Home

Technical Articles

Track to Be Determined in Vaccine Development for Controlling Ticks

Umair Ahsan*
Treating the animals after suffering, has been a strategy since the time immemorial, but it is suggested that effects of that disease and its causative agent persist forever even after recovery and animal becomes a carrier of that disease. Although the animal is free from the disease yet it has potential to spread notorious pathogen associated with the disease which may be harmful to other animals nearby. Treatment using drugs may recover animal from that disease. On the other hand, residual effects of drugs used for treating animals are observed. Drugs used to kill ticks are termed as acaricides. Heavy economic losses are observed in livestock industry due to ticks as they are blood feeding parasites. Major importance of ticks is in that they play their role as vectors thereby transmit a number of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, rickettsia and fungi) causing fatal diseases to animals and these drugs are unable to control the transmission of pathogens and the diseases borne as a result of transmission of these pathogens known as tick borne diseases (TBDs). One of the interesting features of tick survival even after the usage of acaricides in animals is that they have acquired resistance to these acaricides. They evade the immune response of host and transmit pathogens resulting in TBDs usually leading to death of the animals. It leads to a tragic situation of economic losses. So, it is always better to use the words “nip the evil in the bud”. Researchers for a long time have been trying to constitute vaccines against ticks in order to heal economic losses.

*Student,
University College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan;
Mob +92-300-4121327 (email: umair.asawar46@gmail.com)

Cow welfare and ‘quarter culling’

The letter from Burgt and colleagues (VR, April 30,2011, vol 168 p465) on behalf of the National Mastitis Group comprising of mastitis experts regarding ‘ quarter culling’ for the welfare of cow, though late but pertinent. We also commented on this subject (VR, August 8, 2009, vol 165 p 183) that the suggestion of David Harwood and colleagues (VR, March 28, 2009,vol 164, p 407) is not only ‘unethical but dangerous also at an operational dairy farm’. Now, the present authors of the letter have further identified the lurking fears of the unlicensed chemicals used for ‘quarter culling’ and suggested that such practice should be ‘strongly discouraged’. As per the anecdotal evidence of ‘quarter culling’ by U.K. farmers, they need to be educated regarding the problem of recurrent mastitis in dairy animals. As far as ceasing of milking and drying off the quarter(s) it was also suggested by Blowey and Deyes (VR, April 4, 2009, vol 164, p 437).

Review: Intervertebral disc degeneration in dogs

Niklas Bergknut
Source:
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is a common condition in dogs, associated with IVD degenerative diseases such as herniation, lumbosacral stenosis and cervical spondylomyelopathy.

This review reports the results of a study aiming to increase the knowledge with regards to the morphological process of degeneration, and the demographics of IVD-related diseases. It also reports and validates the schemes enabling objective grading and monitoring of the degenerative processes [3].

The study presented in this review made use of a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading scheme for evaluating and monitoring IVD degeneration in dogs, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and, potentially, preemptive treatment for high-risk canine patients.

Read more ...

Recent developments in canine Cushing’s syndrome

Sara Galac
Source:
Introduction
“Cortisol is the principal glucocorticoid released by the adrenals in dogs and cats. Thus endogenous glucocorticoid excess is essentially hypercortisolism. Prolonged exposure to inappropriate elevated plasma concentrations of free cortisol leads to symptoms and signs often referred to as Cushing’s syndrome, after Harvey Cushing, the neurosurgeon who in 1932 first described the syndrome in man. Identical symptoms and signs are elicited by exogenous glucocorticoids in long-term therapy”.

Read more ...

Reproduction and genetic diversity of the swamp buffalo

Marnoch Yindee
Source:
The water buffalo is an integral component of traditional Asian agriculture through contributions to milk, meat and draft power and thus has a pivotal role in agriculture in several Asian countries.

As indicated by their species name, water buffaloes frequently wallow in water to cope with the hot climate. They are kept mostly on small farms as they can utilize relatively poor digestible feeds and provide milk, meat, hide and draft power.

Indeed, in India, one of the world’s top producers of milk, more than half of the milk is produced on small farms by buffaloes and not by dairy cattle. Such farms constitute a significant part of agriculture and 60-80% of the Asian population is affiliated with farming. As the human population increases the buffalo holds great promise and potential for meeting the required milk and meat production.

Read more ...

Vet Rec Table of Contents for 25 December 2010; Vol. 167, No. 26

Source:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Comment
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Out with the old

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Papers
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Tailored reference limits for urine corticoid:creatinine ratio in dogs to answer distinct clinical questions
F. Zeugswetter, N. Bydzovsky, D. Kampner, I. Schwendenwein

Influence of modified open lung concept ventilation on the cardiovascular and pulmonary function of horses during total intravenous anaesthesia
T. Bringewatt, K. Hopster, S. B. R. Kastner, K. Rohn, B. Ohnesorge

Retrospective detection by negative contrast electron microscopy of faecal viral particles in free-living wild red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) with suspected enteropathy in Great Britain
D. J. Everest, M. F. Stidworthy, E. M. Milne, A. L. Meredith, J. Chantrey, C. Shuttleworth, T. Blackett, H. Butler, M. Wilkinson, A. W. Sainsbury

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Short Communications
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Treatment of Malassezia overgrowth with itraconazole in 15 cats
E. Bensignor

Prevalence of Borrelia infection in ticks from wildlife in south-west England
D. Couper, G. Margos, K. Kurtenbach, S. Turton

Viral Life Cycle of Malignant Catarrhal Fever Explained

By Sharon Durham
Source:

The mysterious life cycle of a sheep virus that causes malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) has been discovered by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their university collaborators—the first step in developing a vaccine against the disease.

Microbiologist Hong Li and veterinary medical officer Naomi Taus at the ARS Animal Diseases Research Unit in Pullman, Wash., collaborated on the research with Lindsay Oaks at Washington State University and Donal O'Toole at the University of Wyoming.

Assessing Antibiotic Breakdown in Manure

By Ann Perry
Source:

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Scott Yates is studying how oxytetracycline (OTC), an antibiotic that is administered to animals, breaks down in cattle manure.

Livestock producers in the United States often use antibiotics to control disease in their animals, and confined U.S. livestock and poultry generate about 63.8 million tons of manure every year. The drugs are often only partially absorbed by the digestive tract, and the rest are excreted with their pharmaceutical activity intact.

Anila Mushtaq defends her PhD dissertation on milk quality

Mrs Anila Mushtaq, PhD student of NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar defended her PhD thesis on Effect of Physiological States on Milk Fatty Acids Profiles in Dairy Cows and Buffaloes. Her work was supervised by Prof M Subhan Qureshi, Chairman LM and assisted by Prof Ghulam Habib, Prof Zahoor Swati and Dr Sarzamin Khan. The research work was completed in collaboration with IBGE and CR Lab, Peshawar University.

The study has come up with useful recommendations for various stakeholders. The dairy producers have been advised to keep the animals in moderate body condition to get higher concentrations of healthier milk fatty acids, support higher milk yield and fertility while preventing extra expenditures on overfeeding. It will also prevent higher concentrations of critical fatty acids.

Read the full report and see photographs of the presentation ...

National Dairy Research Institute Records Highest Milk Yield in Buffalo

By: Dalip K. Gosain Ph.D.

Karnal (India) The National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) located here recorded the highest milk yield in a Murrah buffalo recording 23.3 kg in one day told Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Director of the Institute. He further added that this highest yield was obtained on day 56 of second lactation of this buffalo. He emphasized that, since the animal is only in her second lactation it is expected that the milk yield will further increase during 3rd and 4th lactation.

Syndicate content