Scavenging occurs whenever a body is accessible to animals which depredate post-mortem, leading to tissue modification and consumption. In forensic investigations, the consequences of indoor scavenging are associated with the capacity of dogs to destroy or scatter body parts, creating post-mortem artefacts that pose challenges for forensic pathologists and veterinarians in determining the cause and dynamics of death and the time of death estimation. The purpose of this study is to provide a literature review on the forensic implications of indoor domestic dog scavenging, in order to discuss victim and dog characteristics, injury patterns, and identification methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStress and dermatosis or itching are strictly related to mange caused by spp. and spp. mites, which are particularly stressful in alpacas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to investigate changes in the number of, and reasons for, requests for dogs' euthanasia over the last thirty years. Data (breed, age, gender, neuter status, manner, and cause of death) from dogs' euthanasia registered between 1990 and 2020 in a small animals' veterinary hospital were analyzed. The overall period examined has been split into two terms (T1 = 1990-2004 and T2 = 2005-2020) considering the introduction and enforcement of Law 189/2004.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBesides its translational value, an improved understanding of dog longevity and mortality is necessary to guide health management decisions, breed selection, and improve dog welfare. In order to analyse the lifespan of dogs in Italy, identify the most common causes of death, and evaluate possible risk factors, anonymised medical records were collected from 9 veterinary teaching hospitals and 2 public health institutions. Data regarding breed, sex, neuter status, age, diagnosis, and mechanism of death were retrieved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDog bites pose a significant global public health issue and are the most common type of injury caused by animals. While most dog bites result in minor harm, they can also lead to severe or even fatal consequences. In cases involving serious injury or death, forensic pathologists investigate various aspects, including the crime scene, the injuries sustained by the victim, and the characteristics of the dog suspected to have caused the bite.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEquine asthma is a common respiratory disease that may affect horses of any age. The diagnosis of severe equine asthma (SEA) (historically referred as recurrent airway obstruction or RAO) is based mainly on the history of the animal and clinical signs, which are further supported by the cytological examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). This can also be helpful in monitoring the inflammation of the lower airways in response to environmental management and medication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) remains a clinical challenge in Ph-positive variants of chronic myeloid leukemia. We provide mechanistic insights into a previously undisclosed MEK1/2/BCR::ABL1/BCR/ABL1-driven signaling loop that may determine the efficacy of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in TKI-resistant leukemic patients. We find that activated MEK1/2 assemble into a pentameric complex with BCR::ABL1, BCR and ABL1 to induce phosphorylation of BCR and BCR::ABL1 at Tyr360 and Tyr177, and ABL1, at Thr735 and Tyr412 residues thus provoking loss of BCR's tumor-suppression functions, enhanced oncogenic activity of BCR::ABL1, cytoplasmic retention of ABL1 and consequently drug resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe management of livestock affected by fire often comes down to two options: euthanasia or slaughtering. However, the therapeutic approach can be attempted for high-value cattle. The aim of a primary assessment is to identify signs of smoke inhalation injuries, cardiovascular impairment and shock and to determine the severity and extent of burn injuries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectrodiagnostic testing by using electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) is essential in the evaluation of patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury as it facilitates the localization of the lesion and the prognosis. In this case report, we present a long-term electrodiagnostic follow-up of a 5-day-old female Holstein calf with brachial plexus syndrome. Electrodiagnostic studies were carried out at 2 weeks, 5 weeks, 7 months and 12 months after admission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDairy male calves are at risk of welfare compromise as they are usually transported at a very young age. The European Union has set a "completely healed navel" requirement for calf transport; moreover, a minimum age is established for longer journeys. However, this requirement has proven to be prone to misinterpretation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The activation of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors by endogenous, plant-derived or synthetic cannabinoids may exert beneficial effects on pain perception. Of the cannabinoids contained in Cannabis sativa, cannabidiol (CBD) does not produce psychotropic effects and seems to represent a molecule having great therapeutic potential. Cannabidiol acts on a great number of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related G-protein-coupled receptors and ionotropic receptors which have, to date, been understudied in veterinary medicine particularly in equine medicine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe level of One Health (OH), or "One Health-ness," of health interventions has been defined as the capacity to operate according to six dimensions concerning OH operations and OH infrastructures, respectively (thinking, planning, and working; and information sharing, reciprocal learning, and systemic organization). Although health initiatives and research increasingly claim their orientation toward OH, such a capacity is rarely assessed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the One Health-ness of the academic team of the University of Bologna (UNIBO Team) working in the "ELEPHANT" project (Empowering universities' Learning and rEsearch caPacities in the one Health Approach for the maNagement of animals at the wildlife, livestock and human interface in SouTh Africa).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the extreme morphological variability of the canine species, data on limb development are limited and the time windows for the appearance of the limb ossification centres (OCs) reported in veterinary textbooks, considered universally valid for all dogs, are based on dated studies. The aim of this study was to acquire up-to-date information regarding the arm, forearm and leg bone development in skeletally-immature large-sized dogs from 6 weeks to 16 weeks of age. Nine litters of 5 large-sized breeds (Boxer, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Saarloos Wolfdog, White Swiss Shepherd Dog) were included, for a total of 54 dogs, which were subject to radiographic examination on a bi-weekly basis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSevere equine asthma (EA) syndrome is a chronic obstructive disease characterized by exaggerated contraction, inflammation, and structural alteration of the airways in adult horses, when exposed to airborne molds and particulate material. However, little is known about the relationship between the degree and type of inflammation on one hand, and the severity of the disease and the response to treatment on the other. Furthermore, to date, very few studies evaluate the diagnostic value of histology and immunohistochemical features of endoscopic biopsies on subjects with severe equine asthma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStaphylococcus aureus infection led to a case of goat abortion, and four veterinarians contracted S. aureus infection from the goat during and after the abortion. Three veterinarians assisted a doe during the dystocic delivery of a dead foetus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge determination of puppies represents a significant issue of animal welfare and forensic medicine, particularly for what concerns trade and imports of dogs. Despite the movement of puppy dogs before the age of 15 weeks is forbidden by Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, the occurrence of illegal transport of younger puppies is not uncommon. The illegal trade of puppies increases instances of falsified documentation, the counterfeit of vaccine certificates and discrepancies between the declared age and the real age of the puppies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn assessment of the natural ochratoxin A (OTA) exposure of seven Martina Franca jennies was carried out by analyzing blood and milk samples collected close to and after delivery. A total of 41 and 34 blood samples were collected from jennies and foals, respectively, and analyzed by ELISA. A total of 33 milk samples were collected from jennies and analyzed by the HPLC/FLD method based on IAC clean-up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a shocking disease frequently followed by behavioral disabilities, including risk of cerebral atrophy and dementia. N-formylpeptide receptor 1 (FPR1) is expressed in cells and neurons in the central nervous system. It is involved in inflammatory processes and during the differentiation process in the neural stem cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic testing of animal biological material has become a valuable tool in forensic investigations, and it is successfully used to identify unknown crime perpetrators, to unmask food frauds, or to clarify cases of animal attacks on humans or other animals. When DNA profiling is not possible due to inadequate amounts of nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing is the only viable alternative, as in the case of shed hair samples. In this case, a dog was allegedly killed by wild animals while being hosted in a boarding house.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrinopathy of middle-aged and elderly cats. Dietary treatment has been proposed as an alternative to traditional therapies.
Aim: The aim of this prospective study was to compare the efficacy of iodine-restricted food versus pharmacological therapy with methimazole in client-owned cats with hyperthyroidism.
Calves reared for the production of white veal are subjected to stressful events due to the type of liquid diet they receive. Stress responses are mediated by three main stress-responsive cerebral regions: the prefrontal cortex, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, and the nucleus of the solitary tract of the brainstem. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of different diets on these brain regions of ruminants using immunohistochemical methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCatastrophic injuries in racehorses mostly involve the metacarpal region. Although many studies describe fractures of equine limbs, few examine the relationship between bone morphometrics and musculoskeletal problems in racing horses. And yet, according to the regulation of some Italian traditional races, the shin circumference represents a qualifying prerequisite for horses to be admitted to races.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2019
The aim of this paper was to compare the cardiorespiratory effects of the two combinations (medetomidine-tiletamine-zolazepam (MTZ) or dexmedetomidine-tiletamine-zolazepam (DTZ)) used for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) immobilization. A retrospective analysis was carried out, reviewing the anesthetic records of captive bears. Sixty-six records were reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this report is to describe an outbreak of pustular dermatitis in a flock of about 200 sheep, its clinical evolution and food safety implications. The onset of the symptoms was sudden and the lesions spread very quickly from ewe to ewe, so that in about 3 days almost all of the lactating sheep were stricken. Pustules from 5 different animals, six milk samples, two cheese samples, teat cup samples from the milking machine and farmer's hands were analysed.
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