Some reproductive indices of the Nigerian local bitches in Ibadan, Nigeria

Some reproductive parameters of the Nigerian local bitches were studied at the kennel of the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Reproduction, University of Ibadan using 6 bitches and 1 stud aged between 2 and 3 years, weighing 10 to 12kg. The bitches were mated naturally by the stud at the second day of cytological oestrus and allowed to carry the pregnancy to term. The bitches and puppies were weighed weekly and observed till weaning. Mean gestation length was 63.5 ± 0.3 day. Mean litter size was 7.0 ± 2.0 puppies. Litter sex ratio was 1.25 females to 1 male puppy. Mean birth weights were 308.3 ± 15.3 and 286.3 +11.8 grammes for male and female puppies respectively, while the respective weaning live weights were 1.5 ± 0.2 and 1.8 ± 0.1kg. Litter size affected the birth weight; the mean birth weight of puppies with the litter size 10 was significantly lighter (p< 0.05) than those with litter sizes 7, 6 and 4 puppies. Mean age at testicular descent was 6.1 ± 0.6 days while eyes of puppies were opened at mean age 15.4 ± 0.2 days. Mean duration between whelping and first oestrus was 3.9 ± 0.07 months. The neonatal mortality rate was 35.3%, more female puppies (26.4%) than male puppies (5.9%) died during the first week of life. These high mortalities might be due to cold and maternal negligence. With these basic data, the reproductive potential of the Nigerian local bitch can be harnessed

Nutritional and pharmacological potentials of orphan legumes: Subfamily faboideae

Legumes are a major food crop in many developing nations. However, orphan or underutilized legumes are domesticated legumes that have valuable properties but are less significant than main legumes due to use and supply restrictions. Compared to other major legumes, they are better suited to harsh soil and climate conditions, and their great tolerance to abiotic environmental circumstances like drought can help to lessen the strains brought on by climate change. Despite this, their economic significance in international markets is relatively minimal. This article is aimed at carrying out a comprehensive review of the nutritional and pharmacological benefits of orphan legumes from eight genera in the sub-family Faboidea, namely Psophocarpus Neck. ex DC., Tylosema (Schweinf.) Torre Hillc., Vigna Savi., Vicia L., Baphia Afzel. ex G. Lodd., Mucuna Adans, Indigofera L. and Macrotyloma (Wight &amp; Arn.) Verdc, and the phytoconstituents that have been isolated and characterized from these plants. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct for articles that have previously reported the relevance of underutilized legumes. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species was also conducted for the status of the species. References were scrutinized and citation searches were performed on the study. The review showed that many underutilized legumes have a lot of untapped potential in terms of their nutritional and pharmacological activities. The phytoconstituents from plants in the subfamily Faboideae could serve as lead compounds for drug discovery for the treatment of a variety of disorders, indicating the need to explore these plant species

The external genital conformation of a 4-month old German shepherd intersex dog: a case report

Intersex is usually a rare condition affecting both humans and animals. Reports of intersex in dogs are very few. In this report, we highlighted a case of intersex in a 4-month-old German shepherd dog. The dog was purchased at four weeks of age with intention of breeding following attainment of puberty. Physical observation revealed that the dog had a vulva that was located at inguinal region, and a small penile-like structure of 5 cm which contained an os and ventral urethral opening. No further evaluation was done to ascertain the internal genitalia composition. The present observation of intersex in a dog suggests the need to carefully examine any dog intended for breeding so that abnormalities such as intersex will not be propagated in any dog breeding program