Determination of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Prevalence and Risk Factors in Cats from Balikesir

OBJECTIVE: The lungworms are nematodes that live as parasites in cat lungs. It is reported that the most common lungworm is Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in cats, and also Capillaria aerophila is observed. The lungworms can cause infection of the lower respiratory tract, often resulting in bronchitis and pneumonia. In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of A. abstrusus in cats in the Balikesir province. METHODS: This study was carried out on 100 cats in Balikesir province. Fresh stool samples (>15 g) were collected for detection of lungworms after recorded all cat information (breed, age, sex, etc.). Parasite-specific L1 forms were determined from the stool samples by the Baerman-Wetzel technique. RESULTS: A. abstrusus L1's were found in 5 of the 100 stool samples examined. While symptoms of respiratory system disease were observed in 2 of the cats with lungworm, no clinical finding of the presence of parasites was found in 3 of them. CONCLUSION: A. abstrusus was observed at a level of 5% in this first prevalence study in cats in Balikesir province.

Effect of oestrous expression prior to timed artificial insemination with sexed semen on pregnancy rate in dairy cows.

The objectives of the study were to determine (1) oestrous expression rate and (2) the effect of oestrous expression prior to progesterone-based Ovsynch protocol on pregnancy rate in Holstein cows. All cows (n = 917) were subjected to 7-day progesterone-based Ovsynch protocol. In this protocol, cows that expressed oestrus before (HEAT1) the scheduled second GnRH were inseminated 20 h later after the onset of oestrus without GnRH administration. Cows that expressed oestrus after the second GnRH administration (HEAT2) or did not express oestrus (NOHEAT) received fixed-timed AI. Oestrous expression was determined by using activity-rumination monitoring system and all cows were inseminated with sexed semen. Oestrous expression rate prior to FTAI was 40.5% and the majority (p < .01) of oestrous expression were in HEAT2 compared with HEAT1 in both primiparous (71.8 vs. 28.1%) and multiparous cows (69.5 vs. 30.5%). The mean interval from intravaginal device removal to the onset of oestrus was 47.4 ± 0.9 h and 62.9 ± 0.5 in HEAT1 and HEAT2, respectively. Primiparous cows (47.7%) had a higher (p < .01) expression rate compared with multiparous cows (37.2%). Overall pregnancy rate was 37.4% and there was two-way significant interaction between parity and oestrous expression on pregnancy rate (p < .01). Both primiparous (48.1 vs. 35.8%) and multiparous cows (47.4 vs. 28.4%) that expressed oestrus had greater (p < .01) pregnancy rate compared with cows that did not express oestrus. There was no difference in pregnancy rates of HEAT1 and HEAT2 in both primiparous (44.7 vs. 49.5%) and multiparous cows (47.2 vs. 47.6%). Pregnancy rate was not influenced (p = .21) by milk production (high or low) in both primiparous (47.6 vs. 48.6%) and multiparous (54.9 vs. 42.1%) cows that expressed oestrus, respectively. In conclusion, cows showing oestrus before or after second GnRH of the Ovsynch protocol had greater pregnancy rate than cows not showing oestrus.