Limited efficacy of Fever Tag(®) temperature sensing ear tags in calves with naturally occurring bovine respiratory disease or induced bovine viral diarrhea virus infection.

Temperature sensing ear tags were tested in 1) auction-derived calves with 50% incidence of bovine respiratory disease, and 2) specific pathogen-free calves infected with bovine virus diarrhea virus. There were no false positives, but tag placement, probe displacement, and a high threshold for activation all contributed to failure to reliably detect sick calves.

Efficacité limitée des étiquettes d'oreille Fever TagMDpour mesurer la température chez les veaux atteints de maladies respiratoires d'origine naturelle ou d'une infection induite par le virus de la diarrhée virale des bovins. Les étiquettes d'oreille pour mesurer la température ont été testées chez 1) des veaux provenant d'encans ayant 50 % d'incidence de maladies respiratoires et 2) des veaux exempts d'agents pathogènes spécifiques infectés par le virus de la diarrhée virale bovine. Il n'y avait aucun faux positif, mais le placement des étiquettes, le déplacement de la sonde et un seuil d'activation élevé ont tous contribué à l'échec de la détection fiable des veaux malades.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Transport versus on-farm slaughter of bison: physiological stress, animal welfare, and avoidable trim losses.

Ranched bison are typically less acclimated to handling than are domesticated livestock, suggesting that they might be more vulnerable to handling and transportation stressors. Grain-finished bison were slaughtered on-farm (n = 11), or held for 48 h, transported to a research abattoir, held in lairage for 18 h, and then slaughtered (n = 11). An additional group (n = 10) was sampled at a conventional fixed location abattoir. Measures included serum cortisol and corticosterone concentrations during on-farm handling and exsanguination, serum glucose, creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and trim losses. Transport was associated with an increase in trim loss. On-farm, glucose was elevated, CPK was positively associated with handling order over 12 h, and corticosterone concentration, although lower than cortisol concentration, showed a greater response to prolonged disturbance. With appropriate on-farm handling facilities, the use of on-farm slaughter and mobile abattoir could avoid muscle damage and trim losses, and mitigate injuries sustained during handling and transport of bison.

Transport ou abattage des bisons à la ferme : stress physiologique, bien-être animal et pertes de viande évitables. Les bisons élevés dans un ranch sont habituellement moins accoutumés à la manipulation que le bétail domestiqué, ce qui suggère qu'ils sont plus vulnérables aux facteurs de stress liés à la manipulation et au transport. Des bisons engraissés au grain ont été abattus à la ferme (n = 11), ou détenus pendant 48 h, transportés à un abattoir de recherche, mis dans des installations d'attente pendant 18 h, puis abattus (n = 11). Un groupe additionnel (n = 10) a été échantillonné à un abattoir fixe conventionnel. Les mesures incluaient les concentrations de cortisol sérique et de corticostérone durant la manipulation et l'exsanguination à la ferme, le glucose sérique, la créatinine phosphokinase (CPK), l'aspartate aminotransférase (AST) et les pertes de viande. Le transport était associé à une hausse de la perte de viande. À la ferme, le glucose était élevé, la CPK était positivement associée à l'ordre de manipulation pendant 12 heures et la concentration de corticostérone, quoique inférieure à la concentration de cortisol, a montré une réponse plus élevée lors d'une perturbation prolongée. Avec des installations de manipulation à la ferme appropriées, l'utilisation de l'abattage à la ferme et d'un abattoir mobile pourrait éviter les dommages musculaires et les pertes de viande et atténuer les blessures subies durant la manipulation et le transport des bisons.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Physiology and behavior of dogs during air transport.

Twenty-four beagles were used to measure physiological and behavioral reactions to air transport. Each of 3 groups of 4 sedated (with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of acepromazine maleate) and 4 non-sedated (control) dogs was flown on a separate flight between Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario, after being transported by road from Quebec City to Montreal. Saliva and blood samples were taken before ground and air transport and after air transport. The heart rate was monitored during the whole experiment except during ground transport, and behavior was monitored by video during air transport. Sedation did not affect any of the variables measured. The mean plasma cortisol concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after ground transport than at baseline (225.3 vs 134.5 nmol/L); the mean salivary cortisol concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after both ground and air transport than at baseline (16.2 and 14.8, respectively, vs 12.6 nmol/L). The mean neutrophil count was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after both ground and air transport than at baseline (80.6 and 81.4, respectively, vs 69.5 per 100 white blood cells), whereas the mean lymphocyte count was significantly lower (P < 0.05) (13.2 and 13.7, respectively, vs 22.4 per 100 white blood cells). Loading and unloading procedures caused the largest increase in heart rate. On average, the dogs spent more than 50% of the time lying down, and they remained inactive for approximately 75% of the time, except during take-off. These results suggest that transportation is stressful for dogs and that sedation with acepromazine, at the dosage and timing used, does not affect the physiological and behavioral stress responses of dogs to air transport.

Periodic 48 h feed withdrawal improves glucose tolerance in growing pigs by enhancing adipogenesis and lipogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Adipocyte numbers and peroxisome proliferators activated receptorγ (PPARγ) expression of retroperitoneal tissue increased while area under the curve (AUC) during the glucose tolerance test (GTT) was reduced in rats subjected to certain feed withdrawal (FW) regimens. Thus, using pigs as the experimental model, the hypothesis that FW regimens influence glucose tolerance by influencing fat cell function was evaluated with the objective of determining the effect of a single (FWx1; at age of 19 wk for 48 h) or periodic, multiple (FWx4; 24 h FW at 7 and 11 wk of age and 48 h FW at 15 and 19 wk of age) FW on AUC of glucose and insulin during the GTT relative to pigs that did not experience FW (Control). METHODS: Growth, body composition, adipocyte numbers, PPARγ expression, lipogenic potential as glucose uptake into fat of adipocytes of varying diameter in omental (OM) and subcutaneous (SQ) fat as affected by FW regimens were determined in pigs initiated into the study at 5 wk of age and fed the same diet, ad libitum. RESULTS: Blood glucose concentrations for prior to and 120 min post glucose meal tended to be lower (p = 0.105 and 0.097, respectively) in pigs in FW treatments. In OM fat; cell numbers, glucose Universal14C [U14C] incorporation into fat and rate of incorporation per 104 cells was greatest for cells with diameters of 90-119 µm. Pigs undergoing FWx4 tended to have greater (p = 0.0685; by 191%) number of adipocytes, increased (p = 0.0234) glucose U14C incorporation into adipocytes and greater (p = 0.0872) rate of glucose uptake into cells of 119-150 µm diameter than of cells from control or FWx1 pigs. Subcutaneous adipocyte numbers in 22-60 and 61-90 µm diameter ranges from pigs in FWx1 tended to be greater (p = 0.08 and 0.06, respectively) than for those in FWx4 treatment, yet PPARγ expression and total cell number were not affected by treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that FW regimens influence fat cell function or lipogenesis rather than number, affecting glucose metabolism and may have implications in drug-free control of metabolic syndrome symptoms.