Lameness in fattening pigs - Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, osteochondropathy and reduced dietary phosphorus level as three influencing factors: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Multiple diagnostic procedures, their results and interpretation in a case with severe lameness in fattening pigs are described. It is shown that selected diagnostic steps lead to identification of various risk factors for disease development in the affected herd. One focus of this case report is the prioritization of diagnostic steps to verify the impact of the different conditions, which finally led to the clinical disorder. Assessing a sufficient dietary phosphorus (P) supply and its impact on disease development proved most difficult. The diagnostic approach based on estimated calculation of phosphorus intake is presented in detail. CASE PRESENTATION: On a farrow-to-finishing farm, lameness occurred in pigs with 30-70 kg body weight. Necropsy of three diseased pigs revealed claw lesions and alterations at the knee and elbow joints. Histologic findings were characteristic of osteochondrosis. All pigs were positively tested for Mycoplasma hyosynoviae in affected joints. P values in blood did not indicate a P deficiency, while bone ashing in one of three animals resulted in a level indicating an insufficient mineral supply. Analysis of diet composition revealed a low phosphorus content in two diets, which might have led to a marginal P supply in individuals with high average daily gains with respect to development of bone mass and connective tissue prior to presentation of affected animals. Finally, the impact of dietary factors for disease development could not be evidenced in all submitted animals in this case. CONCLUSIONS: Mycoplasma (M.) hyosynoviae was identified to be an important etiologic factor for disease. Other, non-infectious factors, such as osteochondrosis and claw lesions might have favored development of lameness. In addition, a relevant marginal P supply for pigs was found in a limited time period in a phase of intense growing, but the potential interaction with infection by M. hyosynoviae is unknown. The presented case of severe lameness in fattening pigs revealed that three different influences presumably act in pathogenesis. Focusing only on one factor and ignoring others might be misleading regarding subsequent decision-making for prevention and therapy. Finally, clinical symptoms disappeared after some changes in diet composition and anti-inflammatory treatment of individual animals.

Dietary approaches reducing boar taint-Importance of Lawsonia intracellularis colonisation for interpreting results.

In the fattening of male pigs, boar odour is a major problem with regard to the acceptance of the meat by consumers. Skatole can be one cause. Tryptophan from non-digested feed ingredients and intestinal cell debris can be the precursor in skatole formation. Lawsonia intracellularis, one of the most widespread pathogens in swine, promotes the epithelial cell turnover and might favour the tryptophan influx into the hindgut. Therefore, the question arises how far the severity of a Lawsonia intracellularis infection has an effect on results of dietary experiments with specific issues. Fifty finishing boars from a specific pathogen-free farm were randomly allotted to ten boxes in five feeding groups. Natural developing Lawsonia intracellularis colonisation was monitored serologically (twice individually) and molecular biologically (weekly individually). Over 4 weeks, animals were fed either a finely ground pelleted diet (FP), a coarsely ground meal diet (CM), a meal diet either with 22% cracked corn (CORN), 16.9% dried whey (WHEY) or 30% raw potato starch (RPS). Fifty % of animals showing lower differences in serological Lawsonia intracellularis values between the start and the end of the trial were characterised by a higher dry matter content in faeces (256 ± 29.4 vs. 239 ± 23.6 g/kg). Lawsonia intracellularis-negative caecal samples showed the highest butyrate concentrations (27.2 ± 7.53 mmol/kg). Lawsonia intracellularis-negative faecal samples of group FP showed the highest DM levels in faeces (neg: 290 ± 46.1/pos: 250 ± 52.2 g/kg); negative samples from group RPS had the lowest values (217 ± 24.4 g/kg). Lawsonia intracellularis-negative faecal samples from the group CM were lower in skatole than positive samples (82.8 ± 32.8 vs. 119 ± 29.3 µg/g DM). RPS group samples without pathogen detection had the lowest skatole concentrations (30.5 ± 36.3 µg/g DM). This study provides first evidence that clinically unremarkable colonisation with intestinal pathogens might influence the results of dietary approaches.

The presence and distribution of cannabinoid type 1 and 2 receptors in the mandibular gland: The influence of different physical forms of diets on their expression in piglets.

We explored the expression and cell type distribution of cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptors type 2 (CB2) in the mandibular glands of pigs in relation to different physical forms of the diet. Thirty-two crossbred growing pigs (ages 5-6 weeks) were randomly allotted to four experimental groups (eight pigs/group) and fed four different physical types of the same diet for 4 weeks: finely ground pellet (FP), coarsely ground meal (CM), coarsely ground pellet (CP) and coarsely ground extruded (CE) with dMEAN of 0.46, 0.88, 0.84 and 0.66 mm respectively. At the end of the feeding trial, the pigs were euthanized and the mandibular gland was collected after dissection. By immunohistochemistry, positive signals for CB1 were found in the cytoplasm of duct epithelial cells of pigs fed CP, FP and CE diets and in the serous cells of mixed acini in pigs fed the coarser CM diet. Positive signals for CB2 were detected in duct epithelial cells and in neurons of ganglia close to major secretory ducts of all pigs. The differential expression and localization of these receptors in response to variable chewing activity due to the type of diet suggest that endocannabinoids may influence the functional activity of the mandibular gland by modifying qualitative and/or quantitative aspects of salivary secretion.

Influences of different dietary contents of macrominerals on the availability of trace elements in horses.

In this study, influences of a reduced macromineral intake on the trace element metabolism in horses at maintenance were investigated. Background of this study is the revised recommendation on the macromineral supply for horses (GfE ). Balance studies on three adult pony geldings with body weights of 405 / 348 / 384 kg were performed to obtain data on apparent digestibility (aD), retention and serum concentrations of different trace elements (Cu, Zn, Se) at different dietary macromineral levels. A mineral supplement or a complementary feed-with a reduced macromineral content-was added to a hay-based diet (daily 5.5 kg hay per animal, split in three servings a day), beside distilled water was offered. The diets were offered one after the other in a way that all ponies had the same sequence of treatments. The native macromineral contents of the daily offered amount of hay already surpassed the new recommendations whereas dietary trace elements needed to be supplemented. There were no statistically significant differences (p ≤ .05) concerning the aD of copper, zinc and selenium comparing the diets with and without macromineral supplementation. Serum levels of these three trace elements were not affected by the different macromineral content of the diet. Results of this study, based on a 22-day feeding period for each treatment, indicate that a macromineral supplementation of a hay-based diet for adult horses at maintenance was not necessary. However, no negative effects of added macrominerals on the trace element metabolism occurred in this study.

Influence of different protein sources in the broiler diet on the presence of Campylobacter spp. in excreta and caecal content.

The aim of the present study was to examine possible effects of a different protein supply on the presence of Campylobacter in excreta and caecal content of broiler chickens. Therefore, 220 one-day-old chickens were fed five different diets in the experimental period (day 8 onwards). In the control group (CON; n = 3 boxes), a soya bean-based industrially produced complete diet containing 5-10% whole wheat and coccidiostats was fed, whereas in the remaining groups, four own-made complete diets with four protein sources and combinations (4 × 2 boxes; soya bean meal-based diet = SBM; rapeseed meal-containing diet = RSM; haemoglobin meal-containing diet = HGP; algae-containing diet = ALG) were offered. During the 6-week trial period, data concerning performance parameters, excreta and litter characteristics and microbiological analysis of excreta and caecal content at dissection were collected. The qualitative bacteriological investigation was based on the EN ISO 10272-1:2006, taken from the official collection of analysis methods in accordance with § 64 LFBG. For quantitative bacteriological tests, a 10-fold dilution series was made followed by culture-based quantification methods on approved selective media in duplicate. Comparing the results of the final dissection (day 44/45), nearly all samples of animals receiving the own-made complete diet were Campylobacter positive in the caecal content, whereas only seven of fifteen samples were positive in the CON group. With regard to the CFU in the caecal content, the counts of Campylobacter were significantly lower for animals fed the commercial diet (2.47 ± 3.06 vs. 7.36 ± 0.66 log10  CFU/g). When only the positive animals were evaluated, significant differences were also found between the CON group and the total of the other groups (5.30 ± 2.08 vs. 7.54 ± 1.70 log10  CFU/g). Although significant differences were seen in the results, no final recommendation can be given how to create a diet to reduce an infection with Campylobacter.

Effects of a carbohydrase complex added in different inclusion rates in feeds for broilers on growth performance, digesta viscosity and foot pad health.

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a widespread disease in poultry and important for economic and animal welfare reasons. It is well recognized that using non-starch polysaccharide (NSP)-degrading enzymes can affect excreta/litter quality (not only in terms of moisture content but also regarding water evaporation) at high stocking densities and might help to prevent FPD and further negative effects of NSP. This study aimed to evaluate effects of a carbohydrase complex (CC) in different dietary inclusion rates on performance, digesta viscosity and foot pad health in broilers from 9 to 37 days of life. In total, 240 broilers were divided into 12 floor pens of 20 birds and received one of four different experimental diets. The four wheat- and soyabean meal-based diets only differed in the inclusion rate of CC: 0%, 50%, 100% and 500% of the recommended dose of CC (Endo-1,4-ß-xylanase and Endo-1,3(4)-ß-glucanase; 50 g/t). The addition of CC led to a significant decrease of digesta viscosity in the proximal small intestine, a tendency of improved feed conversion ratio, and significantly favoured FPD-scores (Treatment 2). At the higher tested inclusion rate of CC (500% of recommended dose), the FPD score was worser than in the treatments with 50% and 100% of the recommended enzyme dosage. No improvements among treatments were observed in terms of body weight and dry matter content of excreta and litter at the end of trial. The low positive effects on foot pad health in this study were presumably associated with the low NSP content in the experimental diets (soluble arabinoxylans: 7.38 g/kg as fed). In conclusion, the addition of the evaluated CC reduced digesta viscosity. An improvement of foot pad health could only be seen in the treatment with 50% of the recommended enzyme dosage in the diet.

A by-product of swine slaughtering as a protein source in broiler diets: effects on performance, composition of excreta, litter quality and on foot pad health.

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is of great concern in poultry industry, and dietary strategies are needed to improve foot pad health because of animal welfare and economic reasons. As the main factor for the development of FPD is the DM content of litter (consisting mainly of excreta; Kamphues et al., 2011), there are different dietary approaches to influence this disease pattern. In two consecutive trials, a total of 200 broilers were kept from day 7 until the 35th day of life. They were divided into four groups at each trial and fed with one of four experimental diets, based on wheat and corn mainly, but differing in the protein source: Group 1 was fed a diet with soya bean meal (SBM) as the main protein source, whereas Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 were assigned to diets with 4, 8 and 12% of a protein-rich (66.7% CP in DM) by-product of swine slaughtering [Swine Protein Meal (SPM); in exchange for SBM]. The inclusion of 12% SPM resulted in a decreased dietary potassium content of about 3 g/kg diet (Group 1 vs. 4). Increasing dietary levels of the by-product (8 and 12%) led to lowered feed intake (Group 1 vs. 4: ~10%) and weight gain (Group 1 vs. Group 4: ~8.5%). Although highest DM contents of excreta and litter were determined in Group 4, foot pad health was not influenced positively as hypothesized. Remarkable was the observed 'stickiness' of excreta when the by-product was included in the diet at increasing levels, presumably due to the high proportion of bones in the by-product. In conclusion, substituting SBM by 4% of the by-product of swine slaughtering in broiler diets did not impair performance parameters, but led to the most favourable foot pad scores in this study.

Contamination with ergot bodies (Claviceps purpurea sensu lato) of two horse pastures in Northern Germany.

Because the occurrence of Claviceps in European pastures may have been overlooked to cause serious health problem for grazing animals, we documented the degree of Claviceps contamination in two horse pastures and estimated whether the horses could have ingested a critical quantity of alkaloids. We counted the Claviceps sclerotia and determined alkaloid levels using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Depending on the location, the number of sclerotia varied from 0.09 to 0.19 per square meter (central area) and from 0.23 to 55.8 per square meter (border strips). Alkaloid levels in individual sclerotia also varied in different genera of grasses, ranging from 0.98 ± 0.17 µg/kg in Agrostis sp. to 25.82 ± 9.73 µg/kg in Dactylis sp., equivalent to 0.98 µg/kg and 7.26 mg/kg. Sclerotia from Dactylis contained high levels of ergosine (0.209 % ± 0.100 %) and ergocristine (0.374 % ± 0.070 %). Depending on the localization in pastures, alkaloid levels in forage (dry matter, DM) ranged from 16.1 to 45.4 µg/kg in central areas and from 23.9 to 722 µg/kg in border strips. The amount of alkaloids that a horse could have ingested depended on its daily DM uptake, which was higher in the central areas (5.85 kg/day) than in the border strips (2.73 or 0.78 kg/day). In the central areas, this amount of alkaloids ranged from 94.2 to 265.9 µg/day; and in the border strips, from 65.3 (in 2.73 kg DM/day) to as much as 563.8 µg/day (in 0.78 kg DM/day). All these amounts are higher than the European averages for alkaloids ingested by horses via feedstuffs.

Different physical forms of one diet fed to growing pigs induce morphological changes in mandubular glands and local leptin (Ob) production and receptor (ObR) expression.

The physical form of the diet plays an important role for morphological adaptations of organs in the gastrointestinal tract. It was hypothesized that different physical forms of one diet could exert extra-enteric effects, under local and systemic neuroendocrine regulation. Gross morphology, fresh mass and cytoarchitecture of mandibular glands (MG) were studied in growing pigs fed with one diet processed under four different physical forms. Four dietary treatments were offered for 4 weeks to 32 growing pigs (initial BW: 8.30 ± 0.83 kg) allotted into 4 experimental groups: FP, finely ground pellet (dMean, 0.46 mm); CM, coarsely ground meal (dMean, 0.88 mm); CP, coarsely ground pellet (dMean, 0.84); CE, coarsely ground extruded (dMean, 0.66). Conventional and immuonohistochemical techniques were used to immunolocalize, in particular, leptin (Ob) and its receptor (ObR). A significant effect was observed on the relative mass of the MG, depending on the diet (p < 0.03) and on the BW (p < 0.04), with no interactions (diet*BW). The immunohistochemical reactions for Ob and ObR showed a marked positivity in the MG from the group fed with the CM diet, displaying Ob-positive acinar cells and ObR-positive cells in the striated ducts, together with endocrine-like cells. The intensity of chromogenic reactions positively testing to ObR was used to evaluate the cytoarchitecture of the MG and its possible correlations. Pearson's correlation coefficient resulted to positively link (p < 0.0001) the ObR expression with the absolute mass of MG in the 61.1% of pigs. The physical form of the diet is related to extra-enteral effects, inducing changes in gross and microscopic morphology of the MG in the growing pig. The local production of Ob and the expression of the respective ObR in the striated duct cells shed a new light on the mitogenic activity of Ob in extra-enteral organs, like the MG, in relation to the physical form of the diet.

Effects of the Physical Form of Diet on the Outcome of an Artificial Salmonella Infection in Broilers.

To prove the hypothesis that the physical form of diet affects the outcome of an artificial infection with Salmonella Enteritidis in broilers, 7-day-old birds were allotted to one of four groups and fed botanically, and nearly also chemically identical diets, differing in grinding and further compaction. In total, two birds from each group (age 14 days) were administered on average 1.06 x 10(8) colony-forming units (CFU) of Salmonella Enteritidis directly into the crop by gavage and immediately put back as "seeder birds" into their respective groups. The salmonella status of each bird was analyzed by cloacal swabs, and at postmortem examination, cecal content and liver tissue samples were taken. Shedding (measured by cloacal swabs) was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) in groups offered the coarsely ground and pelleted diet and the diet including whole wheat compared with the groups fed the finely ground and pelleted and the coarsely ground and extruded diet. Nevertheless, only broilers fed the diet containing whole wheat showed a significantly (P < 0.05) lower frequency of Salmonella Enteritidis isolation in the cecal content and liver tissue. This diet was characterized by the highest percentage of particles > 2 mm. In this study the physical form of diet affected the outcome of an artificial infection with Salmonella Enteritidis significantly.

[Hygienic quality of feedstuffs for small mammals sent to the consultation service]. / Hygienestatus eingesandter Futtermittel für Kleinsäuger in der Heimtierhaltung.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the hygienic status of feedstuffs for small mammals, including rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchilla, kept as pets. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 356 feedstuffs that had been sent to the consulting service of the institute with a usable case history between January 2000 and April 2011 were analysed by sensory testing and microbiological examination. The interpretation of the microbiological results was performed with regard to benchmarks given by the working group "feed microbiology of section VI of the VDLUFA" for hay, straw and further feedstuffs. RESULTS: Within the sensory evaluation, the parameters "texture" (indicating the moisture content of a feed) and "smell" (mouldy or yeasty nuances) provided the first important information on feed quality. Deviations in these parameters were observed in 29.0% and 41.2%, respectively, of the analysed roughages and in 27.4% and 15.1% of mixed feeds, respectively. In about 10% of the feeds, pests (mites, Psocoptera as an indicator of mould infestation) were diagnosed microscopically. Using the differentiation of the germs as described above, faults in the hygienic quality could be detected mainly in roughage (hay, straw) and the so-called coloured feed (mixed feed based on ingredients including oat, barley or corn) whereas they occurred rarely in commercial pelleted mixed feeds based on green meal. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In cases of hygienic deficits in feedstuffs, it was often unclear whether the reduced hygienic quality resulted from the production conditions (i.e. in the factory) or by improper storage of the feedstuffs by traders or pet owners. A general recommendation should be given to the owner to check the feed using a critical sensory evaluation to avoid health disorders in pets due to higher levels of germs or poisonous plants.

Watering cattle (young bulls) with brackish water--a hazard due to its salt content?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this experimental study was primarily to test the effects and reactions of cattle offered salty water as the only source of drinking water. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mineral balance studies were carried out on three bull, continuously fed a ration based on hay, hay cobs, barley, soybean meal and a vitamin/mineral supplement. The salt content of the drinking water varied between the trials (trials I/II/III: 0.10/5.00/10.0 g/l; town water supplemented by different amounts of an additive containing 95.4% sodium chloride and 4.6% potassium chloride). RESULTS: Rising salt concentration of the drinking water led to significantly higher sodium, potassium and chloride intake (sodium: trial I/II/III = 5.42/59.5/ 157 g/day; potassium: trials I/II/III = 108/117/121 g/day; chloride: trials I/II/III = 22.8/112/266 g/day) mainly caused by a significantly higher water intake (trials I/II/III: 21.8 ± 2.03/30.4 ± 3.08/41.5 ± 5.89 kg/day). Amounts of urine increased significantly (trials I/II/III: 3.99 ± 0.46/ 9.66 ± 1.34/20.2 ± 3.14 kg/day). The concentrations of minerals in the urine (sodium: trials I/II/III = 123/3729/6705 mg/kg; potassium: trials I/II/III = 17345/9996/ 5496 mg/kg; chloride: trials I/II/III = 2020/ 9672/11870 mg/kg) and faeces (sodium: trials I/II/III = 1299/6544/ 7653 mg/kg; potassium: trials I/II/III = 6343/3719/3490 mg/kg; chloride: trials I/II/III = 3851/4580/4693 mg/kg) also changed significantly over time. Serum values of sodium tended to decrease (trials I/II/III: 142/137/137 mmol/l) within the physiological range, whereas those of chloride increased (trials I/II/III: 91.5/95.6/97.5 mmol/l) at higher salt concentrations in drinking water. The haematocrit, pH-value as well as urea content in blood were not affected by the higher salt intake. In balance trial III (highest salt load: 10.0 g/l), sodium intake of the bulls reached 0.57 ± 0.03 g/kg BW (~22.1 ± 0.9 g sodium/kg dry matter feed). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: An increase of salinity in drinking water up to 10 g/l--with otherwise harmless water quality--had no measurable negative effects on animal health in the investigation period and subsequent periods (total of 58 days with more than 5.00 g of salt per litre drinking water).

High dietary levels of biotin and zinc to improve health of foot pads in broilers exposed experimentally to litter with critical moisture content.

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a widespread problem in poultry production and constitutes a welfare issue. The objective of this study was to test potentially prophylactic effects of higher biotin and Zn levels in the diet of broilers exposed to critical litter moisture content (35% water) on the development of FPD. Two trials were performed in each 4 groups of 1-wk-old male broilers (Ross 708) during 33 d. The pens of all groups (25 birds in each) were littered with wood shavings of critical moisture content. Two groups were fed high levels of Zn as zinc-oxide (150 mg/kg of diet), with normal levels of biotin (300 µg/kg of diet) or high biotin (2,000 µg/kg of diet). The other 2 groups were fed Zn as zinc-methionine (150 mg/kg of diet), with normal levels of biotin (300 µg/kg of diet) or high biotin (2,000 µg/kg of diet). External assessment of foot pads and measurements the moisture contents of excreta and litter were performed weekly. The signs of foot pad lesions were recorded on a 7-point scale (0 = normal skin; 7 = more than half of the foot pad is necrotic). High biotin supplementation resulted in a reduction of 30 and 18% of cases of foot pad lesions in trials 1 and 2, respectively. The combination of Zn-methionine and high biotin supplementation led to a decreased severity of FPD in a range of about 50 and 30% in trials 1 and 2, respectively. In broilers fed the diet containing zinc-oxide and normal biotin levels about 28 and 24% of the birds had the scores of 6 and 7 (= high foot pad alterations), whereas in birds fed Zn-methionine and high biotin no high alterations (score = 7) in the foot pad (0%) occurred in either trial. The presented results suggest that it is advisable to combine the maximum levels of Zn (especially of Zn-methionine) and high levels of biotin when clinically relevant alterations in the foot pad occur.

Raw hulled shredded acorns from Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens) in the diet of pigs: effects on digestibility and faeces characteristics.

Faeces quality and composition are both of interest to veterinary practitioners dealing with pigs' health and disturbances in the alimentary tract, especially in free-range situations. In the Mediterranean basin, acorns are used as a starch source for fattening pigs, yet little information is available on how that affects faecal quality and digestibility. Therefore, a combined diet containing ripe hulled shredded acorns vs. a pelleted complete diet for finishers was evaluated for the digestibility and faecal consistency. The trial involved eight crossbred pigs, and a matched-pair approach was used to divide animals into two groups, which were fed with two different diets: acorns group (A): n = 4, 70% ripe hulled shredded acorns + 30% pelleted complete diet combined, as fed; control group (C): n = 4, 100% pelleted complete feed. The pigs were housed individually and fed the experimental diets for 8 days; daily feed intake and faeces amounts were recorded and faeces quality assessed. The digestibility of organic matter (OM) and starch of the two diets, as well as of pure acorns, were calculated and compared. Daily feed consumption was significantly higher in group A, but the mean dry matter intake (DMI) per pig was similar in both groups. Dark, firm and consistent faeces were reported for each pig from group A in comparison with group B, whose faeces were paler and softer. Digestibility of OM and starch were lower in group A than in group B (67.8 ± 3.4 vs. 83.9 ± 1.1 and 82.5 ± 3.4 vs. 92.3 ± 2.1 respectively): total tract digestibility of native starch from pure acorns was calculated at 77%. The peculiar consistency of faeces was related to macroscopic acorn hulls, constantly detected in the faeces of all animals sampled in group A.

Outcome of an artificial coccidial infection in poults under the influence of floor heating.

Coccidiosis is one of the most prevalent diseases in poultry. The objective of the current study was to determine the effects of floor heating when poults were artificially infected with Eimeria regarding the outcome of the infection and secondary effects on litter quality and health of the foot pad. Two trials were performed. In each trial, 4 groups of 2-wk-old turkeys were reared for a 4-wk period. All birds were fed ad libitum identical pelleted diets without any anticoccidial additive. The first 2 groups were housed on dry wood shavings, with and without floor heating; the other 2 groups were housed on wet wood shavings (35% moisture, achieved by adding water as required), with and without floor heating. Two birds only (primary seeder birds; the other 18 birds were nominated as secondary infected birds) in each of the 4 groups were experimentally infected orally with Eimeria adenoeides (~50,000 oocysts/bird). The number of oocysts eliminated via excreta was determined repeatedly. On d 42, each bird not only was scored macroscopically for coccidial lesions in the cecum but also oocyst counts were determined in the cecal contents. Finally, the foot pads were assessed weekly for external scoring and on d 42 of life for histopathological scoring. Although the counts of oocysts in seeder birds were almost identical (d 6 postinoculation), oocyst counts in excreta of secondary birds were markedly reduced in both trials when the poults were not exposed to wet litter. Moreover, in both trials using floor heating with exposure to wet litter resulted in a higher oocyst count in the excreta of secondary infected birds (3.72/3.92 in trials 1 and 2) on d 24 postinoculation compared with the other groups. Using floor heating resulted in significantly decreased foot pad dermatitis scores compared with groups housed without floor heating. In conclusion, the differences in oocyst counts indicate that the process of sporulation is affected by both the moisture and the temperature of the litter.

Lameness in weaned pigs associated with tetracycline overdose. A case report.

On a piglet producing farm severe lameness was observed in pigs which had been weaned 3 weeks and longer due to severe distortions of joints and claws of fore and/or hind legs. Splaying of claws as well as flexural limb deformations particularly in the carpal joints increased in degree the older and heavier the pigs were. Because of coughing in the weaners, which had started 7-8 weeks before any lameness or limb deformation had been apparent, tetracycline was applied via water as medication. During the course of an on-site investigation, a miscalculation of dosage - 129-168 mg tetracycline per kg body weight - was revealed. It was therefore suggested to the farmer and his veterinarian to immediately stop the application of tetracycline and to use a different antibiotic against the still present coughing and sneezing. During a follow-up evaluation 4 weeks later, the farmer reported a significant decrease in affected animals. While a direct correlation between the lameness in the weaned pigs and the tetracycline dosage could not be proven, the existing evidence supports the theory that the overdosage was at least a contributing factor.

Effects of high electrolyte contents in the diet and using floor heating on development and severity of foot pad dermatitis in young turkeys.

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a very common disease affecting poultry and is mostly caused by bad litter condition. This study aimed to test the effects of poultry diets with normal levels of electrolytes compared with a surplus level of electrolytes with and without using floor heating. Eighty two-week-old ♀ turkey poults were reared over 3 weeks on wood shavings, divided randomly into four groups. Two groups were fed normal levels of electrolytes (1.60 g Na; 7.80 g K/kg diet), and the other two groups were fed surplus levels of electrolytes (3.10; 15.3 g/kg diet). In each dietary treatment, half of the birds were exposed to floor heating. Half of the birds in each group were exposed for 4 h/day to wet litter (35% water) in adjacent separate boxes. External assessment of foot pads was performed weekly. High dietary electrolytes increased the severity of FPD significantly (3.65 ± 1.03). Floor heating is likely to be highly effective in significantly reducing the severity of FPD (2.36 ± 0.588). Despite forced water intake, the litter became drier when floor heating was in use. Combining low Na and K levels with a floor heating system reduced the scores of FPD by approximately 60%, compared with high electrolyte levels without floor heating. Therefore, both dietary electrolyte levels and floor heating markedly affected FPD via litter moisture.

[Red discolouration of the urine in a dairy cattle herd as a stock problem]. / Rotfärbung des Harns als Bestandsproblem in einer Milchviehherde. Ein Fallbericht.

After feeding a new batch of rapeseed meal (2.5 kg/cow/day) in the total mixed ration (TMR) of dairy cows on a dairy farm in Bavaria, numerous puddles of reddish fluid were found on the floor of the cubicle housing system. These were caused by a red discolouration of the urine. Directly after urination, the urine was macroscopically yellow and bright; the discolouration developed throughout the consecutive hours. Feed intake was markedly decreased and milk yield was lowered by 10%. No disturbances of the general health and blood key parameters were evident. After feeding two other cows with rapeseed meal of this batch (three times daily 1 kg each), the phenomenon occurred in one animal on the third and fourth days. Further analyses revealed evidence that the discolouration was due to substances which were excreted via the kidney and led to reddish urine after delayed reaction with the oxygen in the air.

Foot-pad dermatitis and experimentally induced coccidiosis in young turkeys fed a diet without anticoccidia.

Foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) is a widespread challenge to turkey production. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of using floor heating and exposure to litter with critical moisture content (35%) under experimental infection with Eimeria. adenoeides on the severity of FPD in turkeys. Two trials were done; in each trial, 4 groups of 2-wk-old female turkeys were reared over 4 wk. At the start of the experiment (d 14), each bird had normal foot pads. All birds were fed ad libitum on identical pelleted diets without any anticoccidial additive. The first 2 groups were kept on dry wood shavings with or without floor heating; the other 2 groups were housed on wet wood shavings of 35% moisture with or without floor heating. Two birds in each of the 4 groups were experimentally infected with E. adenoeides via crop intubation (~50,000 oocysts/bird). Foot pads were assessed weekly for external scoring and at d 42 of life for histopathological scoring. The number of oocysts eliminated via excreta was determined. In both trials, using floor heating resulted in significantly decreased FPD scores (2.06 ± 0.735; 1.47 ± 0.734, trials 1 and 2, respectively) compared with groups housed without floor heating (3.88 ± 0.812; 2.73 ± 1.25, trials 1 and 2, respectively). Birds continuously exposed to wet litter (35% moisture) showed significantly increased FPD scores (3.41 ± 1.23; 2.69 ± 1.34, trials 1 and 2, respectively) compared with the group not exposed to wet litter (2.53 ± 1.00; 1.53 ± 0.683, trials 1 and 2, respectively). The coccidial infection in both trials resulted in markedly lowered DM contents of excreta (14.8 and 15.1%, trials 1 and 2, respectively) and litter (58.0 and 57.6%, trials 1 and 2, respectively) in the groups exposed to wet litter without using floor heating. In both trials, using floor heating resulted in the highest mean DM content of litter (85.1 and 85.0%, trials 1 and 2, respectively) and the highest BW (2,693 and 2,559 g, trials 1 and 2, respectively). The results suggest that induced diarrhea caused by coccidial infection led to poor litter quality, and hence, increased the severity of FPD, which can be overcome by using floor heating.

Influences of increased levels of biotin, zinc or mannan-oligosaccharides in the diet on foot pad dermatitis in growing turkeys housed on dry and wet litter.

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is very common in turkeys and it is an animal health and welfare issue affecting not only performance and walking ability but also the carcass quality. Thus, there is a great need to find out the preventive measures against this problem. The potential roles of extra dietary biotin, Zn and mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) in preventing the development of FPD were assessed in this study which was conducted on 2-week-old female turkeys over a period of 4 weeks. The birds were allotted to four groups, with 29 each, and housed on dry wood shavings in floor pens. The turkeys were fed a control (300 µg biotin and 50 mg Zn/kg), high biotin (2000 µg/kg), high Zn (150 mg/kg) or MOS (1%) diet. Half of the turkeys in each group were additionally exposed to wet litter (27% DM) for 8 h daily in adjacent separate boxes. Foot pads of the birds were examined on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 and assessed macroscopically and histopathologically for foot pad lesions. High dietary levels of biotin or Zn significantly reduced the severity of FPD on dry litter (score 1 vs. 2 in control) but not on wet litter. However, MOS did not affect the severity of foot pad lesions either on dry or wet litter. In addition, the severity was overall substantially higher on wet (approximately three times) than on dry litter. The present results suggest that adding high levels of biotin or Zn to the diet could reduce the development and severity of FPD on dry litter but without having any preventive effects on wet litter. Finally, the high litter moisture appears to be the major factor resulting in FPD. Therefore, the litter should be maintained dry to minimize the prevalence and severity of FPD in turkeys.