Negative energy balance in pregnant ewes during last two month of gestation could result in fatal pregnancy toxemia and affects ewe and lamb health. The understanding of variations of energy related metabolites during this critical period may cast light upon to a better management of the situation. This study describes the variations of serum energy related biochemical metabolites at a period of 45 days before to 21 days after parturition in Baloochi breed ewes. Blood from the jugular vein was collected from each sheep at days 45, 30, 20, 10, 1 prior to parturition, and days 4, 7, 13, 19 and 21 post-partum to determine total protein, albumin, urea , cholesterol, glucose, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), -Hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA). NEFA and BHBA concentrations reached peak levels at parturition. However, AST activity had highest levels at the first and second week after lambing. AST activity significantly correlated to energy metabolism indicators. This enzyme had positive significant correlations with NEFA and BHBA and negative correlations with cholesterol and triglyceride. NEFA concentrations had a positive correlation with BHBA and negative correlation with glucose and cholesterol. At pre-partum period NEFA correlation with BHBA and AST were stronger than post-partum. This finding indicates that NEFA testing at pre-parturition days is a reliable predictor of fat mobilization and energy status of pre-parturition period in sheep. Urea and total protein concentrations reached lowest levels at parturition and then gradually increased afterwards.

Goat warble fly infestation is a subcutaneous myiasis, presents in many European and Asian countries. Between September 2004 and June 2005, Goat warble infestation was investigated in the Urmia abattoir. The number of infested animals, their sex and age, the number of maggots present on each animal, location and larval stage of warble flies were recorded. Warbles were counted, measured and isolated by squeezing the subcutaneous nodules. 867 native goats (185 males and 682 females) were examined. 113 (13%) goats were parasitized, in which 91(80.5%) were females and 22(19.5%) were males. According to the results, out of 277 and 590, ≤2 and >2 years old animals, 32 (28%) and 81 (72%) were infested to Przhevalskiana spp respectively. There was no significant difference between infestation of males and females and among two different age groups (p

Malocclusion and overgrowth of continuously growing teeth is a frequently seen problem in pet rabbits. In the present study, the studied rabbits were divided based on age into two groups (less than 3 years and above 3 years). They were 1–5 years old and had mean body weight of 2250 gr. It was diagnosed 5 cases of malocclusion and root elongation of grade 2 and 2 cases of grade 4. Affected rabbits were referred with signs of epiphora, pain, anorexia, disability for grooming, dermatologic problems, digestive disorders and salivation. In this study the prevalence of dental disorders (malocclusion and root elongation) was 6.7% (7 out of 105) in pet rabbits of Ahvaz city. Prevalence was significantly higher in rabbits above 3 years (14.89%; 7 out of 47) compared with rabbits less than 3 years (0%; 0 out of 58) (P=0.003). It was significantly higher in those rabbits that were in house for long times (lack of sunlight) and were fed with soft fiber also (P=0.001). Although, prevalence was higher in female rabbits (9.09%; 4 out of 44) than males (4.92%; 3 out of 61), but the difference was not significant (P=0.43). The skull radiograph revealed dental disorders. A feature of acquired dental diseases in rabbits was abnormal calcification in the skull especially alveolar bone. In a radiograph of the skull, changes in the structure and hardness of the cheek teeth had led to uneven wear.

The use of chloramphenicol is prohibited in food producing animals due to its harmful and even potentially fatal side effects in human. In order to screen broiler carcasses for the drug residues, 31 broiler chickens from different farms were sampled. The samples from kidneys were homogenized, extracted using ethyl acetate and dried under N2 flow. The samples were then assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the next phase, the concentration of chloramphenicol in the kidney, liver and thigh muscle of 13 positive chickens was compared following extraction and ELISA as mentioned. More than half of the samples (54.8%) showed detectable concentrations of chloramphenicol. The highest concentrations of the drug were in the kidney and liver. According to the current research, there seems be a public health threat due to the illegal use of chloramphenicol in broiler farms and that kidney samples can be used for screening tests.

Hole in the head is one of the important diseases of cichlid fishes that caused by Heximita or Spironucleus infections. In December 2007, a diseased Oscar was referred to the veterinary hospital, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran. Infected fish showed an initial loss of appetite, exophthalmia, darkness of skin followed by holes appearing on the head surface and a complete refusal to feed. For detecting the hexamitid flagellates, investigation was undertaken by taking the smear from the holes in head. Heavy Flagellate infection was detected in the smears and the parasite recognized as hexamita according to the shape, type of movement and size of the parasite with photomicroscopy directly and examination of tissue squash in Giemsa-stained dry smear preparations. In order to detect the bacterial infection of the lesions, the sample was taken from the holes and cultured on TSA and kept at 25°C for 24 h. Large number of Aeromonas hydrophila colonies were appeared on the agar after 24 h and recognized by bacteriological tests. The fish was treated with long term bath of 6 mg/l metronidazole and after 24 h, with 0.2 ppm malachite green mixed with 0.15 ppm formalin. The fish fed a balanced and vitamin enriched diet by stomach tube for several days. The fish gradually showed signs of improvement and after 10 days, the fish completely recovered.

Echis carinatus (Saw-scale viper) is one of the most venomous snakes in Asia and some parts of the Africa with deadly hemotoxic venom. It has been reported that suramin, an antitrypansomiasis drug, can inhibits the toxic effects of some snake venoms. This study was conducted to evaluate the antagonistic effects of suramin against the venom of the Iranian snake Echis carinatus. Adult albino mice weighing 35±5g were divided into nine groups (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, D and E) of 6-10 mice. Groups A1 and A2 (protocol A), which received the venom at 7 and 13 mg/kg, succumbed after 169±32 min and 53±16 min, respectively. Groups B1, B2 and B3 (protocol B) were treated with different doses of suramin 15 min after injection of venom. The results show that suramin significantly delayed time to death in groups B1, B2 and B3 compared with groups A1 and A2 (P

Thirty clinical cases of obstructive urolithiasis, 15 with intact urinary bladder and 15 with ruptured urinary bladder, were used to study the changes in peritoneal fluid cytology. The percentage of neutrophils was highly increased than the normal reference range reported for cattle with slight decrease in lymphocyte percentage. The value for neutrophil percent was almost similar in both intact and ruptured urinary bladder cases. The monocyte/mesothelial cells/macrophage percent, though increased than the normal reference range were identical in both the groups. There was a predominant decrease in eosinophil percentage with more decrease in intact urinary bladder cases. Polymorphonuclear-to-mononuclear cell ratio was same in both the groups, but higher than the normal reference value (1:1). Eosinophils ≤ 8% and neutrophil ≥ 30% could be established as a reference range of peritonitis in calves. Red blood corpuscles (RBCs) were totally absent in the peritoneal fluid samples obtained from intact urinary bladder cases except in one case. However, in the peritoneal fluid samples obtained from ruptured urinary bladder cases, RBCs were found in abundance in 3 cases and very few in 2 cases. The morphology and the different cell type present in the peritoneal fluid samples also varied according to the status of urinary bladder. In intact urinary bladder cases, neutrophils were mature and nondegenerate, while in ruptured urinary bladder cases degenerate and hypersegmented neutrophils were more. Mesothelial cells were equally distributed in both the groups. Bacteria were found extracellularly as well as intracellularly in degenerate neutrophils in 4 cases with ruptured urinary bladder and only extracellularly in 2 cases with intact urinary bladder. Peritoneal fluid cytology can be used for differentiation of peritonitis from normal cases and non septic peritonitis from septic peritonitis besides diagnosing the uroperitoneum in calves.

Isolation of BoHV-1 was attempted from nasal swabs as well as aborted foetuses and vaginal swabs in Madin Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell line to find out the prevalent strain in the state of West Bengal, India. The virus was isolated from only one case out of 65 nasal swabs whereas no virus was isolated from aborted foetuses and vaginal swabs. The isolate was typed as BoHV-1.2 (Strain India 3).

This study was aimed at the evaluation of the influence of storage under various conditions on the relative concentrations of major protein fractions and their proportion in bovine serum. Blood samples were taken from six dairy cattle of a low-land black spotted breed and its crossbreeds. The separated blood serum was fractioned into aliquots. One aliquot was analysed immediately after the separation without storage. The second aliquot was stored at 4 °C for 1 day, the remaining aliquots were kept frozen at -18 °C for 2, 7, and 21 days, and then analysed. Blood serum was analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis for the major protein fractions – albumin (%), alpha-globulins (%), beta-globulins (%), and gammaglobulins (%). Over time, the relative concentrations of albumin in bovine serum showed a tendency of significant decrease during the storage at -18 °C (p

A young Fisher's lovebird (Agapornis fischeri), showed clinical symptoms with general weakness, diarrhea, ruffled feathers and unilateral extrarhinoectasia and died finally. Gross necropsy revealed marked edema, congestion and hemorrhage on the distal part of the gizzard and proximal part of the duodenum. On microscopic examination, a large number of oval budding yeast-like fungi were observed in a stained smear sample from the gizzard and duodenum by the Giemsa method. Histopathologically, there was epithetlial necrosis in the proventriculus and gizzard and inflammation of the proximal intestine. The pseudohyphae and budding yeast-like organisms were most numerous on the surface and extended deep into the submucosa and muscularis layer. Severe hemorrhage, vasculitis with invasion of fungal organisms into the vessels' wall associated with infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed. The disease was diagnosed as candidiasis in the middle part of digestive tract.