Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2002. / Title from title screen (viewed April 6, 2009). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Veterinary Science. Degree awarded 2002; thesis submitted 2001. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Doctor of Philosophy / Pup mortality is reported to be a significant problem in the dog. The purpose of this thesis was to identify the extent and causes of the mortality and the risk factors. Mortality was classified according to the clinical condition of the pup at birth and the pathological investigation was designed to investigate the validity of this classification. Total pup mortality, excluding elective euthanasia for show reasons, was 18.5%. Perinatal mortality, that is, stillbirths and deaths that occurred in the first week, accounted for 90.9% of these losses. Each breed surveyed exhibited a specific mortality pattern and the results of one breed could not be used to anticipate the outcome in another breed. As a consequence of this, there was a marked difference in the predictor variables, or risk factors, identified for each breed. Birth weight and inter-pup whelping intervals were the most consistent variables that increased the odds of a pup dying. The principal cause of pup mortality was attributed to foetal asphyxia, that is, apparently normal pups subjected to excessive hypoxia during the birth process and they were either still born or born in a distressed condition and subsequently died. Death attributed to foetal asphyxia accounted for 7.8% of all pups born and 42.5% of the total mortality. The majority of these pups (82.2%) died during whelping or in the first 24 hours after birth. The death of just over half of these pups could be directly attributed to dystocia. The remaining pups were compromised during what appeared to be a normal whelping. Neonatal atelectasis, pulmonary congestion, inhalation of amniotic fluid and meconium, leptomeningeal and generalised systemic congestion were the principal pathological findings in these pups. Average birth weights, inter-pup whelping intervals, parity, pup presentation and litter position were all significant predictors of mortality due to foetal asphyxia. The abnormal pup was defined as a pup at birth that was mummified, had died prior to birth, was small for date or had gross congenital defects present. These accounted for the death of 4.9% of all pups born and 26.3% of all losses. The only significant predictors of mortality due to the birth of an abnormal pup were the inter-pup interval and birth weight. Since the abnormality occurred in utero and was not related to the birth process this result had no bearing on the outcome. The death of live born, apparently normal pups, in the neonatal period accounted for 5.7% of all pups born and 31.2% of the total mortality. Over half these losses were attributed to fading puppy syndrome. The remainder were due to mismothering / mismanagement and other miscellaneous causes. The majority of fading pups examined were not normal at birth. Growth retardation and the consequent increased susceptibility to foetal hypoxia, lung pathology indicative of foetal asphyxia and intrauterine and/or very early neonatal infections were the principal causes of mortality attributed to fading puppy syndrome identified in this study. The canine perinate is totally dependent on the bitch both in the uterus and in the immediate post partum period. The investigation of pup mortality can not be divorced from the assessment of maternal health, the influence of the whelping process and the post whelping care of the immature pups by the bitch. These factors must be correlated with gross and histological changes identified in dead pups to determine the sequence of events that contributed to the death of the whelp.

Doctor of Philosophy / Pup mortality is reported to be a significant problem in the dog. The purpose of this thesis was to identify the extent and causes of the mortality and the risk factors. Mortality was classified according to the clinical condition of the pup at birth and the pathological investigation was designed to investigate the validity of this classification. Total pup mortality, excluding elective euthanasia for show reasons, was 18.5%. Perinatal mortality, that is, stillbirths and deaths that occurred in the first week, accounted for 90.9% of these losses. Each breed surveyed exhibited a specific mortality pattern and the results of one breed could not be used to anticipate the outcome in another breed. As a consequence of this, there was a marked difference in the predictor variables, or risk factors, identified for each breed. Birth weight and inter-pup whelping intervals were the most consistent variables that increased the odds of a pup dying. The principal cause of pup mortality was attributed to foetal asphyxia, that is, apparently normal pups subjected to excessive hypoxia during the birth process and they were either still born or born in a distressed condition and subsequently died. Death attributed to foetal asphyxia accounted for 7.8% of all pups born and 42.5% of the total mortality. The majority of these pups (82.2%) died during whelping or in the first 24 hours after birth. The death of just over half of these pups could be directly attributed to dystocia. The remaining pups were compromised during what appeared to be a normal whelping. Neonatal atelectasis, pulmonary congestion, inhalation of amniotic fluid and meconium, leptomeningeal and generalised systemic congestion were the principal pathological findings in these pups. Average birth weights, inter-pup whelping intervals, parity, pup presentation and litter position were all significant predictors of mortality due to foetal asphyxia. The abnormal pup was defined as a pup at birth that was mummified, had died prior to birth, was small for date or had gross congenital defects present. These accounted for the death of 4.9% of all pups born and 26.3% of all losses. The only significant predictors of mortality due to the birth of an abnormal pup were the inter-pup interval and birth weight. Since the abnormality occurred in utero and was not related to the birth process this result had no bearing on the outcome. The death of live born, apparently normal pups, in the neonatal period accounted for 5.7% of all pups born and 31.2% of the total mortality. Over half these losses were attributed to fading puppy syndrome. The remainder were due to mismothering / mismanagement and other miscellaneous causes. The majority of fading pups examined were not normal at birth. Growth retardation and the consequent increased susceptibility to foetal hypoxia, lung pathology indicative of foetal asphyxia and intrauterine and/or very early neonatal infections were the principal causes of mortality attributed to fading puppy syndrome identified in this study. The canine perinate is totally dependent on the bitch both in the uterus and in the immediate post partum period. The investigation of pup mortality can not be divorced from the assessment of maternal health, the influence of the whelping process and the post whelping care of the immature pups by the bitch. These factors must be correlated with gross and histological changes identified in dead pups to determine the sequence of events that contributed to the death of the whelp.

Tesis para optar al grado de Magíster en Finanzas / El objetivo del presente trabajo es obtener una valoración económica de la compañía Forus S.A. con fecha 30 de septiembre de 2014. La metodología utilizada es la de Flujos de Caja Descontados, en donde primero se determina la tasa de costo de capital descontable para la empresa (WACC), considerando la estructura de capital objetivo como promedio histórico de los últimos cinco años. Asimismo, se proyecta tanto el Estado de Resultados de la compañía como el Estado de Flujo de Caja hasta el año 2018. Como resultado del ejercicio de valoración se obtiene un precio de la acción de $1.963 al 30 de septiembre de 2014, el que se compara con el precio de cierre en la misma fecha de $2.528, resultando en un potencial downside de 22,35%.

The normal sonographic appearance of the adult canine gastrointestinal tract has been well described. Interpretation of ultrasonographic findings in puppies presented for gastrointestinal evaluation is difficult due to the lack of information on normal ultrasonographic findings. The gastrointestinal tract, jejunal lymph node size and appearance as well as the presence or absence of peritoneal fluid were prospectively investigated in a group of 23 normal, 7 – 12 week old Beagle puppies. The duodenal wall thickness was significantly greater than other parts of the gastrointestinal tract (mean 3.8 mm). The mean stomach wall thickness was 2.7 mm, mean jejunal wall thickness 2.5 mm and mean colonic wall thickness 1.3 mm. In addition, the mean thickness of the duodenal mucosal layer (2.7 mm) was significantly thicker than that of the jejunal mucosal layer (1.5 mm). The mucosa was isoechoic to the muscularis layer and had a crisp luminal-mucosal interface in all puppies. There were no intestinal corrugations observed and wall layering was distinct in all gastrointestinal segments. The homogenous, hypoechoic jejunal lymph nodes were easily found and their mean thickness measured 7.1 mm (± SD 2.2 mm). A mild amount of anechoic free peritoneal fluid was seen in all puppies. Conclusions drawn from this study were that prominent jejunal lymph nodes and a mild amount of anechoic free peritoneal fluid can be considered normal findings in puppies. Information from the above study was utilised to interpret findings of a prospective clinical study on the ultrasonographic appearance of the gastrointestinal tract of puppies suffering from parvoviral enteritis. Forty puppies between six and 24 weeks of age were examined ultrasonographically within 24 hours of admission for canine parvoviral enteritis confirmed on faecal transmission electron microscopy. A clinical score (assessing habitus, appetite, vomiting, faecal consistency, mucous membranes, abdominal palpation and borborygmi) was attributed to each puppy prior to the ultrasonographic examination. Sonographic findings included fluid filled small intestines in 92.5% of cases, and stomach and colon in 80% and 62.5% of cases respectively. Generalised atony was seen in 30 cases and weak peristaltic contractions indicative of functional ileus observed in the remaining 10 cases. The duodenal and jejunal mucosal layer thicknesses were significantly reduced when compared to values obtained in the normal Beagle puppies with mean duodenal mucosal layer measuring 1.7 mm and jejunal mucosal layer 1.0 mm. Additionally, a mucosal layer with diffuse hyperechoic speckles was seen in the duodenum (15% of cases) and the jejunum (50% of cases). The luminal surface of the duodenal mucosa was irregular in 22.5% of cases and the jejunal mucosa in 42.5% of cases. In all of these puppies, changes were accompanied by generalised indistinct wall layering. Small intestinal corrugations were seen within the duodenum in 35% of cases and within the jejunum in 7.5%. A mild amount of anechoic free peritoneal fluid was observed in 26 cases and was considered within normal limits for puppies and a moderate amount of anechoic free peritoneal fluid was observed in six cases. The jejunal lymph node size was within normal limits for puppies and thus parvoviral enteritis does not appear to be associated with ultrasonographic evidence of regional lymphadenopathy. There was a tendency for animals with the most dramatic ultrasonographic changes to be in poor condition clinically i.e. they had a low clinical score. Each of the above described changes cannot be considered pathognomonic for canine parvoviral enteritis but in combination, are suggestive of the disease. It is hoped that information from this study may alert the clinician as to the possibility of underlying parvoviral enteritis in puppies presented for abdominal ultrasound for investigation of gastrointestinal disease. Further studies are needed to document the ultrasonographic appearance of other paediatric gastrointestinal diseases such as severe verminosis, giardiasis, coccidiosis and distemper etc. before further conclusions can be drawn from this study. Daily ultrasonographic examinations of puppies suffering from canine parvoviral enteritis are needed to further understand the progression of this disease over time as well as the possible ultrasonographic indicators of clinical improvement or deterioration. / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Companion Animal Clinical Studies / unrestricted

Canine Parvovirus remains a leading cause of enteritis in dogs in South Africa and many other countries despite the wide availability of effective vaccines. The virus does not affect all dogs equally and the course of the disease depends on the age, immune status and breed of the puppies as well as the viral dose, route of exposure and the virulence of the strain. Although aggressive supportive treatment can be successful, the treatment and convalescent periods may be prolonged and consequently expensive and the mortality rate relatively high, causing many clients to forego treatment and elect for euthanasia of their pet. Acute phase proteins (APP) are proteins that change in concentration by at least 25% in animals subjected to external or internal inflammatory challenges, such as infection, inflammation or surgical trauma. Increased concentrations are associated with poor outcome in certain diseases. C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most sensitive APP in dogs. Its normal physiological concentration is low but increases rapidly with inflammation or tissue destruction. Due to the fact that CRP has a relatively short half life in serum (6-8 hours) and a high response in diseased animals, it can be used as a valid measure of a systemic response to an initiating stimulus at the time of blood sampling. By taking serial measurements, objective information about the extent of the ongoing lesions in the patient can be obtained and therefore may be used as a prognostic indicator. The objective of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the association of serum CRP concentrations in puppies suffering from canine parvoviral enteritis with morbidity and mortality, and to determine the usefulness of CRP to predict duration of hospitalisation time. Seventy-nine client owned puppies naturally infected with canine parvovirus were included. Parvovirus infection was diagnosed on electron microscopic examination of faeces from the puppies. CRP was measured using an automated human C-Reactive Protein Turbidimetric Immunoassay (TIA), which has been validated for use in dogs. Serum CRP measurements were performed at admission, twice daily for the first 48 hours, then once daily until death or discharge. There was a positive association between odds of mortality and CRP concentration on admission, as well as 12 and 24 hours after admission (P=0.04,P=0.005 and P=0.003, respectively). Survival time was negatively associated with CRP concentration at 12 and 24 hours after admission (P=0.002and P=0.001, respectively). Among the survivors, length of hospitalisation was positively associated with CRP concentration at 12, 24 and 36 hours after admission (P=0.012, P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). Utility for CRP concentration to correctly differentiate between survivors and non-survivors at 24 hours after admission had a sensitivity and specificity of 78.7% and 86.7% respectively. Although serum CRP concentration is associated with outcome in puppies infected with canine parvovirus, when used alone it did not prove to be a good predictor of survival. / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Companion Animal Clinical Studies / unrestricted

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-10-12Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:08:53Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_ifc_me_botfmvz.pdf: 2681948 bytes, checksum: 46ae452df52066766e04b82929c6fd75 (MD5) / Outros / O emprego do exame ultrassonográfico na medicina veterinária é amplamente difundido como meio de diagnóstico complementar, principalmente para os tecidos moles e recentemente também da superfície dos tecidos ósseos. A presente pesquisa teve por objetivo analisar, de forma comparativa, a anatomia ultrassonográfica normal do fígado, rim, glândulas adrenais, baço, bexiga urinária e pâncreas de cães e gatos, adultos e filhotes, estabelecer padrões de normalidade e valores de referência e desenvolver material didático para o aprendizado da ultrassonografia em pequenos animais. Foram utilizados 20 animais em condições hígidas, de raças variadas sem predileção de sexo, divididos em: grupo C1- cinco cães adultos e C2 cinco cães filhotes, G1 cinco gatos adultos e G2 cinco gatos filhotes. Os animais foram preparados para o exame ultrassonográfico abdominal com jejum de 6 a 8 horas e administração de antifiséticos. Observou-se que cães e gatos adultos apresentaram o fígado com ecotextura de maior granulação em relação aos filhotes. A parede da vesícula biliar do gato filhote sempre foi visibilizada. O hilo esplênico ofereceu maior dificuldade de visibilização entre os felinos. O sinal de margem medular renal não foi evidenciado nos cães adultos e filhotes, mas esteve presente em todos os gatos adultos e eventualmente em alguns filhotes. A glândula adrenal do gato filhote foi visibilizada com ecogenicidade hipoecogênica difusa e no gato adulto permitiu ótima distinção da medular e cortical da glândula adrenal. Portanto, para se realizar com propriedade um exame ultrassonográfico abdominal, há necessidade de conhecimento sólido de anatomia topográfica, princípios de formação da imagem, suas interações e padrões de normalidade e tendo sempre em mente as particularidades de cada espécie. / The ultrasound is widespread as a complementar diagnostic for soft tissue and for bone’s surface in veterinary medicine. This study aimed to compare and standardize the normal anatomy ultrasonography of the liver, kidney, adrenal glands, spleen, bladder and pancreas on dogs and cats, adults and young, and development of didactic material for the learning of abdominal ultrasonography in small animals. Twente animals in healthy condition, mixed breed, male and female, were used, divided in four goups. Group C1 (five adults dogs), group C2 (five puppies), group G1 (five adults cats) and group G2 (five kittens). Before the exams, the animals were given antifizetics and fasting for six to eight hours. Adult animals had the liver echotexture with a larger thickness and the gallbladder wall always was visualized in kittens. The splenic hilu was difficult to saw in cats. The signal margin cord was not observed in dogs, but was present in all adult cats and possibly some kittens. The adrenal gland of the kittens was visualized as diffuse hypoechogenic and in adult cat was possible to saw the distinction of cortical and medullar region on the adrenal gland. Finaly, it’s necessary to have a solid knowlodge about the topographic anatomy, image formation and normal standard in each specie for ultrasonografic exams.

The acid-base disturbances in Canine Parvoviral Enteritis (CPV) are not well described. In addition the mechanisms causing these perturbations have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to assess acid-base changes in puppies suffering from Canine Parvoviral Enteritis (CPV) using a Modified Strong Ion Model (SIM). The hypothesis of this study was that severe acid-base disturbances would be present and that the SIM would provide patho-mechanistic insights that would not be fully appreciated by the Henderson-Hasselbalch model. The study retrospectively analysed data obtained from 42 puppies with confirmed CPV and 12 healthy controls. The CPV group had been allocated a clinical score to allow classification of the data according to clinical severity. The effects of changes in free water, chloride, lactate, albumin and phosphate were calculated using a modification of the base excess algorithm. The data for each of these variables was compared to the control group. When the data were summated for each patient and correlated to each individual component, the most important contributor to the metabolic acid-base changes according to SIM was chloride (P < 0.001). Severely affected animals tended to have a hypochloraemic alkalosis, whereas mildly effected puppies had a hyperchloraemic acidosis (P = 0.0023). In conclusion the acid base disturbances in CPV are multifactorial and complex and the SIM provides more information regarding the origin of these changes. / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Companion Animal Clinical Studies / unrestricted

From birth and throughout their lives, dogs experience a variety of potentially stressful stimuli. Early neurologic stimulation (ENS) is believed to improve the ability of animals to handle stress, however its effects on dogs have not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to evaluate the effects and potential welfare implications of providing ENS to puppies in commercial breeding kennels. Seventy-six puppies, comprising two cohorts in one kennel were studied. Puppies were assigned to one of three treatment groups: ENS, held, or control, and then were marked for identification, and handled daily Monday through Saturday for 21 days, beginning on day three post-partum. ENS puppies received five “Bio Sensor” exercises (Battaglia, 2009). Puppies in the held treatment group were held for 30 seconds, which was the same length of time that was required to apply the Bio Sensor exercises to ENS treated puppies. Control puppies received identification marks daily and health assessments weekly, but otherwise were handled as normal for the breeder’s management plan. To evaluate treatment effects on physical health, all puppies received physical health assessments weekly, and additionally before and after transport to a distributor. To evaluate effects of treatment on behavioral responses to stressors, puppies were assessed shortly before and after transport (a known stressor), using three stranger approach tests and a 3-minute isolation test. Puppies were found to be generally healthy and clean throughout the study. A three-way interaction was observed between treatment, sex, and week of life, which affected puppies’ weights over the first eight weeks of life at the breeder’s kennel prior to the application of stressors (<i>p</i> = 0.006). Female ENS puppies were found to weigh more than their held and control counterparts, while for male puppies, held and control puppies weighed more than ENS puppies. A two-way interaction was observed between treatment and isolation on behavior for a single step of the multi-step stranger approach test performed at the breeder’s kennel (<i>p</i> = 0.025). While more puppies showed affiliative behavioral responses to the experimenter reaching for them after isolation than before, the change was greater in ENS and held treatment groups than controls. Treatment also directly affected the time puppies spent performing fearful behavior during the isolation test (<i>p</i> = 0.041). Handled puppies spent more time performing fearful behaviors than control puppies. No other significant effects of treatment were observed for the behavioral or physical health parameters measured. However, the finding that ENS and held-groups tended to show greater increases in the number of puppies displaying affiliative behavior than controls (though it was only significant for one step) suggests that handling treatments primed puppies to view people as a form of social support during stress. The additional finding that ENS and held group puppies spent more time performing fearful behaviors (e.g., escape attempts, low postures) during isolation than control puppies, further supports this theory. While these results do not support the purported effects of ENS, they indicate that early handling may still benefit puppies by providing them positive interactions with humans. These interactions potentially prime developing puppies to view humans as safe sources of social support, perhaps increasing their likelihood of forming secure attachments with people later in life. Further, findings from this study suggest that simply holding puppies daily for short periods may be sufficient to produce beneficial effects. Future studies should incorporate measures of recovery in response to stress testing puppies receiving ENS treatment and should consider evaluating ENS in conjunction with attachment theory to provide more information on the potential welfare effects of early handling of puppies in commercial breeding and other kennel types.