diagnosis and monitoring of swelling at the physis using subjective means is not consistent and results from different clinicians cannot be easily compared. This paper describes a quantitative method that has potential as a diagnostic tool.
The second is by Cristy Secombe and colleagues and examines the repeatability of methods for the quantitative assessment of photodensity of the third carpal bone in horses. Variation in x-ray-beam angle significantly affected photodensity to such an extent that radioabsorptiometry using the tangential view was not considered clinically applicable for assessing bone mineral density and the authors question the accuracy of subjective assessments of bone mineral density using the tangential view in horses.
Gary Horner then provides a brief review of the equine viral arteritis control scheme in New Zealand and concludes that the eradication of EVA from the NZ horse population is achievable in the near future.
For cattle practitioners, Thobokwe and Heuer from Massey present survey results which describe the incidence of abortion in dairy herds in NZ and associations with putative causes, most notably, bovine viral diarrhoea virus and Neospora caninum. Jos Vermunt and Fraser Hill then report the first confirmed case of papillomatous digital dermatitis in NZ, an infectious and contagious disease causing severe lameness, amongst a herd of 500 dairy bulls.
The influence of stocking density on the performance, carcass characteristics and selected welfare indicators of broiler chickens is reported by David Thomas and colleagues from the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Massey, and HortResearch at Ruakura. This paper provides NZ data of direct relevance to the NZ poultry industry.
Finally, for those with an interest in wildlife, John Parkes and co-workers report results of a serological survey for antibodies to rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in mammals and birds associated with infected rabbit populations. Some individuals from all species tested were positive to a competition ELISA, and likely interpretations of these preliminary results are discussed.
February 2004 - Vol 52(1)
The NZVJ is now ranked in the top 10% of veterinary science journals in the world based on frequency of citation.
Now in 2004, access to both the CDROM-based and ONLINE archives of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal and the NZVA Special Interest Branch proceedings and VetLearn seminars is a substantial new benefit of membership of the NZVA.
In addition, the complete archives of MAF Surveillance magazine (30 years) and the Proceedings of the NZ Society of Animal Production (63 years) are currently being readied for uploading to SciQuest and will soon be available both online and on CDROM. Price and availability will be announced soon. These are further outstanding NZ information resources that will be fully indexed and searchable alongside the NZVJ and SIB proceedings on this integrated e-publishing platform.
In the February issue of the Journal … Kate Littin and colleagues from the Animal Welfare and Bioethics Centre at Massey University and Landcare Research lead with a review on animal welfare and ethical issues relevant to the humane control of vertebrate pests. The list of introduced vertebrate species now legally considered to be pests in New Zealand numbers nearly 50 and these pests, and the methods by which they are controlled, have significant impacts on people, animals and the environment. This is a timely review on welfare and ethical issues associated with their population control.
In an effort to unravel the physiology behind lower conception rates of high-liveweight Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, a group of Massey researchers examine postpartum gonadotropin (LH and FSH) secretion in strains of dairy cows that differed genetically in liveweight.
Next, Tao Zheng and colleagues from Wallaceville examine whether macropodid herpesvirus 1 (MaHV-1) can infect brushtail possums and lead to latency, in an effort to determine whether this herpesvirus could serve as a transmissible vector for the delivery of immunosterilisation vaccines and bioactive molecules to possums.
The spread of a new strain of Salmonella Brandenburg affecting livestock and humans in the South Island from 1996 to 2003, and a series of case studies designed to investigate potential transmission of infection, is documented in detail by Gary Clark and colleagues. This paper summarises a large amount of information that will be of great interest to veterinarians and farmers involved in the initial outbreak of, or affected by, this disease.
Excellent clinical communications are presented by Helen Milner and Andrew Newington on a case of longitudinal colonic torsion as a cause of tenesmus in an adult dog; by Tim Parkinson and colleagues on a splenic haemangiosarcoma with metastasis to the cervical musculature in an aged pony; and by a Spanish group on a bilateral ovarian teratoma in a red deer.
In Scientific Correspondence, Gary Clark and colleagues report on Listeria monocytogenes as a cause of gastroenteritis in sheep, and Stephanie Bluett and colleagues report on a case of ryegrass staggers in white rhinoceros at Auckland Zoo.
The February issue of the NZVJ also contains abstracts from the Proceedings of the 30th Conference of the New Zealand Society for Veterinary and Comparative Pathology held at Massey in November 2003, which contain some very interesting observations and case reports across a wide range of species.
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