Animal body reacts to all kinds of injuries and stress to keep the homeostasis. Such resistance can be specific or non specific. Non specific innate resistance of the body like cytological and cytokine reactions including fever, leukocytoses etc. are known as acute phase response. In this response, there will be increase or decrease of serum concentration of particular proteins. These proteins are known as acute phase proteins. Measurement of serum concentration of these acute phase proteins are found to be useful in assessment of health status and prediction of diseases of the man and animals. Acute phase proteins like Serum amyloid A, C- reactive proteins, Haptoglobin, alpha 1 acid glycoprotein etc. are found to be more sensitive and specific than the routine diagnostic methods like white blood cell count. Use of acute phase proteins as biomarkers for animal disease diagnosis and health status assessment has got high potential in modern veterinary practice. Usefulness of the acute phase protein analysis in veterinary practice especially in dog, cat, cattle and pig practices is discussed in this review.

A study was undertaken to assess the economic impact of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) project run by AICRP on pigs at Tirupati on the livelihoods of beneficiaries of piggery units. The study was carried out in Chittoor, Nellore, Kadapa and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh state. Data were collected from 30 beneficiaries, who were supplied germplasm under RKVY project. These beneficiaries were purposively selected for impact studies since they have completed 3 years of pig rearing and were personally interviewed for collection of data. The constraints that impede the successful management of swine farms were identified and ranked. The most pressing problem of swine farms was the non-availability of Swill feed which is most important ingredient round the year in required quantities. The other equal important constraint was the accessability to institutional credit agencies. Cost of vaccines was another factor in terms of severity as expressed by the farmers. In addition lack of demand for dreessed pork in rural areas, limited availability of breeding stock were identified. Apart from these major problems there were other constraints too affecting the efficient management of swine farms.  

The brown paper nautilus, Argonauta hians Lightfoot, 1786 was recorded for the first time from Indian waters while investigating the biodiversity of the molluscs of Gulf of Mannar during June, 2011. One specimen of the said species was collected as an incidental by-catch in the trawl catch off Thoothukudi coast of Gulf of Mannar, from India, between 08º 35’ 22.5" N 78º 27’ 40.9" E and 08º 31’ 91.2"N 78º 25’ 32.7"E at a depth of 305-310 m.  

High mortality in a period of one month due to hepatic coccidiosis was reported in a rabbit farm. Typical nodular lesions in liver and unsporulated oocysts of E. stiedai could be detected. Animals were treated with sulphaquinoxyline and diaveridine for five days followed by repetition of treatment after five days. Strict sanitary measures and disinfection of cages by spraying with 10 per cent ammonia solution was adopted. All animals with poor body conditions were removed from the flock and the disease was controlled.

A study was conducted to record the gross thickness of skin in various regions of the body at different age groups on Bakerwali goats. The animals were divided into three age groups viz, neonatal, young and adult. The thickness of skin increased with advancement of age. Neck dorsal showed the maximum thickness and thorax ventral showed the minimum thickness among the different regions in all the groups studied. 

A seven year old female Doberman dog was presented with the history of dullness, anorexia and dysuria for three days. Abdominal palpation revealed distended bladder, which was confirmed by plain radiography and ultrasonography on Neurological examination animal was found to be normal. On manual compression of the bladder urine was not evacuated, therefore by catheterization was performed and no obstruction was found; around three litres of urine was drained. The animal was treated with oral Diazepam, @ 0.04mg/kg, Prazosin, 1mg/15 kg and Bethanechol, @ 2mg/kg bd. wt. On fourth day of treatment, the animal was able to urinate normally and it was advised to continue the treatment for two weeks. The animal had an unevenful recovery.

Multicut fodder sorghum Co (FS) 29 was evaluated for its growth and yield performance with the application of different sources of irrigation and nutrients. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications. Main plot consists of treatments with application of irrigation through ground water (I1), domestic sewage water (I2) and ground and domestic sewage water alternatively (I3). The sub plots consist of no fertilisers (control) (N1), application of farm yard manure alone (FYM alone) (N2), farmyard manure + NPK (FYM + NPK) (N3) and NPK alone (N4). The application of domestic sewage water along with FYM + NPK nutrients as per the treatment schedule resulted in higher plant height, leaf length, number of leaves, biomass production, dry matter and biomass yield of multicut fodder sorghum. However, pertaining to nutrient application, nitrogen uptake was higher with application of FYM +NPK but found on par with the application of NPK alone and application of FYM alone.

Babesiosisis a tick borne hemoprotozoan disease of canines and anaemia is the predominant clinical syndrome. This disease causes considerable morbidity and mortality in canines. Several factors such as leukocyte activation, vascular endothelial cell injury and release of chemical mediators lead to multi-organ failure and coagulation abnormality in complicated form of babesiosis. The assessment of these biomarkers is used as indicators of severity of disease and outcome in dogs with MODS in babesiosis. Successful treatment of babesiosis is challenging task and no drugs have been demonstrated to clear B. gibsoni (Asian genotype) infection. Newer successful treatment has shown encouraging response in cure of B. gibsoni infection which includes combination of clindamycin, metronidazole and doxycycline.

Six cattle presented with history and clinical signs pertaining to intestinal disorders requiring surgical intervention were subjected to left flank laparotomy. The animals were clinically examined and stabilized with fluid therapy before performing exploratory laparotomy. Left flank laparotomy was performed under Farquharson’s paravertebral nerve block in standing position. The efficacy of surgery through left flank to intestinal affections was evaluated by ease of approach, accessibility and visceral pain. It was found that caudal left flank approach allowed more ease of exteriorization of intussuscepted masses that were in jejunum, jejuno-jejunum, ileum and ileo-caecal parts of the intestine and also allowed complete exploration of the abdominal cavity. Left flank laparotomy approach with or without rumenotomy resulted in more area of exploration, prevented the proximal distended intestines to spill out and specific exteriorisation of the affected segment, by which mesenteric pain was alleviated that otherwise leads to recumbency and kicking at abdomen by the animals which could result in multiple rupture of intestines.

A study was conducted to evaluate external and internal egg quality characters of three chicken breeds/ ecotypes namely, indigenous Siruvidai, TANUVAS Aseel and White Leghorn.  A total of 180 eggs (120 eggs from Siruvidai chicken, 30 eggs from TANUVAS Aseel and 30 eggs from White Leghorn) were subjected to this study. The weight, length, width and surface area of White Leghorn eggs were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of TANUVAS Aseel and indigenous Siruvidai chicken. Shape index was found to be significantly (P<0.05 higher in Siruvidai chicken eggs compared to that of TANUVAS Aseel and White Leghorn. Among the internal egg qualities, the height and width of albumen and albumen index were significantly (P<0.05) higher in White Leghorn chicken eggs compared to that of TANUVAS Aseel and Siruvidai chicken. Yolk height and yolk index of three breeds showed no significant difference among breeds. Yolk width was significantly (P<0.05) higher in TANUVAS Aseel compared to that of Siruvidai chicken. Yolk colour was significantly (P<0.05) higher in TANUVAS Aseel and Siruvidai chicken compared to that of White Leghorn. Shell thickness was significantly (P<0.05) higher in TANUVAS Aseel and White Leghorn as compared to Siruvidai chicken. Haugh unit was significantly (P<0.05) higher in White Leghorn compared to TANUVAS Aseel and Siruvidai chicken. The results revealed that the egg quality characters like egg weight, egg length, egg width, shape index, surface area, albumen height, albumen index, shell thickness and Haugh unit of indigenous Siruvidai chicken is different from other indigenous breed like Aseel and exotic breed like White Leghorn.