A pregnant graded Murrah buffalo at eight months of gestation in third parity having bilateral distension of abdomen was presented. The case was diagnosed as hydramnios and treated with dinoprost tromethamine, diethyl stilbesterol, valethamate bromide and dexamethasone. After 76 hours, cervix was dilated fully and trans-cervical amniocentesis was performed and approximately 60-70 litres of amniotic fluid was drained and a dead male fetus with cleft palate was delivered.

A two year old non descript bitch was presented to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, Veterinary Clinical Complex, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry with a history of an accidentall fall from the first floor of a building to the spiked metal railings of a gate onto the ground level. Physical examination revealed respiratory distress, pain on palpation around thoracic and abdomen region, perforating wound was noticed on the left lateral thorax at the level of 10 costal cartilage and animal was vomiting since then. On radiographic examination, a mild pneumothorax and gas filled air pockets were noticed in the abdomen, suspecting gastric perforation. Haematobiochemical values were within the normal range. Animal was stabilized by oxygen supplementation, IV fluids and analgesics. After stabilization, anaesthesia was achieved by Inj. Diazepam @ 0.5 mg/kg and Inj. Propofol @ 3 mg/kg IV. Exploratory laparotomy was performed to repair the perforating wound. Post operatively, antibiotics and analgesia were administered for 5th days along with fluid therapy. Based on history and clinical examination, the case was diagnosed as gastric perforation due to high rise syndrome and animal made an uneventful recovery.

A postpartum graded Murrah buffalo that calved 25 days before was presented with a history of swelling of the perianal region immediately after parturition. On examination, ventral anal region was found to be enlarged with a pouch that contained around 1.5 kg of dung. The buffalo was given caudal epidural anaesthesia and the perianal mucous membrane was scarified and sutured. Postoperatively antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine were given for 5 days and animal exhibited normal defecation without straining. The correction of unusual case of peri-partum third degree perineal laceration associated with rectal-vaginal fistula and rectal pouch formation in a graded Murrah buffalo, its management and successful recovery is reported.

A Large White Yorkshire male pubertal pig was presented with the history of sustained protrusion of penis for about six hours. Edema of the protracted penis was reduced. Manual repositioning and retension of glans penis into preputial cavity was carried out successfully. There was no recurrence.

A study was conducted on Soviet chinchilla rabbits (n=28) with mange infestation at Rabbit Breeding Unit, Post Graduate Research Institute in Animal Sciences, Kattupakkam, Tamil Nadu. The infested rabbits evinced the symptoms of alopecia, anorexia, pruritus, skin erosion, and dry crust like lesions on extremities, ears, nose, and face. The affected rabbits were grouped into four groups (7 for each group) for different therapeutic treatments along with antihistamine and vitamin supplementation for a period of 4 weeks with weekly intervals. It was established that treatment group 4 was successful in curative and early revival of mange infestation.

An attempt was made to overview the conduct, components and output of various livestock research activities conducted in TANUVAS for the period from 2008 to 2018. Among 152 projects completed during the study period, there were 52 health projects, 36 production, 25 social science, 16 clinical science, 14 infrastructure, six processing, two environment and one education related projects. The research investment of projects completed from 2008 to 2018 was found to be the highest for Health (Rs.1767.70 lakhs), followed by Infrastructure (Rs.1723.40 lakhs), Production (Rs.668.72 lakhs), Social science (Rs.393.82 lakhs), Clinical science (Rs.360.28 lakhs), Education (Rs.221.47 lakhs), Processing (Rs.87.50 lakhs) and Environment (Rs.14.64 lakhs). Among various livestock species, Poultry research occupied predominant position with 39 numbers of projects with outlay of Rs.791.25 lakhs. It should be noted that the research on companion animals and fodder were less than 10 in last ten years. A total of 44 patents were filed in TANUVAS during last decade, among which seven were granted. It is concluded that the focus should also be made on fodder, swine and companion animal and fodder research.

An attempt was made to work out the factor shares and value shares of output in livestock sector over last 19 years and to examine in the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth of livestock production i.e. livestock production growth over and above the input growth in Tamil Nadu using secondary data for the period from 1999-2000 to 2017-18 from various reports on state-wise estimates of value of outputs from Central Statistics Office, Government of India and Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Tamil Nadu. The share of milk to total value of output in Tamil Nadu decreased from 68 per cent to 27 per cent from the year 1999-2000 to 2017-18, whereas product shares of meat increased from 18.45 per cent to 64.77 per cent during the same period. During the same period, the factor shares of feed (47.65 per cent to 38.06 per cent) and dry fodder (36 per cent to 20 per cent) was decreased, in contrast to the share of green fodder (10 to 19 per cent). The value of TFP was found to be increasing gradually from the year 2000-01 to 2002-03 and drastically declined during the year 2003-04 (0.95), thereafter it increased gradually from the period 2003-04 to 2016-17, with drastic dip during 2011-12 and minor dip during 2007-08, 2013-14, 2015-16 and 2017-18. From the year 1999- 2000, the cumulative TFP index increased to 6.17 during 2004-05, 12.79 during 2010-11 and 20.38 during 2017-18 with increase of one unit per annum, which indicated good sign of livestock development in Tamil Nadu. It could be concluded that the technological interventions in livestock sector (output growth over and above the input growth) in Tamil Nadu shared about 72 per cent in the growth of livestock sector for the past 19 years.

Samples of feed ingredients were collected from the truck loads that arrived at feed processing unit located in Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. Physical examination of collected samples was carried out prior to their chemical evaluation. Chemical evaluation of feed samples revealed that moisture content in maize grain ranged from 8.47% to 17.25% and high moisture was observed in samples received during the monsoon season (September to December). The crude protein content of protein supplements viz., soyabean meal, coconut oil cake, coconut deoiled cake (DOC), groundnut cake, groundnut deoiled cake, delinted decorticated cotton seed cake, sunflower deoiled cake and gingelly oil cake were 45.49, 25.11, 24.47, 36.92, 43.89, 35.36, 30.21 and 29.89 per cent on dry matter basis, respectively. The crude protein (% DMB) and crude fiber (% DMB) content of deoiled rice bran, rice bran and wheat bran were 15.47 and 16.13, 7.55 and 36.26, 14.26 and 9.47, respectively. Due to the high moisture content in maize grain 8.77% of the total truck loads of this ingredient received at the processing unit were rejected. Similarly, of the total truck loads of oil cakes received at the processing unit 20.93 % of soyabean meal, 12.5% of coconut oil cake, 20 % of coconut DOC, 22.22% of cotton seed cake and 33.33% of gingelly oil cake were rejected due to the lower crude protein and higher crude fiber contents. All truck loads of rice bran (100 %) were rejected due to their lower crude protein, higher crude fiber and Acid Insoluble Ash (AIA) content. The study thus revealed that quality control measures are essential to check the entry of poor quality raw materials before processing the feed.

Aflatoxins are produced in poultry feed by two major fungal species viz., Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus during hot and humid seasons. To detoxify these aflatoxins, various binders are being used in the field which are mostly synthetic compounds with possible other toxicities, the harmless beneficial probiotics are being considered as binders to neutralize the effect of aflatoxins in the feed. Bacterial organisms (probiotics) like Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were selected and their cell wall structures have been retrieved and molecular docking was performed against four types of aflatoxins namely AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2. The results revealed that cell wall components of the chosen bacterial organisms have a good binding affinity towards four types of aflatoxins. Based on this in silico results, it is evident that the both the lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and wall teichoic acid (TA) in the cell wall of probiotic organisms is responsible for its binding against aflatoxins.

The diseases in poultry cause huge losses in the form of mortality in acute infections or as substandard performance due to chronic illness. Biosecurity and vaccination are considered as two important primary strategies for disease prevention in poultry. On the other hand, breeding for disease resistance is an alternate strategy to combat the damages of diseases. Although, attempts were initiated to develop disease resistant poultry by breeding almost a century before, this branch of science renewed the interest among scientists because of catastrophic emerging and reemerging diseases like Avian influenza. It has proven over a period of time that poultry  exhibits genetic resistance to viral diseases like avian leukosis complex, Marek’s disease, avian influenza and Newcastle disease, bacterial disease like salmonellosis and may parasitic infestations. The key genes responsible for resistance to specific diseases have also been demonstrated. The breeding attempts for developing disease resistant poultry has yielded positive results with varying degree of success. The advent of sophisticated molecular methods like genomic selection using highdensity SNP chips, RNA-seq technique and identification of key marker genes and transgenesis could complement the conventional breeding methods to a larger extent in developing disease resistant poultry.