Stabilization of Traumatic Thoracolumbar Subluxation using Patient-specific Drill Guide with Double Pin and Polymethylmethacrylate in a 12-year-old Maltese Dog

Spinal instability in a 12-year-old Maltese with T11-12 subluxation presenting with neurological symptoms, including hindlimb paraplegia, was treated using double-pin and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) fixation. Postoperatively, neurological deficits and hindlimb paraplegia improved, enabling the dog to regain independent ambulation without assistance. Patient-specific drill guides enhanced the accuracy and safety of screw placement, highlighting their potential as an effective method for managing thoracolumbar subluxations in veterinary medicine.

Application of a Patient-Specific Saw Guide for Patellar Groove Replacement in a Dog with Medial Patellar Luxation, Osteoarthritis, and Femoral Varus: A Case Report

This case report describes the application of a patient-specific saw guide (PSSG) for patellar groove replacement (PGR) in a dog with severe medial patellar luxation, stifle osteoarthritis, and minor femoral varus deformity. The design, fabrication, and surgical implementation of the PSSG is described, highlighting its feasibility and potential to improve the precision of osteotomy and implant placement in complex orthopedic cases

Acute Stress Response to Winter Pre-Lambing Shearing in Ewes With and Without Maternal Experience

This study aimed to compare the acute stress response to winter pre-lambing shearing between ewes with and without maternal experience. Twenty-four Finnish Landrace x Polwarth ewes in the last month of gestation were used. Twelve ewes had previous maternal experience (ME), and 12 ewes were undergoing their first pregnancy and were therefore considered without maternal experience (WME). Heart rate, rectal temperature, and eye temperature were recorded immediately before shearing (0 min) and immediately after shearing (5 min). Blood samples were collected, and hormonal (cortisol) and biochemical (total protein, albumin, globulin, and glucose) indicators were determined. Heart rate, rectal temperature, eye temperature, serum cortisol concentration, and plasma glucose level increased after shearing (P < 0.05). Eye temperature significantly increased after shearing only in WME ewes (P = 0.004). The rectal temperature tended to be higher in WME ewes than in ME ewes (P = 0.07). WME ewes had higher serum cortisol concentrations after shearing than ME ewes (P = 0.049). Biochemical indicators did not vary according to the ewes’ maternal experience. In conclusion, ewes’ maternal experience influenced the acute stress response to shearing during late gestation. WME had a greater stress response to shearing than ME, which was evidenced by a higher increases in serum cortisol concentration and eye temperature

Perception of Chilean dairy farmers facing the growing heat stress events in the country

Global warming is one of the major problems worldwide that dairy farmers will have to cope with in the coming decades. Dairy cattle can cope with adverse weather conditions by modifying their physiological and behavioral mechanisms to maintain their body temperature within a normal range, but this can affect their performance and welfare. This study aimed to determine the perception of Chilean dairy farmers regarding the phenomena of heat stress. A survey was submitted by email to dairy farmers from different dairy production regions. Dairy producers from 28 communes in Chile answered the survey, covering almost all of the country’s dairy production regions. Most dairy farmers had more than 500 animals, with a predominantly grazing production system and all-year-round calving. The average milk yield was 7,226 L/cow/lactation, with the majority (85%) of the dairy farmers stating that they had some knowledge or ideas about what heat stress is, but only 46% stated that they know how it affects animals. Likewise, 91.6% were open to receiving training on this matter, and 88% were willing to have an app for cell phones, allowing them to monitor the risk of heat stress and provide suggestions to mitigate its impact on their production system. In conclusion, dairy farmers are worried about the effects of heat stress on their businesses and are willing to receive training and practical tools regarding heat stress in dairy cattle

Effects of age, season, breed, and sperm counting chamber on boar semen quality variables in tropical conditions

In the porcine industry, male sperm quality plays a relevant role in the productivity and profitability of the productive system in the tropics. Understanding the factors affecting semen quality is important for optimizing male reproductive efficiency. The present study aimed to evaluate the seminal quality associated with season, breed, age, and sperm counting chamber in boar ejaculates. A total of 22 sexually mature and healthy boars from maternal and sire commercial breeds were utilized as semen donors, with an average age (mean ± standard deviation) of 21.0 ± 7.2 months. The boars were housed individually in well-ventilated pens and fed a standard breeder mix. The boars were grouped according to age into three categories: <12 months, 12-24 months, and >24 months, and semen doses were collected from each boar during the dry and rainy seasons. Ejaculates with at least 75 % morphologically normal sperm and more than 8.5 x 109 total sperm per ejaculate were used. The semen doses were analyzed using Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA; ISAS® v1). The results showed that younger boars (<12 months) exhibited higher progressive and total sperm motility and faster swimming patterns than older boars. The estimation of total motility and fast spermatozoa increased during the rainy season. The kinematic variables showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the sperm counting chambers. The Duroc and Landrace breeds presented spermatozoa with greater total motility, whereas the terminal sire line breeds showed accelerated linear progressiveness (P < 0.05). Overall, the impact of various factors on seminal and kinematic variables in boar ejaculates, including age, season, genetic breed composition, and sperm counting chamber, enables us to better understand semen quality in boars. This emphasizes the importance of optimizing swine reproductive management practices in sexually active boars

Advancements and Challenges in Artificial Insemination Techniques for Wild Ruminant Conservation: A review

Biodiversity is increasingly threatened by intensive agriculture, environmental pollution, climate change, and habitat loss, and many mammal species, including ruminants, have disappeared or are threatened with extinction. Therefore, reproductive biotechnologies represent an important alternative for the conservation of endangered species, being fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) the most widely used method, which has been extrapolated from livestock to wild ruminants. The main benefit of artificial insemination is the maintenance of the genetic diversity of populations through the preservation and use of semen from genetically valuable individuals. Variables, such as hormones and semen condition, can modify the efficiency of FTAI in domestic and wild animals. The aim of this review was to evaluate the different protocols and variations that have been reported in FTAI applied to different species of wild ruminants

Epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of mammary tumors in female dogs: A retrospective analysis

Mammary tumors are common neoplasms in female dogs and pose a clinical challenge because of their high malignancy potential. This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 724 female dogs with 1,638 mammary tumors treated between 2012 and 2022 to assess epidemiological and clinicopathological associations. Malignant tumors (84.6%) were larger than benign ones (3.4 cm vs. 2.3 cm, P<0.01) and were associated with advanced age, multiple tumors, size >5 cm, and ulceration. Tumors >5 cm in size were associated with histological grade III, ulceration, adhesion, and regional metastases. In the multivariate analysis, tumor malignancy was 3.2 times more likely with each additional tumor, 3.3 times more likely with each additional year of age, and 4.8 times more likely with ulcerated tumors. These findings highlight the importance of early diagnosis, comprehensive evaluation, and regular monitoring, especially in high-risk dogs such as elderly and overweight female dogs

Objective Structured Assessment of Veterinary Students´ Suture Skills Before and After Training in Theory and Practice

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) in measuring and improving veterinary students’ proficiency in simple suturing. Forty final-year veterinary students participated in a structured training session that included theoretical instruction, video demonstrations, and hands-on practice sessions. Performance was assessed pre- and post-training using the OSATS, incorporating both a global rating scale and a procedural checklist. Before training, only 50% of the students met the passing criteria, with common deficiencies in needle handling, suture placement, and wound-edge eversion. After the intervention, the pass rate increased to 90%, with significant improvements across most performance indicators (P < 0.05), although deficiencies in movement fluidity persisted. Gender analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in the overall performance. These findings confirm that OSATS is a valid and reliable tool for objectively assessing technical surgical skills in veterinary education. This study supports its integration into veterinary curricula to standardize competency evaluation and enhance training outcomes. Future research should explore its application in diverse surgical procedures and assess long-term skill retention through follow-up assessments. The results offer practical guidance for veterinary educators aiming to develop structured, skill-based learning environments that ensure clinical readiness

A comparison of behavioral and biochemical changes associated with pain between primiparous and multiparous goats around parturition

This study aimed to examine the physiological, biochemical, and behavioral responses of primiparous and multiparous goats during peripartum, as well as their relationship with the discomfort caused by parturition. Eleven primiparous and 10 multiparous dairy goats maintained under intensive conditions were used in this study. Goat behavior was monitored immediately before and during expulsion phase. The behavior of the mother and kid was recorded during the first 2 h postpartum. In the three stages of parturition, the intensity of maternal vocalizations, changes in facial Grimace scale, and blood samples to determine the cortisol, estradiol, and protein concentrations were determined. The weight of the kids and litter size were also considered. Primiparous goats took longer to expel the kid than did multiparous goats (P = 0.04). A negative correlation was found between cortisol concentration and maternal motivation score at 12 and 8 days prepartum (P ? 0.06), as well as at 24 and 48 h postpartum (P ? 0.05). Cortisol concentrations at 4 h postpartum were negatively correlated with the latency of the first lick to the kid (P = 0.01). The latency to suckle was shorter in twin births than in single births kids (P = 0.02). Single birth kids weighed more than twin births kids (P = 0.004). The duration of the first grooming of the kid was shorter in the heavier than in the lighter kids (P = 0.028). The intensity of the vocalizations emitted by the mother in the pre-birth period was greater in the births of heavy offsprings than in those of light offsprings (P = 0.032). The expulsion phase was affected only in primiparous goats. Regardless of parity, cortisol and estradiol concentrations were elevated during parturition; the facial Grimace score and the intensity of vocalizations were greater in the expulsive and postpartum phases

Research on enteric methane mitigation in Chile: Ten years of scientific insights

Research on enteric methane abatement in Chile began approximately ten years ago and has steadily accelerated. A key challenge in developing strategies to decrease enteric methane emissions in Chile and other countries where ruminant production is largely pasture-based is that globally, most mitigation strategies have been developed and evaluated with confined ruminants fed total mixed rations, requiring adaptation and validation in pasture-based systems. In this review, we discuss in vitro and in vivo applied research of anti-methanogenic strategies conducted in Chile. The reviewed studies included the evaluation of grazing management, different genotypes and species of forages, seasonal forage crops, by-products, oilseeds, and algae supplementation, as well as the use of a chemical inhibitor of methanogenesis, 3-nitrooxypropanol, and the combination of more than one anti-methanogenic strategy. Global meta-analyses and reviews show that intensification of ruminant production consistently decreases methane output per unit of meat or milk and is often economically attractive to producers and acceptable to governments and consumers alike; however, it is generally associated with increased emissions of other greenhouse gases and can result in greater output of carbon dioxide equivalents. Results obtained in Chile with production intensification varied depending on the intensification strategy. We consider that at present, none of the anti-methanogenic strategies investigated thus far in Chile can be recommended for adoption in pasture-based systems. Important aspects to be addressed are the lack of published life cycle assessments, in vivo research in ruminants other than dairy cows, and a considerable proportion of research results available only as conference summaries. Efforts are ongoing to generate solutions to effectively and persistently decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases from Chilean ruminant livestock; however, more research is required to design, adapt, and evaluate enteric methane mitigation strategies applicable to pasture-based systems, which require greater funding from the public and private sectors