Veterinary Clinical Sciences - Research Publications

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    Maternal contact and positive human interactions during lactation impacts piglet performance and behaviour during lactation
    Tomas, K ; Savaglia, J ; Plush, KJ ; D’Souza, DN ; Butler, KL ; Hemsworth, PH ; Tilbrook, AJ (Frontiers Media SA, 2023-01-01)
    Introduction Early life interactions with the sow or humans can have lifelong consequences on welfare and performance in pigs. It was hypothesised that piglets that received increased maternal contact and positive human contact would display improved responses to stressful events and improved performance. Methods Ninety-eight litters were allocated to a 2 x 2 factorial design for maternal contact (MC+)/restricted maternal contact (MC-); and positive human contact (HC+)/no additional human contact (HC-). Modified farrowing crates were used to restrict maternal contact (MC-) and litters in the HC+ treatment received five minutes of daily positive human interaction (stroking). Behavioural and physiological responses were assessed during processing at three days of age and during a behaviour test in which piglets were introduced to an empty arena, novel object, human hand and human standing in the arena at 18 days of age. Observations of behaviour in the home pen and growth and survival of piglets to weaning were also assessed. Results At processing, MC- piglets had more squeals (P = 0.015), tended to have more grunts (P = 0.063) and struggle attempts (P = 0.079), and had increased plasma cortisol concentrations (P = 0.009) after processing than MC+ piglets. During the behaviour test, HC+ piglets were more active (P = 0.014) and had more vocalisations (P < 0.05) in the empty arena than HC piglets. Furthermore, HC+ piglets were more likely to approach a human standing in the arena (P = 0.006) than HC- piglets. MC- piglets were less active (P = 0.008) and were less likely to approach the novel object (P = 0.049) than MC+ piglets. MC+ piglets tended to have higher weaning weights (P = 0.055) and more MC+ piglets were successfully weaned (P = 0.022) than MC- piglets. There was no significant effect of HC on piglet performance. Discussion While positive handling did not affect behavioural and physiological stress response to processing, HC+ reduced fear of novelty and humans. These findings highlight the importance of early life experiences has on stress resilience early in life.
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    4. Early life maternal contact has long-term impacts on pig growth
    Tomas, K ; Savaglia, J ; Plush, KJ ; D'Souza, DN ; Butler, KL ; Hemsworth, PH ; Tilbrook, AJ (Elsevier BV, 2023-11)
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    Neospora caninum is not an important contributor to poor reproductive performance of primiparous ewes from southern Australia: evidence from a cross-sectional study
    Clune, T ; Lockwood, A ; Hancock, S ; Bruce, M ; Thompson, AN ; Beetson, S ; Campbell, AJ ; Glanville, E ; Brookes, D ; Trengove, C ; O'Handley, R ; Jacobson, C (Springer, 2021-10-02)
    Neospora caninum has been implicated as a sporadic cause of abortion and perinatal deaths in sheep flocks globally. However, its significance as a reproductive pathogen for sheep in Australia remains unknown. The aims of this study were to (i) determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum in Australian breeding ewes and (ii) examine if natural exposure to N. caninum is associated with poor reproductive performance of primiparous ewes in southern Australia. Thirty flocks of primiparous ewes (aged 1–2 years old at lambing) from 28 farms in three states (Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria) were monitored between mating and lamb marking. Blood samples were also collected from multiparous mature ewes (aged 3 years or older) at each farm. Seroprevalence for anti-N. caninum IgG using indirect ELISA was determined for a subset of primiparous ewes that were predominantly determined to be pregnant and subsequently failed to rear a lamb (n = 1279) and randomly selected mature multiparous ewes with unknown reproductive status (n = 558). Neopsora caninum apparent seroprevalence was 0.16% (95% confidence interval 0.03%, 0.5%) in primiparous ewes, with seropositivity identified in two ewes from farms located in South Australia and Victoria. There was no evidence of seropositivity in mature ewes with apparent seroprevalence 0% (0%, 0.45%). These findings suggest that N. caninum infection was not widespread in primiparous ewes or mature multiparous ewes on these farms, and exposure to N. caninum infection was unlikely to explain abortion and perinatal mortalities observed for primiparous ewes.
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    The role of animal welfare in improving the future of farming
    Doyle, RE ; Campbell, AJD ; Dione, M ; Woodruff, M ; Munoz, C ; Alemayehu, G ; Berhe, T ; Knight-Jones, T ; Wilson, C (CSIRO Publishing, 2022)
    Context: Animal production plays a critical role in many global challenges around sustainability, including climate change and resilience, One Health and food security. With this role comes pressures on livestock welfare. Aims: This paper demonstrates key contributions animal welfare makes to global sustainability challenges. Methods: This paper highlights ‘win–win’ improvements for both animal welfare and other aspects of sustainability by using the following four case studies: tail docking Australian sheep, agroforestry systems in Ethiopia, the Australian dairy-beef industry, and strategic feeding of goats in Pakistan. Key results: These case studies show how animal welfare can be improved alongside livelihoods. However, even in these win–win situations, the adoption of improved practices is not guaranteed. Conclusions: Long-term, sustained change in animal welfare can simultaneously make in roads to other challenges around sustainability. To do this, we must have a broader understanding of the system in which the animals are raised, so that barriers to change can be identified. Implications: Lessons from these case studies can be applied to other production contexts and challenges, highlighting the universal value of understanding and addressing animal welfare.
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    A brief assessment of eye blink drowsiness immediately prior to or following driving detects drowsiness related driving impairment
    Cori, JM ; Wilkinson, VE ; Soleimanloo, SS ; Westlake, J ; Stevens, B ; Rajaratnam, SMW ; Howard, ME (Wiley, 2023-06)
    Drowsy driving is a major cause of fatal and serious injury motor vehicle accidents. The inability objectively to assess drowsiness has hindered the assessment of fitness to drive and the development of drowsy driving regulations. This study evaluated whether spontaneous eye blink parameters measured briefly pre- and post-drive could be used to detect drowsy driving impairment. Twelve healthy participants (6 female) drove an instrumented vehicle for 2 h on a closed-loop track during a rested (8-10 h awake) and an extended wake condition (32-34 h awake). Pre- and post-drive, the participants completed a 5 min eye blink task, a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), and the Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS). Whole drive impairment was defined as >3.5 lane departures per hour. Severe end of drive impairment was defined as ≥2 lane departures in the last 15 min. The pre-drive % of time with eyes closed best predicted the whole drive impairment (area under the curve [AUC] 0.87). KSS had similar prediction ability (AUC 0.85), while PVT reaction time (AUC 0.72) was less accurate. The composite eye blink parameter, the Johns drowsiness scale was the best retrospective detector of severe end of drive impairment (AUC 0.99). The PVT reaction time (AUC 0.92) and the KSS (AUC 0.93) were less accurate. Eye blink parameters detected drowsy driving impairment with an accuracy that was similar to, or marginally better than, PVT and KSS. As eye blink measures are simple to measure, are objective and have high accuracy, they present an ideal option for the assessment of fitness for duty and roadside drowsiness.
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    Circus and zoo animal welfare in Sweden: an epidemiological analysis of data from regulatory inspections by the official competent authorities
    Hitchens, PL ; Hultgren, J ; Frossling, J ; Emanuelson, U ; Keeling, LJ (UNIV FEDERATION ANIMAL WELFARE, 2017-11)
    Abstract Good animal welfare is crucial for the success of circuses and zoos. Epidemiological studies of animal welfare that investigate associations between animal-based measures (ABMs) and resource- and management-based measures are needed. However, due to the relatively low numbers of animals within each species kept at individual facilities, such investigations can be difficult to carry out. In this paper, we report the analysis of a multi-facility epidemiological study using data from all regulatory inspections of circus and zoo animals in Sweden for 2010 to 2014. Information from 42 inspections of 38 circuses, and 318 inspections of 179 zoos was analysed. For ABMs assessed during routine inspections of circuses (n = 14) and zoos (n = 61), 9.1 and 14.3% did not comply with requirements for general care of hooves/claws and coat, 10.0 and 8.6% for body condition, and 0 and 1.7% for animal cleanliness, respectively. In addition, the zoo checklist assessed whether animals were kept in appropriate groups, finding non-compliance in 17.0% of inspections. The most frequent non-compliant resource- and management-based measures at routine inspections of circuses were for space (41.7%) and exercise requirements (38.5%). For zoos, 29.4% did not comply with space followed by 28.8% for enrichment requirements. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, zoos that had inadequate or unsafe housing and space design, inadequate bedding, or failed to meet nutritional requirements, were more likely to be non-compliant with at least one ABM. The checklists should be improved to better assess welfare status by including more ABMs; benchmarking of risks and trends over time is also recommended.
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    Further refinement of helicopter capture for Australian chital deer (Axis axis)
    Amos, M ; De Ridder, TR ; Pople, A ; Brennan, M ; Hampton, JO ; Cairns, S (CSIRO PUBLISHING, 2023-06-16)
    This study improves a technique to capture wild chital deer (Axis axis) in northern Australia by darting from a helicopter. We quantified several metrics, including the frequency of adverse animal welfare events. Mortality at the time of capture was 15%, but no animals died post-release, and the frequencies of hyperthermia and hypoxaemia were lower than in previous operations. This study can be used as a template for iterative refinement of high-risk capture methodologies.
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    Elevated lead exposure in Australian hunting dogs during a deer hunting season
    Hampton, JO ; Cobb, ML ; Toop, SD ; Flesch, JS ; Hyndman, TH (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2023-04-15)
    There is growing recognition of the threat posed by toxic lead-based ammunition. One group of domestic animals known to be susceptible to harmful lead exposure via this route is hunting dogs. Scent-trailing dogs ('hounds') are used to hunt introduced sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) during a prescribed eight-month (April-November) annual hunting season, during which they are fed fresh venison, in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. We used this annual season as a natural experiment to undertake longitudinal sampling of dogs for lead exposure. Blood was collected from 27 dogs owned by four different deer hunters and comprising three different breeds just prior to the start of the hound hunting season (March 2022) and in the middle of the season (August 2022), and blood lead levels (BLLs) (μg/dL) were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Using Tobit regression, the expected BLLs across all dogs were significantly lower before the season (0.50 μg/dL, standard error [SE] = 0.32 μg/dL) than during the season (1.39 μg/dL, SE = 0.35 μg/dL) (p = 0.01). However, when the breed of dog was included in the analyses, this effect was only significant in beagles (P < 0.001), not bloodhounds (p = 0.73) or harriers (p = 0.43). For 32% of the dogs before the season, and 56% during the season, BLLs exceeded the established threshold concentration for developmental neurotoxicity in humans (1.2 μg/dL). Time since most recent venison feeding, sex of dog and owner were not associated with BLLs. The finding that BLLs more than doubled during the hunting season indicates that lead exposure is a risk in this context. These results expand the sphere of impact from environmental lead in Australia from wild animals and humans, to include some groups of domestic animals, a textbook example of a One Health issue.
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    Severe pericardial effusion in a cat with peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia and incarcerated hepatic sarcoma.
    Ciaravolo, SV ; Dobson, E ; Liffman, R ; Stickney, A (SAGE Publications, 2022)
    CASE SUMMARY: A 4-year-old female neutered domestic longhair cat was presented at a referral hospital for dyspnoea with a history of suspected pleural effusion. Thoracic ultrasonography demonstrated a large-volume pericardial effusion causing cardiac tamponade and a cystic mass within the pericardium. CT revealed a peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH) caused by a defect of the ventral diaphragm. Herniated contents consisted of the right lateral and caudate liver lobes, and an associated cystic hepatic mass. Ventral midline coeliotomy was performed for herniorrhaphy and partial pericardiectomy, together with lobectomy of the incarcerated liver mass. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry diagnosed a poorly differentiated hepatic sarcoma with inflammation and remodelling in the adjacent incarcerated liver parenchyma. The patient developed metastatic sarcoma 2 months after surgery and was euthanased as a result. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Pericardial effusion causing cardiac tamponade is a previously unreported sequelae to PPDH in cats. Reports on the presence of malignancy in incarcerated liver are scarce and the location is not typical for a sarcoma in this species.
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    Seropositivity to Campylobacter and association with abortion and lamb mortality in maiden ewes from Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria
    Clune, T ; Bruce, M ; Glanville, E ; Campbell, AJD ; Lockwood, A ; Hancock, S ; Thompson, AN ; Beetson, S ; Brookes, D ; Trengove, C ; O'Handley, R ; Jacobson, C (WILEY, 2022-08)
    This case-control study investigated associations between Campylobacter fetus or Campylobacter jejuni titre and reproductive outcomes in 22 flocks of Merino and non-Merino maiden ewes aged 1-2 years old. Campylobacter titres were also determined for multiparous ewes aged 3 years or older on the same farms. C. fetus 'positivity' (titre ≥1:80) was detected for 12% (57/462; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 9.6 to 15.6) of maiden ewes and 31% (65/210; 95% CI 25.0 to 37.4) of mature ewes. The odds for failing to rear a lamb in C. fetus-'exposed' maiden ewes (titre ≥1:10) was 2.01 times that of seronegative ewes (95% CI 1.09 to 3.77; P = 0.027), but there was no association between C. fetus-'positivity' (titre ≥1:80) and failure to rise (OR 1.69; 95% CI 0.77 to 3.76; P = 0.191). C. fetus abortions were confirmed with microbial culture in one maiden ewe flock. In this flock, C. fetus titres fluctuated and often waned by lamb marking, highlighting the value of necropsies during abortion investigations. C. jejuni-'positivity' (titre ≥1:80) was detected for 44% (204/462; 95% CI 39.7 to 48.7) maiden ewes, but odds of failing to rear were decreased for C. jejuni-'positive' ewes (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.83; P = 0.007). The association between Campylobacter serology and the reproductive outcome was inconsistent in these flocks. Serology should be considered in the context of other risk factors and used in conjunction with other strategies to investigate the impact of Campylobacter exposure on ewe reproductive performance such as monitoring for abortions and lamb necropsies to determine aetiological diagnosis, and vaccination trials.