Serum metabolomics assessment of etiological processes predisposing ketosis in water buffalo during early lactation.

Metabolic disorders as ketosis are manifestations of the animal's inability to manage the increase in energy requirement during early lactation. Generally, buffaloes show a different response to higher metabolic demands than other ruminants with a lower incidence of metabolic problems, although ketosis is one of the major diseases that may decrease the productivity in buffaloes. The aim of this study was to characterize the metabolic profile of Mediterranean buffaloes (MB) associated with 2 different levels of ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Sixty-two MB within 50 days in milk (DIM) were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to serum BHB concentration: healthy group (37 MB; BHB <0.70 mmol/L; body condition score: 5.00; parity: 3.78; and DIM: 30.70) and group at risk of hyperketonemia (25 MB; BHB ≥0.70 mmol/L; body condition score: 4.50; parity: 3.76; and DIM: 33.20). The statistical analysis was conducted by one-way ANOVA and unpaired 2-sample Wilcoxon tests. Fifty-seven metabolites were identified and among them, 12 were significant or tended to be significant. These metabolites were related to different metabolic changes such as mobilization of body resources, ruminal fermentations, urea cycle, thyroid hormone synthesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress status. These findings are suggestive of metabolic changes related to subclinical ketosis status that should be further investigated to better characterize this disease in the MB.

Resumption of ovarian activity following removal of a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant in queens.

Deslorelin implants are widely used in felines. Due to their prolonged duration cat breeders frequently request early implant removal. The interval between deslorelin implant removal and resumption of ovarian function in queens is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interval between the removal of a deslorelin implant and the resumption of ovarian activity in adult queens. Twenty-three queens were treated with a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant placed in the periumbilical area. In the 16 queens completing the study implants were surgically removed at 3, 6 or 9 months (n = 6, 4 and 6 queens, respectively). Queens received a GnRH stimulation test as part of their pre-treatment general and reproductive health check. Following implantation treatment, all queens in inter-oestrus-anoestrus at the time of treatment came in oestrus within 2-5 days. Starting 7-14 days following implant removal queens were checked every 1-2 weeks with reproductive ultrasonography, a vaginal smear and blood collection. The interval to resumption of ovarian function ranged from 3 to 7 weeks irrespective of treatment length and age of the queen but was longer when the implant was removed at decreasing photoperiod (p < .05). In conclusion, at least 3 weeks post-removal are needed during increasing photoperiod to achieve follicular development and oestrogen production sufficient to support oestrous behaviour in queens following removal of a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant, while this time may increase up to 7 weeks during decreasing photoperiod. Further studies are needed to assess the interval between removal of a deslorelin implant and occurrence of ovulation as well as fertility at the first oestrus after a deslorelin treatment.

A survey on sensor systems used in Italian dairy farms and comparison between performances of similar herds equipped or not equipped with sensors.

Sensor systems (SS) were developed over the last few decades to help dairy farmers manage their herds. Such systems can provide both data and alerts to several productive, behavioral, and physiological indicators on individual cows. Currently, there is still a lack of knowledge on both the proportion of dairy farms that invested in SS and type of SS installed. Additionally, it is still unclear whether the performances of herds equipped with SS differ from those of similar herds managed without any technological aid. Therefore, the aims of this study were (1) to provide an insight into SS spread among Italian dairy farms and (2) to analyze the performances of similar herds equipped or not equipped with SS. To reach the former goal, a large survey was carried out on 964 dairy farms in the northeast of Italy. Farmers were interviewed by the technicians of the regional breeders association to collect information on the type of SS installed on farms and the main parameters recorded. Overall, 42% of the surveyed farms had at least 1 SS, and most of them (72%) reared more than 50 cows. Sensors for measuring individual cow milk yield were the most prevalent type installed (39% of the surveyed farms), whereas only 15% of farms had SS for estrus detection. More sophisticated parameters, such as rumination, were automatically monitored in less than 5% of the farms. To reach the latter goal of the study, a subset of 100 Holstein dairy farms with similar characteristics was selected: half of them were equipped with SS for monitoring at least individual milk yield and estrus, and the other half were managed without any SS. Average herd productive and reproductive data from official test days over 3 yr were analyzed. The outcomes of the comparison showed that farms with SS had higher mature-equivalent milk production. Further clustering analysis of the same 100 farms partitioned them into 3 clusters based on herd productive and reproductive data. Results of the Chi-squared test showed that the proportion of farms equipped with SS was greater in the cluster with the best performance (e.g., higher milk yield and shorter calving interval). However, the presence of a few farms equipped with SS in the least productive cluster for the same parameters pointed out that although the installation of SS may support farmers in time- and labor-saving or in data recording, it is not a guarantee of better herd performance.

Short communication: Reference limits for blood analytes in Holstein late-pregnant heifers and dry cows: Effects of parity, days relative to calving, and season.

Reference limits for metabolic profiles in Holstein late-pregnant heifers and dry cows were determined considering the effects of parity, days relative to calving, and season. Blood samples were collected from 104 pregnant heifers and 186 dry cows (68 primiparous and 118 pluriparous) from 60 to 10 d before the expected calving date in 31 dairy farms in northeastern Italy. Sampling was performed during summer (182 samples) and the following winter (108 samples). All the animals were judged as clinically healthy at a veterinary visit before sampling. Outliers were removed from data of each blood analyte, and variables that were not normally distributed were log transformed. A mixed model was used to test the fixed effects of parity (late-pregnant heifers, primiparous or pluriparous dry cows), class of days relative to calving (60-41 d, 40-21 d, 20-10 d), season (summer or winter), and the interactions between parity and class of days relative to calving and between parity and season, with farm as random effect. Single general reference limits and 95% confidence intervals were generated for analytes that did not vary according to fixed effects. Whenever a fixed effect included in the model significantly affected a given analyte, specific reference limits and 95% confidence intervals were generated for each of its levels. Albumin, urea, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine kinase, conjugated bilirubin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, chloride, zinc, copper, and iron concentrations were not influenced by any of the fixed effects. Total protein, globulins, creatinine, glucose, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and sodium plasma concentrations were affected by parity. The class of days relative to calving had a significant effect on the concentrations of total protein, globulins, fatty acids, cholesterol, total bilirubin, and sodium. Season affected plasma concentrations of creatinine, glucose, fatty acids, lactate dehydrogenase, and sodium. Interactions between parity and class of days relative to calving and between parity and season did not significantly affect any of the blood analytes tested. The reference limits and the 95% confidence intervals for blood analytes determined in the study could help dairy practitioners to improve the accuracy of metabolic profile interpretation in Holstein late-pregnant cattle.

Growth patterns of Italian local chicken populations.

Predictions of growth are important factors that contribute to the profitability of an operation in poultry production. Modern commercial hybrids have a higher body growth in comparison with the local purebreds. However a niche market for meat and egg poultry production needs to be established using local purebreds to promote biodiversity. The aim of this study was to model the growth response of male and female chickens belonging to 5 local Italian populations: a commercial slow-growing hybrid (Berlanda, B), the Padovana pure breed [2 plumage varieties: silver, argentata (PA) and chamois, camosciata (PC)], and their crosses PC×B and PC×PA. A total of 398 one-day-old birds were reared until 180 d of age under indoor conditions. The linear and 3 nonlinear models (logistic, Gompertz, and Richards) were compared to study the growth patterns of these chicken populations. Significant (P < 0.01) differences were observed among the genotypes for several curve parameters. In males, PC×B showed the lowest age at inflection point, B showed the highest age and BW, whereas PA showed the highest age and the lowest weight. In females, the age at the inflection point did not differ among the groups; B showed the highest weight. All the nonlinear models gave a good fit of male and female data with R(2) ranging from 0.992 and 0.999, but the logistic equation had higher value of root mean square error than the Gompertz and the Richards values. Based on residual sum of squares for both sexes, the Richards model was better (P < 0.05) than the logistic but not superior to the Gompertz. The logistic equation showed an overestimation of initial BW for all the groups and sex. For Italian local chicken populations, the Richards model requires a measure of BW recorded at 90 d or after to obtain a good fit of the asymptotic weight. However, the Gompertz model has the advantage that it requires one less parameter than the Richards model.

Clinical use of Anti-Müllerian Hormone to monitor resumption of ovarian activity following removal of a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant in queens.

OBJECTIVE: The use of deslorelin implants to control reproduction in cats is increasing but because of its prolonged duration, cat breeders often request implant removal before the end of the treatment. Assaying Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) concentrations might be useful to predict time of resumption of ovarian activity in deslorelin-treated queens following implant removal. In queens a minimum of 3 weeks during increasing photoperiod after implant removal has been described for resumption of ovarian activity but no information about AMH concentrations were observed for determining ovarian activity. ANIMALS: Sixteen queens in which deslorelin implants were surgically removed after 3, 6 or 9 months (n = 6, 4 and 6 queens, respectively) were used in this study. PROCEDURES: A general and reproductive health check with a GnRH stimulation test were performed before the treatment. After implant removal queens were checked every 1-2 weeks with reproductive ultrasonography, a vaginal smear and blood collection to assay AMH concentrations. RESULTS: AMH concentrations decreased significantly at the end of the treatment to ≤ 2.5 + 0.6 ng/ml (p ≤ 0.05) and reached a nadir at 1.9 ± 0.9 (p < 0.05) one-week post-removal. Following implant removal AMH concentrations started to rise reaching a value of 3.9 ± 0.7 ng/ml on the third week and were not different from pre-treatment levels on week 6 post-removal (5.8 ng/ml + 0.9, p ≥ 0.05). AMH values did not differ depending on duration of deslorelin treatment but were lower in adult queens (p < 0.05). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: AMH assay can be a useful tool to follow resumption of feline ovarian function following a deslorelin treatment.

The dehorning of dairy calves: practices and opinions of 639 farmers.

Calf dehorning is a routine husbandry practice on dairy farms that is justified by safety reasons for stockpersons and by a reduced risk of injures among herdmates. In Europe, the practice is regulated by law but little is known about the methods applied or about farmers' attitude to the practice. This study aimed to broaden the existing information on dehorning in dairy holdings by processing results of 639 farm questionnaires gathered in a traditional dairy area of northeastern Italy. Farm questionnaires were stratified according to herd size, type of housing, and productive purpose of the predominant reared breed(s). Chi-squared tests were performed to verify the significant association between a given practice or opinion and the 3 classification factors, and odd ratios were calculated. The outcomes of the study showed that dehorning was carried out on 80% of the surveyed farms, and disbudding was the method reported by all the interviewed farmers. Hot-iron cauterization was the preferred method for disbudding (91%). On average, disbudding was performed at 32 d of age and it was more likely in farms with ≥60 cows than in smaller dairy holdings (OR=7.3). The practice was carried out mainly by farm personnel, but the intervention of a veterinarian was far more likely (OR=5.98) on farms with ≤30 cows than on larger dairies. Most farmers (70%) stated that they had not received any specific training on how to perform disbudding. Fifty-two percent of the respondents reported that disbudding causes prolonged postoperative pain (≥6 h) but pain management was rare. Only 10% of the farmers used local anesthesia before cauterization, and 5% of the farmers provided calves with postoperative analgesia. Consistent with these results, farmers indicated limited willingness to pay the cost of analgesia or to call a veterinarian to perform the procedure. This low motivation of the respondents toward the adoption of practices able to reduce pain related to disbudding might arise from their insufficient knowledge on long-term negative effects of early painful experiences on behavior and handling of dairy heifers. Farmers in favor of keeping horned cows were asked about the reasons for not carrying out dehorning. Aesthetic motivations (54% of respondents) and lack of time (24%) were the main reasons cited. Moreover, a large majority of these respondents (74%) reported no difficulty in handling horned cattle.

Short communication: reference values for blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows: effects of parity, stage of lactation, and season of production.

Confidence intervals for blood parameters used for nutritional and metabolic profile testing in cattle were calculated for clinically normal lactating Holstein cows, taking into account the effects of parity, stage of lactation, and season. Blood samples were collected from 740 cows in 33 Italian dairy herds according to a predefined protocol. Herds were visited during summer and the following winter, sampling 12 lactating cows at each visit (4 primiparous and 8 multiparous). Six cows were selected from the early-lactation group (days in milk: 10 to 89) and the other 6 were selected from the mid-lactation group (days in milk: 90 to 215). Cow selection criteria excluded animals clinically exposed to periparturient diseases as well as animals not considered in good health by a veterinary clinical examination. For each blood variable, outliers were identified and discarded. Data were then analyzed for their Gaussian distribution and variables with not normal distribution were log-transformed to adjust for lack of normality. Herd mean values were calculated for each blood parameter according to 3 main classification factors: parity (primiparous vs. multiparous), stage of lactation (early vs. mid) and season of production (summer vs. winter). The resulting data set was statistically analyzed using a mixed model with the fixed effects of these factors, their interactions, and the random effect of herd. General 95% confidence intervals were calculated for blood variables that showed a relevant herd variance component such as albumin, triglycerides, aspartate, urea, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, direct and total bilirubin, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. For the remaining parameters, specific confidence intervals were calculated for each level of the significant main factors. Parity affected blood concentration of total protein, globulin, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, creatinine kinase, and phosphorus. Blood nonesterified fatty acids, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, creatinine kinase and cholesterol were influenced by stage of lactation. The season of production had a significant effect on total protein, globulin, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, sodium, and chlorine. The outcomes of this work will improve the accuracy of the biochemical profile as a tool for dairy practitioners to assess the metabolic status of lactating Holstein cows.

Computed tomography features for differentiating malignant and benign focal liver lesions in dogs: A meta-analysis.

Computed tomography (CT) is often performed to complement ultrasound following detection of focal liver lesions (FLL). There is no consensus in the literature regarding the CT features that might be helpful in the distinction between benign and malignant FLL. The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify, based on the available literature, the qualitative and quantitative CT features able to distinguish between benign and malignant FLL. Studies on the diagnostic accuracy of CT in characterising FLL were searched in MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), receiver operator curve (ROC) area, were calculated for qualitative features. DOR were used to determine which qualitative features were most informative to detect malignancy; quantitative features were selected/identified based on standardised mean difference (SMD). Well-defined margins, presence of a capsule, abnormal lymph nodes, and heterogeneity in the arterial, portal and delayed phase were classified as informative qualitative CT features. The pooled sensitivity ranged from 0.630 (abnormal lymph nodes) to 0.786 (well-defined margins), while pooled specificity ranged from 0.643 (well-defined margins) to 0.816 (heterogeneous in delayed phase). Maximum dimensions, ellipsoid volume, attenuation of the liver in the pre-contrast phase, and attenuation of the liver in the arterial, portal, and delayed phase were found to be informative quantitative CT features. Larger maximum dimensions and volume (positive SMD), and lower attenuation values (negative SMD) were more associated with malignancy. This meta-analysis provides the evidence base for the interpreting CT imaging in the characterization of FLL.

Left atrial speckle tracking echocardiography in clinically healthy dogs: Variability and prediction intervals.

Left atrial (LA) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) provides indices of LA deformation such as strain and strain rate. These variables offer useful clinical information in human and canine patients with cardiac disease. At present, reference ranges for LA STE variables in dogs are scarcely established and, due to variability among centers, they cannot be accepted worldwide. The present study aimed to provide normal ranges for LA strain and strain rate variables in clinically healthy dogs, and to evaluate the effect of clinical parameters such as bodyweight. Eighty clinically healthy dogs served as the study population. Left atrial STE was feasible in all dogs and agreement within and between observers was clinically acceptable for most of the variables, in particular strain variables. Age, sex, and heart rate did not affect LA STE. Bodyweight was negatively correlated with strain variables and positively correlated with diastolic strain rate variables and the relationship was allometric. Bodyweight-based vendor-dependent prediction intervals for LA STE variables in clinically healthy dogs could aid the evaluation of LA function in clinical practice.

Prevalence of fibrinous pericarditis in heavy pigs (170 kg) and its association with other pluck lesions at slaughter inspection.

This study determined the prevalence of fibrinous pericarditis and its correlation with other pluck lesions in 658 batches of pigs from 236 intensive farms located in Northern Italy over a 12-month period. All pigs were slaughtered at 170 kg, and a total 57,943 plucks (approximately 90 pigs/batch) were individually assessed for the presence of fibrinous pericarditis, pneumonia, pleuritis, and liver milk spots. There was no seasonal variation in the prevalence of plucks with fibrinous pericarditis and annual mean prevalence was 5.6% (range, 0-26.3% at batch level; median, 4.71%). Farm of origin, evaluated as a random effect, accounted for 17.7% batch variation. Batches with a high prevalence of fibrinous pericarditis (≥7.7%) had higher prevalences of pleural, pulmonary, and liver lesions than those with low-middle prevalence of pericarditis; high prevalence of pericarditis was predictive of pluck lesions (P < 0.001). There was a highly significant association between fibrinous pericarditis and severe pleuritis, and 55% of plucks with the highest score for pleuritis also had ongoing fibrinous pericarditis, with a positive correlation at batch level (r2 = 0.52; P < 0.001). The co-existence of pericarditis and pleuritis (73.5% of all pericarditis cases) suggests that pleuritis plays a role in the pathogenesis of pericarditis. Based on the prevalence fibrinous pericarditis, and the role of pleuritis as a potential comorbidity, abattoir data on pluck lesions with accompanying farm history, could aid the interpretation and management of on-farm health problems, and inform diagnostic protocols.

Corneal sequestra in cats: 175 eyes from 172 cases (2000-2016).

OBJECTIVES: To report the clinical outcomes of different surgical treatments used to manage feline corneal sequestra in a large number of cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 172 cats affected by feline corneal sequestra and surgically managed by different techniques were retrospectively evaluated. Signalment, surgical technique, visual outcomes, postoperative corneal clarity and recurrence were evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-two cats (175 eyes) of different breeds, ages and sex were included in the retrospective case series. The Persian was the most represented breed (123/172; 71.5%), followed by Exotic Shorthair breed (21/172; 12.2%), Domestic shorthair breed (21/172; 12.2%) and a smaller group of other different breeds (7/172). Surgical management included a superficial (84/175 eyes) or deep (91/175 eyes) lamellar keratectomy in association with the following covering techniques (tectonic support and/or protective support): nictitans membrane flap (n=84), conjunctival pedicle graft (n=52), BioSISt graft (n=9), corneoconjunctival transposition (n=7), corneoconjunctival transposition+nictitans membrane flap (n=6), conjunctival free island graft (n=6), BioSISt+conjunctival pedicle graft (n=6), BioSISt+nictitans membrane flap (n=4) and bridge conjunctival graft (n=1). At the end of the retrospective case series, visus was present in all patients and no or mild corneal opacity was detected in 86% (151/175 eyes) of the patients. Sequestra recurred in 20 eyes (20/175; 11.4%) within 2 years. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This paper describes the clinical outcomes of a large number of cases of feline corneal sequestra treated with varying surgical techniques and provides useful insight regarding the prognosis and outcomes of these techniques within feline ophthalmology.

Topics and trends in Mountain Livestock Farming research: a text mining approach.

Pasture-based and small-scale livestock farming systems are the main source of livelihood in the mountain primary sector, ensuring socioeconomic sustainability and biodiversity in rural communities throughout Europe and beyond. Mountain livestock farming (MLF) has attracted substantial research efforts from a wide variety of scientific communities worldwide. In this study, the use of text mining and topic modelling analysis drew a detailed picture of the main research topics dealing with MLF and their trends over the last four decades. The final data corpus used for the analysis counted 2 679 documents, of which 92% were peer-reviewed scientific publications. The number of scientific outputs in MLF doubled every 10 years since 1980. Text mining found that milk, goat and sheep were the terms with the highest weighed frequency in the data corpus. Ten meaningful topics were identified by topic analysis: T1-Livestock management and vegetation dynamics; T2-Animal health and epidemiology; T3-Methodological studies on cattle; T4-Production system and sustainability; T5-Methodological studies; T6-Wildlife and conservation studies; T7-Reproduction and performance; T8-Dairy/meat production and quality; T9-Land use and its change and T10-Genetic/genomic studies. A hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to explore the interrelationships among topics, and three main clusters were identified: the first focused on sustainability, conservation and socioeconomic aspects (T4; T6 and T9), the second was related to food production and quality (T7 and T8) and the last one considered methodological studies on mountain flora and fauna (T1; T2; T3; T5 and T10). The 10 topics identified represent a useful and a starting source of information for further and more detailed analysis (e.g. systematic review) of specific research or geographical areas. A truly holistic and interdisciplinary research approach is needed to identify drivers of change and to understand current and future challenges faced by livestock farming in mountain areas.

A Survey of Dog Owners' Attitudes toward Treats.

Commercially available dog treats have become very popular and a common part of the pet's diet, yet very little is known about peoples' opinions and feeding habits; therefore, a survey was shared on a popular social network.Most of the self-selected interviewed owners (n = 1833, 83%) use treats regularly, mainly to reward their dog's behavior or during training-sports activities. Owners usually buy several types of treats, of which biscuits and dental care sticks are the most common, and usually hand out one to five pieces to their dogs every day. Most owners read the labels of the treats to seek the ingredients list and the claimed health benefits; contrarily, many owners look for non-nutritional values, such as flavor (n = 321, 18%), brand (n = 72, 4%) or shape (n = 46, 3%). Seventy-five percent of the owners (n = 1369) follow the feeding instructions provided by the producers on the label.Treat feeding is a common practice among dog owners and there is great variability among regimens (e.g., types and quantities provided). Understanding the owner's attitudes could help veterinarians educate them to manage treats in the dog's diet.

Health, behaviour and growth performance of Charolais and Limousin bulls fattened on different types of flooring.

Intensive fattening of late-maturing breeds on concrete or rubberized slatted floors is the prevalent beef production system in mainland Europe. The rationale behind this study is that specific beef breeds with different slaughter weights might have a diverse response to different flooring systems. The study aimed at assessing whether growth performance, health, behaviour and claw condition of two beef breeds, Charolais (CH) and Limousine (LIM), would be affected by their housing on concrete (CS) or rubber-covered (RCS) fully slatted floor. A total of 228 CH (116 on CS; 112 on RCS) and 115 LIM (57 on CS; 58 on RCS) were housed in four and two commercial farms, respectively, in groups of 9.0 ± 2.1 animals/pen with an average space allowance of 3.1 ± 0.2 m2. Draining gaps of CS and RCS pens were 16.9 ± 1.7% and 11.6 ± 1.2% of the total surface, respectively. Bulls of both breeds had similar initial body weight (429.4 ± 31.5 kg for CH; 369.6 ± 31.7 kg for LIM), and they were slaughtered when they reached suitable finishing. Charolais had a higher final body weight (BW) than LIM (750.8 ± 8.6 v. 613.7 ± 10.9 kg; P < 0.01), and bulls of both breeds on RCS had higher average daily gain than on CS (1.47 ± 0.02 v. 1.39 ± 0.02 kg/day; P < 0.05). The percentage of bulls early culled or treated for locomotor disorders were reduced by RCS only for LIM, while RCS tended to prevent the occurrence of bursitis for both breeds. During two 8-h behavioural observations, bulls on RCS performed more head butt/displacements and chases than on CS, and they reduced the frequency of abnormal lying down events. The use of RCS increased mounts' frequency only in LIM, while its reduced drainage capacity impaired only the cleanliness of CH. Postmortem hoof inspection showed longer claw dorsal wall and diagonal lengths, and sharper toe angles for CH on RCS than LIM on both floors. Results of this study point out that fully slatted floors, regardless of being rubberized or not, are not suitable for bulls finished at a final BW above 700 kg due to their detrimental effects on health and welfare. The use of RCS could be recommended as an alternative to CS only if bulls are slaughtered at a lower final BW (around 600 kg), like in the case of LIM breed.

Risk factors associated with beef cattle losses on intensive fattening farms in Austria, Germany and Italy.

The aim of this study was to investigate management and feeding practices associated with on-farm loss rate (mortality) on 63 beef cattle farms in Austria, Germany and Italy with housing systems other than fully slatted pens. Information on mortality and 56 categorised factors relating to the cleanliness of animal facilities, health and feeding management, animal-human interaction, cattle transport and origin were gathered during on-farm visits. Samples of total mixed rations (TMRs) were collected and analysed for chemical composition and particle size distribution. Twenty-eight categorised factors were removed from the initial 56 due to exclusion criteria (missing data≥20% and/or monolevel factors with≥80% answers in one category). Mortality was the response variable in the risk factor analysis and the remaining 10 continuous covariates from TMR analyses and 28 categorised factors were independent predictors. Mean (±standard deviation) mortality, representing the proportion of dead, euthanased and early culled animals over the total number of animals bought in or reared in the previous year, was 2.8±3.5%. Fourteen factors were significantly associated with mortality in the bivariable analyses; seven factors were not considered further in the multivariable analysis due to collinearity. None of the factors related to TMR were associated with mortality. Four categorical factors, referring to biosecurity measures and management, were retained in the final multivariable model, with country effect. Buying cattle from only one farm, no mixing of animals during transport, presence of a dedicated sick pen and keeping production records were associated with lower percentage mortality.

Diagnostic and prognostic utility of surface electrocardiography in cats with left ventricular hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the ability of electrocardiography (ECG) to predict left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in the cat and to investigate the prognostic value of selected ECG variables in cats with LVH. ANIMALS: Fifty-seven privately owned cats: 22 clinically healthy cats and 35 cats with LVH. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a clinical cohort study. Echocardiographic diagnosis and surface ECG were available. Electrocardiography analysis included rhythm diagnosis and specific electrocardiographic measurements. In cats with LVH, cause of death and outcome data were recorded and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The presence of arrhythmia had sensitivity and specificity of 31% and 100%, respectively, for identifying LVH. Among ECG measurements, duration of QT interval (QT) and QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) was statistically different between healthy cats and cats with LVH (p = 0.007). Overall, the most accurate cutoffs to identify LVH were QT > 170 ms (sensitivity and specificity 48.3% and 91%, respectively) and QTc > 188 ms (sensitivity and specificity 62% and 77%, respectively). In healthy cats, the highest QT and QTc values were 180 ms and 200 ms, respectively. Mean survival time was 58 days and indeterminable for cats with QT > 180 ms and QT ≤ 180 ms, respectively (p = 0.042) and 125 days and indeterminable for cats with QTc > 200 ms and QTc ≤ 200 ms, respectively (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Arrhythmias as well as prolonged QT and QTc are useful ECG parameters in identifying LVH and predicting survival in affected cats.

Factors associated with passive immunity transfer in dairy calves: combined effect of delivery time, amount and quality of the first colostrum meal.

Despite the well-known importance of an adequate colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) transfer to calf health and survival, failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) remains a widespread problem in dairy farming. The aim of this study was to investigate the management factors associated with FTPI in newborn calves, evaluating particularly the combined effect of delivery time, amount and quality of the first colostrum meal. The study was conducted from March to August 2014 on 21 Italian dairy farms. Farmers were asked as first to answer a farm-level questionnaire on calf management. Blood sampling was then performed on overall 244 calves (1 to 5 days of age) born from Holstein cows, and a sample of the first colostrum meal of each calf was collected. Individual information on calves and the respective colostrum management were recorded. Serum and colostrum Ig concentrations were assessed by electrophoresis. A mixed effects multivariable logistic regression model was used to investigate the association of the variables obtained from both the management questionnaire and the individual calf data with FTPI (calf serum Ig concentration 87.6 g/l) within 1.0 h from birth. Considerable improvements are still needed about colostrum management for newborn calves in dairy farms. The results of this study will help in developing farm-specific programs for reducing the occurrence of FTPI.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Presumptive Ascending/Descending Myelomalacia in Dogs after Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Herniation.

BACKGROUND: Ascending/descending myelomalacia (ADMM) is a severe complication of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (TL-IVDH) in dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors for ADMM in nonambulatory dogs with surgically treated TL-IVDH. ANIMALS: Six-hundred and fifty-two client-owned dogs evaluated for TL-IVDH that underwent decompressive spinal surgery. METHODS: Retrospective medical record review from February 2007 through December 2015. RESULTS: Thirteen dogs developed ADMM, with an overall prevalence of 2.0%. The prevalence of ADMM was 0% in dogs with neurological signs graded 1 or 2 at admission or before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or surgical procedures, 0.6% in dogs with neurological signs graded 3, 2.7% in dogs with neurological signs graded 4, and 14.5% in dogs with neurological signs graded 5. Age (<5.8 years), neurological status (grade 5), site of disk herniation (L5-L6), duration of clinical signs before becoming nonambulatory (<24 hours), detection of intramedullary T2-weighted (T2W) hyperintensity, and a T2 length ratio >4.57 were significant risk factors in the univariate analysis for development of ADMM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The factors identified in this study may be useful for the prediction of ADMM. Multicenter studies with a higher number of dogs with ADMM are required to confirm these data.

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease with and without pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) with or without pulmonary hypertension (PH) and to study the correlations with clinical and echocardiographic parameters. ANIMALS: The study population included 99 dogs with MMVD and tricuspid regurgitation. METHODS: This is a prospective clinical study. All dogs received a transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation, including 2D, M-mode, echo-Doppler, and tissue Doppler measurements. The TAPSE was measured from the left apical four-chamber view and normalized for the effect of body weight (nTAPSE). The dogs were grouped according to the severity of MMVD (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines) and presence/absence and severity of PH. Significant differences between TAPSE or nTAPSE and echocardiographic parameters were analyzed among the MMVD and PH severity groups. Correlations between TAPSE or nTAPSE and echocardiographic parameters were calculated. RESULTS: Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion or nTAPSE were not significantly different among dogs of the MMVD or PH severity groups. Significant correlations were obtained between TAPSE and body weight, left ventricular and atrial dimensions, early diastolic septal and early diastolic and systolic tricuspid annulus velocity (p<0.001); nTAPSE was significantly correlated with normalized end-diastolic left ventricular dimension and fractional shortening (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that neither TAPSE nor nTAPSE are reduced in dogs with MMVD with or without PH. It remains unclear if the right ventricle function is not reduced or if a reduced right ventricle function is masked by the contraction of the left ventricle through ventricular interdependence.