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Biomedical subjects

C D Penny

Publications and source records attributed to C D Penny.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Assessment of xylazine hydrochloride epidural analgesia for open castration of rams.

Epidural xylazine injected at the sacrococcygeal site 40 to 150 min prior to surgery (at a dose of 0.05 to 0.10 mg/kg) provided good analgesia during scrotal skin incision in all 20 experimental rams but in only 10 rams (50%) at incision and separation of tunica vaginalis, and 6 rams (30%) during ligation of the spermatic cord. There was a significant correlation between the decrease in heart rate and the dosage of epidural xylazine. Heart rate increased significantly during incision of the tunics and spermatic cord ligation but was not significantly correlated to the clinical assessment of analgesia. There was no significant correlation between the presence of surgical analgesia and the dosage of epidural xylazine: Pelvic limb ataxia was still evident in 12 rams (60%) at 8 h after epidural xylazine injection. Epidural xylazine provided good somatic analgesia during open castration of 20 rams but visceral analgesia was unpredictable. Factors in addition to the dosage of sacrococcygeal epidural xylazine affects the degree of surgical analgesia obtained for open castration of rams.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

A field study of ovine bacterial meningoencephalitis.

Bacterial meningoencephalitis most commonly affected lambs two to four weeks old (median three weeks, range three days to six months) with clinical signs of episcleral congestion, lack of suck reflex, weakness, altered gait and depression extending to stupor, but hyperaesthesia to auditory and tactile stimuli. Opisthotonos was observed during the agonal stages of the disease. Analysis of lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid revealed a highly significant increase in protein concentration (P < 0.01) with a neutrophilic pleocytosis, but bacteriological culture yielded organisms in only a few cases. A response was achieved with high doses of dexamethasone and chloramphenicol in only one of 20 cases. Polyarthritis and liver abscesses in a number of lambs provided evidence of a previous bacteraemic or septicaemic episode but no definite source of the central nervous system infection was identified. In common with other infectious bacterial conditions which are prevalent during the early life of sheep, control measures should ensure an adequate transfer of passive antibody, repeated treatments of the navel, and hygienic conditions in the lambing and rearing environments.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Necrotic enteritis of unknown aetiology in young beef calves at pasture.

An enteric disease has occurred for four consecutive years (1989 to 1992) in a spring-calving beef suckler herd in east central Scotland affecting seven- to 12-week-old beef calves. The affected animals remained pyrexic (40 to 42 degrees C) with an acute enteritis which progressed in some cases to severe mucohaemorrhagic colitis. Despite intensive antibiotic and fluid therapy 25 per cent of the affected calves died after five to 10 days of illness. Post mortem examination revealed ulceration and necrosis of the mucosa of the abomasum and small and large intestine. Haematological examinations revealed a severe, non-regenerative neutropenia. Histopathological examination of gut and associated lymphoid tissue revealed lesions similar to those described in bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease (BVD/MD) infection but detailed investigations failed to reveal evidence of active BVD virus infection in the herd. No aetiological agent has been found in association with this disease, for which the term necrotic enteritis is proposed.

Abomasum↗
PubMed1994

Application of lumbosacral spinal anesthesia for ovine Caesarian surgery and for vasectomy under field conditions.

A 2% lignocaine solution infused at a dose of 2 mg/kg at the lumbosacral site gave excellent analgesia in 28 vasectomy operations and in 33 of 38 (87%) Caesarian operations at a dose of 4 mg/kg. Failure of the anesthetic technique in 4 sheep (6% of all operations) was associated with poor positioning of the ewe and incorrect identification of the epidural space. One fatality was recorded and was considered to result from lignocaine overdosage and the probable pooling of blood in the splanchnic vasculature. Pelvic limb paresis persisted for 2 to 4 h post epidural injection in all ewes, but no permanent paralysis was encountered. Lumbosacral epidural anesthesia gave excellent analgesia for vasectomy, and was indicated for Caesarian surgery when a dystocia was associated with severe vaginal prolapse or the delivery of a fetal monster. Further work is needed to find an analgesic preparation which has a shorter duration than the 2% lignocaine solution.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

A field study of meningoencephalitis in calves with particular reference to analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.

Meningoencephalitis was recorded in 10 two- to 14-day-old calves during a two-year field study. Analysis of lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid revealed a marked increase in protein concentration with a pronounced neutrophilic pleocytosis. Three calves with positive bacteriological cultures which were treated with chloramphenicol survived whereas six calves treated with penicillin G had to be destroyed on humane grounds after their condition deteriorated. Only two of the 10 calves had concurrent lesions of omphalophlebitis which may indicate that this is not the major route of bacterial invasion in neonatal meningoencephalitis. None of the constituents of cerebrospinal fluid proved to be a reliable prognostic indicator of meningoencephalitis. It is concluded that the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid is a useful ancillary aid in the investigation of abnormal mental states in neonatal calves and a sensitive test for the presence of an inflammatory lesion involving the leptomeninges.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

A field study of eight ovine vertebral body abscess cases.

A vertebral body abscess extending into the epidural space causing spinal cord compression was diagnosed in the cervical spinal cord in four lambs and the thoracic spinal cord in four lambs. The affected lambs were aged between 4 and 10 weeks and clinical signs had been present for 7-21 days before veterinary examination. Treatment with high doses of penicillin did not result in an improvement of the neurological signs and all lambs were destroyed on humane grounds. Collection and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed a significant increase in the protein concentration in lumbar compared to cisternal CSF samples. There was a neutrophilic pleocytosis in two lumbar CSF samples. In lambs aged between 4 and 10 weeks with no history of previous locomotor dysfunction, paresis of more than 1 week duration may be suggestive of a vertebral body abscess which has extended into the epidural space causing spinal cord compression. Stagnation of CSF caudal to the lesion results in an increased protein concentration in the lumbar sample.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Abomasal foreign body and left-sided displacement in a pregnant cow.

By percussion left displaced abomasum (LDA) was identified in a 7-month pregnant Ayrshire cow which had presented with progressive abdominal distension despite a 5-day history of inappetence. An explorative laparotomy was performed and extensive fibrinous adhesions were identified between the abomasum, diaphragm and left abdominal wall. At the centre of these adhesions a 10 cm length of wire had penetrated the abomasal wall. Haematological analysis undertaken pre-surgery revealed a marked inflammatory response and profound disturbance of serum chloride and sodium concentrations. Following surgical correction of the LDA and intensive supportive therapy the cow made an uneventful recovery.

Abomasum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A preliminary study of serum haptoglobin concentration as a prognostic indicator of ovine dystocia cases.

Serum samples were collected prior to the correction of dystocia in 45 sheep and from nine sheep following a normal parturition. Serum samples collected from a group of 16 non-pregnant ewes acted as non-pregnant controls. The mean serum haptoglobin concentration was significantly elevated (P less than 0.01) in those dystocia cases where dead lambs were present in utero compared to those ewes which had live lambs delivered. While the number of cases presented in this study is small, there is an indication that sheep with a serum haptoglobin concentration above 1.0 g/l represent a poor surgical risk. The three ewes which died following a caesarean operation had markedly elevated serum haptoglobin concentrations prior to surgery indicating an inflammatory reaction. Five ewes with a haptoglobin concentration of 0.4 g/l made an uneventful recovery following a caesarean operation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Plasma enzymes and metabolites as potential prognostic indices of ovine pregnancy toxaemia--a preliminary study.

Three ewes with naturally occurring pregnancy toxaemia and increased plasma glucose concentrations within 24 h of the onset of clinical signs, made a complete recovery following treatment with a concentrated oral rehydration solution. Four ewes in which plasma glucose concentrations fell did not recover. Ewes with elevated plasma alkaline phosphatase concentrations were slower to recover than ewes with normal plasma alkaline phosphatase concentrations. These findings suggest that plasma alkaline phosphatase concentration and change in plasma glucose concentration might offer useful prognostic indices in cases of ovine pregnancy toxaemia, and influence a decision to perform an elective caesarean operation. Further studies using a larger number of ketotic ewes are necessary before firm conclusions can be made.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma glucose concentrations of ovine pregnancy toxaemia cases, inappetant ewes and normal ewes during late gestation.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma glucose concentrations of spontaneous ovine pregnancy toxaemia cases, determined within 24 h of the onset of clinical signs, were significantly lower (P < 0.01) compared to inappetant ewes and healthy ewes at a similar stage of gestation. A highly significant correlation (P < 0.001, r = 0.91) was present between the plasma and CSF glucose concentrations when the data from the three groups were combined. The data suggest that plasma glucose concentration accurately reflects CSF glucose concentration across the range of energy states in pregnant ewes and may provide support for the postulate that the neurological signs of ovine pregnancy toxaemia result from cerebral hypoglycaemia, as reflected by CSF glucose concentration. No cerebral glucose estimations were undertaken in this series.

Animals↗