During embryological development, the eyelids of snakes fuse and no longer open like in mammals. They become transparent, thus forming spectacles, a transparent structure that covers the eyes. The primary function of these spectacles is to provide a physical barrier to protect the eyes without eyelids. This study aimed to evaluate the ocular biometry of Python bivittatus snakes. Ocular ultrasound examinations were performed on four individuals using the Logic E ultrasound device (GE, United States) with a 10-22 MHz linear probe. Conduction gel was used to make transducer contact with the cornea in these snakes. Images were obtained to evaluate the following measurements: axial length of the eyeball, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and vitreous depth. These measurements of intraocular structures were, respectively: 0.05 ± 0.02 cm for corneal thickness in the right eye and 0.04 ± 0.007 cm in the left eye; 0.11 ± 0.04 cm for anterior chamber depth in the right and left eyes; 0.36 ± 0.07 cm for the lens thickness in the right eye and 0.39 ± 0.05 cm in the left eye; 0.35 ± 0.05 for the depth of the vitreous chamber in the right eye and 0.31 ± 0.02 cm in the left eye; and 0.85 ± 0.18 cm for the length of the globe in the axial plane in the right eye and 0.85 ± 0.14 cm in the left eye. Knowledge of snakes’ anatomical and ophthalmological parameters is scarce, and the incidence of eye diseases is still little known, making further studies necessary.

Zoonotic Surveillance Divisions (ZSDs) rescue and euthanize bats in contact with humans. The euthanasia procedure should be conducted safely for the animal and caretaker and minimal stress for the animal is important. The objectives of this study were: i. evaluate the methods of euthanasia used by ZSDs in the State of São Paulo; ii. compare the methods with national and international guidelines for animal euthanasia practices; iii. assess the methodologies considering taxonomy and eating habits of the main bat species, and iv. propose standardization of euthanasia procedures. Sixty-five ZSDs locations received an online questionnaire or were contacted by telephone and 33 ZSDs (50.8%) responded and are distributed in 11 mesoregions in the state to remain anonymous. The euthanasia methods were divided into chemical (injectable or inhalation), physical, or mixed methods. Bat specimens (n = 550) were identified and classified to evaluate the main genera found in the state. The location of the ZSD, species, eating habits, and the method of euthanasia used were analyzed. The specimens by bat families were Molossidae (n = 340), Phyllostomidae (n = 171), and Vespertilionidae (n = 39). Chemical methods were used in 25 ZSDs (75.75%), physical in 5 (15.15%), and mixed in 3 (9.09%). There is no uniformity or standardization in bat euthanasia methods used by ZSDs, although most are based on acceptable chemical methods. It was proposed an algorithm to assist the veterinarian in choosing the method of euthanasia for bats that will allow standardizing euthanasia procedures for this species, considering physiological differences, and respecting technical, bioethical, and animal welfare guidelines.

Gallbladder mucocele is characterized by hyperplasia of the gallbladder epithelium, increased mucus production, accumulation, and densification of the bile content, which can lead to biliary obstruction, necrosis, and rupture of the gallbladder wall. Its finding may be accidental or related to symptoms. A retrospective study (2016-2019) was carried out based on abdominal ultrasound examinations in dogs, correlating aspects of the gallbladder and biliary system in the mucocele with existing comorbidities. Thirty dogs diagnosed with biliary mucocele were evaluated, of which 46.66% had the disease at an early stage, and 53.33% showed a more advanced stage. Of these, 66.66% were related to endocrinopathies and hyperadrenocorticism. Signs of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction and biliary peritonitis were observed in two animals. Due to their potential risk of complications, follow-up ultrasound assessments are indicated in cases that opt for clinical treatment, not excluding the need for surgical intervention.

In Brazil, lamb producers face challenges raising their animals because of high anthelmintic resistance and loss of productivity due to parasites. It is well known that parasitic infections can reduce the performance of sheep. However, until the publication of this work, no research was found that quantified the effects that anemia reflected by FAMACHA© scores can exert on other zootechnical indicators in a lamb production system. The objective of this study was to use the FAMACHA© scores to quantify the impacts of anemia in ewes at breeding and lambing on the productive and reproductive performance of a meat sheep flock. The variables evaluated were i) FAMACHA© score of ewes at breeding and lambing, ii) body condition score of ewes at breeding and at lambing, iii) average daily gain of lambs until weaning, iv) ewe’s age, v) birth weights per individual lamb and litter, vi) weaning weight, vii) ewe’s weight, viii) litter size and ix) pre-weaning survival. The treatments evaluated corresponded to the FAMACHA© score of the ewes during breeding and lambing. Quantitative responses were submitted to analyses of variance and compared by Duncan’s test. In contrast, qualitative or discrete responses were evaluated by the Kruskal & Wallis test and compared to Dunn’s test. The Wilcoxon test was performed to compare the FAMACHA© scores of ewes at breeding and lambing. All statistical analyzes were performed using the R-Studio software version 4.2.0 at a 5% significance level. The FAMACHA© score of breeding ewes was related to the body condition score at breeding, ewe weight, pre-weaning survival, ewe age, litter size, and birth weight. Furthermore, the FAMACHA© score of ewes at lambing was related to the body condition score at lambing, ewe weight, pre-weaning survival, birth weight per lamb and litter, pre-weaning average daily gain, weaning weight, and age of the ewe. There was no significant difference between the test times of the FAMACHA© scores of the ewes, indicating that an ewe will present a similar score at both stages. It was concluded that ewes with FAMACHA© scores of 4 and 5 and their offspring showed the worst productive and reproductive performances. Conversely, the ewes with FAMACHA© 1 obtained the opposite result, demonstrating better technical performance.

Australian Cattle Dogs (ACD) are medium-sized animals widely used in fieldwork for managing cattle and sheep. There needs to be more information about the conditions these dogs can develop despite being well-characterized animals since the beginning of the 20th century. Hip dysplasia (HD) is a developmental abnormality between the femoral head and the acetabular fossa, which can be debilitating. However, the available literature has no studies on the prevalence of this condition in dogs of this breed. This study aimed to evaluate radiographs of ACD qualitatively and quantitatively. For this purpose, 49 dogs considered healthy without clinical signs of HD were radiographically assessed, and the animals were classified as dysplastic (D) and non-dysplastic (ND). A frequency of 46.9% of dysplastic dogs was observed, with males being more affected. The cortical index (CI) and angle of inclination (AI) could not differentiate D from ND animals; only the Norberg angle (NA) was effective in this differentiation. No correlation was observed between AI, CI, and AN.

To conduct ex-situ creole pig conservation programs, it is essential to determine which breeding animals will be used, preferentially those with a more significant Iberian genetic component to preserve their origin. This study used a Yucatan black hairless pigs (YBHP) subpopulation to estimate its genetic diversity and population structure. One hundred four adult pigs were selected for the absence of hair, black skin (without spots), black hoof, and straight snout. The porcine-GGP-50K chip was used for SNP genotyping in YBHP, and information on Iberian and Yucatán hairless pigs from the United States (USYU) was taken from databases. All analysis was performed using PLINK v1.9 and v2.1 software. Inbreeding and fixation index values were lower in YBHP, with high observed heterozygosity and allogamy index values, which agree with those obtained in the populations of Canarias and Chato Murciano. According to the clusters generated by the “Genome-Wide Identity by State” analysis, four groups were identified, one of which included pigs from Guadyerbas, USYU, and YBHP. Between populations, YBHP was closely related to the hairless pigs from Guadyerbas, USYU, and Canarias. Principal component analysis showed the same result. According to the results obtained from the runs of homozygosity investigation, aimed to get pools consensus of regions of overlapping, 119 SNPs associated with genes and biological processes were identified. The BMP7 and NSUN2 genes were associated with epithelial cell differentiation, morphogenesis, and epithelial development. For nutrient metabolism: energy, the HADHA, PPARA, ADD1/SREBF1, and FAT1genes were identified.

The dairy industry diversifies products with organoleptic, dietary, functional, and nutritional properties according to consumer demands and welfare. This study aimed to examine the profile of consumers, data on milk consumption, knowledge, and familiarity with A2A2 milk in the Tocantins State, Brazil. A qualitative survey was carried out through a questionnaire applied to 389 people, distributed in 34 municipalities. Regarding the consumption of dairy products, 21.31% of participants described having some type of discomfort when consuming them. Among participants, 46.27% consumed one to two liters, 28.28% two to four liters, and 25.45% more than four liters per week. Milk was the main dairy product consumed, according to 59.13% of participants. Of all respondents, 76.10% pay little or no attention to the information on the label, versus 23.90% who did not. Regarding A2A2 milk, 40.36% possessed some knowledge about it, while 59.64% did not. 42.93% and 30.59% of participants stated they would be willing to pay over 10% or 50% more, respectively, whereas 24.94% would not pay any additional amount on the price of A2A2 milk. Willingness to pay a low additional amount was related to consumers who heard of, but knew little about this product, whereas the likelihood of paying higher additional amounts was associated with respondents who heard and know about the product.

The presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and resistance to beta-lactams in healthy sheep represents a potential public health risk. This study aimed to characterize STEC isolates in sheep feces for toxin production and resistance to beta lactam antibiotics. In the present study, among the 40 isolates, we found a predominance of subtype Stx1 (22/40), followed by subtype Stx1 + Stx2 (11/40), while the less prevalent group was Stx2 (7/40). Also, we found phenotypical resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in 50% (20/40) of the strains analyzed, forming two groups, one with resistant isolates and the other with non-resistant isolates. The cytotoxicity of the isolates did not vary among the groups. In addition to having this characteristic, some multiresistant isolates produced significant amounts of toxins. This leads to the conclusion that the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance via beta lactamases are present in sheep STEC and that the cytotoxicity of those isolates is variable regarding such resistance.

As hemoparasitoses em cães podem ser causadas por diversos agentes, sendo essas doenças transmitidas por artrópodes hematófagos. Esses agentes podem causar diversas manifestações clínicas e, em alguns casos, podem matar o hospedeiro. Este estudo teve como objetivo detectar por PCR em tempo real a frequência de Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia rickettsii, Anaplasma platys, Rangelia vitalii e Babesia canis vogeli em amostras de cães da zona sul da cidade de São Paulo, Brasil. Das 98 amostras de cães, 18 (18,4%) testaram positivo com reação em cadeia da polimerase em tempo real para pelo menos um agente estudado. Destas 18 amostras, 17 testaram positivo para um único agente (11,2% para B. canis vogeli, 1,02% para R. vitalii e 5,1% para E. canis), e uma apresentou coinfecção com B. canis vogeli e R. vitalii. Os resultados demonstram a presença de hemoparasitas nos animais estudados, o que pode influenciar a qualidade e a expectativa de vida desses animais. Além disso, é o primeiro relato da detecção de R. vitalli na zona sul de São Paulo e serve de alerta para os clínicos de pequenos animais incluírem esse agente como diagnóstico diferencial para as hemoparasitoses.