This study was aimed to determine the bioequivalence of three different preparations of florfenicol using non-drugged broiler chickens. A total of 28 broiler chickens aging 30-day were divided into four equal groups; these were Group I, II, III, and IV. The birds of Group I (for effective substance) were given intravenous (i.v.) administration of florfenicol dosed at 40 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.). The birds of Group II (for reference drug), Group III (for test-1 drug), and Group IV (for test-2 drug) received florfenicol preparations with water (dosed at 40 mg/kg b.wt.) through intracrop administration. Blood samples were collected periodically from the birds of all four groups, and blood plasma was separated. Levels of florfenicol and its metabolite (florfenicol amine) in the plasma were measured by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In this study, the limit of detection (LOD) for florfenicol and florfenicol amine were recorded as 0.017 and 0.78 µg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, the recovery of florfenicol and florfenicol amine were 83.4-84.6 and 82.2-83.8%, respectively. Based on the values of area under the curve (AUC), maximum concentration (Cmax), and time to maximum concentration (Tmax), test-1 drug was found to be acceptable, whereas test-2 drug was remained below the acceptable limits (80-125%) of AUC and Cmax. Thus, it was concluded that test-1 drug was bioequivalent as compared to the reference drug.

The present study was carried out during the month of January 2014 when a total of 148 dogs with history of various diseases were presented to the Campus Veterinary Hospital, Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India. Out of 148 dogs that were presented to the hospital, 48 dogs had the clinical signs of loss of hair, itching, and reduced food intake. The dogs were restless and continuously rubbed their bodies against the walls in the houses, and scratching with their legs. Clinical examination of the dogs revealed presence of alopecia, pruritus, and the formation of small crusts. All 48 dogs were treated with ivermectin by subcutaneous injection dosed at 0.02 mL/kg body weight at a weekly interval for 2 to 3 weeks. All dogs were bathed with cypermethrin shampoo weekly once for 2-3 weeks. In the present study, it was observed that ivermectin/cypermethrin combination therapy was effective for the management of tick infestation in dogs.

This study was conducted to assess the interaction of specific immune responses produced after vaccination using live attenuated Newcastle disease (ND) LaSota and infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccines in village chickens of Nigeria. After immunization with the vaccines (individually or in different combinations), specific antibody levels in the chickens were measured using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) tests. The cases of administration of ND LaSota alone, ND LaSota followed by IBD vaccine after one week, and simultaneous use of ND LaSota and IBD vaccines were seroconverted against ND virus. Interference of antibody production against NDV or IBDV was observed when primary vaccination was done by using any one of the two and the remaining one was given after one week. However, simultaneous administration of the vaccines did not interfere with each other in terms of antibody responses. In all the vaccination trials, elicited immunity conferred protection to the chickens challenged with virulent NDV and IBDV. Individual vaccination with ND LaSota followed by IBD vaccines or vice versa giving an interval of more than one week, or simultaneous use of both vaccines are recommended to confer protective antibody levels against NDV and IBDV in village chickens.

The study was conducted to identify the major reproductive health problems and its associated risk factors in indigenous Borena breed cows in Borena zone in Southern Ethiopia between September 2013 and February 2014. Out of the total 409 cows examined, 195 (47.7%) were having at least one of the reproductive problems identified by either questionnaire interview (n=329) or regular follow up (n=80) of individual cows. The major reproductive health problems identified in the present study were mastitis (21.3%; n=87/409), abortion (12.2%; n=50/409), repeat breeder (10.3%; n=42/409), anestrus (10.3%; n=42/409) and retained fetal membrane (RFM; 7.6%; n=31/409). The rate of abortion increased significantly (p=0.001) with the increase in the stage of gestation. Laboratory findings indicated that brucellosis and mastitis had great roles in reproductive health problems of dairy cows in the study area with prevalence rates of 2.91% and 68.41%, respectively. In conclusion, the study revealed that several reproductive health problems such as mastitis, abortion, repeat breeder, anestrus and RFM are mostly prevalent in dairy cows in Borena zone in southern Ethiopia.

Two cases with a history of cessation of feces for 2 weeks, depression, lethargy and anorexia in two different dogs; a Labrador male and a Doberman female, were presented. On physical examination, abdominal distension along with intense pain was observed. Blood samples were collected from the dogs for hematological and biochemical analyses. The examination revealed an increased percentage of packed cell volume (PCV). By radiological examination, radiopaque material was seen in the large intestinal tract. The condition was suggestive of fecolith. The cases were managed by means of non-surgical management. Through an 11-day long medicinal treatment, the dogs recovered uneventfully.

The aim of this study was to determine the reproductive parameters of sows in selected area of Bangladesh. A total of 51 sows from 21 farms were selected for this study. The data on reproductive parameters were collected from the owners by interviewing with pretested questionnaire. We found that the age at puberty, estrus cycle length, estrus duration, interval between farrowing and onset of estrus and gestation length were 254.5±34.4 and 21.2±1.2 days, 34.2±13.2 h, 51.8±10.9 and 114.3±0.9 days, respectively. The number of required services for each pregnancy in native sows was 1.4 ±0.6, and the first service pregnancy rate using natural mating was 63.8%. Moreover, the number of piglets born per sow was 7.6±3.4. The highest piglet production (10.6±3.1) was in parity 5 and the lowest (4.1±0.6) was in parity 1. Estrus was detected in 34.1% sows on the basis of observing standing reflex when boar mounted. In conclusion, reproductive parameters in native sows of Bangladesh need to be improved for ensuring satisfactory reproductive performances.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes Johne's disease (JD) in cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants, and Crohn’s disease in humans. MAPs are shed to external environment through feces and milk. The present study was aimed to evaluate the utility of milk as a non-invasive sample in stage II MAP infections in goats using IS900 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing analysis. A total of 32 milk samples from lactating does were collected. Within these 32 milk samples, 15 were collected from pre-confirmed JD positive goats. By IS900 PCR, all the 15 (100%) known JD positive goat milk samples revealed the presence of MAP. However, no unknown goat was identified as MAP positive. The results of this study established the usefulness of milk as a non-invasive sample in screening and confirmation of stage II MAP infection in goats.

The study was aimed at assessing the prevalence and distribution of bovine Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) serotypes in Ilesha Baruba, Kwara state-Nigeria. To identify the source of epidemics, geo-spatial analysis was done on the FMD outbreak locations (n=15) using Global Positioning Service (GPS) device (EtrexR). Randomly sampled bovine sera (n=64) from herd representatives were subjected to FMD 3ABC enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (FMD 3ABC ELISA) and solid-phase competitive ELISA (SP-cELISA), for the screening and serotyping of FMD virus, respectively. Through ELISA, the FMD serotypes detected in this study were- serotype O (83%; n=53/64), serotype A (7.8%; n=5/64), serotype vaccine O (1.6%; n=1/64)), and serotype vaccine SAT2 (1.6%; n=1/64). Multiple serotypes were observed in two different combinations; these were O and A (4.7%; n=3/64), and O and SAT2 (1.6%; n=1/64). FMD multiple serotype infections were associated with absence of cross-immunity between serotypes and cross reactivity enhanced by clustered herds, highland study area topography, road and river interconnectivity, possible human settlements, activities and traffic. This study provides baseline information on geo-spatial distribution, and identification of prevalent FMD serotypes in Ilesha Baruba, Kwara state-Nigeria.

Many human diseases relating to central nervous system (CNS) are mimicked in animal models to evaluate the efficacy of stem cell therapy. The therapeutic role of stem cells in animal models of CNS diseases include replacement of diseased or degenerated neuron, oligodendrocytes or astrocytes with healthy ones, secretion of neurotrophic factors and delivery of therapeutics/genes. Scaffolds can be utilized for delivering stem cells in brain. Sustained delivery of stem cells, lineage specific differentiation, and enhanced neuronal network integration are the hallmarks of scaffold mediated stem cell delivery in CNS diseases. This review discusses the therapeutic role, challenges and future perspectives of stem cell therapy in animal models of CNS diseases.

Emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria has created the necessity of replacement of antibiotic with other products like prebiotics, probiotics, organic acid botanicals, and herbal essential oils. Essential oils (EOs) are important aromatic components of herbs and spices, and are used as natural alternatives for replacing antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry feed as these have antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties. Beside, other beneficial effects of EOs include appetite stimulation, improvement of enzyme secretion related to food digestion, and immune response activation. Recently, use of EOs in broiler chickens has drawn attentions. EOs are generally used as blend with a carrier oil or combination with other plant oils in the feed to enhance the productive performance of birds. Conclusively, EOs can be used in poultry feed, but there are still questions concerning their action, metabolic pathway and optimal dosage in poultry, which are to be explored in detail. This mini-review describes the expanding horizons in the research on EOs in poultry nutrition.