and Christie wish to review the clinical situation o f urolithiasis i n cats and dogs there i s ample opportunity, and I believe a pressing need. G. H . M c l N T O S H , Division o f H u m a n Nutrition. CSIRO, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000. If August 1978
References Bailey, C. B. (1967) - A m . J . vet. Res.. 28: 1743. Goulden, 13. E. (1969) - N . Z . vet. J . , 17: 57. Holtzapple, P . G., Bruce, K . , Rea, C . F. and Segal, S. (1969) - Sciencel66: 1525. Parker, A. J. (1972) - Vet. Rec., 90: 350. Sutor, J . (1971) - Biochem. J . , 122: 6P.
SUSPECTED NUTRITIONAL SKELETAL MYOPATHY IN WEANED CALVES Ilegenerari\e myopathy i n cattle has received s o m e attention i n Great Britain recently (Hunter and Boyd 1977: Linklater, McTaggart aiid Wain 1977). Some outbreaks have been associated with unaccustomed exercise by cattle receiving diets deficient i n Vitamin E and selenium (Allen e t a / 1975; h l c M u r ray and McEldowney 1977). I n Novetiiber 1976, on a property near Colac i n Victoria, an outbreah o f skeletal niyopathy occurred i n a group of 95 recently weaned Hereford calves. The calves, aged 6 to 8 months, had been grazed h i t 1 1 their dams on paddock:, where soils uere sedimentary iii nature. In addition to this affected group there were another 2 groups o f calves aged 6 to 7 months which were grazing w i t h their dams on paddocks where soils were basaltic i n origin and none o f these calves \\as affected. Pastures on the property contained clover. rye and barley grass. The calves i n t h e affected group had been yarded, drafted, drenched with a proprietary antlielniintic',-, and weaned onto a different paddock. Four days after weaning, iii approximately 20"iu o f tlic group, the thorax was observed to be slung at a low level bctueen the forelimbs and the dorsal borders o f t h e scapulae were elevated above the backline. D u r i n g the next 3 days further cases d o e l o p e d and approximately 8O% o f the group became affected. T h e affected calves walked with a shuffling gait and t h e toes o f t h e forelimbs were rotated laterally. In severely affected calker tlir scapulae appeared 10 meet over the dorsal spinous proccsses. There were large bilateral fluctuating swellings behind and below t h e scapulae, and slight swellings were evident i n the brisket and submandibular regions. The calves appeared bright and alert and to have normal appetite and respiration. I n 4 sevcrely affected calves that were hilled there were large volumes o f scrosanguinous subcutaneous fluid o w r the thorax, neck and abdomen, and pockets o f this fluid were contained in tlie thoracic musculature. The ventral serrate niuIcle was pale yellow i n colour and had t h e appearance o f fish flesh. Muscles o f the diaphragm and the latissinius dorsi. external abdominal oblique. trapezius and deep pectoral muscles ivcrc mottled and streaked with haemorrhage. Tissues for histopathological examination were fixed in 10% formalin, sectioned at p and stained with periodic acid Schilf (PAS), haeniatoxylin and eosin aiid Mason Trichronie stains. Histopathologically, there was extensive and severe hyaline and vacuolar tlegenrratioii o f muscle in tlie bentral serrate, trapezius, latissiniu\ dorsi and b r ac h ioce p h a I ic ni u sc Ies . T h e t r i ceps, i n f I as p i n a t ti s, supraspiriatu5 and intercostal iiiuscler were similarly but less severely affected. The most striking lesion was the exteiisi\e vacuolation o f m u s c l e fibres. .These vacuoles varied i n sire, were oftcn large and confluent. and occasionally contained PAS. pale eosinophilic material that d i d not stain \+i~Ii Blood samples were collected f r o m calves i n all 3 group5 on tlic property and cstiiiiatiom \\ere made o f blood glutathione
TABLE 1 Mean Serum CPK, SGOTand Blood Glutathione Peroxidase Activities Gluta-
SGOT'
thione
CPK*
peroxi-
MiW units/rnl
Reitman Frankel Unitslml
dase
GI ou p
units
Affected Hereford calves (18 )
11.2a
222b
102b
Unaffected unweaned Angus calves (7)
28.8b
184b
80b
Unaffected unweaned Hereford calves (7)
25.8b
499b
95b
~~~
~
~
~~
~~
Means within a column which do not have a common superscript differ significantly 0.01) - Duncans Multiple Range Test. Numbers in parentheses represent number of calves sampled.
(6
*
Creatinine phosphokinase
+ Serum glutamic oxaloacetic acid transaminase peroxidase activity and activities o f crcatine phosphokinase
(CPK) and glutaniic oxaloacetic acid transaminase (SGOT) i n serum. Glutathione peroxidase is a selenium-containing enzyme and its activity i n blood i n cattle i s related to dietary selenium intake (Wilson and Judson 1976). T h c levels o f glutathione p e r o x i d a x activity found in cattle in Victoria range f r o m 5-250 units pnole N A D P H oxidised/min/gm H b ) . I. Caple, personal coiiiiii1iiiication). The mean blood glutathione peroxidase actibity was 11.2 units i n the affected group and was 28.8 units i n the group o f unweaned Angus calves, and 25.8 units i n the group o f unweaned Hereford calbes. The activity in the affected group was significantly lo\rer ( P < 0.01. see Table I ) . There tviir no significant difference between t h e groups in the CPh aiid X;OT activities (Table I ) , but as serum samples were taken 2 weeks after the onset o f t h e muscular dystrophy, the enzyme levels i n the alfected group may have returned to n o r mal. All calves i i i the affectcd group were treated intra-muscularly n i t h 25 n i g seleniuiii as sodium selenate':. The mean blood glutathione peroxitlase activity i n this group increased f r o m 11.2 units t o 36.3 units after 30 days and to 47.7 units after 85 days. N o calves died during tlie outbreah and the fluctuating sI+ellings over t l i e thorax, brishet and submandibular area
gradually disappeared after treatment. However, the thorax remained slung at a low level between the forelimbs. Three weeks after the affected calves had been weaned, calves in the other 2 groups were weaned and placed i n a different paddock. No cases of rnyopathy occurred. O n this occasion, however, stress was kept to a minimum and the calves were not drenched with an anthelmintic. A similar system of weaning calves had been practised on the property for the past decade and no cases of niyopathy had been reported. However, in 1976 climatic conditions were atypical and tlie dry auturnii and winter was followed by a sudden burst of pasture growth after rain i n late spring. According to tlie property nianager, pastures contained more clover than i n prckious years. I n the Strathbogie Ranges, a known selenium deficient area (McDonald 1975), selenium deficiency disorders are more likely to occur in years where there is a high rainfall and cloker dominant pastures ( J . McDonald, personal conim u n icat ion ) . Iluring tlic last decade the property had received an annual application of a 2:1 superphosphate : potash mixture at 100 kg per hectai-e. This application is low compared to other propcrties i n the district and soil analyses of the paddocks indicate that tlie levcls of phosphorus, potassium and copper are low. The history of fcrtiliser application is contrary to field observations that selenium responsive disorders are more commonly associated with pastures that have a history of a heavy rate of superphosphate application. The rapid onset of the clinical signs and the high morbidity rate, suggests that increased muscular activity and stress that occurred at weaning may have precipitated the niyopathy in calves already deficient i n selenium. The absence of clinical cahes in the other groups of calves weaned three weeks later
might be due eitlier to llic deliberate attempt to minimise the stress or to the higlicr dietary selenium intake as indicated by the blood glutathione peroxidase activities. Pastures o n the different soil types on which the calves and their respective dams had grazed may have contained different selenium concentrations and this would explain tlie difference5 i n the glutathione peroxidase activities betwccn the groups. We wish to thank Drs I . Caple and .I. McDonald for providing unpublished results and observation\. J . D. ALLEN,
Ikparrnient of Agriculturc, Colac, Victoria 3250 S . C. E. FRIEND,
‘Vetcrinary Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3952 3 .luly 1978
References Allen, W. M . , Bradley, R . , Berrctt, S., Parr, W . H . , Swannack, K.. Barton, C. K. Q . and Macphec, A. (1975)--Ur. vei. .I. 131: 292. Hunter, A . C. and Boyd, J . H . (1977)- Vet. Kec. 700: 103. Linklaier, A‘. A . , hlc7aggarr, H . S . arid Wain, E. H. (1977)-Vci. Kec. 100: 312. McDonald, I . W . (1975)-Ao.\r. vet. ./. 51: 433. McMurray, C. H. and McEldowney, P. I
References Bailey, C. B. (1967) - A m . J . vet. Res.. 28: 1743. Goulden, 13. E. (1969) - N . Z . vet. J . , 17: 57. Holtzapple, P . G., Bruce, K . , Rea, C . F. and Segal, S. (1969) - Sciencel66: 1525. Parker, A. J. (1972) - Vet. Rec., 90: 350. Sutor, J . (1971) - Biochem. J . , 122: 6P.
SUSPECTED NUTRITIONAL SKELETAL MYOPATHY IN WEANED CALVES Ilegenerari\e myopathy i n cattle has received s o m e attention i n Great Britain recently (Hunter and Boyd 1977: Linklater, McTaggart aiid Wain 1977). Some outbreaks have been associated with unaccustomed exercise by cattle receiving diets deficient i n Vitamin E and selenium (Allen e t a / 1975; h l c M u r ray and McEldowney 1977). I n Novetiiber 1976, on a property near Colac i n Victoria, an outbreah o f skeletal niyopathy occurred i n a group of 95 recently weaned Hereford calves. The calves, aged 6 to 8 months, had been grazed h i t 1 1 their dams on paddock:, where soils uere sedimentary iii nature. In addition to this affected group there were another 2 groups o f calves aged 6 to 7 months which were grazing w i t h their dams on paddocks where soils were basaltic i n origin and none o f these calves \\as affected. Pastures on the property contained clover. rye and barley grass. The calves i n t h e affected group had been yarded, drafted, drenched with a proprietary antlielniintic',-, and weaned onto a different paddock. Four days after weaning, iii approximately 20"iu o f tlic group, the thorax was observed to be slung at a low level bctueen the forelimbs and the dorsal borders o f t h e scapulae were elevated above the backline. D u r i n g the next 3 days further cases d o e l o p e d and approximately 8O% o f the group became affected. T h e affected calves walked with a shuffling gait and t h e toes o f t h e forelimbs were rotated laterally. In severely affected calker tlir scapulae appeared 10 meet over the dorsal spinous proccsses. There were large bilateral fluctuating swellings behind and below t h e scapulae, and slight swellings were evident i n the brisket and submandibular regions. The calves appeared bright and alert and to have normal appetite and respiration. I n 4 sevcrely affected calves that were hilled there were large volumes o f scrosanguinous subcutaneous fluid o w r the thorax, neck and abdomen, and pockets o f this fluid were contained in tlie thoracic musculature. The ventral serrate niuIcle was pale yellow i n colour and had t h e appearance o f fish flesh. Muscles o f the diaphragm and the latissinius dorsi. external abdominal oblique. trapezius and deep pectoral muscles ivcrc mottled and streaked with haemorrhage. Tissues for histopathological examination were fixed in 10% formalin, sectioned at p and stained with periodic acid Schilf (PAS), haeniatoxylin and eosin aiid Mason Trichronie stains. Histopathologically, there was extensive and severe hyaline and vacuolar tlegenrratioii o f muscle in tlie bentral serrate, trapezius, latissiniu\ dorsi and b r ac h ioce p h a I ic ni u sc Ies . T h e t r i ceps, i n f I as p i n a t ti s, supraspiriatu5 and intercostal iiiuscler were similarly but less severely affected. The most striking lesion was the exteiisi\e vacuolation o f m u s c l e fibres. .These vacuoles varied i n sire, were oftcn large and confluent. and occasionally contained PAS. pale eosinophilic material that d i d not stain \+i~Ii Blood samples were collected f r o m calves i n all 3 group5 on tlic property and cstiiiiatiom \\ere made o f blood glutathione
TABLE 1 Mean Serum CPK, SGOTand Blood Glutathione Peroxidase Activities Gluta-
SGOT'
thione
CPK*
peroxi-
MiW units/rnl
Reitman Frankel Unitslml
dase
GI ou p
units
Affected Hereford calves (18 )
11.2a
222b
102b
Unaffected unweaned Angus calves (7)
28.8b
184b
80b
Unaffected unweaned Hereford calves (7)
25.8b
499b
95b
~~~
~
~
~~
~~
Means within a column which do not have a common superscript differ significantly 0.01) - Duncans Multiple Range Test. Numbers in parentheses represent number of calves sampled.
(6
*
Creatinine phosphokinase
+ Serum glutamic oxaloacetic acid transaminase peroxidase activity and activities o f crcatine phosphokinase
(CPK) and glutaniic oxaloacetic acid transaminase (SGOT) i n serum. Glutathione peroxidase is a selenium-containing enzyme and its activity i n blood i n cattle i s related to dietary selenium intake (Wilson and Judson 1976). T h c levels o f glutathione p e r o x i d a x activity found in cattle in Victoria range f r o m 5-250 units pnole N A D P H oxidised/min/gm H b ) . I. Caple, personal coiiiiii1iiiication). The mean blood glutathione peroxidase actibity was 11.2 units i n the affected group and was 28.8 units i n the group o f unweaned Angus calves, and 25.8 units i n the group o f unweaned Hereford calbes. The activity in the affected group was significantly lo\rer ( P < 0.01. see Table I ) . There tviir no significant difference between t h e groups in the CPh aiid X;OT activities (Table I ) , but as serum samples were taken 2 weeks after the onset o f t h e muscular dystrophy, the enzyme levels i n the alfected group may have returned to n o r mal. All calves i i i the affectcd group were treated intra-muscularly n i t h 25 n i g seleniuiii as sodium selenate':. The mean blood glutathione peroxitlase activity i n this group increased f r o m 11.2 units t o 36.3 units after 30 days and to 47.7 units after 85 days. N o calves died during tlie outbreah and the fluctuating sI+ellings over t l i e thorax, brishet and submandibular area
gradually disappeared after treatment. However, the thorax remained slung at a low level between the forelimbs. Three weeks after the affected calves had been weaned, calves in the other 2 groups were weaned and placed i n a different paddock. No cases of rnyopathy occurred. O n this occasion, however, stress was kept to a minimum and the calves were not drenched with an anthelmintic. A similar system of weaning calves had been practised on the property for the past decade and no cases of niyopathy had been reported. However, in 1976 climatic conditions were atypical and tlie dry auturnii and winter was followed by a sudden burst of pasture growth after rain i n late spring. According to tlie property nianager, pastures contained more clover than i n prckious years. I n the Strathbogie Ranges, a known selenium deficient area (McDonald 1975), selenium deficiency disorders are more likely to occur in years where there is a high rainfall and cloker dominant pastures ( J . McDonald, personal conim u n icat ion ) . Iluring tlic last decade the property had received an annual application of a 2:1 superphosphate : potash mixture at 100 kg per hectai-e. This application is low compared to other propcrties i n the district and soil analyses of the paddocks indicate that tlie levcls of phosphorus, potassium and copper are low. The history of fcrtiliser application is contrary to field observations that selenium responsive disorders are more commonly associated with pastures that have a history of a heavy rate of superphosphate application. The rapid onset of the clinical signs and the high morbidity rate, suggests that increased muscular activity and stress that occurred at weaning may have precipitated the niyopathy in calves already deficient i n selenium. The absence of clinical cahes in the other groups of calves weaned three weeks later
might be due eitlier to llic deliberate attempt to minimise the stress or to the higlicr dietary selenium intake as indicated by the blood glutathione peroxidase activities. Pastures o n the different soil types on which the calves and their respective dams had grazed may have contained different selenium concentrations and this would explain tlie difference5 i n the glutathione peroxidase activities betwccn the groups. We wish to thank Drs I . Caple and .I. McDonald for providing unpublished results and observation\. J . D. ALLEN,
Ikparrnient of Agriculturc, Colac, Victoria 3250 S . C. E. FRIEND,
‘Vetcrinary Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3952 3 .luly 1978
References Allen, W. M . , Bradley, R . , Berrctt, S., Parr, W . H . , Swannack, K.. Barton, C. K. Q . and Macphec, A. (1975)--Ur. vei. .I. 131: 292. Hunter, A . C. and Boyd, J . H . (1977)- Vet. Kec. 700: 103. Linklaier, A‘. A . , hlc7aggarr, H . S . arid Wain, E. H. (1977)-Vci. Kec. 100: 312. McDonald, I . W . (1975)-Ao.\r. vet. ./. 51: 433. McMurray, C. H. and McEldowney, P. I
