|
|
Zeitler-Feicht, M. H. (2004). [Critical consideration of the “Guideline for the Evaluation of Raising Horses” and keeping horses outside in the winter]. Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 111(3), 120–123.
Abstract: The guidelines of the Federal Ministry of User Protection, Nutrition and Agriculture (BMVEL) regarding “horse keeping with respect to animal welfare” are from 1995 (BMELF, 1995). Therefore, they are not suitable for modern horse keeping. The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare (TVT) held it to be necessary to rework the guide-lines in light of 1) many subsequent investigations concerning horse keeping, and 2) the species-specific needs of horses in practice. Each chapter of the BMELF (1995) guide-lines was revised such that the literature and practical experiences were updated. Several chapters (recumbency resting behaviour, fences, underground outdoor and in stables, litter) were added in the position paper of the TVT to reflect the increasing use of boxes with paddocks, loose housing systems with open yards, pasture and winter yards as housing conditions. Keeping horses outdoors permanently during winter is possible because horses have very good thermoregulatory capabilities so that they are able to adapt themselves to cold conditions. However, in light of animal welfare, the holding system must include adequate shelter (natural or artificial). Shelters should protect against wetness, heat, cold and wind, and must be sufficiently large and high, with a dry and clean underground. In keeping horses outdoors permanently, the paths to the feeding and watering areas and to the shelter must be dry. The food must also be protected against mould and soiling. Keeping horses permanently without adequate shelter or in deep marsh without any dry places is against the Animal Protection Act.
|
|
|
|
Traversa, D., Giangaspero, A., Iorio, R., Otranto, D., Paoletti, B., & Gasser, R. B. (2004). Semi-nested PCR for the specific detection of Habronema microstoma or Habronema muscae DNA in horse faeces. Parasitology, 129(Pt 6), 733–739.
Abstract: Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Spirurida: Habronematidae) are parasitic nematodes which infect the stomach and/or skin of equids. The accurate diagnosis of gastric habronemosis is central to studying its epidemiology, but data on its distribution and prevalence are lacking, mainly due to the limitations of clinical and coprological diagnosis in live horses. To overcome this constraint, a two-step, semi-nested PCR-based assay was validated (utilizing genetic markers in the nuclear ribosomal DNA) for the specific amplification of H. microstoma or H. muscae DNA from the faeces from horses (n = 46) whose gastrointestinal parasite status had been determined at autopsy and whose faeces were examined previously using a conventional parasitological approach. Of these horses examined at autopsy, some harboured adults of either H. microstoma (n= 19) or H. muscae (n =4), and others (n = 7) harboured both species. Most of them were also infected with other parasites, including strongylid nematodes (subfamilies Cyathostominae and Strongylinae), bots and/or cestodes; there was no evidence of metazoan parasites in 2 horses. Larvated spirurid eggs were detected in the faeces of 1 of the 30 horses (3.3 %) shown to be infected with Habronema at autopsy. For this set of 46 samples, the PCR assay achieved a diagnostic specificity of 100 % and a sensitivity of approximately 97 % (being able to specifically detect as little as approximately 0.02 fg of Habronema DNA). The specificity of the assay was also tested using a panel of control DNA samples representing horse, the gastric spirurid Draschia megastoma and 26 other species of parasites from the alimentary tract of the horse. H. microstoma, H. muscae and D. megastoma could be readily differentiated from one another based on the sizes of their specific amplicons in the PCR. The results of this study showed that the performance of the PCR for the diagnosis of gastric habronemosis was similar to that of autopsy but substantially better than the traditional coprological examination procedure used. The ability to specifically diagnose gastric habronemosis in equids should have important implications for investigating the epidemiology and ecology of H. microstoma and H. muscae.
|
|
|
|
Dargatz, D. A., & Traub-Dargatz, J. L. (2004). Multidrug-resistant Salmonella and nosocomial infections. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 20(3), 587–600.
Abstract: Nosocomial infections are a serious threat to optimum patient care. In addition, nosocomial infections can have far-reaching consequences for the hospital personnel and the financial aspects of the hospital. Nosocomial infections with Salmonella spp have been described among hospitalized equine populations more frequently than any other agent. Salmonella spp associated with hospitalized equids often possess more antimicrobial resistance determinants than do Salmonella spp isolated from healthy horses in the general population. There is little evidence to suggest that resistant salmonellae are more virulent than nonresistant forms. MDR forms of Salmonella complicate the selection of appropriate antimicrobials when they are indicated, however. Furthermore, the use of some antimicrobials may apply selection pressure toward enhanced ability of MDR Salmonella to colonize equine patients. Further research should help to elucidate the risky uses of antimicrobials in the hospital setting and define the role of disinfectants and treatments such as NSAIDs in the ecology of MDR forms of nosocomial infections, including Salmonella. In the meantime, thoughtful selection of when and how to use antimicrobials in equine patients, together with deliberate selection of which antimicrobials to use based on monitoring data and other factors, such as safety and spectrum, is advised.
|
|
|
|
Gasser, R. B., Hung, G. - C., Chilton, N. B., & Beveridge, I. (2004). Advances in developing molecular-diagnostic tools for strongyloid nematodes of equids: fundamental and applied implications. Mol Cell Probes, 18(1), 3–16.
Abstract: Infections of equids with parasitic nematodes of the order Strongylida (subfamilies Strongylinae and Cyathostominae) are of major veterinary importance. In last decades, the widespread use of drugs against these parasites has led to problems of resistance within the Cyathostominae, and to an increase in their prevalence and intensity of infection. Novel control strategies, based on improved knowledge of parasite biology and epidemiology, have thus become important. However, there are substantial limitations in the understanding of fundamental biological and systematic aspects of these parasites, which have been due largely to limitations in their specific identification and diagnosis using traditional, morphological approaches. Recently, there has been progress in the development of DNA-based approaches for the specific identification of strongyloids of equids for systematic studies and disease diagnosis. The present article briefly reviews information on the classification, biology, pathogenesis, epidemiology of equine strongyloids and the diagnosis of infections, highlights knowledge gaps in these areas, describes recent advances in the use of molecular techniques for the genetic characterisation, specific identification and differentiation of strongyloids of equids as a basis for fundamental investigations of the systematics, population biology and ecology.
|
|
|
|
Arluke, A. (2004). The use of dogs in medical and veterinary training: understanding and approaching student uneasiness. J Appl Anim Welf Sci, 7(3), 197–204.
|
|
|
|
Sarter, M. (2004). Animal cognition: defining the issues. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 28(7), 645–650.
Abstract: The assessment of cognitive functions in rodents represents a critical experimental variable in many research fields, ranging from the basic cognitive neurosciences to psychopharmacology and neurotoxicology. The increasing use of animal behavioral tests as 'assays' for the assessment of effects on learning and memory has resulted in a considerable heterogeneity of data, particularly in the field of behavioral and psycho pharmacology. The limited predictive validity of changes in behavioral performance observed in standard animal tests of learning and memory indicates that a renewed effort to scrutinize the validity of these tests is warranted. In humans, levels of processing (effortful vs. automatic) and categories of information (procedural vs. episodic/declarative) are important variables of cognitive operations. The design of tasks that assess the recall of 'episodic' or 'declarative' information appears to represent a particular challenge for research using laboratory rodents. For example, the hypothesis that changes in inspection time for a previously encountered place or object are based on the recall of declarative/episodic information requires substantiation. In order to generalize findings on the effects of neuronal or pharmacological manipulations on learning and memory, obtained from one species and one task, to other species and other tasks, the mediating role of important sets of variables which influence learning and memory (e.g. attentional, affective) needs to be determined. Similar to the view that a neuronal manipulation (e.g. a lesion) represents a theory of the condition modeled (e.g. a degenerative disorder), an animal behavioral task represents a theory of the behavioral/cognitive process of interest. Therefore, the test of hypotheses regarding the validity of procedures used to assess cognitive functions in animals is an inherent part of the research process.
|
|
|
|
Rollot, Y., Lecuyer, E., Chateau, H., & Crevier-Denoix, N. (2004). Development of a 3D model of the equine distal forelimb and of a GRF shoe for noninvasive determination of in vivo tendon and ligament loads and strains. Equine Vet J, 36(8), 677–682.
Abstract: REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: As critical locomotion events (e.g. high-speed and impacts during racing, jump landing) may contribute to tendinopathies, in vivo recording of gaits kinematic and dynamic parameters is essential for 3D reconstruction and analysis. OBJECTIVE: To propose a 3D model of the forelimb and a ground reaction force recording shoe (GRF-S) for noninvasively quantifying tendon and ligament loads and strains. METHODS: Bony segments trajectories of forelimbs placed under a power press were recorded using triads of ultrasonic kinematic markers linked to the bones. Compression cycles (from 500-6000 N) were applied for different hoof orientations. Locations of tendon and ligament insertions were recorded with regard to the triads. The GRF-S recorded GRF over the hoof wall and used four 3-axis force sensors sandwiched between a support shoe and the shoe to be tested. RESULTS: Validation of the model by comparing calculated and measured superficial digital flexor tendon strains, and evaluation of the role of proximal interphalangeal joint in straight sesamoidean ligament and oblique sesamoidean ligament strains, were successfully achieved. Objective comparisons of the 3 components of GRF over the hoof for soft and hard grounds could be recorded, where the s.d. of GRF norm was more important on hard ground at walk and trot. CONCLUSIONS: Soft grounds (sand and rubber) dissipate energy by lowering GRF amplitude and diminish bounces and vibrations at impact. At comparable speed, stance phase was longer on soft sand ground. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The conjugate use of the GRF-S and the numerical model would help to quantify and analyse ground/shoe combination on comfort, propulsion efficiency or lameness recovery.
|
|
|
|
Touma, C., Palme, R., & Sachser, N. (2004). Analyzing corticosterone metabolites in fecal samples of mice: a noninvasive technique to monitor stress hormones. Horm Behav, 45(1), 10–22.
Abstract: In small animals like mice, the monitoring of endocrine functions over time is constrained seriously by the adverse effects of blood sampling. Therefore, noninvasive techniques to monitor, for example, stress hormones in these animals are highly demanded in laboratory as well as in field research. The aim of our study was to evaluate the biological relevance of a recently developed technique to monitor stress hormone metabolites in fecal samples of laboratory mice. In total, six experiments were performed using six male and six female mice each. Two adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge tests, two dexamethasone (Dex) suppression tests and two control experiments [investigating effects of the injection procedure itself and the diurnal variation (DV) of glucocorticoids (GCs), respectively] were conducted. The experiments clearly demonstrated that pharmacological stimulation and suppression of adrenocortical activity was reflected accurately by means of corticosterone metabolite (CM) measurements in the feces of males and females. Furthermore, the technique proved sensitive enough to detect dosage-dependent effects of the ACTH/Dex treatment and facilitated to reveal profound effects of the injection procedure itself. Even the naturally occurring DV of GCs could be monitored reliably. Thus, our results confirm that measurement of fecal CM with the recently established 5alpha-pregnane-3beta,11beta,21-triol-20-one enzyme immunoassay is a very powerful tool to monitor adrenocortical activity in laboratory mice. Since mice represent the vast majority of all rodents used for research worldwide and the number of transgenic and knockout mice utilized as animal models is still increasing, this noninvasive technique can open new perspectives in biomedical and behavioral science.
|
|
|
|
Nicol, C. J., Potzsch, C., Lewis, K., & Green, L. E. (2003). Matched concurrent case-control study of risk factors for feather pecking in hens on free-range commercial farms in the UK. Br Poult Sci, 44(4), 515–523.
Abstract: 1. The aim of the study was to compare the management and husbandry of free-range flocks in the UK where feather pecking was either present (case) or absent (control). 2. One hundred flocks were enrolled into a concurrent case-control study: 50 where birds had recently started feather pecking, and 50 matched control flocks where birds of the same age had not started feather pecking. 3. Information was obtained from a detailed interview with the flock manager, and by direct inspection of the flock, house and range. 4. Initial univariate analyses revealed that case flocks were more likely to comprise ISA Brown than Lohmann, were more likely to be restricted from litter areas to prevent floor eggs, and were less likely to use the outside range. 5. Cluster analysis indicated that feather pecking was not associated with any particular husbandry system. 6. The only influential risk factor significant in the multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis was use of the outdoor range. The risk of feather pecking was reduced 9-fold in flocks where more than 20% of birds used the range on sunny days (odds ratio = 0.12). Use of the range was positively associated with the presence of trees and/or hedges on the range.
|
|
|
|
Kirkpatrick, J. F., & Turner, A. (2003). Absence of effects from immunocontraception on seasonal birth patterns and foal survival among barrier island wild horses. J Appl Anim Welf Sci, 6(4), 301–308.
Abstract: Despite a large body of safety data, concern exists that porcine zonae pellucidae (PZP) immunocontraception--used to manage wild horse populations--may cause out-of-season births with resulting foal mortality. Our study at Assateague, Maryland indicated the effects of immunocontraception on season of birth and foal survival between 1990 and 2002 on wild horses from Assateague Island. Among 91 mares never treated, 69 (75.8%) of foals were born in April, May, and June (in season). Among 77 treated mares, 50 (64.9%) were born in season. Of 29 mares foaling within 1 year after treatment (contraceptive failures), 20 (68.9%) were born in season. Of 48 mares treated for greater than 2 years then withdrawn from treatment, 30 (62.5%) of 48 foals were born in season. There were no significant differences (p <.05) between either treatment group or untreated mares. Survival did not differ significantly among foals born in or out of season or among foals born to treated or untreated mares. Data indicate a lack of effect of PZP contraception on season of birth or foal survival on barrier island habitats.
|
|
