No abstract

A radiographic study of the humeral head, elbow joint, hip joint, stifle joint, tarsal joint, and lumbosacral (LS) junction was performed in 1,018 Labrador retrievers in search for humeral head, femoral condyle, and tarsal osteochondroses; elbow and hip dysplasias; and transitional LS vertebrae. The ages of all dogs reported were one year or older. Elbow dysplasia was detected as the most common lesion (17.8%), with a higher prevalence in the male dog. Hip dysplasia was the second most common lesion (12.6%) and was found equally in the male and female. Elbows and hips were often affected in the same dog (4.2%). Transitional vertebral segments were found more frequently in the female (4.2%) than in the male (1.0%), and the condition was thought to be inherited.

Objective To assess the following among women hospitalized antenatally due to high-risk pregnancies: (1) rates of depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms, (2) changes in depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms and, (3) rates of mental health treatment. Methods Sixty-two participants hospitalized for high-risk obstetrical complications completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and Short-Form 12 weekly until delivery or discharge, and once postpartum. Results Average length of total hospital stay was 8.3±7.6days for women who completed an initial admission survey (n=62) and 16.3±8.9 (n=34), 25.4±10.2 (n=17) and 35±10.9 days (n=9) for those who completed 2, 3 and 4 surveys, respectively. EPDS was ≥10 in 27% (n=17) and GAD-7 was ≥10 in 13% (n=8) of participants at initial survey. Mean anxiety (4.2±6.5 vs. 5.2±5.1, p=.011) and depression (4.4±5.6 vs. 6.9±4.8, p=.011) scores were lower postpartum compared to initial survey. Past mental health diagnosis predicted depression symptoms [odds ratio (OR)=4.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.91–7.17] and anxiety symptoms (OR=5.95; 95% CI 3.04–8.86) atinitial survey; however, 21% (n=10) with no diagnostic history had EPDS ≥10. Five percent (n=3) received mental health treatment during pregnancy. Conclusion Hospitalized high-risk obstetrical patients may commonly experience depression symptoms and/or anxiety symptoms and not receive treatment. A history of mental health treatment or diagnosis was associated with depression symptoms or anxiety symptoms in pregnancy. Of women with an EPDS ≥10, >50% did not report a past mental health diagnosis.

Although the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) routinely lives for more than 12 yr in ex situ collections, females older than 8 yr reproduce infrequently. We tested the hypothesis that reproduction is compromised in older female cheetahs due to a combination of disrupted gonadal, oocyte, and uterine function/integrity. Specifically, we assessed 1) ovarian response to gonadotropins; 2) oocyte meiotic, fertilization, and developmental competence; and 3) uterine morphology in three age classes of cheetahs (young, 2-5 yr, n = 17; prime, 6-8 yr, n = 8; older, 9-15 yr, n = 9). Ovarian activity was stimulated with a combination of equine chorionic gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and fecal samples were collected for 45 days before gonadotropin treatment and for 30 days after oocyte recovery by laparoscopy. Twenty-six to thirty hours post-hCG, uterine morphology was examined by ultrasound, ovarian follicular size determined by laparoscopy, and aspirated oocytes assessed for nuclear status or inseminated in vitro. Although no influence of age on fecal hormone concentrations or gross uterine morphology was found (P > 0.05), older females produced fewer (P < 0.05) total antral follicles and oocytes compared to younger counterparts. Regardless of donor age, oocytes had equivalent (P > 0.05) nuclear status and ability to reach metaphase II and fertilize in vitro. A histological assessment of voucher specimens revealed an age-related influence on uterine tissue integrity, with more than 87% and more than 56% of older females experiencing endometrial hyperplasia and severe pathologies, respectively. Our collective findings reveal that lower reproductive success in older cheetahs appears to be minimally influenced by ovarian and gamete aging and subsequent dysfunction. Rather, ovaries from older females are responsive to gonadotropins, produce normative estradiol/progestogen concentrations, and develop follicles containing oocytes with the capacity to mature and be fertilized. A more likely cause of reduced fertility may be the high prevalence of uterine endometrial hyperplasia and related pathologies. The discovery that a significant proportion of oocytes from older females have developmental capacity in vitro suggests that in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer may be useful for "rescuing" the genome of older, nonreproductive cheetahs.

Results suggest that in dogs, coccidioidomycosis may be associated with a wide spectrum of nonspecific respiratory and musculoskeletal abnormalities. The chronic nature of the disease makes diagnosis difficult, even in regions in which the organism is endemic.