Assessment of veterinary drug retail outlets in two rural areas of Kwara state, north-central Nigeria

Meeting the challenges of sustainable growth in livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa requires significant improvements in animal health with adequate access to veterinary services. Since the 1980s, veterinary services in developing countries including Nigeria has witnessed a decline in government involvement and is currently almost private sector driven. Veterinary retail shops have emerged as important players in the provision of animal health services. However, diseases such as helminthiasis continue to occur with a high proportion in Nigerian livestock, despite the availability of veterinary drug retail outlets. A cross sectional survey was carried out in Tsaragi and Lafiagi rural areas of Kwara state, to asses the owners’, sales persons’ and business characteristics of veterinary retail outlets with the aid of structured questionnaire administered at interview and transect walk, carried out to appraise their capacities to provide adequate veterinary services. A total of 27 veterinary retail outlets made up of 13 agro-veterinary shops, 4 pharmacies, 4 general shops and 6 open market veterinary shops were interviewed. Majority of the veterinary shop owners and sales persons lacked professional qualification despite having an average of 10 years of experience retailing veterinary drugs. All respondents received veterinary drugs from wholesalers. Albendazole was the only type of anthelminthic stocked by the shops. Veterinarians and Animal Health Workers were the most important source of information about veterinary drugs. Dosage and drug dispensing of recommended quantities based on animal body weight was the greatest challenge in the sale of veterinary drugs. This study concludes that there is an urgent need for involvement of Veterinarians in the veterinary drug chain and the need to consider training and certification of Animal Health Workers in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria.Keywords: Agro-vet, Livestock, Veterinary shops, Veterinarian, Veterinary services, Livestock developmen

Histologic developmental horizons of the prenatal dromedary tongue

We present a study on the histologic developmental horizons of the dromedary tongue using abattoir samples. The 13 month dromedary gestation period was divided into four quarters, giving the  dromedary four prenatal growth phases. Feotuses were recovered from slaughtered camels and 1 cm2 samples were cut from dorsum and lateral parts of the apex, body and base of tongues of associated foetuses in each growth phase for histological analysis. The dorsal and lateral parts of the apex of the tongue showed variable sizes of underdeveloped filiform and fungiform papillae formed from the  folding of non - keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The filiform papillae were interspersed with fungiform papillae. A brief glandless propria-submucosa of vascularized connective tissue was  continuous with their lamina epithelialis. The muscularis showed vertical, longitudinal and transverse (X, Y, Z) directions of skeletal muscles. Same arrangement was found at the lingual body. Under- developed lentiform papillae extended from the terminus of the caudal aspect of the lingual body to  the rostral aspect of the lingual base. The lingual base showed underdeveloped fungiform and vallate papillae. The lingual body and base were highly muscularized. The muscularity became more obvious  at the second and third quarters. Unique to the third phase was apical keratinization of filiform  papillae,  marking its full development. The propria-submucosa was highly vascularized. The fourth  growth phase marked the stage for full development of most of parts of the tongue except the mucosa  of the lingual base, where taste buds were not observed in gustatory papillae, eventhough an  earlier study had observed taste buds in gustatory papillae of the adult dromedary. It was  concluded that most of the salient features of the postnatal dromedary tongue, such as gustatory and non-gustatory papillae, were already evident as early as the first growth phase.Keywords: Dromedary, Foetus, Histology, Prenatal development, Tongu

Herd growth parameters and constraints of camel rearing in Northeastern Nigeria

Abstract The one-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius, is an important pack and ride, dairy and meat animal in semi-arid northeastern Nigeria. This study was carried out to document reproductive information for scientists and farmers on camel rearing for improved productivity. A structured open-ended questionnaire on herd growth parameters and constraints of camel-rearing in the region was administered to 147 respondents. Results showed that most camel owners were middle aged, married, Arab men with over 20 years of experience in camel-rearing. The camels were made up of predominantly mixed breeds originating from eastern and northern Africa. Sexually matured heifers are detectable at three years of age, have good body conformation and are receptive to bulls during estrus. They have a long rutting period that stretched from rainy to harmattan seasons (July to January). Length of gestation is 13 months, and pregnancy is detectable by observing a successfully mated cow raising her tail on being approached by a bull at two weeks into pregnancy or the distension of the abdominal region towards mid pregnancy. Up to 60% conception rate was reported while age of cow at first parturition was five years. Other herd growth parameters reported include calf mortality rate of up to 40%, milking duration of one year and productivity of at least 10 calves per cow per life time. Only 4% of respondents in this study consult veterinary care while few (23%) respondents helped the dam to suckle its new born. Abortion, biting flies, trans-border conflicts and armed banditries were the major constraints to camel production in the study area. It was concluded that despite the knowledgeability of camel herders in this study, there appears to be poor herd management that needs to be addressed by adequate education and access to veterinary care in order to improve productivity