302 – Quantifying the beliefs of key players in the UK sheep industry on the efficacy of two treatments for footrot (Research paper – Winter – 2018)

 

 

302 Research paper – Winter – 2018 – Quantifying the beliefs of key players in the UK sheep industry on the efficacy of two treatments for footrot

In Significant Impact Groups: Pathogen management \ Managing sick animals
Species targeted: Sheep;
Age: Not stated;
Summary:
This study investigated how key players in the UK sheep industry recommended treating footrot, and tested whether reviewing the evidence surrounding treatment of footrot changed their beliefs. Eight key players attended a workshop to investigate current practice. All participants recommended use of antibiotic injection but only four recommended not foot trimming feet with footrot. During discussions, participants stated that parenteral antibiotics had always been recommended as a treatment for footrot but that the new research clarified when to use them. In contrast, it was highly novel to hear that foot trimming was detrimental to recovery. After hearing the evidence, seven of the eight would recommend avoiding foot trimming. Some key players were resistant to changing beliefs despite hearing the evidence. Three months after the workshop, three participants stated that they now placed greater emphasis on rapid individual antibiotic treatment of lame sheep and not foot trimming feet.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023318303988?via%3Dihub; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.07.009
Country: UK

301 – Footrot and interdigital dermatitis in sheep_ farmer satisfaction with current management their ideal management and sources used to adopt new strategies (Research paper – Wassink – 2010)

 

 

301 Research paper – Wassink – 2010 – Footrot and interdigital dermatitis in sheep_ farmer satisfaction with current management their ideal management and sources used to adopt new strateg

In Significant Impact Groups: Pathogen management \ Managing sick animals; Targeted use of antibiotics
Species targeted: Sheep;
Age: Not stated;
Summary:
160 UK sheep farmers were asked via questionnaire about their current management for footrot sheep and their satisfaction with it. Farmers satisfied with current management reported </= 5% lameness. Farmers reported treating lame sheep within 3 days of first seeing them lame, and those with FR/ID with parenteral antibiotics. Farmers dissatisfied with their management reported >5% lameness. These farmers practised routine foot trimming, footbathing and vaccination against footrot. Whilst 89% of farmers said they were satisfied with their management of FR, >34% were interested in changing what they did. Farmers reported that ideally they would control FR by culling/isolating lame sheep, sourcing replacements from non-lames, trimming feet less, using less antibiotics and using vaccination more. Footbathing was common, linked with dissatisfaction but also listed highly as ideal management. Some of the ideal managements aligned with best practice but others contrasted with it suggesting cognitive dissonance was present.

Where to find the original material: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20594602/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.06.002
Country: UK

300 – The combined use of ozone therapy and autologous platelet-rich plasma as an alternative approach to foot rot treatment for sheep – A preliminary study (Research paper – Szpondera – 2017)

 

 

300 Research paper – Szpondera – 2017 – The combined use of ozone therapy and autologous platelet-rich plasma as an alternative approach to foot rot treatment for sheep_ A preliminary study

In Significant Impact Groups: Pathogen management \ Eradication; Specific alternatives
Species targeted: Sheep;
Age: Not stated;
Summary:
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone therapy and platelet rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of acute foot rot. 10 sheep suffering from foot rot were treated and compared to a control group of 5 healthy sheep. Treatment consisted of local ozone application and then with non-healing cases, the application of PRP. We analysed effectiveness of combined treatment and the potential toxicity of ozone therapy. Complete recovery was achieved after local ozone treatment in 6/10 sheep. The remaining four animals also healed after the subsequent PRP therapy. Our results showed that ozone treatment did not cause major blood or inflammatory changes. We demonstrated that the local application of ozone and PRP proved to be an effective foot rot treatment that avoids the use of antibiotics/ disinfectants. However, due to the relatively high costs and time requirements, it is potentially most suitable for smaller farms.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921448817302201?via%3Dihub; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.08.015
Country: PO

299 – Sheep lameness presents a huge challenge in terms of welfare and economics (Research paper – Oliver – 2017)

 

 

299 Research paper – Oliver – 2017 – Sheep lameness presents a huge challenge in terms of welfare and economics

In Significant Impact Groups: Pathogen management \ Managing sick animals; Diagnostics
Species targeted: Sheep;
Age: Not stated;
Summary:
A study was conducted in 2008 where 809 English sheep farmers were asked to identify six foot lesions; only 20% of farmers named all six lesions correctly. This study highlights the necessity of vets in advising and educating producers about sheep lameness. Foot lameness in sheep can be attributed to infectious or non-infectious causes. The three infectious causes of lameness covered in this article are:
• Ovine interdigital dermatitis (OID), often referred to as scald. • Foot rot. • Contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD). Non-infectious causes of lameness are less common and include:
• White line degeneration • Foot abscess • Toe granuloma Getting an accurate diagnosis is essential in advising on prevention, control and treatment. Often, one or more conditions are present on a farm. Lesions can be in the early or chronic phase, where they can appear grossly very different, so sufficient animals need to be examined to achieve a diagnosis.

Where to find the original material: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uploads/wp-post-to-pdf-enhanced-cache/1/sheep-lameness-common-types-causes-and-control-strategies.pdf;
Country: UK

298 – Genetic determinism estimate for the mastitis resistance in Romanian buffalo (Research paper – Popa – 2017)

 

 

298 Research paper – Popa – 2017 – Genetic determinism estimate for the mastitis resistance in Romanian buffalo

In Significant Impact Groups: Breeding for disease resistance or robustness \
Species targeted: Dairy;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary:
The Romanian Buffalo numbers are decreasing and therefore it is very important to develop efficient breeding programs or active conservation to improve population for characters associated with these productions. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for milk somatic cells count. Also, this character could allow a selection of individuals in the direction of resistance to mastitis. A total 609 milk yield and associated data records, belonging to 87 females were analyzed for 7 lactations. Study has revealed the existence of a poor genetic determinism for somatic cell count and a high variability in connection to the number of lactations. Results indicate that environmental factors play a substantial role in genetic expression. So, the number of somatic cells must be exclusively an indicator of milk hygiene and not included in selection objective of buffaloes (resistance to mastitis).

Where to find the original material: https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20173233315;
Country: RO

297 – Dairy Cows Welfare Assessment in a Farm from South-Eastern Romania (Research paper – Furnaris – 2016)

 

 

297 Research paper – Furnaris – 2016 – Dairy Cows Welfare Assessment in a Farm from South-Eastern Romania

In Significant Impact Groups: Housing and welfare
Species targeted: Dairy;
Age: Adult;
Summary:

The welfare level of dairy cows in a farm from the South-Eastern Romania was studied in a mixed house with the Austrian Animal Needs Index 35L/2000 system. A total of 26 welfare indicators were assessed in 5 areas: locomotion, social interactions, flooring, light and air, stockmanship. Analyzing the results, it could be noticed that the highest scored indicators were those within the Locomotion and Social interactions areas (as expected, considering the loose-system applied in the studied farm). The lowest scored areas were Flooring and Light and air, the critical indicators being light (uneven lighting and some low intensity values: 28-30 Lx) and outdoor areas cleanliness, resulting in poor animal cleanliness. Addressing this issue along with the cleanliness of the outdoor areas may improve the welfare level and may also increase the milk production.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210784316302741; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.081
Country: RO

296 – The effect of vaccination on the transmission of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs under field conditions (Research paper – Villarreal – 2011)

 

 

296 Research paper – Villarreal – 2011 – The effect of vaccination on the transmission of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs under field conditions

In Significant Impact Groups: Pathogen management \ Vaccination
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young;
Summary:
This study investigated the effect of vaccination against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae on its transmission in nursery pigs under field conditions. Seventy-two pigs were randomly placed at weaning into vaccinated (V) and non-vaccinated (NV) groups. Animals in the V group were vaccinated at 3 weeks of age with a commercial M. hyopneumoniae bacterin vaccine. Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid taken at weaning and at the end of the nursery period was assessed for the presence of M. hyopneumoniae, and the reproduction ratio of infection (Rn) was calculated. The study indicates that vaccination does not significantly reduce the transmission of this respiratory pathogen.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023310001450; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.04.024
Country: BE

295 – A systemic integrative framework to describe comprehensively a swine health system Flanders as an example (Research paper – Rojo-Gimeno – 2018)

 

 

295 Research paper – Rojo-Gimeno – 2018 – A systemic integrative framework to describe comprehensively a swine health system Flanders as an example

In Significant Impact Groups: Other
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Not stated;
Summary:
The objective of this study was understand the complexity of a swine health system. To that end, qualitative interviews were held with 33 relevant stakeholders in Flanders. Findings show the Flemish swine health system features coordinates well policies and sector’s agreements to reduce the antimicrobial use in the pig sector and is adequately complemented with good education of health professionals. However, the lack of an adequate professional representation of swine veterinarians, the tradition that veterinary advice is provided for ‘free’ by feed companies, and the shortage of reliable farm productivity data are problems. Furthermore, often the business model used by veterinarians is based on the sale of medicines. This leads to conflicts of interest on preventive vaccinations advice and, in turn, farmers distrust their advice. The results of this study can aid policy makers to anticipate the effects of proposed interventions and regulations, leading to better estimates of their effectiveness.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587717307687; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.02.017
Country: BE

294 – Oral administration of synthetic porcine beta-defensin-2 improves growth performance and cecal microbial flora and down-regulates the expression of intestinal toll-like receptor-4 and inflammatory cytokines in weaned piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (Research paper – Tang – 2016)

 

 

294 Research paper – Tang – 2016 – Oral administration of synthetic porcine beta-defensin-2 improves growth performance and cecal microbial flora and down-regulates the expression of intesti

In Significant Impact Groups: Feed / gut health \ Feed additives and supplements; Specific alternatives
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young;
Summary:
Synthetic porcine beta-defensin-2 (pBD-2) was tested as an alternative to antimicrobial growth-promoters in pig production. Thirty 21-day weaned piglets were challenged with Escherichia coli, and orally dosed with either sterile water (CON), pBD-2 (BD) or neomycin sulphate (NS) twice daily for 21 days. Therefore, pBD-2 has antimicrobial activity in piglets, and it can improve growth performance, reduce inflammatory cytokine expression and affect intestinal morphological indices in the same way as probiotics. Moreover, pBD-2 has a more positive effect on intestinal morphological indices and intestinal probiotics of piglets than does NS. Therefore, the present results suggest that pBD-2 may be a suitable replacement for NS in piglets.

Where to find the original material: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/asj.12540; https://doi.org/10.1111/asj.12540
Country: CN

293 – Effects of dietary hop beta-acids or colistin on the performance nutrient digestibility and intestinal health of weanling pigs (Research paper – Sbardella – 2016)

 

 

293 Research paper – Sbardella – 2016 – Effects of dietary hop beta-acids or colistin on the performance nutrient digestibility and intestinal health of weanling pigs

In Significant Impact Groups: Feed / gut health \ Feed additives and supplements; Specific alternatives
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young;
Summary:
This study evaluated the effects of hop (Humulus lupulus) beta-acids or colistin on several parameters, namely body weight (BW), Average feed intake (ADFI) Average daily gain (ADG), gain:feed ratio (G:F). Two hundred 21-d weaned pigs fed diets supplemented with 0 (negative control), 120, 240, or 360 mg/kg hop beta-acids, or with 40 mg/kg colistin (antimicrobial control) during a 35-d experiment. Increasing dietary levels of hop beta-acids improved linearly BW, ADG, G:F,and digestibility in weanling pigs. The colistin treatment improved BW, ADG, and G:F compared to the negative control. No difference in growth performance was observed between hop beta-acids levels and colistin. Overall, the occurrence of diarrhea was lower for colistin, negative control, and 360 mg/kg hop beta-acids than for other levels. In conclusion, dietary hop beta-acids concentrations up to 360 mg/kg improved weanling pig growth rate by affecting the efficiency of feed utilization, as well as observed for colistin.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377840116301420; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2016.04.007
Country: BR