Restricted energy intake and elevated calcium and phosphorus intake for gilts during growth. IV. Characterization of metacarpal, metatarsal, femur, humerus and turbinate bones of sows during three parities

The effect of early nutrition on subsequent bone development was studied using gilts that had previously been fed ad libitum or 75% ad libitum intake and 100 or 150% National Research Council-recommended daily Ca and P from weaning to 100 kg. During the three-parity reproductive study, sows were fed a 14% protein diet. Metacarpals and metatarsals were taken from sows culled due to lameness or failure to breed and from sows after completing three parities. Femur and humerus articular cartilage and turbinates were described at necropsy. Metacarpals and metatarsals were heavier and tended to have thicker walls when sows were previously fed ad libitum or fed 150% Ca and P. Energy intake produced the greater response. Metacarpal breaking strength was greatest for sows previously fed ad libitum. Metatarsals were not affected by energy intake. Stiffness, Young's modulus of elasticity (YME) and flexural modulus for metacarpals and metatarsals were not affected by energy intake. Previously fed Ca and P intakes did not affect any of the mechanical bone characteristics. Metacarpals were heavier, had a greater breaking strength, were more elastic and exhibited slightly less resistance to bending than the metatarsals. The ether extract, ash, Ca and P content and the Ca:P ratio of metacarpals and metatarsals were not affected by previously fed energy or Ca and P intakes. The ether extract content tended to decrease and the ash, Ca and P content tended to increase with age. Articular cartilage and turbinate scores were not influenced by previously fed energy or Ca and P intakes. The YME and flexural modulus were the only bone characteristics that were even poorly correlated (average r = .25) with soundness scores, suggesting that high values result in poorer soundness scores. Energy and Ca and P intakes during growth and development had only minimal effects on bone characteristics and no apparent effect on structural soundness and longevity of sows kept for three parities.     

Comparison of tick resistance of crossbred Senepol × Limousin to purebred Limousin cattle

The comparison of resistance to natural tick infestation by Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) of crossbred Senepol?×?Limousin and purebred Limousin cattle was investigated. The Senepol breed, originated from St Croix Island in the Caribbean is considered as a Bos taurus breed adapted to tropical conditions. Despite its B. taurus genetic background, it is believed to have a good tick resistance, but this resistance has never been assessed previously. Tick counts under natural infestation were carried out to investigate the difference of susceptibility between crossbred Senepol?×?Limousin and purebred Limousin cattle. Mixed-effect models were used to assess the effect of the breed on the number of ticks. Results show that Senepol?×?Limousin are five times less infested by ticks than purebred Limousin. These results underline the opportunity to use Senepol cattle for crossing with susceptible B. taurus breeds in tick infested areas, to combine tick resistance with beef production abilities.     

Evaluation of serum values of pancreatic enzymes after endoscopic retrograde pancreatography in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) in dogs by performing repeated clinical examinations and laboratory analyses of serum amylase, lipase, canine trypsin-like immunoreactivity (cTLI), and canine pancreatic elastase 1 (cE1) after the procedure. ANIMALS: 7 healthy Beagles. PROCEDURES: Clinical examinations were performed and blood samples obtained for serum enzyme determinations before and at intervals (10 minutes; 2, 4, and 6 hours; and 1, 2, and 3 days) after ERP. RESULTS: Repeated clinical examinations revealed no signs of ERP-induced complications in the 7 dogs. Results of repeated laboratory tests indicated a transient increase in serum values of amylase, lipase, and cTLI but not cE1. Mean +/- SD lipase activity increased from 120.7 +/- 116.4 U/L to 423.4 +/- 243.1 U/L at 4 hours after ERP. Median serum cTLI concentration increased from 16.2 microg/L (range, 77 to 26.5 microg/L) to 34.9 microg/L (range, 16.6 to 68.3 microg/L) 10 minutes after ERP. Enzyme values returned to baseline levels at the latest on day 2 in 6 of 7 dogs. Highest values for serum amylase, lipase, and cTLI and their delayed return to baseline values were detected in 1 dog with contrast filling of the pancreatic parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that ERP appears to be a safe imaging technique of pancreatic ducts in healthy dogs, although it induced a transient increase in serum values of pancreatic enzymes. In dogs, repeated clinical examinations and serum enzyme determinations can be used to monitor ERP-induced complications such as acute pancreatitis.     

Detection of early stages of Myxobolus cerebralis in fin clips from rainbow trout (Orynchus mykiss).

A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect early stages of Myxobolus cerebralis in caudal and adipose fin samples from rainbow trout (RT). To determine sensitivity, groups of 10 RT were exposed to 2,000 M. cerebralis triactinomyxons/fish for 1 hour at 15 degrees C and subsequently moved to clean recirculating water. Fish were held for 2 and 6 hours and 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 30, and 60 days before sampling by nonlethal fin biopsy. Nested PCR performed on fin clips showed that M. cerebralis DNA was detected in caudal fin tissue in 100% of fish up to 5 days postexposure. At days 7 and 10 postexposure, 80% of fish were positive, and at 60 days postexposure, 60% of fish were positive using this technique. Conversely, testing on adipose fin clips proved less sensitive, as positive fish dropped from 80% at day 7 to below 20% at day 10 postinfection. Since detection of M. cerebralis infection using caudal fin samples coupled with nested PCR is an effective method for detection of early parasite stages, use of this technique provides for accurate, nonlethal testing.     

Dairy sheep production research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,USA-a review

Commercial milking of sheep is a new agricultural industry in the United States starting approximately 30 yr ago. The industry is still small, but it is growing. The majority of the sheep milk is used in the production of specialty cheeses. The United States is the major importer of sheep milk cheeses with 50 to 60% of annual world exports coming to the United States during the past 20 yr. Therefore, there is considerable growth potential for the industry in the United States. The only dairy sheep research flock in North America is located at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research program started in 1993 and has been multifaceted; dealing with several areas important to commercial dairy sheep farmers. The East Friesian and Lacaune dairy breeds were compared and introduced to the industry through the research program. Both dairy breeds produced significantly more milk than traditional meat-wool breeds found in the U.S., but the two breeds differed in their production traits. East Friesian-cross ewes produced more lambs and slightly more milk than Lacaune-cross ewes whereas Lacaune-cross ewes produced milk with a higher percentage of fat and protein than East Friesian-cross ewes. Lactation physiology studies have shown that ewes with active corpora lutea have increased milk yields, oxytocin release during milking is required to obtain normal fat percentages in the milk, large udder cisterns of dairy ewes can allow for increased milking intervals, and short daylengths during late pregnancy results in increased milk yield. In the nutrition area, legume-grass pastures and forages with a higher percentage of legume will result in increased milk production. Grazing ewes respond to additional supplementation with increased milk yield, but it is important to match the supplement to the quality of the grazing. Ewes on high quality legume-grass pastures that are high in rumen degradable protein respond with increased milk production to supplements high in energy and/or     

Risk based culling for highly infectious diseases of livestock

ABSTRACT: The control of highly infectious diseases of livestock such as classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and avian influenza is fraught with ethical, economic, and public health dilemmas. Attempts to control outbreaks of these pathogens rely on massive culling of infected farms, and farms deemed to be at risk of infection. Conventional approaches usually involve the preventive culling of all farms within a certain radius of an infected farm. Here we propose a novel culling strategy that is based on the idea that farms that have the highest expected number of secondary infections should be culled first. We show that, in comparison with conventional approaches (ring culling), our new method of risk based culling can reduce the total number of farms that need to be culled, the number of culled infected farms (and thus the expected number of human infections in case of a zoonosis), and the duration of the epidemic. Our novel risk based culling strategy requires three pieces of information, viz. the location of all farms in the area at risk, the moments when infected farms are detected, and an estimate of the distance-dependent probability of transmission.     

Myopathy and alterations in serum 3-methylhistidine in dogs with liver disease

Liver disease can influence the metabolism of various other organs. Regarding the influence of liver diseases on muscles, only a few studies done on people exist. The goal of our study was to investigate the influence of liver diseases on muscles in dogs. Twenty-eight dogs with different liver diseases were investigated in this study. The diagnosis of muscle alteration was based on electromyography (EMG), creatine kinase serum activity, 3-methylhistidine serum concentration and a muscle biopsy in some cases. Our results suggest that liver diseases in dogs can be accompanied with muscle alteration. 3-Methylhistidine serum concentration as a new parameter for muscle destruction in dogs was significantly increased compared to clinical healthy dogs and was comparable to those concentrations in dogs with histologically confirmed myopathy of different types. The differentiation of the liver diseases into severe hepatitis, moderate hepatitis and liver tumours showed a significant elevation of 3-methylhistidine serum concentration in cases of liver tumours (P=0.03) and a tendency in cases of severe hepatitis (P=0.07). Based on our study we can conclude that liver diseases have an influence on muscles in dogs and 3-methylhistidine could be a useful parameter for muscle destruction.