Common Breeds Research Articles

Tremors in cats with hepatic encephalopathy-congenital portosystemic shunts or postattenuation neurological syndrome.

Tremors have been reported as a neurological sign in cats with hepatic encephalopathy due to congenital portosystemic shunts (HE-CPSS) or postattenuation neurological syndrome (PANS). The clinical records of cats diagnosed with HE-CPSS and manifesting tremors between 2003 and 2023 were retrospectively reviewed to characterise the clinical features of the tremors. Nineteen cats with HE-CPSS were included, of which 17 manifested tremors at admission and two had PANS. Domestic shorthair was the most common breed (12/19). Tremors were the only neurological sign in six of the 19 cats. Tremor localisation was generalised (10/19) or focal to the head (8/19) or a limb (1/19). Most tremors were episodic and non-intentional (15/19), occurring usually at rest with occasional intentional features (4/19). Of the 14 cats for which 1-month follow-up was available, tremors discontinued in nine after surgical or medical management. The limitations of this study included its retrospective nature and the lack of video recordings, brain magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological evaluation of tremors in all cases. A diagnosis of HE-CPSS or PANS should be considered in cats with generalised or focal tremors.

Dynamics of the number and productivity of <i>Hereford</i> breeding cattle in the Novosibirsk region

The article presents an analysis of the state of the breeding stock of Hereford cattle in the Novosibirsk region in dynamics for 2021–2023. The Hereford breed is one of the most common breeds of beef cattle in Russia and in the world, and its productive qualities and the ability to adapt to different climatic conditions and pasture content allows it to be successfully used to produce high-quality and environmentally friendly meat. The results of zootechnical reports on bonification from breeding farms of the Novosibirsk region were analyzed, a comparison of indicators of productivity and use of herd animals, including own productivity, growth and development of young animals, reproductive qualities and longevity of cows of breeding herds, was carried out. It was found that despite the reduction in the number of breeding farms and breeding stock of Hereford cattle in the Novosibirsk region, is an improvement in both individual signs of productivity of cows and young animals, as well as in the overall class composition of the herd. Nevertheless, the available livestock seems to be insufficient in terms of meeting the needs of farms for breeding animals adapted to the climate conditions of Western Siberia and year-round outdoor maintenance. Currently, the animals produced at Sibirskaya Niva LLC most adequately meet the requirements of the market, but their number is extremely insufficient both for the formation of breeding herds of commodity farms in volumes corresponding to those necessary to fill the beef market, and for the formation of daughter breeding herds in the region.

Episodic mandibular tremor in dogs: an idiopathic movement disorder or a manifestation of pain.

Episodic mandibular tremor (EMT), manifested as teeth chattering, is not well described in dogs. The aim of this study was to describe clinical signs, MRI findings, and outcome of dogs with EMT. 11 dogs retrospectively and 31 dogs in an online survey. A retrospective multicenter study of dogs with EMT between 2018 and 2023 and prospective online questionnaire open to owners of pets with teeth chattering. All dogs had rapid and short-lasting (< 1 minute) episodes of EMT in the absence of other neurological signs. Lip smacking occasionally accompanied the tremor in 5 of 11 (45.5%) hospital dog cases. Excitement was a common trigger in 14 of 31 (45.2%) dogs from the survey. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was the most common breed in both clinical and survey populations. Median age at presentation was 3 years for both hospital cases and the survey dogs. A concurrent medical condition was present in 8 of 11 (72.7%) hospital cases and 20 of 31 (64.5%) survey dogs. In 3 hospital dogs that underwent further investigations, no brain disease was present. EMT and its clinical features are presented for the first time, shedding light on a clinical sign that might resemble an idiopathic movement disorder or a manifestation of pain in dogs.

A New Perspective on Türkiye's Sheep Population: Classification with Decision Trees

Decision trees are data mining algorithms that make interpreting the cause-effect relationship or classification between features with visual diagrams easy and do not require parametric assumptions. The aim of this study is to classify different sheep breeds raised in Turkey according to their origin and tail structure characteristics using a decision tree algorithm. It has been seen that the CART (Classification and Regression Trees) algorithm is sufficient for the classification of sheep breeds by obtaining low-risk values. According to the results of the study, it is seen that domestic sheep breeds are distributed to Eastern Anatolia, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Central Anatolia Regions and imported breeds are distributed to all regions of Türkiye. The total population of these breeds was determined as 43.889.918 heads. As it can be understood, the Akkaraman breed ranks first with a rate of 40.88% of the total sheep stock. Next comes the Morkaraman breed with a rate of 11.68%. Thirdly, the most cultivated breed is Kıvırcık, whose rate is 8.82%. Merino sheep comes in fourth place with 8.43%. Awassi sheep are among the most common breeds in the fifth place. Hereby the distribution of sheep breeds in Türkiye has also been revealed and the distribution of breeds according to environmental conditions has been determined. The decision tree model generated using the CART algorithm for the distribution of sheep breeds in Turkey based on tail structures has been found to have a value (0.47). The proportion of sheep with a thin tail structure is 52.2%, while those with a semi-fatty tail structure are 17.5%, and those with a fatty tail structure are 30.2%. It has been determined that sheep breeds with thin tails are more commonly raised in Turkey. In the study, a decision tree model was also created using the CART algorithm to analyze the distribution of sheep populations in regions based on their origin, and it was found to have a value (0.26) with an accuracy rate of 74%. According to the research, 73.9% of sheep are domestic, while 26.1% are imported. When examining the distribution of origin by region, the region with the least number of imported sheep is Eastern Anatolia, while the highest proportions are found in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. The region with the lowest proportion of domestic sheep is the Mediterranean and Black Sea (70.4%), whereas the highest proportion is in the Eastern Anatolia region (82.6%).

Coronofrontal rhytidectomy: A new approach for the treatment of severe pseudoptosis and superior entropion in dogs.

To describe the use of coronofrontal rhytidectomy (CFR) for the treatment of severe pseudoptosis and superior entropion in dogs, and to provide guidelines for the selection of surgical technique depending on presentation. A review of medical records of dogs that underwent rhytidectomy from 2002 to 2023 was carried out, including signalment, clinical signs, type of rhytidectomy, concurrent surgical techniques, re-interventions, post-operative complications, follow-up time, and outcome. Twenty dogs with a median age of 5.1 years were included in this study. English Cocker Spaniel was the most common breed (8 dogs:40%) and males were overrepresented (13 dogs: 65%). Besides pseudoptosis and visual impairment (100%), the other most common clinical signs were entropion and/or ectropion (19 dogs: 95%), conjunctivitis (17 dogs: 85%), euryblepharon (12 dogs: 60%) and non-ulcerative keratitis (10 dogs: 50%). CFR was performed in 12 dogs (60%), frontal rhytidectomy in 5 (25%), coronal in 2 (10%), and modified shared in 1 (5%). Concurrent surgical techniques were performed in 17 dogs (85%), being lateral canthoplasty (13 dogs; 65%), and Celsus-Hotz (10 dogs; 50%) the most common. The median follow-up time was 115 days with no complications and good outcomes reported in all dogs. At last re-recheck, complete correction of the eyelid positioning was obtained in 92% (11/12) and 87.5% (7/8) of the cases that underwent CFR and other rhytidectomy techniques, respectively. CFR is an effective surgical treatment for severe pseudoptosis and superior entropion in dogs. The provided guidelines will assist in the selection of the most appropriate eyelid lifting technique.

144 Assessing economic implications of thermal stress of Bos indicus and Bos taurus species during finishing in northern Colorado

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the economic implications of thermal stress on climate adaptive capacity, resiliency, and impact of Bos indicus and Bos taurus finishing steers using common finishing systems. The experimental design was a completely randomized design, with a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement of finishing system (‘natural’ or ‘conventional’) and species of cattle (Bos indicus or Bos taurus). Steers [n = 200; body weight (BW) ~450 kg] were housed in 20 feedlot pens (10 steers/pen) for the first 84 d, where cattle were blocked by initial BW. For the remainder of the 180 d (96 d) finishing period, cattle were moved to four Climate Smart Research Pens (50 steers/pen, 1 pen/ treatment, and species combination). Within each Climate Smart Research Pen, five SmartFeed systems were used to evaluate individual animal feed intake, one GreenFeed emission measurement system was used to evaluate individual animal gas emissions flux of enteric CH4, O2, H2, and CO2, and were equipped for nutrient mass balance of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Animal BW were collected every 28 d for analysis of average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency. Thermal stress behaviors were evaluated by one trained personnel on a subset of 7 steers/treatment via the measurement of respiration rate, open mouth breathing, rumen temperature, number of daily water intake events, lying and standing behavior, and pen surface temperature for the last 96 d of the finishing period. At harvest, carcass characteristics, liver scores, and heart scores were collected. Economic analyses were conducted post-hoc to determine the profitability of each species based on economic implications, tradeoffs, carcass quality and quantity, and time to finish. Selection of cattle for climate adaptive features may involve production tradeoffs (e.g., depressed rate of gain, greater yield risk, lower technical efficiency) and adjustment costs (e.g., re-optimizing feed for a new breed), which affect the adoption of less common breeds into the US cattle supply chain. Adding to the complexity of this evaluation, consumers preferences may not adapt quickly, affecting the prospect of Bos indicus cuts of meat in the market. We also, therefore, explore the supply- and demand-side effects of climate change adaptation through breed selection in the beef industry.

Superior Measurement Accuracy of Digital Thickness Gauge Versus Digital Vernier Caliper in Determining Venous Tissue Thickness.

Background In determining mechanical characteristics, the accuracy of the thickness of the specimens can influence the biomechanical behavior, especially in the case of human tissues, where there is an important variability. This study aims to compare the accuracy of two routine measuring instruments, i.e., the digital vernier caliper and the digital thickness gauge, when measuring the thickness of venous specimens multiple times. Methodology In this study, we used 12 tubular vena cava specimens obtained from common breed pigs aged 18-24 weeks at the time of sacrifice from a local slaughterhouse. The measurements were performed using a digital vernier caliper (Multicomp PRO MP012475) for the first four protocols and a digital thickness gauge (Mitutoyo 547-500S) for the fifth protocol. In the first protocol, three measurements were taken on the same side, and their average was recorded as the sample thickness. The second protocol involved taking measurements on two opposite sides, and the average of these measurements was recorded as the sample thickness. In the third protocol, the thickness of each side was measured at its midpoint, and the average of the four measurements was recorded as the sample thickness. In the last protocol using a digital vernier caliper, the thickness of the vernier specimens was calculated as the average of the measurements taken at each corner of the square sample. Finally, for the fifth protocol, three consecutive measurements were taken using the digital thickness gauge, and their average was recorded as the final thickness of the sample. Results In the first protocol, we observed lower values during the first measurement in comparison to the second (0.409 ± 0.063 vs. 0.536 ± 0.064, p < 0.0001) and the third (0.409 ± 0.063 vs. 0.528 ± 0.055, p = 0.0001). Moreover, with the second protocol, we observed lower values during the first two measurements in comparison to the third measurement (p = 0.0279 and p = 0.0054). Regarding protocols three and four, we recorded higher values for the second and third measurements than the first one, with higher values for the third measurement than the second one. In the fifth protocol, there were no significant statistical differences between the three consecutive measurements (p = 0.953, p = 0.742, and p = 0.897). Further, we examined the variations in sample thickness determined using each of the protocols proposed for the digital vernier caliper, as well as the values obtained with the digital thickness gauge protocol. As a result, during the first and second measurements, we observed lower thickness values for the venous wall samples using the first four protocols compared to the fifth protocol (for all p < 0.05). However, no differences were noted between the five protocols during the third measurement. Conclusions The digital thickness gauge Mitutoyo 547-500S provided superior accuracy with no difference between three successive measurements of venous wall thickness, regardless of the examiner's experience. Accurately determining the thickness of venous specimens is crucial for calculating the tissue's biomechanical properties.

Serum Biochemistry and Haematology Alterations in Sled Dogs Before and After a Race

Abstract Long-distance sled dogs are known for their great endurance and ability to run several hundred kilometres over the course of a few days. There are several factors to consider when selecting a team of high-performing sled dogs, including their physique, body score condition, appetite, paws, and ability to adapt to unknown environments and situations. The most common breed used in sled dog racing, Alaska Huskies, are known for their great work diligence, and determined mindset. It has previously been researched how well these dogs endure such intense physical activity using observation of behavioural patterns, physical examinations, and the analysis of alterations in blood parameters. This study aimed to evaluate serum chemistry and haematology alterations in dogs before and after completing a 300 km race in Norway. Changes were observed in haematology and serum chemistry between pre- and post-race blood sampling. Significant increases were observed in the white blood cell count, haemoglobin in blood and creatine phosphokine activity in serum (CK), and significant decreases were seen in the electrolytes (e.g., chlorides, potassium), cholesterol levels, liver (e.g., alkaline phosphatase) and pancreatic enzymes (α-amylase, lipase), and total red blood cell count. Several other parameters were measured, and resulted in insignificant changes. Our results indicated that long-distance racing, in fact, has an impact on the physiology of the dog, influencing muscular system, the gastrointestinal tract, electrolyte balance and haematopoiesis among others.

Frequency of retinal detachments in dogs after prophylactic transpupillary retinopexy.

To evaluate the frequency of retinal detachments following prophylactic transpupillary retinopexy (PTPRP). The medical records of dogs that received a PTPRP between 2014 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed for age, sex, breed, reason for retinopexy, laser power setting, number of retinal burns, follow-up duration, and outcome. Laser power settings were increased until retinal burns could be visualized and were made 360° in a double row in the peripheral retina. Fifty-seven cases (75 eyes), 28 males and 29 females, had PTPRP performed. The median age was 8 years (4 months-14 years) with Shih tzu (n = 12), Bichon (n = 5), Miniature Poodle (n = 5), and Yorkie (n = 4) being the most common breeds. PTPRP were performed due to severe vitreal degeneration (n = 66), retinal detachment in the contralateral eye (n = 25), capsular tear with escaped lens material during phacoemulsification (n = 6), intracapsular lens extraction (n = 2), and lens luxation during phacoemulsification (n = 3). The median power setting, number of retinal burns, and follow-up time were 300 mW (201-595 mW), 210 burns (35-921 burns), and 473 days (14-1862 days), respectively. Additionally, five patients had a barrier-pexy performed in the contralateral eye, due to partial detachment. Retinal detachment occurred in 3/75 (4.0%) of eyes that received a PTPRP at the final examination. Of the patients with a detachment in the contralateral eye (n = 25), no detachment was noted at the last follow-up examination. Two partial detachments that had barrier-pexies had progressed at the final examination. These results demonstrate that PTPRP may be beneficial in decreasing the risk of retinal detachment in selected cases.

Investigating the Life Expectancy at Birth of Companion Dogs in Portugal Using Official National Registry Data.

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the life expectancy of dogs in Portugal, focusing on the impact of diverse factors including breed, sex, size, and skull shape. The final dataset, gathering data from the national registry database, consisted of 278,116 dogs with confirmed deaths. The mean lifespan at birth for all the dogs was around 8.91 years, with the female dogs tended to have a similar lifespan to male dogs. The analysis of life expectancy at birth for the 20 most common non-Portuguese breeds and 10 Portuguese breeds revealed that Yorkshire Terriers had the highest life expectancy (10.89 years) and French Bulldogs the lowest (6.27 years). Size and cephalic index were found to be influential factors, with large brachycephalic breeds exhibiting shorter life expectancies and smaller, mesocephalic breeds experiencing longer lifespans. Additionally, the cephalic index had a more substantial impact on life expectancy compared to body size. These findings enhance the understanding of the factors influencing canine longevity and aid in developing strategies to improve the health and lifespan of companion dogs.

Risk Factors for Injury in Border Collies Competing in Agility Competitions.

Border Collies are the most common breed in agility and their reported injury rate is much higher than that of other breeds. We aimed to identify demographic, training, and competition variables associated with the injury risk for this breed. We hypothesized that higher jump heights and competition at national/international levels would increase the injury risk. Data were collected from an internet-based survey. A logistic regression model was built using backward selection. There were 934 Border Collies in the sample, with 488 reporting an injury. The jump height relative to the shoulder height was associated with injury, with dogs jumping noticeably above or below shoulder height more likely to report a history of injury. Other identified risk factors included the number of weekends spent competing/year, the number of competitions at the national level, the age when starting elbow height jumps and backside jumps, the acquisition of the dog from a breeder, and the age of the handler. Factors associated with prolonged injury (>3-month duration) were the age when starting elbow height jumps and having a veterinary assistant as a handler. Border Collies jumping above shoulder height had an increased risk of injury. However, those jumping below shoulder height were also at a higher risk, which could have been due to reverse causality. Similarly, the observed associations regarding differences based on the number of trial weekends/year may have been impacted by reverse causality as well. The increased risk of injury with elbow height jump training at <10 months of age may indicate that the repetitive impact of jump training prior to skeletal maturity negatively influences musculoskeletal development. These data provide valuable information for further prospective studies.

Pediatric Head and Neck Dog Bites in the United States: A NEISS Database Investigation of Risk Factors and Escalation of Care.

Pediatric patients experience increased morbidity secondary to head and neck dog bites. The authors examined risk factors among pediatric head and neck dog bite patients and which factors are associated with admission to inform prevention efforts. All patients who suffered head and neck dog bites from 2013-2022 in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database were reviewed. Demographics among discharged and escalation of care (EOC) patients were compared using multinomial logistic regression (MLR), and linear regression was employed to analyze yearly emergency room (ER) visit incidence. Among 949 pediatric patients, 57.2% were male, 43.4% were 2-6 years old, and 77.7% sustained face or mouth injuries. Attacks were commonly provoked (60.5%), occurred in the home (82.3%), and involved a dog known to the patient (61.7%). The most common dog breed involved was Pitbull (33.1%). MLR revealed increased EOC among patients with neck injury (OR=11.82, SE=0.68, P<0.001), orbital injury (OR=12.91, SE=0.55, P<0.001), unprovoked attacks (OR=2.67, SE=0.16, P<0.001), and those under 2 years old (OR=1.83, SE=0.19, P=0.002). There was a significant yearly rise in the number of pediatric head and neck dog bites (model coefficient=6.467, SE=1.40, P=0.002). Overall, increased caution around particular dog breeds in households with children under 2 years old may decrease head and neck dog bite injuries. While pediatricians should perform general safety education, enhanced knowledge of risk factors is essential for proper inpatient counseling by surgical specialists.

Diagnosis and outcome of odontogenic abscesses in client-owned rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): 72 cases (2011-2022).

To characterize the epidemiologic features of rabbits with odontogenic abscesses. 72 client-owned rabbits. The medical record database of a veterinary teaching hospital was searched to identify rabbits with odontogenic abscesses characterized by a palpable facial mass and confirmed via CT scan. Data reviewed included age, breed, presenting complaint, abscess location, bacterial culture results, treatment, and outcome. Lop-eared rabbits were the most common breeds affected (20/72 [28%]), and mini lop rabbits were significantly overrepresented. The mandibular quadrants were more frequently affected (65/92 [71%]), and osteomyelitis was a common comorbidity on CT (53/72 [74%]). The most common aerobic and anaerobic isolates were Streptococcus spp (17/40 [43%]) and Fusobacterium spp (10/22 [45%]), respectively. Systemic antibiotic therapy alone was performed in 35 of 62 (56%) treated cases, with documented resolution in 25%. Abscess packing with antibiotic-soaked gauze in conjunction with systemic antibiotic therapy was performed in 20 of 62 (32%) treated cases. Resolution of the odontogenic abscesses with this treatment protocol was documented in 17 of 20 (85%) cases. The number of packing procedures used to obtain resolution of infection was 4 (IQR, 3 to 5). A combination of the abscess-packing technique, which avoids extensive surgery and extraction of the involved elodont teeth, with systemic antibiotic therapy can be an effective treatment option for rabbits with palpable odontogenic abscesses and can result in a high cure rate comparable to more invasive surgical treatments. Antibiotic treatment alone is not recommended, as it has a low chance of abscess resolution.

Tratamiento quirúrgico de fracturas coccígeas en ovejas de cola gruesa

Fat–tailed sheep are a common breed in many parts of the world, and coccygeal fractures occur in these animals due to various traumas. As a result of these fractures, fracture hematoma occurs in the region and subsequently gangrene occurs due to circulatory impairment in the region. If the gangrened area is not treated, an open wound will form, and infection will be inevitable due to its relationship with the external environment. From this infected area, it causes sepsis and more serious complications that deteriorate the general condition of the creature, causing general condition disorders. However, it can be treated by surgical partial extirpation of the area where the coccygeal fracture occurs. In this study, the long–term recovery period of a total of 30 adult fat–tailed sheep and rams with coccygeal fractures treated with operative inverted V incision is followed. While all cases are observed to have recovered, it is observed that their productivity characteristics continued normal along with their walking and adaptation to herd management. It is concluded that the partial extirpation method, which is both cheap and effective, can be used in fat–tailed sheep with coccygeal fractures and can be applied in clinical practice. It is observed that the inverted V incision partial extirpation operative technique is both an effective treatment option and prevented economic losses in fat–tailed sheep.

Identification of Characteristic Bioactive Compounds in Silkie Chickens, Their Effects on Meat Quality, and Their Gene Regulatory Network.

Silkie chicken, an important chicken breed with high medicinal and nutritional value, has a long history of being used as a dietary supplement in China. However, the compounds with health-promoting effects in Silkie chickens remain unclear. In the present study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of metabolic and lipidomic profiles to identify the characteristic bioactive compounds in Silkie chickens, using a common chicken breed as control. The results showed that the levels of 13 metabolites including estradiol, four lipid subclasses including cardiolipin (CL), eight lipid molecules, and three fatty acids including docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6) were significantly increased in Silkie chickens, which have physiological activities such as resisting chronic diseases and improving cognition. These characteristic bioactive compounds have effects on meat quality characteristics, including improving its water-holding capacity and umami taste and increasing the content of aromatic compounds and phenols. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two chicken breeds revealed the regulatory network for these characteristic bioactive compounds. Fifteen DEGs, including HSD17B1, are involved in the synthesis of characteristic metabolites. Eleven DEGs, including ELOVL2, were involved in the synthesis and transport of characteristic lipids and fatty acids. In summary, we identified characteristic bioactive compounds in Silkie chickens, and analyzed their effects on meat quality characteristics. This study provided important insight into Silkie chicken meat as a functional food.

E-DOCRNet: A multi-feature fusion network for dog bark identification

Dog bark is the most commonly used communication method of dogs. Human ear has difficulty in distinguishing information in dog bark, while deep learning methods rises recognition accuracy and efficiency. However, there exists information loss during the process of feature extraction. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposed a lightweight multi-feature fusion network E-DOCRNet. The network is composed of 4 stages, including information pre-process, feature extraction, feature fusion and decision making/classification. Firstly, the dog bark audio information is converted into Constant Q Transformer (CQT) Chroma, Spectral Contrast, Tonnetz and Mel Spectrograms by various filters. After that, features in the diagrams are further extracted by optimized EfficientNetV2_s and the proposed network DOCRNN. Then the time domain feature and frequency domain feature are learnable weighted fusion through the proposed Bi-feature fusion Block (BFB). Finally, the fused feature is sorted into four categories. This study collected barking data of 6 common breeds of dogs to establish the Dogbark_GA dataset. The audios in the dataset are labeled as adult male, adult female, juvenile male and juvenile female. The E-DOCRNet conducted experiments on the self-built dataset and the public dataset Urbansound8K, the accuracies are 92.3 % and 94.6 % respectively. According to comparison and ablation experiments, the proposed method has more advantages than the existing advanced classification methods.

A Kingdom of Possibility

A Kingdom of Possibility

Nasolacrimal sac foreign body extraction using vitreoretinal forceps in 28 dogs.

To describe a novel technique of nasolacrimal foreign body extraction in dogs by using a 20G vitreoretinal forceps introduced through the superior lacrimal punctum. A retrospective review of the medical records of dogs with dacryocystitis due to nasolacrimal foreign bodies between the years 2001 and 2022 was performed. We recorded the breed, age, affected eye, type and number of foreign bodies, concomitant diseases, and the use of imaging techniques. All animals underwent the same procedure of a 20G vitreoretinal forceps insertion through the upper canaliculus reaching the lacrimal sac and retrograde extraction of the foreign bodies. A total of 28 dogs were included, 16 males and 12 females, with a mean (±SD) age of 4.7 (±3.2) years. The most common breeds were Wire-Haired Dachshund (4/28; 14.29%) and Labrador Retriever (3/28; 10.71%). Additional imaging techniques were used, such as orbital ultrasound in 13 cases (13/28; 46.43%) and computed tomography in one case (1/28; 3.57%). The most common type of foreign body retrieved was grass awns, although seeds and plant debris were also found. Dacryocystitis resolved after removal of the foreign body and appropriate medical therapy was ensured in all cases in the 1-month postprocedure follow-up. Extraction of nasolacrimal foreign bodies with vitreoretinal forceps is a novel, noninvasive, and easily applicable technique that, although not successful in all cases, can be attempted before performing more aggressive surgery.

Clinical and imaging findings in dogs with nerve root signature associated with cervical intervertebral disc herniation.

Intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) is the most common spinal cord disease in dogs. Little information is available regarding the clinical presentation of nerve root signature (NRS) associated with cervical IVDH. To detail the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in dogs with NRS associated with cervical IVDH. Forty-seven client-owned dogs presenting with thoracic limb NRS and MRI confirmed IVDH. Medical records from 2010 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed for dogs that met inclusion criteria. Imaging studies were evaluated by 2 individuals to characterize location and severity of neural tissue compression. Chondrodystrophoid dogs comprised the majority of the study cohort, with dachshund the most common breed (n = 10). Three-quarters of dogs were ≥7 years of age. Interobserver agreement was moderate or good for all of the imaging variables evaluated. The C6-C7 intervertebral disc space was significantly overrepresented (P = .01), comprising 32% (15/47) of the affected discs. However, 42% (20/47) of cases involved C2-C3 though C4-C5 disc sites. Disc material was more frequently located laterally compared to medially within the vertebral canal (P = .0005), and to be associated with compression of the nerve root at the level of the intervertebral foramen (P = .012). NRS is most commonly associated with lateralized or foraminal cervical disc herniations. It is most prevalent with C6-C7 intervertebral disc involvement, suggesting that there might be unique anatomic factors that contribute to development of NRS at this site, but can be a clinical manifestation of IVDH occurring anywhere along the cervical spine.

Eesti–Norra villaprojekt innustab kohalikku toorainet paremini väärindama / Estonian–Norwegian wool project inspires to value local raw material better

In March 2023, the two-year cooperation project “Estonian and Norwegian local sheep’s wool, conducting research and creating educational materials for textile students of higher education” came to an end. It was led by University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy (TÜ VKA; Astri Kaljus, Ave Matsin, Diana Tuulik). The partners were Tallinn University of Applied Sciences (Merje Beilmann, Diana Tuulik) and Muru Wool Mill (Liina Lehis) from Estonia, and the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN; Eli Wendelbo) and Selbu Spinneri AS (Marte Espelien Blomli, Ingvild Svorkmo Espelien) from Norway. The project was funded by the EEA / Norway Cooperation Programme in Higher Education. The project was motivated by the fact that local sheep wool is underused in Estonia. There is a lot of prejudice about its quality and most of the wool (85–90%) is not adequately valued or it is even destroyed as waste. In Norway, on the other hand, there is a very good system of buying and processing wool. The aim of the project was to investigate and test the quality and characteristics of wool from indigenous and most common sheep breeds in Estonia and Norway, and to create educational materials for textile students based on the findings. The wider aim of the project is to increase the targeted use of local wool in textile production. During the course of the project, three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds were selected, the wool of which was used in further studies. Wool was collected from each breed, and from it yarn and knitted and woven fabrics were made, the properties of which were then tested. As a result of the project, the education material “From Wool to Fabric. Estonian and Norwegian sheep’s wool as a textile material. Production, properties and possibilities of use on the example of the wool of six sheep breeds” was published. It is illustrated by educational videos, the first of which is on sheep shearing in Estonia (https://uttv.ee/naita?id=34448), the second on Norwegian wool (https://uttv.ee/naita?id=34489) and the third on the sorting of Estonian wool (https://uttv.ee/naita?id=34490). The educational material is freely available for educational purposes and can be used by anyone interested. It gives an overview of the general characteristics of wool, the processing procedure, and then focuses in more detail on the results of testing the collected wool and the yarns and textiles produced as a result of the project. The material can be found here: https://sisu.ut.ee/sites/default/files/eestivill/files/wool_to_fabric_a4_12_0.pdf. It can be stated at the end of the project that the comparison of the wool from six sheep breeds and products made from it proved to be a much more multiplex and multifaceted research task than expected. The collection of wool from different sheep breeds showed that the characteristics and quality of wool within the same breed can vary greatly, depending on the genetic material, the sheep’s age or sex, rearing conditions, and the time of shearing. Properties of the fabric were also influenced by the parametres of the yarns used as well as the manufacturing technique. In any case, it would be important to continue with product development that takes into account the results of this study in order to establish connections between wool types, their processing, and the desired properties of the products. Small-scale local industry enables the development of different types of yarn from which innovative products can be developed. The development of new products based on the results of this project could even be the subject of new student theses and projects. In a broader perspective, the results of the project hopefully will contribute to the increased use of super-quality wool fibres that are a by-product of sheep husbandry, rather than the production of consumption of fossil-based textiles, since the use and sustainable valuing of natural craft materials contributes to solving environmental problems