The study measured the hormonal and protein markers of acute stress, those of oxidative stress and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in swine oral fluid, determined which of these parameters would be the most appropriate for future livestock welfare assessment and established the time when the samples should be taken. Stress was induced in 7 out of 14 castrated six-week-old Danbred×Duroc pigs by immobilisation on a nasal snare at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6 p.m. and samples were taken both directly after the stressor was applied and 30 min later. The remaining pigs were the control group, which were not immobilised; their samples were taken at the same times. The concentrations of hormones and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, while those of alpha-amylase and TAC were measured using spectrophotometry. The levels of cortisol and cortisone increased with statistical significance immediately after the acute stress response and 30 min later. A cut-off value set at 0.25 ng/mL cortisol concentration was capable of distinguishing between the stressed and control groups with 100% accuracy in evening samples and 95% accuracy overall. Prednisolone was not present, and the levels of testosterone and corticosterone were low and not distinctive. Alpha-amylase became significantly more concentrated during stress induction and 30 min later. The TAC and MDA levels rose after the stress but without statistical significance. The most suitable markers of acute stress were cortisol, cortisone and alpha-amylase. Oral fluid is a reliable material for monitoring the level of pigs’ stress and should be collected in the evening.

Silage quality deteriorates with Clostridium spp. contamination, and if consumed, such silage jeopardises herd health and productivity. Minimising its occurrence reduces economic and animal welfare risks. The study investigated the influence of environmental and technological determinants on the Clostridium genus’ occurrence in silage. Analyses were conducted on 305 silage samples directly collected from farms located in all Polish provinces. Cultures and isolates were evaluated phenotypically and examined for occurrence of Clostridium spp., particularly C. perfringens and C. botulinum using PCR techniques. The results were statistically analysed using the ᵡ² test for continuous and Student’s t-test for non-continuous values. The most influential effect on Clostridium spp. occurrence is exerted by factors potentially associated with primary production, like the type of fertilisation and the contamination level of the ensiled feed material. Clostridium spp. was detected in 232 (76%) samples, and C. perfringens strains, predominantly toxinotype A, in 79 (26%). C. botulinum occurrence was not detected. Deterioration of silage by clostridia could be prevented by a properly conducted ensiling process with the addition of starter cultures, but the presence of spores mainly depends on primary production and the extent of contamination of the feed material.

Introduction: Farm mink (Neovison vison) can be naturally exposed to T. canis and T. leonina pathogens on the farm. If mink were hosts, it would imply some veterinary public health as well as animal welfare issues. For this reason, the aim of the study was to determine whether mink might be definitive or paratenic hosts of these parasites. Material and Methods: Four groups of mink were infected with both parasite species using larvated eggs or feed containing mouse tissue previously infected with the parasites. Following inoculation, the infections were monitored in vivo by faecal examination for 14 weeks p.i., and then western blotting and ELISA were performed. Results: Coprology did not reveal any canine roundworm eggs, neither were nematodes found in mink intestines during post mortem examination. The specific IgG antibodies recognising excretory/secretory (ES) antigens of both parasite species were identified in mink sera. Single T. leonina tissue larvae were found in digested organs. Conclusions: Our results confirm that farm mink may contribute both T. canis and T. leonina infections. It was proved that farm mink were not their definitive hosts, and therefore mink faeces need not be considered a source of canine roundworm eggs in any soil it fertilises. Nonetheless, as farm mink may be a paratenic host for both parasite species, this may have some impact on the health and welfare of infected animals.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between biosecurity as scored on the Italian National Animal Welfare Reference Centre (Centro di Referenza Nazionale per il Benessere Animale – CReNBA) checklist and the prevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Chlamydophila abortus and Neospora caninum on dairy farms located in Ragusa, Italy.

The non-invasive monitoring of physiological stress can provide conservation and wildlife managers with an invaluable tool for assessing animal welfare and psychological health of captive and free-ranging populations. A significant decrease in free-ranging primate populations globally and an increase in captive-housed primates have led to a need to monitor the stress and general welfare of these animals. We examined the suitability of three enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring stress-related physiological responses in the samango monkey, Cercopithecus albogularis erythrarchus. We conducted an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge on a male and female at the National Zoological Garden, Pretoria, South Africa. Individual faecal samples were collected 8 days pre- and post-ACTH administration and subsequently analysed for faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations. During the study, biological stressors occurred for both the male and female. Two of the three EIAs tested (11-oxoetiocholanolone I and II) were able to reliably monitor fGCM alterations throughout the study period in both sexes. The 11-oxoetiocholanolone I EIA, however, had the lowest mean deviation from the calculated baseline value and was thus chosen as the preferred assay. Both the physiological activation of the stress response and the biological response to a stressor could be monitored with the chosen assay. The successful establishment of a reliable, non-invasive method for monitoring adrenocortical activity in C. albogularis erythrarchus will now allow conservationists, scientific researchers and wildlife managers to evaluate the level of stress experienced, and general welfare, by animals in captivity as well as free-ranging populations.

We compared the anesthetic combination of detomidine, ketamine, and halothane in control horses not undergoing apparently painful procedures with that in horses during arthroscopic surgery. The effectiveness of this regimen in suppressing neurologic response to surgery was, thus, evaluated. In this study, significant differences were not observed in electroencephalographic total amplitude, spectral edge, or beta-to-delta frequency ratio between surgically treated and nonsurgically treated (control) horses. On the basis of its attenuation of encephalographic responses, we conclude that detomidine (20 microgram/kg of body weight, IV) and ketamine (2.2 mg/kg, IV) induction of anesthesia followed by maintenance with halothane is an effective regimen for control of pain in horses during arthroscopic surgery. The insignificant frequency changes observed without any other signs of inadequate anesthesia or pain may indicate a surgical stress response. We hypothesize that brain activity monitoring may give an earlier index to initiation of surgically induced stress than do hormonal responses, because endocrine alterations are not as rapidly perceived as is the electroencephalogram. Analysis of spectral edge frequency changes could be used to evaluate anesthetic regimens to find those that cause the least stress to the CNS during surgery in horses. Differences in species responses to an anesthetic agent or the regimen's effectiveness in prevention of pain during surgery may be identified by adoption of the study model. Evaluation of cardiopulmonary variables during anesthesia, with and without surgery, did not reveal any alterations that would be relevant to CNS responses. Blood pressure, heart rate, PAO2, PACO2 and pH were stabilized by use of intermittent positive-pressure ventilation in all horses, and dobutamine was administered as needed, to avoid bias of electroencephalogram data.

Amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (PL 99-198) require that an exercise program for dogs be established by the attending veterinarian. A 6-week study was conducted to determine the effects of a moderate exercise program in purpose-bred Beagles. Sixteen male Beagles (4/group) were maintained as follows: (1) standard cage without exercise; (2) standard cage with individual exercise periods (35 minutes, 3 times/week); (3) large cage without exercise; and (4) standard cage with group-release exercise periods. Blood samples were collected for CBC, serum biochemical analysis including determination of serum cortisol concentration, and immune function (lymphocyte transformation assay). Group-released dogs interacted with each other during most of the exercise time. Fighting in these dogs occurred only during the third week. Dogs had little inclination to exercise when released along into the exercise area. Regardless of the size of the cage, dogs did not exercise unless human beings were present in the room. There were no significant differences in laboratory findings among dogs in the 4 groups. This moderate exercise program had no demonstrable effects. Similarly, continuous cage housing, without a formal exercise program, could not be determined to be detrimental to the physiologic or health status of dogs.

The non-invasive monitoring of physiological stress can provide conservation and wildlife managers with an invaluable tool for assessing animal welfare and psychological health of captive and free-ranging populations. A significant decrease in free-ranging primate populations globally and an increase in captive-housed primates have led to a need to monitor the stress and general welfare of these animals. We examined the suitability of three enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring stress-related physiological responses in the samango monkey, Cercopithecus albogularis erythrarchus. We conducted an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge on a male and female at the National Zoological Garden, Pretoria, South Africa. Individual faecal samples were collected 8 days pre- and post-ACTH administration and subsequently analysed for faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations. During the study, biological stressors occurred for both the male and female. Two of the three EIAs tested (11-oxoetiocholanolone I and II) were able to reliably monitor fGCM alterations throughout the study period in both sexes. The 11-oxoetiocholanolone I EIA, however, had the lowest mean deviation from the calculated baseline value and was thus chosen as the preferred assay. Both the physiological activation of the stress response and the biological response to a stressor could be monitored with the chosen assay. The successful establishment of a reliable, non-invasive method for monitoring adrenocortical activity in C. albogularis erythrarchus will now allow conservationists, scientific researchers and wildlife managers to evaluate the level of stress experienced, and general welfare, by animals in captivity as well as free-ranging populations.

The effect of various confinement conditions on physical fitness in dogs was evaluated. Eighteen 9.5- to 10-month-old female purpose-bred Beagles were maintained individually for 3 months at a time in 1 of 6 confinement conditions: Condition A--an outdoor housing area with a conventional dog house and free access to a 6.1 X 9.1-m pen; condition B--outdoor kennel with a conventional dog house and free access to a 1.8 X 6.1-m run; condition C--indoor environmentally controlled 1.2 X 3.66-m run; condition D--0.9 X 1.2 X 0.84-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room; condition E--0.9 X 1.2 X 0.84-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room with treadmill exercise (7 km/h at a 10% grade) for 30 min/d, 5 d/wk; condition F--0.71 X 0.86 X 0.69-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room. During the final week of each 3-month interval, muscle succinate dehydrogenase enzyme activities and submaximal exercise heart rates (during treadmill exercise) were determined to estimate physical fitness. Also, 5 days after being moved into a different housing condition, blood samples were collected for plasma cortisol determination. The type of confinement condition for dogs had little effect on muscle succinate dehydrogenase activity, but had a modest effect on submaximal exercise heart rates of dogs. At the fifth and tenth minutes of the treadmill exercise period, heart rates of dogs maintained in the smallest cages (condition F) were higher than those of dogs maintained in outside pens and runs (conditions A and B), indicating decreased fitness in the dogs maintained in the smallest cages. Differences in heart rates were not detected among dogs in other conditions. The confinement conditions used in this study had no detectable effect on plasma cortisol concentrations. We concluded that neither cage or pen size nor a regular mandatory exercise program substantially impacted on physical fitness of laboratory confined dogs, as long as the cages complied with federal standards and guidelines. Dogs maintained in substandard cages did have modest decreases in fitness.