Occurrence of Macrorhabdus ornithogaster in exotic birds.

Avian gastric yeast (Macrorhabdus ornithogaster) is a microorganism that infects aviary birds worldwide, both captive and wild. A total number of 352 birds, belonging to 18 avian species, were examined from 2019 to 2022 for M. ornithogaster, using fecal smears of live birds or cytological samples of the proventriculus taken at necropsy. These cytological samples were taken from birds that died from different causes. Some of the birds exhibited symptoms such as lethargy, regurgitation, weight loss and anorexia. Faecal samples were collected from all the birds and analysed for gastric yeast using a direct smear and Gram-staining method. The microorganism was diagnosed most frequently in budgerigars (55.5%), the African gray parrot (33.3%), and nymphs (34.3%). The prevalence of M. ornithogaster in canaries was 10%. The infection was detected in 31% of the examined birds, which shows that the occurrence of M. ornithogaster in exotic birds is common. No clinical signs were observed in the vast majority of birds that tested positive for gastric yeast.

Off label use of human approved drugs in treatment of dogs in the Republic of Serbia.

Since drug companies are driven by the need to produce profit they are unwilling to make large investments in the development of new drugs if there is no market large enough to justify such investment. For this reason, veterinarians face a major obstacle - the veterinary drug market is not very profitable, which sometimes leads to not having a licensed drug available for treatment in veterinary practice. In this case, the cascade procedure allows veterinarians to, under certain circumstances, prescribe human approved drugs. The aim of our study was to analyze the pattern of human approved drugs prescription for 150 medical records of dogs participating in the survey. The results show that antimicrobial agents were the most commonly prescribed drugs for animals (50%) of all human approved drugs, and beta-lactams (38.6%) were the most widely used antibiotic classes. The most common general conditions for therapeutic use of antimicrobials in this study were digestive, skin and respiratory disorders. Our study shows that the frequency of bacterial culture, susceptibility testing and cytology was very low. Even though the off-label use of human approved drugs in animal practice is regulated by law, the results of this study indicate the need for more specific strategies and guidelines for such use. This may represent a potential for improvement by raising veterinarians' awareness toward more prudent use of human drugs.

Effect of postpartum administration of ketoprofen on proinflammatory cytokine concentration and their correlation with lipogenesis and ketogenesis in Holstein dairy cows.

Early lactation period in dairy cows could be harmful to their health since it is challenging and demanding. Proinflammatory cytokine concentrations are increased in the early phase of the inflammatory response and during the early lactation period in cows. The aim of this study was to determine if ketoprofen treatment in the first days following parturition would decrease proinflammatory cytokine concentration and their correlation between lipid mobilization, ketogenesis and metabolic parameters in cows. The study was conducted on 30 cows divided into two groups of 15 cows each. The experimental group was treated with 3 mg × kg.bw.-1 ketoprofen for three consecutive days after parturition. The blood samples were collected on the first day of treatment and in the first and second week postpartum and they were analyzed for biochemical parameters such as non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), glucose, cholesterol and total bilirubine and inflammatory parameters such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The results suggested that ketoprofen- treated cows had a significantly lower concentration of TNF-α, IL-1α, IFN-γ, NEFA and BHBA in the first and second postpartum week compared to the control group. Ketoprofen administration increased glucose levels (the first week, p⟨0.05), increased cholesterol levels (the second week, p⟨0.01) and decreased serum total bilirubin levels (second week, p⟨0.01) compared to the control group of cows. A positive correlation was found between TNF-α and NEFA and total bilirubin, significantly more expressed in the control than in experimental group of cows (p⟨0.01) and it was also found between IL-1α and NEFA (p⟨0.01). A negative correlation was found between TNF-α and glucose and cholesterol, significantly more expressed in the control than in experimental group of cows (p⟨0.01). A positive correlation was also found between IL-1α and glucose (p⟨0.01). Ketoprofen given parenterally to Holstein cows immediately after calving could reduce inflammation and decrease the relation between inflammatory response and lipogenesis and ketogenesis in postpartum cows.

Association of metabolic and inflammatory markers with milk yield in postpartum dairy cows treated with ketoprofen.

Inflammation together with lipolysis and ketogenesis in early lactation can cause low productivity and may be harmful to the cow health. The objective of the study was to determine if ketoprofen treatment in the first days following parturition would positively affect the milk production and whether it was associated with the metabolic and inflammatory response. The study was conducted on 30 cows divided into two groups of 15 cows each. The experimental group was treated with 3 mg × kg. bw. -1 ketoprofen for three consecutive days after parturition. The blood samples were collected on the first day of treatment and in the first and second week postpartum and they were analyzed for non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), tumour necrosis factor-a(TNF-a) and haptoglobin. The results suggested that ketoprofen-treated cows with a higher milk production had a significantly lower concentration of NEFA, BHB, TNF-a and haptoglobin in the first and second week postpartum. No differences were found in the control group in metabolic status regardless of the achieved level of milk production. Ketoprofen administration in postpartum cows can enhance the milk yield. The higher milk yield in the experimental group might be associated with a lower degree of lipolysis, ketogenesis and reduced inflammatory response in the first two weeks postpartum.

Effect of hard cheese exposure, with and without fluoride prerinse, on the rehardening of softened human enamel.

The in situ rehardening effect was compared between Cheddar cheese consumption and saliva secretion with and without a fluoride pretreatment on softened human enamel. Ten volunteers wearing prostheses which held slices of human enamel participated in this study. Average microhardness of enamel was determined on the surface at baseline, after exposing to an acidic beverage, after exposing to saliva and mastication of cheese, with and without a mouth F prerinse (10 ml Meridol containing 0.025% F). The rehardening was increased in the groups consuming cheese compared to the saliva controls. The effect was increased by an F prerinse; the initial hardness of the intact enamel surface, however, was not reached.