Mummified papyraceous fetuses in the abdominal cavity of an elderly female dog with pyometra

This paper reports on a rare case of fetal papyraceous mummification after asymptomatic uterine rupture in an elderly female dog with pyometra. The patient had a history of mating six months before the examination but no apparent signs of gestation or parturition. Exploratory laparotomy was used to identify a rupture of the left uterine horn and the presence of cystic endometrial hyperplasia and pyometra. Two mummified papyraceous fetuses were observed in the abdominal cavity and had adhered to the spleen, pancreas, intestine and omentum. Ovariehysterectomy and corrective surgery were performed. The patient had remained healthy after uterine rupture until a new estrous cycle and the development of pyometra. Bitches that are 10 years old or more are predisposed to implantation failure, pregnancy or parturition problems and they should not be breed to avoid complications.

Mother-offspring interactions in Zebu cattle

The knowledge of the interaction between mother and offspring might contribute to enhance the welfare of the offspring and to improve the reproductive efficiency of the cow. However, there is still little information available about such interaction in some cattle breeds. A series of observational studies were set up, addressing the mother-offspring relationships of Nelore, Guzerat and Gyr cattle breeds. Firstly, the behaviour of cows and calves around the time of parturition was described, and then, the underlying factors that affect the calves' survival and development were studied. Special attention was given to the failure or delay in the first suckling. The results together are indicative of genetic variability for some studied variables, indicating the possibility of selection for calf vigour (using latency to stand up and latency to suckle as its indicators) and maternal ability (using percentage of time in contact with the calves), in spite of the estimates of heritability were low and presented high standard deviation for all variables. The individual variability in their suckling behaviour and the efficiency in first suckling cannot be explained by a single isolated underlying factor. By now, there are some results available, although there are many questions without answers. The field is still open for the development of future research.

Reproductive biology of the neotropical rattlesnake Crotalus durissus from northeastern Brazil: a test of phylogenetic conservatism of reproductive patterns

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Fatores de riscos associados à ocorrência de helmintos gastrintestinais em cabras leiteiras mantidas em sistema de pastejo

Infection due to the gastrointestinal nematodes can negatively interact with the productive performance of dairy goats, and in some cases can induce mortality in the flocks. The objective was to study the influence of season, parturition order, postpartum, lactation and breed standard on the population of helminths in dairy goats. 31 goats were used, with 15 Saanen and 16 F1 (1/2 Boer + 1/2 Saanen). of these, 13 were from the 1st lactation and 18 from the 2nd or more lactations. The highest fecal egg counts occurred during the summer and spring, with FEC in Saanen higher (p < 0.01) than in F1 animals (1/2 Boer + 1/2 Saanen). The animals with 1st lactation showed higher FEC (p < 0.004) than the animals in 2nd or more lactation. During the peripartum the largest FEC for both breeds standards were in the week of the birth (p < 0.05), followed by post-partum and pre-partum. In peripartum the Saanen goats showed higher FEC (p < 0.02) than the F1 and primiparous (p < 0.008) in relation to pluriparous. F1 animals are resistant to helminthes when compared to Saanen animals, demonstrating that crossing of resistant breeds with high production breeds is a viable alternative to increase productivity without compromising the parasitary stability of the herd. The peripartum period is a risk factor associated to the occurrence of gastrointestinal helminths, especially in Saanen goats from first lactation.

Estudo de modelo alternativo para estimação de componentes de (co)variância e predição de valores genéticos de características de crescimento em bovinos da raça Nelore

The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for non-standardized weights at nursing (PR120), at weaning (PR240), at yearling (PR365) and at post yearling (PR550), and to predict EPD's (expected progeny differences) for these traits using records from 29,769 Nellores. Covariance components and genetic parameters were estimated by mixed-model methodology, REML, using an animal model. Models for PR120, PR240, PR365 and PR455 included the random direct and maternal animal effects, the dam permanent environmental effect and the error. Fixed effects were contemporary group (CG) and age of cow at parturition (CIVP) and the covariate age of the calf at measuring. Two additional models for PR365, PR455 and PR550 analyses were used: the first included CG and CIVP, animal and maternal direct effect, residual and age of the calf (as covariate), and the second included CG and CIVP (as fixed effects), animal direct effect, residual and age of calf at measuring. Observed means±standard deviations were: 127±25kg (PR120); 191±34kg (PR240); 225±42kg (PR365); 266±51kg (PR455) and 310±56kg (PR550). From single-trait analyses, direct and maternal heritabilities for PR120, PR240, PR365 and PR455 were, respectively, .23 and .08; .19 and .10; .24 and .04; .30 and .04. Direct heritabilities were .39; .44 and .43, respectively, for PR365, PR455 and PR550. In the model without permanent effect, direct and maternal heritabilities for PR365, PR455 and PR550 were .25 and .08; .32 and .07; .38 and .03, respectively. When the estimates for standardized traits at the same period were compared, no differences in magnitude were found. Rank correlation had important changes when standardized and non-standardized traits were compared.

Metabolismo oxidativo de neutrófilos em ovelhas naturalmente infectadas por nematódeos gastrintestinais e correlação entre nível sérico de cortisol e carga parasitária

The relationships between neutrophils oxidative metabolism, cortisol serum levels and worm burden, estimated by fecal egg count (EPG), were studied in sheep naturally infected by gastrointestinal parasites at the end of pregnancy, during lactation, and after weaning. Twenty-two Suffolk sheep three to four year old, of same parity and season of parturition were used. Serum cortisol was determined by radioimmunoassay and the neutrophils oxidative metabolism by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test. The highest EPG values were observed on the fifth week of lactation while the highest rates of cortisol and reduction of NBT occurred on the fourth week after weaning. A positive correlation (r = 0.52; P<0.01) was observed between the neutrophils capacity to reduce the NBT and the serum cortisol concentration in the pre-parturition period. Otherwise, the neutrophils oxidative metabolism decreased near to the parturition. A negative correlation (r = -0.39; P<0.01) between EPG and NBT reduction test was observed after weaning, which was coincident with the increase in the neutrophils capacity to reduce NBT, indicating that animals showing better immune response after weaning have neutrophils with higher oxidative metabolism and lower worm burden.

Morfologia e morfometria dos tipos de fibras do músculo reto abdominal de cadelas (canis familiaris) durante a gestação

The present paper deals with the evaluation of morphological and morphometric alterations of slow-twist (I) and fast-twitch (II) fibers of rectus abdominis muscle of adult female dog during pregestational phase, at 30 and 60 days of pregnancy and at 30 days after the parturition. At the every phases, using the open biopsy technique, muscle samples were collected. The samples were plunged. Histological sections were cut in a microtome. For general morphology, some sections were stained with HE. Subsequent sections were reacted for myofibrillar ATPase (m-ATPase), after alkaline (pH 10.4) and acid (pH 4.4) pre-incubations, in order to identificate type I and II fibers. In the pre-gestational phase, muscle tissue revealed to be composed by fibers with different diameters, presenting polygonal outlines and one or more periphery nuclei. At 30 days of pregnancy, muscle fiber characteristics were similar. At 60 days, in addition to the existence of normal fibers, polymorphic and small diameter fibers were frequent. At 30 days after the parturation, the morphology of muscle fiber were similar to that observed in the pre-gestational phase. In the four phases, type II fiber diameters were lager than type I. The diameters of both fiber types showed a significant reduction in the 30 days phase and a significative increasing at 60 days. The expansion of the abdominal wall during the pregnancy represents a chronic stimulus, induced changes in the morphology and in the fiber type diameters.

Interacción genotipo x ambiente sobre el peso al destete de bovinos nelore en Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Tracking the fin trade: Genetic stock identification in western Atlantic scalloped hammerhead sharks Sphyrna lewini

Location or stock-specific landing data are necessary to improve management of shark stocks, especially those imperiled by overexploitation as a result of the international shark fin trade. In the current absence of catch monitoring directly at extraction sites, genetic stock identification of fins collected from major market supply chain endpoints offers an overlooked but potentially useful approach for tracing the fins back to their geographical, or stock of, origin. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we used mitochondrial control region (mtCR) sequences to trace the broad geographical origin of 62 Hong Kong market-derived Sphyrna lewini fins. Of these fins 21% were derived from the western Atlantic, where this species is listed as 'Endangered' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We also show that S. lewini mtCR sequences are geographically segregated in the western Atlantic (overall ΦST = 0.74, n = 177 sharks), indicating that breeding females either remain close to, or home back to, their natal region for parturition. Mixed stock analysis simulations showed that it is possible to estimate the relative contributions of these mitochondrial stocks to fin mixtures in globally sourced trade hubs. These findings underscore the feasibility of using genetic stock identification to source market-derived shark fins to obtain essential and otherwise unavailable data on exploitation levels, and thus to productively inform stock assessment and management of S. lewini and potentially also of other fished shark species. © Inter-Research 2009.

Fecal progestins during pregnancy and postpartum periods of captive red brocket deer (Mazama americana)

This study aimed to validate the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for fecal progestin quantification of the species Mazama americana, define its excretion profile during periods of gestation and postpartum and determine the gestation period and resumption of postpartum ovarian activity in this species in captivity Fecal samples were collected twice a week during gestation and every day in the postpartum period, and analyzed using EIA The mean concentrations (±SEM) of fecal progestins during gestation were 2180.0 ± 299.1 ng/g in early pregnancy (week 1-11), 3271.4 ± 406.9 ng/g in middle pregnancy (week 12-22) and 5592.0 ± 1125.8 ng/g in late pregnancy (week 23-32) The gestation period determined for the species was 220.9 ± 1.2 days The concentration of progestins reached its peak prior to parturition and returned to baseline levels in 4 ± 0.31 days after parturition In the postpartum period, the mean concentrations of fecal progestins were 1564.2 ± 182.6 ng/g in the interval between parturition and resumption of ovarian activity, 469.8 ± 24.5 ng/g in the inter-luteal phase and 2401.7 ± 318.5 ng/g during the luteal phase, such that the postpartum period and the luteal phase differed from the inter-luteal phase Fecal progestin profiling permitted the detection of ovulation 26.9 ± 3.4 days after parturition in all the hinds studied and estimation of the mean duration of the estrous cycle, 21.3 ± 1.1 days Analysis established that concentrations of progestins above 3038.76 ng/g diagnosed pregnancy, a value determined from the week 12 of gestation Moreover, the quantification of fecal progestins by EIA proved to be an important tool for noninvasive endocrine monitoring and to obtain reproductive data on the species M americana in captivity © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Characterization of the variable cow's age at last calving as a measurement of longevity by using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and the Cox model

In most studies on beef cattle longevity, only the cows reaching a given number of calvings by a specific age are considered in the analyses. With the aim of evaluating all cows with productive life in herds, taking into consideration the different forms of management on each farm, it was proposed to measure cow longevity from age at last calving (ALC), that is, the most recent calving registered in the files. The objective was to characterize this trait in order to study the longevity of Nellore cattle, using the Kaplan-Meier estimators and the Cox model. The covariables and class effects considered in the models were age at first calving (AFC), year and season of birth of the cow and farm. The variable studied (ALC) was classified as presenting complete information (uncensored = 1) or incomplete information (censored = 0), using the criterion of the difference between the date of each cow's last calving and the date of the latest calving at each farm. If this difference was >36 months, the cow was considered to have failed. If not, this cow was censored, thus indicating that future calving remained possible for this cow. The records of 11 791 animals from 22 farms within the Nellore Breed Genetic Improvement Program ('Nellore Brazil') were used. In the estimation process using the Kaplan-Meier model, the variable of AFC was classified into three age groups. In individual analyses, the log-rank test and the Wilcoxon test in the Kaplan-Meier model showed that all covariables and class effects had significant effects (P < 0.05) on ALC. In the analysis considering all covariables and class effects, using the Wald test in the Cox model, only the season of birth of the cow was not significant for ALC (P > 0.05). This analysis indicated that each month added to AFC diminished the risk of the cow's failure in the herd by 2%. Nonetheless, this does not imply that animals with younger AFC had less profitability. Cows with greater numbers of calvings were more precocious than those with fewer calvings. Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012.

Evaluation of von willebrand factor during pregnancy, lactation and oestrous cycle in bitches affected and unaffected by von willebrand disease

Plasmatic concentrations of von Willebrand Factor (vWF) increase during pregnancy in humans and dogs; however the mechanism of such increase is still not well defined. The aims of this study were: (i) to evaluate changes in vWF concentration during pregnancy and during the subsequent oestrous cycle in bitches affected and unaffected by von Willebrand Disease (vWD); (ii) to correlate the vWF levels and cortisol levels in both groups. Seven vWD affected (GI) and nine unaffected (GII) bitches were used. The animals were assessed during pregnancy, parturition, lactation and non-gestational oestrous cycle in 11 moments (Pregnancy 1, Pregnancy 2, Parturition, Lactation 1, Lactation 2, Lactation 3, Anestrus, Proestrus, Oestrus, Diestrus 1, and Diestrus 2). The following tests were performed; measurement of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag), albumin and cortisol. In both groups, vWF concentration remained stable during the non-gestational oestrous cycle, but increased during pregnancy, with the highest value observed at parturition. Increases of 70% and 124% in vWF were seen in GI and GII, respectively, compared to anestrus. No correlation was found between vWF and cortisol. Values of vWF:Ag changed during pregnancy, with a peak at parturition, both in vWD affected and unaffected animals. Values of vWF were not altered in the different phases of the oestrous cycle following pregnancy in both groups. Evaluation of vWF during pregnancy can cause false negative results for vWD, but assessment can be performed at any point in the oestrous cycle of non-pregnant bitches. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Biochemical Profile of Amniotic and Allantoic Fluid During Different Gestational Phases in Mares

Fetal fluids have different vital functions that sustain both pregnancy and normal parturition. The biochemical composition of amniotic fluid during gestation is not well established; thus the purpose of the present study was to determine the biochemical profile of both amniotic and allantoic fluids from mares during initial, mid, and latter third phases of pregnancy. Samples were collected after slaughter, using allantocentesis and amniocentesis. Sixty samples of fetal fluids were analyzed. Alkaline phosphatase (AP), glucose, total protein (TP), urea, creatinine, Ca, chloride (Cl), Na, and K concentrations were measured using commercially available kits. The AP concentration in amniotic fluid was higher than that in allantoic fluid during the three gestational phases (P < .05). There were no differences between glucose mean values of allantoic and those of amniotic fluids (P < .05). However, glucose values were higher in the allantoic fluid in the last trimester of pregnancy. TP was higher in the amniotic fluid than in allantoic fluid (P < .05). Urea values varied among the phases; however, there were no differences between the amniotic and allantoic fluid values (P > .05). Creatinine values were higher in allantoic fluid (P < .05). Na and Cl concentrations were higher in amniotic fluid (P < .05). However, Ca and K concentrations were higher in the allantoic fluid. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estudo comparativo entre parto normal e a anestesia para a cesariana em cães: estudo clínico e cardiorrespiratório na mãe e no feto

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Estudo comparativo de métodos ultra-sonográficos de avaliação da idade gestacional em cadelas

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ