Background –  The prevalence of meticillin‐ and multidrug‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) in canine pyoderma has been increasing in recent years; thus, treatment of these cases has become challenging. Hypothesis/Objectives –  To compare treatment outcome (clinical resolution and treatment duration), adverse effects of medication, and concurrent diseases and medications in dogs with meticillin‐susceptible S. pseudintermedius (MSSP) and MRSP pyoderma. Animals/Methods –  Medical records were reviewed retrospectively, and 123 MSSP and 93 MRSP clinical cases between January 2008 and April 2010 were included. Results –  In MSSP infections, cefalexin and cefpodoxime were the most commonly prescribed antimicrobials, accounting for 43.2 and 34.4% of cases, respectively. In MRSP infections, chloramphenicol and doxycycline were most commonly prescribed, accounting for 52.6 and 14.4% of cases, respectively. Adverse effects were reported in seven MSSP and 31 MRSP cases. The most commonly reported adverse effects were gastrointestinal, prompting antibiotic discontinuation in three MSSP and 20 MRSP cases. Chloramphenicol was associated with the highest incidence of adverse reactions (27 of 51 cases). Of 164 cases with follow up, 43 of 88 MSSP infections and 29 of 76 MRSP infections achieved complete clinical resolution at the first recheck examination. Three MSSP and seven MRSP cases failed to improve or resolve at subsequent visits assessed at 3–4 week intervals. Conclusions and clinical importance –  Results from this study showed that the majority of pyodermas resolved regardless of meticillin susceptibility. Although some cases of MRSP pyoderma took longer to treat, this is likely to be because of chronicity and not the organism. In addition, adverse effects were frequently associated with chloramphenicol administration.

Recent literature has revealed that there is marked variability in the clinical picture, response to treatment and outcome in food-allergic cats. This article reviews published literature and highlights clinically relevant observations pertinent to feline food allergy.

Information on pasture productivity and forage quality of various adapted species and combinations that support rapid animal gains is needed for successfully backgrounding yearling steers in the humid southeastern USA prior to feedlot placement. To evaluate productivity and quality of pasture combinations for growing beef steers, a grazing experiment was conducted near Memphis, Tenn., in 1975 to 1977 on a Typic Hapludalf. The 1.2 ha pastures were Midland (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) + (Trifolium repens L.) clover, Midland + N, 1/3 Midland + N plus 2/3 fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) + N in separate pastures, Midland overseeded with fescue + N, common (C. dactylon var. dactylon) + N, fescue + clover, and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) + clover (OG + clo). Nitrogen was applied at 224 kg ha−1 y−1 on bermudagrass and at 67 kg ha−1 y−1 on fescue. Pastures were grazed using a modified put−and−take system maintaining orchardgrass at 7 to 14 cm high and the other grasses at 5 to 8 cm. Forage growth and consumption were determined by the cage−and−strip method. Yearling steers weighing 230 kg in the spring grazed 123 to 150 days; they were weighed at 21−day intervals and visual estimates of species composition were made at that time. Forage yield was 8.3 t/ha for Midland + fescue and ranged between 4.0 and 5.7 t/ha for the other treatments. Estimated forage consumption was 80% or more of the forage growth. Forage crude protein (122 to 152 g/kg) was sufficient for meeting the minimum requirements for growing 250− to 300−kg steers. Stocking rates were between 4 and 6 steers/ha. Average daily gains were about 475 to 575 g for all treatments, except for OG + clo (825 g/day). Pasture productivity ranged between 520 animal grazing days/ha for OG + clo to 1190 for Midland + fescue. The productivity of the other pastures was between 730 and 880 grazing days/ha. Daily forage dry matter (DM) intake was 5 to 7 kg/steer. Steers grazing OG + clo, fescue + clover, and Midland + N pastures had feed efficiencies of about 9 kg DM/kg gain; steers on the other treatments required 11 to 13 kg DM/ kg gain. Beef production was 321, 339, 375, 400, 416, 424, and 593 kg/ha for fescue + clover, common + N, 1/3 Midland − 2/3 fescue, Midland + clover, OG + clo, Midland + N, and Midland + fescue, respectively.

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) has high potential summer forage production and can help fill the gap in foragebeef production systems during late summer. The productivity and quality of ‘Midland’ grown at four levels of N fertilization (0, 112, 224, 448 kg.ha) as forage systems for grazing beef steers were compared to those of common bermudagrass (C. dactylon var. dactylon) fertilized with 112 kg N/ha and of a mixture of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L) and ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.) (Orc.‐Lad.). Pastures were grazed by a put‐and‐take system to maintain bermudagrass pastures at an average height ≥ 3.5 cm and ≤ 10 cm, and Orc.‐Lad. ≥ 8 cm and ≤ 15 cm. Forage growth and consumption were estimated by the cage‐and‐strip method. Forage production and animal performance were different in all treatments for the two periods April through June (spring) and July through September (summer). Average length of grazing season (23 April to 12 September) was not affected by N fertilization. Bermudagrass production was similar in spring and summer, and was increased greatly by N in both periods. Forage production of Orc.‐Lad. was twice as large in spring as in summer. Average stocking rate ranged from 3.7 steers/ha on Midland‐0 to 9.9 on Midland448 in April through June, and from 2.7 steers/ha on 0rc.‐Lad. to 14.3 on Midland448 pastures in July through September. Animal grazing days/ha for the entire season ranged from 546 on Midland‐0 to 1,759 on Midland448 pastures. Total beef production (kg/ha) was 162, 283, 350, 605, 308, and 561 from Midland‐0, ‐112, ‐224, ‐448, Common‐112, and Orc.‐Lad. pastures for the entire season, respectively. These values were associated with average gains (weighted for period within season) of 0.33, 0.41, 0.38, 0.44, 0.49, and 0.84 kg/steer/day and estimated forage dry matter intakes of 8.2, 8.9, 6.0, 5.7, 8.1, and 8.7 kg/steer/day, respectively. Most of the beef production occurred in spring. High stocking rates were necessary to harvest grazable forage and maintain grass in a young leafy stage in Midland224 and ‐448 pastures; thus, grazing selectivity was minimized and probably led to low intakes. Since 112 kg N/ha were not sufficient to produce acceptable quantities of forage or beef, a rate of 175 to 200 kg/ha on Midland is recommended for the future. At that N level, Midland will produce more than common which, at lower N levels, outproduced Midland.