Louse Infestation of Ruminants

Throughout the world, louse infestation of ruminants is an important problem that impairs the growth and performance parameters of beef, dairy and buffalo stocks. Full details of geographical and taxonomical features of blood sucking and biting louse on ruminants are discussed. The objective of the topic is to demonstrate the occurrence, biological, epidemiological and clinical importance of bovine pediculosis. At the same time, presenting factors determining the severity of infestation with blood-sucking and biting lice include the animals’ age and sex and also the season. Important determination of the prevalence and rate of louse infestation among ruminants offer a survey of advances in systemic chemotherapeutic control

Comparison of the reliability of snap foal Ig test, Gamma-Check E test, refractometry and electrophoresis for determining the immune status of newborn foals in the first hours of life

Twenty-eight warmblood mares were monitored during their late pregnancy in the Teaching Hospital of Ghent University. The reliability of two commercial assays (enzyme immunoassay and glutaraldehyde coagulation test) used for determining the IgG concentrations of their newborn foals was tested. Mammary secretions were examined at the time of foaling (T0), and then 4 (T1) and 8 (T2) hours after foaling by refractometry and electrophoresis. The foals’ blood IgG levels were measured at T1 and T2 as a routine clinical diagnostic examination using two different commercial test kits (SNAP Foal Ig and Gamma-Check E) and T0, T1 and T2 samples were stored (at −18 °C) for immunoglobulin (Ig) determination by electrophoresis. Differences between the results of refractometry and electrophoresis occurred in 27.8% of the colostrum analyses. Some serum IgG could be detected immediately post partum (T0) in 75% of the foals, and 42.82% of the newborn foals acquired a serum concentration of more than 800 mg/dl IgG within 8 h of birth. Compared to the electrophoresis, the glutaraldehyde test scored better (85%) than the enzyme immunoassay (74%), although both are accurate and safe to use since they clearly distinguish between safe and unsafe IgG concentrations

The effect of feeding different glycerol sources on the performance of lactating sows

Glycerol is a by-product of the biodiesel industry and it might be a good alternative to moderate the energy deficiency of sows during the lactation period. Preliminary experiments were carried out to test the effect of a powder, solid based “food grade” glycerol source with 72.9% glycerol content (Trial 1) and a liquid “feed grade” glycerol source with 86% glycerol content (Trial 2) on the performance of lactating sows and their litters. Trial 1 was conducted with 5 Hungarian Large White×Hungarian Landrace sows/treatment (313±24.9 kg) and Trial 2 with 12–12 DanAvl (323±17.0 kg) sows and their litters/treatment. Neither the solid, powder based glycerol (Trial 1), nor the liquid glycerol source (Trial 2) had significant effect on the feed intake, reduction in live weight and back-fat thickness, and weaning-tooestrus interval (p>0.05) of lactating sows. In Trial 2, on the 14th, 21st and 27th days of lactation the milk samples were collected and it was found that 50 kg/t glycerol decreased the protein content of milk samples (p<0.05). Glycerol supplementation had no effect on dry matter, fat, lactose content of milk samples (p>0.05). In Trial 2, no significant difference was found between control and experimental sow groups in triglyceride concentration of blood samples and in the activity of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT; p>0.05), but the concentration of plasma glucose and cholesterol increased tendentiously (p<0.10). Based on our preliminary results, it can be concluded that additional dose trials are needed to perform in order to study the effect of glycerol supplement on milk production and on metabolic processes of lactating sows

Comparative Analysis of Ascaris suum and Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus Infections in Free-Ranging and Captive Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) in Hungary

Ascaris suum and Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus cause a large loss of yield in farm animals as well as in free-living and captive wild boar herds, thereby causing economic damage. This study compared A. suum and M. hirudinaceus infections in free-ranging and captive wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Hungary. The authors measured the A. suum and M. hirudinaceus infections of a 248-hectare wild boar garden and an 11,893-hectare free-living wild boar herd in the sample area. In all cases, samples were collected from shot wild boars. In total, 216 wild boars were examined from June 2015 to June 2023 in Hungary. Of the 173 dissected wild boars from the wild, 57 (32.9%) were infected with A. suum, while 30 (69.8%) of the 43 individuals from the captive area were infected. The prevalence of M. hirudinaceus in the free-living area population was 9.25% (16 wild boars), while that of the captive population was 34.89% (15 wild boars). In the case of the examined helminths, the captive herd was 36.9% more infected than the herd living in the open area

The effect of feeding different glycerol sources on the performance of lactating sows

Glycerol is a by-product of the biodiesel industry and it might be a good alternative to moderate the energy deficiency of sows during the lactation period. Preliminary experiments were carried out to test the effect of a powder, solid based "food grade" glycerol source with 72.9% glycerol content (Trial 1) and a liquid "feed grade" glycerol source with 86% glycerol content (Trial 2) on the performance of lactating sows and their litters. Trial 1 was conducted with 5 Hungarian Large WhitexHungarian Landrace sows/treatment (313±24.9 kg) and Trial 2 with 12-12 DanAvl (323±17.0 kg) sows and their litters/treatment. Neither the solid, powder based glycerol (Trial 1), nor the liquid glycerol source (Trial 2) had significant effect on the feed intake, reduction in live weight and back-fat thickness, and weaning-to-oestrus interval (p>0.05) of lactatingsows. In Trial 2, on the 14th, 21st and 27th days of lactation the milk samples were collected and it was found that 50kg/t glycerol decreased the protein content of milk samples (p0.05). In Trial 2, no significant difference was found between control and experimental sow groups in triglyceride concentration of blood samples and in the activity of liver enzymes (ALT,AST,GGT; p>0.05), but the concentration of plasma glucose and cholesterol increased tendentiously (p<0.10). Based on our preliminary results, it can be concluded that additional dose trials are needed to perform in order to study the effect of glycerol supplement on milk production and on metabolic processes of lactating sows

Comparative examinations of the expulsion time of the foetal membranes in various horse breeds

SUMMARY Being the most important link between the foetus and the dam, the placenta has a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of gestation and in ensuring foetal well-being and development. Despite the fact that placental anomalies markedly affect the status of the foal and the mare, thorough and critical assessment of the intrauterine and postpartum placental parameters are often neglected. The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of placental examination. Data from 106 pregnancies in 5 different breeds were collected, analyzed and interpreted in the light of most recent publications. The mean±SD time of the placental passage in Kisberi, Gidran, Hungarian draft, Thoroughbred and Arabians were 41 ± 32.330, 45.67 ± 39.727, 310.55 ± 351.442, 33.04 ± 17.750 and 56.86 ± 20.292 respectively

Stress effects and occurrence of compulsive behaviour and its possible investigation in sport horses - Literature review and own basic research

SUMMARY The authors present the possible measurement of stress factors in horse in this paper. The scientific efforts discovered the significance and the role of hypo-thalamus–pituitary-adrenal gland axle in relations with stress. We are familiar with the system and function of stress hormones, like ACTH, cortisol, adren-alin. Based on researches with horses actively involved in sports (show jump-ing, dressage and three-day events) it is established that the level of cortisol in saliva and blood as well as the analysis of change in heart rate variability can be important information for determining the stress condition of the horse and the rider. Significant relationship has been established between the level of cortisol in salvia of horse and the result as well as the level of cortisol in salvia of rider and the result. It is not only the physiological parameters of horses that change parallel to the stress situation, but the behaviour of the horse also responds to the stress. It is useful to be aware of the complete portfolio of stereotype behaviour pattern of horses both for everyday life, veterinary practice and ani-mal welfare. It is also important to continuously watch, monitor and record the behaviour of horse, especially when the horse is taken from its natural environ-ment, kept in stable and forced to work hard. It is true that 2D and 3D technology is heading way in equestrian industry to analyse locomotion and the behaviour of the horse, however, these tools are rather applied to investigate the dyna-mism of locomotion of the horse, than the effect of stress on horse