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Biomedical subjects

R S Pirie

Publications and source records attributed to R S Pirie.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Effect of an outbreak of sheep scab (Psoroptes ovis infestation) during mid-pregnancy on ewe body condition and lamb birthweight.

A naturally occurring outbreak of sheep scab in a flock of 202 ewes during mid-pregnancy resulted in exudation from the scab lesions and hypoalbuminaemia lasting for two to 10 weeks in the severely affected ewes. The serum albumin concentration at the time of diagnosis and two weeks after treatment with ivermectin was inversely correlated with the severity of the scab lesions (P < 0.001). The loss of body condition score over a period of 48 days after treatment was significantly correlated with the initial severity of the scab lesions (P < 0.001). Despite adequate energy nutrition of the ewes during late pregnancy, the birthweights of lambs born to ewes with severe sheep scab were 10 per cent less than those of lambs born to ewes with mild sheep scab.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Severe post-dipping dermatitis and subcutaneous fluid swellings associated with two outbreaks of sheep scab (Psoroptes ovis infestation)

Large subcutaneous fluid swellings developed on some of the sheep in two flocks infested with Psoroptes ovis during the two weeks after they had been plunge-dipped in phenol-based solutions. The swellings contained between 1 and 10 litres of exudate and affected 4 per cent of the sheep in each flock. The sheep with subcutaneous fluid swellings or exudative dermatitis had significantly lower serum albumin concentrations than the unaffected sheep (P < 0.05). In most cases secondary bacterial infections of the exudate occurred and these necessitated intensive antibiotic therapy. The severity of the skin lesions posed a serious welfare problem.

Animals↗
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

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↗
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↗