Veterinary dairy herd health management in Europe: constraints and perspectives

The nature of veterinary work in dairy health management in Europe has changed over the past years and will change even more dramatically in the near future. The consumers and the media show increasing concern about animal welfare, safety of products of animal origin and traceability of animal products. Farmers in Europe have to produce under strict, often expensive and laborious regulations, while still commercially competing with farmers outside the EU and not subject to the same rules. Veterinarians should adapt their knowledge and skills to the new challenges and developments of the dairy sector. Dairy farmers nowadays ask for support in areas that go beyond clinical activities: environmental protection, welfare, nutrition, grassland management, economics and business management. Bovine practitioners should be able to advise in many different areas and subjects--that is the challenge to our profession. Veterinary education with regards to cattle health management should start with individual animal clinical work, which constitutes the basis of herd health advisory programmes. The bovine practitioner should then look beyond that and regard the herd as the unit. Each diseased cow or group of cows should be detected early enough to avoid financial losses or such losses should be prevented altogether by detecting and managing risk factors contributing to disease occurrence. Herd health and production management programmes represent the first level to optimise dairy farm performance. Expansions to that should further be considered, comprising both animal health and welfare issues, as well as food safety and public health issues. The latter could be addressed by quality risk management programmes following the HACCP-principles. Cattle veterinarians should follow recent developments and invest in new skills and knowledge in order to maintain their usefulness to the modern dairy farmer. Finally we are convinced that the cattle practitioner should evolve into this direction, otherwise the veterinarian as we know him will miss the train in the next years.     

Business education in veterinary schools: the potential role of the Veterinary Business Management Association

Studies have indicated the importance of business education in improving the income level attained by veterinarians and the quality of service they provide. The Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), a national organization of veterinary students, has the potential to augment veterinary curricula by providing additional education to help ensure professional success. Local chapters at 27 of the 28 veterinary colleges in the United States (as of 2007) supplement the curriculum by focusing on business topics. A national governing board oversees the chapters, helping to ensure that high-quality educational programs are conducted and providing a conduit for communication.     

Influence of single applications of nitrogen on white clover nitrogen fixation in autumn and winter dairy pastures in south‐west Victoria,Australia

Abstract

Effects of nitrogen (N) (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg N ha^?1) applied at five different times during autumn and early winter on the N fixation of Trifolium repens L. (white clover) in Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) / white clover pastures were examined (Experiment 1). Effects of applying different N fertilisers (e.g. urea and ammonium nitrate) at 45 kg N ha^?1 in autumn, with and without phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) on N fixation were also tested (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, percentage N derived from the atmosphere (percent Ndfa) by white clover varied between 87% and 91% in the period after (24 to 36 days) N application. Increasing rates of N and time of application did not influence percent Ndfa. The amount of N fixed by white clover ranged from 0.8 to 3.7 kg N ha^?1 in the period after N application. Increasing rates of applied N produced a significant (P<0.05) linear increase in the amount of N fixed. In Experiment 2, percent Ndfa and amount of N fixed (1.9 to 4.1 kg N ha^?1) were unaffected by different N fertilisers, with and without P, K and S, in the period after (37 days) fertiliser application. For both experiments, fertiliser N increased dry matter yield while having no effect on white clover composition. It is concluded that single applications of N during the autumn and early winter benefit pasture growth without adversely affecting white clover N fixation or clover composition. This finding, however, will require further investigation.     

The use of small (2.7 mm) screws for arthroscopically guided repair of carpal chip fractures

Reasons for performing the study: Removal of large chip fractures of the carpal bones and the osteochondral deficits that result, have been associated with a worse prognosis than removal of small fragments in similar locations. Hypothesis: Reducing the articular defects by repair of large osteochondral fragments may have advantages over removal. Methods: Horses with osteochondral chip fractures that were of sufficient size and infrastructure to be repaired with small (2.7 mm diameter) AO/ASIF cortex screws were identified and repair effected by arthroscopically guided internal fixation. Results: Thirty‐three horses underwent surgery to repair 35 fractures of the dorsodistal radial carpal bone (n = 25), the dorsal margin of the radial facet of the third carpal bone (n = 9) and the intermediate facet of the distal radius (n = 1). There were no surgical complications and fractures healed satisfactorily in 26 of 28 horses and 23 horses returned to racing performance. Conclusion: Arthroscopically guided repair of carpal chip fractures with small diameter cortex screws is technically feasible and experiences with 33 cases suggest that this may have advantages over fragment removal in managing such cases. Potential relevance: Surgeons treating horses with large chip fractures of the carpal bones should consider arthroscopically guided internal fixation as an alternative to removal.     

Recommendations of the International Roundtable Workshop on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.

Recommendations of the working party were summarized as follows: Determine the status in all countries of their national cattle herds with respect to BSE. Attempt to develop a test to recognize BSE-infected animals before they become clinically ill. Establish procedures to prevent spread of BSE agent into the cattle populations, especially by eliminating feeds containing rendered ruminant proteins. Review the rendering processes, identify the sources and destinations of rendered products, and suggest appropriate changes if needed. Especially needed are standardized rendering procedures in regard to use of organic solvents, temperature, and duration of heat treatment. Review import and export regulations to reduce the risk of spreading BSE and to maximize opportunities for safe trading in cattle and cattle products. The scrapie-free certification program of the USDA was supported, and similar programs might be considered by other countries. If BSE/scrapie is diagnosed in a given country, determine baseline incidence of CJD in those countries and consider contributing to an international registry. The WHO should address the problems of BSE, formulate policy, participate in and coordinate research, and provide training opportunities for veterinary and human health care workers from eastern European countries and developing nations. Government and private agencies should consider increasing support for research on transmissibility and pathogenesis of CJD, BSE, CWD, scrapie, and transmissible mink encephalopathy. Prepare and publish a critical neuropathologic review of all spongiform encephalopathies, naturally and experimentally transmitted, defining the characteristics of each disease in the various species known to be susceptible. Consider producing guidelines for the biological and pharmaceutical industries with regard to sourcing, collecting, and processing bovine and ovine materials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Veterinarian injuries associated with bovine TB testing livestock in Michigan, 2001

Testing all the cattle in an entire state with a uniform procedure for each animal affords an opportunity to relate human injury data to a known number of animals handled while carrying out a standardized procedure. Our objective was to describe the type and incidence density of injuries associated with TB-testing a large number of cattle herds, and to delineate the various factors associated with the risk of injury. A survey was mailed to all veterinarians (N = 259) who had completed at least five official bovine TB (bTB) herd tests in Michigan in 2001. We collected data regarding basic demographics and health status, work experience, veterinary specialty, and practice information. Each veterinarian was also requested to complete a separate injury questionnaire for each injury received while TB testing livestock in 2001. Accurate addresses were found for 247 eligible veterinarians, 175 (71%) of whom returned the survey. Thirty-six veterinarians reported a total of 53 injuries (10 major, 12 minor and 31 self-treated). Hands (29%) and legs (21%) were the anatomic locations most frequently injured, with sprains/strains (30%) and abrasion/contusion (30%) the most common types of injuries sustained. The overall incidence density of injuries was 1.9 per 10,000 animals tested. Female gender (RR = 3.3), being employed by the government (RR = 4.5), and smoking (RR = 6.0) were significantly associated with a higher rate of injury. Significant colliniearities were found between some risk factors associated with an increased rate of injury and participants thought 81% of their injuries could have been prevented. These results are explained by the administrative structure of the bTB testing program in Michigan, and the changing demographics of the veterinary workforce.     

Isolation and identification of canine adenovirus type-2 from the upper respiratory tract of a dog

AIM: To report on the isolation and identification of canine adenovirus type-2 (CAV-2) from a greyhound dog with tracheitis/tonsillitis. METHODS: Virus isolation was performed with Madin and Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell monolayers using standard virological techniques. The isolated virus was identified by haemagglutination inhibition and serum neutralisation tests. Viral DNA was extracted from infected MDCK cells and subjected to restriction endonuclease analysis using the endonuclease enzymes Bam HI, Bgl II, Eco RI and Hind III. RESULTS: A virus, designated 5 113-87, was isolated in MDCK cells yielding typical cytopathic effect. The virus could be neutralised with a CAV-2 specific reference antiserum and also showed some cross neutralisation with CAV-1 specific reference antiserum. The virus 5 113-87 had a high haemagglutination inhibition titre with CAV-2 antiserum using human group 0 red blood-cells and CAV-1 and CAV-2 reference antisera. This virus also had DNA restriction profiles identical to those of the reference CAV-2 (Toronto A26/61), whereas previously isolated strains of adenovirus from dogs in New Zealand had DNA restriction patterns identical to the prototype CAV-1 strain (Utrecht). CONCLUSION: The findings show that the virus 5 113-87 isolated from the upper respiratory tract of a dog in New Zealand is CAV-2.     

In Vitro Production of Equine Embryos

The development of methods to produce embryos in vitro in the horse has been delayed compared with other domestic species. Oocytes can be collected from excised ovaries or from the small or preovulatory follicles of live mares. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is the only reliable method to fertilize equine oocytes in vitro. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection-produced embryos can be transferred into the oviducts of recipient mares or cultured to the morula or blastocyst stage of development for nonsurgical embryo transfers into recipients' uteri. Embryos cultured in vitro have some morphological differences compared with embryos collected from the mares' uteri. Most notably, the embryonic capsule does not form in culture, and the zona pellucida fails to expand completely. However, embryo produced in vitro can result in viable pregnancies and healthy offspring.     

Malachite green therapy of proliferative kidney disease in rainbow trout: field trials

The results of a series of experiments to investigate the use of the arylmethane dye, malachite green, for the control of proliferative kidney disease in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) are described. Under field conditions using the bath application method the dye gave good control of the disease with treatments at 1.6 ppm for 40 minutes repeated at seven, 14 and 21 day intervals. Flush treatments were also successful using the same treatment intervals and beginning with 3.2 ppm malachite green. The problems of toxicity and of standardising the exposure of the fish to the dye with flush treatments are discussed.