tion occurred and the rumen was not distended. No abortions occurred during or up to one month after the anaesthesia.

The cuffed endotracheal tube was blindly inserted into the trachea, while the animal lay on its side and the head held in slight extension. The endotracheal tube was connected to the anaesthetic apparatus. Oxygen and 2% halothane were ad- ministered to the patient through a circle absorber. All animals entered into a surgical anaesthesia without any difficulty, if provided with adequate amount of halothane, and recovery was uneventful.

Only in one case where the goat received a total of 2.14 mg/kg of ketamine hydrochloride was there difficulty in in- troducing the endotracheal tube into the trachea because of struggling by the patient and unrelaxed jaw muscles. Increased amounts of ketamine hydrochloride will diminish this response.

From our studies we concluded that in both species 3 mg/kg ketamine hydrochloride is a sufficient dose for introducing en- dotracheal intubation. Ketamine hydrochloride has to be in- troduced rapidly to the jugular vein in order to obtain satisfac- tory relaxation of the pharynx, larynx and jaw muscles. In- troduction of an endotracheal tube into the trachea should be a fast and rapid procedure. This can be easily achieved ‘blindly’. In order to choose the appropriate size of the endotracheal tube the trachea of the standing animal can be measured by palpating through the skin of the neck. Even in doses exceeding

3 mg/kg, ketamine hydrochloride, given by rapid intravenous injection, is a highly safe, convenient way for the introduction of an endotracheal tube in goats. Entrance into general anaesthesia is smooth and even, and recovery time is short.

A. TADMOR, 1. ZUKERMAN,

Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel 8 December 1980

References Bryant, S. H. (1969) - Fedn. Proc. Fedn. A m . SOCS. exp. Biol.

28: 1553. Keller, G. L. and Bauman, D. H. (1980) - Vet. Med./Small

Anim. Clinic75: 443. Kumar, A., Thurmon, J . C. and Hardenbrook, H. J. (1976) -

Vet. Med./SmallAnim. Clinic. 73: 1707. Tadmor, A., Marcus, S and Eting, E. (1979) - Aust. vet. J .

55: 537.

vet. med. Ass. 162: 293-297.

Aust. ver. J . 51: 484.

Thurmon, J . C., Kumar, A. and Link, R. P. (1973) - J . Am.

Thurmon, J . C., Kumar, A. and Calblery, A. J . (1975) -

STILBOESTROL TOXICITY IN DOGS

In postscript to the case history reported by Hills and Slatter (1981) of stilboestrol toxicity in a dog, I would like to report the use of another drug for the treatment of prostatic hyper- trophy, namely delmadinone acetate*. Colleagues in the 359 Southern Cross Drive,

United Kingdom and myself have used this drug successfully for a number of years.

J . A . DAVIS,

Holt, Australian Capital Territory, 2615 16 February 1981

‘Delmadlnone acetate 10mglml TARDAK‘ Sytex Maidenhead, Berks. United Kingdom. Recommended dose rate: dogs up to 10 kg - 1 .5 to 2.0 mg/kg bodyweight; dogs 10 to 20 kg - 1 0 to 1.5 m g l k g bodyweight; dogs >20 kg - 1.0 mg/kg bodyweight.

Reference Hills, J.N. and Slatter, D.H. (1981) Ausr. ver. J . 57: 39.

STEATITIS IN TWO DONKEY FOALS

Two fatal cases of steatitis occurred in donkey foals at a South Gippsland farm in Victoria in late 1979.

The first case occurred in a 2-week-old male foal which was apparently normal until 10 days of age. It then became lethargic, constipated and had periods of recumbency. The owners gave IS ml paraffin oil by mouth, but its condition con- tinued to deteriorate. The abdominal wall became very hard, tense, and painful on palpation. The foal failed to respond to anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy and died on the 4th day of illness. The second case was a 3-week-old female foal which was found dead in the paddock, having shown no signs of illness. The same stallion sired both foals.

The gross pathological changes in the first foal were confin- ed to adipose tissue. The fat was firm, nodular and deep yellow with an odour resembling linseed or cod-liver oil. The subserosal fat in the abdominal wall was similarly affected and caused a thickening of most of the wall. Smaller areas of ab-

normal adipose tissue were found lining the thoracic cavity and in the abdominal mesentery where the nodular masses followed the line of its attachment to the intestine. Much of the carcase of the second foal had been removed by scavengers, but firm, nodular, yellow fat deposits were found in the neck and ab- dominal wall.

Histological examination revealed highly cellular adipose tissue in both foals. Macrophages, a few neutrophils and many necrotic cells were present between fat vacuoles and in fibrous septa. Many vacuoles were lined with a thick eosinophilic mem- brane and some contained clumps of pycnotic cells.

Blood collected from 3 mares, one stallion and one 7-week- old foal from the same farm had normal vitamin E levels (269 to 387 pg/IOO ml: normal 200-700 &ml); blood glutathione peroxidase activity, estimated by a semiquantitative test, was subnormal in the 2 mares tested (including the mother of the first foal that died) and normal in the stallion and foal.

304 Australian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 57, June, 1981