John M. Morton

Current cat management approaches are outdated and ineffective, failing to reduce stray cat numbers or related complaints and negatively impacting the job satisfaction and mental health of veterinary, shelter, and municipal staff. We undertook a situational analysis prior to implementing a Community Cat Program based on free sterilization of owned,...

Managing stray cats in urban areas is an ongoing challenge, and in Australia, many are euthanized. Most stray cats are from disadvantaged areas and are under 1 year of age. The Australian Pet Welfare Foundation intended to assess the impact of a free cat sterilization program in an area with high shelter intake of cats in the city of Ipswich, Queen...

Simple Summary Lack of comprehensive and accurate data on the frequency of stray and owner-relinquished cats entering municipal pounds, animal welfare shelters, and rescue groups across the states and territories in Australia is an impediment to targeting management of domestic cats to where it is most needed. Our study aimed to evaluate availabili...

Not all dog adoptions are successful. This two-year retrospective study used survival (i.e., time-to-event) analyses to investigate readmissions for dogs adopted from RSPCA Queensland shelters between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. A better understanding of temporal patterns and risk factors associated with readmission may help RSPCA Queensla...

Concerns about the impact of pet dogs and cats on native wildlife populations have shaped pet control legislation, despite there being scant research of their impact in urban areas. Using an online questionnaire, we obtained data from 662 Australian dog and cat owners who had observed their pets capture prey in the previous 6 months. Of the pets ob...

Breed structures of Australian dairy herds over time were described for a large subset of milk-recording herds. The focus for this study was to describe the use of crossbreeding by dairy farmers, specifically proportions of herds using crossbreeding, whether they were using two-breed or three-breed crossbreeding systems, and how herd-breed structur...

Knowledge of the welfare status of wild animals is critical for informing debates about how we interact with them. However, methodology to enable assessment of the welfare of free-roaming wild animals has been lacking. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps to non-invasively identify individual free-roaming wild horses and evalua...

Theory of planned behavior A B S T R A C T The privatization of agricultural advisory and extension services in many countries and the associated pluralism of service providers has renewed interest in farmers' use of fee-for-service advisors. Understanding farmers' use of advisory services is important, given the role such services are expected to...

Background Tigilanol tiglate (TT) is a novel small molecule for intratumoral treatment of nonmetastatic mast cell tumors (MCTs) in dogs. In a randomized controlled clinical study, 75% of dogs that received a single TT treatment achieved complete resolution of the MCT by 28 days, with no recurrence in 93% of dogs at 84 days. Critical to TT's efficac...

Replacement dairy heifers exposed to Mycoplasma bovis as calves may be at risk of future clinical disease and pathogen transmission, both within and between herds; however, little information is available about these risks. We conducted a 2-yr longitudinal (panel) study starting with 450 heifer calves reared to weaning in 8 herds (7 M. bovis infect...

A total of 6195 cattle were enrolled in this observational study. Serum antibody concentrations to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) were measured at entry to and exit from backgrounding facilities to assess their statuses on arrival and the extent of seroconversion to these viruses during backgrounding. The backgr...

Objective: To assess whether preoperative gonioscopy status is associated with the development of postoperative glaucoma after phacoemulsification. Procedure: Eligible dogs and eyes were selected from medical records (2007-2017), and each eye was classified as having normal or abnormal gonioscopy status. Records were examined for postoperative g...

Many humans have created close relationships with wildlife and companion species. Notwithstanding that companion species were at some point themselves wild, some wild (i.e., feral) and domesticated (owned) dogs and cats now have significant impacts on wildlife. Many strategies exist to control the impact of dogs and cats on wildlife, but the succes...

Objectives This study evaluates the effects of respiratory vaccines on health and growth rates in cattle placed in local backgrounding facilities then feedlots. Methods A total of 7011 cattle entering backgrounding facilities contiguous with six feedlots in Australia were allocated to eight respiratory vaccine categories, including an untreated co...

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tigilanol tiglate (TT) for local intratumoral treatment of mast cell tumors (MCTs) in dogs. Methods A randomized controlled clinical study in 2 phases involving 123 dogs with cytologically diagnosed MCT. Phase 1 compared 81 TT‐treated dogs with 42 control dogs; phase 2 allowed TT treatment of contro...

Canine insulinoma has historically been associated with a poor prognosis, however prolonged survival times have recently been reported. Prognostic indicators that are available preoperatively are of limited predictive accuracy, and consensus on post‐operative treatment recommendations is lacking. The objectives of this study were to describe outcom...

Background: The majority of diabetic cats in remission have abnormal glucose tolerance, and approximately one third relapse within 1 year. Greater understanding of the metabolic characteristics of diabetic cats in remission, and predictors of relapse is required to effectively monitor and manage these cats. Objectives: To identify and compare diffe...

Cats are prolific breeders, and if most cats were desexed prior to puberty, numbers of unwanted cats and kittens, and hence numbers entering shelters, would be expected to decline. Although traditionally in Australia it has been reported that 90% of veterinary clients’ cats are desexed, there are still hundreds of cats and kittens that end up unwan...

After clinical mastitis outbreaks in dairy herds, M. bovis can persist as subclinical intramammary infections. Identification and culling of sub-clinically infected cows may be warranted to reduce future pathogen transmission and disease. In this study, apparent cow-level prevalences of M. bovis intramammary infection within 4 milking herds immedia...

We provide an overview of methods used to analyze reproductive records in different production systems, highlighting the similarities and differences in approach needed. Implicit to our approach is a deep understanding of the epidemiology of reproductive management. The essential data, challenges of temporal effects, herd size and calving distribut...

Plastic sanitary sheaths over artificial insemination (AI) guns have been used at the time of AI to improve hygiene at AI and fertility in cattle, but fertility responses have been variable in studies when AI was performed by professional inseminators. The aims of this study were to investigate whether the use of a sanitary sheath at the time of AI...

Identifying potential risk factors for urethral obstruction in male cats may help in disease prevention. The aims of this study were to assess whether breed, pedigree status, age, bodyweight and body condition score (BCS) are risk factors for urethral obstruction in castrated male cats using a primary care population. Within this, a specific questi...

Intentions form the basis of behavioral action to improve animal welfare; however an intention-behavior gap has been previously identified. Livestock stakeholders in China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand (n = 1041) involved in slaughter and transport completed a survey in which they were asked their level of intention to improve animal welfare, and...

A cohort of Pony Club horses was observed for 13 months with data collected from owner-kept diaries and monthly property visits. All horses studied had access to pasture for all or part of the day. Whilst paddock size was seldom limiting, pasture degradation was evident and observed pasture mass and composition varied greatly. Horses’ body weight i...

This retrospective study of cat admissions to RSPCA Queensland shelters describes changes associated with improved outcomes ending in live release in 2016 compared to 2011. There were 13,911 cat admissions in 2011 and 13,220 in 2016, with approximately 50% in both years admitted as strays from the general public or council contracts. In contrast, o...

With the common use of bulls for breeding following a period of artificial insemination in seasonally bred dairy herds, it is important to consider the potential role of the bull in transmission of Mycoplasma spp. within and between herds. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Mycoplasma spp. in a population of bulls before and after use in...

Reproductive performance in dairy cows can be improved through genetic selection and herd management. Milk protein concentration is strongly associated with various measures of reproductive performance, but the relative importance of genetic and environmental components of these associations have not been defined. The primary objective of this stud...

The surrender of cats to animal shelters results in financial, social and moral burdens for the community. Correlations of caretaking and interactions with surrendered cats were calculated, to understand more about humans' relationships with surrendered cats and the contribution of semi-owned cats to shelter intakes. A questionnaire was used to col...

Stray animals with incorrect microchip details are less likely to be reclaimed, and unclaimed strays are at increased risk of euthanasia. A retrospective cohort study was performed using 394,747 cats and 904,909 dogs registered with Australia's largest microchip database to describe animal characteristics, determine whether annual email reminders i...

Missing pet cats are often not found by their owners, with many being euthanized at shelters. This study aimed to describe times that lost cats were missing for, search methods associated with their recovery, locations where found and distances travelled. A retrospective case series was conducted where self-selected participants whose cat had gone...

Mycoplasma bovis can have significant consequences when introduced into immunologically naïve dairy herds. Subclinically infected carrier animals are the most common way that M. bovis is introduced into herds. Although M. bovis udder infections can be detected by milk sampling lactating animals before their introduction, currently, no definitive wa...

Approximately 50% of cats admitted to Australian shelters are kittens, and 26% of dogs are puppies, and, particularly for cats, euthanasia rates are often high. Cats can be pregnant by 4 months of age, yet the traditional desexing age is 5-6 months, and studies in Australasia and Nth America reveal that only a minority of veterinarians routinely pe...

Aims: To determine the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of pregnancy diagnosis using transrectal ultrasonography and an ELISA for pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) in milk in lactating dairy cows in seasonally calving herds approximately 85-100 days after the start of the herd's breeding period. Methods: Paired results from pregnancy...

Objective: To determine the accuracy and safety of pin placement for lateral vertebral stabilization to the reference dorsal stabilization. Study design: A randomized noninferiority trial. Sample population: Twenty Greyhound cadaveric lumbar spines (L1-L6). Methods: One hundred and fifty-nine lumbar vertebral pins placed in 80 vertebrae were...

Over 200,000 stray and surrendered dogs are admitted to shelters and municipal facilities in Australia each year, and approximately 20% are euthanized. Contemporary, comprehensive data on the characteristics and outcomes of dogs entering shelters are required to reduce shelter admissions and euthanasia. However, there are currently limited up-to-da...

In Australia, one of the biosecurity recommendations to help prevent the introduction of Mycoplasma bovis into a dairy herd is to use a PCR assay on bulk tank milk (BTM) samples to evaluate the M. bovis infection status of potential source herds. An alternative approach is to assess the immunological status of the herd with respect to previous expo...

There is no national system for monitoring numbers of dogs entering municipal council pounds and shelters in Australia, or their outcomes. This limits understanding of the surrendered and stray dog issue, and prevents the evaluation of management strategies. We aimed to estimate these in 2012-2013. Dog intake and outcome data were collected for mun...

Trap, neuter and return (TNR) describes a non-lethal approach to the control of urban stray cat populations. Currently, in Australia, lethal control is common, with over 85% of cats entering some municipal pounds euthanized. No research has been published describing TNR activities in Australia. Adults involved with TNR in Australia were invited to...

Milk protein concentration in dairy cows has been positively associated with a range of measures of reproductive performance, and genetic factors affecting both milk protein concentration and reproductive performance may contribute to the observed phenotypic associations. It was of interest to assess whether these beneficial phenotypic associations...

Results obtained from a nationwide longitudinal study were extended to estimate the population-level effects of selected risk factors on the incidence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) during the first 50 days at risk in medium-sized to large Australian feedlots. Population attributable fractions (PAF) and population attributable risks (PAR) were...

Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine the reference interval for screening blood glucose in senior cats, to apply this to a population of obese senior cats, to compare screening and fasting blood glucose, to assess whether screening blood glucose is predicted by breed, body weight, body condition score (BCS), behaviour score, fa...

A positive association between milk protein concentration (MPC) and reproductive performance in dairy cows has been shown in several studies globally. This association may positively influence farm productivity and profitability, particularly in seasonally calving, pasture-based herds. However, the differences in milk production and energy allocati...

Milk protein concentration in dairy cows has been positively associated with a range of measures of reproductive performance. It was possible that these associations were due to confounding by milk volume. A retrospective single cohort study was conducted using data collected from 74 dairy herds with seasonal or split calving patterns. Associations...

Milk protein concentration has been positively associated with a range of measures of reproductive performance in dairy cows. These beneficial associations are most likely due to factors affecting both milk protein concentration and reproductive performance possibly being mediated, in part, by energy balance during early lactation. However, it is l...

Objective: To describe preventive health care provided to a cohort of Pony Club horses in rural New South Wales, Australia, and the associated veterinary involvement. Design: Prospective longitudinal study Methods: Observational data collected for 48 Pony Club horses using daily owner-kept diaries and monthly veterinary visits for 9-12 months....

AIM: To describe the accuracy of transrectal ultrasonography for predicting calving dates in dairy cows under typical New Zealand conditions and to assess potential risk factors for differences between predicted and actual calving dates. METHODS: Data were collected from 116 seasonally calving herds over 2 years in a retrospective single cohort stu...

Behavior problems in companion animals are common reasons for relinquishment or euthanasia. Insight into the risk factors for problem behaviors will facilitate the construction of strategies for solutions. We identified risk factors for behavior problems in domestic cats whose owners contacted a companion animal behavior clinic in Brisbane, Austral...

Diabetes is typically diagnosed in cats once clinical signs are evident. Diagnostic criteria for prediabetes in cats have not been defined. The objective of the study was to establish methodology and cutpoints for fasting and 2-h blood glucose concentrations in healthy client-owned senior cats (> 8 yrs) using ear/ paw samples and a portable glucose...

Most cats surrendered to nonhuman animal shelters are identified as unowned, and the surrender reason for these cats is usually simply recorded as "stray." A cross-sectional study was conducted with people surrendering cats to 4 Australian animal shelters. Surrenderers of unowned cats commonly gave surrender reasons relating to concern for the cat...

Simple National Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) shelter admission data were utilized to examine cats presented to Australian animal shelters and reasons for surrender. This study reports the most commonly cited reasons for an owner to surrender and found lower than expected sterilized cats. Despite high numbers of c...

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the major cause of clinical disease and death in feedlot populations worldwide. A longitudinal study was conducted to assess associations between risk factors related to on-farm management prior to transport to the feedlot and risk of BRD in a population of feedlot beef cattle sourced from throughout the cattle p...

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the major cause of clinical disease and death in feedlot cattle. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a population of Australian feedlot cattle to assess associations between factors related to feedlot management and risk of BRD. In total, 35,131 animals in 170 pens (cohorts) inducted into 14 feedlot...

Viruses play a key role in the complex aetiology of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Bovine viral diarrhoea virus 1 (BVDV-1) is widespread in Australia and has been shown to contribute to BRD occurrence. As part of a prospective longitudinal study on BRD, effects of exposure to BVDV-1 on risk of BRD in Australian feedlot cattle were investigated....

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most important cause of clinical disease and death in feedlot cattle. Respiratory viral infections are key components in predisposing cattle to the development of this disease. To quantify the contribution of four viruses commonly associated with BRD, a case-control study was conducted nested within the Natio...

A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a population of Australian feedlot cattle to assess associations between animal characteristic and environmental risk factors and risk of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Animal characteristics were recorded at induction, when animals were individually identified and enrolled into study cohorts (co...

Unwanted cats surrendered to nonhuman animal shelters are generally categorized as either "owned" or "stray." This classification is misleading because "stray" cats may include many "semiowned" cats, for which people provide care but who are not perceived as being owned. This differentiation is important because effective strategies designed to red...

High milk protein concentrations (MP%) have been positively associated with the reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows. No studies have measured the effects of this association on subsequent calving dates in multiparous cows, nor assessed whether the underlying causal mechanisms are present in nulliparous heifers. Holstein cows (primiparo...

Abundant evidence from the medical, veterinary, and animal science literature demonstrates that there is substantial room for improvement of the clarity, completeness, and accuracy of reporting of intervention studies. More rigorous reporting guidelines are needed to improve the quality of data available for use in comparisons of outcomes (or meta-...

To describe the signalment, presence of systemic and/or ocular comorbidities, times to detected healing and probabilities of recurrence after diamond burr debridement (DBD) of eyes with presumed corneal calcareous degeneration and secondary ulceration and/or ocular pain. Twenty-six dogs with 42 eyes affected, 34 eyes treated with DBD. A case series...

The percentage of adult cats euthanized in animal shelters is greater than that of kittens because adult cats are less likely to be adopted. This study aimed to provide evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. One such strategy is to discount adoption prices, but there are concerns that this may result in poor a...

Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations are increased for 12–24 h in healthy cats following moderate- to high-carbohydrate meals. This study investigated associations between gastric emptying time and post-prandial plasma glucose, insulin and lactate concentrations in cats fed an extruded dry, high-carbohydrate, moderate-fat, low-protein diet (51...

A nationwide longitudinal study was conducted to investigate risk factors for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle in Australian feedlots. After induction (processing), cattle were placed in feedlot pens (cohorts) and monitored for occurrence of BRD over the first 50 days on feed. Data from a national cattle movement database were used to der...

Background It is unknown if diabetic cats in remission have persistent abnormalities of glucose metabolism and should be considered prediabetic, or have normal glucose tolerance.Objective To characterize glycemic status of diabetic cats in remission and to determine predictors of relapse.AnimalsA total of 21 cats in diabetic remission and 28 health...

Objectives: Feeding a low carbohydrate diet is recommended for diabetic cats; however, some cats may require diets containing moderate-to-high carbohydrate and may benefit from the use of therapeutic agents to improve glycemic control. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the α-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose on postprandial plasma g...

In-house analysers are commonplace in small animal practices but cannot be calibrated by the operator; therefore, any bias in the generated plasma analyte values cannot be corrected. Guidelines such as grading of renal disease and published reference intervals (RIs) in veterinary textbooks assume plasma biochemistry values generated by different an...

Overweight and obese conditions are common in cats, and are associated with the development of a number of diseases. Knowledge of metabolic determinants and predictors of weight gain may enable better preventative strategies for obesity in cats. Lean, healthy cats were fed either a low-carbohydrate, high-protein (n 16), or a high-carbohydrate, low-...

A controlled trial was conducted in 5 pasture-grazed commercial dairy herds in Australia in 2012 to determine whether premilking teat disinfection and drying of teats reduces clinical mastitis incidence during early lactation by at least 50%. A 50% reduction was estimated to be the minimum required to justify additional costs of labor, disinfectant...

Genetic disease testing programmes are used in domestic animal breeds to guide selective breeding with the aim of reducing disease prevalence. We assessed the change in the prevalence of canine congenital hereditary sensorineural deafness (CHSD) in litters of Australian Cattle Dogs following the introduction of a brainstem auditory evoked response...

Objective To 1) assess the bending strength and stiffness of canine cadaver spines after fixation of a lumbar spinal fracture-luxation using a novel unilateral stabilization technique with pins and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and 2) compare the results to a reference standard dorsal pin and PMMA technique.Study DesignA randomized non-inferiority...

Background: The repeatability (precision) of clinical pathology results is vital for confidence in the measured values. Comparison to biological variation is an accepted standard for instrument/method performance in human clinical pathology. Aims: To assess precision of biochemistry results from three in-house analyzers and one commercial laborator...