Impact of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on employee turnover in animal shelters

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on the turnover rate among employees with euthanasia responsibilities at animal shelters. DESIGN: Cross-sectional original study. SAMPLE POPULATION: 36 shelters across the United States that employed at least 5 full-time employees and performed euthanasia on site. PROCEDURES: By mail, 1 survey was sent to each shelter. Surveys were completed by a senior member of management and were returned by mail. Questions assessed characteristics (eg, euthanasia rates) and practices of the animal shelter, along with employee turnover rates. By use of correlation coefficients and stepwise regression analyses, key predictors of turnover rates among employees with euthanasia responsibilities were investigated. RESULTS: Employee turnover rates were positively related to euthanasia rate. Practices that were associated with decreased turnover rates included provision of a designated euthanasia room, exclusion of other live animals from vicinity during euthanasia, and removal of euthanized animals from a room prior to entry of another animal to be euthanized. Making decisions regarding euthanasia of animals on the basis of factors other than behavior and health reasons was related to increased personnel turnover. With regard to human resources practices, shelters that used a systematic personnel selection procedure (eg, standardized testing) had comparatively lower employee turnover. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Data obtained may suggest several specific avenues that can be pursued to mitigate turnover among employees with euthanasia responsibilities at animal shelters and animal control or veterinary medical organizations.     

Effects of breed, sex, and age on the variation and ability of fecal near-infrared reflectance spectra to predict the composition of goat diets

The effects of breed, sex, and age of goats on fecal near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy-predicted percentage juniper in the diet were investigated, as were spectral differences in feces from goats differing in estimated genetic merit for juniper consumption. Eleven goats from each breed, sex, and age combination, representing 2 breeds (Angora and meat-type), 3 sex classifications (female, intact male, and castrated male), and 2 age categories [adult and kid (less than 12 mo of age)] were fed complete, pelleted rations containing 0 or 14% juniper. After 7 d on the same diet, fecal samples were collected for 3 d, and the spectra from the 3 replicate samples were averaged. Fecal samples were assigned to calibration or validation data sets. In a second experiment, Angora and meat goats with high or low estimated genetic merit for juniper consumption were fed the same diet to determine the effect of consumer group on fecal spectra. Feces were scanned in the 1,100- to 2,500-nm range with a scanning reflectance monochromator. Fecal spectra were analyzed for the difference in spectral characteristics and for differences in predicted juniper in the diet using internal and independent calibration equations. Internal calibration had a high precision (R(2) = 0.94), but the precision of independent validations (r(2) = 0.56) was low. Spectral differences were affected by diet, sex, breed, and age (P < 0.04). However, diet was the largest source of variation in spectral differences. Predicted percentage of juniper in the diet also showed that diet was the largest source of variation, accounting for 95% of the variation in predictions from internal calibrations and 51% of the variation in independent validations. Predictions from independent calibrations readily detected differences (P < 0.001) in the percentage of juniper in the 2 diets, and the predicted differences were similar to the actual differences. Predicted juniper in the diet was also affected by sex. Feces from goats from different juniper consumer groups fed a common diet were spectrally different, and the difference may have resulted from a greater intake by high- compared with low-juniper-consuming goats. Fecal near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy predictions of botanical composition of diets should be considered an interval scale of measurement.     

Thermotolerance of L3 Ostertagia (Teladorsagia) circumcincta and some of its enzymes

Parasitic nematodes of ruminants can be expected to experience temperatures in excess of 40 degrees C in faeces on pasture and, perhaps, in the host. L3 Ostertagia (Teladorsagia) circumcincta survived for at least 90 min at 45 degrees C in vitro in water, but the larvae were inactivated rapidly by only slightly higher temperatures. The glycolytic enzymes hexokinase and pyruvate kinase were inactivated in a similar temperature range, whereas malate dehydrogenase maintained its activity at temperatures in excess of 50 degrees C. These data imply that the loss of glycolytic activity might explain the loss of larval motility at temperatures between 45 degrees C and 50 degrees C.     

One-Seed Juniper Sapling Use by Goats in Relation to Stocking Density and Mixed Grazing With Sheep

Suppression of one-seed juniper (Juniper monosperma [Englem.] Sarg.) reinvasion with goats requires achieving levels of defoliation of newly established saplings that eventually kill or suppress plant growth. We tested the effects of stocking density and mixed grazing with sheep on the level of use of one-seed juniper saplings by goats. In summer and spring, groups of 10 does (goats alone, GA) or 5 does and 4 ewes (mixed grazing, MG), grazed 20 × 30 m cells infested with saplings (500–533 · ha^?1; mean: 0.8 m tall), either continuously for 6 d (low stocking density, LD) or with daily rotation through 10 × 10 m cells during the 6-d period (high stocking density, HD) in a block design. Feeding activity; juniper in feces; utilization of herbaceous vegetation; frequency of saplings with light, moderate, and heavy foliage and bark use; and branch utilization were determined. Goats in HD spent more time feeding on saplings, less time feeding on herbaceous forages, and tended to consume more juniper than goats in LD. Utilization of herbaceous vegetation ranged from 52% to 73% and was higher for MG than GA and for LD than HD. The MG–HD treatment resulted in the highest frequency of short saplings (< 0.5 m) with heavy defoliation in summer and spring, and lowest frequency of saplings with light debarking in spring. Heavy defoliation was more frequent in short saplings, whereas heavy debarking was more frequent in tall (> 1 m) saplings. Sapling mortality was not affected by treatments (P > 0.05) and averaged 5% across treatments. Branch debarking was greater in spring (P = 0.02) and explained approximately 80% of branch mortality and 62% and 52% of the reduction in sapling live crown height and volume. Branch utilization (percent length) was not affected by grazing treatments (range: 45–48%), but was influenced by the length and diameter of branches. This study suggests that high stocking density and mixed grazing stimulate feeding behaviors that increase utilization of juniper saplings by goats. Susceptibility of saplings to defoliation and debarking varies with sapling size, branch structure, and season. Targeted grazing in spring appears to have a greater impact on sapling suppression and branch mortality due to higher debarking frequency.     

Minimizing environmental impacts of grassland weed management: can Cirsium arvense be controlled without herbicides?

Invasion by undesirable plants, such as Cirsium arvense, can constrain attempts to conserve and restore biodiversity in extensively managed temperate grasslands, but control with herbicides can cause environmental harm. We contrasted herbicides with more environmentally sustainable weed control strategies. Six‐year, large‐scale randomized block experiments were established to determine optimum combinations of grazing management and mechanical or herbicide treatments to control thistles within lowland and upland grazing systems. Factorial combinations of tight vs. lenient grazing in spring and autumn with additional treatments of winter grazing were compared. Thistle control methods were applied in sub‐treatments for the first 2 years: cutting twice yearly, herbicide wiping, and cutting followed by herbicide application. Thistle abundance decreased under lenient grazing in spring, autumn and winter at the lowland site, under lenient spring and winter grazing in the uplands and under cattle compared with sheep grazing. Herbicide wiping was the most effective control measure and cutting the least, but effects of all weed control sub‐treatments were lost rapidly, so lenient grazing was sufficient to give long‐term thistle control. Lenient grazing and herbicide wiping also caused small declines in non‐target forb diversity. Control of creeping thistle can therefore be achieved without herbicides because lenient grazing in spring and autumn can decrease thistle populations to sufficiently low levels. Severe infestations can be more rapidly controlled using herbicides, but are better avoided at botanically diverse sites. Ecologically‐based weed control strategies have great potential, but require well designed field experiments, which run for sufficiently long periods to allow community‐level impacts to develop.     

Assessment of dairy cow locomotion in a commercial farm setting: The effects of walking speed on ground reaction forces and temporal and linear stride characteristics

Objectives of this study were to determine the effects of walking speed on ground reaction force (GRF) parameters and to explore inter- and intra-individual variability with unsupervised data collection in a commercial farm setting.We used eight high producing loose-housed Holstein Friesian cows consistently scored sound, with no veterinary treatment during the collection period. Cows walked freely (0.52-1.37 m/s) over a five force platform array, twice daily, following milking. GRF data were split into speed categories and temporal and kinetic gait parameters extracted. A general linear model was carried out to determine effects of speed.Variation in parameters between cows is inconsistent, while between speed categories (containing data from multiple cows) the parameters which vary are consistent. Stance and stride time were reduced with increasing speed but no change in peak vertical GRF or duty factor was found. This ability to track parameters within an individual over time aids detection of subtle changes associated with lameness.     

Genotypic diversity,a survival strategy for the apicomplexan parasite Theileria parva

The tick-borne protozoan parasite Theileria parva causes East Coast fever (ECF), a severe lymphoproliferative disease of cattle that is a major constraint to the improvement of livestock in eastern, central and southern Africa. Studies in cattle experimentally infected with T. parva have shown that the protective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response is tightly focused, with individual animals recognizing only one or two dominant antigens, the identity of which varies with MHC class I phenotype. It is well known that cross-protection between T. parva stocks is limited, but precise evaluation of genetic diversity in field populations of the parasite has been hampered by a lack of molecular markers spanning the genome. A recently described panel of satellite markers has provided evidence for substantial genotypic diversity and recombination but does not provide cover for large segments of the genome. To address this deficiency, we undertook to identify additional polymorphic markers covering these regions and we report herein 42 newly identified PCR-RFLP markers distributed across the 4 T. parva chromosomes, as well as 19 new satellite markers for chromosomes 1 and 2. This brings the total number of available polymorphic markers to 141 for the 8.5 Mb genome. We have used these markers to characterise existing parasite stabilates and have also shown that passage of the parasite through naïve cattle and ticks can lead to substantial changes of parasite populations in resulting stabilates. These markers have also been used to show that passage of mixed parasites through an immunised calf results in the removal of the immunising genotype from the parasite population produced by ticks fed on this animal.     

Effect of Ergovaline Ingestion on Recovery of Horses Subjected to an Anaerobic Standard Exercise Test

The objective of this study was to determine whether consumption of tall fescue seed which contained high levels of ergovaline would affect post-exercise recovery of horses subjected to an anaerobic exercise test. Ten Quarter horses were separated into two groups and fed alfalfa hay, commercial sweet feed, and either endophyte-infected (E+) or endophyte-free (E−) ground tall fescue seed. Diets contained 11.8% seed, which resulted in 459 ppb of ergovaline for the E+ diet. During the first 28 days, horses in group A received E+ and group B received E−. Diets were reversed during the next 28 days (crossover design). Horses were ridden for 5 days per week. On day 14, 28 (period 1), 42, and 56 (period 2), they were subjected to a standardized exercise test (SET) that consisted of 41 turns in 4 minutes and was designed to raise the horse’s heart rate (HR) beyond the anaerobic threshold (150 bpm). There was a horse effect (P < .05) on post-SET respiration rate, HR, and post-exercise whole blood lactate level, but not rectal temperature (RT). For these variables or period effects, there was no horse × treatment, period × treatment, or period × horse interactions (P < .05). Treatment had no effect on whole blood lactate level, RT, or HR at any time measured. Respiration rate did not vary by treatment at rest or 1 minute after SET but was higher for the E+ treatment at 5 and 10 minutes after SET (P < .005). Consumption of diets that averaged 450 ppb of ergovaline caused the horses expend more respiratory effort in an attempt to recover to resting RT.     

Expression analysis of key somatotropic axis and liporegulatory genes in ghrelin- and obestatin-infused dairy cows

Ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone, is the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). Obestatin is produced from the same precursor peptide as ghrelin, and although obestatin was initially thought to promote actions opposite to those of ghrelin, many studies have failed to confirm this hypothesis. In the current study, multiparous cows were continuously infused with ghrelin (n = 10) or obestatin (n = 10) for 8 wk and compared to an untreated group (n = 10) to examine the effects of these hormones on somatotropic and liporegulatory gene expression. The expression of key genes was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor mRNA expression was altered in ghrelin- and obestatin-infused cows in a similar manner, as expression was increased at 4 wk, however it had decreased by 8 wk. Obestatin-infused cows presented with a significant decrease in the expression of ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) in adipose tissue, suggesting changes in cholesterol transport. Liver insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-3 mRNA displayed a week-by-treatment interaction, as expression was increased in control and obestatin-infused cows; however, expression decreased in ghrelin-infused cows. Adipose expression of hormone sensitive lipase (LIPE) mRNA was not altered by treatment or time, suggesting hormone infusion is not initiating lipolysis. The expression of lipogenic genes in adipose tissue increased with time in all groups, consistent with the general lactational profile of lipogenesis in dairy cows. These data indicate that continuous infusion of ghrelin or obestatin does not alter the expression of key somatotropic or liporegulatory genes in the lactating dairy cow, although obestatin infusion may alter cholesterol transport.