Physical examination of swine.

Swine may be examined to evaluate a disease state or a lowered economic performance or as a herd health consultation. As much of the examination as possible should be performed without handling the animal. A thorough history, evaluation of herd records, environmental examination, and herd examination should be performed prior to the evaluation of an individual animal. All necessary equipment should be available when starting the individual examination. The animals is then restrained and examined, and necessary samples are taken. Post-mortem examinations or slaughter house evaluations are a very frequent part of a health examination on swine. All samples taken should be in accordance with the standards of the laboratory that you use. You should work closely with the laboratory to obtain the best results. Physical examination of swine can be rewarding for the veterinarian as well as the producer. The most important aspect to remember is to have enough information and the proper equipment available to handle the animals for the minimal amount of time to gain the maximum benefits. Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are similar to domestic swine in terms of their diseases and health but are dissimilar in management; pot-bellied pigs are frequently brought to the veterinarian for individual examinations. History is the most valuable part of the examination, followed by observation. Pot-bellied pigs prefer to be held securely with a hand under the chin and rump. The examination is conducted similarly to the examination of any companion animal. Chemical restraint often is necessary for sampling or minor surgical procedures. Owners should be consulted prior to the use of any restraint. This will help win their approval and confidence when working on their pets. While performing the physical examination, look at the pig's overall health as well as specific breed characteristics. Try to stay abreast of swine vaccination recommendations; you may be consulted in this regard. Most importantly, never forget even though they are pigs, pot-bellied pigs are companion animals and should be handled as such.     

Building a practice. Budget forecasts and performance monitoring

In order to run a small business effectively you must be in financial control and this means that you have to be aware how the business is performing. If you wait until your accountant has got out the annual accounts valuable time has been wasted in making necessary decisions and corrections to poor trends in your business so monthly/quarterly records are required. Decisions as to whether you can afford to take another assistant, set up a branch surgery, the level of your fee increases, whether to buy or lease your cars; are all dependent on having available up to date financial knowledge of your business. If you have a microcomputer in the practice you can use spreadsheets which will allow the accurate prediction of cash flow or profitability. You can also ask the question 'what happens if...?' and get the answer in seconds. But even without a computer, financial control can be easily maintained if you are prepared to spend a couple of hours each month with your practice figures.     

The raising of pigs--modern and fair to the animals

A sow can cope better with a husbandry system if a new situation is in accordance with her expectations and if she has been prepared sufficiently for the social and technical problems, she will have to face. In relation with applied ethology this means, that a sow should be prepared adequately for a group-housing system of pregnant sows, by a previous establishment of the social hierarchy in her (sub)group; a previous training in operating the feeding station; providing a part of the house where she is safe for aggressive other sows; providing two simultaneous and undisturbed meals of roughage per day for all sows; providing appropriate possibilities for locomotory and for exploratory behaviour. For a farrowing house are the following provisions required: the lying places (farrowing nest) shall be clearly distinguishable for the sows; sufficient long straw for allowing satisfactory nest building shall be present in the nests; a sow shall be able to turn around in the farrowing nest; the sows shall be able to ly in a position with their heads close together; the feeding station shall be in the nearest proximity; the piglets shall be able to mix gradually after their first week of life.     

The changing role of pets in society.

The changing role of pets in society is reviewed. ‘But if you tame me, then we shall need each other’. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world… ‘You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.’ ‘The Little Prince’ (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) ‘An animal which exploits another species can always go one degree better than the existing system.’ Animal Nature and Human Nature (W. H. Thorpe)     

Risk factors for Salmonella persistence after cleansing and disinfection in French broiler-chicken houses

A prospective survey was carried out in 86 broiler houses in western France to identify risk factors for Salmonella persistence in French broiler houses. The Salmonella status of the house after cleansing and disinfection, was assessed from gauze-swab samples taken from the walls, feeders, ventilation system and bedding (analysed with classical bacteriological methods). Thirty three (38%) houses had at least one contaminated sample and were classified as Salmonella-contaminated houses in the logistic regression. The absence of a terminal disinfection and a disinfection procedure performed by the farm staff rather than a contractor were positively related to the Salmonella contamination of the house after cleansing and disinfection. The risk for Salmonella persistence after decontamination was increased if rodents were observed by the farmer, if a large part of the access area to the house was accessible to trucks, and if a disease leading to a treatment occurred in the previous flock.     

不同类型鸡舍光照环境对优质肉种鸡产蛋性能的影响

为研究不同光照环境对优质肉种鸡产蛋性能的影响,试验检测了有窗高床鸡舍与全环控鸡舍的光照强度.结果显示:在外界气候适宜的环境条件下,有窗高床鸡舍与全环控鸡舍的内环境参数相差不大,均在推荐标准以内,但光照环境差异较大,尤其是光照强度的节律性变化,同时有窗高床鸡舍产蛋率高于全环控鸡舍(P＜0.05).研究提示全环控优质肉种鸡...     

Oral biology and disorders of lagomorphs.

Rabbit medicine, and dentistry in particular, is still at an early stage of development. With an understanding of the underlying oral physiology it is possible to devise an appropriate treatment regime for most dental problems after the nature and extent of disease has been assessed. Although many of the dental problems that are seen in practice cannot be cured, most can be controlled or managed to allow the affected rabbit to maintain a good quality of life. The continuously growing nature of the teeth makes recurrence and progression of problems the norm, so owner education and ongoing monitoring of animals is essential. By assessing the effects, beneficial or otherwise, of out treatments and communicating this to others, we will develop our knowledge and skills. Several treatments that are suggested in this article must be considered as "experimental" because they have not been assessed in large numbers of animals. If they work for you, or more importantly, if you find unexpected complications with a treatment method (as has happened with the use of calcium hydroxide paste treatment of abscess cavities) then please publicize the fact so that others can avoid the problem. Until the message on prevention can be reliably transmitted to owners, we will continue to have oral and dental problems to manage. After confidence and experience has been gained in anesthetizing rabbits it is possible to refine one's dental skills to be able to rapidly perform a thorough examination and basic treatments. Major and complex treatments require careful consideration because they may add to the animal's problems, rather than improving the situation. The best method for learning rabbit dentistry is to routinely perform postmortem examinations following euthanasia of affected animals, and spend an hour or two practicing handling the instruments and performing procedures on a cadaver. If you are not confident in your ability or do not have the best equipment for the job, the client should be informed and offered the opportunity to be referral to a "specialist."     

Improving decision-making in complicated or rare cases—An approach towards Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine in small animal reproduction

The concepts of Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine (EBVM) provide a methodological and systematic approach to include the best evidence from research into clinical decision-making. These concepts include steps as the search and assessment of relevant research findings and consideration of individual aspects. In addition, owners and other persons involved in animal health care should be included in shared decision-making. Some breeders have good basic knowledge concerning breeding management and characteristics of diseases and concerning advantages and disadvantages of different therapeutic approaches, while others are notable to understand complex medical interrelations or emergency situations. All these aspects need to be addressed when communicating and discussing different diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic options. In special fields, such as small animal reproduction, veterinarians often see animals with rare diseases or complex conditions so that an application of standard therapies and well-established textbook recommendations is not possible. To learn more about cases too rare for successful systematic research, the case collection tool REPROCASES ( www.evssar.org/reprocases ) is now available. The aim of this project is to gather information from specialists on small animal reproduction in a multicentre approach. If you see rare or not well-investigated cases such as cystic ovarian diseases, cryptorchidism or others, you are more than welcome to share your findings via the database. Even if this approach cannot completely replace standardized clinical trials, the idea is to gather more information on effects, prognosis, side effects and long-term fertility for specific conditions.     

Effect of ventilation on distributions,concentrations, and emissions of air pollutants in a manure-belt layer house

Air pollutants from poultry operations pose a potential threat not only for bird health, but also for the environment outside. Ventilation is believed to be an effective way of regulating house environment. To improve understanding of ventilation effects on house environment, distributions, concentrations and emissions of ammonia, carbon dioxide, total suspended particulates, and particulate matter 2.5 (fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less) were investigated in a manure-belt layer house using 9 ventilation stages (VS) with different ventilation rates (VT). Distributions of pollutants were assessed visually using contour plots and coefficient of variation. Emission rates of pollutants were estimated by multiplying VT by concentration. Spatial distributions of 4 pollutants were not homogeneous throughout the house, regardless of VS, and increased VT aggravated the spatial disparity. In the house, pollutant concentrations were controlled under harmful levels during the 9 VS. Ventilation, as expected, can decrease pollutant concentrations. However concentrations of ammonia and carbon dioxide did not decrease proportionately to increased VT. The highest emission rates of 4 pollutants were observed during VS1, a stage with maximum ventilation, which reflected VT as a key factor determining emission rate. The study indicated that it is difficult to balance house environment and control pollutant concentrations depending only on ventilation. Several additional factors, such as temperature, humidity, manure handling, bird management, and ventilation system design, should be comprehensively considered to control air pollutants from poultry operations.     

畜禽舍微生物气溶胶向环境扩散的研究

应用一个扩散模式估算来自畜禽舍的微生物气溶胶向环境的扩散。在此考虑到了较大悬载尘埃颗粒的沉落和气悬状态下细菌生物学活性对空气微生物传播的影响。菌源高度 (栏舍废气排放孔 )认作 3m和 1 0m。当扩散级为IV和菌源强度为 1 0 6CFU/s时 ,在距离畜禽舍 1 0 0 ,2 0 0 ,30 0 ,40 0 ,5 0 0m处细菌含量分别为 5 0 ,1 0 0 ,2 0 0 ,5 0 0和 1 0 0 0CFU/m3。研究证明 ,畜禽舍之间保持一定距离将很大程度地减少气源性感染的威胁 ;畜牧场应建设在距居民区最少 5 0 0m的地方。     

开放式肉牛育肥舍冬季环境的测试与分析

为了解开放式肉牛育肥舍冬季存在的环境问题并探讨问题产生的原因,试验对其冬季的主要温热环境和空气质量指标进行了测定与分析。结果表明:开放式肉牛育肥舍在黑龙江省冬季存在温度低、湿度大、空气质量差等问题,需要提高外围护结构的保温隔热能力、完善通风换气系统的设计并加强日常的环境管理。     

Experiences as an expert witness: Educating people while under oath

In summary, therefore, my experiences as a witness have been divided into three major areas. In the first, in what was essentially the political process, the game was charge and counter-charge, and the rules, such as they were, were fairly loose. In the second area, that of administrative hearings, the rulesare somewhat tighter, but still not as restrictive as those of a full court session. In court session you are always sworn, carefully qualified as an expert and almost invariably subjected to searching cross- examination. The rules of evidence are strictly adhered to. This is the situation where your freedom of action is most restricted, and is the most rigorous of the situations in which you will use your expertise. However, in the last analysis, you should remember that all that is required of you are simple statements of fact,and your best opinions. Make your statements simple, consistent, and concise, and keep your answers on cross-examination as short as possible.Expert appearances under any of these conditions are very stressful circumstances. They will absorb your attention entirely for some time before you make your appearance. You will feel totally drained after them,and images from the hearing will reverberate in your mind for days. They are, nevertheless, ultimately satisfying experiences. This is because the only measure of the quality of your research is how much it changes the way things are done. Appearances as an expert are a sure sign that you are contributing to change, and speak the significance of your expertise.     

Spatial variation of manure nutrients and manure sampling strategy in high-rise laying-hen houses

Reliable knowledge of manure nutrient content for intensive animal operations is imperative to development of effective comprehensive nutrient management plans, which will minimize nutrient runoff and pollution of adjacent waterways. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the spatial variation of manure dry-matter (DM), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen (N) content in commercial high-rise laying-hen houses, and to determine the sampling locations and number of samples that will lead to good assessment of nutrient content of manure in the houses. Two side-by-side manure samples were collected from 9 locations in each of 6 high-rise laying-hen houses (18 samples per house) and analyzed for DM, N, and P content. The 9 sample locations were distributed as one-fourth, half, and three-fourths of the building length, with 3 sample locations (every other manure row) per cross-section of the 5 manure rows. The average of DM, N, or P content from the 18 samples per house was used as the reference value for comparison of 8 sampling scenarios. Results showed that duplicate sampling at a location added little to the precision of the data. Manure samples collected crossways across the middle of the house or diagonally across the house in either direction yielded results most similar to the reference value for that house. Hence, when collecting manure samples for nutrient assessment in high-rise laying-hen houses, a single sample collected from every other manure pile across the middle of the building should be sufficient to obtain representative samples of the house and is recommended.     

Conference opening address

Extract

I should like to thank you for your welcome and the Executive of your Association for the invitation to open this, your 1969 annual conference. I am sure that you will agree that this is an opportune time in the development of your Association for the Director-General of Agriculture to address you and for me in particular, being in the first year of that appointment.     

Inside story: Scientific Committee

Val Clare, a veterinary surgeon from South Wales, completes the 26 mile, 385 yard distance at the 1997 London Marathon in an impressive time. This year, for the third year in succession, Val will be running in aid of Petsavers. The marathon will take place on Sunday, April 26. If you or any of your clients have a place to run in the 1998 London Marathon, then Petsavers would be delighted If you would join Its team. Would-be sponsors and runners for the Petsavers team should contact Val Clare, Lock Cottage, 24 Five Locks Road, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran NP44 1BT, telephone 01633 869768, for information and sponsorship forms     

A qualitative risk assessment of cleansing and disinfection requirements after an avian influenza outbreak in commercial poultry

ABSTRACT

1. During an avian influenza (AI) outbreak in the United Kingdom, the joint aim of the poultry industry and the Government is to eliminate and prevent the spread of infection, through control measures based on the current European Union (EU) Council Directive (2005/94/EC). An essential part of these measures is the cleansing and disinfection (C&D) of infected premises.

2. This risk assessment assessed the differences in re-infection in a repopulated flock if the EU Directive is interpreted to permit secondary C&D to be undertaken either with or without dismantling complex equipment. The assessment estimated the probability of virus survival on different types of equipment in a depopulated contaminated poultry house before and after preliminary and secondary C&D procedures. A risk matrix spreadsheet tool was used to carry out the assessment and concluded that, provided secondary C&D is carried out with due diligence (i.e. carried out to a defined code of practice as agreed by both industry and policymakers), the risk of re-infection from equipment is negligible, both with and without dismantling complex equipment in all farm types considered.

3. By considering the equipment types individually, the assessment identified those areas of the house which may still contain viable virus post-preliminary C&D and on which attention should be focussed during secondary C&D. The generic risk pathway and matrix spreadsheet tool have the potential to be used for other pathogens and species, given appropriate data.     

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 对天津市郊区半开放式和联栋式犊牛舍环境生态因子进行了测定。在每种类型犊牛舍中央纵轴上均匀选取三个测定点,每个点距离地面1.0 m,测定温度、相对湿度、风速、CO2和NH3浓度。结果表明,半开放式犊牛舍冬季一天平均气温低达4.4 ℃,不能满足犊牛正常生长需要;联栋式犊牛舍内空气质量好,气温较高,但舍内南北两侧温度差异较大,南侧一天平均气温在10 ℃左右,北侧只有6 ℃左右,应加强联栋式犊牛舍内北侧外围护结构的保温性。当联栋式犊牛舍温度过低时,使用红外线灯可使舍内温度提高2~3 ℃。     

Succimer for treatment of lead toxicosis in two cats.

Two cats from a single household were examined because of neurologic abnormalities suggestive of central vestibular disease. The owner had been renovating her 150-year-old house for the preceding 3 months, and renovations included chipping and sanding of old paint from windowsills and stair railings. Lead toxicosis was diagnosed on the basis of history and concentrations of lead in blood and urine. Both cats were treated with succimer. Treatment was not associated with any adverse effects, and both cats recovered completely. Ingestion of old paint from house renovations is the most common source of lead exposure in cats. Owners of cats with gastrointestinal tract or neurologic abnormalities should be questioned specifically about house renovations.