In response to global economic duress and heightened consumer awareness of nutrition and health, sustainable and natural ingredients are in demand. Identification of alternative sources of nitrogen and amino acids, including taurine, may help meet dietary requirements while fostering sustainability and natural feeding approaches. Twenty plants, eighteen marine algae and five insect species were analysed. All samples were freeze-dried, hydrolysed and filtered prior to amino acid analysis. Samples for amino acids were analysed in duplicate and averaged. Nitrogen was analysed and crude protein (CP) determined by calculation. With the exception of taurine concentration in soldier fly larvae, all insects exceeded both the National Research Council's canine and feline minimal requirements (MR) for growth of all essential amino acids (EAA) and CP. Although some plants and marine algal species exceeded the canine and feline MR for growth for EAA and CP, only very low concentrations of taurine were found in plants. Taurine concentration in insects was variable but high, with the greatest concentration found in ants (6·42 mg/g DM) and adult flesh flies (3·33 mg/g DM). Taurine was also high in some macroalgae, especially the red algal species: Mazaella spp. (4·11 mg/g DM), Porphyra spp. (1·22 mg/g DM) and Chondracanthus spp. (6·28 mg/g DM). Preliminary results suggest that insects and some marine algal species may be practical alternatives to traditional protein and supplemental taurine sources in pet foods. Safety, bioavailability, palatability and source variability of alternative items as food ingredients should be investigated prior to incorporation into canine and feline diets.

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A quarter of all lagomorph species worldwide are threatened with extinction. Captive breeding programs, such as that developed for the Columbia Basin (CB) pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), sometimes are implemented as emergency conservation measures to restore small, genetically distinct populations. However, small source populations also may have low genetic diversity, which may influence attributes related to fitness, including growth, survival, and reproduction. We used mixed-effects regression models to explore the influence of genetic pedigree (% CB) on pairing success, growth, and survival during the 10-year captive breeding program at Washington State University, which included controlled pairings and outbreeding with pygmy rabbits from Idaho. Pairing success, juvenile growth, and juvenile survival declined with increasing CB pedigree of 1 or both parents, suggesting inbreeding depression among the small number of related founders. Demographic variables such as age, sex, and previous pregnancies, and environmental variables such as month and temperature at birth also were associated with production of pygmy rabbits. Our study illustrates the difficulty of retaining a unique genome of a small source population while simultaneously producing enough rabbits for restoration into natural habitat as part of endangered species recovery programs.

Nodular primary localised cutaneous amyloidosis (NPLCA) is the rarest form of cutaneous amyloidosis, with a predilection for facial and acral skin. We present a 63-year-old Caucasian with a 10-year history of an asymptomatic plaque on his left cheek, starting 2 years after being scratched by a cat in the same area. A biopsy showed nodules of eosinophilic material in the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat, with plasma cells in the dermis. Congo red staining displayed apple-green birefringence within the eosinophilic material. Immunohistochemistry for serum amyloid P was positive within the eosinophilic material and immunohistochemistry showed lambda light chain restriction within the plasma cells, consistent with NPLCA. The causal relationship of the cat scratch to NPLCA in our patient remains unclear. While trauma-induced amyloidosis has been recognised in papular and macular amyloid, few case reports indicate an association with nodular amyloidosis.

administration of penicillin is recommended to eradicate GAS. 5 We treated our patient with oral amoxicillin for 1 year until the titres of ASO and ASK decreased completely, as we considered this important to prevent ARF recurrence. High-dose corticosteroids were needed to control the arthritis.In conclusion, we present an older patient with ARF to highlight that this disease should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis for patients with acute polyarthritis and rash, even in older patients.

The Covid-19 pandemic catapulted dermatology services into a digital era, with the rapid introduction of teleconsultations. The National Health Service (NHS) operational planning guidance recommends ≥25% of consultations are delivered remotely.1 There is a lack of data regarding acceptability and effectiveness of paediatric dermatology teleconsultations. We surveyed UK health care professionals (HCP) to explore their experiences of teleconsultations in paediatric dermatology, with a focus on follow-up consultations for paediatric eczema (PE), to inform a future clinical trial. There were 119 responses. Pre-pandemic, 37% provided some form of teleconsultation service, rising to 93% post-pandemic. Forty-one percent (n=49) now carry out >25% of consultations remotely. Fifty-five percent felt teleconsultations were less effective than face-to-face for PE follow-up. Eighty HCP offered teleconsultations for PE. The most effective format for PE follow-up was felt to be telephone with photographs (n=52, 65%). Our results demonstrate varying opinion on the effectiveness and optimal format of paediatric teleconsultations, supporting the need for further research.

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