Long-term study (2005–2010) on the vaccination with BoHV-1 glycoprotein E-deleted marker vaccine in selected two dairy herds in Turkey

A follow-up study from 2005 to 2010 was carried out in two herds where eradication programme for the bovine herpes virus-1 (BoHV-1) infection depends on the vaccination with inactivated glycoprotein E-deleted vaccine that was started in 2001 following the vaccination with inactivated conventional vaccine between 1999 and 2001. For serological screening, a total of 12,976 sera sampled over several sampling times approximately 6 months of interval during 5 years (2005–2010) were tested for glycoprotein E (gE)- and glycoprotein B-specific antibodies using ELISA. According to the serological evidence, the long-term persistence of BoHV-1 antibodies, success of marker vaccine, first vaccination time of the calves in herds regularly vaccinated, etc. were discussed in this paper. In conclusion, the vaccination programme using gE (?) marker vaccines, with making efforts to prevent the other factors about transmission of infection, was suggested for the eradication of BoHV-1 infection in Turkey as many EU countries. This is the first report on the BoHV-1 eradication programme in some dairy cattle in Turkey.     

Effects of protein-energetic supplementation frequency on growth performance and nutritional characteristics of grazing beef cattle

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate reduced supplementation frequencies for grazing beef cattle in rainy season. In experiment 1, evaluating the nutritional parameters, four rumen-cannulated Nellore bulls (BW = 410 kg) were used. In experiment 2, evaluating animal performance, 48 Nellore bulls (BW = 358 kg) were used. The treatments were as follows: mineral supplement (MS) alone and MS plus protein-energy supplement provided 3×, 5× and 7×/week. Supplementation frequency did not affect (P > 0.05) intake and digestibility. Average daily gain was greater (P < 0.001) to supplementation compared with MS. The supplementation 5×/week resulted in greater weight gain per hectare (9.24) and higher economic returns during the study period (1.64%) compared to other supplementations. Supplementation 5×/week increased animal performance and positively influenced economic returns.     

<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Cloprostenol enhances estrus synchronization in tropical hair sheep

To compare the effects of PGF2α (dinoprost tromethamine) and d-cloprostenol in a two-dose protocol for estrus synchronization in hair sheep during breeding season in Yucatán, México, two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, 61 cyclic hair sheep were divided into two groups: G1 (control n?=?30), two doses of 50 μg of dinoprost tromethamine IM with 12 days between applications, and G2 (n?=?31), two doses of 50 μg of d-cloprostenol IM at the same time interval. For determination of progesterone levels, 16 ewes from each group were randomly selected. In experiment 2, 70 cyclic hair sheep were assigned at the same treatments (G1 and G2, n?=?35) and 48 h after the second application, the ewes in estrus were detected by two vasectomized rams. Sheep with detected estrus were inseminated, and 45 days after, pregnant animals were identified by ultrasonography. An exact Fisher’s test was performed for the analysis of ewes in estrus (experiments 1 and 2) and number of pregnant ewes (experiment 2); for the comparison of time between end of treatment-estrus presentation, a survival analysis was used. Duration of estrus in hours was analyzed using a generalized mixed model (GLM) ANOVA whereas plasma progesterone concentrations were analyzed by non-linear regression. There were significant differences (P?<?0.05) in the proportion of ewes in estrus upon treatments (G1, 57% vs G2, 87% and G1, 37.1% vs G2, 65.7% in experiments 1 and 2, respectively), and between the end of treatment-onset estrus interval (P?<?0.01), survival curves showed the highest number of sheep in estrus between 40 and 48 h (G1, 43.7?+?8.05 h vs G2, 42.9?+?6.7 h, experiment 1). There were no significant differences (P?>?0.05) in duration of estrus (G1, 42?+?6.1 h, vs G2, 41.1?+?11.2 h, experiment 1) and pregnancy in the ewes that presented estrus, and were inseminated (G1, 38.4% vs 52.1%, experiment 2). With regard to concentrations of progesterone, significant differences (P?<?0.01) were found between treatments, and progesterone levels before the second application of d-cloprostenol were higher. In consideration of the results, it can be concluded that in a two-dose protocol of a luteolytic agent, more ewes presented estrus in response to d-cloprostenol compared to dinoprost tromethamine with similar pregnancy rates.     

Influence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigella sativa</Emphasis> seeds, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosmarinus officinalis</Emphasis> leaves and their combination on growth performance,immune response and rumen metabolism in Dorper lambs

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of Nigella sativa L. seeds, Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaves and their combination on rumen metabolism, nutrient intake and digestibility, growth performance, immune response and blood metabolites in Dorper lambs. Twenty-four entire male Dorper lambs (18.68?±?0.6 kg, 4–5 months old) were randomly assigned to a concentrate mixture containing on a dry matter basis either, no supplement (control, T1), 1% R. officinalis leaves (T2), 1% N. sativa seeds (T3) or 1% R. officinalis leaves +1% N. sativa seeds (T4). The lambs had ad libitum access to urea-treated rice straw (UTRS) and were raised for 90 days. Supplemented lambs had greater (P?< 0.05) intake of DM and UTRS than the control lambs. The T4 lambs had lower (P?< 0.05) nutrient digestibility than those fed other treatments. Total and daily weight gain was greater (P?< 0.05) in T2 lambs than those fed other diets. The T3 and T4 lambs had greater (P?< 0.05) ruminal pH than the T1 and T2 lambs. Supplemented lambs had lower (P?<?0.05) ruminal total volatile fatty acids, acetate, propionate, NH₃-N and C18:0 than the control lambs. The T4 lambs had lower (P?< 0.05) population of Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, methanogens and total protozoa compared with those fed other diets. Supplemented lambs had lower (P?< 0.05) neutrophils, basophils and serum urea and greater (P?<?0.05) serum IgA and IgG compared with the control lambs. The current results emphasised the variation in the efficacy of medicinal plants in ruminant nutrition.     

Heat stress and effect of shade materials on hormonal and behavior response of dairy cattle: a review

In tropical countries, at high temperatures, several physiological rearrangements occur in cows as they attempt to facilitate heat dissipation and/or reduce metabolic heat production. Following exposure to heat, cattle appear to acclimatize within 2–7 weeks. The failure of homeostasis at high temperatures may lead to reduced productivity or even death. The situation is even worse when humidity adds to high temperature. Livestock with elevated body temperature exhibit lower DMI and growth with less efficiency, reducing profitability for dairy farms in hot and humid climates. Shading of feed and water also offers production advantages. Although several elaborate methods for reducing heat stress in cows have been reported, simple shade materials appear to be the most cost-effective methods that are currently applicable to tropical developing countries. Different materials are being used to provide shade during warm weather. The shade material determines the microclimate—it should be light, strong, durable, weatherproof, good looking and a bad conductor of heat, and free from tendency to condense moisture inside. This review discusses various shade materials and their advantages and disadvantages in different situations.     

Can treatment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachiaria decumbens</Emphasis> (signal grass) improve its utilisation in the diet in small ruminants?—a review

Brachiaria decumbens is an extremely productive tropical grass due to its aggressive growth habit and its adaptation to a varied range of soil types and environments. As a result of the vast availability, treated B. decumbens demonstrates as a promising local material that could be utilised as an improved diet for sheep and goats. Despite the fact that the grass significantly increases weight gains in grazing farm animals, there were many reports of general ill-thrift and sporadic outbreaks of photosensitivity in livestock due to the toxic compound of steroidal saponin found in B. decumbens. Ensiling and haymaking were found to be effective in removing toxin and undesirable compounds in the grass. Biological treatments using urea, activated charcoal, polyethylene glycol, and effective microorganisms were found to be useful in anti-nutritional factor deactivation and improving the nutritive values of feedstuffs. Besides, oral administration of phenobarbitone showed some degree of protection in sheep that fed on B. decumbens pasture. In this review, we aim to determine the effect of B. decumbens toxicity and possible treatment methods on the grass to be used as an improved diet for small ruminant.     

Proliferation and transmission patterns of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pasteurella multocida</Emphasis> B:2 in goats

This report describes the proliferation and transmission patterns of Pasteurella multocida B:2 among stressful goats, created through dexamethasone injections. Thirty seven clinically healthy adult goats were divided into three groups consisted of 15 goats in group A, 11 goats in group B and the remaining 11 in group C. At the start of the study, all goats of group A were exposed intranasally to 1.97 × 10¹⁰ CFU/ml of live P. multocida B:2. Dexamethasone was immediately administered intramuscularly for 3 consecutive days at a dosage rate of 1 mg/kg. The exposed goats were observed for signs of HS for a period of 1 month. At the end of the 1-month period, 11 goats from group B were introduced into and commingled with the surviving goats of group A before all goats from both groups were immediately injected intramuscularly with dexamethasone for 3 consecutive days. The treatment with dexamethasone was then carried out at monthly interval throughout the 3-month study period. Goats of group C were kept separately as negative control. Three surviving goats from each group were killed at 2-week interval for a complete post-mortem examination. Two (13%) goats of group A were killed within 24 hours after intranasal exposure to P. multocida B:2 while another two (13%) goats from the same group were killed on day 40, approximately 10 days after the second dexamethasone injection. All four goats showed signs and lesions typical of haemorrhagic septicaemia. Bacteraemia was detected in 3 goats of group A that were having rectal temperature higher than 41°C. The P. multocida B:2 isolation pattern was closely associated with dexamethasone injections when significantly (p < 0.05) higher rate of isolations from both groups were observed after each dexamethasone injection. Transmission of P. multocida B:2 from goats of group A to group B was successful when P. multocida B:2 was isolated from goats of group B for a period of 28 days. There was a strong correlation between dexamethasone injections, rate of bacterial isolation and serum cortisol level. The IgG level showed an increasing trend 2 weeks after exposure to P. multocida B:2 and remained high throughout the study period.     

Molecular evaluation of five cardiac genes in Doberman Pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE: To sequence the exonic and splice site regions of 5 cardiac genes associated with the human form of familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers with DCM and to identify a causative mutation. ANIMALS: 5 unrelated Doberman Pinschers with DCM and 2 unaffected Labrador Retrievers (control dogs). PROCEDURES: Exonic and splice site regions of the 5 genes encoding the cardiac proteins troponin C, lamin A/C, cysteine- and glycine-rich protein 3, cardiac troponin T, and the beta-myosin heavy chain were sequenced. Sequences were compared for nucleotide changes between affected dogs and the published canine sequences and 2 control dogs. Base pair changes were considered to be causative for DCM if they were present in an affected dog but not in the control dogs or published sequences and if they involved a conserved amino acid and changed that amino acid to a different polarity, acid-base status, or structure. RESULTS: A causative mutation for DCM in Doberman Pinschers was not identified, although single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in some dogs in the cysteine- and glycine-rich protein 3, beta-myosin heavy chain, and troponin T genes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Mutations in 5 of the cardiac genes associated with the development of DCM in humans did not appear to be causative for DCM in Doberman Pinschers. Continued evaluation of additional candidate genes or a focused approach with an association analysis is warranted to elucidate the molecular cause of this important cardiac disease in Doberman Pinschers.     

Clinicopathological studies on facial eczema outbreak in sheep in Southwest Turkey

After very hot summer, 22 sheep from 5 different flocks consisting of approximately 150-200 animals each were diagnosed with facial eczema in September 2005, in southwest Turkey. Photophobia, corneal opacity, severe ulcers of the facial skin, especially localized around the eyes and mouth, and 3% mortality were the most prominent clinical symptoms. GGT levels of the animals were very high and varying between 261- 328 U/l. While the activities of ALT and total bilirubin were elevated and AST was normal in affected sheep. Total bilirubin level was higher than normal. Seven of the 22 sheep were euthanatized and necropsy was performed on all of these animals. Severe icterus, hepatomegaly, enlarged gallbladder, congestion of mesenteric vessels were the common necropsy findings. Histopathological changes of the liver included necrosis of the hepatocytes, cholangiohepatitis characterized by mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate in the portal area and mild to severe fibrosis around bile ducts. A diagnosis of sporidesmin toxicosis was made based on the histopathology of the livers, the elevation in liver enzymes, and the development of cutaneous lesions consistent with photosensitization and high spore counts in the ruminal contents. Surviving sheep were treated with procaine penicillin + dihidrostreptomycin sulfate, multivitamin complexes and flunixin meglumine. Additionally, zinc sulphate was also given at a dose of 6 gr per 100 lt drinking water for 28 days. All treated sheep recovered. Pasture spore counts were between 96,300- 267,500 spores/g grass.     

Effect of biotin supplementation on hoof health and ceramide composition in dairy cattle

The effect of biotin supplementation on various foot lesions and hoof ceramide composition of toe (wall) and sole portions of hooves was studied in crossbred dairy cattle. Biotin supplementation was done for five months in 14 cattle at a farm and the other 14 animals kept as control. A significant decline was observed in heel erosions and sole avulsions along with total disappearance of white line fissures and double soles in the biotin supplemented cattle resulting in decrease in the overall disease score. Thin layer chromatographs of the hoof lipids revealed 11 types of ceramides in sole lipids and 6 types of ceramides in toe (wall) lipids. The ceramides were typed and identified according to their Rf values. A qualitative increase in the density of thin layer chromatographs of sole lipids was observed in biotin supplemented cattle whereas a non-significant difference in density of thin layer chromatographs of toe lipids was observed after supplementation of biotin.