Mastitis vaccination using a commercial polyvalent vaccine or a herd-specific Staphylococcus aureus vaccine. Results of a controlled field trial on a dairy farm.

Unlabelled: Objective of this study was the improvement of selected parameters of udder health by mastitis vaccination in a dairy herd with elevated bulk milk somatic cell counts and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus as predominant mastitis causing pathogen.

Material And Methods: On a dairy farm, pregnant heifers (status group [SG] 1; n = 181) as well as cows stratified for their udder health state (classification based on results of cytobacteriological investigations of quarter milk samples obtained before dry cow therapy [MS0]) (SG 2-4; n = 416) were randomly assigned to one of the following vaccination groups (VG): Startvac® (VG SV), Bestvac® Rind Mastitis (containing herd-specific S.

Organ-protective effects on the liver and kidney by minocycline in small piglets undergoing cardiopulonary bypass.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) often is required for the operative correction of congenital heart defects in small infants. Unfortunately, CPB is associated with injury of inner organs such as the brain, kidney, lung, and liver. Renal failure and increase in liver enzymes are typical side effects observed after CPB.

Reno-protective effects of epigallocatechingallate in a small piglet model of extracorporeal circulation.

Cardiopulmonary bypass still often is a necessary tool in cardiac surgery in particular in the correction of congenital heart defects in small infants. Nevertheless, among the complications linked to extracorporeal circulation (ECC) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in both infants and adults one of the most serious problems is renal impairment. Since this might be caused by ischemia/reperfusion injury and accumulation of free radicals, we used (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a derivate from green tea, which is known to possess antioxidant, antiapoptotic and NO-scavenging properties in order to find out whether EGCG may protect the kidney.

[Progesterone and pregnanediol-glucuronid concentrations in saliva, milk and urine of female alpacas and their application in pregnancy diagnosis].

The objective of the present study was the measurement of the pregnancy associated hormones progesterone (P4) and pregnanediol-glucuronide (PdG) in saliva, milk and urine of alpacas and their potential use in pregnancy diagnosis. Sample of blood, saliva, milk and urine were obtained from 36 female alpacas before mating and throughout the pregnancy. Concentrations of P4 and PdG were determined using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

Efficacy of homeopathic and antibiotic treatment strategies in cases of mild and moderate bovine clinical mastitis.

The objective of this clinical control trial was to examine the effectiveness of the classical homeopathic treatment strategy in cases of mild and moderate bovine clinical mastitis in comparison with antibiotic and placebo treatments. Owing to characteristics of the selected herds, only cases of clinical mastitis caused by environmental pathogens and clinical cases with negative bacteriological result in the pre-treatment milk sample were included in the trial. A total of 136 lactating dairy cows with 147 affected quarters from four herds in Germany were randomly allocated to three treatment groups.

Ultrasonographic characterization of the urinary bladder in sows with and without urinary tract infection.

The urinary bladders of sows (n=10) without urinary tract infection (UTI) were longitudinally transrectally scanned after emptying and refilling with 200, 400, 600 and 800mL saline, and a volume dependence was found for bladder depth (BD), dorsal (dWT) and ventral wall thicknesses (vWT), wall regularity (WR) and mucosal wall surface (mWS). When another 31 sows without and 15 with UTI (as defined on the basis of high bacterial count and macroscopic/biochemical urine abnormalities) were compared for these parameters using BD as volume equivalent, no differences were found. Sows with UTI more often had moderate to high amounts of sediment than animals without UTI.

Cesarean section and ovariohysterectomy after severe uterine torsion in four cows.

Objective: To report a technique for intra-partum ovariohysterectomy (OVH) in cows after severe uterine compromise after uterine torsion.

Study Design: Clinical case report.

Animals: Four cows with uterine torsion.

[Plasma haptoglobin concentration in cattle with surgically corrected torsio uteri intrapartum].

In 26 cows with surgically corrected torsio uteri intra partum, severity of disease, wound healing and secondary diseases were correlated with plasma haptoglobin concentration. The objective of the investigation was to determine, if an increased plasma haptoglobin concentration indicates the severity of disease respectively expected wound healing disorders or secondary diseases. The degree of severity of disease was determined by rectally diagnosed elasticity of the uterus before the surgery.

The in vitro developmental competence of oocytes from juvenile calves is related to follicular diameter.

This study investigated the relationship between follicle size (FS) and developmental competence of calf oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) from follicles>8 (L-COCs; n=19), 4-8 (M-COCs; n=54), and 2-3 mm (S-COCs; n=155) were recovered from non-stimulated 1-4 months old dairy calves post mortem and ex vivo (laparoscopy), and in parallel from slaughtered adult cows from follicles of identical size categories [>8 (n=91); 4-8 (n=138); 2-3 mm (n=193)]. Morphologically intact COCs were subjected to in vitro maturation, fertilization, and embryo culture.

Offspring from non-stimulated calves at an age younger than two months: a preliminary report.

This study investigated the viability of embryos from non-stimulated 2-3-month-old calves generated in vitro using oocytes from follicles of defined size in terms of their ability to produce full-term pregnancies. Ablation of follicles>or=4 mm was used to induce the emergence of a new follicular wave, and calves (n=3) were laparoscopically punctured three times at 7-day-intervals to recover cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) from follicles>8 (group A) and between 4-8 mm (group B). Calves were aged 49, 56, and 80 days, respectively, at first recovery.

A field study into the appropriateness of transcutaneous ultrasonography in the diagnoses of uterine disorders in reproductively failed pigs.

This study was conducted to define the characteristics of the uterus of reproductively failed pigs by transcutaneous ultrasonography (SONO) in order to investigate the appropriateness of SONO to diagnose presumptive uterine disorders. Zearalenone (ZEA) is known to affect uterine function and causes endometrial liquid accumulation and was also determined. In 33 sows and 14 gilts, of unknown reproductive stages and culled for failing to conceive, the uterus was scanned transcutaneously and the females slaughtered on the same day or the day after scanning.

[The change of acute phase protein haptoglobin in cattle during spontaneous labor and Caesarean section with or without torsio uteri intrapartum].

The change of haptoglobin concentration in cattle with dystocia after torsio uteri which lead to Caesarean section is regarded in contrast to haptoglobin concentrations in cattle at parturitions with undisturbed puerperium and Caesarean section without torsio uteri intra partum. Animals with natural parturition had low haptoglobin concentrations with slight changes, for a slightly increased haptoglobin concentration was seen as physiologic. Also surgical treatment such as Caesarean section did not result in changes of haptoglobin concentration.

A vaginal mucosal pedicle flap technique for repair of rectovaginal fistula in mares.

Objective: To describe the use of a vaginal mucosal pedicle flap for repair of rectovaginal fistulae (RVF) in mares.

Study Design: Clinical case report.

Animals: Three mares with RVF.

Ultrasonographic characterization of the ovaries in non-pregnant first served sows and gilts.

This study was aimed firstly, to examine the ovaries in non-pregnant first served sows and gilts by transcutaneous ultrasonography and secondly, to evaluate the suitability for this procedure to be performed routinely on farms. Two thousand five hundred and twenty-three females on a 1250-sow unit, synchronized with Regumate (gilts only) and/or gonadotropins (sows and gilts) not detected as returned to estrus by daily boar contact prior to scanning were ultrasonographically tested for pregnancy between days 20 and 114 postinsemination (p.i.

Ultrasonographic characterization of the ovaries and the uterus in prepubertal and pubertal gilts.

In two experiments (EXP), 44 and 52 crossbred gilts (mean age+/-S.D. and weight+/-S.

The epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus infections from subclinical mastitis in dairy cows during a control programme.

The objective was to investigate the spread of S. aureus in seven dairy herds. Milk samples were taken to determine mastitis pathogens and somatic cell count.