Seroprevalences of Rickettsia conorii, Ehrlichia canis and Coxiella burnetii in Dogs from Montenegro

Due to an unfortunate error during the processing of the article, the given name and family name of all authors were interchanged. The original article has been corrected

Welfare of Native Goat Breeds in Serbia—Emphasis on Parasitological Infections

Native goat breeds in Serbia has been recognized as an important element of regional agrobiodiversity and play an important role in the safeguarding of cultural and traditional heritage. The aim of this study was to identify the main welfare issues likely to be encountered in extensive goat farming systems with an emphasis on parasitological infections. The study was conducted during the winter season on four small farms of native Balkan and Serbian white goats. For welfare assessment, animal-based indicators from AWIN protocol for goats were used. All fecal samples for parasites were qualitatively and quantitatively examined. The main welfare issues identified were poor hair coat condition (62.79%), dirty and light soiling hindquarters (31.40%), thin body condition score (26.74%), abscesses (19.78%), and udder asymmetry (18.60%). In addition, an important and prevalent welfare problem identified across all farms was parasite infection and weak significant (p < 0.001) correlation between certain parasites (Strongylidae, Moniezia spp., Buxtonella sulcate, and Protostrongylidae) and welfare indicators such as poor hair coat condition and nasal discharge. The results of this study provided the first overview and valuable insight into the impact of extensive systems on the welfare of native goats in the Balcan region

Transport-induced mortality in Pekin ducks transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic

Data on the numbers of Pekin ducks transported to slaughterhouses between 2009 and 2014 and the numbers of ducks that died during these transports were recorded in cooperation with the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic. In the monitored period, a total of 12,327,017 ducks were transported, of which 9,545 (0.077%) died. The levels of transport-related mortality over these years varied significantly (P < 0.001); the lowest mortality was observed in 2011 (0.059%) and the highest in 2013 (0.089%). The impact of distance on transport-related mortality in ducks was demonstrated. The lowest transport-related mortality (0.052%) was found for distances shorter than 50 km. It was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than the mortality rates connected with longer journeys. The greatest mortality rates were found for transport distances of 101-200 km (0.105%). In addition, the season of the year significantly affected transport-related mortality in Pekin ducks. The highest death losses were found in the summer (0.090%). Death losses of ducks connected with summer transports were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in comparison with transport-related mortality rates in any other season of the year. The lowest death losses were found in duck transports carried out in the autumn and winter (0.069% and 0.072%, respectively) with no significant difference between those two seasons. Shortening transport distances and maintaining a suitable micro-climate inside transport vehicles especially in the summer are thus two important factors that can contribute to reducing transport-related mortality in Pekin ducks in commercial practice

Chromosome aberrations produced by mestranol in human lymphocyte cultures

In this investigation, the genotoxic properties of mestranol were examined in vitro. Human lymphocyte cultures were exposed for 72 h to mestranol at concentrations of 7.5, 15 and 30 mu g/g. The genotoxic effects of the chemosterilant were assessed by numerical and structural chromosome aberrations. Mestranol induced certain genotoxic effects in human lymphocytes. There was a dose-dependent significant (p0.05) between the doses applied. Further, structural aberrations increased significantly (p0.05)

ZAŠTO VETERINARI TREBA DA POZNAJU PONAŠANJE ŽIVOTINJA

Ponašanje je najbrži način adaptacije životinje na promene kojese dešavaju u njenom organizmu ili u životnom okruženju. To je vidljiva osobinaživotinja. Zbog toga, veterinari mogu da koriste znanje o ponašanju životinja umnogim granama veterinarske prakse i veterinarske nauke. Poznavanje ponašanjaživotinja može biti od pomoći u dijagnostici u veterinarskoj praksi. Osim toga, znanjeo ponašanju životinja može se primeniti u svim postupcima postupanja sa životinjamakao i pri njihovom obuzdavanju, prilikom kliničkog pregleda životinja, u procesimaučenja i obuke životinja, u usmeravanju kretanja životinja, hranjenju, reprodukcijii mnogim drugim aktivnostima. Smeštajni sistemi i sve vrste obogaćivanja uslovaživota su proizvodi primenjene nauke o ponašanju životinja. Veterinari moraju znatikako da spreče poremećaje u ponašanju i patološke oblike ponašanja životinja, alii kako da ih leče. Takođe, oni treba da znaju kako da primene znanje o ponašanjuživotinja za dobrobit životinja. Dalje, nauka o ponašanju životinja može se primenitiu kontroli divljači i štetočina na humaniji način, kao i u očuvanju vrsta. Postojemnogi drugi primeri primene znanja o ponašanju životinja u veterinarskoj praksi, akoji su izneti u ovom radu

WHY VETERINARIANS SHOULD UNDERSTAND ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

Behavior is the fastest way of animal adaptation to changes that occur in itsorganism or in its habitat. This is a visible feature of animals. Therefore, veterinarianscan use knowledge about animal behavior in many branches of veterinary practice andveterinary science. Knowledge of animal behavior can also be helpful in diagnosticsin veterinary practice. In addition, knowledge of animal behavior can be applied inall animal treatment procedures, as well as in their restraint, animal examination,animal learning and training, animal tracking, feeding, reproduction and many otheractivities. Accommodation systems and all kinds of enrichment of living conditionsare part of applied animal behavior science. Veterinarians must know how to preventbehavioral disorders and pathological forms of animal behavior, but also how totreat them. They also need to know how to apply knowledge about animal behaviorto protect animal welfare. Applied animal behavior science can be applied to controlgame animals and pests in a more humane way as well as in conservation of species.There are many other examples of application of animal behavioral knowledge inveterinary practice, as it is presented in this paper

When the first of the 5Fs for the welfare of dogs goes wrong. Who is responsible?-a review

The importance of nutrition for the welfare of dogs is highlighted in this review. Malnutrition can be the cause of many health disorders, including behavioural disorders. On the other hand, dietary interventions and modifications, and nutritional enrichment can be used for the treatment of certain health problems and improving welfare in dogs. The paper focuses on data collected from the literature on omissions in the diet of dogs for which owners, food producers, veterinarians and/or animal welfare societies are responsible. Manufacturers are responsible for the composition, quality and safety of commercially available dog food. They are also responsible for the clarity of the feeding guidelines that are provided on the labels. Owners are expected to know what type of food is most suitable for their dogs in terms of any particular allergies or intolerances they may have, as well the quality and quantity of food they should feed their dogs. It is especially important for owners to be aware of the risks of using raw food in dog nutrition. Due to the special social status that dogs have in their owners’ families, owners are increasingly interested in the quality and safe nutrition of their companions. This should be a challenge for veterinarians to master the necessary knowledge of pet nutrition, and to develop and provide advice and consulting services in this area within their practice. Owners’ interest in good quality and safe dog nutrition should also be a challenge for animal welfare societies to include information on nutrition in general dog ownership education

Cortisol concentration, pain and sedation scale in free roaming dogs treated with carprofen after ovariohysterectomy

Background and Aim: One of the topic issues in animal welfare activities is the free roaming dog welfare especially in developing countries such as Serbia. The way of controlling population of free roaming dogs is their reproduction with the method of Catch-Neuter-Release. This complex process consists of capturing free roaming dogs in public areas, sterilizing, and returning them to the public area from which they were temporarily removed. Ovariohysterectomy present the period with a high intensity of stress reaction since many veterinarians in Serbia do not use analgesia for this group of dogs. The aim of this study was to compare the serum cortisol concentration before and after ovariohysterectomy and the level of post-operative pain and sedation in a group of free roaming female dogs treated with carprofen after surgical intervention and in a group with no treatment. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on a total of 20 female dogs under the program for free roaming dog control. Free-roaming dogs were captured in public areas by the communal animal hygiene service and were transported between 30 and 45 min to the clinic of a veterinary practice. Treatment began at 10:00 h on the next day and the bitches were kept in cages until they were returned to public locations from which they were temporarily removed to be sterilized. The G2 group received before closing the incision line carprofen in one dosage of 4 mg/kg given by subcutaneous injection into the scruff. Rescue protocol with carprofen was provided for G1 after 24 h following ovariohysterectomy same dosage as G2. Blood (2 ml) was collected from the cephalic vein of each dog in disposable plastic syringes, containing heparin (1:1000) 4 times: Before ovariohysterectomy, 30, 120 min and 24 h following ovariohysterectomy. Cortisol concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The multifactorial pain and sedation scale were used for the assessment of pain and sedation. Results: In both groups, the lowest values of serum cortisol concentration were obtained before ovariohysterectomy. Cortisol levels in both groups were significantly higher (p < 0.01) 30 and 120 min after ovariohysterectomy and showed a decreasing trend toward the end of the observation period (24 h). The results obtained 15 and 30 min after the surgical intervention have revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.05) showing that female dogs treated with carprofen had a lower value on the pain scale and a higher value on the sedation scale compared to the group with no treatment. Conclusion: Carprofen provides both a restful consequence of sedation and a rapid return to a more normal physiological and behavioral state in dogs after ovariohysterectomy

Soil and sand contamination with canine intestinal parasite eggs as a risk factor for human health in public parks in Niš (Serbia)

Regarding geographical distribution and clinical relevance, the most common canine geohelminths are Toxocara canis, ancylostomatids, and Trichuris vulpis. Canine intestinal parasites from the soil and sand present an important potential serious human health hazard, especially for the children preschool and school – age. This paper aimed to establish the degree of contamination of soil and sand with zoonotic parasites from the canine feces and the degree of risk they could pose for human health in public places and playgrounds in the city of Niš. Our parasitological study involved 200 soil samples and 50 sand samples from the public parks in the city of Niš in southeastern Serbia (43°19′15″N, 21°53′45″ E). From several locations, about 100 g of soil and sand was collected based on the bioclimatic indices. Parasitological diagnosis was performed using conventional qualitative and quantitative coprological methods, abiding by the recommendations about the diagnosis of parasitic diseases. In 38 – 46 % of soil samples and 40 % of sand samples seven species of endoparasites were diagnosed. In the samples of soil, a medium and high degree of contamination with the ascarid T. canis (14 – 22 %) was detected, as well as a low and medium degree of contamination with ancylostomatids (4 – 12 %), and in the samples of sand, a variable degree of contamination with the helminths T. canis (26 %) and A. alata (16 %) was found. A statistically significant difference was found in the contamination with A. alata eggs between the samples of sand and samples of soil. The studied public surfaces represent the reservoir of zoonotic parasites, which is a public health problem requiring a synergistic action of several factors to be successfully resolved, i.e. the implementation of prevention, surveillance, and control measures

Propusti u sprovođenju dezinfekcije u zanatskoj klanici

The aim of this study was to establish the difference in the total number of bacteria present on some surfaces after disinfection was performed either by a professional or a layman employed at the slaughterhouse. Based upon the obtained results it can be concluded that there were omissions in the disinfection procedure. The study material consisted of wet and dry swabs taken during a five week period, before and after disinfection was performed either by a professional or a laymen. The following surfaces were sampled: meat carving knife, meat hooks, floor of the stunning area, and corridor floor. The procedure for wet swabs was carried out in accordance with the standard ISO 18593 method. The number of bacteria was estimated from each sample with the standard ISO 4833 method. Disinfection was performed with a 0.02% chlorine solution; the exposition time was 30 min. According to the obtained results it can be concluded that after disinfection was carried out by a professional- veterinarian, or by a layman, all surfaces which were previously treated correctly (mechanical cleaning and sanitary washing), and disinfected measured a significant decrease in the number of total bacteria (log cfu/cm2). The results for the total number of bacteria obtained after disinfection of the stunt area indicate on possible omissions as the number of bacteria did not decrease.Cilj rada je bio da se na osnovu dobijenih rezultata utvrdi da li postoje razlike u ukupnom broju bakterija na određenim površinama posle dezinfekcije stučnog i nestručnog lica zanatske klanice i da se na osnovu toga zaključi da li su postojali propusti u sprovođenju dezinfekcije. Materijal za istraživanja su bili uzorci vlažno-suvih briseva uzetih tokom V nedelja, pre i posle dezinfekcije nestručnog i stručnog lica i to sa: noža za obradu mesa, kuka, poda boksa za omamljivanje i poda koridora. Postupak uzimanja vlažno-suvog brisa je urađen prema standardnoj metodi ISO 18593. Iz uzetih uzoraka određen je ukupan broj bakterija standardnom metodom ISO 4833.Dezinfekcija je vršena sa 0.02% hlornim preparatom pri vremenu ekspozicije od 30 min. Na osnovu podataka dobijenih ovim istraživanjem utvrđeno je da je posle dezinfekcije nestručnog lica zanatske klanice i dezinfekcije stručnog lica-veterinara na ispitivanim površinama na kojima su pravilno sprovedene faze dezinfekcije (mehaničko čišćenje i sanitarno pranje) i dezinfekcija, došlo do značajnog smanjenja ukupnog broja bakterija (log cfu/cm2). Dobijeni rezultati ukupnog broja bakterija posle dezinfekcije poda boksa za omamljivanje ukazuju na propuste u sprovođenju dezinfekcije jer se broj bakterija nije značajno smanjio (p>0.05)