Data from blood gas and electrolyte analyses obtained by use of the PCA can be used to evaluate the health status of cattle, horses, and sheep. Furthermore, the handheld PCA device may have a great advantage over the RA device as a result of the ability to analyze blood samples on farms that may be located far from urban centers.

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 34(8) The incidence of obstructive urolithiasis in sheep is high, especially in feedlot males, both for meat production, or the breeder of high genetic value. The urinary acidification is one way to prevent this disease and can be performed effectively supplementation with ammonium chloride in the diet, which may facilitate the installation of metabolic acidosis. The blood gas analysis evaluates the acid-base balance of blood in a practical and easy way. In this study, it was evaluated the effect of ammonium chloride on acid-base and electrolyte in feedlot sheep blood gas analysis to determine the occurrence of metabolic acidosis. It was used 100 male lambs, in a feedlot, aged approximately three months. It was constituted three groups: Group I (n=40) that received 400mg/kg/PV of ammonium chloride/animal/ day for 21 consecutive days, the time of discontinuation of the urinary acidifiers (M3) and continued clinical follow until the end of the experiment (M6); Group II (n=40), that received 400mg/kg/PV of ammonium chloride/animal/day for 42 consecutive days, Group III (n=20), that did not receive ammonium chloride throughout the experimental period. The moments (M) of samples and clinical assessment were established on seven days of interval, M0 (immediately before the beginning of the treatment with ammonium chloride), M1 (seven days after), M2, M3, M4, M5 and M6, totalizing 56 days of feedlot. The feed consisted of a total mixed ration consisting of 15% of ground hay and 85 % of concentrate, water and mineral salt ad libitum. After 15 days of adaptation to the diet of feedlot, urine samples for measurement of pH, and venous blood for blood gas analysis were collected from all animals at different moments. The urinary acidification was maintained as was the administration of ammonium chloride in GI and GII. The values of Na + and K + remained within the normal range for the species. Ammonium chloride caused metabolic acidosis compensated change in GI and GII, confirmed by values of HCO 3 -and EB below the reference values, with a normal pH, and high levels of Cl -, and decreased SID. It was concluded that although ammonium chloride to cause decrease of alkalinity in the body, caused no loss in animal development and can be used as a preventive agent obstructive urolithiasis in sheep.INDEX TERMS: Ammonium chloride, electrolyte balance, acid-base balance, metabolic acidosis, urinary acidifiers, hyperchloremia, small ruminants, urolithiasis.

Com o objetivo de avaliar alguns aspectos epidemiológicos e clínicos relacionados à broncopneumonia dos bezerros, realizou-se um levantamento dos registros clínicos individuais de 133 bovinos acometidos, do nascimento aos 12 meses de idade, em um total de 1 084 assistidos pelo serviço ambulatorial de Clínica de Grandes Animais do Hospital Veterinário da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da UNESP, Botucatu, durante o período de 1980 a 1991. Determinaram-se as distribuições de freqüência da broncopneumonia quanto aos meses do ano, idade, sexo, etiologia provável e associação com outras afecções, e estudaram-se a presença de dispnéia, tosse, corrimento nasal e ruídos respiratórios adventícios, além de coloração das mucosas, grau de desidratação, temperatura corporal e freqüências cardíaca e respiratória. Os resultados apontaram a broncopneumonia como um problema relativamente comum {12,27%), com predomínio das infecções viral e/ou bacteriana (89,47%), especialmente nos cinco primeiros meses de vida, seguidas pela dictiocaulose (1 0,53%), a partir do sexto mês de idade, como a etiologia provável, sem comportamento sazonal ou predileção por sexo, e em freqüente concomitância com outras afecções {60,9%), como a diarréia e a anaplasmose. Os animais estudados demonstraram variadamente dispnéia, tosse, corrimento nasal, hipertermia e taquicardia, e, consistentemente taquipnéia e ruídos respiratórios exacerbados com estertores à auscultação pulmonar.

ResumoFoi realizado um estudo retrospectivo dos casos de tristeza parasitária bovina (TPB) em bovinos com até um ano de idade ocorridos na região de Botucatu-SP, área de influência do Hospital Veterinário da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia de Botucatu -UNESP, entre os anos de 1986 e 2007. Ocorreram, nesse período, 232 casos da doença e 57 mortes. O principal agente etiológico causador da doença nesta região foi o Anaplasma marginale, identificado como um único agente em 31,5% dos episódios da doença. A maioria dos casos ocorreu no Outono, em animais mestiços e com dois a seis meses de idade. Os sinais clínicos predominantes foram: apatia, hiporexia ou anorexia, desidratação, perda de peso e palidez das mucosas. A elevada incidência e mortalidade observadas justificam ações profiláticas visando o equilíbrio entre hospedeiro, agente, vetor, e meio ambiente, evitando, assim, a forma clínica da doença e morte dos animais em rebanhos da região. Palavras-chave: Tristeza parasitária, hemoparasitas, bovinos AbstractA retrospective study of Cattle Tick Fever was made with animals up to one year old, which occurred from 1986-2007 in Botucatu-SP in the influence area of the Veterinary Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science -UNESP. There were 232 cases and 57 deaths. The main etiological agent causing the disease on this region is Anaplasma marginale identified as a single agent in 31.5% of the cases. Most of the cases occurred on autumn in mixed-blood animals two to six months old. Predominant clinical signs included apathy, hyporexia or anorexia, dehydration, weight loss and pale mucosa. The high incidence and mortality observed justify prophylactic actions to have the balance between host, agent, vector, and environment, thus avoiding the clinical form of disease and death of livestock herds in the region.